A/N Hi there! Thousands of apologies for not overcoming my writer's block faster! I've been busy as of late! I seem to have abandoned all hope for finishing What the Future Holds, being that there were too many complications to work out. Maybe with a more open mind I'll be able to come back to it someday (and a little more support couldn't hurt either! )). Just a semi-quick oneshot with some semi-fluff for all of my fellow SoraxKairi fans out there (it seems like there's less and less of us every day...); also the first story I've written for Kingdom Hearts. This took me the longest time to write- the idea was there, but it took forever to get it down on paper. There wasn't really any real-life inspiration or anything- just floated into my mind, in case you were wondering. That said, I'll stop the rambling now and let you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: Maybe in a hundred years when everyone who owns Kingdom Hearts dies...you know what? I'm not even going there. Ms. Psychic Genius owns nada.

:.Soundless Volumes.:

If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine.

His smile. She had seen so many breath-taking things in her life, but all paled in comparison to that. It had to be the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. Even when both she and Riku had experienced gloom in some shape or form, he still managed to smile through it. It had a certain radiance to it, so brilliant, yet so silly, that the grin was soon passed along to whoever saw it. And it was usually complemented by his trademark pose- hands folded neatly behind his mane of spiky hair, with him reclining slightly. To realize that this adorable face was being directed at her, and that she was the cause of it...well, it gave her a satisfied feeling, like a warm touch to the heart. And that was putting it mildly.

At an earlier time of her life, during her "simpleton" years, when her naivety was at its peak, she would have questioned herself about that certain feeling. Why was it there whenever he was around, and why did it disappear with him? Was she the only one alive who experienced these strange feelings, was it normal? And more importantly, was it normal to feel that way towards your best friend? After a while of barraging herself with these redundant questions, years of helplessly waiting for some sign from him, she finally came to realize the truth.

He had felt the same the entire time.

It had been so obvious! She had been so blind to every action of love that he had bestowed upon her. This temporary blindness had faded once she had returned to the islands for the first time, when she revisited the secret place. If there had ever been an overabundance of childhood memories, it was there. Memories of Sora and her drawing on the stone wall, and being sent into giggling fits once they had realized that they had drawn each other without even knowing or suggesting it.

Kairi had run her fingertips along the smooth walls, moving along at a slow pace, absorbing not only the memories but also the small amount of sunlight that streamed through the cracks in the rock that made up the ceiling. Then she saw it: their picture. Smile inducing, not faded the least bit, and...

Different.

Before her eyes, she saw the childish portraits of Sora and herself, with the addition of an outstretched hand balancing a Paopu fruit in its palm...it was being directed at the chalky portrait of her. Kairi felt a lump in her throat and swallowed it with some difficulty. A tear silently fell from one of her bright cerulean eyes, and her hand covered her mouth.

She'd considered leaving, but something in the drawing had begun to beckon to her. And she responded to it immediately. Finding the closest rock shard, she picked it up and carved a new addition to the "masterpiece". There was not only one Paopu fruit now, but two. And the new fruit was facing the opposite direction as the first. After letting newly formed tears fall down her cheek, which had turned a heated red, she stood and left, feeling something inside her change, like her heart had just learned a revelation of knowledge. And that had been exactly what had happened.

From that day on, she knew. She knew, but refused to acknowledge it in fear of causing any awkwardness between herself and Sora. If he wanted to acknowledge it, he would. But then again, what if he was waiting for her to act? After all, as far as she knew, unless she had unintentionally made what she felt clear to him, he had not a clue as to how she felt about him. Blast her and her timidity! Was it really that hard to just say those three little words to him...?

She already knew the answer to that question.

So for another year she waited in anticipation for some action on his part, the pointless questions revisiting her and streaming through her mind ceaselessly. However, it had all been in vain, since he was not even there to express himself to her. Once a year of waiting had passed, and she had refused to wait any longer, she looked for him and Riku. She found them, they had returned home, and then finally...the action came.

It had been unexpected, but she embraced it nonetheless. The day had been ending, the sun setting over their fairy-tale-like island. It was just the three of them: Sora, Riku, and herself, at their ever-so-popular spot of the Paopu fruit island. They shared tales of their journeys, the journeys that had been stricken with countless enemies, but also graced with countless friends. Their lives were slowly returning to normal, their worries became fewer.

After Sora had finished recalling a story about fighting alongside Leon, Yuffie, and the gang in Radiant Garden, the three watched the sun set in silence. It had been so unbelievably relaxing to be able to enjoy something as beautiful and simple as a sunset after so many unnerving experiences. Kairi's attention was forced off the sight when she felt a pair of baby blue eyes staring at her, Sora's eyes. She gave him an inquisitive look, and immediately following that look, his gaze returned to the sunset. She smiled when she noticed how he was trying to act nonchalant about it. Another one of the things that made her adore him so much.

Riku had observed this brief exchange and snorted. Unlike Kairi, he had not been oblivious to what was going on between his two best friends for such a long time. There were times when he believed that his friends couldn't get any thicker than they were, times when he abandoned all hope for them. These times were the present; the past was plagued with jealousy and the never-ending vying for Kairi that he fought with Sora. Whenever his mind strayed to those days, he always felt the shame derived from the ignorance of not knowing that he was fighting a lost battle. He forced himself to be blind to everything they had, to disregard the giggles that he only heard from Kairi when she was around Sora, to overlook the blush that crept onto Sora's face when she paid him the compliments she believed he deserved, to pay no heed to the way their eyes shone with the mentioning of the other.

But despite this, he eventually came to accept the bond growing between his companions. He snapped back into reality, and saw what jealousy had done to him. He foresaw the potential hurt that he may have caused his friends, and halted it before it could permanently ruin the most valuable thing he had. He found that supporting them was much easier than being involved; it was how it was meant to be. And he was truly happy about that for the first time. Looking at the two now, he realized the unavoidable truth: he had been rooting for them in his heart all along.

Figuring that this was an opportunity to once again leave the two of them by themselves, he hastily made up an excuse to return to the main island, and took off towards the dock. Riku assumed that repetition of this plan would eventually lead them to confess what was in their hearts and...oh, who was he kidding? He was no matchmaker.

The two continued their conversation without noting Riku's disappearance or his doubtful excuse. After a while, the inevitable silence came, and endured until Kairi spoke.

"Sora...you're lucky."

He glanced at her, cocking his head to the side. "How so?"

"You and Riku...you've been to so many places, met so many people, while I was stuck here." She sighed. "It must have been so exciting."

"I don't know about that. If you ask me, there was too much excitement. Every day I wished I was here, with you and Riku, but I never knew if I would ever make it back." As he said this, a breeze blew against his spiky hair, pushing some strands into his face. "But...you've been to some worlds, right? You weren't here the whole time."

She let out a soft laugh. "Sora...I wasn't exactly conscious in most of those instances."

Sora rubbed the back of his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Right." He took a moment to admire the sea surrounding the island in a desperate attempt to avoid her gaze.

"But it's my dream."

"Huh? What?" He came out of his twilight reverie, which most likely would not be the last one of that particular day.

Her eyes twinkled. "Sometimes I worry about you, you lazy bum. I'm starting to think that one of these days your brain will leave us forever." He countered with a playful shove, which almost resulted in Kairi falling off the Paopu tree. Maybe he didn't know his own strength.

"Really, what did you say? You have my full attention!" He asked, grinning that heavenly smile, after the two had recovered from their brief laugh attack.

She grinned right back, squinting her eyes shut from the intensity and force of the smile. "I meant to say that it was my dream to see all of the worlds you've been to," she said, after the "competition" had ended.

"You have my word, Kairi...someday you will. I'll make sure you do."

She looked at him for a second, but transferred her gaze to the soft sand below her. "Sora...you really are an amazing friend. Probably the best one I'll ever have," she spoke quietly.

"Really? Me, not Riku?" He seemed mildly surprised. But something in his eyes told her that he knew before she told him.

"Silly. Does everything with you have to be a contest with him?" Her playful tone contradicted her words, but Sora took no note of it.

He looked falsely astonished, and babbled incoherently for a little before saying, "No way! Why would you think that?" She gave him a look. "Okay...so maybe the past says otherwise."

"Just a little." She broke the look. "So why'd you two always compete?"

Immediately, Sora's attention was directed elsewhere. Confused, Kairi tried to get a glimpse of Sora's face, which was now turned away from her, and received the answer to her unvoiced question when she saw an unmistakable blush upon his face.

Sora knew that Kairi was far too obstinate to drop the question without an answer. He suddenly wished Riku hadn't stranded him here, alone with Kairi Feeling embarrassment, he steadily replied, "From what I remember, most of the contests were over you." At that point, he refused to acknowledge her presence, pointedly looking away from her again, causing him to miss the worried expression on Kairi's face.

"Sora, are you okay?" She already knew the reason for his behavior, after putting the pieces together in her mind, but felt obligated to ask anyway.

He snapped out of his staying contest with the sunset faster than she expected.

"You know what? Maybe I'm not." Her face, eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion, paired with her stunning eyes, urged him on, the only motivation he had to continue. He knew it was now or never; he had already dug himself in too deep. Sometimes Sora swore that Kairi was more frightening than Xemnas and Xehanort's Heartless put together.

"I've kinda been a little...off ever since I came home, probably because it still hasn't sunk in that I'm finally home. Everything still seems so unreal to me. Sometimes I can't get rid of this lonely feeling, the same one that was with me for the whole journey." At that, Kairi became concerned and gently placed one of her hands within Sora's, which had been resting on his lap. "But lately...it hasn't been as bad. And if I had to guess why, I'd say it was because of you."

He paused for a second to glance at her, noting that he was still holding his hand, but he made no effort to release it. He knew that she had heard what he said, even though she appeared to be in some sort of trance, which was unusual for her. He had a guilty feeling that he was beginning to rub off on her...

Assuming she was still listening, he continued briefly, "You mean everything in the worlds to me, Kairi. More than anything."

Ecstasy was scrawled across her face as she leaned towards Sora to give him a fleeting kiss upon his cheek.

She was at a loss for words, but neither of them felt the need for words as she smiled, for her smile said so much more than words ever could.

Did you hate it? Love it? I want to hear your thoughts! Review if you're up to it!