A/N: So, this is my first story, and I think I might do something a bit strange with the following chapters you'll see when I get there ) . Anyway, I hope the introduction is good enough to pass, hehe.

Sunlight played gently over her closed eyelids, warming them affectionately like the morning kiss of a lover. Kairi stirred softly under the light ministrations shifting across her face. She rose from her heavy slumber, and stretched languidly through the soft sheets. A simple sigh whispered past her lips, then she inhaled deeply, taking in the faint scent of lavender that drifted about her. Kairi had not yet established the will to fully stir, as the mere sense of the delicate sheets against her skin kept her snug and satisfied. As she stretched there, she listened to that barely conscious, swaying shift of the sea outside. It splashed upon the shore, singing lightly to her: a sigh, a swish, the sliding sand--and out it went again.

Kairi gasped suddenly as a realization snapped itself into place. He's home…

In one swift bound, she hurled the covers off her body and charged over to her closet, tearing viciously through the drawers. She glanced sidelong at a small digital clock perched on the purple bookshelf nearby.

"Oh no, it's already nine!"

Kairi snatched up a dark rose-colored, lengthy undershirt and hastily pulled it down over her head. Over this, she threw on a light tan spaghetti strap top. The neckline of the top shirt was a bit low, so the floral lace print of the undershirt was visibly peeking out from underneath. She grabbed up a matching, darker red skirt and slipped it on. It was slightly pleated, allowing it to flow freely about her thighs. Kairi turned to her right and examined the way her clothes fell in the full-length mirror. She laughed a little at the untidy nest of hair that plagued the top of her head. Rapidly obtaining a thickly bristled brush off the nearest table, she made a few quick passes through her dark red hair before deciding that it was presentable enough. It took her only a few more minutes to finish the rest of her morning preparations before she was ready to join her mother in the kitchen.

Her morning rush seemed to evaporate as soon as she passed through the swinging doors into the breakfast nook. Kairi's mother was chewing on her bottom lip with apparent consternation as she absent-mindedly swirled an almost empty glass of orange juice around with her hand. Kairi averted her eyes from her mother, shuffling over to the toaster to put in a few pieces of bread.

Things had been quiet between the two of them only just recently. For many reasons, Kairi could level with her. According to her mother's point of view, her daughter had disappeared twice within the past few years, had come back spouting fairy tales about other worlds, and gave no inkling about the thought that she might disappear again. Kairi knew her mother was concerned, not only about her health, but also about Kairi leaving the protective aura of her mother's 'wings' too early. She had refrained from telling her mother exactly what took place when she was away; fearful that stories of her being kidnapped, having to fight and having to watch others suffer would just depress her mother more.

It had only been a few days since they arrived back home, and things were rocky for her two friends as well. It came as a shock to many people, their parents especially, that the boys they all considered lost and most likely dead, were actually anything but.

"Good morning….Mom…" Kairi felt the words stumble flatly out into the air.

Mrs. Kamiya stirred, came out of her deep reverie, and then offered nothing but a curt nod. She turned her back to her daughter, and began intensely scrubbing the stovetop. Kairi heard her toast pop, but she ignored it momentarily, feeling the air around her mother tighten and choke. She knew her mother was trying hard not to cry. Mrs. Kamiya noticed the silence.

"Are you going out today?" She inquired, stifling a light sob.

"…I promised I'd help Sora and Riku get their school credits today…um…but we'll be around the neighborhood."

"This district?" Her mother rose up slightly, as if getting slightly more hopeful.

Kairi slipped her hands behind her back for a moment and nodded, perking up. "We might go a little bit into town, but I'll try to keep them around the Timber Owl area so you can keep an eye out if you want."

Mrs. Kamiya looked entirely relieved now, but hastily waved her hand flippantly back and forth. "Oh—no, no, you go off and have fun." She knew that despite this comment, her daughter was going to heed to her words.

Kairi buttered her toast, sat at the table and daintily began to munch at the corner of her breakfast. She only got a few bites in before there was a tentative knock at the door behind her. Turning at an angle, she slid off the side of her stool carefully so that her skirt wouldn't ride up behind her. Gripping the handle, Kairi pulled back the wooden door to reveal a pair of bright sapphire blue eyes on the other side.

"Morning, Kairi." His eyes sparkled in the morning light, but they weren't as radiant as his greeting smile.

Kairi giggled lightly into the side of her hand. "Good morning, Sora." She lightly traced up and down his figure, noting that he was wearing simple grayish colored shorts with a loose black t-shirt. As her vision drifted over his chest, she unexpectedly recalled the few moments when he had held her close to his heart—in Hollow Bastion, and more recently in the world of the Nobodies. She blushed inwardly, a little ashamed of thinking so romantically towards her friend.

Even still…it felt so right…being that close to him. He was so warm…

Apparently her eyes seemed to linger a little bit too long on him without explaining, and she saw him shift slightly in embarrassment.

"Um…you okay Kairi?"

"W-what?" Her light blue eyes snapped upwards and focused back on his in shock. "Oh! S-sorry…I only woke up a little while ago so I'm still…"

She sensed movement a little bit behind Sora's body that framed the doorway, and turned to look. Riku was leaning lazily up against the white fence lining the property. He was wearing a simple yellow and white tee that hung loose over deep cobalt blue jeans. Upon noticing Kairi's attention, he waved briefly with the tip of his hand.

"Ah…" Kairi blinked a bit in surprise. "Good morning Riku. I'm sorry I didn't see you…I guess I'm a bit distracted." She half turned to look back into the kitchen, where her mother stood stock-still, watching the three of them. Feeling a bit guilty, Kairi shrank back against the open doorway, waving her farewell to her mother. She quickly pushed Sora out of the way, slipped out and shut the door behind her.

Riku raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Things are still so bad between the two of you that you can't finish your breakfast?"

Bemused, Kairi lightly tilted her head to one side. "How did you know I was…"

Her friend made a light tap at the corner of his mouth, and Kairi's hand instinctively flew up to the same position on her own face. She felt a rough sprinkling of dry crumbs in the nook of her mouth and gasped in embarrassment, brushing them away as fast as she could. When she stopped, she saw Sora looking back at her sadly.

"Kairi…"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't have skipped out on breakfast because it's important and we're going to be working today--" She twittered on, her emotions still unsorted as they bounded through her head.

Sora shook his head, cutting her off. "That's not what we're worried about, Kairi…" He laid his hand gently on her shoulder. Though she didn't physically pull away, her eyes, which suddenly became fixated on the ground, clearly gave away her feelings.

"I don't know how to tell her." She mumbled softly to the dirt path. "She thinks that both times, I left this world because I wanted to, not because I was attacked or kidnapped. And if she knows that I was forced to leave twice, I think she'll make the connection that being with you two is dangerous, and decide I can't handle it."

Sora's hand gripped her more firmly, drawing her attention back upwards. "We're here to protect you now, so you don't have to worry about getting taken again."

Riku frowned contemplatively and began to stroll down the road, kicking up little dust clouds as he walked. "As for your mother…I think if you don't want to tell her that's your business, but you have to appease the situation somehow."

"Just let her know how happy you are to be here." Sora grinned, throwing his arm playfully over her shoulder as he steered her down the path away from her house.

His jovial action sent an inner jolt of shock running through her body. Her fears instantly melted as she felt warmth rising up in her face. She felt his heart thumping evenly against her side and tried her best to ignore it. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out from under his arm and darted up to the top of the hill, spinning on one toe so she could properly shout back down the slight incline to her friends.

"Hurry, or you'll both get into more trouble!"

Riku rolled his eyes a bit absent-mindedly. "And whose fault is it that we started out so late, hmm?"

"Ah…that's…"

Sora lifted his arms up behind his head and snickered to himself. "What's up with you today, Riku? Normally you only pick on me. Must be my luc--"

"You have one freebee."

His grin faded and Sora blinked confusedly over in his friend's direction. "Er…freebee?"

Riku just shrugged. "Sure. If you're good I'll let you off the hook now and then. But only if."

Sora's crafty smile once more reappeared. "Reaaally…so in that case I should have a whole lot of those saved up, right? After all, I did save yo--"

Cutting him off again, Riku crossed his arms contemplatively. "Well, if you insist on bringing it up, I should mention that you amassed quite a lot of negative values from all those times I had to throw you hints. Actually…you might OWE me some favors…"

Crestfallen, Sora let his arms fall to his sides. "Yeah, b-but…"

"Heh…why don't you buy me lunch? I'll see how I feel after."

As Sora continued to protest after his friend, Kairi pulled back to watch them make their trek down the sandy hill. Things certainly weren't perfect now; it might take a while to get over the bumps and confusion of transition. Still…

She lowered her voice so that only she could hear. "I have faith that, in the end, we'll finally find happiness."