DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR THE RIGHTS TO ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. I PAY FULL RESPECT

TO THEIR DESIGNERS. THIS IS PURELY A FAN FICTION.

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They were sitting on the cold stone ground, not really paying attention to temperature. Kairi was sitting across from him, Pluto's head in her lap. Now that they were alone, Sora wasn't so sure of what to say.

"Well?" Kairi broke the silence, stroking Pluto's ears every so often. Sora cleared his throat. "Well, do you think I should go, Kairi? I mean, it is a summons, and if they're in trouble - "

"Sora," Kairi interrupted, looking up and letting her hand rest on the yellow dog's head. "Do you really want to know what I think?"

Sora was quiet, biting his lip. The air was chilly, but not in a bad way; the air was stuffy outside. The sun had yet to set, and left streams of dim light trailing shadows on the dark rock wall. The caves had a way of bringing coziness and uneasiness into the environment; the blank wall still left an outline of the door that used to stand there, the chalk doodles still fresh on the stone. Ivy and moss climbed every possible moist surface, and small stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping water to the ground below.

"Sora." Kairi's voice brought him back. Taking it as a cue to talk, he started up, speaking quickly, "Well, remember last time? I doubt they'd call me unless it was serious, and they are our friends, and - "

"Sora." She placed a finger over his lips, silencing him. "I think you know what to do. And what you really came to talk about."

He swallowed the rest of his sentence. Kairi always could read him like a book.

She hoped he knew what she meant, what she'd wanted to talk about. She never could read him very well; maybe he could read her better.

"You mean Riku," Sora ventured after a long silence. They both breathed and relaxed a little, relieved they knew what they were both thinking.

Pluto rose from Kairi's lap and shook his head before retreating. Humans stressed so easily - oh, well; he'd done his job. He gave them one last glance before tottering out of the cave's entrance.

"Yes, Riku," Kairi spoke, aware of the tension that choked the air. She shifted nervously, sitting in a half-lotus. "Sora. . . how do you feel about him?"

This question caught him off balance; he never expected to have this conversation with Kairi, of all people, but who was he going to talk about it with. . . Selphie? "How do I feel? What do you mean?" he asked, waiting for her to elaborate.

A chill went trough the caves. "I mean," she scrupled. "Well. . . he seems a little strange recently, doesn't he? I mean, the way he's been avoiding you. . . and me, I guess. Do you think that it has anything to do with your journeys?"

Sora ran a hand through his hair. "Well, Kairi, he did go through a lot, maybe even more than I had to. He. . . doesn't really talk about it much." Truth was, Sora had never thought to ever really ask him; Riku was always so reserved. Now that it was being brought up, he felt guilty that he never had; it made him feel like a horrible friend.

It became much quieter at pauses without Pluto's heavy breathing, making Sora nervous. Kairi exhaled her worries, then leaned closer to Sora. "You know, Sora. . . there's been something I've been wanting to talk to you about, something that doesn't really deal with Riku."

This made Sora's ears prickle up. What was she talking about? Traveling still? If so, he'd never agree to take her with him, no matter what she said. Although she knew how to make him cave, he would be obstinate; he couldn't out her in danger again. . . it would kill him. No, she would stay here if that were the case, then he'd just have to hurry back again. . . maybe a little bit faster this time. "Not Riku? I thought that that was what this was about."

"No," she spoke softly, her small voice resonating throughout the caves. "Not originally. You see, Sora. . . I've been meaning to tell you, ever since. . . since before you left the island."

Before? "What do you mean?" he asked, clueless as he always was; Kairi had always loved his empty-headed immaturity. His head fell to one side.

"When you left, I thought you were gone. But some part of me always knew you'd come back. You had promised, remember?" She slid closer to his crooked figure, out of her seating position and resting on her knees. "But then you did come back. And you were beckoned away, just as quickly. I wanted to tell you then. . . but the time never came up."

"What are you talking about Kairi?" He knew now that it probably didn't have anything to do with the missions, but what was it? Then Kairi came completely in front of him and he got a good look at her face, which had earlier been in shadow: she was blushing.

Pink crept up to his own face as his slow mind processed this - jeez, did Gummi Ship travel wear you down! "Sora, I. . . I've been meaning to tell you how I feel, but. . . I haven't quite been able to put it into words." The air got warmer, and Sora felt his cheeks catch on fire. "I've had. .. assumptions on how you might've felt, but they're just assumptions. But I can tell you how I feel, and the truth is, Sora. . . " She leaned in, her nose whispering against his. "I love you."

When her lips pressed against his, Sora thought he would pass out from air loss; he hadn't taken a breath since he'd registered her face. Oh my God was the only thought flashing repeatedly throughout his mind.

The kiss prolonged, but never deepened; she was just as nervous as him. Sora felt eyes on them, but didn't say anything - these caves had that feeling, anyway; he was probably just being paranoid. He embraced her. not so much as pushing their lips closer as bringing her body closer; the warmth felt so right.

Rocks scattered, and the two pulled away to look back; towards the entrance stood a tall, familiar figure - being the only other person on the island, it was easy to determine his identity.

"Riku?" Sora croaked, his voice gone weak all of a sudden. Kairi looked just as surprised as him, and her face flamed an embarrassed red. The shadow spun away, and you could hear him trail off away from the cave's opening. This wasn't what Sora had wanted to happen; all of a sudden, he had a sinking feeling.

"I'm - I'm sorry, Sora," Kairi whispered. Sora looked to her standing figure. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Oh, I hope he's not mad at me. Oh my God, oh. . . Riku. . . " She rushed out of the caves. Sora knew she wouldn't be successful in finding him, if that's what she was doing.

No. It was him Riku was mad at, something told him. He instantly regretted his action to hold Kairi; what had he been thinking? He sat alone in the darkness for a little while longer before exiting himself - when he had, it was almost dark.

There was no point in searching for Riku; how would he explain what happened? He had kissed Kairi - well, she had kissed him, anyways - the girl they were always fighting over, even off of the island. Seeing him kiss her. . . must have disconcerted him plenty. He was surprised though - he would normally have thought Riku would kiss her first. Why hadn't he? Gosh, Riku. . .

He stormed off, where, he wasn't sure. Just somewhere, somewhere away from that awful scene. Why had he gone there in the first place? Oh, yeah - to talk to Sora. Why else; of course, he hadn't expected to see Kairi draped across Sora's lap like Pluto, all over his face.

For all he knew, he had started it. As foolish as he might be, Sora was capable anything; he'd shown that plenty of times. Sora. . . why? was the only thing he kept thinking, then he shook it off as he reached the coastline. Sora could do as he pleased; he wasn't his father, or anything. Sora was practically a grown-up. . . well, except for that childish sense of optimism, anyway.

He heard Kairi withdraw from the cave; she was calling his name into the ocean air. "Riku? Riku!" she cried; she should've known he'd never answer. He climbed to the tallest treehouse, and stood on the small deck that overlooked the left side of the horizon, standing near the tree and hiding in the shadows; she'd never see him here.

After the wind wore away her voice, Riku relaxed. Sora. . . He dropped the boy from his mind. Why the hell should he care? He'd known that the fool liked Kairi, ever since. . . well, forever. He was the one to tease him about it, even fought for her attention. . .

For a little while. Then he stopped, and faked it to tease Sora. It was easier than, well - telling Sora the truth anyway. That he liked him instead.

Lucky Kairi; she had it so easy. Girls never seemed to have trouble telling others about their feelings. Oh they'd play it up, sure - crying about the whole "I'm so nervous" and "I'm so shy" and all that crap. But it was too hard for him to say something like that to Sora, and it wasn't because he was too shy.

It was because it made him feel too vulnerable in front of him. And in front of Sora, he could never be vulnerable.

It would've been easier if Sora shared the same emotions. . . in fact, that's what he had been counting on. But after seeing that - well, it was time to give up. If there was anything he was good at, it was hiding the truth.

The wind blew through his silver hair, stiffening it with salt and opening his senses. Just a few more days, and Sora would leave again. There was no point in detaining him on his mission now. He should let him go. After all, if you love something, you set it free, right?

And if it was meant to be, it'll fly back to you.

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Jeez, it took FOREVER to get this one out. I mean, I've been working on other reuests - not to mention school - and I've seemed to totally abandon my KH fanfics! I'm sorry, guys; I love you, I really do!

Well, Kairi finally kissed Sora, but it'll get more yaoi-fied (that should be a word) as we go on, because clearly Sora feels guilty.

I need reviews - comments with ideas would be nice, considering it takes me awhile to write, and I'm totally in -Man mode right now. (Yullen! Yay!)

The next chapter will be titled, "Departure".