Can't…breathe…

"Yazoo, are you trying to kill me?!" I cough, wresting his hands away from my throat.

"It certainly would make for less racket around here with one less of you to deal with, wouldn't you say?" Yazoo sighs, hands disapprovingly on his hips as I start loosen the neck tie. "You did ask for my help, Riku."

"Yeah, to tie a tie, not a goddamn yoke!" I retort, as I try to readjust it in the mirror. "Besides, if you're trying to get rid of one of us, Loz is the one who's the biggest waste of space."

"At least even he knows such a basic, essential skill of masculinity."

"Whatever."

"Anyway, you haven't told me," Yazoo starts. "What's the occasion?"

"First anniversary," I respond, while adjusting the collar of my shirt.

"Has it been that long already?" he ponders aloud, surprised. Hell, even I'm a little shocked we've made it this far. But, here we are. "So, what are your plans?"

"Dinner at some new, fancy restaurant." I step a little closer to the mirror to start combing my hair into place, though this new haircut makes it hard to get it to sit the way I'm used to. Well, as long as I don't get roasted the way I did the last time I cut my hair off… "What the hell's got you so interested, anyway?"

"Just trying to gauge what the death of bachelorhood looks like, is all."

"It's just a date, not my damn wedding."

"Of course," Yazoo concedes, with one of his obnoxious laughs.

"Well, if you don't have anything useful to add, you're more than welcome to get out of my room."

"Make sure to tuck your shirt in properly," he nags as he makes his way to the door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Let's face it, if it's not perfect, she'll just end up fixing it herself anyway. "Thanks, Yazoo." I see him flash me a small smile behind me through the mirror before he shuts the door behind himself.

He's tolerable, I guess.

Once the coast is clear, I move the pile of clothes off my bed, making sure the present I've gotten for her that I hid underneath it isn't damaged.

I haven't bought her flowers since that last time, about a year ago – that night that she was babysitting Haru. I'll admit, my intentions behind getting them for her back then weren't entirely innocent. Not to mention the fact that I didn't even end up getting her the right ones, though she still was gracious about receiving them anyway. But, this time, I think these'll make her really happy.

I remember for a fact these are her favorites, after all.

It's a pretty simple gift, but, she told me to keep it that way. That, and, I honestly couldn't think of anything else to get her.

I'm bad at this stuff, alright?

Upon inspection, it looks like everything in the bouquet is still intact. Though, there is this weird card sticking out on the side of it…

'Behind The Flower,' it says. Oh, right, that flower language thing. I remember trying to scour for something that looked thoughtful enough the last time I went to that shop using these cards they had posted with all their flowers, though I don't think I looked at all when I went in earlier today.

'A symbol of femininity, softness, and temperance. Often bestowed upon one's first love.'

…Yeah, that sounds about right.

Epilogue

"Ta-da! What do you think?" I come strutting out of the bathroom in the little black dress we bought at the mall earlier in the afternoon.

I really love having Fridays off.

"It's flawless!" Kairi gives me a thumb's up.

"Ooh, so pretty, Amaya!" chimes Haru, with her hands fanned out on the floor. Kairi swiftly dots her nails with the same pale pink polish she used on me earlier.

"Haru, love, be careful while that dries," I warn. "I don't want nail polish all over my room."

"It'll be fine!" she reassures. Or at least, attempts to. It's a little hard to trust a rambunctious little six-year-old when it comes to trying to avoid messes.

"Put your hands next to the fan when I'm done," Kairi suggests to her, gesturing to the mini-fan on my work desk. "That way, it'll dry faster!"

"And don't move around too much while you're over there," I add wearily.

"I won't, I won't!" she claims.

We'll see.

While Kairi's working on Haru, I approach the full-length mirror in the corner of my bedroom. You always have to double-check – for some reason, you always look different in the ones they keep in those store fitting rooms! But, thankfully, I still like the way the dress looks. It's a little clingy, but the ruching makes it a little more modest, along with the capped shoulders and the neckline, which comes up right under my collar bones. Just the elegant, classy look I was going for! I'm actually pretty excited about this, I don't think I've gotten this dressed up for a date since Riku and I have been together.

I just really hope whatever he ends up wearing is decent. I did make sure to tell him several times this week to dress nice – it's our anniversary dinner, after all!

"Alright, Haru, I'm done!" I hear Kairi say.

"Yay!" Haru replies, jumping up in excitement.

"What do you say?" I chide her.

"Oh, um, thank you Kairi! You're the best!" Haru says, wrapping her arms around Kairi in a hug, while keeping her hands carefully fanned out as to not disturb the delicate work on her nails.

Hm, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

"Alright, Amaya, now I need to finish you up," Kairi says, motioning for me to sit back next to my vanity.

"Yes, ma'am!" I hurry over to sit at my vanity, and push all of my hair over the back of the chair to give her access.

"And look, it hasn't frizzed up yet!" she observes, as she starts combing the hair at my crown.

"Seriously, you're a magician, Kairi! I think the last time I tried to straighten my hair was when I went to a dance in high school, and I just ended up frying it!" I think I cried the next time I went to the hairdresser after that incident.

"No problem! I've always wanted to see what it would look like straightened, anyway."

"And now you know why I rarely do it," I giggle. With how thick and wavy my hair naturally is, it took a good hour and a half between blow-drying and flat-ironing – and not to mention all the products we had to use! Still, I have to say, with how smooth and silky it feels, I do like it.

I hope he does, too.

Kairi starts using some bobby pins to get my hair into place, when there's a knock at the door.

"Is it cool if I come in?" calls Sora's voice from the hallway. He walks in once he gets the affirmation. "You guys have been in here forever," he groans, belly flopping onto my rug. "I'm so bored!"

"Just a few more minutes," Kairi assures him. "Then we'll have lots of fun – right, Haru?"

"Yeah!" she affirms, bouncing in her chair. Her hands are, thankfully, still laying flat on the desk.

"Thank you guys for babysitting tonight," I say appreciatively.

"No prob!" Sora cheerily answers, now rolling over onto his back. Our parents had yet another conference dinner to go to, and normally, it would have been my turn to look after Haru. Thankfully, Sora and Kairi were nice enough to volunteer to spend their night in for Riku and me.

Ding Dong. Ding Dong.

"Ah, is he here already?!" I hastily grab my phone, and what do you know? Seven on the dot!

"Hold still, I'm almost done," Kairi reassures, as she works on securing my hair into a half-ponytail with an elastic.

"I'll grab the door," Sora announces.

"Oh, I need to get Pooh Bear!" Haru says in sudden realization. "He loves Riku!" She lets herself off the chair to start making her way to her room…but not without raking her nails across my desk.

"Haru, baby, I told you to be careful!" I jump out of my seat – and Kairi's steady hands – to look over and assess the damage.

"Sorry, sorry, Amaya!" she responds, as she continues to frivolously make her way out of my bedroom. Ugh, I don't even have the time to give her a lecture! Let's see…the wood all looks unscathed, but—

"Shit!" I exclaim, when I realize what she did get nail polish on! Ah, no!

"What happened?" Kairi asks, now standing right beside me.

"Riku's present," I lament, showing her the embellished envelope that it's encased in. There's a huge pink streak right across the center where I've written his name! "I forgot I had it on there! I would've moved it if I had realized!"

"You could always put it in another envelope," she suggests.

"I would, but of course, this is the last nice one we had!"

"Well, it's not like the actual gift itself is damaged." I guess she has a point. "Besides, Riku'll probably just get a laugh out of it once you explain what happened to it. If he even cares enough to notice."

"I guess you're right," I sigh. I slide it into my clutch purse as it is before returning to Kairi's makeshift salon.

"What did you get him, anyway?" Kairi asks, finally working on pinning that pretty, silver ornate clip to the back of my head.

"It's a secret," I chuckle. He'd probably get a little embarrassed if other people found out about it, and, to be honest, I kind of want to keep this one just between us for now.

"Ooh, now I really want to know!"

"I'll tell you about it later."

"I'm gonna hold you to it! Anyway, my dear, you are all set!" I turn my head to sneak a peak, and I have to say, she really outdid herself!

"Ah, it looks great! I so owe you, Kairi!"

"You're pretty much my sister! We're supposed to do these kinds of things for each other, right?"

"And when will you and Sora get married so we can make that official?" I say while I grab my purse and make sure I have all my things. Kairi just giggles in response.

Seriously, they're the definition of 'made for each other.'

With everything all set, I make my way over to the foyer where Riku's probably waiting for me. I catch a glimpse of him at the bottom of the stairs, chatting away with Sora. Haru's down there, too.

"Pooh Bear says hi, too, Riku!" she says excitedly, standing on her tippy toes as she shows the yellow stuffed bear – the present he got her earlier this year for Children's Day – off to him.

"Oh, hey, Pooh Bear," he says good-humoredly, shaking the bear's hand. I have to say, he's really improved around her over the past year. It likely has to do with the amount of time he spends around our house now, but it's still really endearing to watch.

"Hey, what are you hiding behind your back?!" Haru asks him, trying to sneak a peek. He's definitely holding something, but the angle he's at obscures it from my view.

Well, I won't know 'til I go downstairs and find out!

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" I cut in as I start making my way down the steps.

"Oh, hey, there you are," Riku responds, shifting his gaze up towards me.

"'Bout time!" Sora cheekily remarks.

"I'm sure Kairi spends about the same amount of time getting ready for dates with you," I retort, pulling at his cheek. He just chuckles. "All you have to do is throw on a neck tie and some fancy shoes, and you guys are all set." Speaking of which… "Riku, your tie's crooked."

"Just don't choke me with it," he groans when I start adjusting it.

"Sora, why do boys wear ties?" I hear Haru ask.

"Hm…" He taps his chin, deep in thought. "Well, if you ever run into a scary monster or a bad guy, you can use it like a whip to fight them off!" he explains. That's one creative explanation, I guess.

"Oh!" she responds, enlightened. "Then, can I wear a tie, too? So I can beat up the bad guys?!"

"You can wear whatever you want to wear, Haru," Sora reassures.

At least she sounds excited about it.

"There, it's perfect!" I exclaim. The gray tie dangles seamlessly against Riku's black dress shirt, which I smooth out a couple of times as a final touch. "I have to say, you've exceeded my expectations with this get-up."

"New haircut, too?" calls Kairi's voice from the second floor. I see her standing against the rail up the stairs.

"It actually looks even better in person," I comment, now upon closer inspection. He sent me a couple of selfies yesterday after he got it done, so I had a bit of a preview.

"Definitely spikier," Kairi adds, now halfway downstairs.

"The barber was pretty heartless, but I guess it turned out okay," he shrugs, running his fingers through it. "Anyway, I know you want to keep checking me out, but we should get probably get going. Our reservation's soon."

I just roll my eyes at him as I start getting into my shoes. Thankfully, these heels are now fully broken in so I shouldn't have to worry about any pain later. "By the way," I start, using his shoulder for balance, "are you going to show me what you're hiding there behind your back before we head out, or are you planning on carrying it all the way there like that?"

"Um…" His gaze shifts over rather shyly towards Sora, who lets out an audible snort.

"Hey, Haru, you want me to teach you how to use a tie?" he says rather excitedly, squatting down next to her. "Pooh Bear can watch, too!" He gestures for her to climb onto his shoulders.

"Yeah!" she shouts, excitedly accepting his invitation. The two of them join Kairi and run…well, somewhere up on to the second floor.

"Those three," I mumble, amused. "Anyway, it's the two of us now, just like you wanted."

"Well, um, here you go." Riku pulls out a bouquet of…dark pink flowers. "It's kind of simple, I guess, but…"

"Azaleas?" I say, almost in disbelief, as he hands the bouquet over to me. The last time he bought flowers for me was a while ago, around the time we started dating. I recall teasing him about forgetting my favorite kind, even though I'd told him only a couple of days before then. But here we are almost a year later and…he really remembered this time. And he's right, it is a simple gift, but this time I can tell that he really tried to give me something meaningful.

It's hard not to smile.

"I love it," I say appreciatively, taking in their lovely scent.

"Good, I'm glad," he responds, seemingly not really knowing what to do with himself. But, he's definitely giving me that look. Saying that it doesn't make my heart flutter a little bit would be a lie.

"I'm going to go put these in some water," I tell him as I stand up on my toes to give him a thank-you kiss on his cheek.

"Heh, well, don't take too long. We need to head out."

"I'll be quick," I reassure him. My heels tap against the hard wood floor as I make a beeline for the kitchen. Luckily, there's an empty vase in the china cabinet that I'm able to use. I hastily add water and arrange the flowers in it. It can probably be brought up to my room later – it'll be a nice change in decorations. If anything, it'll just be a nice reminder of him to have around…

Hm, though, there is a drawback to these. Flowers don't last forever, do they? I know it's only been minutes, but…I already know that I'm going to look back on this as a sweet memory. It would be nice to be able to hold on to these, almost like a souvenir of sorts. It'll be a shame to lose them.

Well, I'll figure something out.

"Alright, let's get going," I say to Riku as I return to the foyer. He grabs the door and pulls it open at the sight of me, and lets me through before slipping out of the house behind me.

I barely finish locking the door when he pulls me in for a quick kiss.

"You look beautiful tonight," he whispers, breaking away.

I…

"Okay, what's up with all the cheesy romance stuff?" I can't help but giggle. We start making our way onto the sidewalk. "I mean, I can't say I don't like this side of you." But it's definitely not one that I'm used to.

"Is it really a 'cheesy' and 'romantic' thing to tell my girlfriend that I think she looks pretty? Not like I haven't said it before."

"Well, it's all in the execution." He just shrugs indifferently in response, though I do notice his ears turning a little pink.

"How did you make your hair even longer, by the way?" he asks, quickly changing subjects. I feel his hand moving up and down the small of my back, fingertips running through the ends of my tresses. "Or, whatever you did to it…I don't know, it's different."

"It took way more effort than I think you want to know," I say huskily, twirling a strand of it around my finger.

"Sounds about right. I like the way it looks, though."

"Two compliments in a row, and the night hasn't even started yet? Who are you and what've you done to the real Riku?"

"You got me. Some of the details are a bit hazy, but all I know is that someone kidnapped the real thing, somehow cloned him and his memories, sent me to this world, and here I am."

His imagination's wilder than Sora's sometimes.

"Well, if that's the case, I don't think I'll mind having to settle for this version of you," I tease.

"Ouch," he winces, though he's not able to fully mask his amusement.

As our banter continues, I can't help but notice how impeccable our island looks basked in the twilight. The sun's golden-red hues bathe the sky above us, and the palm trees sway ever so slightly in the island breeze. There's the usual Friday night hustle and bustle of people on the streets, and the seagulls' calls echo off from the shore.

It's an impeccable evening.

By the time we get to Tsutsuji, I almost don't even want to go inside – 'almost' being the key word here. My mouth waters the moment I remember how incredible everyone's been telling me the sushi is at this place!

"After you," I say, gesturing for Riku to head inside as I pull the paper shoji door to the place open for him. We check in with the hostess, who guides us to our table. Despite the clamor that comes with busy Friday nights, I can hear the sound of our shoes pattering against the bamboo floors. There's tons of people all around us, though my gaze is distracted beautiful watercolor paintings that decorate the silken canvases on the walls. The translucent lanterns that dangle from the ceiling somehow make the atmosphere all the more tranquil.

Our booth is towards the back. As Riku and I take our seats across from each other, I notice the bamboo dividers between each table.

"Like our own little world back here, huh?" Riku observes, reaching over for the menus. He passes one along to me.

"It's nice, considering how crazy busy it is in here," I agree. I flip through the pages and scan through all the options we have to choose from.

"So, what are you feeling?"

"There's so much stuff, I don't even know where to begin to look!"

"Well, we can definitely share. Apparently if we order enough, Selphie told me that they bring the sushi out on this huge wooden boat-shaped platter."

"As long as you don't eat all my food," I sigh.

"You said you weren't hungry!" he proclaims defensively, referencing the time a couple of days ago when we had gone to that ramen shop after class.

"That didn't mean I didn't want the rest for later when I offered you some," I retort. "Everyone knows that that's the best ramen on the island, and before I realized it, you scarfed the whole thing down!"

"I-"

"And that wasn't even the worst time! That was when we went out for Kairi's birthday, to that extravagant bistro not realizing how expensive it was. I only got three bites out of that fancy steak we shared, and you and Sora demolished the cheesecake before I even had a chance to touch it!"

"That was some damn good steak," he reminisces wistfully.

"Don't rub it in!"

"I ended up paying for our half, anyway."

"Yeah, 'cause that's the one time I didn't argue with you about it." I'm not going to pay for something I barely got to experience!

"Fine. I promise to not touch any of your food unless you give me your express, explicit permission," he pledges with a hand on his chest.

"Good," I reply dryly. "Because I swear, if I don't get any fatty tuna tonight…"

"Hm, yeah, we better order some extra of that."

"And I'm definitely going to keep mine on a side plate veeery far away from you."

"Probably a good measure," he agrees, thumbing through another page on his menu.

It's not long before our waiter comes to take down our orders. He's back with our beverages a few minutes later – a lemon-lime soda for Riku, and a paopu colada for me.

"What's up with you ordering such fancy drinks all the time?" he asks, eyeing the creamy smoothie in front of me.

"It's not like we go to nice restaurants that often," I reason. "Might as well make the most of it." And after taking a sip, I can definitely say that I don't regret it. It's the perfect balance of sweet and tangy! "Wait, Riku, this is really good – you wanna try it?" I slip the glass across the table towards him.

He looks hesitant. "I thought you said sharing a paopu fruit was corny."

My head inadvertently tilts to the side in contemplation. "Huh, is that what this counts as?" I ask. I mean, he's technically right; there is a paopu fruit or two in the drink, and I am offering to some of it to him. "Well, the concept of anniversary dates are corny, too, and here we are."

"It was your idea," he replies, bemused, with his eyes still on the paopu colada.

"It's fine if you don't want to try it," I respond. He's going to turn this into another dramatic commitment-phobia-but-not thing and turn it into a bigger deal than it is if I let this go on for much longer, and I'd really rather not let that ruin our evening.

Before I can reach over to retrieve it, though, he surprises me.

"You're right, it's actually pretty good," he remarks, wiping the excess smoothie off his lips with the back of his hand before sliding the glass back over to me.

Now that's character development if I've ever seen it.

"To destiny intertwined?" I jokingly make a toast.

"Well, it's like you said. This island's so small, I couldn't hide from you even if I wanted to," he retorts with a snide shrug as he raises his soda.

Our waiter returns soon, accompanied by the rumored wooden boat platter full of our sushi order. I have to say, it looks incredible! It's like a miniature ark, lined with rows of the various rolls, sashimi, and nigiri we've ordered. Some pieces are simple with the display of freshly sliced and vibrant raw fish, and others more extravagant with numerous fixings, including colorful fruits, earthy nori, effervescent tobiko, and crispy tempura. All of it harmonizes into a graceful work of art.

"It's so pretty, I don't even know if I want to eat it!" I exclaim, almost in a daze.

"Well, that makes one of us," Riku remarks, eagerly pouring his soy sauce into his dish. He grabs his chopsticks and begins to dig in, aiming straight for –

"Hold on! I told you, you are not taking all of it!" I grab the end of his chopsticks with my own, holding them in place midair and halting him from taking all of my beloved fatty tuna! He tries to escape, but I tighten my grip to lock him into position. The two of us glare daggers at each other for a split second, and sparks seem to fly while we each wait for the other person to make the next move.

Like I'm letting this asshole have it!

"I don't think I've ever seen you move so fast," he blinks in awe as I begin portioning out which pieces I want with lightning speed, hastily plucking them onto my plate.

"If there's one thing I've learned from being with you, it's that I've got to be," I reply, paying him little mind while I focus on the all-too-important 'Operation: Protect my Dinner at all Costs!'

"…You really going to be able to finish all of that?" he asks. I'm usually only able to eat about a third of the amount that he can stomach in one sitting, so I can't blame him for being surprised once he's seen that I've taken about half of our rather gargantuan order for myself.

"Don't come between me and my sushi," I deadpan, finally plopping a shrimp tempura roll into my mouth.

It's…divine.

"You're not crying, are you?"

"Oh my God, Riku, you have to try it!" I blink back the tears of ecstasy as I pick up an identical roll from the platter with my chopsticks and hold it out for him. He leans in to take it into his mouth.

"Damn, that is good." His eyes brim with wonder as he chews away.

"So glad we ended up coming here!" I exclaim.

"Seriously, good call."

Every single bite is absolutely sublime! My taste buds jump for joy every time they experience a new texture; the crispiness of the tempura, the buttery smooth sashimi, the crunchiness of the vegetables. The myriad of sauces marry the flavors into a flawless symphony on my tongue. And the fatty tuna? Never has something so savory melted in my mouth the way it did!

I feel like I'm going to burst at the seams by the time I have only a few pieces left on my plate. But it's so good, I still want to keep going…

"Color me impressed, you really were able to finish most of it." Riku slowly claps. The boat is empty, he having devoured the rest of the food that was on it.

Begrudgingly, I push my plate towards him. "You can finish it if you want. I think my stomach's going to explode if I have another bite."

"I have your express permission?" he asks, readying his chopsticks. He wastes no time when I give him the green light to wolf it all down.

"Are you folks all set?" our waiter asks once he notices our empty dishes. Upon our confirmation, he begins clearing our table. Riku's foot rubs up against the side of my ankle while we wait for him to finish.

"Thank you so much!" I say to him as he whisks our platters away.

"Of course," he responds with a quick bow. "I'll be back momentarily with your check."

"So, what do you want to do now?" Riku asks, arms crossed across his chest.

"Hm, yeah, we didn't think that far ahead, did we?" I take a glance at my phone. "It's only 8:45, so still pretty early."

"Wanna go catch a movie or something?"

"Is there even anything good in theaters right now?"

"There's that one that came out last week. Pierrot, I think?" Oh, yeah, I think I heard about it.

"The one with the guy who dresses up as a clown for some theater production, only to turn out to be a serial killer who kills all the kids on set? Absolutely not."

"It got really good reviews, though!"

"And I'd rather not spend my night wallowing in fear, anxiety, and depression while you just sit there pointing a finger and laughing at me, like you do every single time we watch a horror movie!"

"Seriously, I really wish a recorded you when we were watching Paranormal Storm," he snorts.

"Sora cuddled with Kairi the whole time on the couch, and you just pushed me away any time I came anywhere close to you!" I ended up hiding my eyes behind my hood the whole time, but I still had to hear the whole thing!

"Oh, come on, you really think Kairi was actually scared of that movie?"

"That…" makes a whole lot of sense, but is not the point here! "…Still doesn't take away from the fact that you were acting like a giant bag of dicks."

"'Bag of dicks?' That's a new one," he quips.

"You inspire me to keep it fresh," I reply coyly.

"If that's the case, I'm certainly honored. 'Bag of dicks' really spoke to me, you know?"

"Not surprising, considering it is what you are half the time." I take a bemused sip of my water.

"Oh, and how about the other half?"

"…Bearable," I grin.

Our waiter finally returns, check in hand. He hands it to Riku, who takes a look.

"What's the damage?" I ask.

"More than I budgeted for," he sighs. "You were right, this place is pricey."

"Well, I told you, if it's over 5000 we'll split it," I respond, pulling my debit card out of my clutch.

"Uh-huh." He takes it from me and slides it in with his own into the check book. Our waiter returns in a flash to retrieve it from us.

"Even split?" he asks.

"Yes, pl– "

"5000 on mine, 2000 on hers," Riku cuts in quickly. Oh, no he didn't!

"Wait, wait, wait – "

"Don't pay my girlfriend any mind and just do it the way I said to do it." Riku gives the waiter an affirming pat on the shoulder before sending the poor confused guy off. I can't help but let out a huge annoyed groan that ends up sounding like the blare of a dying whale.

"That is definitely not the cutest noise I've made you make," he jibes, with that stupid amused smirk appearing on his face. His foot still rests against mine.

He thinks he's safe?!

I lift my heel off the ground, with the intent to strike. I realize he sees this coming – he swiftly slides his foot back towards him just as I'm about to stomp on him.

"We have a rule," I retort. "I don't get why you can't ever follow it!"

"I don't get why you're so hung up over it. Why can't you just let me take care of it when I offer to?"

"Because you do it all the time! And I've told you before to let me spend my money as I see fit!" I take a deep breath in. "It makes me feel like I'm a burden when I watch you have to shoulder such a huge expense onto yourself, and it gets especially irritating when I've already allotted my own savings towards things like this so that you don't have to do that."

"Hey, I let you pay for part of it, didn't I?"

"Not the point. I've told you how I feel about it so many times – tell me why you can't just go along with it for once?" Seriously, it's something we've constantly argued about since pretty much the beginning of our relationship. He knows this already! Why does he have to keep turning it into a problem?

Riku sighs heavily. "You're right about the fact that I know how you feel about it. And I know it bothers you. But, honestly? I'd rather that than let you handling it, because otherwise it just feels like I'm not pulling my weight."

"That's stupid."

"And possibly a little irrational, I know," he admits. The waiter returns with our cards and receipts, as well as some pens for us to sign them with. He bids us a good night, and we thank him for his services before he leaves us once more.

"Anyway," Riku starts once more, his pen scratching away on his receipt, "even if it is irrational, I just can't seem to shake that feeling, even though I know it pisses you off and you'll end up starting the argument."

"Well, can't you just piss yourself off instead for once?" I ask, stowing my card back into my wallet. Riku just chuckles.

"It's who we are," he says contemplatively. "We both want to take care of each other, and we have our own ways of doing it. You already do so much for me, in so many other ways – just let me have this, alright?"

I have to admit, the way he puts it is really sweet, but… "It's not like you don't do a lot for me, too." He gets out of his seat and walks over to me, extending a hand to help me up.

"I know, I know. You tell me all the time," he responds, with a continued firm grip on my hand as we go over to the exit. The hostess slides the door open for us, bidding us a farewell before we head outside. The weather is as impeccable as it was when we got here, albeit the sun's golden rays have been replaced with the darkness of the night sky. The stars glimmer above us like little lanterns, and the full moon shines with splendor.

"So, we never decided what we were going to do, huh?" I ask, realizing we have no destination in particular.

"Hm, wanna go to the beach?" he suggests. "It's been a little while since I've been down there."

"Dinner and a long walk on the beach, huh?" I muse. "Yet another cliché, but I think I can vibe with that."

Unfortunately, by the time we get there, it doesn't look like our plan's going to be able to pan out.

"They must be setting up for the Island Festival," I realize upon seeing the paraphernalia for the event scattered all over the shore, and people hard at work organizing it all together. Various stands for food and games are being set up, and the main stage is being built on the shore. It's definitely not optimal for a peaceful stroll.

"I forgot that that was on Sunday."

"So, what do you want to do now?" I ask.

"Well, we could go over onto the old 'Play Island.'"

"The 'Play Island?'" I repeat, hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia. "It's been ages since I've been down there."

"I don't even think I remember ever seeing you over there," Riku responds, leading me over to the docks where we keep our rowing boats.

"Well, I'd usually just sit in a corner and read a book while everyone else was running around." The wooden dock creaks beneath our feet. "If I got too close to you guys, I'd get sand all over the pages!"

"Why does that not surprise me?" Riku snorts, finally stopping in front of a boat that I assume belongs to him.

"I went fishing every now and then, too!"

"Oh, yeah, Sora used to like doing that." He lowers himself into the boat before outstretching a hand to help me in. My gait feels unsteady as I attempt to seat myself across from him. The calm ocean water ripples beneath us.

Riku unties the boat before grabbing the oars at his side, one of which he uses to push us further out. He paddles a couple of times before stopping, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Everything okay?" I ask, concerned.

"Yeah. Hey, mind helping me out with this?" He stretches his arms out towards me, gesturing to the buttons on his wrists. I crane forward to undo the ones on his right hand and roll the sleeve up to his elbow, before repeating the same motions on his other side.

"How's that?"

"Much better," he says appreciatively, and resumes rowing. The familiar salty scent floods my nostrils as we rock back and forth along the gentle waves, and I can't help but admire the way the moonlight makes the black water shimmer. I'm a little surprised at how serene it makes me feel, and I'm almost tempted to dip my hand in…

"You know," I start, relishing the feeling of the cold water running through my fingers, "I used to be so scared of the ocean at night."

"Really?" he asks, though his tone tells me he doesn't sound too surprised. "Why's that?"

"Well, you can't see at all that's beneath or around you when it's this dark out. I always thought that there would be some creature lurking in the depths that would try to gobble me up if I was out here this late." I can't help but giggle when the memories start coming back to me. "Whenever we'd go out to another one of the islets, I'd always beg my parents to make sure we left before the sun set. I definitely annoyed them whenever the rest of the family wanted to stay out late."

"I'm sure you still annoy them in other ways," he quips. I shoot him an unamused glare, which makes him snicker. "So, what made you get over it?"

"Hm…Well, the common sense you develop as you get older definitely goes a long way."

I continue appreciating our calm surroundings. The water splashes every time the wooden oars meet it, and I notice the veins on Riku's forearms prominently surface on his ivory skin, his grasp tight as he continues to propel the boat.

So peaceful…

UNTIL THE BOAT STARTS VIOLENTLY SHAKING!

"RIKU!" I shriek, practically leaping on top of him! How could I have let my guard down?! I feel his arms wrap firmly around me as I bury my face into his chest.

Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look –

…Why is he laughing so hard?!

"Okay, I'll admit, it was a dick move," he coughs between howls. "But you should have seen your face!"

"You're such a douche!" I shove him, wrestling my way out of his hold. "That really, really scared me!"

"Hey, hey, easy," he warns through cackles. "You move around too much and you'll tip the boat over."

"That really should be the least of your concern," I huff, settling back into my seat. My heart's still beating a million miles a minute. I fold my knees into my chest and rest my chin atop them, glowering at him. "So much for telling you that story!"

"Well, hey, it turned out to be alright in the end, right?" he reasons. He wipes a tear from his eye as he catches his breath. "There's nothing to actually fear." He's right, but…

"It was still a dick move," I retort.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." A mischievous glint still twinkles in his eyes.

"I really don't know how I've put up with you for a whole year!"

"Well, I've been told I'm quite the charmer," he shrugs, snidely leaning over. I know exactly what he's trying to do.

"Making out is not going to get you out of this one," I deadpan, my outstretched palm stopping that insufferable pair of lips from getting anywhere near my own. He seems a little disappointed, but I don't know what he was expecting.

"Eh, you'll forgive me eventually." He slumps back into his seat.

"I'm gonna get you back," I threaten.

"Oh? Now I'm intrigued."

"You'll eat those words."

If psychological warfare's the name of the game, then I'm telling him that I'm pregnant some time next week. We'll see who's laughing then!

Riku picks up the oars once more and recommences paddling. I somehow resist the urge to throttle him for the rest of the way and we make it to the dock of the 'Play Island' unscathed. As he works on tying the boat up to one of the posts, I climb out and cross my way over to the beach.

"This sure brings back a lot of memories," he says, catching up to me.

"It looks different at nighttime, that's for sure," I observe. The usual crisp outlines of the structures and trees that make up the place are obscured by the shadows. It would definitely be eerier if it weren't for the bright moonlight.

He leaps off onto the beach and extends a hand to help me down to join him. My heels sink in to the sand almost instantaneously.

"Give me a sec." I grasp onto his arm for stability to wiggle myself out of my shoes. Once I'm barefoot, I scoop them up into my hands and we start over towards the shore.

"The waves sound the same," Riku observes wistfully.

"Don't they always?"

"I guess so." We stop just shy of the shoreline; the glistening wet sand squelches between my toes. Riku raises his arms over his head, stretching, before flopping down onto his back.

"You're going to ruin your shirt!" I can't help but gasp.

"It'll wash off," he reassures, loosening his tie before spreading his arms out like an eagle. "Not like we're going anywhere fancy after this." I sigh as I squat down next to him, placing my shoes next to me and making sure my bottom doesn't touch the ground, taking extra care not to get my dress all dirty.

We stay like this for several minutes, and I re-familiarize myself with my surroundings. The old shack, the bridge, the paopu tree…all exactly as I remembered. Nothing's changed.

And clearly, neither has Riku, who once more has his eyes fixated the stars twinkling above us. Which reminds me…

"Ta-da!" I exclaim, pulling out the envelope that I had tucked away in my clutch. "I haven't given you your anniversary present yet."

"What is it?" he asks, sitting back up.

"You'll have to open it to find out," I chide him, handing it over to him.

"…Did I do something to piss you off or something?" he snorts as he examines the front of it.

"You mean other than ten minutes ago?"

It's fine, now, though. I've got my revenge all planned out. I'll get one of those fake pregnancy tests, and maybe even a phony ultrasound to make it really convincing. And then, I'll catch him right after work on Tuesday, when he's dead tired…

"Well, my names crossed off pretty aggressively." He points to…Oh, right. I smack myself in the forehead once the memory comes back to me.

"Kairi did Haru's nail polish, and – "

"Oh, yeah, I can picture the rest," Riku responds with a laugh. "That little rascal."

"I wanted to put it into another envelope, but I didn't have a chance to go out and get another one after it happened and all."

"It's really not worth stressing over. Whatever's inside is fine, right?"

"Yeah," I sigh with relief. "Kairi said the same thing." He runs his fingers along the top of the envelope, before stopping and glancing back over to me.

"So…how long exactly are you planning on sitting that way?"

"I just bought this dress today! I'm not gonna ruin it with sand," I retort. I will admit, squatting like this is a little uncomfortable now, but rocking back and forth on my ankles to shift my weight seems to help a little bit.

"You really are a handful," he groans. And before I know it, he swoops me straight in to his lap! "Better?"

…It's just really annoying when he's right sometimes!

"Yeah, yeah. Better," I grumble, settling into my undeniably way more comfortable seat.

"Anyway, let's take a look at what's inside…" I feel his stomach press into my back, and he leans his cheek against mine as he finally opens up the envelope on top of my legs. A golden, silky sheet of paper emerges. "A 'Star Deed'…? 'This deed hereby certifies that the star scientifically designated as Highwind 2B9SA2 is officially under the possession of…' So, for my anniversary present, you got me a star?"

Okay, now that he's said it out loud, it definitely sounds a little sappy.

"Y-yeah," I respond. Hopefully he won't be able to see how flushed my cheeks are in the darkness. "You can go on the website and rename it if you want, and it'll give you exact directions on how and when to see the star through a telescope and stuff. I thought it might be kind of cool since…I mean, you might not be able to see it directly all the time, but no matter where you are, when you look up at the sky…you'll know it's there."

"That's…" he pauses, and for a second I'm a little nervous he's going to make one of his snide remarks.

So, you can't blame me for being a little surprised when he tenderly kisses me on the cheek.

"I like it a lot," he practically whispers, kissing me once more. "Thanks."

"I'm glad you like it," I reply. Before I can turn to return the kiss, though, I feel him slump back down on to the ground. He hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me on top of him, his chin now resting atop my head.

"I'll definitely have to pull out my telescope when I get home," he muses aloud. "I wonder how close to Scorpius it is…"

"Scorpius?"

"Yeah, the constellation. It's actually really easy to see, especially this time of year. See those stars?" He points to a few bright ones that are apparently connected.

"I have to admit, it's kind of hard for me to perceive it."

"It's probably easier once you've seen it in a textbook or an image. They usually outline the connection, so you get the picture better. This one in particular is supposed to look like a scorpion."

"Makes sense, based on the name." I squint up at the sky to see if there's anything I can intelligibly make out up there. "That one's Polaris, right?" I ask, pointing up to the one that seems to be shining the brightest.

"Yep. Probably the most important one to know. Once you know that one, you can pretty much navigate your way anywhere with the stars."

"Hm…and it's connected to the Big Dipper, right?" My finger points to the alignment of stars that appear to make up its shape.

"No, but close. That's the Little Dipper." He reaches for my wrist and guides my pointer finger a couple of feet to the left. "That one's the Big one. They look pretty much the same, but the angle's different. And, obviously, one's shape is bigger than the other."

"Huh, I see." How to remember that…? Oh! "B.L.P.!"

"What?" he asks, befuddled. He lets go of my wrist and drops his arm back around my waist.

"An acronym to help me remember," I explain. "'B' for Big Dipper, 'L" for the little one, and 'P' for Polaris. I keep the 'L' and the 'P' together to know that the two are connected. B.L.P."

"Pfft, nerd," he sputters.

"You're one to talk," I tease.

"Touché." His grip on my waist tightens.

We just lie in silence for the next few moments, though it's not unwelcome. I close my eyes and take in the serenity of my surroundings; the caress of the calm island breeze on my skin, the rise and fall of Riku's chest against my back, and the gentle skimming of his thumb across my ribcage.

I could just stay here forever.

"Hey, Amaya?" I hear Riku say softly, breaking me out of my reprieve.

"Hm?" I can feel him tilting his head over so that he's leaning next to my ear.

"I – "

BOOM!

"What was – ?" I jolt up, completely alarmed. That is, until I see the eruption of red sparks now decorating the sky. "Oh, fireworks." What a relief. "They must be rehearsing for the Festival."

"Of course they are," Riku mutters. He's still laying on his back, though irritation is evident in his eyes.

"So, what were you saying?"

Riku takes a deep breath before sitting up himself; his legs shift beneath me. "I was going to say – "

BOOM!

"Seriously?!" he grumbles, now frustrated-ly burying his face into my shoulder. I can't help but giggle at him.

"Third time's the charm?" I suggest.

He exhales deeply once more. This time, he tilts my chin up so that he's looking me directly in the eyes. "I – "

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Goddammit!" he cries, now hiding his face in his hands. I'm laughing so hard I think I'm going to choke!

"I…don't know…what…you're trying…to say…" I manage to croak between sputters, "but this…is…hilarious!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep laughing," I hear him groan.

"Okay, okay, I'm done," I cough.

BOOM!

And the moment I see his face, I can't help but start again!

"Is it really that funny?!" I hear him ask, exasperated as I collapse against his torso.

"H-hilarious!" I'm wiping tears from my eyes here!

Finally, a few moments of silence from the sky pass, and somehow I'm able to calm down. Man, do I feel like I just had an intense ab workout, though…

"Oh, goodness, that was too funny," I say, shifting around in his lap to face him once more. He still looks a little ticked off. "Why so grumpy?"

"Eh, it's nothing," he sighs. "Forget it."

"Hey, come on," I prod him. "It looks like it's ended. You won't get interrupted this time."

"You say that now, but the moment I open my mouth to say it…"

"Aw, come on! You can't make such a big deal out of something only to not tell me in the end!"

"Maybe later," he shrugs.

"Ugh, you're so annoying!"

"I know." That stupid cocky smirk flashes across his face. And, before I can retaliate, he preemptively silences me by leaning in with a kiss. I feel his fingers running through my hair.

"Mmph…You're lucky I love you…mm…you dork," I mumble, lips still brushing and smacking against his.

"I know." Just like he always says. "…I love you, too."

BOOM!

"Wha – ?" Did he just…?!

"Man, it feels good to finally have beaten those damned fireworks," he exhales with relief, the tension in his shoulders dissipating.

"You just said…" This. Does Not. Compute.

"You heard me," he responds, affectionately brushing my bangs away from my forehead.

And that look in his eyes…I really was right about it all along.

Before I can even gather any thoughts to press him further, his lips meet mine once more.

"Mm…"

BOOM!

It's the corniest, most straight-out-of-a-teenage-romance-novel thing ever, and yet…

It's perfect.

I always thought that waking up next to the person you love was nice, but that almost pales in comparison to waking up in the arms of the person who you know mutually feels the same way.

I'm not in any rush to move. I take it all in: the lingering scent of his cologne, the feeling of his calloused hand grazing my back, the calming rhythm of his heartbeat, and the warmth of my sheets, encasing us in a cocoon. I'd lie here for an eternity if I could.

He fidgets slightly, before his body relaxes once more.

It's a little out of the ordinary, being up before him. I can't say I blame him for still sleeping, though – we were up pretty late last night, after all.

…My room really is such a mess, though! I should have cleaned up properly after getting ready yesterday, huh?

I get up slowly, taking care to not disturb him too much as I stealthily crawl over him and out of my bed. There's a slight creaking noise once I stand up, but thankfully, it doesn't cause him to stir.

Now, there's all these clothes on the floor, make-up all over my vanity, papers strewn across my desk…

Oh, looks like my azalea bouquet is there now, too. Sora or Kairi must have brought the vase up for me some time last night. I'll have to thank them later!

The dark pink color, the soft, silky texture of their petals…they really are beautiful. And after last night, I definitely want a little keepsake to hold onto…How to keep these around, though?

The giant dictionary on my bookcase sparks an idea.

I pluck a couple of the flowers out of the vase and grab my scissors to trim down their stems and leaves, taking care to snip over the garbage can. Once that's done, I lay them flat across a couple of pages towards the back of the huge book, before swinging over the cover to press them.

Now, how to display them? Well, I have a couple of weeks to figure that out. The most important thing is, I've figured out how to make this precious present last.

I begin grabbing more books from my shelf to aid in weighing the dictionary cover down. Placing the final one on top of the pile…it's almost like flipping to the very last page of a story.

A loud yawning noise sounds from my bed, and I can't deny that I feel a little giddy inside, ecstatic for our next chapter to begin.

A/N: Lol who else wants to throw up from how fluffy that was?

But it's done, it's done, it's finally done! Whoooooooo! Okay, since this is my last A/N for this chapter, bear with me - it's gonna be a big'un.

I went a little back and forth between whose perspective I wanted the final installment to come from. Riku lead the main story, and there are a lot of parts in this epilogue where I feel like I could have clarified what was going through his mind, but ultimately I went with Amaya's POV since I already set the epilogue up through her eyes and felt that this would keep it more consistent. I did start the chap off with a little bit of Riku's POV to set the mood a little bit, though. Anyway, since I couldn't go into his thoughts, and I've gotten a lot of comments on his character development from all your lovely reviews (Thank you 3 3 3), I figured this note would be a good way to address them!

- Riku's aversion to love/commitment: It's a defining character trait in the beginning of this fic, when he doesn't want to buy any flowers that depict love in their meaning, and later on when he panics over being called Amaya's boyfriend. And, of course, when he freaks out over her telling her she loves him for the first time. It definitely comes off intentionally as immature, but I've always viewed Riku as a character who, while cocky and confident, is rather reserved when it comes to expressing his emotions. Even with Sora and Kairi, he's doesn't feel comfortable telling them everything (lol Stella), so getting into a relationship that commands an extra level of emotional intimacy is something foreign and scary to him. Of course, as you saw, he does get over it, but I thought I'd explain the progression nonetheless.

In terms of scenes from this epilogue:

- The "Paopu fruit" scene: Amaya and Riku communicate their affections in different ways. Amaya tends to be straighforward and verbal with the way she's feeling, no matter how vulnerable it is. Riku, on the other hand, tends to do it more physically and through actions. To Amaya, sharing a paopu fruit isn't a big deal - especially since she's already told him the way she feels about him. But, for Riku, even though he's poked fun at the act before, in his mind it's still very tied to expressing love. He hesitates but ends up going through with "sharing" it, because he's already come to terms with his feelings and thinks there's no other person he'd rather share it with, anyway.

-The money arguments: Amaya's expressed her feelings through her POV. For Riku, on the other hand, though, it's different. He kind of hints at it by saying he doesn't feel like he's pulling his weight. Amaya tells him it's stupid, and that she tells him how much he does for her all the time. But in Riku's head, he's thinking "And I don't tell you enough the things you do for me." He appreciates what she's done for him on an emotional level, but doesn't feel comfortable verbally expressing it, so physically doing something like paying for it is his way of doing so.

-The boat-shaking scene: Riku realizes he's being a dick by scaring her, but part of him is happy that the first thing she did was run to him. He's happy she relies on him to protect her.

And...yeah, I think that's it. All the other scenes are pretty self-explanatory IMO.

Ugh I wanna throw up at how fluffy that whole thing was though. I really hope you guys enjoyed it, and big thank you to everyone who's followed, fav'd, and left comments over the years! Big shoutout to my friends SoraxKairi7 and Painted with a Palette for your reviews on the last part!

If you somehow made it to this last chapter and found any enjoyment out of this fic, please please please leave a review! As always, I'm a feedback fiend, and hearing y'all's words of encouragement is what keeps me going.

Thank you.