itsjustagamerp | Twenty-sixth Link

Entry tags:

namine,
riku

Twenty-sixth Link

Characters: Namine, Riku
Content: Making up in the aftermath of this. Namine decides Riku's been hiding for long enough.
Location: Changes, mostly Namine's room or the Theatrical deck.
Time of Day: Afternoon, a few days after everyone's back
Warnings: Sap, angst, fluff.

Normally, Namine would never wish for memories to fade. Each link in the chain was important, and while she knew they couldn't always remain bright and easily recalled, she wasn't normally one to wish for that process to happen more quickly or slowly than it would naturally. Their most recent adventures in the mirror universe were making her rethinking her opinion at the moment.

While Riku hadn't said as much (and probably wouldn't, especially over Cambot), given that she remembered what had happened, and Sora obviously did as well, she could guess he remembered what his mirrored self had done and was upset by it. A quick glance at his conversation with Sora had confirmed that suspicion. While it was true that what had happened scared her, she wasn't scared of Riku. In many ways she'd been more worried about something happening that the real Riku would regret. Unfortunately, that had happened, and while she would have spared him the pain of remembering if she could (because that wasn't him), she couldn't.

The least she could do was try to reassure him somehow, but she wasn't sure how to approach this. Going about it the wrong way would just drive him further away; she wasn't discounting the possibility of him keeping her at a distance 'for her own good'. Words had never served her well, either...

Apparently it was time to see if a picture conversation might be a good way to start things. She could at least let him know she was worried. Deciding to keep it simple, she drew him, looking upset with a thought bubble showing a small picture of what had happened. Beside him she placed herself, one hand on his arm and looking worried.

After some thought, she found another paper. This one she covered with pictures of them together throughout the whole time they'd known each other--even when he was using Ansem's form. She hadn't been afraid of him then, she wasn't about the be now.

She slid the two drawings under his door at the usual time, about a day after they'd arrived back on the Satellite.

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Getting up from his work, Riku stretched, feeling like he suddenly knew what it felt like to be old. His back ached from hunching over for so long, and his fingers hurt from bending the wire. He was hungry. He'd eat later. He was thirsty. ...That he couldn't put off. He went over to the dresser where he'd put the food and drink he'd stashed, though he hadn't taken much food yet. Riku considered between something with caffeine or just water to rehydrate himself. He stared half-awake a moment before reaching for the Mountain Dew. It wasn't as cold as he'd like, but he'd make do. He capped it and put it back on the dresser's edge when he heard a shuffling at the door. He peered blankly as he saw two sheets of paper slip under the door.

What time was it? The usual time it was when she delivered pictures. Had that much time really passed since he got up? Then again, he hadn't slept long. He'd been cutting back his own sleep, sure, but a nightmare had gotten him to his feet a few hours faster than his alarm. Riku had taken care of basic hygiene and got back to work.

Slowly he made his way to his door, picking up the papers to look at them. So... She's not afraid of me. She's worried about me. He went to his bed and sat down, looking at the pictures with a relieved sigh. It was so tempting to just lay back now and pull the sheets over himself.

But that still didn't make what he did right. He wanted to show her he was sorry, whether it was the real him or not. The flowers... That'll be my reply. I'll deliver those tomorrow. Riku got up to gently lay the new pictures on his desk, going back to sit in the corner with all the supplies strewn about. He leaned against the wall and began to wrap the wire of a flower in a strip of green tissue paper, hot-glueing the end to hold it in place. He unplugged the hot glue gun, looking at what he'd finished and what he wanted to have done. Riku sighed, there was a lot to go.

In thought, he laid his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes a moment as he considered. ...That felt nice...

Namine herself was familiar with the small aches that came from sitting at her drawing desk for too long--one reason why she liked to vary her projects and take the occasional break. Though, yes, she occasionally got so involved in something that she lost track of time and forgot things like eating or drinking. Another reason to work on the theatrical deck; sometimes Amaterasu was there and would nudge her to let her know it was time to take a break. If not that, one of the others would find her and insist she rest or get food. Really, the only time she drew in her room was for picture conversations; those were private, even if she did put the pictures on her wall.

Of course she was more worried about him than scared of him. She knew it hadn't been the real him that threatened her, so she didn't blame him. She also knew that it was likely he was tearing himself up about the event, though, and that made her worried for him. What his mirrored self hadn't done wasn't right, no, but he hadn't had any control over that. If he had, it wouldn't have happened. He'd still take responsibility for it, though--Namine knew him well enough to know that. She just hoped he wouldn't do something silly, like think she was better off without him.

Any apology would be accepted, but she'd say he didn't have anything to apologize for.

It had looked like Riku was working on a project of his own, so she tried not to worry when there was no immediate response. When the next morning came and there was no response, though, she began to worry a little. When there was no response at the time she'd come to expect one from him, she decided that maybe it would be better to see him in person.

The relatively short distance down the hall to his room hadn't seemed this long before, but eventually she made it and knocked on his door. "Riku?"

He looked up from his work at the sound of Namine's voice. Riku blinked a moment before looking at the clock glowing on the night stand. I need more time. But there was none. He looked down at himself. Tiny scraps of paper stuck to his pants and there was dried paint on his hands, along with a few paper cuts and a superficial scratch from some wire. He tried to brush his pants off, but static made the tiny pieces stubborn. There wasn't much point.

Riku got up slowly and went to the door, his body feeling heavy. He couldn't seem to will himself to move any faster, either. He paused very briefly as he got to the door, and his shoulders rose and fell with a silent sigh before opening it.

Before her appeared a disheveled young man through the barely-opened door. While his hair was a mess, it wasn't greasy, and it appeared he'd at least been showering. However, light-colored stubble covered his face, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Strangely, he also smelled faintly of vanilla and raspberries -- not exactly a manly scent, or how he'd prefer to present himself.

Seeing Namine again sent a strange mixture of adrenaline into his system. While he was very glad to see her face, he also couldn't help but also see how she looked when his mirrored self threatened her.

"...They're not done yet." He looked to the floor and opened his door wider. His room was a disaster. Random paper trash, supplies and scraps littered the floor and furniture. It looked like most of the room was his workspace, moving from here to there whenever was most convenient and to try to get the most done at once. On the dresser were a few small bags of snack foods, though it looked like only one had been opened. There were many empty cans and plastic bottles in and around the waste basket, though. One corner of his room seemed to be where he worked most, as there was a small clear area on the floor where he would have presumably sat with most of the scattered supplies radiating out from that. Next to the clear area was a chair, on which sat his project.

In a clear vase was a bouquet of paper flowers made from cupcake wrappers, which made them resemble carnations. Each stem had been wrapped in green tissue paper with a small, handmade paper leaf wrapped into the stem. It looked like he had been trying to make some larger leaves to go along the edges. White tissue paper flared from the top of the vase, possibly an indication he hadn't decided yet whether to give her the flowers wrapped in paper or to give them to her in the vase. At the bottom of the vase was what appeared to be blue glass beads, the best substitute he could find to the glass stones he'd seen his mother put in clear vases for artificial flowers. The tops of the flowers were painted a slightly lighter shade of whatever color they were. He'd used white, yellow and light blue with her attire and hair color in mind. While crude, he looked like he'd worked hard on them.

Edited (Changing picture) 2013-03-16 15:57 (UTC)

It might not be the way Riku had wanted to present himself, but Namine wasn't about to be shocked or repulsed. She'd seen him in the aftermath of battles, smelling of Darkness and injured. Compared to that, this was nothing. At least now she wasn't likely to have to persuade him to take another Potion--just get some sleep. It looked like he needed it; she'd seen him sleep-deprived, too, and knew the signs.

Really, she was more concerned than anything, and it probably showed on her face. Even if he wasn't totally neglecting himself, he still obviously wasn't taking as much care of himself as he usually did, and that was worrying.

Her brow furrowed in confusion at his comment--was "they" something to do with a project. As she looked around the room to see what he was talking about, the concern returned to her expression (had he been eating at all?) until she saw the paper flowers. Then her eyes widened in surprise as she understood.

So that was what he'd been working on these few days. It wasn't something Namine herself had tried before. Try as she may, she didn't enjoy flowers the way some others did. Oh, she'd sketch them out in the wild and try to admire their beauty in an effort to not give bad memories any more foothold than they deserved. Something had just never clicked, though, so she remained at best neutral towards them, at worst disliking, depending on the situation. Chibi's flowers she'd managed to be enthusiastic about because they were something he'd made, but that was a rare exception.

This, though. Riku had made these, too, and obviously taken a long time with them. Like the paper he'd made with petals from flowers Chibi had made, they were obviously made to be a gift she'd like. It was hard to dislike that.

Her surprise faded into a genuine, soft smile. "They might not be finished, but they're beautiful. Thank you."

Then the concern was back and she sighed. Those must have taken an awfully long time to make, and given the other signs she's seen..."But, Riku, have you been eating and sleeping enough?"

Riku watched her expression very carefully. The surprise was likely a good sign. When it faded to a soft smile, something gnawing at him seemed to settle a little. There was a little, relieved smile and a hint of a sigh... She liked them.

He parted his lips to say something, but then came her question. As his smile faded, he blinked a moment.

Riku shrugged. "Sort of," he half-admitted. As far as getting the project done for Namine was concerned, he'd had plenty of sleep and food. As far as what his body needed... Riku may have had a low percentage of body fat, but unlike his mirror counterpart, missing a couple meals wasn't going to leave him near death.

The concern was clear, though. "I didn't mean to worry you. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me, and it got obvious pretty quick that this was going to take a while. The person I was last week..." He looked away a bit, looking pained before looking back to her. He felt he needed to know something. "How bad did I hurt you?"

Getting three square meals a day was difficult when you were in hiding, so Namine knew they could both do without if necessary. She also knew what it was like to get caught up in a project so that you didn't realize you were hungry. This wasn't either case.

It looked like her question had come a little too soon, though--she'd ended up cutting off his response to her remark about the flowers. Which was too bad; seeing him smile was a relief.

What was said was said, though, and it looked like it had helped them get to the main issue a little a little more quickly than otherwise. Really, he should know by now that she didn't need anything like that to prove how much he cared. She sighed, leaning in to hug him, if he'd let her. "You didn't. That wasn't you."

When Namine leaned in, he didn't stop her, but Riku hesitated. It was the ultimate statement that she was okay and okay with him. And that much alone did help a good deal. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, leaning his face down until his cheek and nose rested against her soft hair.

Deep within, however, that morbid curiosity and sense of responsibility still gnawed at his insides. The memories were still there, as well as the disturbingly pleasant memories that went with them. No guy should ever have enjoyable memories of threatening to do that to his girlfriend. "...Then how bad did that jerk hurt you?" he asked softly. Riku was willing to bet he had. He was there.

Allowing the hug was a good sign. Returning it was even better. It looked like this wouldn't be as difficult as Namine had feared. She felt a tension she hadn't even realized was there drain from her as she shifted to get more comfortable. In all honesty, the hug was to reassure her as much as it was him. If he'd pulled away because of what had happened...Fortunately, that wasn't the case.

It also meant that he could probably feel the slight shudder that went through her after he rephrased his question. If she said not at all, he'd know it was a lie. If she tried to brush it off....well, that would be as bad as lying in a way. So how to phrase the truth in a way that wouldn't make him more upset? "Not any more than some others have. Just some bruises, and I was scared."

The manner of hurt hadn't been the same, but she could safely say that the amount was. It was just that now, she was more aware of her potential to feel any pain that was felt by the heart.

Riku had returned the hug in large part because he didn't want to let her go. Though on some level he did wonder if he was more harm than good to her, potentially. Even then, he still couldn't quite let her go, and he felt some guilt over that selfishness. Holding her, and her wanting to be held was proof he hadn't lost her, which held a large degree of relief.

The statement about being scared didn't phase Riku in the way it normally might have. While he might've pointed out that was further proof of her having a heart normally, to Riku at the moment, Namine was just like any girl, but to him, very special. Right now, she wasn't a Nobody, but somebody to be protected, be it from fear or injury. At her shudder he gently ran his hand over her back, trying to comfort her.

Regardless, however, the answer held pain. Riku was never one to run from his problems, facing them head-on, despite what lay ahead. He responded to her by holding her a little tighter and bringing his head down further in a very protective embrace. With a swallow, Riku spoke quietly to her. "Then I'm... I'm sorry. I'm... so. So sorry."

It was very very rare to hear an apology from Riku, and it sounded like it was an alien word on his tongue, even if it was sincere. For him, actions spoke louder than words, and while he rarely said he was sorry, he would certainly act with regret, shame, and the drive to make amends. The flowers he'd lost sleep and meals to were that gesture, but with them incomplete and her willingness to forgive him even after he'd managed to worry her, it seemed like the only appropriate option.

And while he'd felt that shudder, she could also feel his body tense.

Namine wasn't one to blame him for any selfishness. She was the one who had come looking for him even knowing that, in a way, she was at the heart of the problem. Someday, though, they would have to have the conversation about how Riku couldn't protect her from every bad thing, and that was okay. Now wasn't the time, but at some point they should discuss it.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the fact that he wanted to protect her. Quite the opposite, in fact. But she also knew enough to know that most things in life came with some risk, Some more than others, yes, and she hoped her judgement was good enough that she didn't take unnecessary chances. However, the fact remained that sometimes she might get hurt. It was part of life. The best protection Riku could offer sometimes might be in softening the blow, or offering comfort in the aftermath.

Which was something like what he was doing now. Namine shifted to get more comfortable as she felt his arms tighten around her, and didn't miss it when he tensed. If she could have spared him the pain her answer brought, she would have, but she knew he'd rather know the truth. "Apology accepted, but you don't have to apologize for something you didn't do."

She knew how rare verbal apologies were from him; Riku was definitely one to communicate more through actions than words. The flowers were more than enough, though she'd accept both. Even if, as she'd said, he shouldn't feel responsible for something he hadn't done. It was the least she could do.

And someday Riku would have to discuss with her that simple presence wasn't enough to be the cause of any problem.

"I know. ...But it needed to be said. You deserved it. You're too important to me to lose." His chest swelled with a deep breath that escaped as a sigh of relief. He finally pulled away, but kept a hand on her arm.

After a moment of (somewhat awkward) silence he spoke up again. "...Should I deliver the flowers when they're done? ...Or would you like to come in?" Provided, of course, he cleared a path for the poor girl to walk.

There were so many things to talk about. They'd eventually get to them, one by one.

Some things did need to be said. For example, Namine occasionally needed reminders that she was important--she wasn't used to hearing that fact stated so openly. For a moment she went very still in surprise, then relaxed against him again. It would take a lot more than what had happened to drive her away. "You won't."

The subject change was a suprise, but welcome. "Why don't we wait until they're finished? You can let me know when they're ready."

As soon as he realizes she needs those reminders, Riku will be glad to offer them up as much as needed. Knowing that she had a heart, he simply wanted her to be happy.

His own heart, however, fluttered slightly when she leaned on him again. Her response was the most encouragement he could have possibly hoped for. As such, he finally smiled again. Rather than feeling he needed to shield her, he much more gently wrapped his arms around her, humming slightly as he ran a thumb back and forth across her shoulder blade. Riku closed his eyes, feeling like a heavy load had been lifted from his chest.

"Fair enough. ...I'll probably see you this evening then? Maybe grab a bite to eat?" He ran a thumb across his chin. Yes, and he'd need to make sure he wasn't a mess. ...And probably grab an hour's nap somewhere in there so she wouldn't worry.

If Riku ever did find out, it would probably mostly be by observation or direct questioning. Namine didn't like to be a burden, so it wasn't something she'd talk about much voluntarily.

That said, he was spoiling her with attention so much that he might never have a chance to make the connection if he kept it up. She shifted to stay close as he put his arm around her, feeling the last of a tension she hadn't realized was there draining from her. The real Riku was back, and he wasn't going to push her away. Which didn't mean that they could stay like this forever.

"That would be nice. What time were you thinking?" A nap would be a good idea for both of them; now that she'd relaxed, she was suddenly having to fight back the urge to yawn. They could both rest, and meet again later.

Though they couldn't stay like that forever, they could at least remain in each other's close company for the duration of their planning, however short that may be.

"Maybe six?" That was dinnertime anyway. It never took Riku too long to spruce himself up. Five minutes, maybe a little more if both deck bathrooms were in use. That would give him plenty of time to finish the flowers, sleep, comb his hair, shave, and change into clothes that didn't smell so sweet.

Next time he tried to scent fake flowers with extract from the cafeteria deck, he'd be sure not to spill it on himself...

That they could.

"Okay. I'll see you then." Namine herself usually didn't need much time to prepare, either. Then again, not many of them here were the type to spend a lot of time preening in the bathroom. Which was a good thing, considering how few bathrooms there were.

"You got it." With a little reluctance, Riku broke away, his hand running down the back of her arm until it caught her fingertips. He held her hand a moment, looking a lot better than he did when he first opened the door. While weary, he didn't look outright haggard. Though still unwinding, he no longer seemed haunted. Riku gave her an admiring and thankful smile before finally letting go, heading back into his room.

Slowly Riku made his way to the corner he'd been working. It was so close to completion... But now that he was finally relaxing, he found he lacked energy and it was harder to focus. He wanted it to be the best he could make it.

Riku turned around and went to his night stand. Thirty minutes. Yeah, he could will himself to get up in thirty for her. Riku set his alarm clock and stood next to his bed. Man, did it look nice. He fell face forward into the soft embrace of blankets and bedsheets, laying with his legs hanging off the bed. Slowly he felt his body melt into a solid lump as he fell asleep that way.

He would indeed get up in 30 minutes. And naturally go back to sleep for a while in a more comfortable position as soon as he was done.

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Twenty-sixth Link

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Sorry so short, it's all I could come up with!

No prob, it's winding down after all. Will tag the other one tomorrow, tag brain fading fast. >_<

Okay!

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Wrap-up once plans are finished?

Sounds good. ONTO THE MAIN FLUFF