one.
o-o-o-o

Kairi sat bunched between various conversations of former classmates, all reminiscing about the past and trying to 'up' one another on the present.

"You're a fitness instructor? No way! You could barely even throw a ball in gym class!" exclaimed one of the girls. Kairi wished Namine would have joined her in this lovely ten-year class reunion, but her best friend and roommate simply wasn't into it. She sat at the corner of the couch, watching others interact.

"Hey, Kairi, right?" a guy she recognized as Tidus asked. He was hosting this reunion in his "bachelor pad," on the eighth floor of a high-end apartment complex. He didn't look too much different from high school, and she was surprised he even remembered her name. She heard he started his own business, and obviously, it seemed to be working out. Kairi nodded. "Yo! How have you been?!" He slapped her, rather hard on the back.

"Uh, I've been good," she said, still recovering from the hit. He got distracted by someone else and left. Typical.

But there was one person that wasn't there. Kairi thought about leaving, since she had already been here for three hours, and it was nearing ten o'clock. Saturday night or not, she was tired. And it wasn't like she really cared much about the remaining classmates. Most of them didn't even know who she was, so why stick around? Her phone buzzed.

"I figured you may be out late tonight, so I took Pepper with me. See you tomorrow!"

Kairi sighed and put her phone away. Drinks were being passed around like candy. Tidus and his friends were getting so loud, that she wondered if the soundproof walls really worked.

"What kind of business do you run again? It can't be legal, man!"

"Dude, I sell real estate stuff…" Tidus said, chugging another shot of something. He then burst into laughter for no reason.

She felt like the only sober person in a sea of drunks. This was pointless. Just as Kairi reached for her purse, the doorbell rang.

"Someone get that!" Tidus called out. "If it's my stupid neighbor, uh, invite them in!"

Some girl opened the door and squealed. "Oh my God! Sora!"

Kairi froze.

"Dude, who?" Tidus and his friends hurried to the kitchen, where sure enough, Sora Yamada stood. "DUDE! IT'S BEEN AGES!" A loud cheer erupted.

"Sorry for being late. I just got off work." Sora looked around the room and waved.

"Work? Hey, dude, I gotta show you my parrot." Tidus was beginning to slur his words. He dragged Sora to the hallway.

Kairi nearly fainted. She secretly hoped he would show, and now he was here. She wondered how he'd been all this time. He never knew it, but Kairi had a major crush on him all throughout high school, ever since their freshman algebra class together. He lent her a pencil and smiled at her, and she fell for him that very day. She recalled it like it was yesterday. All those giddy, unrequited feelings rushed back to her the moment he came through that door.

Okay, so, yes. He was the main reason she came to this stupid reunion.

She watched in awe as Sora, Tidus and a few others talked. Of course, he looked more mature. He wore an untucked dress shirt and tie with khakis. His hair looked tamer. He had the same tan complexion, and most of all, his dorky smile. She couldn't ever forget that.

"I thought you had a parrot?" Sora asked Tidus. "I don't see this parrot. I think you're imagining things."

"Nah, man, it was here!"

"I think you're on something." Sora laughed it off.

Kairi couldn't bring herself to move. What could she even say to him after all this time? They barely talked back then. Regardless, she wasn't as shy as she used to be. She patiently waited for an opportunity. She wasn't going to screw it up this time.

After a while, everyone winded down. Some of the remaining classmates left, leaving only Tidus, Sora, and a few others. Kairi felt really out of place, but she couldn't go just yet. Sora mainly stayed in the kitchen. Tidus fell asleep on the recliner, and a few of his friends were still playing a very competitive game of beer pong. Sora finished his cup of water and set it on the counter. He looked pretty worn out himself.

Was now her chance? He was by himself…

'Oh, hell. Just go and talk to him!' Kairi walked into the kitchen. Sora was scrolling through his phone as she grabbed an empty red cup. She needed water first. Maybe she should have taken a shot or two...

The sausage fest in the living room cheered again.

"HEY! I'm trying to sleep!" Tidus yelled. "My head is killing me!"

Sora chuckled behind her. "Have they been like this the whole time?"

'What? Is he talking to me?' Kairi thought. Of course, he was. She was the only other person in the kitchen. And it was incredibly awkward.

"Yeah, they were drinking when I got here two hours ago."

"I'm not surprised." He scanned her face for a moment. "Uh, sorry, I can't remember your name."

Shot down, but she remained calm. "Kairi. We only had a few classes together back then."

"I see."

Silence ensued as Kairi tried to come up with something—anything, to get the ball rolling. She didn't prepare for this at all. Sora kept his eyes on his phone.

"I need some fresh air," she said finally, hoping he just might agree. He looked up, but didn't move. Kairi left the kitchen and slid open the door to the balcony.

He didn't follow her. Great.

Regardless, being outside still calmed her. The deed was done. She came here, she saw Sora for the first time in ten years, and they exchanged a few words. She felt okay with her life at this very-

The door opened, and Sora stepped onto the balcony. "Mind if I join?"

"No, not at all."

"It's crazy in there," he said. "My partying days are over."

"Same."

"You didn't seem like you were enjoying yourself."

Kairi blushed. "Huh? Oh, it's because I didn't drink, I guess."

"Their morning is going to suck."

"I can't even imagine," Kairi said.

"Tidus is everything I expected him to be."

"Oh yeah?"

Sora decided to change the subject. "Kairi… hm. Now that I think about it, I think I do remember you. Didn't you used to wear black hoodies all the time?"

"Unfortunately, as well as oversized T-shirts."

"You look so different."

"Is that good?" He shrugged. "So, what have you been doing for these past ten years?" Kairi asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"You know, work. The usual."

Kairi tried to keep it going. "What do you do?"

"I work for my dad. Go figure."

This small talk wasn't going to get anywhere, but Kairi was happy to even exchange one word with her long-time crush. "At that law firm?" She remembered that his dad was a big-shot lawyer. Their classmates often joked that they would sue him for silly things.

"Yeah, I became an attorney like he wanted me to." Although it was meant as a jab at his father, he sounded so nonchalant about it. As if, he had lost touch. "At least it keeps me busy," Sora continued. "I like being busy. But, I also like this."

"This?"

"The sky."

"Well, your name does mean sky, after all," Kairi said.

"Really? I didn't know." Sora chuckled. "What about you?"

Was he really interested, or just filling the silent void? "I work part-time at a nail salon, and I tutor three nights a week."

"Cool, cool." Sora straightened up and yawned. "I see your nails aren't that pretty, though."

Kairi had to look at them. "Yeah, when you're doing everyone else's, it's hard to keep your own looking nice. I don't even really like it, to be honest. These people tell you things that they don't even tell their closest friends, and I don't like being in that position."

"You think you are in an awkward position? I get to defend people that are clearly guilty and that have done some really bad things. It really messes with your conscience sometimes."

Kairi didn't expect such a dark turn. "Yeah, I guess my job is nothing compared to yours."

"I'm sorry if I come across as rude." Sora sighed. "I don't even know why I came here tonight."

"It's okay." It was a little strange, but Kairi's idolized opinion of him didn't change. "You seem stressed."

Sora cracked a smile. "Yeah, probably. But hey, that's what being an adult is all about, right?"

"I don't think I agree completely, but—"

"Hey, wanna exchange numbers? I'd love to hang out some other time. Right now, I just keep thinking about how nice to would be to go to sleep."

Did she bore him? No, he's been like that the whole time. They punched each other's numbers into their phones. "I think I'm going to head out too. Everyone in there is passed out, anyway."

"After you." Sora allowed her back into the house first. The host, Tidus, was snoring from the recliner, so they quietly made their exit. All in all, she was glad she came. They reached the elevator and waited.

"This was fun," Kairi said, but Sora didn't respond. The elevator door opened, and they got in.

"Lobby, right? You don't have any other appointments tonight?" he mused.

"Nope, I'm completely free." They reached the ground floor.

Sora stopped in the middle of the lobby and looked back at Kairi. "You know what? This is really random, but if you're up for it, I may be able to squeeze a little more time in between now and a nice, cozy bed. Wanna get ramen? I'm starving."

"Now? It's almost midnight," Kairi said, but in truth, she didn't want him to go just yet. "Yeah, sure. Are they open this late?"

"I know a place."

Kairi felt a little anxious as she followed Sora to the red-light district. This was an area of Destiny Islands that she liked to avoid, but with Sora by her side, she would go against that. This was the guy she never forgot about, no matter how many dates she went on. Being with him tonight made her feel like she was on top of the world.

A bell went off as they stepped into the Ramen shop. Kairi suppressed a yawn and they found a table in the far side corner. "It's on me. What do you want?"

"Oh, no, I can't let you do that. I'll pay for myself."

"Really, it's fine."

"Okay, just udon, then."

Sora went up to order. 'He's buying me food. This almost feels like a date. No, Kairi. Pull yourself together. He's just being nice!'

"It'll take about ten minutes," Sora said as he sat back down. "Thanks for coming with me. I just didn't wanna eat by myself. That gets old after a while."

"Don't you ever go out with friends? What about, uh… what's his name, Riku?"

"Riku got married and moved away."

Kairi looked down. "Oh."

"I mean, we still text every now and then. He's got two kids, so he's busy. And of course, so am I." Sora noticed her staring at the table. "Wait, do you have kids? Are you married? Is your husband going to kill me?"

Kairi shook her head quickly. "No! I'm not with anyone, and I'm kid-free. Not that I don't like kids, I just… I just can't see myself having them any time soon."

Sora scoffed. "You and me both. I don't have time for that. I'm almost thirty, and the most I have is my own apartment and a pet snake named Bobo."

Kairi gasped. "What do you feed it?"

"Live mice." Sora answered quickly. Kairi gave a disgusted look. "I'm kidding. They're dead already."

"Still don't like it."

"He's really cute, though. Maybe I'll let you meet him sometime." Sora went to get the food and brought it back to the table.

"I never eat this late," Kairi said, then blew on her noodles.

"I always eat this late," Sora said, his mouth full. "I don't usually get off until ten or eleven."

"Wow. My latest night was nine, and that was because I had to wait for a late parent to pick their child up."

"That sucks." Sora wiped his mouth and gulped down some water. "I'm usually buried in paperwork. It's so annoying."

"So, what do you think you'd be doing if you didn't work there?"

"I'd be a surf instructor, or a biologist."

"Those are two drastically different careers."

"I grew up here by the water, and I've always had a fondness for animals. I think if I could choose though, I would just end up being a surf instructor because I hate school." He looked up. "I don't know how you can voluntarily teach school subjects."

"It's just extra money." Kairi shrugged. She was getting full, but she didn't want Sora to feel bad if she didn't eat much.

"All this talk about work is bumming me out. What else are you into?"

"Well, like you, I also have an apartment, but I live with my friend, Namine. She went to school with us, too, but she didn't want to come to the reunion. We usually go shopping together, or travel. But in my own time, I like to… um," Kairi paused, "I have my own blog that I write, and sometimes I do v-logs."

"V-logs? Like on the internet?"

"Yeah, I've uploaded a few, but not recently. I usually review places that I go. Lately, I haven't had as much time."

"Cool! I wanna see it," Sora said, taking out his phone. "What's your screen name? I'll follow your blog too. I hate to read, but I'm sure your blog is more interesting than what I put up with."

He was so much more animated now. Kairi wasn't sure how to react to his sudden change in demeanor.

Now that Kairi thought about it, she may or may not have written about him before. In a panic, she hesitated, but just figured that if she did, it was buried among hundreds of entries. She could make it private before he ever got to read it, if he even went back that far.

"It's under Kai-Bear."

"That sounds like a pet name." Sora typed that into his phone. "Nice picture." He looked up at her for comparison. "You should smile like that more."

Kairi's face reddened. "I do."

"Subscribed. That is really cool."

"Thank you. Do you have anything online?"

"No, I wish I had time for that. I think it'd be a lot of fun."

"Well, maybe you can be in my v-log someday."

As if a light bulb went off, Sora said, "How about now?"

Kairi blinked several times before responding. "I would love to, but…"

Sora laughed. "I'm just kidding. So where have you traveled? The only place I've been outside of the islands was Traverse Town on a field trip… ten-ish years ago." He hung his head in shame.

"I went too, remember?" Kairi giggled. "You and some of your friends got lost in the Third District and drove Ms. Caleum nuts."

"Oh, we weren't lost. We just didn't feel like being on the tour anymore. Good times. We actually sat on the roof of the hotel."

"I can't say I wasn't worried," Kairi admitted. Sora smirked. "Since then, I've been to Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, and even Daybreak Town. My grandma lives in Radiant Garden, so I have been there more than other places."

"Did you post a video of it?"

"Yeah, I have a few for each place."

"I'll definitely have to check that out."

"You really should visit there. It's very nice, and there's a beautiful night sky."

"That sounds nice. Sometimes I just really like peace and quiet. If I ever get time off, I may just do that. Get away from it all. But actually, the beach does the trick for me. You know that little island? I like to take a boat down there really late at night."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Nah. It's just not recommended to go by yourself."

"I've honestly never been."

Sora gasped. "Are you serious?! And you've lived here for how long?"

"Since the summer before ninth grade," she replied. "I never had anyone that would go with me."

"Well, you do now. Man, you can't live here and just not go."

Kairi was flattered that he seemed to want to do so many things with her. It could all be just talk, but it sure made her feel special.

"I'll have to check it out, then."

Although their conversation was a little awkward, Kairi still felt like she made a new friend. "Are you off tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Sundays are my only days off."

"Tough."

Sora slurped some more noodles. "I'm used to it. I was thinking of hitting the waves. My apartment is right by the water."

"That must be nice. I live about a ten-minute drive from the beach."

Once again, the conversation went dry. She wanted to know every single detail about him, but that would have to wait. She didn't even know if she would see him after tonight, even though she had his number.

"Are you done eating? I think I've had enough." His bowl was clean.

As embarrassed as she was for not eating but half of her meal, Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I'm done." A yawn soon followed. Sora got a to-go carton and packed it for her, sealing it tight. "I could have done that," she said, but Sora ignored it.

"I can't let you go home by yourself at this hour. I'll get a cab." They left the ramen shop, and Sora flagged one down. Kairi would have protested if it weren't for her sixty yawns a minute. Even Sora was starting to catch on. Tonight was the best night she had in a long time, and she never thought she would be hanging out with the guy she admired all throughout high school. Her infatuation faded over the years, but tonight they returned, full force.

"Where to?" Sora asked.

"Oh, um, it's right off of Sunset Blvd. Palm Tree Cove." The driver started the tab and went on his way. Kairi tried to hide her yawn this time.

"Whoa, you're really tired. I'm sorry for keeping you out so late. I really had fun, though."

"Me too," Kairi said, then cracked a weak smile. They were quiet for the next fifteen minutes. The cab pulled up to her apartment complex, and Sora got out with her. "It's okay, I've got it from here."

He gave a look of disbelief. "I can find another cab." Sora paid the man, much to Kairi's refusal, and waved him off. Kairi had no choice but to let him do the "gentleman" thing and walk her to her door. It would probably hurt his pride if he didn't, and honestly, Kairi didn't mind one bit. They went up to the second floor.

"It's the last one on the end," she told him, fumbling in her purse for her keys.

"This is a nice place. You've got fingerprint locks and everything."

"I still like to make sure I have my keys." Kairi stopped in front of her door. "Well, thank you."

Sora put his arms out, confusing Kairi for a moment. "Hug?" She reluctantly stepped forward and allowed him to wrap his arms around her. He could probably feel her heart beating out of her chest and the sweat on her face. After a few moments, he didn't let go.

"Um," Kairi said, moving a little.

"Oh, I almost fell asleep." He let go of her and let out a huge yawn.

Why is he so cute?!

Kairi laughed nervously. "Are you sure you can make it home?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just a thirty-minute walk or something."

Kairi checked the time on her phone. "Do you hear yourself? It's two in the morning." She pondered for a moment, her heart still lodged in her throat.

"I'll definitely be calling—"

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Kairi interrupted. Sora's mouth gaped open. "I mean, just because it's really late and all, and I too worry about you going home by yourself and I don't want you to get kidnapped or something. We used to have a third roommate, but she recently moved out, so there's an extra bed."

"Kidnapped?" Sora asked, then chuckled. "That's cute. Are you sure, though?"

Kairi nodded, her face red as a tomato. "Yeah, it's fine. Namine always goes to her boyfriend's house on Saturday nights, so it'll be just us." She knew what she sounded like, what the implications might be to him, but she really wanted him to stay.

"Hm, alright, if you don't mind."

o-o-o-o
o-o-o-o

A/N: I'm so excited to write again! Leave a review, if you want.