Unattainable Desire

By Chiharu Tanaka

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A/n: I was wondering about the title I made for this story, actually. Because I planned it so long ago, I kind of forgotten it, but I think it was because the title was a paradox of sorts. Something like that. Now that I think about it, why did I make such a difficult title? Ah, the 'me' of the past was so complicated.

If this fanfiction is OOC in any way, I apologise sincerely for it, because I was a naïve girl of fifteen when this story was plotted out.

This fanfiction is nearly four years old! This shows how lazy I am. But thanks for all the reviews!

Disclaimer: The awesome Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy all belong to Square-Enix. All the brands mentioned belong to themselves – I am not advertising anything. I only own this no-profit fanfiction.

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Chapter 10: Where Happiness Lies

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Kairi's indigo eyes were lacking its usual glimmer, her jacket wet from Naminé's tears as the blonde cried on her shoulder. Sora sat beside Kairi, while Elena was beside Naminé, as the four of them waited outside the operating theatre in Mirage General Hospital. Elena handed the poor girl what seemed to be the hundredth piece of tissue that night, before coaxing her and trying to get her to stop crying.

"It's going to be alright, Naminé…" she cooed, but Naminé's sobbing wouldn't stop. She had refused to change out of her billowy white dress that was stained with Riku's blood, so instead, Elena ran inside the hotel to demand a trench coat long enough to hide her dirty dress. She had also gotten Kairi a jacket, out of courtesy for the First Daughter who insisted on accompanying Naminé to the hospital. Sora, being her bodyguard, followed suit.

Riku was in the theatre for three hours, as the clock showed a quarter to eleven. Naminé had stopped crying by then, but the amount of tears she had shed made her eyes puffy and red. Kairi had to thank for hospital security guards, who apprehended some reporters and paparazzi that tried to make their way in. Tidus confirmed with major news stations that reports could only be published the next day, as the whole crime was still under investigation by the police.

Within those three hours, the four who were at the hospital were visited by some cops. They questioned them about the events, but only Sora knew more, since he, Reno and Rude apprehended the assailant. Sora checked his watch to see that it indeed was five minutes past eleven, returning to the three with a few cans of coffee. The three ladies thanked him, but only Elena and Kairi started drinking the ice-cold coffee, Naminé had instead held it in her hands, lost in her own thoughts.

Four heads turned when a middle-aged doctor pushed open the theatre doors, dressed in his surgeon getup. Naminé was the first to reach the doctor and ask him, "How is he? Is he okay?"

The doctor smiled and gave her a nod. "He's lucky, because the bullet struck him pretty shallow. He's going to be sore, and hospitalised for a day or two, but he's going to be just fine."

Naminé breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, doctor," she said. "C…can we see him?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't let you do that until we've moved him to a ward."

To the doctor's surprise, Naminé told him that she wanted him placed in a first-class ward, and that she was going to pay for all the expenses. By the look of her worried face and the bloodstained dress she wore, and the way she had signed for the bills to be paid by her, there was no way he couldn't let her see the lucky patient of his once he was moved to a private, one-room ward.

When they actually got to see him, Riku looked awful. He was on the hospital bed, with an oxygen tube on his nostrils, an IV drip connected to his left hand and was dressed in a hospital gown, tucked beneath a pastel blue blanket. His face was pale, his silver hair was messy and his eyes were closed, and a finger clip was attached to his index finger connected to the ECG monitoring his heartbeat. The steady beeps reassured them of his current health. Naminé pulled up a chair beside Riku, staring at him. Elena understood through womanly instinct that they should leave Naminé alone.

"C'mon, you two. Let's leave Naminé for a bit," she said, holding out her hands and gently pushing Sora and Kairi out the door, closing it behind her. The Naminé Kairi knew would protest in embarrassment at the point of leaving the two in a room together, but the blonde heiress wasn't in a mood to be shy today.

Elena took out her phone from her pocket. She turned it back on, since people aren't supposed to have the phone turned on when inside a ward. There was a missed call from Tidus. "Excuse me," she said, before walking towards a corner to call the Chairman.

Sora turned to Kairi, who still had a sullen look on her face. He searched for something to say. "I'm sorry your birthday didn't turn out…right," he apologised.

"It's not your fault, Sora. The Organization is after Tidus, and I think he feels really bad to drag Naminé into this now. She was upset at the whole Roxas and the paparazzi thing, but now she has to deal with Riku getting hurt because of her," said Kairi. "I know her; she won't tell me all her problems. I just have to figure them out myself."

Sora's blue eyes gave Kairi a little tranquillity at a tense moment like this. "She really likes him, doesn't she?" he asked, trying to change the topic about Kairi's birthday event being totally ruined.

Kairi nodded. "I think it's been there since he risked it all to save her life when the Organization kidnapped her. But those guys are deceptive and quick, that's why I still fear for her."

"But there's only three members left to catch, so don't worry yourself, Kairi," said Sora. He reached into his pocket. "And by the way, here's my present for you. Sorry it's a little late."

Sora handed a small pink box tied with a thin red ribbon to her, and she accepted it delightedly. She briefly checked her watch. "It's 11:55 p.m., so it's not too late," she said, before untying the ribbon's knot and opening the cover of the box. At the sight of her simple present, she gasped slightly, a bright smile growing on her face, making her radiant once more.

A keychain of a little round puppy with pointy ears, cream-coloured felt fur, a little black nose and beady black eyes staring back at her with a simple collar made out of red ribbon was in the pocket-size box, attached to a chain and a loop for keys. In all her life shopping for plush toys, phone charms and keychains, she had never seen one this endearing. "Sora…" she began. "It's so cute!"

Sora scratched his head sheepishly. "Uh, my mom made it. I found it in her old dressing drawer and I cleaned it a little and gave it a chain. She's really good at making little things like this, y'know?" he said, chuckling slightly as he put on his silly grin. He was proud of his mother's talents, but he wasn't a fan of plush things.

Kairi stared wide-eyed at him. "Sora…I can't accept this, it belongs to your late mother! You should keep it," she said, trying to put it back in the box, but Sora caught her wrist.

"No, I want to give it to you. I know how you like these things…and, well…this was all I could think of giving to a girl who has practically everything in her life."

One could only imagine the sadness of a girl having to witness an almost-murder at her own birthday party, having guests panicked and sent back to their homes despite coming with an invitation, a friend saddened at her day of birth, someone she knew almost dying, and sitting in a hospital with an empty stomach. But her birthday was complete and it was perfect because of him, his gift and what the gift meant to both of them. To him, she was important enough in his life to give his mother's memento to. To her, he held a special place in her heart because she had given him her trust. He protected her because of his job, but he also did so much more – to make her really happy and feel loved.

She couldn't say anything more; the words were stuck in her throat together with the tears that were overflowing from her eyes, kept inside her since the day she left downtown. Not even caring if the paparazzi saw them, or anyone else, for that matter, she flung her arms around him and surprised him with her embrace, her nose inhaling the faint scent of his cologne. Kairi never felt so happy in her life, sobbing slightly as she held the box and keychain firmly in each hand.

"Kairi…" Sora began, and she loved the way he said her name.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his blazer. "I've never received a gift this special before."

Sora smiled as he patted her back. "You're welcome," he replied, gently leaning his face closer to her hair, his lips gently touching the bangs on her forehead. It was ridiculous, Sora knew, but there was something about their height that made him think that they were made for each other. It was like she fitted so nicely with him, he could kiss her if she would stop crying for a second and look up at him.

Elena's footsteps startled them and she pulled away from him, briskly wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Sora placed his hands in his pockets embarrassingly, red in the face as Elena stepped up to them. Though she saw them hugging, she decided not to ask about it until later. "Sora," she said. "I'm afraid I have good news and bad news for you. Although they're both good news, I think." She said the last one with a sly grin. Sora raised a curious eyebrow.

"I called Tidus, since he called me earlier. It turns out that thanks to Riku's injury, the agency will be slightly short-staffed, so I've been reassigned to take care of Naminé, and you will have to move into Kairi's apartment and protect her in my stead. Consider yourself a permanent staff now, thanks to your impressive performance while chasing down the Organization member."

Kairi and Sora both stared at her in disbelief. "I know, Sora's new and everything, but you know what to do if he does anything funny," said Elena to Kairi. "I'm sure you don't want to lose your high-paying job, now do you, Sora?"

Sora shook his head. His monthly salary was maybe ten times more than he could make in a month in downtown. Besides, he wasn't going to do anything to Kairi, whom he treasured.

"Then it's settled. I'll be taking some of my things to Naminé's place, but I think my bedroom there is still intact," she said, which was true since she was Naminé's previous and longest bodyguard. "Finally, I can stop calling her Miss Castell. It sucks to be protocol in front of Tseng and the rest," she said again, before walking away.

Sora could only swallow a gulp as he turned to look at Kairi, who was almost as red in the face as her hair. Coming by once in a while was okay for the previous week he started his job as Kairi's junior bodyguard, but moving into her house and seeing her almost every second of his life?

Well, that's what the job demands, you moron…I just hope nothing bad happens.

A knock on the door startled Naminé from her concentration. She turned her head to see Elena at the door. "Naminé, we should be leaving soon. We're not family, after all," she said, referring to the visiting hours allocated for non-family members of the patients in the hospital. "We'll come back tomorrow at eight, okay?"

Naminé nodded. "You go ahead, Elena. I'll come out in a minute."

The blond-haired bodyguard just nodded before walking out of the private ward. Naminé turned to the sleeping Riku again. Sighing, she whispered to him, "I'll be back tomorrow, I promise. Until then, sleep well, my hero." Subtly, she planted a gentle kiss on his forehead and stroked his silver hair once more before leaving. As she followed Elena, Kairi and Sora back to the ground floor, clutching the trench coat close to her body – embarrassment of what she did was the last thing in her mind. She was only concerned if she would ever see those aquamarine eyes look back at her ever again.

Do I feel this way because I'm indebted to him…or is it something else?

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There was an endless school hallway before her eyes. Lockers left and right, with the occasional unnumbered classroom doors; yet there wasn't a single soul in sight. 'Where am I?' she thought, advancing precariously. It had the familiar feel of sunshine streaking into the hallway during a warm spring day, yet the emptiness…it felt so distant to her.

I've been here before…haven't I?

As her footsteps quickened, her sneakers came to a halt upon seeing a figure standing in front of her. She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew he was smiling at her.

"Olette," he called her.

Olette frowned, a little anxious. "It's you…" she mumbled, almost recognizing the figure in front of her.

"Olette…Olette!"

The voice changed, and so did the world she stood in. "Olette, wake up!"

Her green eyes opened with a jolt when she felt a hand touching her shoulder. She stared back at a pair of blue eyes belonging to her manager. "Oh…Quistis. Don't scare me like that," said Olette, clutching her chest in attempt to calm herself down.

The manager named Quistis, dressed in a smart beige suit and black pencil skirt with blond hair pulled up into a loose bun, pushed her glasses back up her nose. "My dear, you were mumbling in your sleep. Are you okay?" she asked, taking a seat on the sofa that Olette fell asleep on.

Olette shook her head, her brown curls moving along. "No, I'm fine. I must be tired, that's all," she said with a weak smile. Quistis smiled back sympathetically before patting her shoulder.

"You, Hayner and Pence did a great job of promoting the new album," said the manager. "And after fan-signing, you three had a lot of live performances. It must be tiring, so you guys deserve this break."

The vocalist smiled in reminiscence, since Hayner had returned to his hometown for his break, while Pence was away at his grandfather's house for the weekend. Olette refused to go back home just yet, as she still had a song she wanted to write on her own. Who better to help her compose one than the talented people in her entertainment agency?

"I'll take my leave now," said Quistis, rising from the sofa. "Who knows what else Seifer wants from us? I'm going to see him and set things straight."

Olette's green eyes trailed her as she walked towards the exit of the common room. "How? He's so stubborn!" she exclaimed, knowing well that the atrocious man was always trying to decrease their popularity so that his star, Roxas, could rise.

At the doorway, Quistis turned her heel and stood there, holding the door open. "I have my ways, so don't worry, my dear," she said with a wink. Olette just beamed at her in reply as she exited. 'Everyone knows that Seifer's just jealous because she spends more time with us than him,' she thought with a giggle.

She gave herself a good stretch before picking up the remote control on the coffee table. Pressing a few buttons, she flipped through the channels on the subscribed cable TV displayed on an LCD TV, before stopping at the entertainment news channel which headline caught not only her eye, but her full attention.

'Naminé Castell comes clean'?!

"On today's Totally Hot news," said the host of the show as Olette read the headline displayed on the screen. "Naminé Castell, the heiress of Castell Real Estate Company, has been spotted at the Mirage General Hospital earlier this morning. Now, all those in Mirage would know that there had been a shoot out during the President's daughter – Kairi Herrington's 18th birthday party last night, which injured Naminé's bodyguard. He was rushed to the hospital, and when our reporters swarmed her, we did not expect this."

A footage of a video taken from outside the hospital was shown, and Olette felt her blood run cold as they asked Naminé questions regarding the shootout, and most prominently, about her status with Roxas. Her face looked pale, and without warning, she suddenly burst out in a fit of rage. "You want the truth?" she yelled at the various reporters and paparazzi filming and photographing her, as a blond-haired bodyguard tried to shield her from their lights. "I'll give you the truth – Roxas and I are not going out! Sure, we had a date, but that's just one date! I haven't seen him since, and I've had just about enough of this!"

As Naminé stormed off and climbed into a car, more questions were thrown at her before the car drove off and the footage was ended. "So wipe those tears and smile, girls, because it appears that Roxas Parker is single after all!" said the host, adding a dramatic touch to it.

The show resumed with talks about other celebrities, but Olette had already looked away from the television in deep thought. 'So…she endured all this even though she never was his girlfriend?' she mused. 'Why did she do that if she hadn't any feelings for him?'

She brought her feet up on the sofa, and rested her chin on her knees as she was deep in thought. Hayner and Pence, even Quistis knew that she had been in a moody state ever since the news about Roxas and Naminé came out. They presumed it was because of competition of stardom, but instead, they did not know that she was in the same school as Roxas a year ago, in the final year of high school. Even though she knew Hayner and Pence since junior high, she had transferred to a different school for just one year thanks to her father's transfer to Fate Town. They did not know that she and Roxas were good friends in that one year; before this entertainment industry, and their respective managers, had torn their friendship apart to nothing more than acquaintance.

Most certainly, they did not know that she had feelings for him. Olette sighed before picking up her mobile phone, her fingers swiping over the glossy buttons.

The only way for me to find out for sure is to meet her.

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Kairi sighed as she entered the front door, her lips in a frown as she watched her best friend slumped over a couch, distressed about the remark she had made that morning outside the hospital. Truth be told, she couldn't blame Naminé for lashing out at the reporters; after all, Naminé barely had any sleep and was worried to death about Riku's condition. He was still unconscious when she came by that morning, and Kairi herself was going to accompany her to the hospital later that night.

"Naminé," she said, walking to her with a bowl of porridge. "Won't you eat something? Riku's not going to be happy if he knows you're starving like this."

The blond-haired girl lifted her head from her hands, looking up at Kairi with puffy red eyes. "I'm sorry, Kai…" she said. "I…I'm just…"

Kairi took a seat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "That's okay. He'll get better, you'll see. And when he does, he would want to see you there, in your normal, happy self," she said with a smile. "Now eat up. I made this myself, especially for you."

Naminé accepted the warm bowl and poked at it with a spoon while looking incredulously at Kairi. "You made this?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I know, it's hard to believe the 'Miss Herrington' can actually cook these days," Kairi replied with a giggle. "Sora taught me how to make it, so don't worry, it's edible."

The blonde scooped a spoonful of the warm porridge and put it into her mouth. After swallowing it, she decided to comment on its taste, seeing that Kairi's sparkling indigo eyes were waiting for one. "Wow, Kairi," she said. "This is far beyond what I expected. Sora taught you well."

Kairi beamed in glee. "Thanks for the compliment!" she said. "Now, finish it. You're going to need the energy." As Naminé continued eating the porridge, Kairi picked up a magazine lying on the coffee table and was flipping through it when the intercom phone rang. "I'll get it," she said, picking up the receiver.

"Hello, is this Miss Castell?" the voice of the security guard on the other line spoke.

"No, it's Miss Herrington. What's the matter?"

"Oh, sorry to bother you, Miss, but there's a visitor at the gate for Miss Castell. She says her name is Olette Denver," said the guard.

Kairi gasped a little in surprise, turning her head to see Naminé. "What's wrong?" asked Naminé.

"The guard said that Olette Denver – the very same one from Twilight – wants to see you," she muttered once she got over the shock. Naminé's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and shock, but knew that it was her decision to make.

"Let her in," she said, curious to know why a vocalist of a famous pop rock band wants to meet her personally.

Kairi turned her attention back to the phone. "Miss Castell says to let her in," she said, before thanking the guard and putting down the receiver. "Olette's here? In our neighbourhood – to see you, no less!" exclaimed Kairi with a glee. "Fess up, Naminé, what's going on between you two?" she then said, with a little hint of jealousy in her voice.

"I don't know why she's here either," said Naminé. "I've never met her before. Then again, I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Kairi went to get the door when the doorbell was rung, and she felt herself getting anxious when she saw through the peep hole that it indeed was the vocalist Olette, with a newsboy cap on her head and baggy shorts. She swung the door open and Olette's green eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the red-haired First Daughter.

"Did I…get the right house?" was the first thing she could say. Kairi smiled.

"Yes, this is Naminé's house. I'm Kairi Herrington, and I'm Naminé's friend. Come in," she said, letting the brunette vocalist into the spacious penthouse apartment. Olette looked around in awe.

So this is how heiresses live.

Naminé stood up when she saw Olette, and offered her a seat in the living room. "I'm sorry to have come so suddenly, Miss Castell. I'm Olette Denver, and I came by because I had something to ask you."

Kairi peered at the two of them. "I'll excuse myself," she said, under assumption that it was a private conversation.

"Oh, no, it's alright, Miss Herrington," said Olette. "It's not that personal." With a nod, Kairi took a seat beside Naminé and waited for her question. Olette fiddled with her fingers, thinking of what to say. "Actually, Miss Castell…I came to ask…well…about your…relationship with Roxas Parker."

Naminé's blue eyes lowered slightly. "I guess you heard the news. But like I said, it's nothing. I have no feelings for Roxas, except friendship. He was the one who came up and asked me out on a date. I just agreed…and it was a bit of a mistake, I realise now."

They heard Olette sigh in relief. "Why did you want to know about it?" asked Naminé.

"Oh, umm…this is embarrassing…" Olette began, blushing bright red. "I…I have a crush on Roxas. The rumours were affecting my concentration."

Kairi and Naminé looked at each other, before smiling brightly. "Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Kairi. "I can't believe you told that to us! That's it; you're not to call us 'Miss' anymore. Just call us by our names, okay?"

Olette was dumbstruck. "What? Why?"

"You don't give secrets like that to complete strangers, now do you?" said Kairi. "If we're going to keep that secret, we're going to be your friends."

Naminé smiled. "Had I known, I wouldn't have accepted at all!" she said. "By the looks on your face and you coming here to ask me personally, this isn't a normal crush on a celebrity either."

"God, this is so embarrassing," said Olette, covering her face with her hands. "I can't believe I just said that out loud."

The two girls giggled. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Olette," said Naminé. "Let's have a truce between friends, agreed?"

It was rather awkward for Olette, suddenly having two new friends from an accidental slip-out of the biggest secret she had for years. "Alright," said Olette. "But since I'm here…how's your bodyguard? I heard he was shot and all…"

Naminé's happy face suddenly turned solemn at the reminder. "He's…still unconscious. I want to go check on him again, and Kairi's going to accompany me to the hospital in two hours."

Olette frowned. "Even if the paparazzi are there?" she asked. Naminé could only nod. Olette pressed a finger on her chin. "I feel bad for rudely coming here and asking you a personal question…so can I help, in a way?"

The two heiresses looked at her, interested in what she had to say. "What do you mean?" asked Kairi.

"You never see much of me, Hayner or Pence in tabloids, am I right? That's because my manager, Quistis, taught us tricks on how to avoid the paparazzi. I think if you use those tricks, we may be able to get inside without even being flashed by a camera once."

The trick was simple enough, to Kairi and Naminé's surprise. In fact, Kairi herself had tried it before, but didn't apply the knowledge. They searched their wardrobes for the most unlikely clothes they would wear, such as a baggy shirt and khaki pants, and put them on before hiding their hair in caps and their eyes with fake spectacles instead of sunglasses. Sora had even lent his for Kairi to wear. Of course, such as is the bodyguard's duty, Elena and Sora had dressed up in their casual disguises as well.

"Now, the thing is, we have to go in a normal car. That would make them even less suspicious," said Olette, who decided to come along to visit Riku. They took Elena's silver-coloured Honda sedan to the hospital, and sure enough, Olette was right – the five walked into the hospital through the front doors without being bothered by any of the reporters sitting around at the entrance.

"I can't believe I forgot that disguises could work!" whispered Kairi to Sora. "Thank God I didn't have to be a grandmother again. But I'll miss seeing you in a dress," she teased.

Sora's face turned bright red. "Shut up, I don't want to remember that," he whispered back. "But why is Olette from Twilight with us?"

"She's our new friend. Now hush, before someone overhears you."

The five entered Riku's private ward without hassle, as Elena had some guys stationed around the hospital in case of reporters or worse yet, the members of the Organization. Naminé rushed to sit by Riku's side once she was inside, and the silver-haired bodyguard was still unconscious. Elena peered at the clipboard hung at the foot of his bed, smirking slightly as the other three watched as Naminé held his hand.

"Are they…?" asked Olette, but before she could ask fully, Kairi only nodded.

"They haven't gotten to first base yet, though."

Olette nodded. 'This explains a lot,' she thought. 'Heiresses like her won't give a damn about their bodyguard, unless she's in love with him!'

To Naminé's surprise, Riku started moving and he groaned at the sudden turning on of the lights and the sounds of people talking. "Damn it, I've just been shot – would it kill for some peace so I can sleep?" he groaned. Once he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see a teary-eyed Naminé.

"Riku…you…you're alright," she said gently, before the tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm so relieved…"

She wiped away her tears as Riku's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't have to cry," he said. "I've regained consciousness after you left this morning. The doctor told me to get some more shut eye, which I think you need more, by the look of those bags under your eyes."

Naminé pouted. "You jerk! You got yourself shot and made me worry all night! I at least have the right to cry about it."

He just smiled as he scratched his silver hair. "Okay, whatever you say, ma'am," he said, stroking her blond bangs as she continued to cry, wiping her tears away as they continuously streamed out. They were oblivious to the other four who were watching them, until Elena gave a small cough. Riku withdrew his hand immediately, looking at his senior.

"When will you be discharged?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," he said. "He said the wounds aren't too deep, so I can resume work…well, table work, that is, this Wednesday."

Elena only nodded. "Anyway, we're glad to have you back on the team, Riku. Get well soon, so you can protect Naminé again."

Riku blushed, and so did Naminé, but as they looked at each other – blue meeting aquamarine – Riku was determined to never leave her side again. He didn't want to see her cry in this sallow state again.

Don't worry, Elena. I'll protect her, and it's not because of my job. It's because of my duty to her.

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To be continued…

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A/n: First of all, I'm sorry this chapter is a little crappy at the end. There's a lot of dialogue, and I'm having a bit of a writer's block. But I promise, the next chapter will be better, with more drama from the three pairings.