"Hey, Kairi. I heard you made it back." Tidus wasn't sure why he was pointing out the obvious now, but at the time it had sounded all right.
"Yeah, I'm here now." She was staring off into the distance, probably thinking of those things that she wouldn't tell anyone.
"Well, I'm really glad. You know, that you're back." He could barely control the blabber, it just happened.
Kairi turned her head up towards him, gazing at him with soft violet eyes. "I'm glad to be back. You've grown a little."
Tidus gave a boastful smile. "Yeah, well, I've been doing a lot of training. I'll be able to beat Riku when they come back!"
He didn't realize his mistake until her lips formed a pout and her eyes turned back to the ground. Tidus squatted and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kairi. I didn't think before I said that."
Her lips curved into the tiniest of tiny smiles. "Do you ever?"
He lounged back on the sand, comfortable now. "Not really. But if I did think about things before I say them then the things I say wouldn't be as brilliant."
Kairi chuckled and shook back her feathery hair so that she'd get a good look at him. "What am I going to do if they don't come back?"
Kairi had never, ever, ever entertained the notion that they wouldn't come back.
"Well then you'll just have to hang out with us. We might not be as cool, but we can be fun sometimes."
She gave a little nod. "You guys are always fun. Sorry if you think we ditched you."
"So, uh, what were you doing?"
Kairi's attention turned to the skyline, the sun cutting through the middle. "We were making a mistake, Tidus. We were making a horrible, horrible mistake."
0--0
No one has spent the night on the little island in a long time. It was almost like something haunted it, like some sort of presence lingered long afterwards. But Tidus managed to round up Wakka and Selphie, who agreed that with Kairi around the presence wouldn't bother them so much.
She was sitting on the bridge next to Selphie, watching the boys try and perfect their new underwater game. Selphie was making bracelets out of shells and reeds, kicking her bare feet high above the sand.
"We really missed you, you know. Tidus got really sad especially."
"Really?"
"Yah. He didn't even want to play ball with Wakka for a while. But now he's okay again because you're back."
Kairi turned her attention to Tidus, his mop of dirty blonde hair dripping with the rough salt water. He'd gotten taller, and his face had filled out enough to make him look more like a teen than a kid. Toned, Kairi noted, was another word to describe his newfound look.
"Hey Kairi!" He was calling for her, waving his arms. "Wanna come play?"
She giggled. "I don't think I can."
"Then you can keep score. And Selphie can be our cheerleader. C'mon!"
Exchanging glances, the girls giggled and bolted for the shack, running down the stairs. The hot sand barely affected their uncovered feet as they padded towards the saturated boys.
Wakka was explaining the rules to them, how to keep score and what was a foul. Kairi solemnly nodded along and agreed not to show any bias. Selphie was already jumping up and down, cheering for them both even though they hadn't started the game yet. She couldn't seem to make up her mind about whose side she was on.
Kairi watched them play a very crude game of ball, one that needed some kinks worked out and a better playing field, and for once her mind wasn't on a certain young man and a certain promise.
0--0
The crickets were singing for them now, an island lullaby. Selphie and Wakka snoozed by the boats while Kairi sat next to the waterfall. She wasn't sure where Tidus had gotten off to, but when she heard footsteps she had the feeling that she was about to find out.
"Can I sit down?" He pointed at the ground next to her. Kairi nodded. He plopped down and stretched his growing legs out in front of him. Kairi began to tap her nails on her own.
"I miss Sora."
"I'm sure. Sorry."
"But, at the same time, I don't miss him."
"Huh?"
"Is that sad or what?"
Tidus turned to her. "I don't know what you mean."
"I mean…I miss him, but not as much as I should, you know? I can't help but being happy, even if I want to be sad about it. I know I shouldn't be sad anyway, so I'm not sure what the problem is, but…I feel like doing something else besides sitting here and moping."
"What do you feel like doing?"
It was hard to see, but Tidus could feel her face pressing closer towards hers. It was hard to see over the roar of the waterfall, but Tidus could feel every little pulse of her heart and every little breath. When she began to pull away she ran her lips up his nose and forehead and then sat right back where she was.
"Why did you come here, Tidus?"
"Well, I wanted to, uh, tell you that I'm glad that you're back."
She gave him another smile, genuine this time, so bright that he could just tell it was there. "So am I."
0FIN0
XD The last thing I need is another OTP, I swear. Too late.
TidusKairi rocks my socks. Are there any that you know of that you would recommend? Or any at all?
It's times like these that I wish you could make MORE THAN ONE C2! GRRR!
I'd have about a billion. Yeah. No kidding.
So, anyway, please review and let me know what you think. Am I even crazier for putting these two together? It took me forever, so I'd like any input or critique.