the apology

[silverstung]

Who: Kairi (loving_light) & Riku (silverstung)
What: An agreed-upon meeting after this fiasco.
When: Now? Before the day's end.
Where: Kairi's room; 215.
Rating: PG-13 just in case Riku's picked up a bit of a mouth.

Comments

[loving_light]

Kairi laughed just a bit, shaking more in his arms in doing so. "You don't deserve anything of the sort." She said, burying her face in his chest. "Y-you... may have meant it at the time, but I know you'd do whatever you could to erase that it ever happened..." She felt herself calming and soon she had stopped her little bit of crying.

She found herself uncontrollably smiling, concentrating on the warmth that enveloped her from both external and internal sources. Now all that was left... was to meet up with Sora again. Sora...

Then it hit her.

"I never answered... when you asked about how much Sora meant to me," She said quietly, not moving or making any attempt to get away from him. She was comfortable. "What he means to me... It the same that you mean to me. I don't think I could live with knowing either of you were gone... It would be impossible for me, I know it. I've almost lost you two so many times that I've started to just trust that no matter what happens, the only way I'll believe you can't get back to me is if I see you killed. And I'd get in the way of that fatal blow before I let either of you die."

[silverstung]

Riku could only continue smiling, trying to ease her fears no matter how guilty he felt inside. "I would," he agreed. "I was being... selfish." Agh. Happens a lot with children of darkness.

He fell silent as she began to answer his question. It was only when she said she loved them both equally that he felt a little lurch in his heart. This girl, whom he'd shared such a tight past with (apparently), would give her life for him in a heartbeat. Maybe-- maybe if he dug down deep enough, he could remember feeling that... for someone other than Sora.

"Kairi." His grip on her slackened a little but he didn't push her away. "I don't want you to be another casualty. As long as Sora and I can still breathe-- we'll protect you."

Guilt. It was raw and sour and he was used to its taste by now, but he would never, ever enjoy it.

[loving_light]

Kairi pulled herself back lightly, not out of his arms, but enough to look up at him comfortably. She mentally cursed him for being so tall, but it made her feel... safer, even if she didn't like being so short compared to him. She smiled softly, and leaned up, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I know you will... No ammount of magic can take away what lies deepest inside."

[silverstung]

Riku wasn't sure what to say to that. Nothing that made him sound intelligent, anyway. He settled for a nervous chuckle and averting his eyes as best as he could. Those long bangs could hide them, but they did nothing for his slight blush. Stupid modesty complex or lack thereof.

"It's getting kind of late..."

[loving_light]

Kairi noticed the blush as she let go of him, knowing he was nervous, unprepared, and embarrassed. She smiled, and looked down at her feet, then back up at him.

"You'll be wanting to head back to your room, then...?" She questioned with just the slightest bit of hope that he would stay. However, if he didn't she could get Sora to come see her, too...

[silverstung]

Riku nodded reluctantly. "Don't want to overstay my welcome or anything... Besides, you haven't caught up with Sora yet." He glanced away again. "Knowing him, he'll be really happy to see you." Or anyone from his past, for that matter. He tried to ignore whatever jealousy threatened to well up.

When he brought his eyes to Kairi again, there was the most delicate of smiles waiting for her. This was the same Riku who had gone through hell and back for his friends. He hadn't ditched the old masochistic habits, but he was healing a little more every day... or that's what he wanted to believe.

He shattered the fairytale and stepped toward the door. "I'm in room 902 if you need anything." He paused, cast a glance over his shoulder. "Take care of yourself."

[loving_light]

Kairi smiled, raising a hand in a not-quite-wave. "You don't have to tell me twice," She responded... and as soon as the door shut behind him, she could feel most of the safety and strength she felt go with the boy walking out of her room. She looked down, closed her eyes, and sighed, going back to sit on her bed.

"... Riku..." She felt alone now, and yet something glowed inside her heat-- a feeling she'd always had, and a feeling she'd never lose. It would live on in her for as long as she lived, and even then would live after her. So she knew, as she pushed that loneliness down, that things would always turn out alright.

"I knew you wouldn't forget."

[silverstung]

Riku disappeared from the room and from the floor, but less than ten minutes later he was back down there. He didn't knock on the doors of either of his friends-- he didn't want to trouble them. Instead, he parked himself in front of Faye's door, who happened to be in between, only a pillow and a journal for company.

Like a guardian, or maybe a child unwilling to let go of the things he held dear, he dozed off there until morning.