It was the night before her sixteenth birthday when she next saw Haku. He appeared at her window one night, waking her, and simply said, "Walk with me."

It was a crisp fall evening; Chihiro was grateful for her jacket. Haku, however, seemed undisturbed by the cold. Chihiro was still wiping the sleep out of her eyes when he said, "Would you like to see my home?"

Chihiro was aware enough to understand the significance of this offer. "Y-Yes!" she said. "I would love to – but, the veil. Can we cross?"

He shook his head. "Not now. On the Equinox, perhaps. Or the Solstice. If you would like, you could stay with me. After the festival. You will be bound for three days…"

Chihiro couldn't contain her grin. "I'd love to."

They continued walking down the road that led to the river. "I'm taking art classes," Chihiro said, timidly. She'd never done more than the standard doodles of childhood, but she loved to paint. She was embarrassed to tell people – on one hand, she had a natural talent, but on the other, there were so many more people who were so much better than her.

Haku turned to her, interested. "Have you made anything? Which medium do you prefer?"

"Watercolors or acrylics," Chihiro said, smiling. She pulled out her phone and showed him some pictures that she'd taken of some finished canvases. "I – I actually did one of you. A painting." She showed it to him.

His face lit up. "I'm honored…"

"D-don't be!" Chihiro said quickly, putting her hands up. "I know it doesn't do much justice, I didn't really have a reference and I just started…"

Haku took her hands in his. "Chihiro, it's wonderful. You're very talented." He unclasped their hands and peered at the phone screen again. The painting showed a beautiful, dark night sky, several cherry blossom trees, and a white dragon with an aqua mane flying across the sky.

"I – really? You think so?" Chihiro couldn't help it. She blushed.

"I do," he said. They'd arrived at the river and sat down. "Can you show me more?"

Chihiro only had three or so pictures of her artwork on her phone, but she showed them to him. She was nervous – she wanted him to be impressed – but she was also flattered that he was taking an interest in her life.

It's always my life, she thought to herself. He doesn't talk about his all that much…

"What about you?" she asked suddenly. "How's the other side? You collected all your riverstones…" this last statement was said with some caution – she knew that rebuilding his river was a bit of a sore spot.

A look of pride came over him. "My river is almost rebuilt. This means I will have a home, and a domain of my own."

"Like Yubaba with the bathhouse?"

He chuckled. "Sort of. But more like the river spirit, do you remember him?"

"The one who gave me the medicine that cured you!"

"Exactly. I reflect my river and my river reflects me. Which is why I've taken so long to rebuild it – I want it to be safe."

"Did he not take care of his river?" Chihiro wondered aloud, before realizing what she'd implied.

Haku shook his head. "None of the spirits anticipated the effects of humans when we laid ourselves into the earth long ago."

"Oh." Chihiro suddenly felt very stupid and very, very, young. "I'm sorry."

Haku looked at her, the pity that the spirits had for humans clear in his eyes. "Don't be, Chihiro, it's not your wrong to be sorry for." He patted her shoulder.

"I – oh." Chihiro wanted the ground to swallow her up, she was so embarrassed. Why do I always put my foot in my mouth…

Haku looked down and fished something out of his pocket, and suddenly Chihiro was very, very aware of how close they were sitting, so close that their knees touched.

"I have something for you," he said. "A gift."

Spirits didn't do birthdays, Haku had told her as much (spirits weren't really born, not in the true sense of the word – they had seasonal celebrations and festivities, but not birthdays) so Chihiro was surprised – and touched – at the gesture.

"I thought the spirit world didn't do birthdays?" Chihio asked.

"We don't. But you do." He said this simply, and took a small wooden box out of his pocket. "Here. This is yours."

Inside the box was lined with red velvet; on the red velvet sat an obsidian stone on a silver chain. Chihiro looked at it, then at him. Did he just…give me a riverstone?

He was looking at her, waiting; Chihiro could sense the nervous energy rolling off him in waves, though his face was unreadable.

"I…this is…it's beautiful," she said lamely. She didn't know if she should ask for clarification, or what she should do with it, so she settled on throwing her arms around Haku. "Thank you," she said, squeezing him tight. He tensed, at first, but then returned her hug.

When they broke apart, he took the necklace from the box. "May I?"

Chihiro nodded, and lifted her hair of the nape of her neck. Haku hooked it on, and there was a pleasant warmth to the stone where it rested on her sternum.

"It's lovely," she said, smiling.

Haku looked pleased. "I'm glad my river has taken so well to you, Chihiro. It means you will have an easier time going from your realm to mine." He hooked a finger underneath the necklace chain and adjusted it, so the stone was more centered. Chihiro cringed at the sudden touch, and Haku jumped back. "I didn't hurt you…?!"

Chihiro shook her head, grinning in amusement. "No – I'm just ticklish. I wasn't expecting that, is all. It's weird, though. When you touched me, the stone went cold."

At that, Haku frowned. "That…should not happen."

Chihiro bit her lip. "I'm sorry –"

"Don't be," he said. His tone was gentle, but Chihiro could hear the disappointment in his voice."

To reassure him, Chihiro reached out and squeezed his hands. "It doesn't bother me, Haku. See?"

His eyes were doubtful, but his smile was genuine. "Thank you, Chihiro."

He walked her home, and promised to pick her up on the Equinox.

…

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