Karin: Hey everyone! Did ya miss me?

Roxas, Sora, Riku, Axel, Demyx: No

Karin: I didn't ask you. I asked the readers.

Riku: Whatever you say.

Karin: Ahem, anyway, here's the next installment for Love at First Write! I'm sure you all are very excited to see what happens next, no?

Sora: It was very climatic after all.

Karin: (nods) Yeah. (coughs) Moving on, I would like to make a special dedication for this chapter. She's been very patient with me even though she was very excited for this chapter to come—she knew about the Sormine chapter for a long time now and she's been rather excited to see it—and such a great supporter that I needed to give her a special thanks. Thank you so much Sapphira-hime for not rushing me at all for this long-awaited chapter. She's a great writer folks so if you like Sora/Namine, check out her story Scarlet Temperament. I promise you won't be disappointed. I think it's even better than this story (laughs)

So Sapphire-hime, this chapter is dedicated to you.

Sora, Riku, Demyx, Axel, Roxas: We hope you enjoy the chapter everyone.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Nuff said.

Replies to Reviews from Chapter 17:

Angel Aliera- I do plan to do a sequel after this one since there are many things that weren't covered in this one so far. I'll think about the poll because I can't reveal too much to you. Gah! I'm sorry for leaving you with so many questions!

sAppHiRa-hiMe- I'm so happy I could make your day turn around simply by updating. It makes me feel good to know that this story is well-liked. I'm glad that you liked the separate POVs. Yes, Axel and Demyx are so lucky to spend time with Nami-chan, no? (laughs) Hmm, you'll find out what happened between their parents soon. Can't tell you though—spoilers! I'm sorry I made you sad though because of Sora, but he'll get out of his stump! What kind of author would I be if I kept Sora all angsty? I'm not that cruel… or am I? Anyway, the Namiku chapter is after this one—this is all Sormine for this chappie!

Mooncry- I'm sure you just became Namine's favorite person with what you said in your review. (Roxas, Sora, Demyx, Riku, Axel: Darnit…) XD (Namine: Yay for orange soda! It's about time someone agreed with me about Squally. That insensitive prick.)

Midnight Raining Down- Awww, thank you so much for the praises. I'm glad to see you like this story so much. I'm touched that this story is able to move you so well—don't worry; I get WAY into things too. Sometimes I cry when it's really sad and I jump up and down when it's really happy—as for some things you said in your review about the upcoming events… you'll just have to keep reading to find out, no? (laughs) Sora is very happy to see he has a fan (Sora: Thank you so much, Midnight-san). Yes, Orange Soda is so awesome! Maybe Namine should start a fan club for it or something—that would be very hilarious. And you do not sound like a dork—I really appreciated your words. And I didn't mind the lengthy review—they're fun to read—but as long as people review at all, that makes me very happy even if it only says "awesome" or "I love it"—it's the thought that counts. I look forward to reading more of your reviews.

GummehBears- Well, your favor has been accomplished. I hope you liked the new update for Family Complex like you liked the chapter for this story.

xXKingdomxXHeartsxXGirl- Another Sora fan I see—he's been getting those a lot lately it's making the others jealous. (laughs) Namine's a lot like you? Coolness! I had those experiences too with other stories. It always makes me go "Sweet!". By the way, Namine is very happy to find that there are orange soda fans out there—she might make a fan club for orange soda. (laughs)

Craxuan- Hearing praise coming from such a critical reader makes me feel very honored. I know what you mean when it's hard to find such good stories these days. I really appreciated you taking time out of your schedule to review my story—I took your advice on the rating thing as well. You do have a point with the assumption of an M rated fanfic—You really think it's educational and inspiring? (blushes) thank you so much. It's good to know that because this is the story I put the most effort in. Also, your advice on watching my steps carefully is well considered and esteemed. I realize that since this is such a complicated story, I have to watch myself and plan. There will, however, be certain things not covered in this story, but in the sequel—Chapter 13 is a prime example of that. I'm happy to see you like this story so much and that I hope you will continue reading. Again, thank you so much for the review. A question though: who's the guy you want to vote for? Just curious.

Aswaxsora- Yay! Cookie! (eats the cookie and hugs Aswa-chan back) Thank you so much. Axel and Demyx were happy to read your compliments. Namine was ecstatic to see you are a fellow orange soda fan.

Lebrezie- Four votes per chapter Lebre-chan. Like if you vote for this chapter, you get four votes again to vote with the next chapter. It renews itself every chapter. The Namiku chapter will be after this one, but I'm excited to write it. You read for fluff you say? Fluff is cool. It makes me go "Awww". Hmm, your sister wants to go cry in a ditch… that is odd. I hope she feels better though. Yes, let's hope that Namine will bring Sora out of his funk! And hopefully with non-violent methods. (sweat drops) …You know, I actually can picture Demyx doing something like that. (laughs)

Metallicababy55- Thank you. Glad to see you like the story.

.Nana Potato.- You really think I have talent? Thank you very much for the praise on my writing style. I'm happy to see you like it so much. Well, even if you didn't carry it out, I was excited to see that you wanted to write something Nami-centric. I really wish there were more Nami-centric fics out there. I can never find any. Anyway—NANA-CHAN! (glomps back) I love you! Thank you for thinking I'm awesome! You're awesome too! Glad you and your brother both laughed at the laser scene. I got my friend to read it too and she was cracking up—that is what got her to read the story in the first place. She likes reading my fanfictions. Can't wait to hear from you again.

Redxandkemicalx- Thanks. Happy to see you are enjoying yourself so far.

Butterflylavender- the fact that you reviewed is great enough—thank you. Glad you LOL'd with the Harry Potter movie joke. Hope you like the rest of the story and thanks for reviewing for both the 16th chapter and the 18th. It would be nice to hear from you again in future chapters.

Animelover09- One whole day? Wow, talk about a dedicated reader. Thanks. I will be sure to consult you on evil ideas if I run out. (joins in evil laughter)

Nequam-tenshi- Of course, how could I be so silly? A cute Namine is a good Namine. lol XD It's somewhat based off of Ouran, yes.

Chibixbabe- Two days non-stop? I hope your eyes don't hurt from all that reading, or your brain. But I'm very happy that you like my story so much. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Recap:

As Sora watched his best friend's shadow go away along with the sound of his footsteps, he sat in the darkness of his room feeling relief that Riku wasn't going to push him into talking. It wasn't like he couldn't approach Riku about the matter, but…

But Sora just didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything to say.

Sitting against the wall with his knees tucked under his chin, Sora buried his face in his arms and bit his lip to the point of it almost bleeding.

He didn't know what to think anymore.

End of Recap:

When I was a kid, I would have this strange dream where I packed my things in only a small backpack and snuck out of the house at night. No one woke up as I walked away from the giant mansion that was more of a house than a home. Not my parents. Not the staff. No one noticed as a tiny child walked into the night.

I'd go to the local train station. I had my ticket all and ready. All I had to do was sit on the bench and wait for it to come. Sitting and Waiting. It felt like an eternity on that bench. Like I was frozen in time as I watched all the other people walk by towards their trains. I was no one special in their minds. Not one of them noticed me.

Trains would come and go, but none of them were mine. Slowly all the people at the train station got onto their trains and left, leaving me alone on that wooden bench. Sitting and Waiting.

It would be a long time before I heard the sound of a train coming. My train. The sound always made me perk up as I saw it draw nearer until it came to a stop right in front of me.

The door opened leading inside parallel to where I sat and I could hear someone calling out beckoning me to come on. Their hand was outstretched and I could feel rather than see their warm smile as the white light from the train blinded me from seeing them.

And as I reached my hand out to take the stranger's, so close that I can feel the heat coming off of their fingertips, I'd wake up.

And the dream was gone…

Namine Narumi—The Savior

-

-

-

Sora walked down the stairs into the kitchen finding it surprisingly quiet for it being 10AM. What with his housemates, you would be confused too if it was quiet when usually it was so lively.

But then again, even the house seemed dead. Like there was something still in the atmosphere. Sora never liked this feeling. It reminded him too much of his home life before moving in with the others. He was sure they all hated the same atmosphere.

Grabbing a mug, he started to make himself some coffee. Namine had gotten fed up with them being completely helpless and dependable on her cooking so she tried to teach them some things. However, they only went as far as coffee since none of them were willing to learn because then Namine would stop cooking for them.

Once his coffee was prepared, Sora lifted the mug to his lips while tired sapphire eyes searched the kitchen. His eyes caught a note on the island and he placed his mug down on the counter to retrieve it. Picking it up, his eyes swept over the contents with a concentrated gaze.

Sora,

We all had some business to attend to with our companies and maybe Roxas will try to dissuade his father into coming as well as convincing him to dissuade the others' parents as well. I'll be the latest coming home since I had plans meeting with my mother—I'll send her your regards.

Axel and Demyx will also be late—apparently something about buying booby traps to set up at the entrance at our "reunion dinner"…

Sora couldn't help but notice that the scrawl right there was strained, as if it was sickening to even write the words out.

By the way, Namine won't be coming either—told her not to come since none of us would be here and I don't think she'd appreciate the atmosphere of the house at the moment—

So Riku noticed it too. Well, he supposed he shouldn't be shocked.

So it's just you for the day. Order something or fix up some of those instant ramen noodles Namine seems to be so fond of—after all, she did manage to teach us how to boil water without blowing the house up—and just relax. I'll try to be home as soon as I can. My cell's on for emergencies… but no calling just because you felt like it… lord knows how obnoxious Demyx has taught you to be when you want to annoy someone for your own amusement, you sadist.

Sora rolled his eyes at that. He was not a sadist… most of the time… maybe it's just with Riku he's a sadist or something…

Stop your eye-rolling and I'll see you tonight.

-Riku

PS- I called into your company and informed them already that you won't be coming in.

Placing down the note back on the island, the male took another sip out of his mug. So he had the day off… there's nothing really that occurred to Sora that he desperately wanted to do. He could've gone back to bed but seeing as he drunk some coffee, he knew that was impossible. Read one of his occult novels? He didn't have the focus for that at the moment and he would probably get a headache for straining his eyes too much in his current state. Watch a movie? Nah.

Sora should've known that going through any of these suggestions would be fruitless to carry out anyhow. What with the house being like this—this graveyard of decay, he couldn't see himself trying to suppress his already negative overflow of emotions here.

The atmosphere was suffocating. It felt like everything was coming to crash down on him again. The memories from yesterday and the past twenty-two years of his life flashed through his brain like some cheap movieplex.

Get out! Need to get out of here! his mind and body screamed. A feeling of melancholy washed over him when a picture of a five-year-old spiky brown haired boy screamed this phrase in the own recesses of the black abyss known as his mind.

Placing the mug in the sink hastily—not even bothering to clean or dump it completely—the brown haired male raced to the coat closet grabbing a light brown jacket before barely putting on his sneakers to burst out the door, thoughts inconsistent and feelings overwhelming him.

But even running out of the house wouldn't allow him to escape the road of memories that haunted the deep recesses of his mind.

And it began with the day his illusion was shattered and reality settled in…

Flashback (Seventeen years ago)

Five-year-old Sora Niwaharu jumped out of the car faster than one could say "Stop!". He was very happy to be rid of school for the day. It was so boring! And you stayed inside most of the day while it was sunny out to do work! Plus the grownups were mean when he slacked off. That was no fun in Sora's book. Why would his parents make him go to some place like that anyway?

His nanny called for him, but the young boy ignored her. He was in a hurry to show his parents his drawing he did in school. Sure they didn't really look at those sorts of things, but Sora was sure they would admire what he drew. It took him a long time to make it; however, it was worth it to see his parents smiling faces and congrats on a job well done. They were always so busy—he was positive this would cheer them up.

Slamming the front doors open, the blue-eyed child commenced his search for his parents. The house was vast, but he was sure they were somewhere. After all, they lived here too; it's not like he's the only one in the mansion even though most of the time it feels that way.

It wasn't long before he found his parents, but Sora slowed down to quiet steps when he heard their voices on the other side of the closed doors. They weren't talking—they were shouting.

"Still thinking about that whore I see! When are you going to get it through your thick skull that she's not your wife?!"

"As if you act like a wife! You're more interested in material things than being a wife!"

At these words, Sora furrowed his brow as he stood behind the door. What were his mother and father talking about? He never heard them mention any of this information. Parents are supposed to love each other—from the sounds of it, his parents are screaming the exact opposite.

"How dare you! I gave you a son you ungrateful bastard! I gave you a godforsaken son and this is how you repay me—by thinking about some bitch who's never coming back?!"

"You make it sound like you gave me god's greatest gift! I could've gotten a kid from anyone! What makes you so special?!"

The boy's heart froze like ice in his chest. What was his father saying?! Did that mean… that he didn't want Sora…? That Sora was merely an obligation than someone to cherish?

SLAP!!

Sora clutched the drawing to his chest with shaking hands. His blue eyes were wide and fearful. His heart pounded against his rib cage in a deafening sound. Once he heard the noise of skin connecting to cheek, he forgot all about his fear and pushed the doors open.

"Stop fighting!" he cried to his parents. His eyes were pleading and scared—he couldn't take anymore of their shouts. "Why are you fighting?" he asked.

Both elder Niwaharus turned to the direction of their son. His father with a red, stinging cheek and his mother with vengeful, angry eyes. Now that anger appeared to be directed at him. Mrs. Niwaharu glared at her child as if everything was his fault and that he was to blame for her predicament.

"Why aren't you with the nanny?" she demanded sharply to the boy. "You disobedient boy! You'd think that you would gain some common sense to listen to your elders!"

"I-I-I w-was—"Sora began stammering as the woman before him screamed at him. All of this was devastating the child. It felt like a nightmare. A terrifying nightmare…

"I'm so sorry, Mistress! I tried to stop him." The nanny said making her appearance. Mrs. Niwaharu's brown eyes shifted to the young woman.

"And you! Letting him run amuck! I should fire you, you twit!" Sora's mother snarled at the nanny making the poor woman cringe.

…Or rather a dream that was being crushed and he was forced to wake up to face reality…

The boy ran up to his mother despite her outrage and scorn. Clutching her skirt with shaking hands, Sora looked up at her with his teary, ocean blue eyes.

Eyes that belonged to his father…

Mrs. Niwaharu bit her lip and shoved the boy away in disgust. Sora landed on the floor hard with a painful yelp uttering from his lips. Meanwhile, Mr. Niwaharu picked up the fallen drawing that Sora dropped when he went to his mother in his fit of desperation.

Adult blue eyes examined the drawing before turning his eyes to his son.

"That's enough, Sora." Mr. Niwaharu told him sternly and coldly. "You should be concentrating on your studies. This behavior will not be tolerated in the future, is that clear?" he told the five-year-old. Taking the drawing in his hands, he ripped the picture in two, letting it fall down to the floor as if it was a measly piece of trash.

Sora watched as the pieces fell to the floor as if in slow motion. The once happy faces of his parents and himself were now face down on the floor. It was shredded—just like his ignorant heart.

"Once you take him to his room, come back here and clean this up." Mr. Niwaharu told the nanny who nodded hastily and picked up a silent Sora who was in a stupor.

That was the beginning where the bitter ice began to incase his heart…

End of Flashback (Present Time)

Walking along the sidewalk, twenty-two-year-old Sora Niwaharu solemnly gazed at his surroundings, but didn't really see them. His mind was on other things.

Things didn't get better from there, he recalled bitterly. Although his parents acted like nothing happened, not a thing could change that it did happen. His mother was her usual pushy self, and his father was stoic as always.

But that one encounter had made Sora realize his parents' lack of actual parenting. That normal parents didn't treat their child as if he was simply someone they lived with. Like he was a stranger or a puppet for them to control and mold into what they wanted him to be.

After that incident, he saw how much his mother was absorbed with being in the limelight and coolly telling others—along with subtlety bragging—of her wealth and status in society. He found later in his childhood that she was slightly vain; more concerned about appearances than her husband and child.

His father on the other hand barely even looked at him—much less spoke a word to him. The brunette remembered all the times where his father would leave on a business trip and Sora wouldn't even notice when he left or when he returned.

Definitely not normal parenting. He was sure it wasn't parenting to begin with.

It did not take long for him to realize that he, Sora, was growing up without the love of not just one parent, but both of them. He was just for show in a sense. A trophy. His parents showed him off but never went beyond that. Never asked him what he wanted to do in his life; what dreams he had; how was school; if he had any friends. Never comforted him when he was hurt or upset. Never tried to make him feel better.

Never. He couldn't recollect a time when either of his parents had held him at all; or even gave him a real smile. His mother's sickly sweet smiles to her associates were the only smiles he's seen. Hell, his father never smiled to begin with.

Now it's not all bad, a voice in Sora's head reprimanded him, you met Riku when you were six and he was someone who you could go to.

But it wasn't the same. Sora protested. While Riku was his friend, they never really talked about their home life issues. Of course they both knew they had them, but they just didn't see the point in sharing them. What could two kids do after all? They couldn't change what was happening in their lives. Even when the others joined their group, they never went into grand depth of their childhoods. There were some things shared, but they didn't pour their hearts out (What do you expect? They're men. Stereotypically they did not share that much info).

In truth, a friend's comfort would not compare to that of a parent's. Riku and Sora, when they were children, hung out and became friends to escape the harsh reality the world has settled on them. It was a mutual agreement that started their friendship—though over time they did become actual friends.

Riku would probably roll his eyes if I brought up our little pact when we were kids. Sora thought with a tiny smile. Nevertheless, his previous thoughts and memories began to creep up on him.

Flashback (Sixteen years ago)

"Ah, Young Master—a job well done if I do say so myself." A man in his early thirties told a boy of six years. Cobalt eyes looked up from his finished math sheet to look at the man in a bored manner.

"Of course—they're incredibly easy. Are you sure this is advanced work? People must be really dumb then." the spiky haired brunette stated bluntly making the man sweat drop.

"Well, you are very smart… although I did think this would provide you a challenge, it seems you outsmarted me again, Young Master." The tutor told the child smiling while in the back of his mind he sneered at the snarky brat.

"And another thing, my name's Sora. Not 'Young Master'. Get it right already." Sora reminded the man while flipping through the math textbook in search of something more challenging. Once he found a page he deemed worthy, the six-year-old began working diligently.

The tutor couldn't help but have his eye twitch while looking down at his student. Due to the boy's prodigious intelligence, he was pulled out of school to undergo home schooling to nurture his high intelligence properly. His parents, the Niwaharus, viewed the boy's attendance to school was a waste of time.

"Why squander his brain when he could be doing problems that are up to par with his mind level?" Mrs. Niwaharu's words drifted into the tutor's brain. He pictured her look of superiority at the same time as looking upon his person. Her brown eyes were like a frozen tundra.

"Well you are the heir to the Niwaharu cooperation." the tutor told the boy while internally banging his head on a wall. "Being such an important figure in society, people should refer to you as such."

Sora's pencil suddenly stopped moving on the paper as his bangs shadowed his eyes. The tutor didn't seem to notice his reaction for he resumed his explanation.

"Your parents must have someone who is well known in the social circle. Just 'Sora' is not enough to make a name for yourself in this world. In the future, the world will know you as 'Sora Niwaharu'—never just 'Sora'. Might as well start that preparation now, right?"

The pencil was tightened before it snapped completely in the child's hand. The unexpected and sudden sound gained the tutor's attention. Turning towards the brunette, the man saw the remnants of what was once a Number Two Pencil.

"Wha—"

"Shut up." Sora's voice cut him off. The boy's head turned towards the older male with cold, artic ocean blue eyes. Those menacing eyes did not belong on a child, the older male thought as he shuddered internally. "Instead of trying to suck up to me, you should put better use for yourself and leave." he growled at the tutor.

"Now see here—"the man started to say. Nonetheless, the youthful prodigy wasn't finished.

"What? Is your brain so small that you can't understand that I don't want you here?" Sora growled at the older man. That seemed to have broken the irritation from the dam and the older man grabbed Sora's shirt collar roughly, lifting him a bit.

"Listen here you brat—" Sadly the tutor wouldn't get to express how much he disliked the boy for the door to the room they were occupying opened and a maid gazed upon them with a flabbergasted expression on her features.

"What in the world is going on here?!" she exclaimed in alarm. The tutor switched his gaze between the maid and where he and the brunette were realizing that to any sane person, this would be taken the wrong way.

"I beg your pardon, madam, but this boy needs to learn some manners!" the tutor growled still not releasing his charge. Sora stayed silent until the tutor said that. His eyes became dewy and he looked at the maid pleadingly.

"All I did was make a mistake on a problem I was doing; so, he called me stupid—I yelled back at him." Sora explained with a sniffle. All traces of the once snarky boy were now gone with a scared six-year-old in place. The tutor's mouth dropped in absolute shock. The brunette then turned to the maid with watery blue eyes, "Am I going to be punished? He said I was because I yelled at him for calling me stupid."

Seeing the distressed child, the maid's maternal instincts went off and she stomped over to the tutor and kicked his shin. The tutor yelped, letting go of Sora, and held his shin while hopping on one foot.

"How dare you treat a child that way! Why I have never seen such injustice!" the maid yelled at the man. He yelped in agony when the maid pinched his ear and began to drag him out of the room. "When the Master and Mistress hear about this—mark my words, they will—you'll never work in this town again!"

"But—But h-he—wait—"the tutor spluttered out nonsense in an effort to get his point across despite his disoriented mind. The maid's back was turned and the man looked behind him at the young Niwaharu. His spluttering became more incoherent when he beheld the sight of the young boy.

Gone was the tears and the dewy eyes and what was in place was a boy with an evil smirk on his face waving goodbye—and good riddance—to his former tutor.

That manipulative demon!

End of Flashback (Present Day)

A cool breeze whizzed by, but the brunette didn't pay it any mind. Hands in his jacket pockets, blue eyes observed his surroundings blankly. His stomach then gave off a growl bringing him out of his reverie. With a sigh, Sora then proceeded to locate some kind of eating establishment.

Meanwhile, his mind drifted back to that incident with his tutor. When he looks back on it now, Sora supposed that he was kind of harsh—massively is more like it—but then again, the tutor didn't really like him all that much either.

He wondered—a complete and spontaneous thought, mind you—what his former tutor was doing right now. What had happened to him after Sora saw him being dragged out of that room when he was six? Did he really need that job to get money to make his living? Did he perhaps have a family to feed? It's funny how Sora never gave these possibilities much thought until now. To him, that man was an annoying moron in his childhood. He could be replaced no problem. Why would he want someone around who he didn't like?

But now as an adult and beginning to see the world isn't all it's cracked up to be, Sora couldn't help but ponder. He couldn't help but think of the "what ifs". Like what if he had at least tried to connect with his old tutor? Or what if he had told the truth instead of lying about what had happened pre-arrival of the maid? The male was sure the results wouldn't have been as satisfying to his six-year-old mindset, but he wasn't six anymore—he was an adult, and he was wiser than he once was.

Being an adult wasn't what had made you wiser though, his brain whispered, being older isn't what made you realize that you are selfish and that there were others much worse off than you. She was the one to make you see that you were privileged unlike the tons of people in this world—people like her.

Namine made him care. Namine made him see outside his bubble into the real world—both the goods and the bads. She showed him the ups and downs of a different lifestyle and how to take the world with open arms despite its imperfections. She made him see life and enjoy the simple things.

She invoked feelings in him that he never dreamed he would find himself having. Concern for strangers. Compassion for his peers—both close and distant. Awe at the sights of simple beauty around him. Believing in possibilities he never gave even a first thought to before.

Little by little she cracked the mask he put on. The manipulative facade that could fool almost anyone in his childhood—with the exception of Riku at times—had no effect on her, and embraced the person he was underneath it all without even trying to coax it out from the shadows in his heart.

"Like father like son."

No! I'm not like you! I've changed! Sora shook his head to rid of his father's words. He wasn't the same person anymore. If his father thought he and Sora were alike now, he desperately needed a wake up call. Maybe in the form of icy waters a hundred feet below a bridge…

A slight clanging sound roused him from the musings in his head to search for the reverberation. It seemed, with all his thinking, he aimlessly wandered out of Uptown and into a modern district, he noticed. The sound he heard before were the chains of the swings moved by the chilly wind in a park across the street. Due to the cold air of December, no children were playing or laughing joyously from the fun a park can provide—and even if they were, it was a school day so there still wouldn't be kids at this time of day.

The wind blew again and for a moment as the swings swayed back and forth, Sora could testify he heard childish laughter. For a second, he saw two transparent blurs of children swinging before it vanished and he was once again staring at an empty park across the street.

A feeling of nostalgia washed over him. That park seemed familiar. In fact, his surroundings in general seemed familiar. As if they were an old name at the tip of his tongue. He's seen this place. He's seen this park.

He's seen two children playing here.

Flashback (Fifteen years ago)

"Oh my, Jeslyn dear—your son is absolutely charming!" a woman gushed as Mrs. Niwaharu and her son stood together in a crowd of people—lots holding glasses of wine and all were dressed nicely.

Jeslyn Cashlin Niwaharu gave a smile and placed a hand on her silent, stoic faced seven-year-old. Her brown eyes sparkled as she basked in the attention. Appearances were important after all.

"Yes, he's also very smart. We pulled him out of school about a year ago to home school him with only the best tutors. He's coming along well and he never makes a fuss. He's the perfect child. His mother couldn't be even more proud of him." Jeslyn smiles brightly talking as if Sora wasn't even there. Like he wasn't right beside her.

His mother… she says it like someone else is his mother and not her.

"So is he going to be learning the basics of your husband's company soon?" a man asked. "I've heard of him from others and they tell me he's quite the prodigy." the man said to Mrs. Niwaharu. Again, Sora was more of a phantom at these parties than anything. Why did he even have to be there if he was just going to be ignored?

"To keep up appearances, of course. Don't be silly, Sora." his mother would say.

"Certainly. He's very excited to learn the ropes from my husband." Jeslyn replied still with that sickening smile on her face.

No I'm not! Sora's mind cried. I don't want anything to do with that company! I don't want to be here either!

Nevertheless, these thoughts were locked in his head never gaining the sweet release they so greatly wanted. He by no means got the satisfaction of pouring out his bottled emotions. They would fall on deaf ears anyway. If he ever were to do something like that—public or private—his parents would ignore it and tell him to stop being childish. He was seven for crying out loud!

"You're so lucky, Jeslyn." another woman said to the brunette female. "I wish my child was like Sora. He always whines that I'm not paying enough attention to him and tells me he's going to be a musician when he gets older. A musician? Isn't that the dumbest thing you've ever heard?" the woman laughed out, her aqua-sea-foam eyes sparkled at the absurdness of her son. Jeslyn snorted.

"No wonder you don't bring him to social events. He needs to get his head out of the clouds and into the books. I bet he's not even smart to begin with. Saying something like that proves it." Jeslyn told the other mother.

"Yes, he's very average. Nothing's special about him." the aqua-sea-foam eyed woman said shrugging. "That's why I envy you. You have the model child who's smart, well-behaved, and obviously he'll be popular with the ladies on top of that when he's older."

Their constant chatter was suffocating him. Sora felt as if he was in a room without any doors, windows, or light. He felt closed in a box. Cramped and stuffy.

He needed to get away. Far away from these people who shut him in there.

Jeslyn's hand had long dropped from his shoulder and he slipped away while the adults continued their chatting. His mother, if she noticed his disappearance at all, would scold him later for doing this, but at this point, he didn't care.

Maneuvering through the throngs of people had not been a problem for a seven-year-old. They were too absorbed in their own worlds to notice a child lurking about, which was dandy for him. It only took a few minutes before Sora reached cream white colored doors leading from the ballroom of the building to one of the many darkened hallways.

Shutting the doors behind him, Sora was engulfed in the silence the enormous hallway provided. Slowly his ocean-blue eyes adjusted to the darkness and he started to walk in an aimless direction away from the ballroom.

His brain seemed to be on autopilot for Sora didn't go to any exact destination. He just walked without any thoughts or muses. The murky walls in his mind were silent as the dark hallway he was residing in.

However, he came to a stop in front of a door. It wasn't eye-catching nor was there anything special about it, but something inside him told him to stop here. To go inside. Lifting a hand, he opened the door revealing a lightless office. Again, nothing special about it, but he still went in anyway.

The boy closed the door behind him and walked forward into the room. The only light came from the opposite windowed wall. The night sky cast a bluish glow on the room and on himself. It was his only companion in his solitude.

The suffocating feeling from before suddenly began to creep up in the back of his head. The suffocation soon turned to heat, and the heat soon turned to choking fire.

Hastily the young boy began to unbutton his black suit jacket and threw it away. Next went his tie and his dress shoes. He rolled the sleeves of his white dress shirt up to his elbows and his black dress pants up to his knees. Yet the heat still stayed.

Azure eyes caught sight of the windows and he raced towards them like a man racing to water in the middle of the desert. The young boy unlocked one of the windows and pushed it open—cold December air rushed in not a second after.

Goosebumps immediately appeared on his skin and his body started to shiver, but he didn't care. The heat was gone. The suffocation was gone both mentally and physically.

He stood there for about a minute not doing anything. What was there to do now? Go back? No, he didn't want to do that. But he couldn't stay here either, Sora reasoned with himself.

Just as he was about to turn away, he heard it. Voices. They were distant, but he was positive he heard voices. Peeking out the open window, Sora searched for the source of the sound below. In the dark, he made out two small figures walking across the street, many stories below from the building.

"See? I told you no one would be here. Now we can play without having to worry about other kids picking on you." one of them said. It sounded like a girl.

"B-but what if we get in trouble?" the second one asked. The second one, too, was a female. Judging by their pitches, they were very young. Maybe five or six.

"Don't worry. No one's out here so we can't get caught! Besides, it's not like we're doing anything bad. We're just playing on public property. The park is for everyone."

"But what if it's closed?" the second little girl asked worriedly.

"…it's a park. Parks don't close." the first said plainly.

"But the park at my school closes!" the second one protests.

"That's because school is not public property. The school owns the park." the first girl explained to her friend gently. "So don't worry about it. And if we do get in trouble, I'll take the blame, okay?" she told the other little girl caringly.

"O-okay." uncertainty laced the second girl's voice, but she complied with the first.

"Good. Now let's play!" the first gave an excited shout and Sora saw one of them racing to the swings with the other one joining soon after—though not jumping around like a lunatic.

Sora bit his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing. The first one acted so… so… ridiculous! If his mother ever saw her, she would probably faint, which made the young boy grin at the image.

He tried to make out her features, but it was too dark to distinguish anything making him a bit disappointed. He wanted to see what she looked like real badly—an urge unexplainable to him.

He heard the light clanging of the swings as he saw them swing back and forth from above. Each of them unaware that they had an audience as they enjoyed their time in the empty park. He heard their giggles clearly like bells. A foreign sound to him—when was the last time he ever heard people laugh so carefree?

He didn't want to answer that question. For it scared him to admit that even he not once laughed like that. Or at all for that matter.

Why could they laugh and he couldn't? What was so different between them that allowed them the ability to laugh when he could not find a reason to?

He was intrigued by that. He wanted to know. He wanted to ask them what was it about simple things that made them laugh like that. He wanted to find some reasons to laugh too.

A startled yelp caught his attention when one of the figures jumped off the swing landing painfully. The other let out a cry and barely skidded to a stop before she too left her swing to reach the girl.

"Are you alright?" the second panicked. Sora could've sworn his heart beat stopped dead and his breath hitched in his throat. He almost ran out of the room to join the two girls outside to see if the first girl was okay.

Please let her be okay. Please let her be okay, Sora begged in his mind. On normal circumstances, the boy would've questioned these newfound feelings of concern and worry. Feelings he's not even felt for his parents but yet with a little girl he couldn't see properly.

Though the panicked boy's thoughts didn't even cross that line of thinking or his bizarre fondness for a strange little girl. He just wanted to know if she was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine. See? Just a scrape. Nothing to worry about." the first little girl told her companion with a following groan and Sora gave a sigh of relief when he heard her reply.

She was okay…

"Let's go home. We'll get a band-aid for that." the second girl shakily suggested. Sora could tell the first girl was bummed by that despite his lack of being able to see her.

"You worry too much. Honestly, it's my job to worry about you. I'm the big sister here. Are you trying to steal big sis's thunder?" she must've been pouting by her tone.

"I don't want you to get infested and die!" the second girl sniffled.

"It's infected, not infested—and no, I will not die." The first reassured her younger sister. A sigh escaped her lips from defeat, "But if that's what will make you happy, then fine. It's late anyhow." The younger sister must've been pleased because she hugged her older sibling happily.

"Thank you."

As Sora watched them, he couldn't help but feel a surge of envy and longing. It was obvious they cared about each other very much and would do anything for each other. Why did they have that and he didn't? What did they do to deserve that kind of love?

"Ah. It's snowing." the older sister said and sure enough, frosty snowflakes began raining down. She laughed out elatedly and spun around in directionless circles with her arms wide open. "Yay! It's snowing!"

"It's cold." the younger sister complained, but a giggle erupted from her lips. She joined her older sibling in purposeless spinning with her arms spread.

Cobalt eyes observed the two spinning before they somehow ended up next to each other and began to waltz funny—the older sibling acting as the male and the younger sibling acting as the female. It was a miracle that no one came outside to investigate their loud laughter.

A small smile came upon Sora's features as he watched them. It was like they were in their own little world—nothing sad or cruel raining down on their spirits. A lone moment in time with solely happiness.

And for some rationale, he felt like he was being absorbed in that one instance in time with them.

"Okay, now it is getting cold. Let's head home, ne?" the older sister said to her sister.

"Yay! We can have hot chocolate, right?" the younger sibling pleaded.

"Sure. I'll make some when we get home." just as the second girl was about to walk, the first one stopped her though. "Wait! First we have to make a wish!"

"Eh? A wish?"

"Of course! Pops once told me that when you see the first snow of winter falling with a person special to you, you get to make a wish." the older sister explained sagely.

"What should I wish for?" asked her younger sister.

"Whatever you want. It's your wish."

"Hmmm… I wish we can have hot chocolate when we get home!"

"You're not supposed to tell me! Then it won't come true! …Nevermind, I'm gong to make hot chocolate anyway when we get back so that rule is null and void for that one. Let's go."

"Okay, Na-Na!" The two joined hands and walked away, his sapphire eyes trained on them until their figures were completely out of sight.

He stared outside at the falling snow thinking about his weird observation. His thoughts drifted back to the older sister's words.

"Someone special, huh?" he questioned aloud to nobody. His eyes closed and he thought back to the older sister and how she was so caring to her sibling.

A hand reached out touching the falling snowflakes before retreating back inside, shutting the window also. Once finished with the task, Sora slid down with his back to the wall until he reached the floor. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his head in his arms.

All the jealousy and longing from before burst making tears come to his eyes at the unfairness of it all. Why couldn't he have something like that? Why was he left out? Why? Why? Why? He didn't understand it at all!

"Don't worry…" her voice whispered in his head comfortably. "You'll be okay." she reassured him and he—though not seeing her face throughout his encounter with her—could tell she was grinning.

Someone special… did she count as someone special?

"I wish I could meet you." Sora said to vacant air. Tears ran down his face and he sniffled, and then he wiped his arm under his nose and eyes to fruitlessly stop his sadness. "I wish I could find someone like you. Someone who will care about me. I want someone to care about me like you would've."

"I wish I had someone special for me to care about too…"

That was the first and last time he made a wish like that…

End of Flashback (Present Day)

His growling stomach got noisier causing him to snap out of his daze. How long had he been staring at that park? Long enough for his stomach to become obnoxiously noisy obviously. With that thought, Sora resumed his search for somewhere to eat.

That memory was something he had buried in his heart. Ever since that day, he didn't think about it again. Why should he have? Why ponder on a stupid wish he had made when he was seven?

Although, when he now thought back on it, maybe his wish wasn't stupid as he believed it was. It wasn't strange to want something like that. To have someone to care about you and to care about them in return. Especially with his self-absorbed parents, no wonder he wished for something like that.

He didn't approach any thoughts about the two children he saw that night. While maybe they gave him a glimpse of hope that love was indeed in the world, the brunette male figured it was pointless to dwell on questions that he would never get answers too. Hell, he never even saw their faces clearly! It was best not to ponder on the whereabouts of where those two little girls were now in the world.

Especially the older sister. She made an impact on his life that night; on the other hand, he didn't need to depend on that memory anymore. He didn't need that memory of her to fill him with desires that were silly to think about.

Are they really silly? his conscious chimed in, Besides, it's not like your wish went unheard. You do have someone—

Sora slapped his forehead to stop that train of thought. Blond hair and blue eyes with an easy-going grin flashed in his consciousness before he shook it away vigorously. His heart pounded in his chest when the picture came to mind.

"It seems you've found a special kitten to hold close, haven't you?"

His father's words from before came into his brain despite his protests.

"I've never seen you this happy—especially if it was caused by a single woman…"

Was his father telling him the truth about that? Has his father noticed a change that Sora couldn't see?

No! His father was just trying to get into his head! Probably doing this as a ploy to get Sora to come back to that house. Back to where the ice around his heart would not melt.

"Then why is it that you're so defensive about her? Why is it that you're so happy with her more than anyone? What is it about her that keeps you coming back to her over and over again, Sora?"

He… didn't know… He just did.

"Could it be that you've developed feelings for her? Have you fallen in love with her, Sora?"

"Shut up!" he said holding his head in his hands. He wanted his father's words to be quiet! It wasn't like that! He just… he just…

Just what? Looked at her as a friend? A co-worker?

"Um, Mr. Niwaharu…?" asked a tiny voice. Sapphire eyes snapped open to see Olette Satsuki standing in front of him with a confused look on her face. "Are you okay?" she inquired. Sora swallowed and drove his haunting thoughts from his head before replying.

"Yeah, sorry about that, erm… Miss Satsuki."

"It's okay." Olette smiled at him relieved that he was fine. Namine wouldn't like it if one of her friends wasn't feeling well. "What are you doing here? Where are your friends?" she asked him.

"They had work." Sora explained causing Olette to nod in understanding. Suddenly the growling of Sora's stomach decided to cut in and scold Sora for not yet feeding it still. Olette let out a giggle and gestured him to follow her.

"There's a nice place down the street to eat." the emerald-eyed brunette told Sora meanwhile walking. Stopping only a minute after, she gave him another smile. "Here we are."

It was a Nifty Fifties, but this wasn't the one that Namine had taken them to a while ago when Seifer—the bastard—came to visit. His eyes widened considerably when he took the sight in.

"Mr. Niwaharu, what are you staring at?" Olette noticed his change in expression.

"I've been here before…" Sora replied barely above a whisper.

"Really? I thought you and the others haven't been to these kinds of places before you met Namine." Olette tilted her head in confusion. Sora swallowed a bit before continuing.

"I never went inside, but I remember sitting on this curb."

"I see…" Olette was still lost at what significance that had, but the beeping on her watch didn't allow her to ponder about it. Emerald eyes widened in alarm when she saw the time. "Ah! I'm sorry, Mr. Niwaharu, but I have to go or else I'll be late!"

"For what?" Sora asked her with a raised eyebrow. Olette looked at him before a huge rosy blush erupted on her face.

"Well… I'm meeting Hayner…" she shyly said.

"For a date?" he asked. This caused the female's face to become that of a cherry.

"U-um, n-n-no! N-nothing like t-that!" she stuttered. "U-um, b-bye!" she quickly made her retreat leaving Sora to stare with a dumbfounded expression at the trail of smoke she left behind.

"So it is a date…"

With that said, the male entered the eating establishment—oblivious to the women's heart-eyed gazes—and ordered his meal once he was seated. The waitress nearly fainted as she walked away to place his order.

Left by himself, his eyes immediately trained their sights on the curb outside. A flash of two people sitting there drinking milkshakes entered his mind before he closed his eyes with a sigh and leaned back in the seat.

Funny how another strange encounter occurred in this area…

Flashback (Thirteen years ago)

Nine-year-old Sora glared at his mother's back as they entered the tall building across from the park. His father was away on a business trip so she decided to take him to one of his associate's buildings to learn more about the world he would be entering when he became an adult.

In other words, she would chat with the associate and proceed to brag about her "perfect life". He would just stand around doing nothing since no one ever strikes up conversations with him. You would think they thought he was mute or something.

Boring; pointless; useless. That's what this outing was in Sora's book.

Well what if you just sneak away? his conscious proposed, It's not like anyone will notice you missing being too focused in talking about themselves. his conscious snorted and Sora couldn't help but agree.

His mother's back was to him and already she and her companion forgot he was there while they conversed. He smirked when he turned and quietly snuck outside the doors into the warm, sunny air. He tugged on the collar of his shirt as the humid air touched his skin. Jeez, why did he have to wear these suits when it was so hot out!

Opening up the collar of his shirt a bit and taking off his jacket and tie, Sora proceeded to walk as far away from the building as possible…

…Or he would have if something didn't knock straight into him five seconds later!

Sora's jacket and tie flew out of his hands as he tumbled to the ground. Hearing an identical thud in front of him, he concluded that whatever collided with him had fallen back too.

"Ouch…" he heard someone's voice mutter. Sapphire eyes opened to see a small kid rubbing the back of their head wincing in pain. They wore a white, baggy t-shirt and baggy blue jeans with beaten, worn-out sneakers. A navy baseball cap was over their head making it impossible to tell what color hair they had and the shadows from the cap obscured the upper part of their face additionally.

"Note to self: when running forward, keep your head forward too to watch where you're going instead of looking behind you to check for pursuers." their comment brought Sora out of his stupor and now he was glaring at the kid.

"Watch where you're going!" he chided the kid. It seemed that got the kid's attention because they looked up with their mouth open a bit—like just realizing he was there. Soon a panicked expression formed on their face when they heard a sound behind them. Turning back to him, the kid sprang up and yanked him up too with surprisingly strong force for someone so small.

"No time to talk! We have to go! They might be right behind me!" the kid said frantic and pulled him along like he was some kind of rag doll. Sora exclaimed in shock when the kid held him by his arm while they ran.

"Hey! Let me go, you runt! I don't even know you!" Sora shouted at the kid, whose grip tightened when they heard that comment. The kid then dove into an alleyway bringing him with them. Their small, pale hand slapped against his mouth not allowing him to make a sound and held him against them as they listened for something. Sora's eyes widened when he heard footsteps come and go running past the alleyway. His kidnapper kept them in that position for three minutes before letting out a breath of relief.

"Heh, that should give me some time for a bit. Sorry, but since you saw me, I couldn't let you alert them about me. My life depends on this, you know. I cannot, under no circumstances, be caught!" the kid said to him releasing his mouth.

What are they talking about? Is this kid apart of some organization and now the organization wants to kill them? Sora thought thinking back to some of the novels he started reading. Okay, so that was a million to one chance of that happening in real life, but hey! The kid said their life depends on it.

"Why are you running?" Sora asked while the kid checked outside the alleyway to see if the coast was clear. They turned back to Sora with a serious frown on their face.

"I want to get pancakes, but the staff keeps putting me back in the hospital before I can get to them." the kid stated bluntly causing Sora to sweat drop.

They were doing all of this… for pancakes?!

"You're doing this so you can get pancakes?" Sora raised an eyebrow skeptically at the obviously loony person. He could feel rather than see the kid glare back at him.

"Have you ever had hospital food? It's disgusting. I thought hospitals were supposed to help people, not make them want to puke." the kid replied making the boy cringe when he thought about how the kid described hospital food.

"Anyway, the coast's clear so we can go now." the kid told him. Again, Sora raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"We? Why am I going?"

"Because," the kid sighed out exasperatedly. "If I let you escape before I get my pancakes, you'll go find those people and tell them where I am. I'm sure you'd want to do that since I just manhandled you." they stated as if the fact was apparent, which it was since that thought did cross his mind…

"Fine." Sora grit out frustrated. He escapes one prison only to end up in another. Great, just great.

It didn't help his mood anymore when the kid suddenly whacked him on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Because you called me a runt earlier. I'm only a year younger than you!"

"I'm not seven, moron. I'm nine! Can't you tell?"

"Yeah, I know! I'm eight-years-old, stupid!"

"Well—wait, you're eight?" Sora asked astonished. He was sure the kid was six or something.

"Get stuffed." the kid growled out and continued on their way towards their earlier destination. Sora only shrugged and followed the pipsqueak.

It didn't take long for his kidnapper and him to reach where the runt was going to—it was a small eating establishment called Nifty Fifties. Sora concluded that it was a commoner restaurant because he hasn't heard of it nor does it appear classy and elegant like the usual restaurants he's seen.

The brunette watched the boy—he perceived his kidnapper to be a boy because there's no way a girl would ever act like that, and the way the kid was dressed—go inside quickly in order to obtain his pancakes. Letting out a sigh, Sora ran a hand through his spiky brown locks with a pout on his face. He supposed he could've taken this chance to run away, but then the kid might run and catch him again—he was surprisingly fast as well as strong… or maybe not because he's heard that small people are faster… but others say that tall people are faster for their long legs… hmmm…

"I'm back!" the capped boy came out holding two objects in his hands. A grin was on his face while gazing at Sora. "Bon appetite!" he said holding out one of the objects to him. Sora's expression was that of confusion.

"These aren't pancakes…" Sora said slowly wondering how high this person's intelligence was exactly.

"I know. They're milkshakes. It's really hot out so I got something cool for us." the boy replied with the same tone Sora used.

"But you wanted pancakes."

"Well, yeah, I still do, but I figured since I kidnapped and manhandled you, you deserved something. Think of it as an apology." the boy told Sora sheepishly.

"You could've gotten yourself some pancakes, you know." Sora pointed out. The capped boy only shook his head.

"It was either I bought pancakes or two milkshakes. I didn't have enough to buy both." this statement made Sora's eyes widen. Didn't have enough? Oh right, the boy must've been a commoner. He wasn't rich like Sora was.

"And you still got these… milkshakes…?" Sora ended uncertainly. He's never heard of milkshakes before, much less had one. The boy just shrugged.

"Like I said, think of it as an apology. I can just get pancakes next time—besides, I'm sure my Pops would appreciate me spending the money he gave me on something selfless instead of selfish." The younger boy explained sitting down on the curb. "Now let's drink these puppies before they melt, ne?"

"Puppies? You said they were milkshakes." Sora was confused by what this kid was saying. The capped lad furrowed their brow at him.

"It's an expression. Lots of people say that. Are you an alien or something?" the boy asked him curiously making Sora look back at them dubiously.

"Are you?" After all, the boy was a little on the insane side…

"No. Now hurry up and drink your milkshake. I hate food going to waste." with that, the kid started slurping his milkshake loudly, yet contently. His posture was in a laidback fashion.

Instead of doing what his companion was doing, Sora just stared at the cup.

"Is it good?" he asked the capped lad. This caused the kid to almost choke on his milkshake. His mouth dropped a bit to gape at Sora.

"'Is it good?' he says. You act as if you never had a milkshake before in your life!"

"I haven't." Sora said averting his eyes in a different direction embarrassed. The boy almost dropped his milkshake in shock.

"Wow. I mean, I don't get to have these often, but at least I had them before. You must've been living under a rock if you never had a milkshake. It's a good thing I came around or else you would've never had one." the boy told Sora in awe. Sora's cheeks reddened at the lad's words.

"It's not my fault my parents don't care about me to get me one!" Sora shouted angrily at the kid. Silence rained upon them as Sora stared in shock when he realized what he had said and the boy just stared back with a passive expression.

"So you have shitty parents?" Well, that was blunt.

"F-forget it! Forget I said that!" Sora said turning his head away from the kid's stare. God, even without seeing his gaze, it was still unnerving.

"What's the big deal? They're crappy, half-assed parents, right? Just admit it. It's not that hard." the boy told him sternly wagging his index finger at him.

"Do you have to say it like that? You're eight. You shouldn't cuss." Sora lectured the younger boy who only shrugged nonchalantly.

"Meh, no one cares what I do; they know that I won't encourage others on cussing—and don't change the subject." he ended, chastising Sora.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Sora narrowed his ocean blue eyes at the boy. That was true. The boy practically dragged him against his will into his own problems and whacked him around like a toy.

"I'm not saying you should—if you don't want to talk about it, that's on you—but trust me that talking can help. Bottling things up isn't healthy, or at least that's what a wise person once told me." the boy said. He continued, "I won't tell you 'I understand' or give you any sentimental crap or tell you meaningless lies—nothing but the truth, okay?"

Sora glanced at the boy before turning his eyes to his milkshake. He bit the inside of his cheek then began to speak.

"My parents… aren't around—well, my mother is, but she only cares about appearances and herself. She'll forget I'm right beside her and talk as if I'm not there. I don't think she even knows anything about me. I'm surprised she remembers my name." Sora let out a bitter laugh. "My father isn't any better—he's never around, but when he's there, he doesn't even look at me—when he does, he tells me to go study or something like that." His grip on his milkshake tightened. "They look at me, but they don't see me. To them, I'm just some obligation that should mold to their ideals." he glared down at his milkshake. The kid next to him was quiet for a few moments before he spoke.

"Then leave." he stated bluntly. Sora's mouth hung open and his eyes were wide glancing at the boy who took another swig out of his milkshake.

"What? That's it?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yup." the boy replied simply. "If you don't like it so much, then leave." he said it like it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

"I'm nine! Where will I go?" Sora retorted glaring at his companion.

"Then wait until you're legal. You've already endured their crap for nine years, surely another nine won't kill you." the boy explained bringing the milkshake to his mouth. "You can't fight them as a child, but as an adult, you can. So, become a strong adult before you rebel." the boy added as if talking about the weather. "There, problem solved. Now, shut up and enjoy your milkshake." the lad instructed sternly, but Sora saw the playful smile on their face. The boy's easy-going smile made him smile shyly back.

"Okay." The brunette complied tentatively bringing the straw to his lips. He sipped it lightly and not soon after, a cool, sweet taste reached his mouth. He drank some more, this time more sure of himself with a smile on his face. It was really delicious.

"See? Good, right?" the lad's voice made Sora recall he wasn't alone. The boy's smile was still in place as his shadowed eyes softened at Sora. Sora nodded at the younger boy.

"Now try slurping it really loudly. That's fun." the boy said and did the action soon after. The nine-year-old tried to slurp like the strange boy was doing, but his slurp was barely above a whisper. "Louder!" this time it was obnoxiously noisy. "That's it! Fun, right? I once made a song out of my slurps! It made my sister laugh so hard when she was crying yesterday when she came to visit me." This made Sora's slurping cease. Visit? Oh right, the boy said he came from the hospital…

"Why were you in the hospital?" Sora inquired all of a sudden taking his companion aback. He noticed the kid's shoulders tensed for a second before they were normal again, but the once happy aura was now… remorseful?

"I got a small concussion… and my back got cut so I had to get some stitches, but it wasn't that deep I don't think…" the boy explained gazing at his knees. His grip on his milkshake tightened, apparently remembering how they ended up in the hospital.

"What?! Then why are you walking around?! You should be resting!" Sora panicked concerned for this strange kid. Nonetheless, the kid only shook his head.

"I'm fine. My friend's in a lot worse shape than I am. He got hurt really badly. It's kinda my fault it happened." the boy spat the last part out in self-loathing. Sora didn't like the dark aura surrounding the boy. It reminded himself of his own. And he didn't want to see it on this kid for some reason.

"I'm sure it wasn't. And your friend probably thinks that too." Sora told him. "If they're your friend, they should know that you would never put them in danger like that."

"Hmph, that's something he would say if I told him it was my fault too. But words don't change the fact that I was an idiot."

"Is he okay?" Sora asked him out of nowhere. He could tell the kid was blinking at him.

"Um… yeah, he should make a full recovery." The kid replied.

"Then there's nothing to worry about. He's fine. You're fine. You're still friends. That's all that matters." Sora smiled at the boy. His words were foreign to his own ears, but it felt… nice to say them to the kid. It was nice to assist in cheering the child up.

"Whatever you say." the kid's nonchalant aura returned and Sora took another sip of his milkshake—slurping loudly. Blue eyes glanced over to the boy beside him as he continued slurping noisily.

"You're doing it wrong. It sounds completely off key." the boy pointed out with a small smile. He scooted closer to Sora to better instruct him on how to do slurping the right way. On the other hand, his eyes widened when he caught sight of Sora's melting milkshake. "Ah! Quick! Drink it before it melts completely!" the capped boy exclaimed waving his arms like a manic.

"Huh?" Sora asked tilting his head slightly, startled at the kid's franticness.

"If it melts then it's no good! It will all go to waste!" the kid said frenetic. "Oh jeez, you're not even halfway done! A perfectly good milkshake gone to waste! That could've gone to a third world country for all we know!" the kid was bonking himself on his head making Sora sweat drop. He put down his milkshake and reached out a hand to calm the loony child down. Feeling his touch on his shoulder, the boy gave a surprised jolt forward and tumbled into Sora instead of away.

Lips made contact and Sora found himself staring into clear cerulean eyes. Both their eyes were as wide as saucers and only one thought centered around their minds.

Tastes like milkshakes…

"There you are! Finally we found you!" a nurse shouted shattering the shell-shock stupor both of them were frozen in. The boy sprang away hastily and turned to see about five people racing towards him.

"Shit!" he yelled and high tailed it out of there faster than you could say "doom". He and the five adults disappeared out of Sora's sight. The nine-year-old was gaping at the direction where they once were. His eyes then drifted to the two milkshakes sitting on the curb—one was his and the other was the kid's. Picking both of them up, he walked over to the trash can, but stopped at the last minute remembering the kid's attitude on wasting the milkshakes before turning back in the direction of the building where his mother was. He would finish the milkshakes before he went inside.

"You can't fight them as a child, but as an adult, you can. So, become a strong adult before you rebel."

Sora thought back to the kid's words pensively… wait until he was a strong adult, huh?

Suddenly, a realization occurred to him and he let out a horrified scream.

He just kissed a guy!

End of Flashback (Present Day)

A bang occurred at one of the tables in the Nifty Fifties causing some to turn to see what the commotion was. The handsome male from earlier now had his forehead against the table's surface—still, that didn't seem to subtract how good looking he was in the many female population's eyes.

On the other hand, Sora was yelling in his mind. He still can't believe he lost his first kiss to a guy! Thank God he never told anyone about that memory—Riku would on no account let him live that factor down if he knew.

Although, now that he thought about it, the boy's structure was a little too feminine to be a boy… and his lips were too soft for a boy's… Argh! Stop it! Sora banged his head lightly again for thinking that.

"You can't fight them as a child, but as an adult, you can. So, become a strong adult before you rebel." those words floated in the male's subconscious. That advice… that advice is what kept him going for those nine years.

And follow that advice Sora did. It only made it easier when he had found out about Roxas's existence when he was about fifteen. He had roped Riku into it—of course because Riku was amazing at these types of things and Sora knew he couldn't do it alone—and they effortlessly located Roxas. Course Roxas was a bit skeptical at first—Sora's spontaneous idea was a bit unprepared, but then again, that's what he has Riku for. To have some preparation concerning his impulsive ideas—though he did seem interested in Riku and Sora's plan of escaping their parents and home lives. Axel and Demyx—being Roxas's friends and also having similar situations and feelings—were also recruited into "The Plan" as Riku plainly dubbed it. ("If I let you think of a name, it would be very complicated and ridiculous." Riku told him when Sora complained about the banal title)

Three years they've kept their friendship under wraps. It was much uncomplicated to hide it. Their parents didn't ask questions nor did they notice most of the time that their sons had departed for a bit. The five of them were anxious to carry out "The Plan." Several times they almost commenced it earlier, but Riku—being the most level-headed—would remind them that they needed to wait to be legal. Patience is a virtue after all.

As soon as Roxas turned eighteen—patience could now go screw itself.

When Roxas was eighteen, they were as good as free. They weren't tied down by their parents' shackles. They could finally leave. And as they say, the rest was history. They left their parents' house, moved in together, and spent four years prior to the addition of the newest member in their group in contentment. A soft smile came upon Sora's face unconsciously when he thought about the spirited blonde haired woman.

"Here's your order, Sir." the waitress returned with his meal donning hearts for eyes and a red blush across her cheeks. The brunette nodded his thanks, and the waitress almost fainted in ecstasy from the unmindful male.

Pools of sapphire shifted to the meal and his mouth watered at the sight of warm pancakes and a milkshake. He gave off a quiet chuckle before beginning to eat.

Don't worry; I won't let it go to waste…

It didn't take him long to finish eating, so Sora decided to stroll around the non-crowded middle class district. It was peaceful and spacious compared to what he was used to seeing in Uptown—constantly filled with crowds of people and noise.

Ironically his feet unknowingly led him back to the abandoned park. The air rattled the chains of the swings making them sway leisurely, invitingly—like it had once for two little girls in the middle of a cold December night all those years ago.

His shoes stepped onto the grass while his brain took a backseat. Sitting on one of the swings hesitantly, his hands reached up simultaneously to grasp the chains connecting the swing to the support beam above it. His legs pushed him back and forth a bit, but his feet didn't leave the ground to break into a full swing.

Namine leaped in glee when she saw the swings nearby. Immediately separating herself from her five bosses, she sprinted to the swings in a mad dash.

"Yahoo!" she screamed pushing herself forward and backward really high, a happy expression on her features. Her cheeks were flushed in excitement.

"Jeez, is anyone sure she's twenty-one and not five?" Roxas asked placing his hands in his pockets in a bored manner. It was bad enough the midget dragged them away from their original mission of changing her wardrobe to walk in the park, now she was acting like an idiot in public.

"Who knows." Riku replied, but despite his stoic face, you could see a spark of fondness in his eyes. Roxas made a "tch." sound next to him. Axel gave a snicker when he saw that Demyx—instead of staying with the group—had joined Namine in swinging and acting like a moron.

Sora caught Namine's eye and she waved at him from her high elevation—her present grin in place. He waved back with a tiny smile.

"Sora, come and catch me, okay?" she proposed to him mischievously. Uh-oh, when Namine got these ideas in her head, usually it ended with her having an accident. The brunette tried to dissuade her less she carry it out.

"I'll drop you." he called walking closer to the swings. Namine pouted and shook her head.

"No you wouldn't. Roxas maybe, but you wouldn't." She stuck her tongue out at the blonde male far away from her who, luckily, didn't hear her comment.

"Namine—"Sora was going to chide her for the remark, but all of a sudden, she flung herself off the swing right at him. He became panicked and scrambled to catch her so she wouldn't hurt herself.

Though his heart was in the right place, his body wasn't. Namine slammed into him and they both toppled to the ground. Grass and dirt scattered as Namine sat upwards on his stomach and he was lying on his back on the ground. Her face took on a satisfied grin.

"Told you so."

He couldn't help but wince at the memory. His back was in pain for a week after that. Namine was unharmed though, which made him feel faintly better.

Namine would love this place. It wasn't fancy nor was it elaborate. She could enjoy herself here, he figured. The swings especially. Namine, from what he could gather, always had a penchant for swings.

It was the musings of the woman that surfaced his next question: What was the point for the trip down memory lane? Was there some kind of significance to it? He supposed that it was his father's fault. His father put the seed in his head that took root for his memories to come back to him today.

But what exactly was the seed his father planted in his head? What was the seed that sprouted his thoughts?

"Could it be that you've developed feelings for her? Have you fallen in love with her, Sora? It is that way, isn't it? It sure seems that way in the photo as you look at her. Probably didn't even realize it, now did you?"

At first, his father's words seemed ludicrous; on the other hand, the more he pondered on it, the more he thought about his past thoughts and actions, and his constant drift back to thinking about Namine throughout the day, could he really…?

"Sora?" a voice asked him with a hint of surprise. Sora knew that voice. He always knew that voice anywhere…

There she was. Namine Narumi stood on the sidewalk only a few yards away from him parallel to where he sat on the swing with blinking cerulean eyes. She wore skinny blue jeans with light brown ugg boots and a navy sweatshirt/hoodie down to her mid thighs with 'PENN' imprinted on it—representing Penn State no doubt. Over her navy sweatshirt was her tan overcoat unbuttoned in addition with her cardinal red scarf tucked snuggly around her neck. Her blonde hair was tied in a stylish low ponytail and she was holding a plastic bag in her left hand.

"Um, Hey Namine…" Sora greeted ineptly. His grip on the chains constricted, then became slack again. "What are you doing here?" he asked her. The blonde shrugged dismissively.

"I was visiting a bud of mine who was staying here with some relatives. They're on vacation so she has the house to herself." Namine replied. "As I was walking home, I just got this strange urge to come here—my flashback senses were going haywire for the past half hour."

"Flashback Senses?" Sora inquired confused.

"Ask Tifa." was all the blonde said to which the brunette nodded.

"So, do we know your friend?" Sora asked out of nowhere, his previous thinking coming back to him making his heart pound nervously.

"Nah, I met her when she was first starting college—hence the borrowed hoodie I'm wearing—she's the president of the National Orange Soda Association."

"Erm… okay…something like that really exists?" cue sweat drop. Namine nodded sagaciously.

"You better believe it—there's over 20,000 members across America now. I'm the VP, but I don't really do anything—she just likes me the most so she made me the VP."

"I… see…" the male couldn't help but be thankful he hasn't met Namine's buddy. She sounds crazy. (Like you're one to talk, Sora.)

"So yeah, a couple of members in the area and I went over and we all had some take out—"she held up the plastic bag for emphasis—"and watched Disney movies—the classics, not the horrible stuff they play now I mean." the blonde ended her explanation.

"Did you have fun?" Sora questioned, a gentle smile on his face at the same time as looking at her. A grin exploded on her face and she nodded.

"Yeah, it was nice to just kick back and enjoy myself to Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and all that jazz." her relaxed smile turned to a curious frown, "What are you doing out here anyway? It's almost nighttime, you know."

Sure enough, her words were true. The sun was barely in the sky making it a mix of blue with a tiny glow of yellow from the practically set sun. Furthermore, the street lamps were now on around the park rooted on the sidewalks.

Had that much time really passed?

"Thinking." Sora shrugged collectedly. To this, the young woman raised an eyebrow.

"About?"

"Nothing." he said still with a casual posture. She had that effect on him—made him feel a lot calmer than what he once was. The oldest Narumi female approached him, discarding her bag softly on the ground, and kneeled in front of him taking his hands in her own.

"You sure?" a trace of concern appeared in her clear blue eyes, but her tone stayed the same.

"Yup." Sora responded. He, without realizing, began to stroke her hands as he sat on the swing gazing down at her. After a moment, she let out a sigh.

"Well, it's your business—if you don't want to talk, that's fine." Namine told him demonstrating she wouldn't push it out of him. "Nonetheless, don't bottle it up, alright? That's not healthy." she played with their adjoined hands tenderly.

"Right…" déjà vu came upon him but he shook it off.

Namine clicked her tongue and sprang up, tugging him up with her.

"I'm hungry—feel like having some take-out and hot chocolate at the apartment?" she asked not bothering to wait for an answer, for she proceeded to drag him along. However, he didn't come with her. Blue eyes turned back to him wondering why he wasn't coming.

"What's up?"

"Will you dance with me?" he blurted out. Saying that made his eyes widen—an action Namine mirrored.

"Erm… right now?" she stared at him. Sora blushed and averted his eyes to anything but her.

"Forget I said that. I was just—"

"Alright." she cut him off with a careless shrug. Sora gaped at her.

"But I—"

"You were the one to ask, so don't try to weasel your way out of it." the former writer lectured. She guided him away from the swings halfway between the playing instrument and the sidewalk. Namine let go of his hands and placed one of her own on his shoulders. Expectant cerulean gazed into uneasy cobalt.

The twenty-two-year-old swallowed the lump in his throat and placed his hand on her waist, the other joining with her empty one. A warm feeling engulfed his hand from the contact, but he ignored it.

"I have no idea how to properly waltz, so don't laugh." Namine voiced went through his ears. Sora nodded mutely.

Their movements were stiff and discomfited, like they were unsure on how to actually dance with a partner. The unvarying silence around them didn't help much either. It's been a very long time since Sora last waltzed, and Namine—as she stated before—never properly waltzed in her life.

Nevertheless, it wasn't like this was their first time dancing. They've done this at Thanksgiving, but something seemed different now—more intimate. It was just the two of them here. Only them in that abandoned park with the street lights as their only audience.

This discovery simmered something in their minds. This waltz was wrong; far too stiff and distant for them. They needed to make it different somehow. It was as if the embarrassment was flowing out of them and their instincts began to guide them. Their souls whispered instructions in their ears though they heard nothing.

Their connected hands slowly separated themselves—Namine's hand ran along Sora's arm to his vacant shoulder and his slid down to her other hip. A witness could testify their breathes were in sync whilst they stared into each other's sapphire eyes, communicating instructions that the world was unaware of, and pulled the other closer until they were touching. Once done with their reformation, they began to sway smoothly, simultaneously.

A small humming broke the daze Sora had and he found Namine was humming to herself while still looking up him.

"What are you humming?" he asked as they still swayed. Not once did they falter.

"Hmm?" Namine murmured sleepily. "Oh!" she said more awake now. "Sorry, the last movie we watched was Pocahontas and the ending song is stuck in my head. It's a pretty song." Namine clarified. "I didn't realize I was humming it."

"What's it called?" Sora asked her.

"'If I never knew you'." Namine said to him. With that, she resumed her humming and they were silent once more. She linked her arms around his neck and brought herself closer to him, laying her head against his shoulder. Her lips parted, and she quietly began to sing.

"If I never knew you.
If I never felt this love.
I would have no inkling of
How precious life can be.
And if I never held you
I would never have a clue.
How at last I find in you
The missing part of me.
In this world so full of fears.
Full of rage and lies.
I can see the truth so clear
In your eyes,
So dry your eyes.
And I'm so grateful to you
I'd have lived my whole life through.
Lost forever
If I never knew you…"

Sora started to hum along with her whispered lyrics. She was right, it was a pretty song.

"Why don't you sing too?" she whined inaudibly. "I feel weird singing by myself."

"Don't know the words." Sora told her just as quietly, afraid to shatter the serene atmosphere they had. "You sing fine. I see no broken windows anywhere." he added sincerely. This caused Namine to snort in laughter. Calming down, she started singing again.

"If I never knew you.
I'd be safe, but half as real.
Never knowing
I could feel
A love so strong and true.
I'm so grateful to you.
I'd have lived my whole life through.
Lost forever
If I never knew you…"

A smile uplifted his lips while listening to her whispered singing. They swayed gracefully leaning against the other one.

Listening to her whispered lyrics, he couldn't help but feel a certain important meaning in her choice of song. It almost seemed too important. Like something obvious was staring back at him in the face.

This whole day seemed to be stating something evident and he was confused on what exactly that statement was. These memories. These moments. This present. What was it?

"I thought our love
Would be so beautiful.
Somehow we'd make
The whole world bright.
I never knew that
Fear and Hate could
Be so strong.
All they'd leave us
Were these whispers
In the night."

"Have you fallen in love with her, Sora?" his father's words rang in his head.

No! I…

"It is that way, isn't it? It sure seems that way in the photo as you look at her."

It's not…

"Then why is it that you're so defensive about her? Why is it that you're so happy with her more than anyone? What is it about her that keeps you coming back to her over and over again, Sora?"

I just…

"Have you fallen in love with her?"

"Have you fallen in love with her?"

"Have you fallen in love with her?"

"But still my heart is saying we were right…" Namine sang.

I… his eyes widened, and his hold tightened, but not enough to harm the blonde. I did…

He looked down at the blonde who was leaning against him singing quietly, yet full of ease. A serene smile was timid on her features, but it was also happy and unashamed to be there.

I have.

But when? When did he begin to have these feelings? When did he develop these emotions for her so strongly? When?

He had no idea. It snuck up on him. It lurked in the shadows, waiting to pounce on him completely and utterly unexpected.

But… it didn't matter when… it didn't matter how… because…

Namine raised an eyebrow and stopped singing when she felt Sora slightly shaking and something rumbling in his throat. The sound began to get louder and more coherent and she was shocked to hear he was chuckling quietly.

"Wah!" she exclaimed when Sora's arms wrapped securely around her waist and embraced her close, lifting her off the ground in the process while he buried his face in her hair and neck before throwing his head back, still laughing. "What the crap? You startled me!" she scolded him as she had her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, afraid she might fall back if she didn't hold on. Man, she hated these kinds of surprises. They were an accident waiting to happen with her terrible balance coming into the equation.

Sora didn't respond. Instead, he broke out into peals of laughter. Pure, unguarded, and completely carefree laughter. The kind that just screamed "I don't have a care in the world!" kind of laughter.

Namine blinked as she gazed at him. This laughter… it was so different from anytime he previously laughed. When he, or any of the others, had laughed in the past… sure, it sounded happy, but a part of her could feel as if they weren't giving it there all. As if there was something holding them back from completely letting loose and being happy.

But this laugh… it sounded as if everything in the world was okay now. That everything in the world was finally right for the first time.

I want to keep hearing this laughter… Namine smiled at that thought before being yanked roughly out of it by Sora, the insane moron, lifting her off the ground into a bridal style position. "Dammit Sora! Stop surprising me like that!" she shrieked but there was a hint of that smile on her face from her previous thought.

"I'm sorry, Namine." Sora apologized through his chuckles. "It's just… I'm so happy right now. It feels like a great weight's been lifted from my shoulders after such a long time. Is that weird?" he asked her.

Namine started at his face a foot away from hers and pondered. She was silent for a few moments before a fond smile came to her face.

"No, it isn't Sora. In fact, it's a great and wonderful thing. Being carefree." she told him. Sora smiled back at her, unwary and joyful.

This feeling… being carefree… it was indeed a wonderful thing.

Namine squealed when Sora, emitting blissful laughter once more, began to spin them around. Her arms held onto him for dear life, but soon, her own peals of laughter escaped her lips and she loosened her hold on him a bit—relishing in the feeling with him. Their laughter was loud and unrestricted. It was liberating.

It didn't matter when he did or how he did because…

I love you.

He loved her. Dearly, wholly, unconditionally, honest-to-God loved her.

And it was the greatest feeling he's ever experienced. It was like he was reborn, yet still the same. It was exhilarating. It was refreshing.

It was love. That was all there was to it.

But the others… a thought occurred to him, making him slow down in his spinning. He and Namine steadying themselves from being dizzy. Do they too…?

Yes, they did. Whether they realized it or not, they too loved Namine. Maybe some of them were starting to catch on, maybe he was the first to be brought up from the ocean of ignorance… he didn't know. When it came to Namine, one can never be too sure on things, but he did know that they too had these feelings or were developing them.

However… it didn't matter now. None of that mattered. For once, Sora wasn't going to indulge himself in his ponderings and insightfulness. He wasn't going to read into things or analyze the situation. He was going to enjoy the moment, the present, right now.

"Ah, it's snowing…" Namine's statement brought him out of his musings. And true enough, a white speck of cold wetness landed on his nose, making him look up to the falling snowflakes. "It's snowing! The first snow of the season! Funny how the circumstances are. I usually catch it with that Old Hag, Pops, or Kairi every year. Sometimes Squally, but I think that's only happened twice." Namine spoke aloud. A smile then broke on her features and she turned to him. "Oh well, it's nice to experience it with new people too."

At this, Sora smiled softly back at her. The blonde then turned her gaze away from him and up to the night sky once more. Delight at seeing the white substance falling gently down radiating off of her in wonderment and awe.

Sora's eyes traced her features. To any person, one would say Namine was plain at first glance. Average hair. Average eyes. Average, if not slightly below, body. She wasn't a model. She wasn't overly beautiful. She wasn't well-endowed.

Yet, he loved everything about her. So what if she wasn't a model? So what if she was plain? So what if she wasn't rich or had men drooling? That didn't matter to him because those people who would say those things haven't seen what he's seen. They haven't known her like he's known her.

Her words. Her kindness. Her smiles. Her laughs. Her caring and accepting personality. They haven't seen any of that. Because if they did, they would come to the same conclusion that he did when he looked at her.

She was beautiful as a whole. Her outlook and the way she carried herself. Her kindness and acceptance of others. Her understanding and her ability to listen and comfort others. Her wisdom and words. Her smile. Those are what made her beautiful. Those are what made him love her.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Don't forget to make a wish, Sora." Namine turned her cerulean eyes to him abruptly. He blinked at the suddenness of her words and the weird sense of déjà vu nagging at the back of his head, but he ignored it.

"You're supposed to make a wish when you see the first snow of the season with someone special!" she told him smiling, but then it transformed into a sheepish grin. "But then again, I guess I'm not someone special, huh?" she gave off an embarrassed chuckle for assuming she was important.

"No." he shook his head gently. His azure eyes locked onto hers. "You are someone special, Namine. More than you realize."

"Okay, now you're just being ridiculous." Namine told him with a skeptic gaze. "You don't have to say something like that just to cheer me up, Sora."

"I'm not." he answered simply, going over to the bag of take-out she had left on the ground. It was probably cold now. "I have no reason to lie to you."

"Alright, whatever." Namine told him roughly, trying to cover up her embarrassment at being so openly admitted to being precious by someone. "You coming or what?"

"Let's call the others." he said to her, walking over to her, plastic bag in hand. "I'm sure they too could use a pick-me-up after a stressful day of work, no?" he smiled at her. He already had this time with her and the joy of his newfound feelings. For now, that was enough for him. He wouldn't keep her to himself.

"Yeah." Namine agreed with a grin. "Work must've been killer. Take-out is always a good pick-me-up." They started to walk when Namine stopped. "Did you remember to make a wish, Sora?" Sora just smiled mysteriously before replying.

"Yeah, I wish we would have take-out and hot chocolate when we get back to your apartment." he said grinning in a laidback fashion. Namine did a face palm.

"You're not supposed to tell me! Oh forget it… we were going to do that anyway so it's null and void. Come on then." she gestured him to get moving. He just laughed amused and treaded on his merry way.

Truth be told, Sora felt that he didn't need to make a wish.

He finally got what he wanted from the last one.

"I wish I had someone special for me to care about too…" his voice from all those years ago rang clear as a bell in his mind.

And he does. It came in the form of Namine Narumi.

"Like father like son." His father's last words to him yesterday were.

You're wrong, Sora thought scathingly, I'm nothing like you. His gaze drifted to look at the woman beside him. Because I have her. I have someone to love when you don't. She makes me see that there is good in the world and that there's hope. She makes me not become heartless like you.

A grip on his hand brought him out of his musings. Namine's excited and impatient gaze stared back at him.

"Come on, slowpoke!" she dragged him forward laughing. A grin blossomed on his face and he chuckled along with her.

"Coming. I'm coming. Jeez, you're so impatient, Namine." he said good-naturedly showing he didn't mean the insult.

"And you're a close relative to the turtle." Namine retorted amused.

"Hey! I do not resemble a turtle!" Sora whined.

"Your pace says otherwise." Namine sang teasingly.

"Why you—"the brunette grinned wickedly and then proceeded to chase her all the way to her apartment, both of them laughing and calling out taunts to each other like children.

Tonight I dreamt of a reverie I haven't had in a long time. It was when I was younger and I would dream of running away from my house in the middle of the night. No one noticed I left and no one came to stop me.

I remember in my dream I would arrive at the train station. Trains would come and go, but none of them were mine. I sat there for a while, just sitting and waiting for mine to come.

And it did, eventually. My train stopped in front of the bench parallel to where I sat. The door to the passenger car opened and I was blinded by a white light. Someone beckoned me on, saying I needed to hurry up or I would miss it.

I remember scrambling to get my things quickly so the train wouldn't leave without me. I raced to the person who held out there hand to me. I didn't see their face, but they were my height as a child.

But now… the image morphed into a blurred image of someone slightly taller with a baseball cap before finally getting tallerand the image becoming clear—the size of an adult. The light faded and I was able to see blonde hair, accepting sapphire eyes, and a welcoming smile.

"Ready, slowpoke? Good thing you didn't miss the train." she said.

"Yeah, good thing I didn't. I thought it would've left without me." I, now as my present age told her. Happy that I was able to reach her and the train. She just snorted, as if the very possibility of my statement was ridiculous.

"Nah. I wouldn't let it leave without you." she held my hand and smiled at me.

"That's good to know, Namine."

And my restless dream of escape ever since my childhood finally had its curtain call making room for the new beginning that lay ahead and the future in store for me.

"Wha?" Namine muttered sleepily as she awoke with a start. Groggy blue eyes gazed around her dark and empty-save-for-her apartment. Moogle was peacefully asleep beside her, not being roused from his master's sudden movement at all.

"Weird dream." she murmured dazed as she tried to recall her dream. Something about milkshakes and parents… it didn't make sense to her foggy mind. "Oh well, it's probably not important." she waved it off and went back to dreamland, not approaching the matter again.

Thirteen Years Ago: 1994

"Dammit… curse those nurses…" the capped child muttered grumpily, standing in the hallway while a nurse kept an eye on them as the other nurses reported that they found the disobedient child at last. Their scrawny arms crossed against their chest in irritation. "And curse the cruddy hospital food I have to return to."

A giggle beside them caught their attention. They pivoted to see a little girl their age with auburn hair a little past her shoulders and sparkling violet eyes wearing a lavender dress, purple sandals, a white sweater tied around her waist, and a couple of bracelets on her wrist.

"You didn't get what you wanted?" the girl asked, giggles resuming their escape. The child hmphed and glared at the girl under the bill of their cap.

"Obviously." they responded bitterly. The girl titled her head cutely and smiled.

"But you look as if you're in a good mood. Did something interesting happen?" she questioned them. A sigh escaped their mouth and a hand reached up to take off the navy baseball cap. Uneven strands of blonde hair fell, some barely touching her shoulders while others past her shoulders slightly. Wise azure eyes gazed back at the girl.

"Meh. I guess you could say that." the blonde girl shrugged nonchalantly.

"The most important days of our lives are those in which we learn something new about ourselves."

—Jesse Pharios

Karin: Done! There's your Sora-centric chapter folks! I'm very happy to finally get this chapter done because it took me forever to proofread and plan out accordingly, what with doing Sora's memories as a child. Still, it was a fun experience to give some depth into his childhood, no? By the way, the quote at the end reminded me of this whole chapter for Sora's self-realization so I decided to put it at the end. And no, Namine nor Sora realize that they met as kids—just wanted to clear that up for anyone who might be confused otherwise.

So anyway, before you non-sormine fans start whining and saying "it's sormine, isn't it? After all, Sormine seems to be popping up ever now and then" just because Sora got a lot of attention this chapter, and in the story, doesn't mean I won't do that for the others too. It's best to get things together all at once—like Sora's childhood and self-realization. It would've screwed me up and ruined the mood if I didn't do it all at once, don't you think? I plan to go into depth for all of the guys eventually. Riku, along with some Namikuness, will be next chapter and Axel, Roxas, and Demyx will get more spotlight on their childhoods and past in the sequel due to it relates to the plot of the second one. I plan to give all five of them in-depth attention, just not at once, so don't start complaining.

Moving on, random notice by me: I notice that a lot of Disney songs from the classics can suit Namine and one of the guys. Like "If I never knew you" or "Never knew I needed" or "Beauty and the Beast" etc. haha, I just thought that was funny, so I decided to share it with you.

Riku: What about the popularity contest?

Karin: Oh right! Here are this chapter's results!

Namine: 13 votes
Demyx: 12 votes

Sora: 9 votes
Roxas: 4 votes
Riku: 3 votes
Leon: 2 votes
Axel: 2 votes

Roxas: Ha! No one votes for Riku this time!

Demyx: In your face!

Axel: How the hell did Demyx get so many votes?!

Karin: Well we're going by fours, right? When someone just mentions they vote for one character, I just take it as four votes. If it's two characters and they don't tell me the way they're dividing their votes, I just split the four and give both characters two votes.

Sora: Namine's winning this time. Should we be mad or happy?

Riku: On one hand it's not us who are winning but on the other hand we can't help but be proud of her… that is confusing.

Karin: Anyway, thank you so much for those who voted last chapter. Hope to see more votes again. Reviews, as always, are very highly appreciated.

Roxas: That would suck if you didn't get any though after typing a 44 paged chapter.

Karin: Don't make me think about that possibility. It's not nice, Roxas!

Roxas: You'll never get any reviews. Na-na-na-na-na!

Karin: You know what? You're not making an appearance next chapter! (sniffle) It's just Riku and Namine!

Sora, Axel, Demyx: What?! Why do we have to suffer too?!

See ya Next time!