Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Pairings: YuffieKairi, OletteNamine, RikuSora, RoxasAxel, IrvineSelphie, One-sided TidusYuna

Edited: January 16, 2010

For Love

Reality 1

Friday, March 20

"Kairi! Pssst, Kai!"

Kairi turned her head slightly to her right to acknowledge she heard her best friend. She knew from experience that if she didn't, the brunet would continue to pester her until he'd get them both in trouble.

"Riku says there's a new girl in his class," Sora whispered excitedly. "And that she's really cute in a tomboyish sort of way. He says he'll introduce you if you want."

At that, Kairi turned fully around and glared at him. "For the last time, I am not a lesbian!"

If Sora weren't sitting at his desk, he would have put his hands on his hips. Instead, he had to settle for crossing them over his desk. "Kairi, in the thirteen years I have known you, not once have you had a crush on any guy," he said in a very patient tone. "But I have heard you call other girls cute. On numerous occasions, actually. You don't have anything to be ashamed of. I mean, look at me and Riku!"

"Strife, Sinclair, might I suggest that the two of you quiet down!" Said their teacher in warning.

Kairi turned back around to concentrate on finishing her homework while Sora continued doodling all over his papers. She wasn't sure if he had finished his homework or if he was just seriously bored and had no idea what he was doing. Privately, Kairi thought the latter was more likely.

It wasn't until the bell rang and Miss Lockheart dismissed them that Kairi and Sora were able to talk again.

"Miss Lockheart's such a bitch," Sora muttered as they packed away their things.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed in surprise, staring at him with wide eyes. "Don't say things like that!"

"Why not?" Sora asked defensively. "She takes out her frustrations on me just because my brotherrefused to go out with her. What I don't understand is why she's mean to you too."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Have you not met my brothers?" she asked in a dry tone. "One of them stalks Cloud and, if memory serves me correctly, also turned her down. And I know you know my other brother; he's dating your twin. He had her class two years ago."

"Oh, yeah," Sora said with a laugh. "Hey, I'm hungry. Lets go get lunch!"

Kairi zipped up her book bag and slung one strap over her shoulder just in time for Sora to grab her hand and pull her out of the classroom.

She couldn't help but laugh as they raced through the halls like they did every day, ignoring the teachers and gasping out a quick "hello" as they passed by their amused friends.

Miraculously, they got down to the cafeteria without breaking anything or running into anyone. Sora dragged Kairi into the pizza line, where he got two slices of pizza and she got a salad. Then they went to begin their takeover of their usual table.

"So…" Sora said after inhaling his first slice of greasy unhealthy food. "How's your love life?"

Kairi glared at him.

Grinning, Sora continued. "Met any cute guys lately? No? Well that's too bad. Maybe I should give Riku a call and tell him--" He stopped talking when she held up her spork to his face.

"See this?" she asked in an overly sweet tone. "Do you know what I'll do with it if you do not shut your mouth?"

Sora slowly shook his head. "No…. but I can venture a guess."

"This spork will go straight up you--"

"Hey guys!" Selphie chirped as she plunked herself down beside Kairi. "Irvy and Tidus went to get food so I figured I'd come over here and talk to you- and what are you doing with that spork?"

"I'm gonna shove it up Sora's nose," Kairi growled.

Selphie looked confused. "Oh… why?"

"Because he won't shut up about how I have no interest in dating," Kairi said, still glaring at Sora. Belatedly, it dawned on her that saying that to the hopeless romantic in her circle of friends was probably not in her best interests.

Selphie deftly removed the spork from Kairi's hand. "That's no reason to threaten him! He cares about your happiness just like I do."

"I don't need a boyfriend in order to be happy," Kairi said stubbornly. "I'm perfectly fine with the way things are."

"I keep telling her that she should get a girlfriend," Sora told Selphie, deliberately ignoring Kairi.

Selphie squealed and clapped her hands together. "Wouldn't she and Olette be so cute together?"

Sora nodded. "They would! But she's dating that Naminé girl and they're even cuter together."

"Oh, yeah," Selphie said, sounding a little disappointed. "Hey! What about Rikku?"

Sora frowned. "But I'm dating Riku! And trust me, he's not a girl."

Selphie laughed. "Not your Riku, silly! I'm talking about Rikku Spira. You know, Yuna's cousin," she sneakily added as Tidus and Irvine joined them.

"Yuna? Where?" Tidus asked, looking excitedly around the cafeteria. "Does my hair look okay? There're no stains on my shirt, right?" He frowned when his friends started snickering.

Irvine patted Tidus on the back apologetically as he took his usual spot beside Selphie and kissed her cheek. "Hey, babe."

"Food?" Selphie asked hopefully.

Irvine promptly pushed over her salad and bag of chips. He watched in amusement as Selphie tore into her meal as if it were the first thing she had eaten in days.

Kairi briefly mourned the loss of her spork before she swiped Selphie's unused one and resumed eating her food. With the arrival of the other guys she hoped the topic would turn to something better. Like sports, for example.

Unfortunately for her, Sora wasn't going to let the subject go so easily.

"Irvine, what would you say if I told you Kairi was gay?" he asked.

"I'd think it odd that it's you telling me this and not her," replied the cowboy. "Leave Red alone. She gets enough stress dealing with her brothers. She doesn't need you to add to that."

Kairi gave him a thankful smile, wishing she could fully convey how much she appreciated him saying that.

Irvine winked before returning his attention to Selphie, who was eyeing his food much like a vulture eyes a small, dying animal. He sighed and pushed it over to her. Selphie's eyes lit up as she began eating his food.

Tidus took a seat beside Irvine with a grin. "So, no school on Monday. Plans? Or do you guys wanna join me on the beach for a 24-hour party?"

"Sorry, me, Kairi, and Roxas are visiting Riku and Axel at college," Sora cheerfully said.

"We are?" Kairi asked in surprise. "Why? And when did I agree to this?"

"Last night over the phone," Sora reminded her.

"You mean when I as starting to get tired and you wouldn't stop talking?" Kairi asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Maybe…"

"Go with them, Kai," Selphie urged. "It'll be fun! And you know Riku will need help keeping an eye on Sora. With his luck he'd end up wandering off and getting lost."

"I would not!" Sora protested with a pout. Then he spotted a quartet of people making their way towards the table and waved his arm in greeting. "Roxas! Tell them I would not get lost at college!"

"Sorry, Sora," Roxas said, not sounding very sorry. "But I promised Cloud I wouldn't lie anymore."

Sora gaped at his twin in disbelief. "B-but this is different!"

"No it's not," Roxas said as he took a seat across from Sora and the other four. Shortly after, he was joined by his three friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"What's this about college?" Olette asked.

"Riku and Axel found out that we don't have school on Monday but they do," Roxas explained. "So then Axel and Sora decided that me, him, and Kairi should go to college with them. I think Axel used the excuse that we will most likely be going there next year, so we might as well get used to it."

Hayner rolled his eyes and viciously stabbed the meat-substance on his tray.

"What's with him?" Tidus asked.

Roxas shook his head. He didn't want to get into what was bothering his best friend. With his luck, he would only start a fight. None of them wanted that, especially not after what happened last time.

Kairi took the hint and quickly turned the topic away from Axel. "So, what's everyone doing this weekend? Other than stirring up the usual amount of trouble, of course."

"I'm going to visit Naminé's family," Olette said. "I'm a little nervous. None of them know we're dating yet."

Everyone winced.

"Man, that's rough, Olette," Tidus said. "Are you two going to tell them? I mean, I can't imagine it'd be good if they found out on their own."

"I don't know," Olette said with a shrug. "It's up to Naminé. She let me decide whether or not to tell my family, so I'll do the same for her. But what are the rest of you going to be doing?"

"Blitzball with Wakka," Tidus said with a mouthful of food. Bits of food particles flew across the table at Olette, who crinkled her nose in distaste. He swallowed before he continued speaking. "We'll probably be out at the beach all weekend."

"Irvy, we should go with them!" Selphie exclaimed as she grabbed Irvine's shirt sleeve. "You can play referee and I can get a tan! It's perfect!"

"I don't know about 'perfect'," Irvine replied, wincing when Selphie narrowed her eyes at him. "I have to work this weekend, remember? I told you earlier this week."

Selphie's irritation visibly melted away as she remembered that he had in fact told her that. So she pouted in disappointment instead.

"Don't do that," Irvine said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'll make it up to you. Promise."

Selphie smiled and kissed his cheek. "You'd better! And I'm still going with them. Anyone else?"

"Why don't we all meet out on the old island," Kairi suggested. "It'll be just like when we were all kids!"

"Ooo! I'll tell Riku!" Sora exclaimed, excitedly waving one arm in the air. Then he dove for his book bag in search of his phone. The most amusing thing about him trying to find anything in his book bag was that it usually involved him fitting half his body inside the bag in search of whatever was eluding him. "Roxas, you should ask Axel!" he said as he resurfaced.

"Sora, do you not remember what happened the last time I invited him to hang out there? And this was after you went on about how we always played there and kids and going there makes you feel like you're in middle school again," Roxas said, crossing his arms on the table.

"That's was years ago," Sora said dismissively, his fingers flying across the keypad of his phone as he typed out a message for Riku.

"It was last week!"

Sora blinked in surprise. "Really? So- but wait, I remember that thing he did years ago when he went around licking people. What'd he do last week?"

Roxas blushed and looked away, eliciting laughter from most of his friends. They were sure they knew what the redhead did.

"What?" Sora asked. "I don't get it! What'd he do?"

Sora's cluelessness only made them laugh more.

Selphie nudged Kairi suddenly. "That movie we were talking about came out a few days ago. I've got some free time tonight if you wanna go see it."

Kairi wasn't fazed by the abruptness of the question. It was normal in their group to be talking about one thing and then switch to another without missing a beat. "Sure."

Selphie beamed. "Great! I tried to talk Irvy into going with me, but he says he doesn't want to go see a chick flick." She rolled her eyes and took another bite of food before giving Irvine a look of discontentment.

"Hey, you won't believe what happened in Chemistry today!"

Kairi started eating her food again as Pence began an amusing story about what had gone wrong in his science class earlier that morning.

Kairi collapsed face first in her bed after getting home from the movie theater. Going anywhere with Selphie was a trial of the fittest on the best day and a nightmare on the worst. After years of knowing the energetic brunette, she was no longer fazed by anything that happened. In fact, she had begun to look forward to outings with her friend.

"Oi, Roxas wants to know if you told me something," Axel said as he appeared in her doorway. "What should I tell him?"

Kairi turned her head so she could give him an incredulous look. 'Did he seriously just ask me that?'

"Gotcha," Axel said before he walked past her room. "She didn't say a word, Rox."

Kairi lay there for a moment longer listening to Axel talk to Roxas and staring at her open door. It was only a few minutes before she dragged herself out of the bed to go close the door and turn out the lights so she could sleep peacefully. As she shut the door, someone stuck a foot in the way and stopped her. Reluctantly, Kairi opened the door to address Reno, her oldest brother.

"What?" she asked grumpily. He was standing in her way of sleep and she'd be damned if she would let that go unpunished.

"I heard Axel talking to Roxas about going to the beach," Reno said. "Is Sora going too?"

Kairi narrowed her eyes into a glare. "What do you think?" she snapped, wishing she could slam the door in his face. "Can't you ask Axel this?"

Reno ignored her. "If Roxas will be there, I'm sure Sora will be too. Which means that Cloud will be home all alone…"

Kairi started to close the door before his words registered in her mind. She swung the door back open so hard that it banged back into the door stopper. "Leave Cloud alone or I'll help Roxas kick your ass!" She growled, shoving him back into the hall. She glared at him for a moment and then slammed her door shut and retreated to her comfy bed.

She didn't bother to dress for the night and let herself drift off to sleep within minutes of lying down.

End Chapter

So, this is my new pet project that I'll be working with alongside Mall Duty 2. This chapter is mainly to set up the world that Kairi lives in and who her friends are and everything. Next chapter things will get a little more interesting, which in my writing usually means that things are about to get either weird or confusing or both.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You may not get a straight answer if it's something I'm not ready to divulge yet. And also, if you find any major mistakes, let me know. I'm not very good at finding them without help.