I do not own Kingdom Hearts

Riku sat against the tree dazedly, his fingers absent-mindedly entangled in Keiya's hair. His other arm was draped across her shoulder. She was still sound-asleep underneath his jacket with her head resting in his lap. Her breathing was steady and her body didn't shiver as much, but her face was still pale and hazy. While she was sleeping, he had had time to sort out his emotions from earlier. He knew she wouldn't have led that guy on if she was aware of what he was trying to do to her; if anything, he felt the guilt for not watching over her more carefully. But this whole mess of a situation—this argument—was both of their faults. He should have known she wouldn't spend the whole night pining for him—she was too prideful. And he probably shouldn't have said all that stuff to her yesterday. That was what had provoked her, after all. They were all true accusations—that she didn't really try to close the gap between her and the others and that she couldn't take care of herself. And yet after some contemplation, he realized that he didn't really want any of that to change, not terribly. It wouldn't be so bad for her to talk to Sora and Kairi—that'd be nice, since he really wanted her to come back and live with him. But if she started socializing with other people, like that guy at the dance, for instance, he wasn't sure he'd be able to take it. And he knew she wasn't like that, able to entertain and flit back and forth between different groups of people like Aerith and Tifa, the designated hostesses of the evening. She wouldn't have as much time to spend with him… he kind of liked being the only one close to her, as selfish as it sounded. As far as her ability to keep herself out of trouble, he didn't mind saving her so much. He had thought about it a lot, this past hour that she had been asleep. After all he had gone through, all the pain he caused and mistakes he made, he realized that part of what drew him to her was that she still needed help, and that feeling of being needed had brought excitement back into his otherwise dull life away from the constant action. He had managed to rise above the dark powers and Maleficent, both of which were still crippling her relentlessly. He saw in her someone he was finally able to relate to and protect, someone to whom his mistakes wouldn't matter. While he did want her to be able to protect herself from a rapist, he wanted to be the one to ultimately protect her from her plague and inner demons. He had fallen in love with her this way, stubbornness and all; he didn't want her to go changing on him. Still, he was tired of her saying that she didn't care what he did—she had to care. He wanted her to think of him as hers; he knew she could be shy and somewhat insecure, but sometimes he felt as though she acted like they were nothing more than friends. All the time they spent together, how could that not mean anything to her? How could she even imply that it hadn't?

He could hear footsteps approaching, cracking twigs and leaves. Sora came by a while ago to ask if everything was alright—he had seen the fight with the other guy—so Riku asked him to bring some food and water. He wasn't really sure how long she would be asleep, or if she would still be intoxicated when she woke up, but he figured eating would help to sop up the drug or something. But instead of Sora, Leon came out of the trees with some stray leaves in his hair from trying to navigate through the dimly lit forest. He brushed them out as he neared the couple on the ground.

"Here," he said, holding out some bread and a glass of water. Riku took them, still in slight shock and embarrassment that Leon had come. He hovered over them for a moment, taking in the scene. Keiya was completely out, her body hidden beneath Riku's suit jacket, and Riku was propped up against a small tree holding her loosely but protectively. He and Aerith had been worried about them the whole night; Aerith had even debated talking to Riku, at least, to convince him to stop flirting. They weren't sure what had come over him—he was always the mature one, collected in every situation. And yet tonight he had acted like a complete child. Keiya, too, surprised them by allowing someone to spend a whole hour seemingly hitting on her, not that they knew her very well to begin with. But as Aerith pointed out, she didn't look very comfortable talking to him. Nothing had passed between the distant couple the whole night, save for hard stares and brief glances. No one had expected such an explosive fight the other day, and on such short notice, but seeing them hurt each other the way they had tonight—flirting and ignoring each other—was even more unsettling. And then all of a sudden, they had witnessed Riku start a fist fight with the guy Keiya was talking to. Leon and Aerith couldn't decide whether that was good or bad. It was really bizarre—they were both acting so… juvenile. (Only more so, anyway, according to Leon. They were still kids to him.) He stood up straight with his arms crossed casually as Riku placed the food aside.

"I ran into Sora, and he explained the situation. She was drugged?" he asked bluntly.

Riku nodded, his hand tightening around her shoulder a little. It was awkward, being here with Leon while Keiya was sleeping in his lap, drunk or narcotized. He wasn't sure which was more embarrassing to him; being caught in such a sweet position or the fact that his careless revenge had led to her almost being taken advantage of.

"Later on, we'd like a physical description of the man who did it. He's proven to be a threat to the safety of our civilians," he started authoritatively. Then he added, "It's also against town regulations to resist a Committee member's orders if someone is in immediate danger."

"Okay… thanks…" he murmured gratefully.

"Aerith wants to know if everything is alright now," he stated, discreetly referring to their fight. Riku shook his head again. He wanted so badly to talk things out and have her back so they could return to normal. But he guessed that when she woke up, she'd either be so pissed off she wouldn't want to hear him, or she'd still be completely wasted. He wasn't sure which one he preferred at the moment.

"Tell her not to worry," he said vaguely. He was already uncomfortable with the fact that everyone knew they had fought; he didn't want them to know that they still were.

Leon nodded and started off back to the direction of the party. Riku was grateful that he hadn't said anything to him about all the mistakes this night. He was actually surprised that he wasn't in trouble for punching the guy from earlier—he had been so sure when he saw Leon that that was the reason he came. So at least that was one trouble off his mind. He looked back down at Keiya and gently began shifting her so that she was sitting, but still resting against him. He lifted her up by the waist and carefully let her lean against the tree they were sitting under, but kept her steady in his arms so she didn't topple over. He wanted to try and wake her up; whether or not the food would help to weaken the drug, she needed to eat something. She stayed fast asleep, now with her head in his chest and her legs bent in a kneeling position in front of him. Her long, slim dress had spots of dirt on it from the ground, as did Riku's suit. She really did look stunning; the dress was form-fitting and cut so that every curve in her body was displayed captivatingly and her silhouette flowed smoothly as she walked. Since her dress was strapless, the moonlight reflected off her pale, clear skin and outlined the shadow of her collar bone. Riku flushed. If she had been more openly flamboyant and lively at the dance, she could have had the attention of more guys there, not just Riku and the jerk who figured he could woo a shy girl into a false sense of security. He was glad she hadn't been.

He softly cupped the side of her face in one hand, brushing back her hair, while the other wrapped around her back to keep her against him. She was sleeping so heavily; she hardly stirred at all when he had moved her. He called to her and continued stroking her face until her eyes finally started to flutter open. His heart was beating rapidly with nerves; he wasn't sure what kind of mood she would be in. He wasn't even sure if she would remember what had happened, if she was herself again. If she was, she'd probably want to slap him, he thought. He still held her close to him, even though he was anxious as to how she would take to it.

Fortunately for him, nothing really seemed to register. She blinked a few times to adjust to the scenery, and then just looked up at him, perplexed and hazy. Riku let out a huge sigh, the anticipation from earlier melting away into an anticlimax. He ran a hand through his hair then observed her appearance more carefully. She had color back in her face again, which was a relief, and she also seemed to be a little more aware of her surroundings. She had already begun picking stray leaves off her lap.

He took hold of her shoulders firmly to hold her attention. "Keiya… are you alright? How do you feel?" he asked. She seemed to be better, and she wasn't crying anymore, but he was more eager to hear the tone of her voice than her answer.

She nodded and let her eyes lock directly with his, sending shivers down his spine. There were no barriers of shyness evident like the ones that usually kept her from being so bold—her deep violet eyes just gazed up at him lightly. He let himself absorb the moment—who knew when it would come again?

"Answer me."

"I'm fine…" she murmured distantly.

He sighed again. "Do you realize how worried I've been? Are you sure you're really alright?"

She gave another nod and a brief affirmative reply, then suddenly brought a hand up to his cheek and gently traced her fingers over a small scrape beneath his eye. He swallowed and felt a burning blush creep to his face. Her touch was so light; her fingers just swept down the length of the pinkish scar that adorned his face from earlier, when he had fought with her courtier.

"You're hurt…" she stated. Her voice was a little higher and softer than normal.

"Yeah, from the fight earlier…from his ring…" he said vaguely. Riku felt trapped under the simple motion of her hand trailing along his skin. He longed to take that hand in his own and press it against his face, just to feel its softness. But she withdrew all too soon. He came back to his senses as reality washed over him, grateful that she probably couldn't even tell that he was blushing, and reached over for the food Leon had brought earlier.

"Here, you need to eat this," he told her, handing her a piece of the moist, dinner roll. She took it reluctantly as he continued, "Maybe it will slow down the drug or something… I dunno." He watched her stare blankly at him, her eyes unreadable and glazed over. She looked drowsy, like she just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Christ, what did he give you?" he murmured to himself, guilt building up in his chest. If he hadn't been there, she would've been…

She didn't eat the bread he gave her—it just sat in her hand—so he took the glass of water from Leon and instead of just handing it to her, brought it to her lips. "I'm serious—drink this. It'll help." He tilted it slightly until she finally grasped it with her own hands to take the forced sip. Her movements were more clumsy and heavy than graceful. When she had finished about half the glass, she lowered it to the ground shakily, and then Riku took it from her and leaned it against a tree.

Now what do I do…? I guess I should take her back to headquarters. She looks a little better now—maybe she could walk.

He sighed and hoisted himself up off the hard ground, drawing Keiya's foggy attention. She looked up at him quizzically as he leaned over and took her hands to help her stand. He gently and cautiously drew her up, with a little help from her as she seemed to realize what he was doing. Her legs were wobbly and weak, and she came tumbling right into him upon standing straight up. Once again, he had to steady her; she kept her hands on his shoulders where they had landed and grasped onto him tightly for support. Riku flushed at the sudden contact and hesitantly let his hands fall to her waist. Sure, he had held her plenty of times before. But something about the way she was clinging to him made the scenario a little more… intimate. He could feel her deep breaths against his skin and the heat of her body as she leaned into him—there was no space between them. She was dangerously vulnerable in this inebriated state; she was completely dependent upon him, and she couldn't even realize it. Strangely, he didn't mind it so much. He wished she could be this bold when she was sober; he hated how she couldn't completely lower her defenses in front of him. It seemed like at least a small part of her was always self-conscious and on edge. She lifted her head slowly from his chest, still holding onto him, and shifted her hands from his shoulders over a little to the base of his neck, then traced absentmindedly over his collarbone. Her breath set his skin on fire. Riku swallowed nervously, then moved his hands up to her arms and gently tried to pry her away.

"Alright…Keiya, we're going to go back to headquarters now. Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?" he asked slowly so she could understand. She didn't give him any sign of acknowledgment for a few moments, and instead lost herself in the feel of his hand now affectionately caressing her hair back and out of her face. The quick brush of his fingers on her bare shoulders made the two of them shudder, and provoked him to allow it a couple of more times before finally stopping and tilting her chin up to get her attention. It was only then that he realized just how close they were.

"Keiya?" he called again, trying to remind her that he needed an answer. She locked gazes with him, although he could tell she was out of focus.

"Hmm?"

"Did you hear me? We need to go back to headquarters…" he trailed off, beginning to think this was pointless and that he should just carry her whether she liked it or not. It's not like she would put up a fight… I don't think she even remembers how much she hates me right now. He told himself. Then, the dreadful feeling of stupidity hit him. Oh, crap—I don't have the key! So there's no way to get in… damn it! I could go back and get it from Leon, but I can't leave her here by herself… And I'm not bringing her back to the party like this…

"This is great—just great… ugh, why didn't I think to ask Leon while he was still here…?"

As he debated with himself, lost in the conflict that now faced him, Keiya continued to eye him dazedly. She was lost in the warmth of his body and the deep aqua of his eyes; combined with the fact that she couldn't think straight to begin with, the whole situation had blocked out any normal inhibitions. The words coming out of his mouth made no sense to her, but as his hands thoughtlessly started to loosen from around her waist, she maneuvered herself closer to him—she didn't want him to let go. She drank in the contours of his face—the moonlight created shadows in just the right places. Everything was perfectly sculpted—his smooth, angular jaw line, his entrancing eyes, his seductive lips… Riku was too wrapped up in talking to himself to notice her suddenly shift to stand on her toes. Acting upon pure, innocent instinct, she leaned up, no traces of shyness evident, and pressed her slightly-parted lips against his.

Riku's eyes widened in surprise and he faltered backward a step, taking her with him since he had failed to remove completely his hold on her waist. He froze, unable to get a single thought straight in his head. His heart was pounding; he could feel her eyelashes brush his skin and her hands slowly trailing up his neck. He wasn't sure what to do—she was kissing him, full on and unexpectedly, and he wanted it. His mind was wiped completely clean by her sweet, tormenting lip-lock. One of her hands made its way to his face, allowing her to pull him closer. She subconsciously let her tongue prod against his lips. The heat overwhelmed her and made her crave his taste; as soon as he managed to pull his lips from hers, she leaned right back in for more. She felt so strange—almost high—as her body fit against his and their lips moved in an exotic dance. Riku began slipping from his bearings and finally let his own hands travel to her upper back, exposed and covered only by her hair. Her soft lips were like a drug to him and he wanted nothing more than to continue. But as he felt her stumble a little as her legs started to give out, reality hit him and that little voice in the back of his head screamed at him to stop her, to push her away before he let it get too out of hand. This wasn't her, he had to remind himself. He struggled with the sudden, urgent longing and reluctantly pried her face away from his, keeping his hands in place on the sides of her head so she didn't lean back in. He swallowed hard and his face burned relentlessly. Both of them were breathing kind of deeply. He slowly opened his eyes after letting out a long sigh. Her face was still close to his, so he could see easily just how glossy her eyes looked. Her hands were still lying weakly on his neck, partially entangled in some of his hair.

"Okay…" he started in a whispering voice. He couldn't even think of anything to say. "Alright, um, we really need to get you back to headquarters now. But I don't have the key, so… I don't know how we're going to get… in," he finished lamely. His words didn't seem to sink in to her, and instead she just watched him with that naïve, lost expression. The scenario struck him as cute for a moment, before he remembered how pissed off she'd be at him if she could see this happening right now. After a minute of stillness, he dropped his hands from her face and pulled himself away from her to go back to the tree they were sitting at before. She followed him there automatically, without a word, and plopped down next to him. Riku ran a hand through his hair.

"Don't you have anything to say?" he asked, not really expecting an answer of any sort. And he received none. He was still trying to think of what he could do to get her back to her room—there was still a couple of hours until the party would be over. And even then, he was sure Leon and Aerith and the rest of them would stay behind to help clean up. He couldn't wait around forever for one of them to unlock the door. The silence of the forest, though, was starting to annoy him, as well as Keiya's clueless disposition. She probably hadn't found anything awkward about the kiss, so he didn't even know why he felt the need to change the subject.

"Well?" he said to her, scooting over and placing a hand to her cheek to get her attention. "How's your side? Does it feel better from before?" he inquired as he remembered how she had gotten hurt earlier in the evening. He placed a hand to her waist shyly to try and stimulate her memory.

"No…" she finally murmured, shaking her head.

"What about your head? What do you feel?"

"…a little dizzy…" she admitted. He was relieved that she could say as much, though. He nodded his head and dropped his hands.

"Alright," he said, satisfied. "Say, Keiya, do you… do you remember anything? From before?"

She looked at him blankly.

"That guy that was talking to you earlier. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

"N-no…"

"What about yesterday? Do you remember what happened last night—what we said? We were cleaning up and about to go back in…"

Not surprisingly, she didn't seem to know what he was getting at. She shook her head again, her arms crossed to block out the chill of the night air. I guess she can't remember the fight right now… makes sense, I suppose. But she did remember before she fell asleep. Ugh, she's so wasted. If I ever get my hands on that guy…

He scooted closer to her and picked up his jacket which had been lying on the ground, then helped her put it on. His large, warm hands seared her freezing skin, and she desperately longed for him to hold her closer. She weekly tried to hold his arms in place as he slid her own through the sleek black sleeves, but her muscles refused to work at the moment; she could barely form a tight enough grip for him to realize what she wanted. Her whole body was rather languid.

The jacket was outrageously big on her, almost comically so, but she didn't seem to realize. Riku closed a few of the top buttons so that her upper body wasn't exposed to the cool air. He took his time, dawdling and letting his hands linger at each button. Part of him, the responsible, sane half, was trying to think of what the best solution would be to their dilemma. The other part was fervently hoping she'd try for another kiss so he'd have an excuse to feel her lips against his, and he leaned inward a little bit for precisely that reason. When he was finally finished, he half-heartedly withdrew and sat straight up in front of her. He then took the rolls and the rest of the water Leon had brought and once again placed them in front of her, on a napkin.

"Take this, okay? I'll figure something out, but for now, the most you can do is eat something—it should help you sober up a little," he explained. She eyed the bread for a moment before lightly plucking it up off the napkin. It was soft and fluffy and easy to chew—Leon had probably chosen it on purpose. While Riku stood up to check the time on the large clock tower in town, only visible over the treetops, she nibbled awkwardly on the dough, its sweetness overwhelming her taste buds. She never did like sugary foods. She glanced up at Riku, who appeared to be stalling and staring into space (thinking that she might eat more if he didn't watch her). He looked absolutely statuesque in the suit he was wearing—she had only ever seen him in everyday clothes. The plain white shirt he had on seemed to shimmer a silvery color in the moonlight, matching his hair, and the whole ensemble, slacks and shirt, did amazing justice to his tall, lean body. He looked as handsome as ever, but with all the exquisite class and charm of a prince or a knight or some other fantasy figure.

She was already finished with the roll when he approached again, looking relieved that she had taken it this time. "It's nine-thirty," he stated as he sat back down next to her. "There's still an hour and a half left before people start leaving."

She nodded, starting to understand that they were waiting for the party to end for some reason. He watched her intently for a moment, then handed her the half-full glass of cold water. She drank it on her own this time, sip by sip, but managed to finish it without further prompting. She glanced at him through the glass while she drank, noticing how the patterns on the bottom of the cup, combined with the light from a nearby lamppost, created a kaleidoscope filter over him. When she was done, he took the empty glass from her. Now all he could do was wait.

~…~

Another meeting… how boring…

Sai was situated at the front of the long meeting table, next to where Maleficent stood, at the head. It was the beginning of the third meeting in just as many days, and already he was zoning out. With all the talk of betrayal and quitting among the council, Maleficent didn't want to take any chances. She had organized meetings these past few days, all of which she executed herself, simply to keep the members occupied and thinking that they were getting somewhere. She thought that if they didn't feel like they were involved, they might abandon ship. Sai took note that this was the first time in ages she was using their table—lately they had just been standing in the center of the room to deliver news and strategies. She must have needed some sort of atmosphere to make today's meeting seem important, because from what he bothered to listen to, she was just repeating what they had gone over two days before and yesterday. He was surprised that these mutinous know-it-alls hadn't gotten bored and left yet, with all her never-ending eloquent ranting.

The days seemed to be getting longer and longer for him, each one filled with more dread and anxiety than the last. His mistress' tense attitude had him on edge—they were losing influence over this massive group of men with abilities that were essential to their plot. For once, he was actually worried. Worried about the men leaving, about Maleficent's shortening temper, about what would happen to him if all of their plans went up in smoke, and worried over what would become of Keiya when she came back, because each day, the punishments he imagined would be in store for her became more and more dreadful. If only she could see how insane things were around here now, what with Maleficent drilling their ears with the same information each day for the sole purpose of keeping them busy, she might rush to get back before things got worse. Where they were now, stuck in this irritating mess of a situation, she really had it coming.

Before he knew it, people were filing out of the room. The large door closed shut with a slam, and Maleficent smoothly walked over to the large stain glass window in the back of the dark room, her staff clacking on the ground. She looked annoyed and worn down by the long, dreary meeting. Sai didn't know what to say, but she hadn't exactly dismissed him yet. That was another reason why he hated when she conducted meetings—when it was all over, he was stuck in this awkward position until he was allowed to leave. But she hadn't talked about anything new, so she shouldn't have anything to go over with him. She stayed quiet, so he assumed she had forgotten he was there. He turned and was about to slip out the door when he heard her normally graceful voice lash out in an angry murmur.

"Worthless girl, making a fool out of me… worthless! I swear I'll see to it that this is the very last time this happens…"

Sai shuddered at the tone of her voice; he was now hesitant to even move from his spot for fear that she might explode at the sound of the door closing or a portal opening. Her voice was threatening and firm. She was clenching her staff tightly, but otherwise managed to restrain her rage. She rarely ever became like this; Sai had only seen it happen on a few scattered occasions in the past, and he had been too young to understand the reasons behind most of them. Keiya's little trips always annoyed her, and her attempts to suppress her power angered her more, but there had never been a delay longer than two weeks because of her absence, at the most. Now they were delayed two months, and were in the middle of an operation that required her presence.

She was silent in thought, almost menacingly so. He was alarmed as to what could be going through her mind. Her cunning ways never ceased to surprise him—only in the past couple of years had he started to adjust to the day-by-day plotting and thinking that consumed his mistress' life. He stayed put for a few moments, biding his time, and when he felt the air in the room become less saturated with agitation, he opened a portal up a few feet away. Maleficent didn't stir, so he took the initiative and resumed toward his entryway. But just as he was about to step through to his room, her voice cut through the air and sent a chill down his spine. He froze in his spot.

"Sai," she called, her back still turned away from him and her voice shrill and steadfast, "I want you to lead the meeting tomorrow. I have something to take care of… but you can tell them that we will be back on track shortly."

He lingered another second and then continued through the portal and into his room, leaving Maleficent in the same position. He immediately sunk against a wall and let himself plop down to the floor gradually. Now he knew something was going to start—she had something in mind, something specific, and she was determined to broaden her horizons and try a new tactic. It seemed as though letting Keiya come back on her own was starting to prove unsuccessful. And Sai, who had for so long craved action and hands-on strategies to claim back their missing comrade, was more eager than ever. Maleficent's spiteful tone and intimidating assuredness aside, he was just relieved that the waiting was over, and that the force could finally start.

~…~

Riku yawned, slouching against the tree they were leaning against. So far only an hour more had passed, making the time now ten-thirty, with half an hour left to go. Keiya was still seated next to him, her eyes a little more grounded than before. Her words came out smoother and less slurred, though her sentences still broken, and she seemed more conscious of his presence. Although, he couldn't be quite sure just how drugged up she still was; on one hand, she appeared at least to be able to comprehend what he was saying, if not the situation they were stuck in. But on the other, she still seemed a little on the spacey side and struggled to get audible words out. Her balance hadn't improved, either. He had kept conversation flowing between them—he wanted to try and determine how much longer it would be until she was herself again. It wouldn't be so urgent if he wasn't dying to reconcile with her. The wait only made him more anxious.

He really didn't know how she would take to the night's happenings when she did finally snap out of it, which he guessed wouldn't happen until the morning. Since she couldn't remember what had happened earlier between them, he had to wonder whether or not she would remember this, waiting in the woods, when she woke up. Even if she did, he was sure she'd deny it. She had been reckless when she kissed him, after all, and he knew that that was something she wouldn't be able to accept since she was supposed to be mad at him. The whole situation was kind of funny; some twisted part of him couldn't wait to see the look on her face if he told her how she had behaved. Next to him, Keiya was huddled up in his oversized jacket, hugging her knees. She was still shivering a little bit, and she had pulled the flower-pin out of her hair so that it just hung lazily over her shoulders and framed her face. He gazed over at her softly, amazed by the slow transformation he had been witnessing while they waited. She seemed to be becoming more grounded, little by little. He shifted closer and affectionately wrapped an arm around her to let her lean against him. She was just as exhausted as he was, and gratefully basked in the comfort of his embrace.

Riku really wanted to get back to headquarters. He was extremely worn down and a little worried about whether or not she'd be okay tonight, with the darkness. The walk back was about twenty minutes from this part of town, but since she couldn't walk at her normal pace, it would probably take longer. He hoped that by the time they got there, someone would have gone back already and unlocked the door. He lingered for a few minutes, letting her rest against him. She hugged his waist a little bit and clung to him sweetly for security. He felt bad to have to move her; his heart melted at her dependent touch. After allowing her one more minute, he reluctantly withdrew his arm and pulled away to stand up. She looked at him confusedly and longingly as he tore himself from her, but then complied without hesitation when he reached for her hand to help her up.

"We're going to go to headquarters now. Hopefully, someone will be there when we get back," he informed her. She nodded and tripped a little, trying to tag along when he took a few steps forward.

"Can you walk?" he asked once again, kind of hoping he'd get to carry her back and hold her in his arms again. (And, of course, so they could make better time.)

"Uh-huh…" she started, grasping his hand tightly as her wobbly legs managed to move forward a few more steps. Riku sighed discontentedly.

"Are you sure? Because I can carry you…" he stated hopefully. She dizzily nodded again and gave him a small, attempted reassuring-smile. He was not convinced, but shifted his hand around her shoulders and began walking again, with her alongside him, obliviously sanguine.

~…~

"Ugh, why did I lock my window today, of all days…?" Riku mumbled, pushing against the window some more even though he knew it wouldn't budge. Keiya stayed by his side, still holding his jacket tightly around her for warmth. Much to Riku's dismay, the entire committee had stayed late to help clean up—no one had come back yet. They were locked out. She rubbed her eyes as he leaned against the house in thought, then pushed off and held out his hand for her to take.

"Well, we can't get in this way. Is your window unlocked?"

"… Huh? I-I don't know…" She replied a few seconds later, after making steady eye contact with him. Her voice was kind of high and came out as a murmur.

"Alright… let's check anyway. C'mon."

He led her around the perimeter of the house, unfortunately causing her to trip over the sticks and rocks gathered around and undetectable in the dark. It was pitch black out, and since no one was home to turn the outside lights on, they had to feel their way through. Riku kept one hand trailing along the side of the house so they didn't stray into the woods or miss the window. Keiya held his other hand, using it to fight her way through the loose logs and stones that lined the path. She gripped his hand tightly as she fell forward and onto her knees with a sharp gasp. Riku turned around and immediately reached down for her. She didn't make any move to get up.

"Keiya, are you alright? What happened?" he asked urgently, kneeling down next to her.

"I…I think my leg is cut… i-it hurts…" she said quietly, clenching her left knee. Riku could see, with the aid of the faint moonlight, crimson blood seeping out from behind her hand holding the wound. She wasn't crying or anything, which was good, but also made him wonder vaguely whether or not her sensory nerves had been dulled. He carefully brought a hand to the cut, which had made a hole in the floor length dress, partially now seeped in blood. He gently pried her shaky hand away from the source, earning a muffled whimper of pain. He examined it the best he could, but it was impossible to see or to tell what had caused it. He racked his brain quickly, afraid that if he didn't act, she would get a serious infection with all the dirt around. He could see a slight glare up ahead on the house, which he knew from the location and how far they had walked that it must be her window. He thoughtfully snaked an arm around her waist, and, trying not to listen to her choked back gasps of pain, stood up, taking her with him. As soon as he started walking with her, though, she cried out and lost balance. Blood dripped down her leg and into the material of the dress.

"R-riku…"

"Can you make it? It's just a little farther up."

"I-I can't walk…it hurts…" she finally admitted, holding onto him for dear life. "I-I think my ankle…"

Riku nodded to himself, knowing she probably could barely see him. He would gladly carry her—he had been waiting for her to give the okay, but he worried that if he did, he might end up making the wound worse. Instead, he just continued taking baby steps, supporting her by the shoulder, letting her hobble along until they approached the window. There, he pushed it open with ease and without warning, lifted her up by the waist and placed her sitting on the windowsill a couple of feet up. He hopped up after her and climbed into her room while she stayed seated, cringing in pain.

As soon as he got in, he flicked on the lights, found the first-aid kit in her bathroom, grabbed a towel, wet it, then walked briskly back over to her. He swallowed nervously when he saw the slice clearly, in the light. She must have tripped and gotten struck with a sharp log or stick—the wound was deep and dirty. He would need to disinfect it, but for now, water would do. He tried to pick the material of the dress away from the bloody spot, but with the heavy, soaked cloth draping past her knee to the floor, it was nearly impossible. He stopped for a moment, blushing as an awkward realization hit him.

"Keiya? I'm going to need to lift this up a little…" He swallowed, motioning toward the fabric. "I-is that okay?"

She gripped the edge of the windowsill in pain as her ankle throbbed relentlessly. She couldn't differentiate the pain from the cut from the pain in her foot. She had twisted it on the fall down. She nodded stiffly, not really understanding what he had asked her. He shyly but hastily took hold of the bloody hem of the dress and lifted it up, just above her knee. Her long, slender leg, though covered in trails of crimson, mesmerized him. He hesitantly placed a hand behind her knee to keep her steady. He tried to focus solely on cleaning her injury, but just the knowledge that he was holding her bare leg in place distracted him. Her skin was baby-soft; he had to suppress the urge to stroke it. He was kneeling on the floor in front of the window, cleansing the blood painstakingly so that no dirt or grime would be left to sicken her body. When her skin was clean and its pretty, pale-pink hue restored, Riku opened up the first aid kit and pulled out a roll of bandage-tape. He held her leg in place again, this time below the knee at the back of her leg, and expertly wrapped the bone-white tape around her scabbed wound. He tied it neatly, cut off the excess, and then let his hands linger on her delicate skin before withdrawing. He stood up, feeling his blood rush to his head from kneeling for so long, and offered her a hand so she could get up off the windowsill. She immediately cringed when her foot hit the ground.

"You're hurt? Where?" he asked, keeping a hold on her waist. She lifted her foot slightly in response. Riku noticed once again that her dress was now a gradient of white and wet, deep red. She must have sprained her ankle on the way here… she just needs to lie down and get some sleep. But not in these clothes.

"Okay… first off, you need to change…" he muttered. "Are there clothes in your closet?"

She didn't respond, so he let her lean against the wall while he went to search through the drawers. He blushed ferociously, going through her clothes; her sweet scent teasingly radiated off them. Finally, he found a nightgown stuffed at the bottom of the drawer, pink and kind of large, but probably easy to slip on. He wandered back over the window and handed it to her.

"Here, put this on. I'll wait outside… let me know when you're finished, okay?" he said shyly, praying that she would be able to get it on herself. He waited until she nodded, then exited the room and closed the door without a sound, still not sure whether or not she had understood him.

~…~

Riku was sitting out in the hallway when he heard a muffled thud from inside her room. He jumped up immediately, anxiously, but then had to stop himself before he barged into the room. He thought for a second and knocked on her door just loud enough for her to hear. He didn't want to walk right in, in case she was still changing.

"Keiya? Are you alright?"

He didn't receive an answer, so he pushed the feelings of embarrassment and being proper to the back of his mind and turned the knob. When he pushed the door open, he saw her kneeling on the floor, clutching her foot, carrying his jacket from earlier. The nerves subsided when he saw she was dressed in her nightgown, though it was much bigger than he had expected. It hung on her body like drapery or curtains and the neckline fell passed her right shoulder. Her bloody clothes from earlier were in front of the window, presumably where she had gotten changed.

He hurried over to her, seeing the pained and desperate expression on her face, and took the jacket from her hands, flinging it aside. He then examined her bare foot himself, gently applying pressure to the spot that seemed to be hurting. She let out a hoarse cry and took hold of his arm for support.

"It's sprained. It might hurt to walk for a while… look, right now, let's just get you into bed. You need sleep. I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning," he concluded. His gaze rose to her face and he noticed that she hadn't been able to zip up the back of the gown. He could see the open flaps peaking out from behind her neck, hence the neckline's dip over her shoulder. He absentmindedly reached his arms around her, his hands grazing over her skin ever so slightly as they traveled down, and found the zipper, which went to about the middle of her back. He pushed her messy hair out of the way and carefully pulled the small zipper up, his thumb very subtly trailing up along her bare spine the whole way.

Keiya felt dizzy and feverish with longing at the contact, then disappointed when he let his arms fall back to his sides. He looked at her strangely, as if examining her, and then without a word he swept a hand beneath her legs and one around her back. He lifted her up effortlessly, walked a short distance, then lay her down on a soft, cushiony surface.

"R-riku… what are you—"

"You need sleep. Here," he said, a slight tremble in his voice. He pulled the sheets over her body, then the comforter, which he let come up to her neck. She pushed it down a little and tried to sit up, but he made her lie down again and flicked off the lights. He hated seeing her this helpless, this different. He wanted her to be sober again—now. He was dying to talk to her and make things right. He wouldn't even mind the situation so much if only everything was alright.

Keiya rolled over on her side, hugging the blankets close to her body for warmth. She still felt freezing. Riku sat at the edge of her bed, just looking down at her. He was barely visible now with the now faint moonlight coming in from the window. He was still in his clothes from the party—he hadn't had time to change. He wore his now wrinkled white button down shirt, with his dress slacks which were a little worn from sitting on the ground for so long. Her heart jumped in panic when she saw him stand and stretch, as if he were going to leave. She slowly sat up, feeling more exhausted than ever now that she was in a bed.

"Y-you're leaving?" she asked fearfully. She didn't want him to go away—she needed him. She wanted him here. Riku turned around in surprise; he'd thought she was asleep.

"I'll see you in the morning. Just… try to get some sleep, okay?" he said, his voice soft and caring, like a blanket warmer than any of the ones over her body.

"No, please stay…" she could sense his hesitation. "J-just for tonight? Please? I don't want to… to be by myself… stay with me…?"

"…"

He sighed, won over. He couldn't say no to her; even like this, she was able to induce him. I must be so pathetic… He kicked his shoes off and sat back down at the head of the bed. She was still sitting up, waiting for him to lie down next to her. He felt a little strange; their fight was weighing on his mind, and here he was, saying he would spend the night with her. She took his hand pleadingly and he finally complied and lay next to her, leaving a few inches of space between them. I'm dead in the morning.

Of course she cuddled up next to him right away, despite his efforts to keep his distance, and his arms involuntarily fell around her. She let her hands rest at his neck, already lost in his hair. She smiled to herself as the warmth of his body and the scent of his flesh washed over her; never had she felt so comfortable and safe. He was everything right now. Riku, though at first unsure and averse to the idea, allowed himself to hold her. He slipped his arms around her waist and back and let his face fall into her hair, which was giving off the sweetest and most mesmerizing scent he had ever experienced. He loved her—that was all he was really sure of at the moment. Her breaths against his skin were both soothing and exhilarating.

"You're sure you want this? You won't kill me tomorrow morning?" he asked humorously.

"Nnn?" Keiya was tracing her hands over the bare skin of his chest that was exposed from his shirt. (He always left a few buttons undone when he had to get dressed up—tight collars annoyed him.) Her eyes were now closed and her body relaxed.

"Never mind. I'll just have to find out for myself," he said, mostly to himself. She began to play with the first closed button on his shirt, feeling for the hole it was attached to. Riku's heart jumped when he realized what she was doing, but he was both too tired and too contented to stop her. She continued to toy with the button until she finally got it undone, making the open "V" of his bare skin larger. She buried her head in his chest, longing for his the heat of his body. When she searched for the next button down his shirt, Riku tensed a little.

"What are you doing?" he asked, now more determined to get an answer. Her long fingers traveled down from button to button as she became more proficient at dissembling them. "Keiya?"

"I-it's just… warmer this way…" she whispered truthfully, huddling closer into the crook of his neck. Her mouth brushed against the skin of his collar bone for the briefest second, sending a burning chill of addiction down his spine.

"Y-you're so drunk right now… you should just get some sleep…"

"I'm not… drunk…" she said after a while, never once pausing in her work. Her hands trailed farther down the length of his shirt, searching for and opening up the buttons to reveal more of his warm, intoxicating skin. After undoing the last one, she eagerly let her hands travel up his torso. His hard, lean chest brimming with heat sent her blood rushing and her mind into an even more dream-like state.

Riku felt absolutely high. Though nerves still remained at the back of his mind, all he cared about right now were the sound of her breathing and the sensation of her delicate, small hands sweeping up his body, now hugging him and exploring his back. His heart was doing overtime—he could swear he had never felt it beat faster. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and filled him with feelings of bliss and want. As she withdrew her arms from around his waist, he slid his own from around her and took her hands in his, their bodies still pressed together. Her brought her hands to his lips and kissed them each tenderly, interlacing her fingers with his. Then he let them fall back to his chest as he encircled her in his arms again. It took him a few seconds to regain his composure.

"Go to sleep. You're… you're really drunk," he stated again, as a way of erasing the blush from his face. "I mean, really drunk, Keiya…"

"I-I'm not… I told you… it's just so much warmer…"

They didn't say anything for a second, then out of nowhere, Riku broke into laughter. "I can't believe how drunk you are…"

"No…"

Her breathing evened out and her eyes closed again as exhaustion hit her. Riku, still smiling to himself, brushed her hair back and waited for the relief of sleep to come. I must be crazy to even consider staying… I might just be making things worse… oh well…

Author's Note: June sixth, twenty-ten. Just cleaned up some quotation errors.