044 ✩ to an end [kingdom hearts]
TITLE: To An End
RATING: T/PG-13
SUMMARY: Riku and Namine knew what they were. They were simply means to an end, in DiZ's eyes. Riku thought that as long as his actions were the means to his end, he didn't quite care.
FANDOM: Kingdom Hearts
OTHER: part of music box
Mermaids and Legends | Hero | Drawings | Best Left Forgotten 1 / 2 | Not Quite Heartless | Down The Rabbit Hole | Erasing Memories | To An End | Things He Would Never Say | Fairytale | Sets of Threes | Music Box 1 / 2 | Mistaken Identity 1 / 2 | ??????
-x-
Naminé drew her crayon along the neat edge of a line, filling in the space with quick, smooth strokes before she smudged the colors with her fingers to make the colors blend fully. Silently, one leather-clad hand resting on the back of one of the pure white marble chairs, Riku watched the blonde draw the slender brunet boy he was trying to save. Every once in a while she would change crayons and glance up at him with her shy and hesitant smile and he couldn’t help but smile back at her.
-x-
DiZ clicked away at the keys, acting as if he hadn’t heard Riku’s approach; Riku had seen caught sneaking about enough times to know that the older man was more than aware of what was going on around him. The question was: what did he want this time? It was never a social visit- normally DiZ had a task that was to be finished and then the teen was dismissed until the next time.
Data flickered on the screen, a faceless, androgynous person slowly becoming visible as the pixels cleared up bit by bit. A moment later, the computerized voice responded with a “Confirm delete?” Two clicks from DiZ and then the figure melted away into nothing but fading pixels leaving behind a dim blue screen.
“You’ve certainly gotten close to Naminé, haven’t you?” DiZ asked and if Riku didn’t know the man, he would have thought it was simply a polite question from a caretaker concerned about his charge. “You do realize she’s nothing but data, correct?”
The subtle threat brought out, Riku only gritted his teeth and stalked out of the room, his coat fanning out behind him as DiZ relaxed back in his chair with a wry smile.
-x-
Quiet clicks of boots against polished floor prompted Naminé to look up from her latest drawing and take in the sight of Riku holding a small bag and wearing an almost nervous expression. “You’re back early,” she commented quietly. Riku nodded, placing the bag on the table. She set aside her crayons and paper, making a silent note to request more from DiZ as she was almost out. A moment later, a new set of crayons and pencils were produced, along with an apple, shiny and a deep red color. When the ritual of bringing her some treat from each mission he went on began, she didn’t know, but each time she couldn’t help the warmth that rose inside her. “Thank you.”
Riku laughed quietly, pulling up a chair next to her so he could glance at her drawings once more- something he never tired of doing. “Of course,” he responded, watching her draw the new crayons closer and brush her fingers over them. Of course.
-x-
“Ask Naminé who he is,” DiZ said, that infuriating smirk curling his lips. “She has known him since she was created; you yourself have known him, in a rather obscure way.”
Riku’s hands curled into loose fists as he mentally ordered himself to stop getting so riled up every time the man spoke. “Bringing him back will wake Sora up?” he asked, his voice carefully measured out and even. “…All I have to do is bring him here?”
“Indeed. A word of warning, however. In the past, he’s proven to be rather… unruly and unwilling to cooperate, so he might be a challenge to handle.” DiZ watched Riku nod sharply. “Oh, and bringing him back alive is also important.”
“Obviously,” Riku retorted, tilting his head to the side after a moment. “Is that all?”
There was no response, only the slight creak of a chair as the enigmatic man turned back to his work leaving the teen to turn around exit without another word.
-x-
“You’ve been to see DiZ again, haven’t you?” Naminé asked almost the moment he entered her room. “What did he want this time?”
Riku dragged a hand through his long bangs, leaning back against the wall as he tried to calm his chaotic thoughts into a coherent thought. “Other than to simply be a bas-” he cut himself off, correcting himself just as quickly. “He said he knows a way to help Sora wake up.”
Naminé’s head lifted up at that and she set her paper down on the table, making her way to where the taller teen stood. Her sandals clicked quietly across the marble floors before she paused in front of him, a small frown on her face as she realized he was wearing his blindfold. “Riku…” she whispered quietly, reaching up to brush her fingers across his cheek, biting her lip when he flinched. After a moment, when he didn’t pull away she tugged him down a bit and then stood on the tips of her toes to reach around and untie the strip of black silk. It fell to the ground a moment later leaving him to stare at the marble floor, still silent. “What did he say would help wake Sora?”
“There’s…there’s a boy; Sora’s Nobody. DiZ says that if we want to wake Sora up, I have to bring his Nobody here. Do you know-” Riku blinked as Naminé abruptly drew away, moving to sit at her table with a quick move as she took up her pencil again. “…Naminé?”
“His name… his name is Roxas,” Naminé said quietly, pausing in her shading. “He’s a member of the Organization- he’s Sora’s Nobody- his other half. That’s why DiZ wants you to find him.”
Riku sighed quietly, watching the slender girl stand up and pluck two pieces of tape, attach them to her piece of paper and then walk over to one of the walls in her room. She was a little too short to reach an open spot where she wished it to go; the older teen stepped forward, resting a hand on her shoulder before taking the paper and holding it to where she was trying to reach. “Here?” he asked, placing the picture there when she nodded. “You knew him, then?”
“His memories are almost all chained together; it would be best if you were to find Roxas and bring him here quickly.” Naminé began to pull away from Riku, only to find herself pulled back with her shoulder gripped firmly. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to encourage her to stay still for the moment. “Riku, please. I know that you have to find him, don’t worry about this. Just…be careful.”
-x-
Naminé sighed heavily from where she was curled up in her bed, tracing her fingers across the walls in swirling trails. It was past midnight now and Riku still hadn’t returned, leaving the old mansion empty and silent and the blonde Nobody filled with a sense of worry that was almost foreign to her. Riku was more than capable of taking care of himself, of that much she was sure; at the same time, Roxas fought extremely well and never held back. Somehow, she figured that Riku would be the one to hold back, especially if he viewed Roxas as a part of Sora; he’d vowed to never again hurt the brunet and that promise could very well be his downfall.
Curling closer into her sheets, she sighed again and stared up at the ceiling. Nobodies didn’t really need sleep; their bodies were able to function better than normal humans’ but it was something that she enjoyed and it took away the boredom for at least a short time.
The feel of the air being ripped open and what sounded like a bag of sand falling onto her floor made her sit up and turn her attention to the center of her room where a dark shadow was sprawled on the ground. A glint of silver and a quiet groan confirmed her fear- it was Riku. “Ri-.” Naminé scrambled off her bed, ignoring how cold her floor was without her socks or sandals. The older teen was heavy, she thought with a slight frown, attempting to turn him over and at least drag him somewhat over to her bed- maybe, if she could wake him up enough she could get him onto the bed itself. “Riku, what-”
“I couldn’t…” Riku gasped with pain as she accidentally put weight on his ribs as she tried to help him sit up. Were they broken? They hurt enough for him to at least consider it and it was less than a happy thought. “Naminé…couldn’t… I couldn’t beat him. I was too weak to beat him.”
Naminé drew in a sharp breath, feeling even guiltier when a vague sense of relief coursed through her. She was no fool, she knew exactly what would happen to Roxas if -no, when- Riku managed to capture him. If Riku hadn’t succeeded, then it meant that Roxas was still out there, still alive and that at least he had some semblance of a chance at holding his own against the rest of the Organization. “No, don’t worry about it right now.” She winced when he bit his bottom lip and made another noise of pain as she jarred him in her attempt to help him stand. “Get up, I can’t lift you alone.”
The teen simply obeyed, gritting his teeth as he stood up with her helping hold him and keep him steady. His head swam at the movements that seemed all too fast and harsh for him, but he kept walking with her until his legs finally gave out from the tumultuous mix of the exhaustion from his battle, the regret at not being able to save Sora, and the nausea from the darkness he could feel sliding around inside him as if it were a corporeal being. Its oily tentacles left his entire mind and body feeling simply…dirty and he knew that no amount of washing would make it go away.
Naminé made a startled noise when Riku’s weight suddenly grew and then pulled them both down, barely a foot from her bed. Struggling with the older boy, she bit her lip and pulled him against her just the smallest amount so she could sit on her bed and try to examine him like that. “Riku,” she whispered, drawing a hand through his tangled silver hair. His shoulders were tense, his gloved fingers curling in the sheets of her bed as he drew in shuddering breaths. “Riku, I can’t treat you if-”
“I’m fine,” he practically snarled, tensing as if he were going to draw away, but then sinking back against her with a quiet noise of pain. “I’m…I’m fine.”
Naminé didn’t respond instantly, instead choosing to shift a little more so he was slumped between her legs and against her torso, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. Sticky dampness that she knew was not water was sliding against her legs and causing her dress to stick to her skin. It wouldn’t wash out of the white, she knew, but that was the least of her problems at that point. Riku was trembling with each ragged breath and if she focused her eyes she could see the streaks of blood against her white marble floors. “How badly are you hurt?”
“Sorry,” he murmured, his tongue feeling thick and like sandpaper and words coming out slightly muffled. “Getting blood all over you… your stuff. Sorry.”
Making a soft noise between an irritated laugh and a worried sigh, she worked on his blindfold with slender fingers that shook only the slightest bit. “I can wash it out; I’m more worried about you.” She slid one finger under his chin and tilted his head up, not missing how he turned it to the side so she wouldn’t be able to see his eyes. “Don’t, Riku. Don’t hide from me.”
Hot breath gusted out in a sigh, leather clad fingers moving and holding her waist gently as if she were a reminder that he was grounded to this world. “I want to go home, sometimes,” he murmured softly enough where she wasn’t quite sure she had heard at first. “Even if it meant staying on the island, I wish… Sometimes…”
“No, you don’t,” Naminé assured, gently dragging her fingers through his hair as soothingly as he could. “I know you, Riku, don’t forget. I know that you wouldn’t be able to stand living in that monotony- you thirst for adventure and that is not a bad thing in the slightest. The events in the past…. They are what make you who you are.”
Riku made a quiet noise and shook his head. “What if I don’t like who I am?” he demanded, clenching his jaw as his wounds throbbed with pain with every breath. “It would be better if I just disappeared after I saved Sora. He’d be with Kairi again and-”
“Stop. You’re not like this, Riku, and I know it.” Naminé laid a cheek on his head and simply held him for a long moment, not missing how he gradually sunk against her, the tension washing away with each labored breath. “Riku, I have to clean and then wrap your wounds, so lean back against the wall.”
He obeyed, slowly, moving as if he were fifty years older than in reality. Naminé pretended not to notice the sharp, indrawn breath that escaped every time something pulled or was moved too quickly; she was more concerned with wiping her bloodied fingertips across her dress and working on his zipper so she could stop the bleeding. It caught a few times but when Riku reached up to help her, she pushed his hand back down and then helped him sit up enough for him to get the coat from his shoulders. Each inch that was revealed made her bite her lip a little harder; even in the dim light she could see the dark, vicious cuts and bruises that littered his pale skin and the blood that had not stopped flowing as the wounds reopened with every move.
Part of her hoped that Roxas didn’t look this bad; he had no one to take care of him, if he did. Another part of her felt bad for even thinking that because Riku was risking his life again to wake Sora up, no matter what the cost. Naminé nudged one of Riku’s legs apart so that she could kneel between them and help get the fully off of him. Her bed wasn’t nearly big enough for his; Riku had to lift one hand to place on her waist to keep her steady as she helped free one arm from his sleeve. His eyes were closed, hair mussed and breathing unsteady as she helped him loose the jacket completely, ignoring the voice that whispered that he was just as beautiful as she always thought he would be, even if he was bruised and looking all-too-broken. The heat of his hand was making her bite her lip a little harder as she tried to force herself to think of other things. Riku, without a question, belonged to Sora and to no one else.
“I have to go get some bandages,” Naminé whispered quietly, brushing back Riku’s bangs and then grabbing one of his hands. “You have to try and stop the bleeding, okay?”
Two glassy, blue-green eyes moved up to meet hers and there was a sluggish nod.
She wanted to use a Cure spell badly, but knew that unless the wounds were cleaned there was the chance of infection which would only hurt him more in the long run. Carefully, she got off of the bed and after a final glance at him, headed out of her room and down the hall where she knew DiZ kept certain supplies.
-x-
When she returned with an armful of bandages and cleaning supplies, she rushed forward when she saw him slumped in her bed, barely moving. “Riku? Riku!” The bandages and such were dropped on a clean part of her bed as she checked to make sure he was breathing and his heart was still beating. It was, which made her relieved, but at the same time she realized what it was that was causing it. The teen was already fighting against his Darkness, but it always lingered just beneath the surface and now that he was this weak it took extra effort to fight against it. Sighing softly, she struggled to roll him onto his back fully without causing him too much pain.
It took, by her guess, maybe twenty to thirty minutes to get him fully cleaned up along with bandaged so that the wounds wouldn’t heal wrong. A quick Cure spell was cast after that; a Curega might hurt him if something wasn’t set right in his body and it was better if he healed naturally for a little while. Next came cleaning herself off and changing her blood-stained clothes. The floors she could worry about later; they would wash and she was more worried about what would happen if he woke up without knowing where he was.
A simple pair of loose, comfortable cloth pants and a dark shirt was what she put on next. White would only stain once more and Riku had brought them to her a month ago, along with a set of brightly colored paint that would no doubt ruin her white dress. The clothes, she had thought, looked awkward on her, but Riku had only given her a small smile and said she looked cute in them.
The teen was still sleeping, bandages nearly all around his torso, shoes and leather pants still on. It took only a few minutes for her to work the boots off of his feet and drop them on the ground; she’d pick them up later. Her bed was not too bad off, oddly enough. His coat seemed to have kept the majority of the blood from getting onto her covers. Tilting her head to the side, she tried to see if she could get the jacket off of the bed as well. The moment she got close, however, he started and drew in a sharp breath, aqua eyes flashing open with the Keyblade summoned in an instant. Frozen in place as she stared at the dark weapon, she swallowed hard and hoped that he knew who she was. If he attacked her, she knew she didn’t stand a chance. “Riku, it’s just me, okay?”
Riku blinked once, twice and then dropped the weapon. Way to the Dawn vanished a moment later, just before it hit the ground, leaving Riku pushing himself up with a small groan only to hold his head as the world swam around him in that small move. “Sorry,” he said, his voice sounding rough and forced. Naminé made her way forward, kneeling on the bed and placing a hand on his forehead, not surprised when she found it cool and clammy almost. “It’s getting harder to fight.”
“I know,” Naminé whispered, shifting so she was sitting against the backboard of her bed. With gentle hands she pulled him close to her, stroking fingers over his chilled, bare skin and hoping that he would be able to fight it off. “You’re so strong.”
Riku laughed openly at that, his head resting on her shoulder, his fingers clenching in the sheets. “You’re lying.” He let his hand come to rest on her waist. “I’m weak. Naminé, I…”
“Don’t, Riku. You’re one of the strongest people I know. You’ve been able to fight off the darkness for so long and-”
“I know what I’m going to do.”
Naminé stiffened at the tone of finality in his voice. “What- what do you mean?”
Riku pushed himself up so he was half-hovering over her, his eyes glowing. A moment later, his lips were on hers, soft and hesitant and then firmer as she returned it, both of them opening their mouths and the kiss was gentle, sweet and everything that made Riku break inside. When they both pulled back, her lips were pink and glistening, parted slightly and all too inviting. With a final light kiss, he drew her close to him and groped around for the cover he knew was somewhere on her bed. When he found it, he pulled it up over them. “Go to sleep.”
Naminé was silent for a long time, knowing deep inside her not-heart that he was not hers. He had never been hers in the first place; he belonged to the innocent brunet boy who was the beacon of light in their dark world. The thought made her draw in a shuddery breath, knowing right then that even if they didn’t have hearts they could still feel hurt, regret.
When she woke up in the morning to a cold bed with the covers tucked around her and the floors cleaned, she knew something was wrong. With quick, hurried moves she changed out of her clothes and into a simple white dress, pulling on her sandals and dragging her fingers though her sleep-mussed hair as she rushed down the hallway to the library. There was no one there, so she scrambled down the stairs, freezing when she heard voices coming from the spare room on the right.
A moment later she heard footsteps coming toward the door and then a cloaked figure with their hood down, stepped out and closing the door behind them. When he turned around, she made a choked noise and fell to her knees, staring up at Xehanort’s face. “Riku… you…”
“…Naminé.”
“No.” She drew away when he knelt down and reached a hand out to help her up. “Riku, I know this was… you chose this. You let it-”
Riku was silent for a long time, withdrawing his hand and standing up. “I have to. I have to save Sora. I wasn’t strong enough to beat Roxas the first time and I promised I would be the next time that we met.”
A quiet noise escaped Naminé, her eyes burning as she tried to gain control of herself. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking up at him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”
The teen went to his knees fully, drawing her against him and hugging her slight body tightly. “You did everything for me. I have to go and do the same for Sora. I promise I won’t kill Roxas. I’ll bring him back.”
Riku let her go, waving one hand almost absently to summon forth a portal. The inky darkness pooled at his feet, licking up his legs and then materialized in front of him. With a final look at her, he took a step forward and began to vanish. When Naminé pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from crying, distantly thought that the range of emotions that Nobodies could feel was much wider than any of them had realized before. The thought didn’t seem quite fair.
RATING: T/PG-13
SUMMARY: Riku and Namine knew what they were. They were simply means to an end, in DiZ's eyes. Riku thought that as long as his actions were the means to his end, he didn't quite care.
FANDOM: Kingdom Hearts
OTHER: part of music box
Mermaids and Legends | Hero | Drawings | Best Left Forgotten 1 / 2 | Not Quite Heartless | Down The Rabbit Hole | Erasing Memories | To An End | Things He Would Never Say | Fairytale | Sets of Threes | Music Box 1 / 2 | Mistaken Identity 1 / 2 | ??????
-x-
Naminé drew her crayon along the neat edge of a line, filling in the space with quick, smooth strokes before she smudged the colors with her fingers to make the colors blend fully. Silently, one leather-clad hand resting on the back of one of the pure white marble chairs, Riku watched the blonde draw the slender brunet boy he was trying to save. Every once in a while she would change crayons and glance up at him with her shy and hesitant smile and he couldn’t help but smile back at her.
-x-
DiZ clicked away at the keys, acting as if he hadn’t heard Riku’s approach; Riku had seen caught sneaking about enough times to know that the older man was more than aware of what was going on around him. The question was: what did he want this time? It was never a social visit- normally DiZ had a task that was to be finished and then the teen was dismissed until the next time.
Data flickered on the screen, a faceless, androgynous person slowly becoming visible as the pixels cleared up bit by bit. A moment later, the computerized voice responded with a “Confirm delete?” Two clicks from DiZ and then the figure melted away into nothing but fading pixels leaving behind a dim blue screen.
“You’ve certainly gotten close to Naminé, haven’t you?” DiZ asked and if Riku didn’t know the man, he would have thought it was simply a polite question from a caretaker concerned about his charge. “You do realize she’s nothing but data, correct?”
The subtle threat brought out, Riku only gritted his teeth and stalked out of the room, his coat fanning out behind him as DiZ relaxed back in his chair with a wry smile.
-x-
Quiet clicks of boots against polished floor prompted Naminé to look up from her latest drawing and take in the sight of Riku holding a small bag and wearing an almost nervous expression. “You’re back early,” she commented quietly. Riku nodded, placing the bag on the table. She set aside her crayons and paper, making a silent note to request more from DiZ as she was almost out. A moment later, a new set of crayons and pencils were produced, along with an apple, shiny and a deep red color. When the ritual of bringing her some treat from each mission he went on began, she didn’t know, but each time she couldn’t help the warmth that rose inside her. “Thank you.”
Riku laughed quietly, pulling up a chair next to her so he could glance at her drawings once more- something he never tired of doing. “Of course,” he responded, watching her draw the new crayons closer and brush her fingers over them. Of course.
-x-
“Ask Naminé who he is,” DiZ said, that infuriating smirk curling his lips. “She has known him since she was created; you yourself have known him, in a rather obscure way.”
Riku’s hands curled into loose fists as he mentally ordered himself to stop getting so riled up every time the man spoke. “Bringing him back will wake Sora up?” he asked, his voice carefully measured out and even. “…All I have to do is bring him here?”
“Indeed. A word of warning, however. In the past, he’s proven to be rather… unruly and unwilling to cooperate, so he might be a challenge to handle.” DiZ watched Riku nod sharply. “Oh, and bringing him back alive is also important.”
“Obviously,” Riku retorted, tilting his head to the side after a moment. “Is that all?”
There was no response, only the slight creak of a chair as the enigmatic man turned back to his work leaving the teen to turn around exit without another word.
-x-
“You’ve been to see DiZ again, haven’t you?” Naminé asked almost the moment he entered her room. “What did he want this time?”
Riku dragged a hand through his long bangs, leaning back against the wall as he tried to calm his chaotic thoughts into a coherent thought. “Other than to simply be a bas-” he cut himself off, correcting himself just as quickly. “He said he knows a way to help Sora wake up.”
Naminé’s head lifted up at that and she set her paper down on the table, making her way to where the taller teen stood. Her sandals clicked quietly across the marble floors before she paused in front of him, a small frown on her face as she realized he was wearing his blindfold. “Riku…” she whispered quietly, reaching up to brush her fingers across his cheek, biting her lip when he flinched. After a moment, when he didn’t pull away she tugged him down a bit and then stood on the tips of her toes to reach around and untie the strip of black silk. It fell to the ground a moment later leaving him to stare at the marble floor, still silent. “What did he say would help wake Sora?”
“There’s…there’s a boy; Sora’s Nobody. DiZ says that if we want to wake Sora up, I have to bring his Nobody here. Do you know-” Riku blinked as Naminé abruptly drew away, moving to sit at her table with a quick move as she took up her pencil again. “…Naminé?”
“His name… his name is Roxas,” Naminé said quietly, pausing in her shading. “He’s a member of the Organization- he’s Sora’s Nobody- his other half. That’s why DiZ wants you to find him.”
Riku sighed quietly, watching the slender girl stand up and pluck two pieces of tape, attach them to her piece of paper and then walk over to one of the walls in her room. She was a little too short to reach an open spot where she wished it to go; the older teen stepped forward, resting a hand on her shoulder before taking the paper and holding it to where she was trying to reach. “Here?” he asked, placing the picture there when she nodded. “You knew him, then?”
“His memories are almost all chained together; it would be best if you were to find Roxas and bring him here quickly.” Naminé began to pull away from Riku, only to find herself pulled back with her shoulder gripped firmly. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to encourage her to stay still for the moment. “Riku, please. I know that you have to find him, don’t worry about this. Just…be careful.”
-x-
Naminé sighed heavily from where she was curled up in her bed, tracing her fingers across the walls in swirling trails. It was past midnight now and Riku still hadn’t returned, leaving the old mansion empty and silent and the blonde Nobody filled with a sense of worry that was almost foreign to her. Riku was more than capable of taking care of himself, of that much she was sure; at the same time, Roxas fought extremely well and never held back. Somehow, she figured that Riku would be the one to hold back, especially if he viewed Roxas as a part of Sora; he’d vowed to never again hurt the brunet and that promise could very well be his downfall.
Curling closer into her sheets, she sighed again and stared up at the ceiling. Nobodies didn’t really need sleep; their bodies were able to function better than normal humans’ but it was something that she enjoyed and it took away the boredom for at least a short time.
The feel of the air being ripped open and what sounded like a bag of sand falling onto her floor made her sit up and turn her attention to the center of her room where a dark shadow was sprawled on the ground. A glint of silver and a quiet groan confirmed her fear- it was Riku. “Ri-.” Naminé scrambled off her bed, ignoring how cold her floor was without her socks or sandals. The older teen was heavy, she thought with a slight frown, attempting to turn him over and at least drag him somewhat over to her bed- maybe, if she could wake him up enough she could get him onto the bed itself. “Riku, what-”
“I couldn’t…” Riku gasped with pain as she accidentally put weight on his ribs as she tried to help him sit up. Were they broken? They hurt enough for him to at least consider it and it was less than a happy thought. “Naminé…couldn’t… I couldn’t beat him. I was too weak to beat him.”
Naminé drew in a sharp breath, feeling even guiltier when a vague sense of relief coursed through her. She was no fool, she knew exactly what would happen to Roxas if -no, when- Riku managed to capture him. If Riku hadn’t succeeded, then it meant that Roxas was still out there, still alive and that at least he had some semblance of a chance at holding his own against the rest of the Organization. “No, don’t worry about it right now.” She winced when he bit his bottom lip and made another noise of pain as she jarred him in her attempt to help him stand. “Get up, I can’t lift you alone.”
The teen simply obeyed, gritting his teeth as he stood up with her helping hold him and keep him steady. His head swam at the movements that seemed all too fast and harsh for him, but he kept walking with her until his legs finally gave out from the tumultuous mix of the exhaustion from his battle, the regret at not being able to save Sora, and the nausea from the darkness he could feel sliding around inside him as if it were a corporeal being. Its oily tentacles left his entire mind and body feeling simply…dirty and he knew that no amount of washing would make it go away.
Naminé made a startled noise when Riku’s weight suddenly grew and then pulled them both down, barely a foot from her bed. Struggling with the older boy, she bit her lip and pulled him against her just the smallest amount so she could sit on her bed and try to examine him like that. “Riku,” she whispered, drawing a hand through his tangled silver hair. His shoulders were tense, his gloved fingers curling in the sheets of her bed as he drew in shuddering breaths. “Riku, I can’t treat you if-”
“I’m fine,” he practically snarled, tensing as if he were going to draw away, but then sinking back against her with a quiet noise of pain. “I’m…I’m fine.”
Naminé didn’t respond instantly, instead choosing to shift a little more so he was slumped between her legs and against her torso, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. Sticky dampness that she knew was not water was sliding against her legs and causing her dress to stick to her skin. It wouldn’t wash out of the white, she knew, but that was the least of her problems at that point. Riku was trembling with each ragged breath and if she focused her eyes she could see the streaks of blood against her white marble floors. “How badly are you hurt?”
“Sorry,” he murmured, his tongue feeling thick and like sandpaper and words coming out slightly muffled. “Getting blood all over you… your stuff. Sorry.”
Making a soft noise between an irritated laugh and a worried sigh, she worked on his blindfold with slender fingers that shook only the slightest bit. “I can wash it out; I’m more worried about you.” She slid one finger under his chin and tilted his head up, not missing how he turned it to the side so she wouldn’t be able to see his eyes. “Don’t, Riku. Don’t hide from me.”
Hot breath gusted out in a sigh, leather clad fingers moving and holding her waist gently as if she were a reminder that he was grounded to this world. “I want to go home, sometimes,” he murmured softly enough where she wasn’t quite sure she had heard at first. “Even if it meant staying on the island, I wish… Sometimes…”
“No, you don’t,” Naminé assured, gently dragging her fingers through his hair as soothingly as he could. “I know you, Riku, don’t forget. I know that you wouldn’t be able to stand living in that monotony- you thirst for adventure and that is not a bad thing in the slightest. The events in the past…. They are what make you who you are.”
Riku made a quiet noise and shook his head. “What if I don’t like who I am?” he demanded, clenching his jaw as his wounds throbbed with pain with every breath. “It would be better if I just disappeared after I saved Sora. He’d be with Kairi again and-”
“Stop. You’re not like this, Riku, and I know it.” Naminé laid a cheek on his head and simply held him for a long moment, not missing how he gradually sunk against her, the tension washing away with each labored breath. “Riku, I have to clean and then wrap your wounds, so lean back against the wall.”
He obeyed, slowly, moving as if he were fifty years older than in reality. Naminé pretended not to notice the sharp, indrawn breath that escaped every time something pulled or was moved too quickly; she was more concerned with wiping her bloodied fingertips across her dress and working on his zipper so she could stop the bleeding. It caught a few times but when Riku reached up to help her, she pushed his hand back down and then helped him sit up enough for him to get the coat from his shoulders. Each inch that was revealed made her bite her lip a little harder; even in the dim light she could see the dark, vicious cuts and bruises that littered his pale skin and the blood that had not stopped flowing as the wounds reopened with every move.
Part of her hoped that Roxas didn’t look this bad; he had no one to take care of him, if he did. Another part of her felt bad for even thinking that because Riku was risking his life again to wake Sora up, no matter what the cost. Naminé nudged one of Riku’s legs apart so that she could kneel between them and help get the fully off of him. Her bed wasn’t nearly big enough for his; Riku had to lift one hand to place on her waist to keep her steady as she helped free one arm from his sleeve. His eyes were closed, hair mussed and breathing unsteady as she helped him loose the jacket completely, ignoring the voice that whispered that he was just as beautiful as she always thought he would be, even if he was bruised and looking all-too-broken. The heat of his hand was making her bite her lip a little harder as she tried to force herself to think of other things. Riku, without a question, belonged to Sora and to no one else.
“I have to go get some bandages,” Naminé whispered quietly, brushing back Riku’s bangs and then grabbing one of his hands. “You have to try and stop the bleeding, okay?”
Two glassy, blue-green eyes moved up to meet hers and there was a sluggish nod.
She wanted to use a Cure spell badly, but knew that unless the wounds were cleaned there was the chance of infection which would only hurt him more in the long run. Carefully, she got off of the bed and after a final glance at him, headed out of her room and down the hall where she knew DiZ kept certain supplies.
-x-
When she returned with an armful of bandages and cleaning supplies, she rushed forward when she saw him slumped in her bed, barely moving. “Riku? Riku!” The bandages and such were dropped on a clean part of her bed as she checked to make sure he was breathing and his heart was still beating. It was, which made her relieved, but at the same time she realized what it was that was causing it. The teen was already fighting against his Darkness, but it always lingered just beneath the surface and now that he was this weak it took extra effort to fight against it. Sighing softly, she struggled to roll him onto his back fully without causing him too much pain.
It took, by her guess, maybe twenty to thirty minutes to get him fully cleaned up along with bandaged so that the wounds wouldn’t heal wrong. A quick Cure spell was cast after that; a Curega might hurt him if something wasn’t set right in his body and it was better if he healed naturally for a little while. Next came cleaning herself off and changing her blood-stained clothes. The floors she could worry about later; they would wash and she was more worried about what would happen if he woke up without knowing where he was.
A simple pair of loose, comfortable cloth pants and a dark shirt was what she put on next. White would only stain once more and Riku had brought them to her a month ago, along with a set of brightly colored paint that would no doubt ruin her white dress. The clothes, she had thought, looked awkward on her, but Riku had only given her a small smile and said she looked cute in them.
The teen was still sleeping, bandages nearly all around his torso, shoes and leather pants still on. It took only a few minutes for her to work the boots off of his feet and drop them on the ground; she’d pick them up later. Her bed was not too bad off, oddly enough. His coat seemed to have kept the majority of the blood from getting onto her covers. Tilting her head to the side, she tried to see if she could get the jacket off of the bed as well. The moment she got close, however, he started and drew in a sharp breath, aqua eyes flashing open with the Keyblade summoned in an instant. Frozen in place as she stared at the dark weapon, she swallowed hard and hoped that he knew who she was. If he attacked her, she knew she didn’t stand a chance. “Riku, it’s just me, okay?”
Riku blinked once, twice and then dropped the weapon. Way to the Dawn vanished a moment later, just before it hit the ground, leaving Riku pushing himself up with a small groan only to hold his head as the world swam around him in that small move. “Sorry,” he said, his voice sounding rough and forced. Naminé made her way forward, kneeling on the bed and placing a hand on his forehead, not surprised when she found it cool and clammy almost. “It’s getting harder to fight.”
“I know,” Naminé whispered, shifting so she was sitting against the backboard of her bed. With gentle hands she pulled him close to her, stroking fingers over his chilled, bare skin and hoping that he would be able to fight it off. “You’re so strong.”
Riku laughed openly at that, his head resting on her shoulder, his fingers clenching in the sheets. “You’re lying.” He let his hand come to rest on her waist. “I’m weak. Naminé, I…”
“Don’t, Riku. You’re one of the strongest people I know. You’ve been able to fight off the darkness for so long and-”
“I know what I’m going to do.”
Naminé stiffened at the tone of finality in his voice. “What- what do you mean?”
Riku pushed himself up so he was half-hovering over her, his eyes glowing. A moment later, his lips were on hers, soft and hesitant and then firmer as she returned it, both of them opening their mouths and the kiss was gentle, sweet and everything that made Riku break inside. When they both pulled back, her lips were pink and glistening, parted slightly and all too inviting. With a final light kiss, he drew her close to him and groped around for the cover he knew was somewhere on her bed. When he found it, he pulled it up over them. “Go to sleep.”
Naminé was silent for a long time, knowing deep inside her not-heart that he was not hers. He had never been hers in the first place; he belonged to the innocent brunet boy who was the beacon of light in their dark world. The thought made her draw in a shuddery breath, knowing right then that even if they didn’t have hearts they could still feel hurt, regret.
When she woke up in the morning to a cold bed with the covers tucked around her and the floors cleaned, she knew something was wrong. With quick, hurried moves she changed out of her clothes and into a simple white dress, pulling on her sandals and dragging her fingers though her sleep-mussed hair as she rushed down the hallway to the library. There was no one there, so she scrambled down the stairs, freezing when she heard voices coming from the spare room on the right.
A moment later she heard footsteps coming toward the door and then a cloaked figure with their hood down, stepped out and closing the door behind them. When he turned around, she made a choked noise and fell to her knees, staring up at Xehanort’s face. “Riku… you…”
“…Naminé.”
“No.” She drew away when he knelt down and reached a hand out to help her up. “Riku, I know this was… you chose this. You let it-”
Riku was silent for a long time, withdrawing his hand and standing up. “I have to. I have to save Sora. I wasn’t strong enough to beat Roxas the first time and I promised I would be the next time that we met.”
A quiet noise escaped Naminé, her eyes burning as she tried to gain control of herself. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking up at him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”
The teen went to his knees fully, drawing her against him and hugging her slight body tightly. “You did everything for me. I have to go and do the same for Sora. I promise I won’t kill Roxas. I’ll bring him back.”
Riku let her go, waving one hand almost absently to summon forth a portal. The inky darkness pooled at his feet, licking up his legs and then materialized in front of him. With a final look at her, he took a step forward and began to vanish. When Naminé pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from crying, distantly thought that the range of emotions that Nobodies could feel was much wider than any of them had realized before. The thought didn’t seem quite fair.