tampered | ➥BACKDATED LOG || Ongoing || Closed.

➥BACKDATED LOG || Ongoing || Closed.

When; During the "Back to School You Fool" curse!
Rating; Uh, PG-13...?
Characters; Riku

linkingmemories
Summary; Cursed!Riku has a crush on Naminé. Awkward schoolboy moments ensue... especially since the curse ends right in the middle of it.
Log;

The beach was deserted when Riku arrived, the sound of the waves the only thing that broke the silence around him. It was a calm evening, and the setting sun offered a beautiful sight; nothing Naminé had never seen, but he hoped she would like it regardless - in fact, he hoped it'd be a good enough distraction, so he could tell her what he wanted to tell her without having her gaze fixed on him. He had brought a large blanket for her to sit on, and a basket full of fruits, just in case, as well as a small present; it was a simple pen, with ink that glowed in the dark... if she ever wanted to draw at night. Oh, he knew it wasn't the best gift in the world - and he felt a little stupid giving her that - but it had reminded him of her when he'd seen it, and he hadn't been able to leave without buying it.

He was pacing, barefoot in the warm sand, his hair dancing with the wind. Maybe an extra blanket would have been a good idea, since the weather was probably going to get colder... The thought made him frown - he wanted this to be perfect, or as perfect as it could be. It wasn't the beach of her dreams, but it was the closest thing they had, and the only place where he could really feel relaxed.

Except he was everything but relaxed. Even Roxas had noticed the way he acted around her; he was usually good at hiding his emotions, but Naminé turned his world upside down. When had it even started? He couldn't tell, but his best friend was right; it'd been too long, and he needed to do something about it.

"She's not coming," he sighed to himself, hands in his pockets as he gazed at the horizon. He tried to chase his disappointment away; perhaps it was for the best, after all, but his heart couldn't agree. "Naminé..."

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"Yes?" And lo and behold, there she stood on the small hill behind him, an inquisitive smile on her lips. "I'm here, I'm sorry I'm late."

She had a woolen shawl wrapped around her body to fend off the wind chill, cheeks pink already from the cold. Naminé lived a ways away from the beach, so she didn't visit it as often as she would like. But ever since they were younger, she'd always had an acute connection with it. The beach was the perfect place that encapsulated her dreams, filled with visions of an island completely surrounded by the seas, tropical and lush and mysterious. There weren't any islands close to the City's shore, but the beach was a small haven in and of itself that she could transport herself away to that island in her fantasies.

She looked as though she were already ready to dream the time away as she gazed out over the sea, but she remembered the reason why she was there in the first place, and headed down the hill to meet her friend and secret admirer.

"Thank you for inviting me out here, Riku. It's a wonderful way to start the school year."

Riku froze as he heard Naminé's voice behind him, cursing himself for getting caught off guard so easily. He had spoken too early; she had told him she would come, hadn't she? So why had he doubted her?

It's not her you doubted, you moron, he thought to himself, his fists clenched on each sides of his body. You're doubting yourself.

And he was. Roxas made it sound all so easy, and even though he'd been trying to convince himself that he'd finally get it done, now that she was here, with him, he was starting to have second thoughts. So much for trying to keep a nonchalant attitude; in front of others he always appeared confident - some even called him arrogant - but in front of her... Well, it was something else entirely.

Why, and how was she making him feel that way?

As soon as she thanked him, his cheeks instantly felt hotter; oh, how he wanted to punch himself - he'd never reacted so stupidly before, and he had to take a deep breath before he turned around to face her, his fingers twisted in the bottom of his shirt.

He looked ridiculous and he knew it.

"It's nothing," he protested, waving one of his hands in front of him, his eyes hidden under the silver veil of his hair. Roxas could make fun of his bangs all he wanted, he'd never been so thankful to have them. "It's not as pretty as your drawing, but that's a start."

Slowly he closed the distance between them, trying to avoid her gaze as much as possible. He pulled a little box out of his pocket to hand it to her; was it too soon to give it to her? How did you figure what time was good for when, anyway?

"This is for you," he announced, his voice low. He tried to think of an excuse for even wanting to give her something, but nothing came to mind; only curses, for he had never felt so stupid. "Hmm... maybe-- Maybe you'd like to sit before... you open it. I brought a blanket, for you."

His jaw locked, he only hoped that he sounded better in her mind than he did in his own.

While Riku was not as close to her as he was to Roxas, Naminé still felt as though she knew him well enough to understand his moods. This time, though, while she clearly saw he was nervous, she couldn't quite pinpoint why that was so. He'd sounded fine earlier that afternoon...had something happened between then and now? But why would he want to meet with her, then? She stopped herself from giving him a concerned look (not that he would notice it anyways, since he was strangely determined not to look at her...), instead offering him another smile as he walked closer to her. Maybe if she kept watching him, she would be able to figure out what was bothering him.

"For me?" The girl blinked curiously, accepting the box but letting her hand hover over the top at his suggestion. "Oh, alright. I will, then."

His words and inflection were so much more solemn than usual...she couldn't help but get more worried. Naminé walked only little ways towards his basket and blanket before turning to him, making a quick decision.

"Riku..." She was hesitant but determined, meeting his gaze with her own steady one. "You can tell me anything. Is something wrong? You seem...so jumpy tonight." Her expression softened and she reached out to touch his arm. "Are you alright?"

Of course, she had to touch him, making his heart race in his chest - he hadn't thought it could beat even faster than it already was, really, but it did, and only then did he look at her, more out of surprise than anything else.

He shouldn't have.

"I'm not jumpy," he shook his head, and winced instantly at the sound of his voice; he had literally squeaked. Well, this wasn't getting any better. Pull yourself together, he told himself, motionless for a moment, his jaw tightening at the speed of his thoughts flowing in his mind.

When he imagined Roxas laughing at him for being such a coward, he instantly felt a little surge of courage rise up inside him. Oh, that dolt wouldn't get to make fun of him, he had to make sure of that.

"Naminé," he said, his voice more even now, and slowly his hand went up to her own, the one that was on his arm, hovering slightly before it closed over hers. "There's nothing wrong. I just--" He just...? He focused on her hand for a moment, bringing it down in front of him, his fingers lazily curled around hers. Her hand felt so small in his... He'd thought it'd make it even worse for him to hold it, but somehow it gave him some sort of countenance. "I'm glad you're here," and he managed to look at her as he spoke, tenderness reflected in his eyes. "I... wouldn't want to be here with anyone else."

She couldn't help but look a little surprised when he...squeaked. In her mind, it only confirmed that something was wrong since it was so uncharacteristic, and she only became more concerned. But she waited patiently for him to speak again, watching the changes in his facial expressions and trying to decipher them.

"Riku?" His hand was warm as it held hers, so warm that it sent sent tingling heat all the way to the tips of her toes. Naminé fixed her gaze on their joined hands, a similar heat move over her cheeks as a flustered butterfly feeling started up in her stomach. The touch seemed so gentle...so uncharacteristically gentle. She couldn't understand it.

But she started getting an inkling of it-- not daring to guess at the whole truth-- when she looked up at him and caught his gaze. She felt her breath hitch a little. Her heart had never beat so fast.

"Riku, I..." The girl looked back down at their joined hands, giving them a small squeeze. "I feel like...you're hinting at something, but I'm feeling so silly and wondering if I'm over-thinking things again, because right now I...I think you're trying to tell me that you..."

She trailed off, looking at him with her doe eyes, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

"That I like you?" he didn't know why, but as soon as she suggested it, his mood switched and denial washed all over him, curving his lips into a grin and making his whole body relax all at once. He wanted to laugh at the idea, he wanted to show her that no, Riku didn't fall for girls nor did he lose his composure in front of them.

Her eyes, however, brought him back instantly; he caught himself as he was letting go of her hand and he held it even tighter then, closing his eyes momentarily. It was Naminé. He didn't have to pretend in front of her. She was giving him the opportunity he had sought, an easy way for him to just tell her, and he had almost brushed it off. If you really aren't a coward... prove it.

When he looked at her again, his grin had vanished. Something in the way she was looking at him made his heart sink, in a good way; he wanted to see that gaze every day, every hour, he wanted to be with her. He gave a bitter smile, an apology for his behavior - he shouldn't even have thought about denying what he felt.

"You're not over-thinking," he shook his head slightly, and he was starting to feel like himself again. Slowly he lifted his free arm up, the tip of his fingers brushing against her cheeks, softly, softly. He lingered there for a few moments before he took it away, his breath cut short and his chest heavy. "I've been wanting to tell you for a while and I... never knew how. I like you, Naminé. I've... liked you for as long as I can remember."

His words echoed in his mind as he locked his gaze into hers, hope and fear and love dancing in his eyes all at once. He could only wait for her to say something, anything; it was out in the open now, and surprisingly, he felt relieved.

"...yes." Even though that slightly mocking smile was so familiar, the abrupt change unsettled her. Was he making fun of her? Was she wrong, then? Her intuition wasn't completely accurate, of course, but after all of those signs...

She forced herself to ignore the feeling of her heart dropping to her stomach, her gaze faltering and casting about to concentrate on something else. Of course it was silly to think that he could possibly like her. He didn't like the many other girls in school that were perfectly date-able in their own ways. Riku was infallible, and while he had plenty of girls chasing after him, he was his own person, chasing after no one.

Why was she so disappointed, then? She should have known...

But then his green-blue eyes caught hers, and then it was her breath and voice that were caught, lodged somewhere in her throat when that unmistakable look of affection moved over his face, when his finger tips brushed against her skin.

"Riku..."

And then she was leaning into his touch, lightly and bravely laying her own hand over his to keep it over her cheek, looking up to meet his gaze with a tiny, shy smile. She understood.

"I..." She stopped herself, made herself take a deep breath. He didn't deserve stuttering. "Me too. I like you too, Riku." And then she lowered her gaze, flushing bright red. She could scarcely believe that she'd spoken those words, and with no idea how to articulate why or how or when this happened, she didn't know what to say next.

"You've...always, always been so kind to me...and I-- ever since you started talking to me..."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All his fears, all his insecurities, everything melted away all at once, and he clung to her words and he smiled a smile that came from the very depth of his soul, brightening his gaze.

He could have screamed really; that's how happy he actually was, joy exploding inside him and running throughout his body at the speed of light. The shy smile she offered was to die for, and he almost felt like giggling for a moment and he didn't even care.

"Naminé," he simply whispered, and he wanted to say so many things. How beautiful she was, how relieved and glad he was to know that his feelings were shared, how much he'd wished for this to happen... But he couldn't say anything, because the second he'd started lifting her chin up to make her look at him again, he was lost. Silence reigned around them, yet it wasn't awkward; it simply emphasized everything, how she was so close to him, the fact that they were alone, the way her eyes sparkled in the dark, watery mirrors that completely bewitched him...

He gave her hand a little squeeze, his other one cupping her cheek as he leaned in closer, and closer... And he just wrapped his arms around her then, holding her for a moment, testing reality and making sure this was really happening.

"This is real," he sighed, his nose buried in her hair, and he pulled away slightly, his cheek brushing against hers... and he lingered there, his eyes closed, his breath uneven. His lips were so close to hers, he could just turn his head slightly, and... and...

...and then he froze. His eyes opened instantly and he remained immobile, frowning in confusion. Something felt odd suddenly, as though he'd been in a daze, the effects fading slowly, slowly...

"...Naminé?" he asked, his voice hesitant, but he didn't move. He stayed right where he was, wondering what the hell was going on, perplexed and trying to sort his thoughts out; he felt as though he was waking up from a deep slumber, and he remembered feeling something quite similar not too long ago.

A curse.

The stark temperature difference between the chilly wind and Riku's heated touch sent a shiver down her body, her fingers digging into his clothes to cling to him-- half for warmth but more from happiness, but always with that small shy smile glowing with delight. Naminé could scarcely believe that this was happening. As she was pulled even closer against his body, she felt herself blush again, but unable to help from nestling into him.

"It's real," she echoed in a whisper, his breath against her neck sending another shiver down her spine. So warm, so close...so close, and yet she wanted him to move closer. He was only a few inches away, if only...if only--!

And then the world returned to normal.

In the same instant that Riku 'woke up', Naminé did as well, blinking uncertainly when she realized the situation she was in. Or rather, the position she was in in relation to her companion. Very slowly and hesitantly, she pulled away from Riku, her shoulders tensing.

"Riku. What...why are we...?"

But she could answer that herself, as the memories of the last few days-- especially the last few minutes-- surfaced in her mind. What was she supposed to say in this sort of situation? The girl simply stared wide eyed at Riku, rendered speechless again, but this time from shock and disbelief instead of swooning happiness.

The more he blinked, the less he saw; his sight decreased quickly now, until he found himself surrounded by complete darkness. He remembered. The school, the homework, all the other students... Everything was back to normal now, or as normal as it could be; unfortunately, he was still blind, but the curse was over.

Riku. What...why are we...?

His hands were still on her arms when she spoke, and hearing her voice made him pull away completely. He closed his eyes - it was useless to leave them opened - and lowered his gaze, sighing in frustration. Here we go again, he scoffed, reviewing the past few weeks in his mind.

This had happened with Sora as well, futile declarations of love, and the feelings that lingered in his heart did nothing to reassure him. Sora was more than your average best friend; he was a part of him, his other half, quite literally. The curse he'd gone through with him had only confirmed that one couldn't be without the other - perhaps it even went beyond love, something that couldn't really be described or even had a name, but he knew he wasn't sexually attracted to him, as all romantic relationships would require. No, it wasn't like that.

Naminé, on the other hand...

"Another curse," he let out, glad he wasn't able to see her. He'd never thought of her, or anyone for that matter, as a possible love interest. Fate had had other plans for him, and he hadn't really had the time to live a normal teenage life. Of course, he knew what it was, he could feel it; Kairi had been the first to trigger something inside him when he was a boy, but it never went beyond that, the knowledge that girls were girls, with the potential to pique his curiosity.

But now? Had he really been just about to kiss her? The thought made him gasp in disbelief; the curses in this City could make people do anything, and the memories of Roxas acting so friendly toward him came back to him suddenly.

"I...," he paused, trying to sort his thoughts out; there was just so much to gather and analyze, he was overwhelmed... yet he refused to stutter like the foolish student he'd been for the past three days. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely worried that he might have shocked her. "I didn't mean to- This wasn't...," So much for not wanting to stutter. "I guess it'd just be too easy to blame this on the curse, wouldn't it?"

And the thought did occur to him then, that this hadn't been a curse about love, after all...

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➥BACKDATED LOG || Ongoing || Closed.

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