Author's Note: Here's a oneshot to keep people entertained while I'm attempting to finish Bittersweet Melody ... sorry it's taking me so freaking long! Hey, but there's some good news! I beat KH2 today! Wohoo! Okay, well, enjoy the story.

. : . : . : Silent Confessions : . : . : .

Oh ... I wish it wasn't this hard ... But you never know how they're going to react.

And nobody wants to end up heartbroken.

Love is a game. You either win or you lose.

But love is unique. Love is special.

Love is extreme.

There is no compromise, no truce, no tie-breakers.

But most importantly, there are no rules.

And while you contemplate your next move, everything can change.

If you don't move, someone else might move for you.

There's tactics, strategies, as in every other game ...

But every move you make could either be a step towards the finish line ...

Or it could be a step toward certain destruction.

Maybe, just maybe, you'll get lucky, and your opponent will confess that they were cheating.

Then they'll most likely have to start back at square one.

But with Love, you never know.

Sometimes you may think you're winning, and you could be completely wrong.

But when you think you're losing, you're usually right ...

And right now, I think I'm losing ...

Sora sighed heavily as thoughts swarmed his mind, clouding his sense of reality. He was, in a way, daydreaming, sitting where he was on the edge of the dock, dangling his feet over the edge, kicking them back and forth subconsiously, propped up on his muscular arms. His azure eyes were fixed blankly on the golden Destiny Island sky, which was illuminated by the setting sun. After all of that fighting, he was finally home, finally safe.

So there shouldn't be anything to worry about, right?

Oh, but there's so much to worry about ... like her.

She was the one he fought for. She was the one he would fret over day in and day out. He knew she was safe. That was not what bothered him.

"What are you doing, Sora?"

Her voice immediately drew him out of his daze. Sora hesitantly glanced over to his left and noticed that she was seated beside him, mimicking his current position. How long has she been sitting there? That was the first question that popped into his mind. He gaped at her, unable to answer her question. What am I doing here? Sora wondered. He, himself, didn't really know. The dock had always been a place where he could find peace, the place his feet would naturally lead him to when he was worried, when he didn't know what to do, when he couldn't decide on his next move.

But thoughts of this never-ending game quickly left his mind, and all that Sora could think about was how unusually gorgeous the girl sitting next to him looked this evening, how she seemed to glow with more radiance than normal. Sure, she was always the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, and he was sure she always would be, but there was something about this night that made her look ... heavenly. Maybe it was the way Sora's heart was beating like a drum, pounding in his chest, louder tonight than ever before. Or maybe it was the way she was looking at him with those big, violet eyes, so full of wonder. It wasn't until the girl cocked her head to one side and blinked a few times that Sora realized that he was staring.

"Oh ..." He quickly averted his gaze to his feet, still kicking back and forth, grazing the crystal-clear water with ever cycle. "Nothing, Kairi," he told her. "Nothing at all."

"Honest?" Kairi asked him. She couldn't help but think there was something going on. But then again, this was Sora she was dealing with, and he would always be a lazy bum at heart. He was probably daydreaming, she thought. Yeah, that's probably it.

"Honest," Sora said, turning his head in reaction to her question. Immediately, their eyes met again, and Sora could feel his heart begin to race. Her eyes ... they made him melt. Why does she have to look at me like that? Sora thought. Why her, of all people? Kairi was one Sora's best friends. He wasn't supposed to feel so uncomfortable, not around her.

But he couldn't help the way he felt.

"Sora? Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"What?" Sora snapped out of his daze again, and instantly his cheeks became red with embarrassment. He laughed nervously and said, "Sorry ... I was staring again, wasn't I?"

Kairi nodded, and her expression softened. Something was definitely bothering Sora. Something just wasn't right.

The stakes have changed ...

"What's on your mind, Sora?" she asked him. "C'mon, you can tell me. What is it?"

Who's turn is it again? Oh right, mine ... What am I going to do?

Sora gulped and opened his mouth, expecting words to come out, but no sound penetrated his lips. Nothing. The two of them remained submersed in this silence. Everything seemed so unstable, as if it could fall apart at any moment. Sora knew that with every passing second, his precious time was wasted. He had to make a move, and he had to make it soon.

"You're beautiful ..."

The words just slipped out. They weren't blurted out, but they were said with such intensity, such meaning that it scared both Kairi and Sora to hear it. Strangely enough, Kairi's heart skipped a beat. He just said it, for no reason at all, and they were the two sweetest words she had ever heard. On the other hand, Sora's heart raced doubletime, and he quickly re-focused his attention to his hands, which were now fidgeting nervously.

Bad move, Sora, bad move ...

And he hadn't even meant to say it.

"Is that it, Sora?" Kairi asked after a moment more of silence. "Is that what's been bothering you?"

Sora didn't want to say anything, afraid that something else like that might slip out. Instead, he just shook his head, not once shifting his concentration away from his hands.

"Then why did you say it?" Kairi inquired.

Damn, that's not a yes-or-no question, Sora thought. Well, I better answer her ... He only hoped nothing else quite as revealing as his last remark escaped his mouth.

"Because it's true."

Well, that's not much better, Sora, he thought, scolding himself for acting like a lovesick idiot. This was Kairi he was talking to! What's my problem?

I guess I just don't know how to play the game.

Kairi was astounded. Now, Kairi wasn't one of those high-maintenence girls who was extremely concerned about her appearance, but she did think she was fairly good looking. Yet no one had ever complimented her on her looks, and never had she dreamed that anyone would ever tell her that she was ...well ... beautiful. But of all people, she certainly hadn't expected it to come from Sora.

She had to get to the bottom of what was bothering him

"Sora, look at me," she said.

Sora didn't move.

"Look at me," she repeated, raising her voice to sound a little more demanding.

Finally, Sora sighed, and his gaze met hers once again. Their eyes were both filled with worry and concern for one another. For a moment they just sat there, gazing into each others' eyes, Kairi trying to read Sora's thoughts and Sora trying not to let Kairi see what he was really feeling.

But it was Kairi's turn to make a move.

Kairi reached out and gently placed one hand on Sora's cheek, stroking his face. Sora jumped a little and inhaled a sharp breath, surprised by her action, but he quickly relaxed as her soft touch calmed him. It was strange the way such simple acts of Kairi's made Sora feel this way. But that was why he had fallen ...

"Tell me, Sora, please," Kairi said, and she knew she need say no more. She was bothering him enough as it was.

As Kairi withdrew her hand from Sora's face, he closed his eyes, missing her touch already. How he wished they could have just stayed that way forever, without a need for words, but he knew that that time had passed.

Kairi's taken her turn.

Sora mirrored her actions, placing his own hand on her face, carressing her soft, warm cheeks, watching in amazement as she reacted the same way he had. He took a deep breath and released it in a sigh. It was his turn, and he knew what he had to do.

Without hesitation, Sora leaned forward and pressed his lips gently again's Kairi's, fully expecting her to pull away. But she didn't. Instead, she allowed him to kiss her, allowed him to deepen the kiss, allowed it to become more passionate.

And strangely enough, she kissed him back.

For that moment, the world seemed to disappear around the two of them. All that existed was the feeling of their lips connected in a fiery, romantic kiss. Sure, Kairi was dazed by Sora's spontaneous action, and sure, Sora's heart was beating frantically, out of control, so fast that he was sure he would drop dead any second, but it filled them both with a strange warmth. This kiss filled them with an unreal sensation, one of bliss, one of relief, as if this was something they both needed and had been longing to feel for so long. There wasn't a need for words. Through the kiss, Sora was silently confessing his love to Kairi.

Slowly, after what seemed an eternity, they parted, and Sora placed his hand back down by his side. He didn't want to open his eyes, though, for the moment was still lingering fresh in his mind. Hesitantly, though, his eyelids parted, and he found Kairi staring right back at him. Tears were brimming in her eyes, and the sight made Sora's heart drop. Where had he gone wrong?

I guess that wasn't my move to make ...

Relieved that he had finally spilled to Kairi how he felt, but devastated by her reaction, Sora sighed. "Forgive me," he said, and he stood. Then, heartbroken, almost at the point of tears himself, he began to walk away.

Kairi just sat there, stunned, the taste of Sora's lips still fresh upon hers. The memory of the kiss made her shiver ... and yet ... she had felt something. Her body had been engulfed in warmth ... and her heart ... was that love she was feeling? Love toward Sora? Now I understand, she thought, her heart still beating fast as she thought of Sora in this strange new way.

This is all a game ... the game of Love.

She turned her head and watched him walk away, his slow steps echoing on the wooden planks of the dock, his head hung in depression. How could I not have seen how he felt about me? Kairi thought, disgusted at herself for what she had done to him. How could I not have known? She felt so stupid, so foolish, but now that she didn't want him to go, she couldn't stop him from leaving. All the while she watched him move further and further away from him, as time, too, moved ever so slowly, her heart was screaming, "Please, don't go! Don't go, Sora!" But he couldn't here her. He was still walking away. "Sora!" her heart cried out. "Don't leave me here! I don't want to let this feeling go!" The tears that had been welling up in her eyes spilled over the brims. She wanted to bar his path and force him to face her again, but she couldn't make herself move ...

And then she remembered ...

My turn.

"Sora! Wait!"

The boy lifted his head. Had he imagined her voice? Or was that really her? Slowly, he turned around ...

And there was Kairi, standing right in front of him, her face streaked with tears, breathing heavily. But despite all of this, she had a smile on her face, the most beautiful, radiant smile that he had ever seen. Sora couldn't believe his eyes. Surely they were lying to him. Was it possible? Could she possibly feel the same way as he did?

Without another word, Kairi ran to Sora and threw her arms around his neck, capturing his lips again. At first, Sora couldn't believe this was happening to him, but as that same warm feeling returned, he knew it was real, and, feeling how perfectly her body felt in place against his, he wrapped his own arms lovingly around Kairi, kissing her back. They shared an even more passionate kiss than before, and this time, it was Kairi's turn to do the confessing.

Love ...

Sora realized that the only reason he had to be forgiven was waiting so long to make a move.

Finally, they parted again, and on each of their faces was a wide grin as they beamed at each other. They were enjoying the moment silently, without words, until Kairi spoke.

"I give up," she said, gazing deep into Sora's eyes. "You win."