The new found fourteen-year-old watched the 'fight' from afar. Her short red hair blew with the wind as she sat atop the paopu tree, watching her two closest friends whack each other with wooden swords. She giggled at the playfulness, and couldn't help but wonder, Goodness… when did we get so old?

It seemed like only yesterday the trio had first met. She had been scared at first; she'd woken up on a strange island all alone with no memory of where she came from. Everything had seemed so different and new. But the moment she met them something deep in her heart told her these boys were nothing to fear. She had been right.

…But now she was fourteen! Where had all the time gone?

She looked out at her Birthday gathering. People stood all around the small play island, some gathered in clusters eating cake, others walking off in pairs to soak their feet in the water. Her best friends Sora and Riku always provided the entertainment, though personally didn't see hitting one another with wooden sticks as 'entertaining'.

She suddenly heard singing and looked over to see her friend Selphie skipping across the bridge to her. Selphie had short brown hair, a spunky child-like personality, and the ability to make nearly anyone do as she wished. Though Kairi certainly enjoyed her company when the boys weren't around, she didn't exactly go searching for the girl. She was just a little too… girlish for the red-head.

"I saw Tidus earlier!" Selphie proudly proclaimed as she plopped herself onto the tree next to Kairi.

"I think he was gonna ask me to a movie, but then Sora cut in and dragged him off to fight. Remind me to kick his butt later," she was animatedly saying, hands flinging through the air. Suddenly she sucked in her breath as she looked out on the beach.

"Oh, loooook at Riku's muscles! He's so handsome," she sighed dreamily. Even from a million miles away Kairi would have seen this coming—Selphie was currently on a boy kick, and she believed everyone else should be, too. Kairi shook her head at this.

Riku had been so brooding lately. He was always so lost in thought lately that he had become an entirely different person. He was quiet now, for one. He only ever came out of his 'shell' when it was just the three of them here on the play island. Secondly, he had… 'developed' over the last year or so. He certainly knew this too, but he never tried to use this fact on anyone. Unless, of course, it was her. And to be frank, Kairi was rather annoyed with it. She was well aware that the sweet innocent boys of the island were soon to become full-fledged teenage-monsters, but she rather hoped Riku wouldn't be like that. But people don't always get what they wish. That was when she found solace in Sora.

Oh, Sora.

What could she say about her knight in shining armor, as she so playfully called him (but never to his face). And what would Selphie say if she found that Kairi was on her boy kick just as much as she was? Kairi smiled at that thought.

Sora was… amazing. Sure he was slightly gullible, (did I say slightly? I mean hopelessly and completely) but he made up for that with his heart. He helped anyone and everyone, no matter their problems, and he was always willing to give people a chance. Kairi was sure she'd never be able to compete with the amount of love that boy had in his heart. And that absolutely intrigued her.

She looked out at the beach at said boy, and it seemed the fight had come to an end. He ran one of his hands through his spiky hair and playfully high-fived Riku and Tidus. He walked towards the shore and flipped his head over to brush some of the sand out of his hair (Why was she so captivated by everything he did?). He jumped headlong, clothes and all, into the ocean and idly floated on his back, staring at the clouds in the sky.

Sure, Riku was attractive… but not so attractive in her eyes as a certain spiky-haired brunette.

"Umm, earth to Kairi! Helllllloo, anybody there?" Selphie was madly waving her hands in front of Kairi's face, causing her to break out of her reverie.

"Ohhhhh… you were staring!"

"W-What? No, I wasn't. You're delusional, Selphie. Let's go get some cake," she said, to distract her friend as her cheeks softly flushed.

'You were staring at Sora!" Selphie yelped then pointed at Kairi's cheeks, "You're BLUSHING! Don't tell me you have a crush! On Sora! Oh, this is so exciting! We could go on double dates and…" Selphie rambled on, but Kairi found herself stuck on the word 'crush'.

"I don't have a crush on him," she mumbled, but Selphie was already off the tree and sprinting to the bridge.

"I have so much to plan! I'm gonna go talk to Tidus!"

"Selphie don't you dare-" but she was cut off with a wave and Selphie was gone. She fumed, the color on her cheeks biting her face.

Wow…this birthday could have turned out better. Now Selphie and Tidus both knew, and Kairi would never hear the end of it.

As she resumed her staring and vaguely wondered if Sora had any room in his heart for real love, the adorable brunette sensed her stares and met her gaze. His eyes astounded her. They were the bluest of blues and put the ocean deftly to shame. They carried so much emotion that Kairi was sure one day they would spill over and she would feel just what they were holding.

She realized she wasn't breathing as he waved at her and abruptly began swimming towards the paopu tree island. He was climbing up the small ladder at the back of the island when she concluded she should probably stop staring. He pranced over and sat next to her, their knees almost touching.

"Hey, Birthday girl! I was looking for you earlier. Can't believe I didn't think to come up here," he said with a laugh—a laugh that tickled Kairi's heart and sent shivers down her arms.

Not being able to say anything, she just giggled in response.

"So you havin' a good time? Me and Riku thought getting everyone together for you would be awesome!" He then grew quiet for a moment and Kairi had to ask what was wrong.

"Huh? Oh… I just was thinking… if you couldn't remember anything before you came here, how did you remember your birthday?"

"You, dolt, Sora!" Kairi laughed as he playfully smacked his arm. She then grew quiet, too.

"Hmm… how did I remember that? You know, I actually think about that quite often." She looked into the deep sapphires that were his eyes and suddenly couldn't control herself:

"I bet it was your eyes."

Sora stared at her, slightly taken aback. "My eyes?"

"Yeah, your eyes," she already knew she was tumbling, so why stop? "They're so full of emotion—I bet they made my heart remember." It was so cliché, yet this wasn't the first times she'd seriously considered it.

He grinned his heart-stopping-grin and clasped his hands behind his head. "Well, I'm glad I could help."

She decided then and there that she could trust the blue-eyed boy with her life… and secretly hoped her heart, too.

They sat like that for a moment longer, just enjoying each other's company, before Sora took her hand and pulled her towards the party, her stomach left somewhere behind on the paopu tree.

No, this wasn't a crush. It was much, much more than that.