A/N: Hello one and all! Today's one-shot is the first of my 100 one-shot challenge that I started back in January. (Yes, I know. It took me forever to get started.) This first one-shot challenge is for the Kingdom Hearts fandom and was requested by Salaeren.

Challenge: Sora has saved the day, gaining the ability to balance light and darkness, but has yet to get some romantic closure with Kairi.

Salaeren, this is for you. I hope you'll enjoy the one-shot. Thank you for supporting my writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own the awesomeness that is Kingdom Hearts.

Warnings: My story knowledge of Kingdom Hearts ends around the Dream Drop Distance area so...if something is off, let me know. I did the best I could. Also...the title...whatever I came up with is subject to change because at this point in time...I have no idea what title to give this work. Title suggestions would be appreciated...unless I somehow come up with an epic title. Oh forget it, just enjoy the one-shot.

From the moment the journey first began, Sora had never been sure if his battle against darkness would end. The keyblade that chose him granted him with amazing abilities and sent him away on adventures with two unlikely comrades who ultimately became two of his closest friends. Over time, he continued to make friends across the vast expanse of worlds and through his many adventures he was able to learn more about himself and the things that truly mattered to him. He gained strength and courage through the ordeal, perhaps a little wisdom too, but Sora could never be sure about that last one.

But he had lost things too. At one point he had lost an entire year of his life in sleep. The initial trauma from this realization caused him to develop a habit of avoiding the need for sleep. Sometimes he slept for shorter periods of time and sometimes he skipped out on sleep altogether when the threat of heartless was high. On more than one occasion he would sit outside of a makeshift campsite while Donald and Goofy rested and wait for battles that never came. While waiting he would stare up at the sky and think of Kairi and Riku, the friends he had been separated from for so long. It had been a constant cycle until he found them in the World that Never Was.

However, even in reuniting with them again, he felt as if too much time had passed. He could pretend all he wanted. He could smile and act as if nothing had happened at all, but deep down he couldn't deny the truth. Things had changed because of their mutual duties as keyblade wielders, and all at once he realized nothing would ever be the same again. There would always be danger. There would always be something or someone aiming to separate them permanetly. He understood this but tried desperately not to think about it.

When lost in his dreams, he learned there were people in his heart who had lost even more than he had. Roxas in particular held a great deal of pain inside him from the loss of two friends, one of which he couldn't begin to remember. Sora knew he was part of his Other's tragedy, but how was he supposed to fix it? How was he supposed to fix all that hurt?

With Xehanort lurking about, seeking to create another keyblade war, Sora hadn't been given any time to figure any of it out. All he knew was that thanks to this crazy madman, there was a new darkness roaming in his heart, one he couldn't push away no matter how much he smiled or joked as normal. He continued to encourage his friends and continued to train for the day when the great battle would begin.

The young wielder of the Kingdom Key hid his emotions well. He was even able to convince himself that he wasn't scared, that the mere thought of his friends entering into a war caused a uncomfortable knot to twist in his chest. He knew Riku could handle himself in a fight. After all, he was a keyblade master now, but Kairi...

Facing the possibilities of what could happen to her proved to be the most torturous.

Often he would have dreams about her fighting against a couple of weak heartless with a smile on her face. Then, in a flash of dark energy, Xemnas or one of Xehanort's other clones would be standing behind her, chuckling vindictively. Sora would scream out a warning and run towards her, but his footsteps were always too slow. It was as if the dream forced him into slow motion while the rest of the dream happened in real time. Every time he had this dream he would still be screaming, trying in vain to tell her that she was in danger. She would tilt her head in an inquisitive manner, her crystal blue gaze filled with confusion because for one reason or another she couldn't hear the laughter directly behind her.

And by the time she did, it was always too late. A pristine white blade he had never seen before would pierce through her chest before Sora could reach her. With the thrust of the weapon, through her heart, blood would sputter out with droplets splattering against his face.

Kairi always fell backwards against her assailant's body, her hand reaching out towards the wound as tears leaked from her eyes. There was agony in those eyes, but also the look of anger as if he had been the one to pierce her.

The last words she speaks in these dreams are always the same and every time he hears them, Sora hates himself for ever wanting to leave Destiny Islands in the first place.

Why...Sora?

Sora would glare at her killer only to find a mirror image of himself standing behind her, holding the unfamiliar weapon with his lips turned upward in a wicked smile.

And then, after a few seconds the mirror image would stare directly at him with golden eyes instead of blue. The fake answered her question without breaking eye contact with him, looking as if he knew something Sora didn't.

Because the darkness hates the light.

The nightmare became a reoccurring curse that forced him to stay awake for as long as possible in order to avoid it.

Sora never told Kairi or anyone else about the dreams. He never let on that he had them aside from getting a bit more protective of her to the point where he became an annoyance to everyone.

The guardians of light had defeated Xehanort. The thriteen seekers of darkness were gone and the people trapped in Sora's heart were free now. He was able to keep the keyblade, but...

That dream...that had nightmare remained.

Maybe he couldn't believe it. Maybe he couldn't' fathom the reality staring back at him. As he awoke to the sight of his bedroom ceiling, he wondered if the adventures he had found himself partaking in had happened at all or if it had all been one long dream.

Familiar rays of sunlight filtered in through his window. In the distance he could see the blue ocean and fluffy white clouds in the sky. He was home. That battles had been won. The worlds were safe again. He was free...

Or at least he would be once all of his injuries healed. Donald must have skipped out on curing him...again.

Sora couldn't remember much of the final battle aside from the sting of the many wounds inflicted on him. He wasn't even sure if he had struck the final blow against the mad man or if the honor had gone to someone else. The aftermath was a lost memory too.

Before passing out though, he remembered seeing Kairi...hurt. She'd been hurt...

How long has he been out? Had he lost another year?

And Kairi...what happend to Kairi?

With widening eyes, Sora shot up from is bed with a gasp, then a groan as a sharp and searing pain rocketed through his abdomen. He clutched the area with his hand, his fingertips brushing against the folds of bandages wrapped around his torso. While gathering his bearings he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror across the room. There were bandages wrapped around his head too.

"Man, Donald must have really skipped out on healing me," he thought, cringing with every movement he tried to make. "How am I home anyway? The last thing I remember is being out on the battlefield and..."

His mind went back to Kairi then as he struggled to stay in an upright siting position. Slowly he swung his legs over the edge of his bed, breathing heavily from the effort. He sat there for a few minutes, noting that his room was still as messy as ever. His old wooden sword lay in the corner next to a couple wads of dirty socks. On his desk he observed a scattering of papers. Before leaving to face off against the seekers of darkness he had been given an essay to work on by his English teacher. It was long overdue by now.

Chuckling he moved to stand. It was a shaky effort, one that failed miserably after a couple of seconds. His legs felt like jelly.

He started to try again when the door suddenly creaked open. He blinks, his cerulean gaze turning towards the door.

There in the doorway, Kairi stood, wearing her school uniform. In her hands she held a small tray with a plate of food resting on top of it. Sora's empty stomach instatnly reacts to the sight of a meal, but he pretends not to hear it. His eyes are fixated on her shocked expression as she stares at him.

Was she real? Was she actually standing there, safe and unharmed, or was he having another nightmare?

"So...the lazy bum finally awakens," she breaths out after a long moment, her wispy red locks swaying gently as she moves toward the desk. She sets the food there and pivots on her heel to face him again, though she doesn't look up to meet his gaze. "How are you feeling?"

Sora can't answer at first. Something feels off in the air. He can't place why.

"Are we back?" He asks after a while. "Are we home?"

Kairi nods, still not looking at him directly. "Yep, it's all over. So, how are you feeling? You didn't answer before."

"I'm fine," he says monotonously, still wondering why she wasn't looking at him until he noticed bandages wrapped around her left arm. His mind takes him back to the battle briefly. He remembered seeing her lying on the ground, holding her arm as red liquid seeped out from the wound, but then...

"What happened to your arm, Kairi?"

Kairi shakes her head. "Nothing much. Just got nicked by a heartless in the last battle." After a another moment she finally lifts her gaze to meet his. "You would have known that if you hadn't decided to be a lazy bum and sleep right through it. It was quite the spectacle."

"How long have I been out for?"

"About three days," Kairi answers immediately, walking closer to him with her usual carefree smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You really shouldn't be moving around yet. You got the worst of the injuries. And to think you were so worried about me. Ha!"

Sora groaned involuntarily at that. "I missed all of it?"

"Well, as I said, you got the worst of the injuries." Kairi reaches out to pat his head, but then at the last minute she draws back, dropping her arm down to her side.

Sora notices. "Kairi? Is something wrong. You're acting strange."

Kairi blinked, looking genuinely perplexed. "What? You kidding? Everthing's great! We're finally back home. All these battles are finally over. We can..." her words slowly taper off.

"We can...?"

"We can live normal lives again," Kairi stated softly, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't seem convinced of that. She was trying to hide it, but Sora knew something was bothering her.

His dream came to mind as he stared at her. Her left arm was in bandages and he had a vague memory of seeing her hurt. From what he could recall, when he saw her, she had been looking up towards him with a wide expression on her face.

Silence permeated the air, filling the room with tension. At first he couldn't understand why Kairi hadn't been able to meet his gaze, but then it comes to him in a flash, the realization causing his chest to ache in silent horror as a the dull memory became clear.

Kairi's gaze began to dart about the room, giving Sora a clue that she was wracking her brain for any excuse to leave. Had he not been overwhelmed by his own onslaught of emotions, he would have noticed the light blush coloring her cheeks.

"I guess...I'll..."

"It was me, wasn't it?"

Kairi took a step back, clearly shocked by how roughly Sora had spoken the words. Instant guilt wracked through him, but he pressed on.

"The heartless didn't hurt you," he continued, unable to look at her. "It was me. I did that to your arm. That's the truth, right?"

For a moment Sora thought she would try to lie. She opened her mouth, ready to protest, but then she stopped, once more dropping her arms down to her sides. Her gaze dropped to the floor as she answered.

"Yes. I'm not sure how it happened, but Xehanort took control of you."

"And he sent me after you?"

Kairi gave a simple nod. "Yes."

Sora's gaze fell to his hands resting on his lap. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kairi."

"No, don't apologize," Kairi replied, moving to take a seat next to him. "It wasn't your fault, Sora."

He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that it was over. He wanted to think that the darkness was gone completely.

But he knew the truth. The darkness was still inside him.

"Xehanort ordered you to kill me," Kairi continued, placing her hand over one of his. "You had ample opportunity to do so, but you didn't. You fought against the darkness and won."

"But I still hurt you." Sora argued, unable to look at her. "And you're afraid of me now, right? That's why you couldn't look at me earlier?"

There was silence for a few seconds and then the red headed girl outright laughed at him.

"Hey!" Sora exclaimed, more than a little hurt by her outburst. "Stop it! This is serious, Kairi!"

She continued to laugh. "You think...I'm scared...of you...hahahahaha!" With more giggles she fell back against his bed, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Oh, Sora, you crack me up."

Sora glanced back at her, sorrow filling his gaze. "Kairi, please stop. This really isn't something to laugh about."

"Yes it is." Taming her giggles, Kairi lifts herself up from the bed while placing one of her hands on his exposed shoulder. "Sora, the reason I couldn't look at you earlier had nothing to do with that. I know what happened was out of your control. It would be unfair to hold that against you. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I..." he trailed off when Kairi placed her index finger over his lips. For a few seconds he went cross-eyed, which earned another giggle from the seventh princess of heart.

Once she knew he would stay silent, Kairi lowered her hand. "Sora, the truth is that I was just caught off guard when I came in here. For the last couple of days I've been debating something in my head and...well when I walked in and saw you awake I...was caught off guard."

Sora raised an eyebrow. She wasn't making any sense to him.

"Okay, let me try this again," Kairi murmured, looking a little embarassed. "I decided that when you woke up, we would finally talk about those drawings in the secret place. I know you saw my addition to it."

He had seen it. He had seen it and been elated by the possibilities of what it meant, but he never got the chance to talk with Kairi about it. He had been meaning to, but then he'd been called away from home by the king. He hadn't had a spare moment to consider the drawings since.

"I had wanted to tell you something," she told him, "But seeing you made me nervous."

Sora felt that his next question was a stupid one, but he asked anyway.

"Why?"

Kairi blushed. "Well, for one, you're half naked."

Sora blinked, then stared down at himself. His torso was completely exposed aside from the bandages and the only other article of clothing he had on was a pair of black flannel pajama pants. The boy's blush darkened. He hadn't been expecting that answer.

"Secondly, you looked terrified when you saw me."

"I did?"

"Yeah," Kairi answered, turning her gaze away from him again for a couple of seconds. "I figured you thought I was going to give you a hard time for what happened to my arm, but then you asked about it. Clearly you didn't remember what happened and I didn't want you to know the truth. I couldn't lie while looking right at you." She laughed again while tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I guess it doesn't matter though. You figured me out, well, sort of."

Sora wasn't sure what to say to that. He felt silly, but at the same time he still felt guilty about hurting her. A vision of his nightmare appeared in his head again. He shuddered in terror at the mere thought of it.

Kairi's let out a exasperated sigh, almost as if she knew what he was thinking about. "Sora, I know about the dreams."

Sora's eyes widened in astonishment as he turned to look at her. He wasn't sure whether to bombard her with questions or pretend he didn't know what she was talking about. Kairi didn't give him a chance to pick one.

"You talk in your sleep sometimes. Once, when we were all staying at Yen Sid's tower...I passed by your room and heard you call my name. You kept apologizing over and over. At first I thought you had heard me walking by and wanted to talk, but when I peeked into the room, you were asleep. So, I just put two and two together."

"Kairi..."

"With how protective you were, it didn't take long for me to figure the rest out. I know you like to think you can hide your real feelings, but you're really no good at it, especially when the person you're trying to hide things from knows you as well as I do."

Sora hated to admit it, but she had a point.

"We've been best friends for as long as I can remember." Closing her eyes she added, "You never once hesitated to protect me, even if it meant...losing yourself to darkness."

"How could I?" Sora asked, suddenly exhausted from the effort of talking. "I promised that I would protect you, but in the end...I ended up being the thing you needed protection from..."

"Stop that," Kairi cut in sternly, gripping his hand a bit more tightly. "That wasn't your fault. How many times do I have to say it?"

Sora couldn't help but laugh at her tone. She certainly meant business. He wouldn't argue with her, not now when things were safe again. For however long peace remained, he would relax and enjoy this time. At any moment it could all slip away again. He was no longer the naïve child he had been when the adventure began. Even with Xehanort gone, there was another evil out there, waiting for its chance to spread fear and turmoil.

So he wasn't going to waste anymore time.

"You can be so stupid sometimes..."

"Say, Kairi..."

Kairi stopped in her rant to stare at him. "What's up?"

"You said you wanted to talk about the secret place," Sora replied, his eyes lingering on the stubborn strands of red hair falling over her face again. "So, let's talk."

Kairi could feel her face flushing as she spoke. "Um...what do you want me to say?"

Sora smiled, lifting his hand to tuck those stubborn strands behind her ear. "You don't have to say anything. Just listen, okay?"

She nodded in agreement.

"Back then, when I drew myself giving you a piece of Papou fruit," he began, "I didn't know why I was doing it. I just knew I didn't want you and Riku sharing one. We were really competitive."

"Were?"

Sora laughed. "Well, I think it was worse back then. We were always fighting over you. It wasn't until I realized your heart was trapped inside mine that I really thought about why. See, I didn't hesitate to give up my heart for you. Looking back, stabbing myself with a keyblade is the craziest thing I've ever done. I became a heartless and created the darkness that exists in my heart now, but I...if I had to do that all over again, I wouldn't change what I did. Even if you couldn't save me like you did before...I would still do it again."

Kairi's hand began to shake atop his. "Why?"

"Because someone once told me that people do crazy things when they're in love," Sora answered, his gaze solely on hers. "To do what I did..." He trailed off for a second to swallow the lump of nervousness that was in his throat.

"Go on," she pleaded.

"I must have been in love with you all the way back then...maybe even before that." He glanced down at their interlocked hands, unable to look directly at her anymore. "Yeah, you had my heart from the day we met. I'm sure of that now. When I saw the drawing, I wondered if you felt the same about me, but...I..."

A set of full lips pressed against his, preventing him from speaking further. For a moment he was paralyzed, unable to process the idea of Kairi kissing him.

Kairi pulled away before he could snap out of the shocked state she had put him in. There was a wide smile on her face.

"I love you too, Sora," she stated simply. "Always have, always will. No matter what happens and no matter what stupid thing you do."

Sora felt his heart swell. "Are you sure?"

Kairi punched his arm lightly. "Of course I'm sure. After everything we've been through..."

This time it was Sora's turn to cut Kairi off with his lips. Kairi didn't complain, instead choosing to kiss him back with a kind of ferver neither of them knew she possessed. Sora smiled against her lips, grateful to know that he hadn't lost her, that he wouldn't have to think about losing her for a long time.

For now, he could put the nightmares to rest.

And when they came back, the two of them would face them together.

A/N: Salaeren, I'm not sure if this is exactly what you wanted, but I really hope you enjoyed the one-shot. Thanks again for supporting my work. And to the whole KH fanfic community, thanks for reading and writing. I was inspired by many excellent works in this fandom. Anyway, if you guys enjoyed this leave me a review and share the feels. Constructive criticism is also welcome. There's always room for improvement. Have a wonderful day everyone!