Unattainable Desire

By Chiharu Tanaka

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A/n: Hrm, got nothing much to say today.

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

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Chapter 6: Lovesick

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Princesses were always the beautiful daughters of kings and queens with long blond hair cascading down like the waterfalls, innocent and gorgeous blue eyes that takes any man's breath away, dressed up so beautifully in silk and satin gowns, their beauty enhanced with stunning jewellery, and their sweet, melodious voice touching the hearts of many. Princes were always the stunning, dashing hero who saves the damsel in distress at the climax of moments with style and debonair, displaying strength and courage. They charm women with nothing but a rose and a killer smile.

Riku thought he would never see the day where the fairy tales his mother read him would actually come to life. The prince, with a short, chic styled auburn hair; blue eyes that gleamed with self-confidence and a smile that rivalled the sun stepped out, armed with a bouquet of freshly picked red roses in his right hand. Even though wearing a casual white long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans, he still looked like royalty as he stepped up towards the princess, holding out the bouquet in front of her shocked face.

"Roxas Parker! Wha…what are you doing here?" stammered the flabbergasted Naminé as she picked the bouquet from his hands. He flashed her a wide grin, one that usually made his fans go crazy.

"I'm not going to be an idiot, so I'll go straight to the point. I'm here to ask you out. Are you free tomorrow?"

Naminé gaped slightly, too shocked to say anything. All this time the media had been hinting that he had a 'relationship' with Kairi, and now…the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. She blinked a few times, and felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"Urm…I…I guess so…" she mumbled in reply.

"Great! I'll pick you up at your house at seven tomorrow evening, ok?" he said, before abruptly leaving.

"Huh?" she blurted, as she watched him walk back to his car and slip a pair of shades over his eyes before entering it. His driver drove off towards the main street, leaving her and Riku standing there like a couple of idiots.

"What…just happened?" she asked, turning to Riku. He just shrugged.

"You were asked out by a famous guy. Is that a big deal to you?" he asked back, walking down the stairs.

"Well, duh, considering I've never been on a date before."

He looked at her in disbelief. "Then you have a long way to go, kid." She gently tucked a few strands of her blond hair behind her ear, looking up at the tall bodyguard with confusion.

"So you're saying you've been on a lot of dates?"

He smirked. "Of course, a handsome guy like me is bound to be a target for the ladies."

She pouted, placing her hands on her hips as Riku unlocked the car door. "You sound really conceited…"

"No, I don't sound conceited. I AM conceited," said Riku, opening the passenger door for Naminé, who with an uninterested expression, entered the car. He turned around and took the driver's seat. "Now…where did you say you wanted to have lunch in?"

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"Hello?"

Kairi's voice echoed throughout the room. A cold glass of peach smoothie was in her left hand as she sat cross-legged on top of her fluffy couch, watching TV. She turned the volume down.

"Hi, Kairi…it's me, Nami."

"You sound distressed…what's up?" asked Kairi, sipping on the cool drink.

"Well, you know Roxas Parker?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Umm…when I left the new museum today…he umm…stopped by and asked me out."

Kairi nearly spat out her drink and quickly regained composure. "WHAT! You mean the Roxas Parker; international, platinum-record, chart-topping and best breakthrough artist?"

"Yes!" wailed Naminé in her timid voice. "He said he was going to pick me up at seven tomorrow."

Kairi fumbled for the remote and quickly switched off the TV. "WHAT! Nami…you've never been on a date before! And…oh my gosh…Roxas Parker has a crush on you! Wow! I'm impressed."

"You're not helping, Kai. What should I do?"

"Well, it's a free country. Go out with him! Have a great time."

"But…"

"What's stopping you? Tell me."

Naminé took a good look around…and she was still in vicinity of Riku's ears. He was in the kitchen, grabbing a bowl of chips. She quickly got off the sofa and hurried into the sanctuary of her room. After hoisting herself on her soft bed, she resumed.

"Well…I don't know what kind of person he is…I know he's very handsome and all…but still…"

"You're just nervous because he's a famous person…and the fact that you've never been on a date before is wrecking you, am I right?"

"Well…yeah! You can really become a psychiatrist, Kai."

"Thank you, thank you very much. Just go for it, and have fun. Tell me all the details when you get back, okay?"

"…Kai?"

"Yes?"

"Is there something wrong?" asked Naminé, looking at her window in worry. "I thought you would go 'Oh my gosh' non-stop, make a shopping date and help me pick out new clothes?"

"No, there's nothing wrong…I'm just a bit sick, that's all," replied Kairi, half-lying.

"Lovesick?"

"No, don't be silly. I've just come down with a fever. That's all."

"Should I come over?" asked Naminé. She desperately wanted to, since an unwanted guest was in her house.

"No, that's okay. Elena's coming back in 10 minutes. You should start planning on an outfit to wear."

"Shopping isn't fun without you."

"Okay…I'll go shopping with you tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Okay. Get some rest now. Bye."

"Bye."

Kairi clicked the off button with a sigh. Even if Naminé was the best friend in the whole wide world, even she couldn't be trusted at that moment. How could she tell Naminé that she fell in love with a criminal? She grabbed the smoothie glass off the floor and sipped on its straw, hoping dreadfully that the void hole in her heart would be filled. On the other building 200 metres away, Naminé looked at the building Kairi was in and sighed.

There's something wrong…I can feel it. She's not as usual and energetic as she was after the kidnapping…what happened to her in those empty days?

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"Sora."

No answer. Yuffie pouted, her cheeks all puffed up. This was the fourth time she called him! And yet he didn't answer, his lazy self still closed up inside that tiny bedroom of his. Didn't he ever want to come down and eat?

"SORA! THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M CALLING YOU TO COME DOWN AND EAT, YOU DONKEY'S BUTT!"

The wooden door swung open, and out came Sora's distraught face. "Okay, OKAY! I'm going already, sheesh. You could've started without me." Yuffie turned to look at him as he slowly climbed down the stairs and walked mournfully into the dining room. The dining room was already empty, and Ruby was clearing the table.

"Oh, finally! Where were you? You missed dinner! Good thing I saved you a plate. Hold on while I get it," she said, now sounding like a mother. She stacked the dirty dishes into the sink, washed her hands, and grabbed Sora's plate out from the oven.

"Here. I'm sorry it's cold, but we don't have those microwave-thingy that uptowns use."

Sora picked the fork up and poked at his food. Ruby and Yuffie watched him eat at a snail's pace from the stairway. "He's been really moody since Kairi left our house…I think he misses her," said Ruby. Yuffie nodded silently.

"This is the first time I've seen Sora actually with emotion after so long…he used to be like this when he was grieving over his parents…but that was when he was a wee little boy. And did you notice that he actually started to smile when Kairi was around?"

"Yeah…oh gosh…Yuffie…he's in love! Our boy Sora's in love!" exclaimed Ruby with a grin.

"Kids today grow up so fast…" said Yuffie with a sad smile. "Only problem is…they both come from completely different statuses…the poor guy."

"Well…I just hope he does get better soon…after all, a lovesick Sora is much worse compared to a cold, heartless one."

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"What about this one?"

Naminé was holding a knee-length pastel blue skirt in her hands, looking in the mirror. She turned to Kairi, who was staring off into space again. Setting the skirt aside, she walked over to Kairi and waved in front of her face. "Hello…earth to Kairi…are you there?"

Startled, Kairi turned to Naminé. "Oh…I'm sorry…what were you saying?" Naminé took a seat beside her on the sofa and took her hand.

"Forget about what I was saying…what's wrong with you? Usually, shopping is your favourite pastime! Not to mention, this is your favourite store."

Kairi didn't reply. After taking a look at the world from a different angle, all she wanted was happiness. To be free, to be held within those arms, to look deeply into those beautiful blue eyes, to hear that caring voice whisper to her and her alone…

Oh for God's sake, Kairi, you read too many romance novels.

"Well? What's going on? Fess up!" wailed Naminé squeakily, slightly impatient, and extremely worried about her. Kairi smiled uneasily and got off the couch.

"Maybe some place more private. Let's just get your shopping done first."

"I'm done picking," said Naminé, taking out her credit card and handing it to the salesgirl. She signed the bill and told the girl to give the bags to Riku, who was standing outside. He frowned as he carried the bags, following Kairi and Naminé from behind. The moment they reached Naminé's house, Riku excused himself quickly to avoid becoming her servant…which he obviously wasn't…and headed to the lobby for a drink.

"What I'm about to tell you…might shock you…but since you're my best friend, and like a sister to me…I trust you to keep this a secret. Especially from my parents and Tidus. They cannot know about this," said Kairi in her most serious tone of voice Naminé had ever heard.

"Oh…okay. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"You remember when I told you that I was blindfolded when I got kidnapped?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I wasn't. I saw all the kidnappers and I know their names."

"What? Why didn't you tell Tidus and your parents about that? Why did you lie? Kairi…" she began, but Kairi cut her off.

"There is a reason. When I was kidnapped, they told me the reason they did so was because they wanted to scare my father…and they wanted the government to take them seriously."

"You mean the kidnappers?"

"No, they wanted the whole downtown Mirage to be taken seriously. You should have seen downtown, Nami…it's like Mirage is divided into two different worlds. We here live in riches and luxury…but they live in poverty…they barely have enough food to feed themselves. I guess, since the downtowns only cover about 20 of Mirage's total population…they're being left behind."

"That's awful…"

"I promised them that I'd do something about their development. I just hope I can find the right time to explain it to daddy…"

"And that's only one of two problems, isn't it? This doesn't sound very serious to leave you so depressed," said Naminé.

Kairi nodded. "There was one of them…the one who kidnapped me in the first place…" Naminé blinked. "I…I think I fell in love with him."

Nothing could prepare them for what happened next. "WHAAATT?" screeched Naminé in complete disbelief, as the information seeped into her brain. "You…you fell in love with a downtown guy! How…"

Before Naminé could answer more questions, Kairi cut her off by blabbering. "Oh my gosh, Naminé, you should've seen him! He's gorgeous! Even better than Squall Leonheart and Roxas Parker – he's like the perfect guy! He's got tanned skin, abs that Roxas wished he had, and the most beautiful, mesmerising blue eyes I have ever seen in my entire life!" Naminé sat there, gaping at Kairi's blabber.

My life just keeps getting weirder and weirder…

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"Sora…if you miss her so much, why don't you just…go up there and say hi?"

Yuffie's cheery voice rang throughout the empty room, where Sora was laying on his bed face up towards the ceiling, clutching the little photo frame in his hands. The photo frame he had been treasuring since that day…

"Yuffie, stop talking nonsense…I don't even understand what you're…"

"Oh for goodness sake, you love her, don't you!" Yuffie almost screeched out loud. Sora looked at her wide-eyed, but he quickly covered it up.

"What gibberish are you talking about?" he asked, covering his shock with a noticeably fake laugh. "She's like a total snob…why would you have that idea?"

Yuffie stomped on the floor angrily with one foot, causing a loud thump. "You're hopeless! Don't try to hide it from us, Sora – we're very skilled in acting and let me just tell you this, you suck in it."

Sora wasn't offended by the acting comment, but he hung his head down. Yuffie was absolutely right, he had missed her…her smile, her energetic charm, she was like an ideal girl! And Sora, the idiot just let her go like that. Yuffie was still screeching to him, saying things like "You should go to uptown" and "follow your heart", as well as words in a weird Oriental language. Sora felt a vein of anger pop in his head, and unintentionally threw the frame at Yuffie, screaming, "SHUT UP!"

Yuffie leapt sideways, dodging the blow, causing the photo frame to hit the wall and smash into pieces. Sora gaped in absolute horror, walking slowly towards the broken glass. "Oh my gosh – I'm so sorry, Sora!" squeaked Yuffie. Sora coldly replied her statement.

"Get out of my room. NOW."

Yuffie had no problems obeying, she scurried out of the room like a frightened chicken. Sora meant serious business when he used that tone of voice. Heartbroken, he crouched down to pick up the old photo inside the frame.

Father…mother…forgive me…I did nothing to protect you, whilst you gave me your lives…

As he lifted the photo up, he noticed another folded slip of paper behind it. He never noticed it before as he had never opened the frame. Curiously, he picked it up and unfolded the parchment. Scrawled over the paper was a feminine handwriting. It read:

To my son, Sora,

By the time you read this, I think we, your father and I, would already be dead. I'm sorry we have to leave you so soon, my dearest son, but your father and I are involved with things you shouldn't know right now. As the time for our togetherness is drawing to a close, I must ask you for your forgiveness, and your father and I love you very much, even more so than our own lives.

To help you with your future, we have kept a bank account for you. The card and documents are all kept in the safe behind the painting of our family portrait at home. Use the money wisely, and I wish you the best of luck in your future, my son.

Love,

Your mother.

Sora felt his eyes grew hot as he finished reading his mother's final will. Wiping them with the back of his hand, he slowly remembered how his mother was like. She was a kind, polite woman with radiance that matched the sun, keeping her family warm and comfortable. She had brown hair…just like his. And his dad…he was a muscular guy who always gave him piggy-back rides, with a handsome smile, spiky blond hair and deep blue eyes that matched his own.

He remembered the good times…as well as the bad. He now realised he couldn't blame Kairi for his parents' deaths, but what he could do was live – and continue living, on his parents' wishes. In a split second, he made up his mind. Grabbing all the clothes he had and stuffing them into a backpack, as well as all the money he had, he had a new mission:

I am going to find out who killed mother and father. And maybe…just maybe…find Kairi on the way…

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"You're coming with me?"

Naminé blinked a few times, bewildered at what she had just heard. Riku was standing in front of her, dressed in bodyguard uniform, and just told her that he was coming along for the date she was going to have with Roxas. Naminé turned around and headed for the door.

"You can't be serious! It's not a date if there's three people!" she said, her arms waving around. Riku rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Don't worry – I won't spoil your date, I'm just going to be eating somewhere else near to you, then!" he said, agitated. He didn't know what made him feel this way, but he felt so inclined on tagging along.

Sheesh, what's her problem? I'm assigned to her by her brother no less…it's not like I wanted to be assigned to her…why is she getting all touchy? Don't tell me she likes that snobby Roxas Parker dude?

"Fine then," Naminé finally said, hands on her hips. "But don't you dare ruin this…or you'll wish you hadn't been born." She pushed open the door and went out. Riku gave a scoff of sarcasm, before following in pursuit.

Tch, and what can you do to me physically? Punch me? Kick me? Hah! I don't think so!

'Oh, she can do much worse things emotionally, Riku…' said a little voice in his head.

Riku had to agree with his conscience – in the recent issue of Teen Pick magazine that he had picked up whilst waiting for Naminé and Kairi to finish shopping, it said that the worst thing a girl could say to a guy is, "Can we be friends?"

Ugh, now I'm agreeing to stuff that giggly girls and timid boys read…what is this world coming to?

As they arrived at the lobby, Roxas was already seated there, mirror shades covering his eyes. Riku noticed that the girls at the counter were giggling and whispering among themselves, and one even dared to approach Roxas to ask for his autograph. She giggled wildly, running back to the counter and screaming with her fellow girls. Roxas shot them a killer smile, and they all blushed madly, before making weird squeaky noises.

"Ah, Naminé, you look lovely tonight," said Roxas, noting Naminé's presence and getting up from the sofa. He walked to her, took her right hand, and kissed it gently, like a gentleman. Naminé blushed furiously and smiled a little. Riku, on the other hand rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Let's go," he said, trying to drag Naminé away from Riku, knowing well that he was her bodyguard. Riku sighed and kept following them, under strict orders.

This is going to be one hell of a date…

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To be continued…

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A/n: This is the third story I've updated today! Wow, I'm on a roll! Well, sorry to have kept you waiting, but I was so busy coping with 12th grade…so I'll try to complete all my fics before the exams starts to pop up like mushrooms after the rain…XD

EDIT 2006-05-07 I changed BHK's name to the default name, Roxas.