Getting to the very last word of a book has got to be the most satisfying feeling in the world.

Lucky me, I've just gotten to experience that! Turning over that last page and shutting the back cover feels like putting a period on a sentence. A really long sentence.

But the most exciting part? The end to one story is just the beginning of another, and the thrill of opening up that first page of a new book is just as riveting.

At least, that's how my mind works when it's before 10 PM.

…Seriously?! Is it really that late?! I should have been home an hour ago! I have an early shift tomorrow! Crap, I've gotta go –

Except there's the fact that I can't move my legs. Oh, right.

"Hey, Riku…" I say softly, as I stroke the silky silver hair on the head that's on my lap. He doesn't even flinch. Normally, I'd try to push him off and put a pillow under his head while I slide out under him, but that's impossible to do when he's got my knees pinned down against the bed with the weight of his chest on top of them.

Guess I've gotta be a little more forceful.

"Riku," I say a little more loudly, shaking his shoulder. This time, I get a response.

He lets out a grunt as he rolls over on to his back, head still resting on my thigh. Eyes half open, he lets out a huge lion-like yawn. I can't help but laugh at how goofy he looks in this state. I swipe my fingers a couple of times across his forehead, moving his hair out of his face.

Suddenly, he jolts up.

"Shit, how long was I asleep for?"

"It's ten o'clock," I inform him, pointing to the alarm clock on his bedside table.

"Didn't you say you needed to leave by nine?" He yawns again while rubbing his eyes. "And that you'd wake me up so I could get my reading for Ethics done?"

"Y-you didn't tell me you had homework to do!" I mentally recount the events leading up to his nap: We got to his house after our Physics exam earlier. He was dead tired, since it was his second test of the day, and he'd pulled an all-nighter the night before. His mom was nice enough to make us dinner – and I have to say, some of the best lasagna I've ever had! – before we came up to his room (originally just to hang out and blow off some steam), where he pretty much just collapsed on top of me as soon as I sat on his bed. He did tell me to wake him up before I had to leave, but the reading…

"Maybe I forgot to tell you," he says with a shrug. "Too damn tired to keep track of what I have and haven't done today."

"Sorry…"

"It's fine, I'll just get it out of the way right now," he says, flicking my forehead. I can't help but smile when I look up to see that signature, kind-of-douchey-but-reassuring smirk on his face.

He's so annoying.

"I can forward you my notes, too, if you want," I offer.

"Sure, that works." He raises his arms over his head, stretching.

"Anyway, I should get going." I reach for my bag as I get up; I open it briefly to make sure I have everything I need.

"You sure you don't want to just stay over?"

The offer is certainly tempting. His bed is much bigger and more comfortable than mine is, and I can't deny that having a snuggle buddy to sleep next to is nice and all but… "I've gotta be up early tomorrow, and I don't have any of my stuff here."

"I've got an extra toothbrush, and you can just wear my one of my hoodies like you always end up doing," he suggests, flopping back onto his back.

"As enticing as that is, unfortunately I can't wear that to work. Plus, I need my facewash, and make-up, and conditioner for my hair…" The list really does go on.

"You're so high maintenance," he scoffs.

"I mean, if you want me with a face full of zits and dry, tangled straw for hair, then that's fine by me."

"Ok, you've got a point about the hair," he says, a little too quickly.

For some reason, he'll always agree to things when I make threats about my hair. What a dork.

He sits up again, though this time he actually manages to get himself up off the bed. Instead of coming over to me like I expect him to, he heads over towards his closet and starts rummaging through it. It's not long before he pulls out a jacket and throws it on. "All right, let's get going."

"Oh, you're gonna walk me?" I ask, a little surprised. "Don't you have your reading to do?"

"I'll just do it on my way to class tomorrow," he responds, waving me off. "Besides, I'm not gonna let you walk home by yourself this late."

"It's not that late," I assure him. "There's still some shops and stuff open."

"Let's just go," he says with another yawn and stretch. Before I can protest, he's out the door.

Well, if he insists.

I follow him down the stairs to the foyer and slip into my shoes. His mom comes out of the living room to bid me a good night, which I return before Riku and I head out. I slide the palm of my hand against his once we reach the sidewalk.

"Thanks for walking with me," I say, lacing my fingers with his.

"Don't worry about it," he shrugs. I look up at him, only to see his eyes a little preoccupied with the night sky. Why am I not surprised?

My eyes wander up there, too.

"New moon tonight, huh?"

"Yeah," he replies. "It's kind of crazy, you can barely see a trace of it."

"The dark side of the moon, right?"

"Right. Although, if you look really closely, you can see the crescent." He points up directly above us. "See? Right there."

I have to really squint my eyes towards where his finger is. Even then, I can barely make anything out. All I see up there is a black sheet, with a smattering of glistening stars.

"Well, it'll be easier to see in a couple of days anyway," he reassures.

"I know how the phases of the moon work," I tease, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Sorry, forgot who I was dealing with," he retorts, rolling his eyes. He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. I respond by leaning my head against his shoulder.

"Say," I start, "you ever wonder what it's like up there? On the moon, I mean."

"All the time," he admits. "Actually, it's funny you say that. I read an article earlier this week – apparently, they're working on a rocket that'll take astronauts over there."

"On the Aeronautics Islet?"

"Yeah. It sounds like it's a ways off, but…it's kind of exciting." I see a small smile form on his lips.

I'll admit, it's a little endearing to watch him nerd out over this kind of stuff, but…"It sounds kind of scary to me."

"Scary?" he responds, a tad bit incredulously.

"I mean, there's so many unknowns," I explain. "We've barely been out of our own planet's atmosphere, and now we want to go explore something that's so far away? How long would it take to get there? A year at the very least, right? And then you'd have to worry about having the right supplies, and make sure the equipment's all running properly, because even one teeny-tiny screw-up and it could be fatal and –"

"Whoa, easy there. Like I said, it's a ways off," Riku cuts in. "By that, I mean years. Maybe even a decade or two. I'm sure they're gonna use that time to consider all that." He glances over at me with one of his eyebrows cocked up. "Why do you sound so stressed about this, anyway?"

"Because I know that if and when the opportunity presents itself, you're going to be the first one to sign up for it."

"I can't believe you're worrying about something like that."

"Well, I'm not wrong, am I?"

"We'll see when it happens," he shrugs. "Like I said, it's years off. Maybe something will happen to me and I won't end up being able to go."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better."

"That 'something' could be a million things, bad or good."

I take a couple more steps forward before I realize he's stopped in his tracks, his hand still clasped around mine. I whip around to look and…

"What's that look for?" I ask. He's just kind of…staring at me, almost expressionlessly. Except for his eyes.

Those eyes…

"It's nothing," he says suddenly, shaking his head. "Anyway, there's no point in worrying about something so far ahead."

We resume walking, and before I can press further, he starts again. "Hey, change of subject, but, it looks like that sushi restaurant you've been talking about finally opened up." Riku points to a building across the street. It's a cute, cozy looking venue with paper shoji walls. There's a wooden sign above the door with the name Tsutsuji on it, with another sign below it that says "Open for Business."

"Ah, yeah, it opened up earlier this week! Serah went on opening day, she told me the food was amazing."

"Let's check it out sometime, then."

"Yeah, definitely." And then it dawns on me. "Hey, how about next Friday?"

"Next Friday? Uh, yeah, I think I'm free that night."

"That'll be perfect! It'll be a nice way to spend our first anniversary." I feel his arm suddenly stiffen.

"…Our anniversary?!"

"You forgot, didn't you?" I sigh. I'm actually a little surprised, he's usually pretty good with dates. Sora's birthday is kind of a given, but he got mine and Valentine's Day without me needing to remind him, too.

He even got Haru a new teddy bear for Children's Day, after he accidentally ripped the head off of that PuPu doll she really liked.

I don't know how it happened, either. But I thought it was sweet of him to make up for it.

"N-no, that's not it," he claims, a little bewildered. He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. "I just didn't realize it was coming up so soon. Between you, school, work, and blitzball, the year's just been a blur."

"Well, believe it or not, it'll be a year to the day of last year's Island Festival!" Oh, what a day that was.

"Right…Okay, so I guess we've got dinner plans sorted out. Am I supposed to get you a gift or something, too?" He glances over at me. "What? Don't give me that look, it's not like I've done this before!"

"It definitely shows." I can't help but start laughing. "I'm just going to leave that one up to you."

"I was looking for more of a 'yes' or 'no' type of response."

"What's that thing you always say when you try to get on my nerves? 'Actions speak louder than words'?"

"I don't see how that applies to this situation."

I just brush him off. "Well, whatever you decide to do, make sure it's not too fancy. I hear Tsutsuji's prices are on the higher end."

"So I'm taking that as a 'yes' on the gift question," he concludes.

"And remember our 5000 munny rule!" Usually, when we go out on dates, one of us will foot the bill. It mostly ends up being Riku, since he thinks it's 'gentlemanly' of him or whatever – not that my savings account is complaining. But we did agree that if we get a receipt for over 5000 munny, we'll split it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he responds, with a flick to my temple.

He's gonna fight me on it night of, I'm sure of it.

"Ah, looks like this is it," Riku says as we approach my house.

"Thanks again for walking me. Really."

"Like I said, not a problem."

"Now get home quick and catch up on your sleep!" I prod, as I let go of his hand. "And don't forget about your homework."

"Alright, Mom," he retorts, rolling his eyes once more as I start up the steps on my porch. I know, I know, he's a responsible adult and will be fine and all but…

"Hey, Riku?" I turn around to face him, my height equal to his thanks to the stairs.

"Yeah?" I lean in and press my lips to his. He puts a hand on my back to pull me in closer, while I grasp at his shirt for balance.

"I love you," I say softly, my lips still against his.

"Mm, I know," he replies. He kisses me one more time before letting go of me. I pull away, still holding onto his shirt as I stare into those aquamarine eyes, trying to gauge the expression on his face.

It's momentary, but I know that those are the same eyes he gave me back there. Is he really going to say–?

"See you in class tomorrow," he says, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

Now he just looks amused, and I can't help but exhale sharply.

"Yeah, see you then." I turn back around and make my way to the front door, wondering if he can tell that I'm a little annoyed. I catch a glimpse of him leaning against a pole on the porch, looking on after me as I get into the house. He leaves as I lock the door behind me, and I hastily make my way up the stairs to my bedroom.

Welp, no better place to have an internal crisis than in the shower, am I right? I gather my things and knock on the bathroom door to make sure Sora's not in there, with our rooms being connected by it and all. With the affirmation that he's not, I get in and get the faucet running.

Once the water's hot enough, I hop in. When it finally touches my skin, I'm sort of able to think straight.

…Ugh, why can't he just say it!?

We've been together for almost a year now, and I haven't ever heard him say it once! Not a single time! I think he's just doing it to get on my nerves at this point!

I know, I know, he's never been the best at expressing himself with his words. It's what I signed up for. Hell, I still can't even get over the shit-show it caused the first time I ever said it to him…

"Thank you for your questions, but I'm afraid that's all the time I have!" I say, seeing my professor raise the time card up at me out of the corner of my eye. Everyone gives me a polite round of applause as I step away from the podium and make my way back to my seat, being careful not to trip.

I really should have broken these heels in before I wore them today.

Ah, I'm so glad that presentation's out of the way! I think I did okay…Maybe I shouldn't start thinking about my grading just yet.

Ugh, but did that one person really have to ask about the methods on that research paper? It's not like I had it memorized! And then I couldn't get that video on the second slide to work at first, and even when it did it was all static-y! And then I started stuttering when I was reviewing that second article since the stupid institute's name was so long –

Someone definitely just knocked on the back of my head.

"You did fine," a voice whispers into my ear. I know instantly who it belongs to.

"Riku!" I make sure to keep my voice down so I don't disrupt the class. But there he is, seated right behind me. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't notice me come in? It was right at the start of your presentation."

"N-no!" I was more preoccupied with trying not to forget everything I rehearsed in the mirror about 30 times last night!

"I shouldn't say I'm surprised," he says with a laugh. "I had some free time and you told me it was an open period, so I figured I'd drop in."

"Aw, thanks," I respond, flashing him a small smile before I turn back around to face the front. I remember complaining about it to him a couple of days ago, but I didn't think he'd actually show up!

The next person, Wakka, starts presenting, but with the heat I feel rising to my cheeks, I barely pay attention to any of it.

…I'm in a little bit of a honeymoon phase, ok?

It almost feels like ages, but finally the room erupts in applause one more time, signaling the end of both the presentation and the class period. The professor comes to the front of the class to announce that we'll get our grades back sometime next week before letting us go on our way.

He just sat through all the presentations with his rubric, though! Can't he just give us the grades now? I don't want to have to worry about it all week!

"I'm sure you're gonna get an A, so try not to waste all your energy having a panic attack over it," reassures Riku, who's now standing right next to my seat.

What the hell?!

"Since when did you become a mind reader?"

"You're pretty predictable after a couple of months of dating you," he shrugs. "I can picture exactly what's going on through your head right now. 'Oh my God! I'm not going to be able to sleep all week! I have to know that I did better than everyone else in the class, or else I'm gonna end up working my minimum-wage retail job for the rest of my liiiiiiife!'"

"Ok, even I'm not that neurotic," I deadpan, lightly shoving him in the chest. He just laughs.

"Alright, alright. But in all seriousness, between the two of your presentations, I definitely liked yours better."

"Oh? Was it the topic I picked?"

"Honestly, I didn't understand half of either of your presentations," he admits. Well, I can't blame him, it's not like he's taken any biology courses past the introductory level. "But yours had the cuter presenter."

He thinks he's being smooth, huh? "I would hope you would think I was cuter than Wakka," I retort with a pout.

"Let's just get going," he chuckles, playfully ruffling my hair. I swat his hand away and make sure I have all my things before standing up and –

"Ow!" I exclaim, wincing.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just these stupid heels…" I look down at my feet and can clearly see some red marks on my skin around where it's chafing against my shoes.

"Why the hell did you wear heels to school?"

"Well, you have to look presentable if you're giving a presentation," I reason. "Especially one that's worth 40% of your grade!"

"There's not a single other girl in this room wearing heels." I look around at everyone else in the classroom, who're all now on their way out the door.

Dammit, he's right!

"Oh, stop trying to judge my fashion choices, you just don't get it!" It's all about going the extra mile! Right?!

"You're right, I legitimately don't."

"Whatever! Anyway, the more I walk, the less it bothers me," I explain, strutting past him with my head held up.

Keep a straight face, Amaya! Keep a straight face! Mask the pain!

"Isn't that just worse in the long run?" he asks, now following me out into the hallway.

"It's just a part of the process of breaking them in," I say, waving him off. "This is my first time wearing them. By the next time, they'll fit like a glove."

"Aren't you supposed to break shoes in around the house? That's what I do anytime I get new sneakers."

"Normally, yeah," I admit. "I didn't have the chance to do that with these, but they go really well with the outfit." Riku just sighs.

"Amaya, sometimes you're just…"

"Just what?"

"A handful." He reaches out to open the door to the exit.

"You wanted to say 'annoying,' didn't you?"

"But I didn't." He holds the door open, gesturing for me to go ahead first. I roll my eyes at him as I walk through.

And now I'm all sticky.

"It wasn't this hot when I got here this morning!" I complain, reaching into my bag for my paper fan. I can already feel the fabric of my blouse sticking to my skin in this stifling humidity! Good thing I chose this navy blue over the white one, or you'd be able to see right through it!

I really regret not bringing something to tie my hair up with, though. I can practically feel the back of my neck crying right now.

"Apparently it's supposed to be like this all week," responds Riku, running his hand through his already-sweaty hair.

"Summer's over now, we're supposed to be headed into the cool season," I say in what ends up sounding like a rather whiney tone.

"It is what it is." We start walking. "Anyway, what did you wanna do right now?"

"Change out of these clothes, shower, and sit under an air conditioner." I undo the first two buttons on my top and start fanning myself. It only helps a little, but at least my décolletage can somewhat breathe now.

"So I'm assuming we're going to your place then?"

"Yes, please! Unless you had something else in mind."

"Wanna stop over here?" he suggests, pointing to the PaopuBucks that we just so happen to be right next to. It's also happens to be the one Riku works at part-time. "Could use something to drink, and I've got two more free beverages this month."

"Good idea!" We head straight in. Lucky us, the place isn't too packed!

And boy, does this air conditioner feel nice.

"Yo, Riku!" the cashier calls over to us.

"'Sup, Zidane?" Riku waves over to a guy I recognize as one of Sora's old classmates. "Hey, Amaya, why don't you sit down? I can get our drinks. Iced milk tea, extra pump of syrup, right?"

"Right, and okay!" The two of us part ways and I find a cozy seat in the corner right by the window. I immediately slip my feet out of my shoes – oh sweet relief!

Meanwhile, Riku and Zidane converse at the register a little before he slides under the counter and starts working on our beverages.

We get under each other's nerves a lot, but…he really is a sweetheart.

To be honest, I was a little nervous when we first started dating. He's Sora's best friend, but I never really got to know him growing up. And as we got to high school, he did have a bit of a reputation of being a bit of a player, which was a little off-putting. Then I found out that he had his sights set on me, and honestly, if it weren't for Sora and Kairi's insistence, I probably would have said no.

I'm really glad I didn't. Sure, we had a little bit of a rocky start. Bad timing, first of all, with finals literally 2 weeks after we started going out. And then there was that time he came over when I was babysitting Haru – I don't think I can ever forget that night! There was the trip to the hospital, and then watching him freak out over people putting a label on our relationship…for a second, I really thought were going to end it right there. Luckily, though, he came around, and things have been going – surprisingly – really well since.

He's just a lot of fun to be around. We've had a lot of really fascinating conversations over the past few months. Sure, we take a lot of shots at each other, and he can be a little too blunt at times, but that truthfulness has really helped me during times when I've gotten a little too in over my head. Which happens a little more often than I want to admit.

Overall, it's been a few wonderful months full of honesty, laughs, and really good quality time.

I'm just…really happy.

And physically—

"What's with that pervy look on your face?" Riku's back with our drinks in his hands and an amused expression on his face.

"I was just having one of my barista fantasies," I explain casually.

We're in public, after all.

"Oh, tell me more," he responds playfully, handing mine over.

"Well, he comes to my table, very smooth and suave, and without me even having to ask, he hands me a nice, cold and very free drink."

"And how's this drink supposed to taste?" He takes a seat across from me, his usual black iced coffee in hand.

I take my first sip of my milk tea. Ah, it's perfect! "As cold, sweet, and refreshing as this one." I take another sip. "Thanks, Riku."

"No worries." He smiles at me, and I feel the side of his leg brush against mine.

The two of us sit at this table for a while, talking about each other's weeks while we enjoy our drinks. It's a really nice way to unwind after such a stressful day.

I really enjoy these times.

But before we know it, an hour and a half just flies right by!

"Crap, it's gonna be time for dinner soon!" I exclaim once I notice.

"We should get going," he responds, grabbing our empty cups. I get my feet back into my shoes as I stand up and man, it's not a pleasant feeling. In fact, I think it feels even worse than it did before.

Luckily, Riku's headed towards the recycling bin and doesn't notice. We meet back up at the door and head out.

"It hasn't cooled down one bit, has it?" Riku observes.

I'm already waving my paper fan. "And it's still so humid!"

"Well, the faster we get to your place, the better."

"Right." I don't want to move too fast, though. It feels like the back of my heels are being skinned in these godforsaken shoes!

"Man, this sucks," Riku groans, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead.

Well, there is one advantage to these heels. "Here." With the extra height, I don't have to awkwardly reach up as high to fan him.

"Thanks," he says appreciatively.

"You're welcome." I continue switching between fanning him and myself. It's a little difficult, but you gotta do what you gotta do in this heat. Thankfully, it's not long before we get to my neighborhood.

"Just about five more minutes," I pant. I look down at my chest to see a dark watery stain all over my blouse. So gross…I don't even want to know what the back looks like. "Definitely have to do laundry."

"Mind doing mine, too?" Riku asks. His clothes are in as just as bad shape. "Pretty I have an extra set of clothes between yours and Sora's rooms."

"That should be fi – ahh!"

"You okay?" We stop in our tracks, and I lift the back of my left foot out of its prison. I'm pretty sure that blister on the back of my heel just popped.

"Stupid shoes…"

"You're bleeding," Riku says, looking over my shoulder to inspect it.

"Ugh, and we're so close to making it home, too!"

"What do you want to do?"

"I'll try making it barefoot, I guess," I sigh. Once my foot touches the hot asphalt, though, I hastily decide against it. "Never mind! If I've gotta choose, I'll have to take the bleeding over burning myself."

I hear Riku sigh behind me. "You really are a handful."

And before I can respond, I am, quite literally, swept up off my feet!

"R-Riku, what are you doing?!" If my face wasn't red already from the weather, it definitely is now!

"Giving you a third option," he explains way too calmly.

"R-really, you don't have to do this!"

"It's fine. You're just going to make it worse by walking on it, and I would have had to hear you whine about it the rest of the way." Fine, he's got a point. "Besides, isn't this what girls dream about in shoujo mangas?"

"It's been ages since I've touched one of those," I remark wistfully. "How would you know, anyway? Have you been reading those in your spare time?"

"I've been friends with Kairi for a very long time."

"I think I like the image of you hiding under your covers, reading them with a flashlight at night so that no one would find out even better."

"Believe me, if I were doing that, it wouldn't be with those kinds of books." I flick him on the forehead teasingly. "Keep that up and I might drop you."

"You're…" I want to come up with some sort of sassy remark, but honestly, I can barely think straight as I finally relax into his arms. "…the best." I rest my head against his shoulder and let him carry me the rest of the way home.

This feeling…

It's like, I'm all giddy on the inside, but at the same time there's butterflies in my stomach and I just want to throw up.

I've felt flashes of these sensations a lot over the past couple of weeks, and…pretty much all day today to some extent.

Sure, it was a stressful day, with the presentation, this heat, and the whole shoe situation, but…he's been by my side the whole entire time. And I don't think I'd trade that for the world.

I haven't felt these kinds of emotions with anyone else but…I think I know exactly what this is.

I'm so lucky.

"Finally, made it," Riku says. It takes me out of my super sappy thoughts for a moment, for me to realize that we're right in front of my porch.

"You fine if I put you down on the stairs?" he asks.

Is it kind of pathetic that I don't want him to put me down?

"Yeah, that should be fine." I kick off my shoes right as my feet hit the ground, facing him as I back up onto the first step.

"Not too hot now?"

"Nope! This wood's been under the shade all day, so it's a lot cooler."

"Well, we should head in before it—Amaya, what are you doing…?"

I can't help it. It's so scorching hot, and the two of us are practically melting in this sweltering heat, but I just can't shake this desire of just…really wanting to be close to him right now. And so, I do the natural thing: throw my arms around him and bury my face in his chest.

"Okay, I get it, you're in one of your weird cuddly moods right now," Riku laughs, putting his hands on my shoulders. "But wouldn't you rather do this inside, where it's cooler? And, you know, a little more private?"

Should I tell him…?

"Amaya, you okay?" He gently peels me away, pushing me back a forearm's length while looking directly into my eyes. It's a look mixed with genuine concern and confusion.

Poor thing! I'm freaking him out by keeping him in the dark, aren't I? And I guess I am acting a little weird right now, huh?

…Yeah, I want to tell him.

I tenderly cup his face with my hand, and feel a smile play up on my lips to let him know I'm okay. Because… "I…I love you, Riku."

He doesn't react.

Like, he doesn't even blink.

I-is he even breathing?!

"C-Come again?" he says suddenly, and right before I was about to start shaking him to make sure he was alright!

Oh, God, this isn't the whole 'boyfriend' thing all over again, is it? I thought we were past that!

I take in a deep breath before having to repeat myself. "I said I—"

"Oh, you know, I just remembered something," he interjects. I nearly trip myself when he pulls his hands away from me! "Mom needed help cleaning up and stuff, so I have to run!"

And he literally just starts running away.

"Riku, wai – ow!" Stupid hot sidewalk!

Even if it weren't this hot and my feet weren't trying to fall off my body, there's no way I could catch up to him. He's even faster than Sora, after all.

This really is just like the first time I called him 'my boyfriend' to his face, isn't it? He looked so sick, I had to flag down an ER nurse before he told me what was wrong!

I found it funny back then, but right now, I'm honestly a little annoyed.

I've had a few boyfriends before, sure, but someone I've actually loved…

And for me to really say it to him…And for him to react that way…

This isn't rejection, is it?

N-no, he'll come back around. I'll see him tomorrow in class, and he'll just be his usual annoying self, and he'll apologize to me. And I'll accept it, but not without giving him a hard time about it. And maybe, just maybe, he'll return my feelings and say it back to me.

Yeah…yeah, it'll all be okay.

Right?

Wrong.

Ugh, combing through my hair while it's wet is the worst! Well, I guess it's even worse if I try to rake a brush through it when it's like this dry, but still.

Oh, well. Beauty is pain, I guess.

And where is my blow dryer…? Ah, here it is! Mom must have borrowed it, it's a little further back in the drawer than I normally keep it. And the diffuser's not attached! Well, not like she would know how to reattach it, but still…

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, the first time I told him that I loved him.

I thought it would blow over pretty quickly, and we'd be on our merry way. Boy, was I wrong. Leave it to the person I usually laud as my 'voice of reason' to keep me on edge for as long as he did!

Honestly, if it weren't for my little brother, I don't know where we'd be right now.

It's been a week.

A really long week.

And here I am, pacing back and forth in my room for the seventh day straight day!

Ugh, that inconsiderate jerk! He hasn't been responding to my texts, he's been running away right after our classes together – even after I've made it a point to sit right next to him, mind you – and any time I do run into him in the hallway or the street, he comes up with some excuse as to why he can't talk!

I even asked Lulu to cover one of my shifts at work so I could go to his blitzball game on Wednesday! And what happened? I trid to catch up with him and Sora after they win the game, and yeah, he acted a little more naturally – he gave me a quick little hug and told me how happy he was to see me and blah, blah, blah – but before I could even say anything to him, he just made another excuse about having to go home and hightailed it out of the arena! The worst part was, I couldn't even let on how frustrated I was, with Sora right there!

I.

Just.

Want.

To.

EXPLODE!

"Hey, Sora, why is Amaya rolling around on the floor like that?"

"Eh, don't worry about it, Haru. She's just having one of her crises."

"Ooooh, okay." I hear a light set of footsteps quickly patter away.

"Here, let's close your door –"

"SORA!" I scream, suddenly jolting up onto my knees as I realize my opportunity. "I need your help!"

"Oh, God, who punched you in the face?!" He recoils in horror.

"What are you talking about?!" It's the lack of physical contact I'm trying to complain about!

"Your eyes! They're all swollen and bruised!"

"Again, what are you talking about?" I stand up and head over to my vanity mirror and – "It's just my mascara." Looks like it rubbed all over the place while I was…rolling around on the floor.

I'm okay, really.

Really.

"You…okay, Sis?" Sora asks, slowly entering my room and approaching me.

"…No," I sigh. I start wiping the black goop around my eyes off with a make-up wipe, which makes Sora look a little more relaxed.

"So, what's going on?" He turns my desk chair around and seats himself on it. "You've looked pretty stressed for the past couple of days, but you didn't say anything, so I thought it was some project or test or something."

"It's Riku," I lament. "Listen, I feel really bad for dragging you into this…Riku and I promised since the very beginning that if anything happened between me and him, we'd keep you and Kairi out of it, but…I'm really at my wit's end here, Sora. I don't know where else to turn to, and there's no one who knows him better than you do."

Sora's staring at the ground. Looks like he's contemplating something pretty deeply.

Ugh, now I feel even worse. Maybe I shouldn't drag him into this! It's his best friend, after all.

"I was afraid of this," Sora says, shaking his head. "But I did warn him."

"What are you talking about?" I ask. "'Warn him?'"

"I told him that if he did anything to hurt you that I'd kick his ass," he explains rather coolly.

"N-no, no, I definitely don't want you to do that!" I don't want this to come in the way of their friendship! Plus, if Sora and Riku actually got into a fight…well, I don't think Sora would leave unscathed. "He didn't do anything to hurt me, per se. No, all I need is your advice on how to handle what's going on."

Sora looks visibly relieved. "Well, okay then. How can I help, Sis?"

I perch myself on my bed as I take the time to explain exactly what happened a week ago, as well as the aftermath since. He listens carefully without interrupting as I get it all off my chest. By the end of it, he's got this really pitiful expression on his face.

"Okay, what are you giving me that look for?"

"Oh, Amaya, Amaya." He rolls the chair over towards me, only to rest his hands on my shoulders as he shakes his head. "My poor, poor naïve sister."

"What?"

"How do I put this?" He starts tapping his chin, deep in thought. "Oh, I got it. Okay, you and Riku are actually a lot alike. Like, really alike."

"How so?"

"Besides you, how many people is Riku close to?"

"How does that have anything to do with how alike he and I are?"

"I'll get to it, I'll get to it," he reassures me, waving me off.

"Okay, besides me, there's obviously you, Kairi, and…"

"And?" he parrots, smirking. Now that I think about it, between classes, sports, and work, Riku certainly has quite a few friends, but I don't think he considers any of them to be 'close'. And when it comes to his family, even mentioning one of his brothers annoys him. He's on good terms with his parents, but to say he's 'close' with them…

"And…that's it, isn't it?" I blink. Sora nods his head.

"Now, you're a noob to this tight-knit circle of his, so you're not as familiar with his history, are you?"

"That's exactly why I'm talking to you."

"Well, before you, Riku was a giant Chad."

"That's a well-established fact."

"Right, but there's a backstory! One that even I didn't know about until a couple of months ago, 'til Kairi told me."

"Oh?" There's always a backstory, isn't there?

"In a nutshell, back in high school, there was this girl he really liked. Like, really, really liked."

"Really?" This is the first I'm hearing of this!

"Yeah, but he never asked her out, and just dated a bunch of other girls he didn't really like as much instead. And by the time he did work up the courage to try to ask her – I'm talking years – she was already taken."

This…really is the plot of a shoujo manga, isn't it?

"Well, that's his fault for not asking her sooner, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. But it's the reason he didn't ask her out for so long is what makes him so similar to you – anxiety."

"Anxiety?"

"Yep. Think about it, how do you feel when someone goes through your drawers, or when you're about to take an exam or whatever?"

"I get…a little nervous." Sora gives me a quizzical look. "Okay, okay, I have a little bit of a problem. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, when it comes to relationships, Riku feels the exact same way. He gets really scared that he's going to screw things up, which is why he hasn't really pursued them all that much."

"But, before I said it to him, we were a hundred percent fine," I respond skeptically. "And, I mean, if you're going to get into a committed relationship, isn't falling in love with the person one of the main goals?"

"And when you start a new semester at school, don't you know that there's projects and exams coming? But you still panic when the time arrives, even though it turns out okay."

"So you're saying that hitting him with reality freaked him out?"

"Pretty much."

"Why is he such a pain?!" I bury my face in my hands in frustration. "I take it back, Sora, kick his ass!"

"I'd rather not," he laughs. "But, I can still help you out."

"How?"

"I'll talk to him."

"No," I respond, shaking my head. "You've done a lot already for me, Sora. Thanks for hearing me out, and giving me that advice. But, I don't want you to get yourself too involved in our problems – he's your friend first."

"And you're my sister," he says, with that usual goofy grin on his face.

It definitely puts me at ease.

"Fine, I won't talk to him about it specifically," he shrugs, standing up. "But, I'll figure out what his plans are tomorrow and let you know. That way, you can find a way to talk it out with him and resolve the whole thing."

"You really are the best brother a girl could ask for." I pull him in for a hug, which he returns.

"I know!"

He promises me that he'll text me some time tomorrow to let me know what the plan is.

Me being me, it's hard for me not to worry about how it's all going to go down. What if I don't get a chance to talk to him tomorrow? Or if he runs away again?

Or…What if he doesn't feel the same way?

What if…he ends it?

Needless to say, I don't sleep very well that night. I pretty much have to drag myself to class the next day, and even then, it's so hard to stay focused.

When Sora finally calls in the afternoon, it feels like my heart's going to leap out of my mouth.

"Sora, what's up?" I answer as casually as I can.

"Hey, so I just ran into Riku," he says over the line. I gulp nervously. "He's actually on his way back home right now, he has some paper to work on or something. But, that works out perfectly for you – he'll be all alone, and it's not like he's going to run away from his own house."

"You sure about that?"

"Let me know if he does, I'll find him," Sora reassures me.

So…it's really going to happen today, isn't it?

"Um, well…maybe I shouldn't," I say with a small laugh. "You know, he needs to get his work done at all, and I don't want him to get a bad grade because of me."

"She says she maybe she shouldn't 'cause she doesn't want him to get a bad grade," Sora repeats, though it sounds like he's talking to someone else. Who—?

"Amaya!" says a new, very sweet voice over the line.

Oh, God, she's going to kill me.

"It's Kairi! How's it going?"

"Alright, alright, I'll go, I'll go!" I concede.

"Well, then, get going, you giant nerd! Love you!" And then she hangs up.

She can be really scary, ok?

Well, with their blessing, I'm off. At least the heat wave from last week has let up. And I'm not wearing those stupid heels.

Hey, maybe that's what I'll tell him! I was delirious from the heat and the pain, and the words just sort of slipped out! It didn't mean anything! We can just go back to the way it was before! It's perfect!

…Oh, who am I kidding? If I want this to be a mature relationship, I have to be honest with him.

Why can't love be as easy as it is in fairy tales?

Riku doesn't live far from the university, but it feels like the longest walk I've ever taken. By the time I get to his place, my legs just want to buckle underneath me. Though, I'm pretty sure that's just from the adrenaline.

Alright, Amaya, all you have to do is knock on the front door.

Just…knock…

Ah, I really don't want to do it!

…Doesn't look like I'll have to either, 'cause the door is opening! Abort, abort, I need to run!

"Oh…Amaya, right?" It's one of Riku's older brothers standing in the doorway.

"Yazoo! Great timing, I was just about to knock!"

"Well, door's open for you," he responds, graciously allowing me to enter. "Will you be staying for dinner? I was going to pick up some ingredients for our mother."

Ah, he's so polite! Why didn't the rest of his brothers inherit his good manners?

…But will I be staying for dinner? "Um, I'm not really sure to be honest…"

"Well, we'll just have some extra leftovers if you don't. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, see you…" I hope. I watch him walk down the steps of the porch as I close the door gently behind him.

Such long, pretty silver hair! If I ever have a daughter…

Okay, that's not going to happen if I don't get up these stairs! Keep focused, Amaya!

…Why does the walk up these stairs feel even longer than the walk to the house?! I'm practically out of breath by the time I make it to the top!

Okay, his room is right on the left. Do I need to knock?

Wait…what is that noise…? I press my ear to the door and…

Is…that…the bed squeaking? That's definitely that sound! And there's grunting! Why is there grunting?!

It's barely been a week, he hasn't talked to me, and already he's—?

AND WHY DO I FEEL A PERSON BEHIND ME?!

WHY IS THE DOOR OPENING?! I DON'T WANT TO SEE—!

"Riku, your girlfriend's here!" sings the voice behind me.

"Get away from her, Kadaj!" Riku yells, sprawled on top of his bed. And the person he's with… "And Loz, give me my damn headphones!"

Oh, thank goodness.

"Pfft, you definitely don't need them right now," his beefy other brother responds, shoving him once more before sprinting right past me.

"Have fun kids, and remember: always use protection!" Kadaj teases as shuts the door behind me.

"Piss off!" Riku groans, covering his face with a pillow. I can't help but giggle.

"I know you think they're irritating, but you guys are always entertaining to watch."

"At least one of us is laughing," he laments as he sits up, tossing the pillow to the side. Slowly, he turns to look up at me, though he quickly averts his gaze. "So…um, you're…here…"

Right…I am here.

I guess it's now or never, huh?

"We…really need to talk, Riku."

He sighs heavily, before getting up and making his way over to the seat at his desk. "Um, well, you see, I've got this huge paper due in a couple of days and—"

"Riku," I plead. "Come on, you've been avoiding me all week."

"I've just been really busy," he responds with a low tone, eyes still on the ground.

"You really think I'm going to buy that?" I cock up an eyebrow. "You ran into the break room right when we made eye contact when I tried to visit you at work yesterday! Not to mention the fact that you haven't responded to a single text I've sent you!"

"Alright, alright, I've been avoiding you," he admits, his face turning red. He swivels around in his chair and motions for me to take a seat on the bed.

"I just…whatever's been on your mind, please tell me."

"It's…" He finally looks up at me, though his eyes widen as he does. "You're shaking."

Am I? I don't even notice until I actually look down at my trembling hand. It's been a while since this has happened. "It happens when I get really anxious."

He scoots forward in his chair, stopping when his knees bump against mine. "I'm really sorry, I didn't realize…"

"Well, how would you expect someone to react?" My hands ball up into clenched fists. I'm just going to get straight to the point. "Listen, if you don't feel the same way, or if you don't want to be together anymore, it's fine. It sucks but…I'd rather know, than having my brain run around in circles trying to figure out what's going on like it has been for the past week!"

There's a long, pregnant pause, and my head feels like it's going to cave in.

"Wh-why would you think I didn't want to be with you anymore?" Riku finally asks. He rests his hands on top of mine.

And finally, for the first time since that day, I can breathe easy. "Gosh, you really are an idiot when it comes to relationships, aren't you?"

Sora was right.

"What? I thought—"

"That I'd break up with you if you didn't say it back?"

"Y-yeah," he blinks. I feel a smirk playing up on my lips, and the trembling finally stops. "Listen…you're someone who's…really important to me, but a word like that…it just, it implies a lot, you know?"

"I know. And I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean to imply those things," I respond, pressing my palms against his, fingers intertwined. "I really do love you."

"Even after everything I did this week?"

"Well, that's the annoying thing about loving someone," I pout. "Once you start, it's kind of hard to just stop. Even when they start acting like a moron."

"That's just…a lot of pressure." He starts turning pale. "I don't know if I'm ready to…"

This really is the 'boyfriend' thing all over again, isn't it?

I press my head against his chest; his heart is beating a million times a minute. "It's okay if you're not ready to say it, you know."

"R-really?"

"Yeah," I laugh. "I really don't get why you put so much stress on yourself sometimes."

"It's because…Say I were to say it. What if I did something to screw it up, and I ended up hurting you?"

"That's going to happen at some point or another," I respond, rolling my eyes I extract myself from him. "But that's the whole point. Both of us are going to make mistakes. Tons of them, I bet. You've already kind of screwed up with this drama queen, cold shoulder business. But, because I love you, I can look past it. Because I know the kind of person you are – the person that I love – I accept your flaws, and still want to be with you despite them, and work with you when we do have our tiffs to get over them. That's what love's all about."

"Okay, okay, I get it, but do you have to say the word that many times?" he responds, gagging.

Pfft, like I'm going to let him off easy.

I climb into his lap, grip his face with both hands and lean my forehead against his. "I love, love, looooooove you!"

"Gah!" He tries to wrestle his way out of my grip, but just ends up falling off the chair and we collapse into a laughing, tangled heap on the ground.

"I really do love you," I say softly, once I've finally caught my breath.

"I know, I know," he groans. "You got the message across."

"Good," I giggle, turning over onto my side to plant a kiss on his lips. "And next time you senselessly freak out over something I do, just come talk to me about it. See how much easier that was compared to your stupid silent treatment?"

"Yeah, yeah, I will," he says quickly, before rolling over on top of me and pinning me down with another kiss. I can feel him lightly pulling on my hair, as we start to lose ourselves in passion.

I'd normally try to bother him a little more but…I really missed him.

Love can be really annoying that way, huh?

Love's especially annoying when you realize thinking about it has kept you up until thirty minutes to midnight, and you've got a 6:30 shift in the morning! Ah, I need sleep!

I climb into bed, but it's hard to keep my thoughts from continuing to race.

Thankfully enough, we haven't had a major cold shoulder incident since then, but…I can't help but think sometimes that we're in the same place we were back then, so many months ago. And it's hard, feeling like my feelings are one-sided.

…But are they? That's what really does my head in!

There've been a couple of times where I've tried to subtly hint the way I feel about it to him. I'll say it in a joking way, with things like "Tell me how you really feel!" or a jovial "What's on your mind?"

And that stupid, cocky smirk always shows up on his face, before he says something along the lines of "Well, it's like they say: actions speak louder than words!"

It annoys me to no end in the moment, but when I really do think about it…

The inside jokes, the laughs we've had, the encouraging words when I'm stressed, the calm train of thought he offers when I can't think straight, the fun dates we've been on, the sweet cuddles and kisses…

And then there's this new thing I've noticed. I don't know when it started, but there's this…look in his eyes that shows up every now and then. It's the same look he gave me when we were talking about the moon stuff earlier when we were walking home, and after I kissed him for walking me home.

It took me a while to recognize what that look was, but then I realized – it's the same look Sora has in his eyes all the time when he's around Kairi.

If that's not love, I really don't know what is!

Yeah…I can rest easy. I know, even though he won't say it, Riku loves me.

But…it would be really nice to hear him say it, even once.

A/N: LOL FOUR YEARS LATER

I'm so so sorry for the wait! I promise, I was productive during my time off - I visited three countries and finished a Master's Degree! Now that I finally had some downtime, and with the release of Kingdom Hearts 3 (gasp) NEXT WEEK, it's finally time to conclude this story.

To be honest, I had an epilogue drafted after I put out chapter 9, but I didn't really like the direction it was headed in, so I scrapped it. I've tried a couple of times over the years since then, but it wasn't until some time last week that I came up with something that I actually really liked to conclude the story with. And, of course, in the usual fashion, my ideas expanded on me and what was originally supposed to be one epilogue got split up into two parts!

One thing I did a little differently, as you might have noticed, is switch perspectives on this story. As much as I had fun writing from Riku's perspective in the main story, I felt like the plot for the epilogue would be more entertaining from Amaya's POV. Let me know how you feel about it in the reviews!

I am working on the real conclusion to this story as we speak, and I'll try my best to release it before KH3 comes out, but I can't guarantee anything! It will definitely be less than 4 years until part 2 though. If any of you are coming back to this story, thank you so much for all your support over these years, it means everything. And to any new readers who've decided to click on this and read the whole thing, welcome to the trash that is my OC's and fluff!

Thanks again, and please leave a review to let me know what you think!