I bumped the rating up to T just in case. Also there are a LOT of allusions to various things Kingdom Hearts related and non-Kingdom Hearts related in this chapter. Just a heads up!

Kairi had just arrived at her apartment. She was still feeling giddy from before. Her heart rate hadn't slowed down. She still felt like she was dreaming. She could have sworn on the way home she received a good amount of stares from people. However, she didn't really care. They didn't know how cheerful she was feeling at that moment.

She truly felt like she could do anything.

What had just occurred had given Kairi the boost of confidence she believed she needed. She hated being shy. Every time a guy would show interest in her in high school she would act like she wasn't interested. She wasn't at the top of the popularity scale; she was only at about midpoint. She honestly had never cared about being popular. Despite that, she still received attention from a fair amount of boys. In retrospect, she was indeed flattered, but Kairi thought it would distract her from studying.

As a result, she had never had a boyfriend in her entire twenty—almost twenty-one years of existence.

Kairi wasn't ashamed though. She had her reasons, and when she would think about it, she didn't mind at all. But now she was hoping that fact would change soon. Xion's words had really enlightened her. She wouldn't admit it aloud but often she did feel swamped under work. And Xion couldn't be there for her all the time. She had her own things to worry about.

If Kairi was to be in a committed relationship, she figured she would worry less and lay back a little more. Contrary to popular belief, referring to her friends, Kairi was all for relaxation, but only after she finished her assigned work plus a little extra, as aspiring students had to be.

Kairi scanned her surroundings and noticed Xion wasn't there yet. She went to her room and placed her bag down. Xion wouldn't be back for a few more hours so she had the place to herself for a bit. As such, she went to the kitchen, made herself a hot chocolate (with extra whipped cream, of course!) and relaxed on the recliner to read her newly borrowed book.

After a few hours, it had gotten dark. Xion had entered the door. Kairi peered up from her book and greeted her best friend. "Hey," she smiled.

"Hi, Kairi! So what's with the big smile on your face?" She teased with a mischievous smirk, "Is it because the mystery guy who you love replied back to you?"

Kairi's face became as red as her hair. "I do not love him! I barely even know him!" She retorted. "I don't even know his name…" She trailed off.

The raven head laughed. "Relax, Kairi. I'm just making fun of you." She was making her way to her room when Kairi stood up and hugged her out of the blue.

"Thank you so much, Xion. This means a lot to me, and it's nice to be reminded of how much you care about me." Kairi whispered softly.

Xion hugged the redhead back. "Aww, Kairi, of course I care. I wouldn't have done this for you if I didn't." They released each other.

There was something that still bothered the redhead. "Um, would you say the guy thinks I'm a stalker?" she asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Of course not," Xion replied, amused, "he answered, didn't he? That means he's interested in you."

Kairi's heart fluttered. She liked the sound of that. Maybe being forward sometimes paid off, even though it wasn't actually her that initiated it. She made a toothy grin. "You're right. Thanks again."

Xion merely nodded, "No worries, now if you don't mind, I'd really like to catch some shuteye." She yawned, "Today was a big day at work and I'm really tired. Goodnight Kairi."

"Okay, sleep well Xion." Kairi bade Xion goodnight and her roommate retreated to her room. Kairi returned to the recliner and continued to read intently into the late hours of the night.

The next morning, Kairi regretted that decision. Due to her oh so intent reading, she had slept in and was now out of breath running to make the train on time. 'One more page couldn't hurt' she kept telling herself the night before. She had no time to make her daily stop at the café, which frustrated her. Then again she did bring that upon herself, amongst various other things. Kairi wasn't the fastest runner in the world, but she was decent, no less.

Once Kairi made it past the ticket gates, the train had just arrived on the platform. Damn it! She would be late if she didn't make it, and she despised being late. She noticed the doors sliding open as she got halfway down the staircase leading to the platform. Kairi then figured she would make it because there were so many people on the platform, however finding an empty seat was another story…

In the end, Kairi had managed to just make it onto the train. She leaned down, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Once her body relaxed and her heart rate slowed down, she noticed how packed the train was. Usually it was packed, but not this packed. It was so packed a mosquito would be claustrophobic. She scanned the carriage in hope for an empty seat, but no cigar, so she went to the next carriage.

Kairi searched desperately if there was an empty seat on this one; she didn't want to have to stand for a whole half hour. She wouldn't be able to feel her legs by the time the train arrived at TLU. She tucked a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear in anticipation. She sighed in relief when she finally spotted one. She was about to approach it, but gasped as she suddenly noticed the person seated beside it. It was…

Oh.

My.

God.

It was the cute mysterious brunet. She could recognise those amazing gravity-defying spikes anywhere.

She stared at him wide-eyed as her heart rate spiked back up. Maybe I should just keep going and look for another vacant seat… she thought.

She shook her head. No way! She wouldn't chicken out. Not now. Not after coming this far. She had struggled with her shyness for far too long. In reality, shyness was just euphemism for fear.

Kairi approached with caution, as if she were walking a tight rope. She received inquisitive stares from people present at the scene, but all her attention was focused on the brunet. Each step she took further made her heart race faster. He didn't seem to sense her walking toward him. He was too caught up in a newspaper. Typical, Kairi thought amusedly.

She ceased all movement when she got to him. He still didn't notice her. Kairi peered over to see what he was up to. He was doing a Sudoku puzzle. No wonder! She parted her lips slightly to speak, but her words got caught in her throat. She thought to say something. Anything! Finally, she managed to attract his attention… barely "Um… e-excuse me."

That went well.

Upon hearing the sound that was her sweet voice, the brunet looked up from his puzzle to see a red headed girl gazing at him with big indigo eyes through her pink glasses that suited her so damn well. But not just any redhead, it was her. His heart rate rose slightly, but he maintained his confidence. "May I help you, miss?"

Kairi flushed a bit. She gazed deeply into his cerulean orbs. She liked the sound of his voice and he was really polite. This was too overwhelming for her. "I-Is that seat beside you taken? There are no other free seats available." She spoke a little louder.

"Oh no, not at all. Take a seat if you want. I really don't mind at all." He flashed a grin at her. Her heart fluttered more. He was so cute.

"Thank you," she said shyly. Kairi took off her shoulder bag and sat down slowly.

She heard the brunet chuckle slightly. "It's hard to get a seat, huh?" He joked.

She turned to him, adjusting her glasses and laughing nervously. "Yeah, I guess." Kairi just sat there, unsure of what to do. She avoided the brunet's gaze and fiddled with the bag on her lap.

"Well, that's the reason why I get up early, to secure myself a seat."

Kairi turned her head to the brunet, not really knowing why he was talking to her. She answered anyway, "Well, I usually do too, but I slept in this morning because I stayed up so late last night reading, and lost track of time."

The brunet perked a brow. "Reading, huh? You must've been really absorbed if it caused you to sleep in."

Kairi relaxed a little, though her heart rate remained faster than average. It made her feel more confident, now that he was interested in her. "Yeah," Kairi nodded, "it's true that I have a certain passion for literature. I'm actually doing a literary course at TLU, so I can become an English teacher, and maybe even publish my own book one day."

"That's pretty cool." He nodded. The brunet figured he should get introductions out of the way. Time came to pop the million dollar question. It was now or never. "So, uh, what's your name?"

The redhead smiled sweetly. "Kairi Izayoi. And yours?"

Her smile was so beautiful it was contagious. "Sora. Sora Fudo. It's very nice to meet you, Kairi." He stuck out his hand.

Kairi anxiously shook the brunet's hand, "Likewise… Sora." She loved the sound of it. It was nice to finally know his name. She felt she had accomplished something. Once they released their grip, Kairi felt the warmth of Sora's hand tingle on her smaller one.

"So, um," the brunet attempted to keep the conversation alive, "I've noticed you around a lot, especially recently." Sora gulped.

Way to be forward, genius, he thought. Now she probably thought he stalked her.

Kairi nodded slowly. "Um… Yeah, m-me too…" It was getting a little awkward now. She tried to change the subject, "S-so, you never told me what you were studying, Sora."

"Oh!" Sora perked up, relieved that she changed the subject. "Well, I currently study physics. Like you, I'm also passionate about what I do. Who wouldn't be? I mean, physics is so much more than what people think it is. Well, all science is in general, but physics just… it just really grabbed my attention, you know?"

The awkwardness slowly melted away. "Yeah, it's the same with me," Kairi nodded, "the lore of literature is so deep that one must critically analyse it to understand it completely." She giggled. Her angelic laughter was like music to his ears. "Even now, I don't understand it fully."

Sora chortled, "Well, I'm sure you will eventually, don't worry." He went back to his puzzle.

Kairi blinked and stared blankly at him. Did he just implicitly call her smart or was he just being nice? She shook her head and peered over to him in curiosity. "So, Sudoku, huh?"

"Yeah, I love brain teasers and puzzles. They help me focus when I need to. But today's one is really hard for some reason. This could take a while." He told her.

"I see." Kairi adjusted her glasses as an awkward silence then washed over the couple. Neither of them knew what to say. Sora was glad that he had his puzzle to keep him occupied. On the other hand, due to her unfortunate rush, Kairi had forgotten her book at home thereby giving her nothing to do to thin the seemingly awkward atmosphere. Occasionally, the redhead would hear grunts coming from her right. She wished she could help him out, but decided to let him be.

Several minutes passed, however it seemed like ages. Sora had declared his Sudoku finished by taking a long swig of his hot chocolate and sighed in delight. Kairi observed the action and enviously licked her lips. She cursed herself for giving in to her temptations the night before. She then took note of Sora's face. She held her hand over her lips, closed her eyes and giggled.

Sora turned to the auburn beauty once more. "What?" He asked, clueless.

She opened her eyes, answering, "You've got cream on your nose, Sora." An amused smile played at her lips.

Sora touched the tip of his nose, and true to Kairi's word; he felt a milky substance on his finger. He must have been a little too excited. Kairi continued giggling as Sora grinned sheepishly, "Do you have a tissue by any chance?"

Kairi finally ceased her girlish laughter and nodded. She whipped out a tissue from her bag and handed it to Sora.

"Thanks." He acknowledged. Sora wiped the cream from his nose and turned to the girl, "Did I get it all?"

Kairi adjusted her glasses and inspected his nose. "Mhm," the redhead nodded. The brunet pocketed the tissue and returned to his newspaper and Kairi just continued sitting there awkwardly. After a minute, Sora noticed this and closed the paper.

"Hey, do you want to talk?" The brunet inquired.

The redhead jumped a little. "About what?" Kairi responded.

"Oh nothing in particular, it's just you look a little bored there. Are you okay?"

Kairi appreciated his random concern with a smile gracing her features. "Yes, I'm fine, don't worry. It's just that I'm a little annoyed that I slept in this morning and couldn't treat myself at the café."

As the train's speed decreased, an indication they were slowly approaching TLU station, Sora thought about Kairi's predicament for a moment and he smirked to himself. "Then how about I treat you to a hot chocolate this afternoon?" Sora suggested.

Kairi was taken aback. Did he just ask her out? Nah. There was no way. "U-um… okay," she agreed nervously.

"Great!" Sora exclaimed. This was his chance to get to know her better. "What time do you finish today?" he asked as he gathered his belongings.

"Three thirty." Kairi answered. Everyone present in the carriage had gotten up to alight, as the train had halted at the station.

"Well I end at three," he pondered for a moment, "so how does it sound if we were to meet at the station at, say, three forty-five?"

Kairi smiled as she rose from her seat. "I think that sounds good."

"Okay, then it's a date." Sora's eyes widened as he realised what he just implied, "W-well I don't mean like—like an actual date, or anything. It was just a figure of speech, I mean, of all people, you should know, Kairi." The brunet smirked as he rose from his seat, not unlike the redhead.

Kairi's angelic laughter filled his ears once more, partially because of the little joke, and partially because of his adorability. "Don't worry. I know what you meant there, Sora."

"After you, Miss Izayoi," Sora insisted with a mock bow as Kairi was about to pass by him.

"My, you are such a gentleman, Doctor Fudo." Despite sounding like she was kidding, Kairi actually meant those words.

Sora chuckled as she walked past him. "I try," the brunet joked with a smug look.

Kairi felt the urge to swivel and playfully smack him. However, she had to resist. The couple had just met after all; it would've been weird. She continued to pace out the train door with Sora trailing behind. Once they both hopped off, the couple walked up the stairs. They turned to each other. Kairi spoke first, "Well Sora, it was nice talking to you but I think this is where we must part ways."

"For now," the brunet answered with a warm smile.

Kairi reciprocated, her heart fluttering, "For now." She turned her heel and glanced over her shoulder. "See you soon," Kairi waved and walked briskly toward the building with an extra bounce in her step. Sora just stood in place observing the redhead's retreating figure.

Kairi was trembling like a leaf. As she paced further and further away from Sora, the urge to turn and just look back at him multiplied drastically with each individual step she took. Her heart pounded so fiercely she swore she felt it hit her ribcage. Sora had asked her to hang out with him! Not go out with him, but it was good enough. They barely knew each other, and Kairi felt it was best to get to know someone before you date them to amplify the closeness. Even though the redhead had no dating experience whatsoever, it still made complete sense to her.

Kairi pranced onward without looking back.

Sora only stood in place completely mesmerised by Kairi's beauty. He thought that there was no way in hell that a kind-hearted, sweet, pretty girl such as her didn't have a boyfriend. Although the seed of doubt was planted in his mind, he was almost certain that it was in fact Kairi that addressed him in the paper a couple days back. It just had to be.

It had to.

Surprisingly, Sora was making no logical deductions here. It was just a pure gut instinct…

Okay, there was some logic reasoning involved, but only a minor percentage!

Right there and then, he truly had understood the meaning behind Roxas' words.

Sora snapped back to reality when he realised he was staring at Kairi for a little too long, since she wasn't there anymore. He spun to face the opposite direction that the redhead disappeared to and walked casually to his allocated building. He couldn't help but smile broadly the whole way there.

It had reached the mid-afternoon. The sun was still shining brightly in the near cloudless sky over Twilight Town, inevitably heading down into the western horizon. Peak hour traffic was beginning to pick up again for the second time and just about everyone who had schooling of some sort had finished up, including Kairi.

The auburn beauty paced briskly toward the train station. The moment had finally come. Usually distractions never got to her when it came to school work, but this was different. More so than ever before, Kairi couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she would be hanging out with Sora. Just the thought of his adorable baby face and wild spiky chestnut hair made her beam like crazy. And who could forget those gorgeous blue eyes? Her heart raced.

When she got to the train station something clicked. Was her attire okay? She looked down at her feet which sported a pair of lovely white sandals instead of her favourite lilac converse, which was strange because she usually never went anywhere without those. Next up were her legs where she was wearing a red skirt that flowed outward past her knees. To complete the outfit, she wore a beige sweater to overcome the fast approaching cold weather. Once she thought of herself as presentable she carried on toward the platform, and sat on bench to wait for the brunet.

Literally as soon as she got comfortable, she heard a masculine voice call out her name from afar. She turned her head to the direction of the soundwaves and sure enough, there was Sora waving to her. She smiled and waved back, eyeing his clothing in the process; a white T-shirt, black leather jacket, blue jeans and black boots. The brunet walked towards where she sat, much like the day before, but this time Kairi stayed put. Sora casually took a seat beside Kairi. "Hey Sora." She greeted.

"So how was your day?" He began.

"Pretty good, aside for the morning," she answered. Sora laughed slightly. "What about yours?"

"It was okay." He shrugged. No one said anything after that. It returned to the awkward silence. They were both cursing themselves for not knowing what to say at the time. Sora had to think on his feet here. He wanted them to be like they were before they parted that morning; no awkwardness between them at all. He had to say something. He opened his mouth to speak, however Kairi unexpectedly beat him to it.

"So did anything happen today?" she asked with interest. Sora was indeed dumbfounded, but smiled at her attempt to eradicate the awkward atmosphere surrounding the couple.

"Nothing much, really. I have a French test next week though." He responded.

"Really? You do French?" Kairi asked the brunet, wide-eyed.

"Bien sûr, je fais français. Qu'est-ce que vous attendez?" (1)

"That was actually pretty good," she assessed with a smile gracing her features. "You might just ace that test."

She understood what he just said? "You speak French, Kairi?" He never saw that one coming.

"Bien sûr, je parle français. Qu'est-ce que vous attendez?" (2) Kairi spoke in an equivalent manner. They giggled simultaneously. This was how it should have been. Both parties were laughing over a common interest and forgot the awkwardness. After all, situations only became awkward if one mentioned said fact.

"Touché."

"Train's here." Kairi pointed out as she was adjusting her glasses. Surely enough, the train had halted at the platform to allow members of the public to alight. Kairi and Sora stood up and entered the train. Luckily, they were able to find vacant seats instantly unlike how Kairi wasn't able to earlier. They removed their respective bags from their bodies and sat beside each other.

"Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up." Sora asked as the train's velocity began to increase once again.

"Well there isn't really much to tell, but I grew up in Radiant Garden," Kairi said.

"Really? You're from the city of light?" Sora questioned with slightly widened eyes. Kairi nodded in confirmation. "Did you move to Twilight Town because it was too bright over there?"

The auburn beauty giggled. "No I moved here after I found out I was accepted into Twilight Uni." Sora just listened intently. "My mother was against the idea at first. However, after that she began to slowly accept the fact that I'm growing up. When she knew I was going to be living with my best friend, Xion, she was really supportive."

"It's a similar scenario with me. See, I grew up on the Destiny Islands, but also moved in with Roxas when I got accepted." Sora said.

"You're from the Islands?" Kairi asked, shocked.

"Yeah," the brunet said nonchalantly. "Why so surprised?"

Kairi shrugged. "Oh no reason. It's just that I've heard a lot of great things about that place. My father originated from there, but I've never been there myself. Shame too, because it's not that far by train. I really do want to go one day though." She announced with a morsel of desperation. A light bulb brightened over Sora's spiky head, when really the train had just entered an underground tunnel. The tunnel was necessary as not to disrupt the national parks that were above ground. Sora had been grinning up at the light for around thirty seconds. Kairi noticed and began repeatedly snapping her fingers in front of his face, "Sora, are you okay?"

Shaking his head rapidly, Sora snapped (no pun intended) out of his trance and peered down at Kairi's face, which was filled to the brim with confusion. "Yeah, I'm good," the brunet answered. Unbeknownst to Kairi, Sora had devised the perfect plan for the remainder of the day. According to the redhead she had never visited the Destiny Islands, so Sora had made the decision to take her there. As Kairi had stated previously, Destiny Islands was considerably close to Twilight Town, giving no reason not to go there. But of course he was going to keep this to himself for the time being.

The future teacher furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you sure? You seem rather happy about something. Mind sharing it with me?" She asked.

Sora knew what to say in this situation. "I'm just glad that we're hanging out together, that's all." It wasn't a lie, technically.

Kairi's mouth was left partly agape as her white cheeks became slightly rosy. He made an implicit compliment toward her for the second time that day. She was beyond speechless. Her heart raced further than before. Did he really just say that? "R-Really?!"

"Yeah, you're a cool person Kai. Is it okay if I call you 'Kai'?"

"Yeah, of course but no one has ever called me that before." Kairi shook her head, "not even Xion."

"Are you serious?" Sora asked, genuinely surprised. The young woman nodded slowly. "But it's such a blatantly obvious nickname. Surely somebody must have dubbed you that in your lifetime."

"Nope, never. But I do like it," she smiled gratefully. Her demeanour transformed into a thoughtful one. Kairi's train of thought had reverted back to Sora's compliment. "S-So, you really think I'm cool?" She asked coyly.

Sora nodded, "From what I've seen from you so far." He clarified. It was indeed true. Sora had observed something special radiating from this attractive young woman. She was very sweet and very well-educated.

"Thank you, Sora." She appreciated with a slight, but evident blush.

Something was still wrenching at the brunet's curiosity. He had to scratch that itch now. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Well it depends what it is," she responded wittily. Sora's expression changed from inquisitive to shock in a second. He began to contemplate whether he should follow through with the question he desperately wanted to know the answer to. Would he be too "out there" if he did, which in turn would cause Kairi to become uncomfortable, which would then lead to them not hanging out together…

Nah, it was all in his head. He was just thinking too much.

He was going to go through with this. The brunet grinned to himself as the words of a certain blonde echoed in his mind.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

He gulped before he finally spat it out. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Kairi took longer than usual to register the question she had been just been asked. She remained staring blankly at the brunet. What spurred such a question? She cocked her head slightly to the side while staring. Sora's heartbeat rose. Was that not the right thing to do? Much to his relief she answered anyway, "No, but why do you ask?" It was something she really wanted to know. Did he like her?

"No reason," Sora answered swiftly. In all honesty, that vital piece of information was difficult for Sora to comprehend. He didn't want to let that alarm him though, otherwise…

"You seem surprised." Too late; she noticed. "Is that a bad thing?" Kairi asked desperately.

"No, not at all." Sora's expression softened a little. Awkward silence washed over them for the almost the rest of the train ride after that. Sora just whipped out his phone and played '2048'. He didn't want to press onward with the fact that Kairi was single, but hey, he wasn't complaining in the slightest. As far as he knew, she was available which was good so far. On the other hand, Kairi continuously cast sideways glances at the brunet. Alas he didn't show it, but it was as if Sora received the shock of his life when she answered his question. So what if she was single? Was he stunned because he thought she was too attractive not to be single? In a way she hoped that was it. It would mean that he was slightly interested at the very least. Maybe there was more going on in that head of his than meets the eye.

Inevitably, the train slowly came to a stop at Twilight Town Station. Just about every pupil in the carriage had risen to exit. Kairi slowly got up to do so, but was unexpectedly stopped by Sora who looked up from his phone screen.

"Where are you going, Kai?" He asked while smiling.

"This is our stop, Sora." Sora said nothing. "Isn't it?"

"Just take a seat," Sora indicated with his hand. Kairi thought it was safe to assume that Sora had something planned. She reluctantly complied.

"If you don't mind me wondering, Sora, where are we going?"

Instead of providing a straight answer he asked, "Do you trust me?" Kairi was taken aback. Shouldn't she trust him? True, they had officially met recently, but they had started off quite well and were in fact getting along with each other quite nicely. He was a really nice young man. Hence, there was only one thing Kairi could answer.

"Yes." A smile tugged at her lips.

"Well, okay then." Sora leaned over and placed his hand on her shoulder, sending involuntary tingles up Kairi's spine. The auburn beauty could feel his breath on her ear which sent additional tingles. "Don't worry Kai, you won't regret this. Just relax for now and enjoy the scenery." The spiky brunet reassured.

Kairi was in such a trance she could only muster a nod. Both returned to their individual thing. All Kairi could do was stare out the window (Sora had been kind enough to offer her the window seat) and anticipate what was going to happen. Where was Sora taking her to? Maybe on some level he thought this was a date? That could explain why he was taking her somewhere that she guessed would most likely surprise her. She didn't mind though; it was rather sweet.

Overall, the remainder of the ride wasn't very eventful. Sora and Kairi would just occasionally say something to each other. However that would all soon change when…

"We're finally here," the brunet announced.

Kairi hadn't even noticed the train stopping at some station unknown to her. "Where are we?" It was only natural that she would ask.

"Come and you'll find out." Sora had already stood up and insisted for Kairi to go ahead prior to himself, "After you."

"My, we are a gentleman, aren't we?"

"And damn proud of it!" He boasted while poking his thumb into his chest. Kairi giggled. "But seriously, could you proceed? You're holding us up."

Kairi whole-heartedly obliged as her excitement, as well as her anticipation, was getting the best of her. It was as if she were reading an exciting novel and just wanting to read onward. It would instantly override her being with hype. Hmmm… that sounded all too familiar. Oh right, the night before.

As soon as Kairi exited the locomotive, she took a second to observe her surroundings. It was like in the first Harry Potter book where Harry first arrived on platform nine and three-quarters (spoilers!). All Kairi could do was gaze in awe at the unexplored region. She had to go deeper! She had a feeling as to where they were, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"So Kai, like what you see?" Sora asked as he approached the auburn beauty from behind.

Kairi's expression didn't change when she turned to face him. "Yeah," she said dazedly. It was all she could muster at that point in time.

"Well if you could quit gawking for a second, you'll see that it gets better."

Sora went ahead as Kairi followed cue. They walked side-by-side towards the entrance of the train station. Her mind as well as her heart was racing with anticipation. What was this place? Why did Sora want to take her here specifically? She was eager to find the answer. As they advanced forward, Kairi took a note of all the people around them. They certainly didn't resemble city folk at all. She could tell by their expressions it was a much more relaxed environment than the large busy cities of Twilight Town and most definitely Radiant Garden. It was almost as if they were on… vacation? And it may have just been her, but did the air have a subtle salty scent to it? Kairi hadn't really been paying attention to where they were going. It was almost as if her legs had minds of their own.

"Now I give you permission to gawk all you want, Kai. Welcome to Destiny Islands." Sora announced dramatically as he waved his arm in front of him.

"Destiny Islands…?" the auburn-haired woman muttered to herself. Surely enough she tilted her head skyward to see there was a massive sign that stated 'Destiny Islands'. She gaped. All she could think to say was:

"No. Way."

Indeed; this day was filled with surprises.

"So do you like it now?"

Kairi peered downward to face Sora after his voice smashed through her stupor. She gazed at him wide-eyed for what seemed like a long time to the brunet. She was the epitome of speechlessness.

Sora chuckled, "I'll take your gaze as a yes."

"Sora…" She managed to let escape from her lips, "I truly cannot believe this." Honestly speaking, Kairi really wanted to embrace him, but she refrained.

"Well you better because it's real. Now come on because it looks like you're going to be gawking the whole way." He pointed out half-jokingly.

"Well can you blame me?" Kairi retorted a little too harshly. "I haven't been out much…" She trailed off. It was true; Kairi had never really seen much outside Twilight Town or Radiant Garden. Since she was always too focused on her studies, she couldn't travel around as she wished. She didn't even work any shifts.

Sora took note of Kairi's curious change in demeanour. "Whoa, hey, I didn't mean that in a bad way," he defended himself. "I'm not like that, Kai. It's a good thing because you need to let it out, you know? All I'm saying is that daylight is running short and right now there's no way we'll get back before dark."

"I'm sorry; it's just that I sometimes get excited easily, especially in a time like this." She fiddled with a tress of her beautiful auburn hair.

Sora shrugged it off and waved. "Don't worry about it, I completely understand. Now let's keep moving, shall we?"

"Sure," Kairi smiled and nodded.

And they kept on walking.

"Wow, this place looks great!" Kairi exclaimed as she stared in awe.

After a ten to fifteen minute stroll, the couple stood facing the facade of a small café. But not just any café, it was one of the most renowned cafés on the Islands: Paopu's Pallet. Its good food, great service, and excellent beverages definitely compensated for its size. It was located on the busy corner outside the mall on Fate Street. The appearance of the exterior was quite lovely. Kairi could only guess it got much better inside.

"As always, after you Kai," Sora continued with his gentlemanly disposition as he mock bowed and held his arms toward the door.

"Hehe, my pleasure," she said rather cheekily. Kairi entered as the bell on the door jingled. Once she was inside, she concluded that the exterior certainly did not do justice to what was inside. She inspected the interior in admiration. Nearly every table and booth was filled to the brim with people, majority being young men and women about her age. It was pretty lively to say the least. The walls were a radiating greenish colour which contrasted with the vibrant red lighting. Overall, it gave off a warm and cosy feeling. And to top it off, there was a mixed scent of coffee and chocolate that tickled Kairi's smell senses. She inhaled through her nose deeply.

"So, you like?" Sora asked as he entered behind her. Upon releasing her breath, Kairi swivelled to face the brunet and nodded.

"Very much, now let's find a seat." She cried with excitement. With very little thought, she grabbed Sora's wrist and dragged him toward a booth which was near the rear of the café, which was luckily vacant.

"Whoa, okay, slow down there Kairi," Sora protested rather amusedly over the chatter of other customers. Never had he seen Kairi act like this before in the short span that they had been together. Usually she was bashful, but now it was like that Kairi never even existed. He kind of liked this side to her. He preferred a girl to be a little adventurous than shy. Don't get him wrong; he still thought it was a bit cute for a girl to be a little bashful.

Sora and Kairi had placed their bags on the floor and seated themselves on either side of the booth, facing one another. "Sorry about that," Kairi apologised. Sora shrugged in response.

"It's no big deal."

The café had lived up to its reputation of great service at that moment. A waitress immediately had arrived at their booth, prepared to process their orders. Typically, she had asked what the two would have liked to order. Without studying the menu, Sora had ordered a hot cocoa with the extra whipped cream. Obviously he had been here too many times in the past. Kairi however had to consider all of her options. Everything on the menu looked very indulging. Having finally made up her mind, Kairi ordered identically to Sora, but with a slice of strawberry cheesecake on top.

"Your orders will be ready shortly." The waitress then left.

"So, you don't get out much, huh? If you don't mind me asking, why?" Sora asked, breaking the ice immediately.

"Oh, it's nothing really. I'm just a really hard worker." She lightly laughed as she remembered Xion's words a few days before, "You could practically say I'm a workaholic. I don't have time to get around much. Though I have taken the occasional holiday in the past."

"To where?" This caught his attention. Where has this girl been to?

"Have you by any chance ever heard of Daybreak Town?" Kairi asked as she adjusted her glasses.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Isn't it similar to Twilight Town?"

"Sort of, but it resembles Radiant Garden more. I visited there a few years back, before going on to Uni. It's quite a lovely place, really." She reminisced. She sighed heavily, "I really do want to travel the world, though. Just to know what's really out there, you know?"

"Yeah it is important to learn about the world," Sora nodded in agreement, "and the best way to learn something is to experience it first-hand." Kairi noticed the way Sora's unruly spikes bobbed up and down as he nodded. Now that she thought about it, it did that whenever he would walk too. She found it adorable.

"Has your hair always been like that, Sora?" The young auburn beauty asked as she leaned in slightly, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand and smiling a little.

Sora was taken aback a little. "My hair?" He pulled at one of his spiky locks.

She giggled at the adorability, "Yeah, has it always been so…" She directed her eyes to the ceiling with her face muscles contracted in thought, "unique, I guess is what I'm trying to say." She looked back down at her brunet companion as her face relaxed.

"Well, not exactly. When I was young it was more flat and shaggy, but as I got into my later teenage years it got more untameable. I swear a comb plus hair like this equals futile." He pointed to his spiny mop of a hairdo. Kairi giggled. Sora was going pretty well here!

"Well I imagine it must be." Kairi replied, amused.

"But contrary to what others may think, it's not really as spiky as it looks. It's actually soft to touch." Sora leaned his head down. "Go ahead; feel it." Kairi straighten up her position and reluctantly went to touch his head. As soon as her hand made contact with his hair, her eyes widened. It really was soft! She ruffled his head lightly to feel more of the unbelievable silkiness.

"Wow," Kairi said gobsmacked, "do you use some kind of special conditioner on that hair?" She asked as she retreated her hand.

"Yes, paopu extract." Sora told her as he lifted his head back up to look at her.

"Thanks, I will have to be sure and remember that." She nodded.

"Now it's your turn, Kai. Is that your natural hair colour?" He asked. He had been pondering this for a while now.

Kairi still had not gotten familiar with the new nickname. She absentmindedly fiddled with a loose tress on the side of her face and stared at it. "I know my hair colour does look unnatural, but honestly I have had it since birth, I think."

"Well it's really pretty, I'm serious," Sora smiled softly at Kairi. Whenever Sora would think of Kairi, he would automatically associate her with the vibrant auburn shade of her hair. It was rather memorable, indeed.

Kairi felt her cheeks grow warm. Luckily she was under a red light or else the brunet would have noticed. People had always complimented her hair on numerous occasions in the past that she got tired of it. Then eventually it died out and Kairi thought nothing of it. So it was shocking (in a good way) that someone spoke nicely of her hair after a while. Especially if that someone was a person that, dare Kairi admit to it, she had the hots for. She averted her gaze down at the table between them, a soft "thank you" being all she could muster.

Sora then extended his arm across the table towards Kairi's head and unexpectedly tucked the loose lock of her shoulder-length hair behind her ear. "It really is beautiful," he told her softly. Kairi's heart skipped a beat as she felt his smooth fingers caress the top of her ear. Her body tingled involuntarily. Her head snapped up and her eyes locked on with Sora's pretty oceanic orbs. She gazed deeply.

She began, "Sora—"

"Enjoy." The waitress had cut Kairi off and returned with the couple's orders. Kairi let out a sigh of relief and silently thanked God for that intermission. The waitress set down the food and beverages in front of their respective customers. She then let them be. Both had seemingly forgotten that last action done by Sora and gazed ever so longingly at their tall glass containing a sweet, brown, hot liquid with a rather tall pile of whipped cream on top that was dusted lightly with chocolate powder. It even came with three marshmallows to compliment the beverage, because let's face it: What was a hot chocolate without marshmallows?

Great service was checked off the list. It was now time for Kairi to assess the 'good food' and 'excellent beverages' part of the slogan.

"I know that look," Sora's voice broke her trance. She peered up to sight him smiling smugly. "It's gluttony. I see it all the time from people here. But don't worry; I've fell victim to it too." He lifted the glass and put it to his lips and carefully sipped on it to avoid tongue burning. He smacked his lips and sighed contently, "And for good reason. Try some, Kai."

"Okay." The auburn-haired young woman looked back down at the glass and lifted it with her right hand. Taking caution to not burn her tongue, she took a fairly long sip of the hot cocoa. The creaminess and the sweetness created a party for her tastebuds. This was the best hot chocolate she had ever tasted! "Sora, this is really good!" She exclaimed before taking another swig.

"Told you," Sora replied casually as he sipped his own.

Excellent beverages; check.

Now to test the food. Kairi set down the glass and set her sights on the delicious looking cheesecake beside it. It had a crumb base with cream cheese filling and strawberry coulis on top. Using the side of the fork, she cut off the tip and placed it in her mouth. Again, the creaminess and the crumby base complimented each other nicely. And that was overkill with the added coulis. Kairi licked her lips and smiled, "Mmmmm, Sora you should have gotten a slice of this for yourself."

Good food; check. This was ultimately the best café Kairi had ever been to that lived up to its name. It was even better than Black Rose Café.

Sora chuckled lightly, "Nah, I'm good Kairi. Just enjoy it, and remember it's my shout." She sure loved that cheesecake. All he could do was just sit there and watch her devour it like she had a major sweet tooth. He smiled warmly at her. She is so cute, he thought. He rested his cheek on the palm of his hand and dazed at the auburn beauty across from him. He just observed her eating for quite some time which became a little unsettling for Kairi.

After a while Kairi began to feel a little self-conscious. She looked up from her plate as she finished the slice of cheesecake and studied the brunet quizzically. "What?"

"It's nothing; just I've never seen someone consume a cheesecake so fast, especially a tiny girl like you."

Kairi blushed. "I-I am not tiny! And for your information, I have quite the sweet tooth." She admitted.

Sora raised his arms in defence. "Hey, I'm not trying to offend you, Kairi. I was just saying that's all. Sorry if I did." He resumed drinking his hot chocolate.

"No, you didn't," Kairi reassured, "but are you sure you don't want any?" She asked raising a brow.

He looked at her while gulping his drink down. He set the glass down, "I'm sure, Kai."

Kairi cracked a cheeky grin. This could be fun, "Are you really sure, because it was so good that I just may order seconds." She licked her luscious lips and hummed in delight, "Oh yes, very good indeed."

Sora eyed her with suspicion. Where the hell was the shy, bashful Kairi that Sora had met in the morning? This Kairi was acting so cheeky and almost… flirtatious? Sora swore he wasn't hallucinating when Kairi licked her lips in such a manner just now. That lick seemed almost inviting to him. Maybe it was the sugar? Well it didn't matter anyway. Bottom line was:

She was hell of a lot more attractive this way.

Kairi had no idea where this bubbliness was emitting from either. She wouldn't usually act like this around someone she had just met. She wasn't entirely certain on whether it was the sugar she had ingested or maybe it was only the sole fact that Kairi could barely contain her excitement when around Sora. The auburn-haired young woman thought this was definitely out of character for her; meaning she would only act like this around people close to her.

"Seriously, I'm okay," Sora confirmed with a slight laugh.

"Your loss," Kairi pointed out while licking off the last bits of the cheesecake that were present on her fork. She set her cutlery down and leaned her face on her palm. "So what were you like when you were younger, Sora?" She asked with an innocent expression.

Sora thought what to disclose for a moment. "Well, when I was a kid I wasn't really active; I liked to stay indoors and watch cartoons a lot. But when high school came around I started to get a little sportier. I played heaps of soccer and I still do. I love soccer; it's the best sport to ever exist." He smiled fondly.

"What cartoons did you watch?" She adjusted her glasses… Kairi desperately needed contact lenses.

"I watched copious amounts of Disney. The classical cartoons though; not that forsaken Disney Channel. They're honestly a disgrace. It's all just stupid so-called "comedy"," He said bitterly.

"I love Disney too!" Kairi exclaimed as her face lit up. "My favourite was the Timon and Pumbaa show. They were the funniest." She announced as if it were obvious. "Who were your favourite characters?"

Sora smiled, "I have to say Donald Duck and Goofy, and they still are to this day. They're just so hilarious." Sora then had a brief flashback and laughed a little. Should he tell her about it? Who cared if she knew; he was only young. No matter how dumb it sounded. "Actually you may be interested to hear this."

"Hear what? Tell me!" The redhead mock demanded.

"Well as a kid, I had a huge imagination. I used to fantasise about going on great adventures across the universe fighting bad guys and searching for my friends. But I wouldn't go alone; my partners would be Donald and Goofy. And I'd wield this mysterious weapon called a Keyblade, which is basically a giant skeleton key. We would travel to different worlds across the universe, each being based on a different Disney film."

Kairi was dumbfounded. She let it sink in for one moment and burst out laughing the next. Sora joined in because it did sound farfetched. Kairi lifted her glasses to wipe away tears of mirth. "That could actually qualify as a long-running TV series or best-selling novel series, or even a successful video game franchise if it was complex enough." Her voice was still evident with giggles. Yeah… she could definitely imagine Sora fighting Disney villains with a giant key alongside an anthropomorphic duck and dog.

Sora rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I know it sounds stupid, but cut me some slack, okay? I was only like seven years old at the time; that was fourteen years ago." His cheeks were slightly red.

She shook her head, "I'm not teasing you, Sora. I think it's cute." Kairi's face became as red as her hair as she realised what she had just vocalised, "W-What I meant to say was that you must have been cute as a kid." Kairi wanted to tell him how cute she thought he was, but she believed there was no way she could muster up that kind of courage. She drank her hot chocolate as a means of distraction.

"Okay… well enough about me; what about you? What kind of kid were you?" Kairi face went from panic to relief after Sora changed the subject to her childhood. She smiled and set down the glass as she was happy to tell.

"Well I consider myself alike to Matilda. You know Matilda, right?" Sora nodded. "Yeah, I love to read. Unlike Matilda though, my parents actually supported me and brought numerous books to read."

Sora's eyes widened a tad, "Those are some pretty cool parents you have." He admitted.

"Yeah, they are!" Kairi boasted jokingly, "but I didn't have many friends when I was young. I met Xion when we were in high school and we've been besties ever since." She smiled brightly. Something then dawned on her, "Wait Sora, why didn't you become a storywriter instead of studying physics?" She tilted her head slightly, which Sora found adorable. "It sounds like you had quite the imagination. Don't take it the wrong way; I'm just curious."

"Why else? To discover why my hair has gravity-defying properties." The couple bawled with laughter. Kairi could fairly say she felt a six pack coming on. "In all seriousness," Sora began once their laughter had ceased, "it's not realistic for me to become a storywriter. But I can definitely see myself writing informative books and articles on the phenomena of the physical world."

Kairi shrugged, "Fair enough, I guess." Sora nodded. His eyes then darted toward the door. He noticed something unusual; he swore he saw a flash of platinum silver hair. Then his subtle fears proved to be true. Those locks of hair belonged to none other than…

Riku.

And he wasn't solitary. Naminé was right there beside him holding his hand, fingers entwined.

Kairi noticed horror passing over Sora's face. She immediately felt concern for the brunet. "What's wrong, Sora? You look like you've seen a ghost."

It wasn't a ghost; it was far worse. Sora hadn't seen or heard from either of those two since that fateful night; the night his two best friends betrayed his trust. Seeing them brought back all the bad memories and thoughts he had experienced shortly after his heartbreak. They may have well taken a dagger and thrust it into his heart. That was the level they sunk to. Not even a simple heads up.

Sora remained silent so Kairi took it upon herself to see what was going on. She swivelled her head to where Sora was staring at. She noticed two fair-skinned figures, one male and one female, standing outside the door and entering. The male was rather tall; taller than Sora, and had abnormally long and silver (Or grey?) hair and bright turquoise eyes. The woman was rather petite and had blue eyes and beautiful platinum blonde hair. The right side flowed past her shoulder in a lovely looking curl. Kairi had to admit the blonde was very beautiful. She feared they had felt her eyes burning into them as they turned their heads toward her and Sora's general direction.

She turned back to face the brunet, "Do you know those people, Sora?"

Know them? Ha! They go way back! But Sora wasn't sure if he "knew" them. "Oh I know them alright. I might as well tell you: they betrayed me. They're my "best" friends." He formed air quotations at the word 'best'.

Kairi gasped. "How?"

"I used to date the blonde one, Naminé. But she cheated on me with Riku, the other guy. She claims that she's truly in love with him, but I don't buy it." He said coldly.

Sora seemed so angry. Kairi would have never thought Sora the kind to hold a grudge against an individual. He was an overall happy being, so this was quite shocking. Then again if his words were true, it was only natural. "Riku and Naminé…" Kairi trailed off. She had to admit they appeared to be a cute couple.

"You called."

Both Sora and Kairi snapped their heads toward the couple in front of them. Riku stood tall with a stoic expression, while Naminé eyed Kairi with jealousy.

Sora deduced he had to confront them sooner or later; sooner being the most certain. Without skipping a beat, he went straight to the point, "Why?"

"Why what?" Riku answered for them both.

"Don't play dumb!" Sora stood up and looked Riku dead in the eyes. "You know a little heads up prior would have been nice, Riku. You too, Naminé." He pointed to her briefly. Meanwhile Kairi just shifted uncomfortably in her spot. She had just gotten a brief lesson to what was going on, however she felt out of place. She felt Naminé burning holes into her skull. Kairi found her shoes very interesting all of a sudden.

"We both had a feeling we'd run into you here, Sora," Riku replied, "and it's good since we can explain ourselves." He crossed his arms.

Sora reciprocated this action whilst holding his glare. "I think it's crystal clear; you two backstabbed me!" Kairi peered up at Sora. Honestly to it looked like the angry brunet was ready to have a go at Riku; fists balled and everything; quite a frightening sight, to say the least.

Naminé averted her vision towards Sora. "Just let us explain, Sora. But firstly, who is she and what are you doing with her?" She darted her eyes back in Kairi's direction.

"Hey!" Kairi protested, noticing the disgust and jealousy laced in the blonde's tone.

"That's Kairi, my new friend. Why do you care?" Said auburn beauty's eyes widened and blushed. She guessed they were friends, but to hear Sora declare it was fairly nice.

"Sora, Naminé!" Riku intervened. "I didn't come here to pick any fights; I would've gone underground if I wanted to do that. I just want to clear all this crap we have going on between us and set things straight." Sora had given Riku his undivided attention. "Thank you." The brunet thought he should give him a chance. Although his two childhood best friends hurt him greatly, a minute part of him wanted to patch things up with them. They were the closest friends he's had in his entire twenty-one years of existence, after all.

"Please explain," Sora indicated, obviously unimpressed. Kairi and Naminé watched in anticipation.

"Well, Sora, I've always loved Naminé. But you were my best friend so I decided to let you have her when she showed interest in you," Riku averted his gaze away to the ground and shut his eyes, "even at the cost of my own happiness."

Sora stared blankly at Riku. This was one of those rare occasions where he would show his emotion, even if it was somewhat subtle. He loved Naminé? From his tone, the brunet thought it safe to assume Riku had harboured those feelings for eons longer than he did. "Go on," Sora encouraged.

This time Naminé spoke up, "Look Sora, we really didn't mean to hurt you. It's just I've always had these feelings for Riku as well, but I was ignorant. Don't get me wrong; I cherish our time together, honest. But in the end it didn't feel quite right." She turned to the silver head, laced her fingers with his and eyed him lovingly, "With Riku, it just fits." Riku smiled at her briefly and turned to face Sora.

"Please Sora, we're really sorry, and we're asking for your forgiveness." He smiled, "We want our best friend back. You can't only have two little pigs; you can't only have two musketeers, so naturally we can't only have two of us." The couple aimed their most hopeful, desperate expressions towards the spiky brunet.

Sora sat down slowly and rested his chin on his interlocked hands. He pondered deeply. Should he show them forgiveness? Trust was like a paper; once crumpled, it could never be perfect again. Then again, he had known the two since he was four years old. They were like family to him. Maybe he should turn over a new page and start over? They had been through so much crap together, like a pair of butt cheeks, and yet butt cheeks stayed together no matter what the circumstances (in general anyway). He mentally groaned. He had no idea of what to do. After a while of silence, (amongst their group) Kairi ultimately decided to speak up.

"Sora," the brunet perked up to the sweet, angelic voice that called his name from across him and pierced his thought cloud. Kairi smiled at him, "I think you should forgive them."

"You do?" Sora straightened up from his previous position as he gazed into Kairi's pretty indigo bluish eyes. Riku and Naminé observed the scene before them carefully; the latter secretly feeling a minor pang of jealousy in her heart.

Kairi placed her relatively small hand atop of Sora's tanned one affectionately. "Yes," she nodded, "I mean look at them." She gestured toward the couple with her free hand. "I barely know them, but to me they look genuinely remorseful about what they did to you. Do you really want to lose your closest companions over something like this?" She caressed his hand with her thumb in a soothing circular motion while smiling sweetly.

Kairi's warm, encouraging and caring demeanour sent shivers down the spiky brunet's spine. His skin was crawling with excitement. Riku was grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't have put it better. Naminé overlooked the affection Kairi was aiming at Sora and only gave mind to the auburn beauty's words. She too was beaming like the sun.

"Kairi…" Sora trailed off as it was all he could say to her. He was blown away. She made a very crucial point here. He couldn't give up on his friends. The three used to hang around each other all the time, mainly on the small play island that no one went to. Could he really let all those times go to waste? If they made a mistake, that was okay; humans were perfectly imperfect beings. Besides it was probably safe to say that Sora was getting in the way of true love. He should have been more attentive to Riku's feelings in the past. But Riku had his ways of disguising his true emotions.

"Come on, Sora. I thought you were a bigger man than that." The brunet looked up to see his albino best friend smirking cheekily at him.

"Riku, Naminé," he started, standing up from his comfort zone. Kairi was on the edge of her seat, anticipating what Sora was going to do next. Sora moved toward his best friends and wrapped an arm around each of them in a make-up hug. The brunet looked at each of them with a twelve-inch grin, "I forgive you both. You obviously make each other happy, and I would hate to be the bad guy standing in the way of that."

"Oh, Sora we knew you'd come through!" Naminé wrapped her arms around him in a friendly gesture, as did Riku. They were as tight as chemical bonds so this was normal for the trio. Kairi laid back and watched the bonds of the three come together once more, as it should have been. They released their holds and the blonde turned to the redhead. "And thank you for giving him that nudge he needed," she pushed her hand forward for emphasis. "Kairi, right? It's really nice to meet you." She said unresentfully while sticking out her hand.

"Likewise, Naminé," Kairi shook the blonde's hand eagerly. She gave her a bewildered look, "it's like looking in a blonde mirror. Are we related?"

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't think so. But you do have a point, Kairi; we do look alike." Naminé replied.

"Hm, well," Kairi let go of Naminé's hand and turned to the albino man, "it's nice to meet you too, Riku. I hope we can all hang out together sometime in the future."

"Yeah, you too Kairi," Riku nodded. He leaned down into the brunet's ear and whispered, "She's hot; nice going Sora, didn't think you had it in you. You gonna get some or what?"

"Shut up," Sora hissed back.

"I'm just messing with ya." Riku laughed quietly as he ruffled Sora's soft spiky excuse for hair.

Naminé leaned in to where Kairi was seated. The latter directed a questioning look towards the former. The blonde whispered to her, "Kairi, can you do me a favour?"

"What?"

"Take care of Sora for me." Naminé urged.

"I think he's old enough to manage on his own," Kairi laughed quietly.

"No," she clarified while laughing herself, "I mean help him move on."

"I think he already has." She said while observing Sora and Riku playfully ranting.

"Yeah, I know, but what I'm really trying to say is that I think he really likes you, Kairi." She gave her a warm smile.

This caught Kairi off-guard. Her face turned bright red as her heart skipped a beat. "Y-You really think so?" She stared at the cute brunet longingly with sparkling eyes.

"Of course; you're very sweet and really pretty. Sora rarely treats girls like this, so you must have really captured his attention." This made the auburn-haired young woman's heart race like crazy.

"Thank you," she appreciated modestly as she pulled at the hem of her skirt. "You too, Naminé. Someday we should hang out; just the two of us."

"Sounds good," Naminé said those final words to Kairi exclusively and stood up straight. "Riku, I think we should get going," and added in a whisper, "and let these two get down to business."

Riku snickered, "I understand completely." He bade Sora and Kairi a final goodbye and turned to Kairi, "Again, it was nice meeting you." Said redhead nodded in response as if saying 'you too'.

Naminé waved at both of them, "We hope to see you two soon." She then mouthed the words 'good luck' to the brunet and flashed her eyes momentarily at Kairi. Sora concurred.

"Take care." Sora said cheerily as he and Kairi watched them exit the café hand-in-hand. Once the fair couple were out of sight they both sat back down. Kairi observed Sora staring at his empty glass. When the hell did he finish his cocoa?

"What's on your mind, Sora?" She asked warmly.

He gazed at Kairi calmly and smiled at her. "It's just I'm really thankful that you made me resolve things just now. You made me realise how important those two are to me. And life is too short to be depressed. Thanks, Kairi."

"Aww, you're very welcome, Sora. For the record, you don't seem like the kind to hold a grudge." She shook her head, "It doesn't suit you at all."

"I appreciate the insinuation and I agree." The wild-haired man and the auburn-haired woman chuckled in sync. Sora whipped out his phone from his pocket and checked the time. He then looked outside the window to see that sunset was close at hand. "We should really get going. I'll go pay upfront while you just go outside. I'll meet you there."

"Okay," Kairi obliged after finishing off her beverage. She lifted her bag off the ground and slung it over her shoulder like it was designed to. She walked toward the door and exited.

She didn't have to wait long as Sora followed literally seconds after her. "You ready to go?"

"Mm," she nodded.

The sky was quite clear this time at night. The moon was shining brightly in all its full glory upon the city. The streets of Twilight Town were usually very calm after the shadows blanketed the land. The lights of the small town glimmered like pixie dust in the darkness so the city wasn't completely devoid of light. The residents needed some way to get around at night, after all.

Two lone figures, one brunet and one redhead, happily strolled side by side in a quiet street right off the main route of transport in Twilight Town; the main road. They happily conversed and joked about random things that came to mind.

"Come on, Kai. You've got to admit The Lion King is the best Disney film ever produced!"

"Frozen is far superior to any Disney film to date."

"How about you admit, after all this time, that I'm right and you're wrong."

The auburn beauty rolled her eyes, "How about shut up?"

"You shut up!" Their guffaws echoed through the entire street. Sora looked right ahead. I love arguing with her, he thought excitedly.

They stopped in front of a building which was their destination. It was the apartment block Kairi resided in. They faced each other side-on to the face of the building with half a metre distance between them. Kairi stood with her hands folded in front of her and looked Sora in the eye. "Thank you for this afternoon, Sora, and thanks for walking me home." She smiled gratefully. "I really enjoy spending time with you."

Sora had his hands in his jacket pockets. "You're welcome anytime, and I enjoy spending time with you too, Kai." He mirrored her beautiful smile.

Kairi fiddled with the strap of her shoulder bag. She nodded while smiling. Then after little to no contemplation, she did something that neither of them saw coming.

She embraced him.

Sora became wide-eyed as her slender arms quickly snaked themselves around his torso. Kairi had absolutely no idea what she was thinking at that time. She surmised it was just a 'spur of the moment' sort of thing. But he was being so kind toward her that Kairi deemed she had to show her appreciation toward Sora somehow.

After what seemed like an eternity of panic in only a few seconds, it slowly evaporated when the auburn beauty felt a pair of strong arms finally reciprocate her hold. She relaxed and melted. He was so warm. The balminess contrasted well with the cold winter's howl swirling around them. Kairi subconsciously tightened her grip on Sora.

Sora wasn't really sure what was going on, so he just shrugged and went with the flow. He didn't want to make Kairi feel like an idiot by not hugging her back. Though he admitted that her embrace, for lack of a better word, felt good; it felt right. To him, it was like all else was worthless. After five more heavenly seconds they slowly released their hold on each other.

Kairi did her best to look Sora in the eye, but inevitably couldn't. She was flushing (lucky it was dark) and her heart was hammering…

Hard.

"Um…" she adjusted her glasses and gazed at his cerulean orbs, "Thanks again."

He shook his head, "No, I should be thanking you, Kairi," he told her softly as he gradually closed the distance between them.

"Why is that?" She inquired innocently.

"Because you made me see that it was time to move on." He was so close to her that a sheet of paper couldn't get between them. Sora's eyes remained fixated on her dazzling orbs. His arms wrapped around her waist slowly and held her there firmly, but gently.

"Sora…" She moaned. Kairi had never in her wildest imagination thought she would be this intimate with another male. The feeling was indescribable. She loved being held close by a person she had genuine feelings for. She could only fall deeper into those pits of blue. The tips of his spiky hair tickled her forehead and she could still smell the chocolate from his breath. This only made him more irresistible.

"And there's only one more step to completing this transformation." He lifted one arm to remove her glasses from her face. Kairi was so stunned she couldn't comprehend the situation at hand. Sora's eyes fluttered closed as he leaned his face down slowly until his lips pressed against hers. After Kairi's initial shock, her eyes fluttered closed and she wrapped her slender arms tightly around the brunet's neck.

Now it wasn't like in the movies where the couple would kiss passionately and tongues would slide. This was real life. The couple simply kept their lips pressed against one another; both tightening their holds affectionately on the other.

This was Kairi's first kiss! She could hardly believe it. Her knees were weak, her skin was crawling with excitement and she was finding it hard to breathe. Overall she just felt warm and fuzzy. His lips felt so soft against hers! She had the urge to deepen the kiss but refrained. This was okay for her; she considered she knew Sora well enough to go to the next stage of this relationship.

Kairi never pulled away, which was a good sign for Sora. Instead she pressed her body closer to his and moaned, eyes remaining shut. That same warmth returned from moments before. Yeah, this definitely felt right. And what was even better was that this was the girl who addressed him earlier in the paper. She had admitted it herself on the ride home. It came as a somewhat surprise to him.

After thirty seconds of heaven the couple parted for oxygen, but remained in each other's arms tangled tightly. Kairi had to speak first.

"Wow… that was nice." She was astonished.

"I really like you, Kairi. You're so beautiful," Sora caressed her smooth cheek and played with her hair simultaneously.

"I really like you too, Sora. You're so honey-tongued." Kairi mimicked the brunet's actions. Sora furrowed his brows. Kairi giggled and rolled her eyes playfully, "It means you're sweet."

"Well in that case, will you—"

"Hush," Kairi placed her finger on his lips. She then buried her face in his comfy chest, shutting her eyes and inhaling his scent. "I'm all yours, Sora."

Said brunet beamed and rested his cheek on the top of his new girlfriend's head and shut his eyes, savouring that moment in time.

Meanwhile from a window near the top of the building, a certain raven-haired young woman observed the new romance blossoming down below from her apartment. She smiled and walked to the coffee table to retrieve her mobile phone. She dialed a certain number and waited a few moments for a certain spiky-haired blonde to pick up.

"What's the sitch, Xion?"

"Roxas, it is mission accomplished!"

And so it ends. Sorry it took so long to get this part up! But you know how life gets in the way -_-"

I do apologise for any grammatical errors there may be. If you identify any, let me know as proofreading has not been undertaken as of yet.

I honestly didn't expect this story to get so much positive feedback so a thank you to those who favourited, followed and of course those who took their time out to review this story. You guys are awesome.

I'd like to give shoutouts to everyone who reviewed this story:

thelonesomeartist

dario. flaman (No space. It disappears if there's no space :P)

SoraxKairi7

Drzhar

aliesa0209

KittyKat1217

MasterKaze (My first ever reviewer. You're awesome dude!)

And last, but most certainly not least, I give a very special shoutout to dontjudgeabookbyitscover15! This girl is absolutely amazing! She's probably the closest buddy I've ever had on the Internet. I never actually expected to have any friends on this site, but when this girl first thanked me for my reviews to her stories, I instantly took advantage of the situation and ended up making a wonderful new friend :) So readers, please check out her page. She's got really awesome ideas and whatnot to share with the fans. It would be much appreciated by her if you gave her some feedback :) Please people, you won't be let down, I swear!

Only time will tell if I will post other fics in the future, but stay tuned anyway! lol I do have ideas lingering in my head.

I hope you people enjoyed reading this story. I must say I'm happy with the way it turned out in general. So please leave your thoughts and comments in the form of a lovely review if you don't mind :D Constructive criticism is also welcome to let me know what I can improve on in future.

Well that was long... and I'm tired. It's nearly 4am so I'm off to bed.

(1) "Of course I do French. What did you expect?"

(2) "Of course I speak French. What did you expect?"

Peace!