Disclaimer: I still can't spell it right!
Okay, sorry this story was so short, here's the last chapter! Party time! Now all I have to do is finish Riku's Silence and I can start on the sequel to the Christmas fic! Please review and tell me how I did!
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Slowly, Kairi opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She wasn't surprised. So, she thought sadly, it was just a dream after all. Sora and Riku.. She almost laughed at her own stupidity. Her head throbbed and she clamped a hand to it, snuggling back into her pillow. She sighed, tears gently running down her cheeks.
Suddenly, she felt warm breath on her neck. Jumping slightly, she pushed herself up onto her elbows and stared down at the boy snuggled next to her. Feeling her movement, he woke up, shifting tiredly and lifting his head to look up into her startled face.
"Kairi? Where are we?" He asked softly, wondering why he wasn't in pain. And where was Ansem? Those where usually the first two things to start his day, Ansem arriving and kicking him awake.
Her hand shook as she reached forward. "Oh, God, it's really you.." She whispered, caressing his face. Lunging forward, she buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him tightly.
He hugged her back. "Kairi, you actually did it.. You saved me." He nuzzled her neck happily, looking up sharply when a noise at the foot of the bed caught his attention.
"Shit, my head." Riku groaned, pulling himself up and looking around. "How'd we get here?" he asked, realizing where they were.
Kairi leapt forward. "Riku!! You're here!" She howled joyously, latching on around his neck as Sora followed. They tumbled back into a heap, laughing in relief.
"Wow, I can't believe we're finally together again.." Kairi said dreamily, snuggling down between the two boys like she always used to. She looked up at them, "I never thought I would see you guys again," She trailed off, tears threatening to run down her cheeks.
Hugging her tightly, they settled back against her bed, rocking her to sleep. They watched her exhausted form, breathing softly as she slept. Riku looked up at Sora, "Sora, I'm sorry." He whispered, looking away in shame.
Sora shook his head, "Riku, I told you before, it wasn't your fault. It was Ansem, and he could have used anyone." He said sharply.
Riku was silent, sighing tiredly and resting his head on Kairi's shoulder. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, trying to forget about the place where he had spent the last two years of his life.
~
The front door slammed, and Kairi's parents stepped into the house. They gazed around angrily, noting how Kairi had neglected to clean anything while they were gone.
"Kairi!" Her father shouted, throwing his coat aside and stomping into the kitchen. He stuck his head back out of the doorway, "KAIRI!" He yelled angrily up the stairs.
Kairi awoke with a start, nudging the two boys awake and struggling to pull herself up. Riku leapt up, reaching down and gripping Kairi's arm firmly as he pulled her to her feet. Sora was already at the door, opening it slowly and peeking out into the hallway.
Kairi shoved past him in slight panic. "Oh God, they're gonna kill me!" She whimpered, dashing down the stairs and barreling into the living room.
Almost immediately, Sora and Riku could hear yelling. Charging down the stairs, they peered around the corner into the room. Kairi's stepmother was hurriedly picking up the bottles and cans, yelling angrily at Kairi as she did. Tears were running down Kairi's cheeks and she stared unhappily at the floor. Her father faced her, yelling at her about responsibility and various other things.
Turning, she dashed toward the front door, stopping abruptly as she slammed into Sora. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "What's going on?" He asked quietly, glaring at her father.
"Hey, aren't you, Sora? And you, you're Riku. I thought you guys moved away." He chuckled, reaching out his hand. "Well, welcome back!" he said cheerfully.
The two boys ignored him, turning back to Kairi. She sniffed, "I forgot to clean the living room and the kitchen, and their guests are due any minute.." She whispered, looking up sadly into Sora's face.
"What? You forgot to clean and now you're in trouble?" Riku asked, surprised. Kairi nodded, burying her face back in Sora's shirt. "That doesn't seem right.." He stepped toward Kairi's father.
"Well, she needs to learn responsibility!" He said, trying not to show that Riku was successfully intimidating him.
"Responsibility? You think making this mess in the first place is responsible? And then yelling at Kairi because she doesn't like cleaning up after you?" His fist was shaking in anger as he stepped even closer to the older man.
He puffed out his chest, looking down at Riku, "Are you trying to tell me how to raise my own child?" he asked threateningly.
Riku stared at him for a moment, stepping forward with a disgusted look on his face. In a flash, he had slammed his fist into the man's jaw, blood trickling down his lip as he fell backward.
Riku flexed his slightly sore hand, "Yes, because you obviously don't know how." He turned and stomped back out the door, Kairi and Sora scampering behind him.
~
Riku sat on the bent trunk of the paopu tree, watching the dark ocean waves before him. Sora and Kairi sat cuddled up together in the sand at the base of the tree.
Riku looked down at his two friends, "Kairi?" He called.
"Yeah?" She looked up at him expectantly.
He sighed, "Thanks for rescuing us from Ansem." he said, turning his gaze back to the ocean.
She smiled, "You're welcome, but I wish I had known where you were earlier, I spent two years thinking that you were dead!" She giggled, "And, thanks for standing up to my dad for me.. Even though I'll have to move in with Selphie tomorrow morning." She giggled, finding the thought comforting. Anything to get out of her own house.
Riku sighed happily, unable to believe he was actually home. He leaned back on the paopu tree and stretched out, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. He didn't care that they hadn't stopped Ansem, didn't even care that Kairi would never love him the same way she loved Sora. It seemed like the only thing that mattered in the world was Destiny Islands, and how great it felt to be back. He slowly opened an eye to watch as scuffling noises drifted up from under the paopu tree.
Sora stood carefully to his feet, pulling Kairi up after him and looking cautiously toward Riku. When the older boy didn't move, he stepped forward, grasping Kairi's hand tightly. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop from giggling, pushing him forward as they snuck away.
When he was sure they weren't paying attention to him anymore, Riku looked up. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the two go running happily across the beach, fingers entwined and laughter ringing softly around the empty island. He was happy for both of them, they were both his best friends and he wanted them to be happy, something Sora hadn't been in years.
Just seeing the brunette smiling and laughing again seemed to lift a huge weight from Riku's shoulders, leaving him feeling rather alone, but content. He watched as Kairi pulled Sora toward the secret place. Heaving a peaceful sigh, Riku leapt down from the paopu tree, walking slowly across the dark beach toward the dock.
Kairi's startled yelp rang out around the island, followed closely by Sora's joyful laughter. Riku smiled, swinging himself down into his boat and making his way home. He hadn't attempted talking to his family yet, and he hoped they wouldn't have the same reaction as Sora's mother had.
Laughing quietly to himself at the thought of his own mother breaking down in sobs and latching onto him. He cast one last glance back at the island as he drifted home, wondering how they would explain everything to Selphie when Kairi showed up on her doorstep the next day. Leaning back in the boat, he stared up at the clear purple sky, swinging his legs over the side of the boat and settling down. He knew the swift ocean currents would take him to the shores of the main island. Heaving another heavy sigh, he gazed up at the stars.
They seemed so bright and happy, reminding him of Traverse Town. It always seemed dark there, probably because the nights were generally so much longer than the days. He missed that town, he hadn't stayed there long, but he had liked it there. Maybe someday he would go back, after he knew Kairi and Sora would be alright without him. He wanted to talk to Squall and his friends, Ansem hadn't talked about them very much, but they had helped Sora a lot during his little quest thing or whatever he had referred to it as.
Riku smiled again, determination showing. Only seven months, and he would be 18. If Kairi and Sora were alright, then he would go then. Even after spending so long wishing he was on Destiny Islands, he couldn't help but long for travel again now that everything was back to normal.
A shout from up ahead jolted him out of his thoughts, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were all sitting in a boat playing some kind of card game. When they had noticed Riku, they nearly tipped the boat over in their rush to greet him.
"RIKU!! You ARE back!!" Selphie howled with glee, pushing Tidus excitedly and laughing when he fell into the ocean.
Wakka leapt out of his seat, diving in after Tidus and following him over to Riku's boat, which they promptly tipped over.
"Oh, hey guys. What's up?" He laughed, enjoying the familiar feel of the ocean around him again. He ducked under, running his hands though his silver hair in an attempt to rid himself of the smell of Heartless, replacing it with the usual scent of ocean and paopu. Yawning suddenly, he tried to pull himself back into his boat, but Wakka grabbed his foot and pulled him back in.
"Come on, Riku! Don't go yet!" Tidus groaned, leaning on his shoulder in a mock attempt to push him under.
"Ya, we haven't seen you in forever!" Wakka cried, reaching back into the boat and retrieving his blitzball as Selphie hopped around, rocking the boat dangerously.
Riku sighed, watching as Tidus reached up and tripped Selphie, ducking under the waves as she tumbled in. This is gonna be a long seven months, he thought to himself, hiding a grin.
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The End
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Okay, sorry this story was so short, here's the last chapter! Party time! Now all I have to do is finish Riku's Silence and I can start on the sequel to the Christmas fic! Please review and tell me how I did!
~~~~~
Slowly, Kairi opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She wasn't surprised. So, she thought sadly, it was just a dream after all. Sora and Riku.. She almost laughed at her own stupidity. Her head throbbed and she clamped a hand to it, snuggling back into her pillow. She sighed, tears gently running down her cheeks.
Suddenly, she felt warm breath on her neck. Jumping slightly, she pushed herself up onto her elbows and stared down at the boy snuggled next to her. Feeling her movement, he woke up, shifting tiredly and lifting his head to look up into her startled face.
"Kairi? Where are we?" He asked softly, wondering why he wasn't in pain. And where was Ansem? Those where usually the first two things to start his day, Ansem arriving and kicking him awake.
Her hand shook as she reached forward. "Oh, God, it's really you.." She whispered, caressing his face. Lunging forward, she buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him tightly.
He hugged her back. "Kairi, you actually did it.. You saved me." He nuzzled her neck happily, looking up sharply when a noise at the foot of the bed caught his attention.
"Shit, my head." Riku groaned, pulling himself up and looking around. "How'd we get here?" he asked, realizing where they were.
Kairi leapt forward. "Riku!! You're here!" She howled joyously, latching on around his neck as Sora followed. They tumbled back into a heap, laughing in relief.
"Wow, I can't believe we're finally together again.." Kairi said dreamily, snuggling down between the two boys like she always used to. She looked up at them, "I never thought I would see you guys again," She trailed off, tears threatening to run down her cheeks.
Hugging her tightly, they settled back against her bed, rocking her to sleep. They watched her exhausted form, breathing softly as she slept. Riku looked up at Sora, "Sora, I'm sorry." He whispered, looking away in shame.
Sora shook his head, "Riku, I told you before, it wasn't your fault. It was Ansem, and he could have used anyone." He said sharply.
Riku was silent, sighing tiredly and resting his head on Kairi's shoulder. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, trying to forget about the place where he had spent the last two years of his life.
~
The front door slammed, and Kairi's parents stepped into the house. They gazed around angrily, noting how Kairi had neglected to clean anything while they were gone.
"Kairi!" Her father shouted, throwing his coat aside and stomping into the kitchen. He stuck his head back out of the doorway, "KAIRI!" He yelled angrily up the stairs.
Kairi awoke with a start, nudging the two boys awake and struggling to pull herself up. Riku leapt up, reaching down and gripping Kairi's arm firmly as he pulled her to her feet. Sora was already at the door, opening it slowly and peeking out into the hallway.
Kairi shoved past him in slight panic. "Oh God, they're gonna kill me!" She whimpered, dashing down the stairs and barreling into the living room.
Almost immediately, Sora and Riku could hear yelling. Charging down the stairs, they peered around the corner into the room. Kairi's stepmother was hurriedly picking up the bottles and cans, yelling angrily at Kairi as she did. Tears were running down Kairi's cheeks and she stared unhappily at the floor. Her father faced her, yelling at her about responsibility and various other things.
Turning, she dashed toward the front door, stopping abruptly as she slammed into Sora. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "What's going on?" He asked quietly, glaring at her father.
"Hey, aren't you, Sora? And you, you're Riku. I thought you guys moved away." He chuckled, reaching out his hand. "Well, welcome back!" he said cheerfully.
The two boys ignored him, turning back to Kairi. She sniffed, "I forgot to clean the living room and the kitchen, and their guests are due any minute.." She whispered, looking up sadly into Sora's face.
"What? You forgot to clean and now you're in trouble?" Riku asked, surprised. Kairi nodded, burying her face back in Sora's shirt. "That doesn't seem right.." He stepped toward Kairi's father.
"Well, she needs to learn responsibility!" He said, trying not to show that Riku was successfully intimidating him.
"Responsibility? You think making this mess in the first place is responsible? And then yelling at Kairi because she doesn't like cleaning up after you?" His fist was shaking in anger as he stepped even closer to the older man.
He puffed out his chest, looking down at Riku, "Are you trying to tell me how to raise my own child?" he asked threateningly.
Riku stared at him for a moment, stepping forward with a disgusted look on his face. In a flash, he had slammed his fist into the man's jaw, blood trickling down his lip as he fell backward.
Riku flexed his slightly sore hand, "Yes, because you obviously don't know how." He turned and stomped back out the door, Kairi and Sora scampering behind him.
~
Riku sat on the bent trunk of the paopu tree, watching the dark ocean waves before him. Sora and Kairi sat cuddled up together in the sand at the base of the tree.
Riku looked down at his two friends, "Kairi?" He called.
"Yeah?" She looked up at him expectantly.
He sighed, "Thanks for rescuing us from Ansem." he said, turning his gaze back to the ocean.
She smiled, "You're welcome, but I wish I had known where you were earlier, I spent two years thinking that you were dead!" She giggled, "And, thanks for standing up to my dad for me.. Even though I'll have to move in with Selphie tomorrow morning." She giggled, finding the thought comforting. Anything to get out of her own house.
Riku sighed happily, unable to believe he was actually home. He leaned back on the paopu tree and stretched out, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. He didn't care that they hadn't stopped Ansem, didn't even care that Kairi would never love him the same way she loved Sora. It seemed like the only thing that mattered in the world was Destiny Islands, and how great it felt to be back. He slowly opened an eye to watch as scuffling noises drifted up from under the paopu tree.
Sora stood carefully to his feet, pulling Kairi up after him and looking cautiously toward Riku. When the older boy didn't move, he stepped forward, grasping Kairi's hand tightly. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop from giggling, pushing him forward as they snuck away.
When he was sure they weren't paying attention to him anymore, Riku looked up. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the two go running happily across the beach, fingers entwined and laughter ringing softly around the empty island. He was happy for both of them, they were both his best friends and he wanted them to be happy, something Sora hadn't been in years.
Just seeing the brunette smiling and laughing again seemed to lift a huge weight from Riku's shoulders, leaving him feeling rather alone, but content. He watched as Kairi pulled Sora toward the secret place. Heaving a peaceful sigh, Riku leapt down from the paopu tree, walking slowly across the dark beach toward the dock.
Kairi's startled yelp rang out around the island, followed closely by Sora's joyful laughter. Riku smiled, swinging himself down into his boat and making his way home. He hadn't attempted talking to his family yet, and he hoped they wouldn't have the same reaction as Sora's mother had.
Laughing quietly to himself at the thought of his own mother breaking down in sobs and latching onto him. He cast one last glance back at the island as he drifted home, wondering how they would explain everything to Selphie when Kairi showed up on her doorstep the next day. Leaning back in the boat, he stared up at the clear purple sky, swinging his legs over the side of the boat and settling down. He knew the swift ocean currents would take him to the shores of the main island. Heaving another heavy sigh, he gazed up at the stars.
They seemed so bright and happy, reminding him of Traverse Town. It always seemed dark there, probably because the nights were generally so much longer than the days. He missed that town, he hadn't stayed there long, but he had liked it there. Maybe someday he would go back, after he knew Kairi and Sora would be alright without him. He wanted to talk to Squall and his friends, Ansem hadn't talked about them very much, but they had helped Sora a lot during his little quest thing or whatever he had referred to it as.
Riku smiled again, determination showing. Only seven months, and he would be 18. If Kairi and Sora were alright, then he would go then. Even after spending so long wishing he was on Destiny Islands, he couldn't help but long for travel again now that everything was back to normal.
A shout from up ahead jolted him out of his thoughts, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were all sitting in a boat playing some kind of card game. When they had noticed Riku, they nearly tipped the boat over in their rush to greet him.
"RIKU!! You ARE back!!" Selphie howled with glee, pushing Tidus excitedly and laughing when he fell into the ocean.
Wakka leapt out of his seat, diving in after Tidus and following him over to Riku's boat, which they promptly tipped over.
"Oh, hey guys. What's up?" He laughed, enjoying the familiar feel of the ocean around him again. He ducked under, running his hands though his silver hair in an attempt to rid himself of the smell of Heartless, replacing it with the usual scent of ocean and paopu. Yawning suddenly, he tried to pull himself back into his boat, but Wakka grabbed his foot and pulled him back in.
"Come on, Riku! Don't go yet!" Tidus groaned, leaning on his shoulder in a mock attempt to push him under.
"Ya, we haven't seen you in forever!" Wakka cried, reaching back into the boat and retrieving his blitzball as Selphie hopped around, rocking the boat dangerously.
Riku sighed, watching as Tidus reached up and tripped Selphie, ducking under the waves as she tumbled in. This is gonna be a long seven months, he thought to himself, hiding a grin.
~~~~
The End
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