[ He's not really sure he can phrase this delicately. Maybe he shouldn't even try. His fists unclench, but his head stays lowered, still feeling second-hand intensity from when Riku had been staring at him before. ]

I'm not saying I can't do it. I'm saying you're asking to create a bond between us that you specifically told me you didn't want anything to do with.

[ Of all the things that Sora can do, this is one aspect he can't help Riku with. For all he knew, Naminé could be capable of it as well, just because of her strong ties to the people in Sora's life. Arden knows that the only reason he can do anything like this now is because he allowed a piece of light back into his life, while working to stop rejecting how he was created out of darkness and thus shared an eternal connection to it - through Riku. ]

Depending on how much it hurts, how long you think you can last before it consumes you, I can try to think of something else.

[ That fight with Vanitas had already been awhile ago, after all. Arden knew exactly what day Vanitas fought Riku, because it had been earlier on the same day Arden fought him. ]