Simple and Clean

When you walk away...

The island wind ruffled the girl's crimson hair as she stood on the shore, her bare feet tickled by the waves. Violet-blue eyes stared out into the depths of the ocean, waiting and watching. She thought of the last time she had been standing on the beach, and the events that followed...

"We've got something in common, Kairi. You and I both miss someone we care about. Hey, I feel like we're friends already..." Kairi flinched away from the redhead who addressed her and narrowed her violet eyes. "You're not acting very friendly." She spat.

She had been taken from her home. For lack of a better word, she had been kidnapped. Taken to a strange world and locked away in a dungeon. However, to her, the ordeal was almost worth it, because she got to see him. His spiky chestnut hair bounced slightly as he fought off the dark creatures, and his ocean-hued eyes sparkled as they met hers. After the battle was finally over she sprinted over to him, standing on tip-toe to wrap her arms around his neck. She buried her head in his shoulder, reveling in his scent: sea salt and paopu fruit. Her voice barely managed to escape her throat, "This is real..." His chuckle pierced through her heart, a sound she had missed and waited so long to hear again. Sora... Where have you been...? But the reunion was short-lived. Once they found the Door to Darkness, Sora and Riku left her alone again, off to save the worlds for a second time.

So, where did this leave Kairi? Back on their beloved island, the poor redhead waited for the return of her best friends, worrying herself silly. What if something happened to them? What if they never came back? The paranoia gnawed at her, almost to the point where it was unbearable.

You don't hear me say...

Kairi heard a thud behind her, and whipped herself around, almost tripping and falling into the salty sea-spray. There on the beach, in an awkward gangly pile of limbs, was the boy she had been waiting so long to see.

"Sora!" She cried, running to him and falling on the sand next to him. He threw his arm around her and crushed her to him in a bear hug, squeezing the life out of her. "S-Sora... can't... breathe!" He immediately released her, brushing his hand over his spiky hair as his cheeks flushed a pale pink. "Oh, sorry Kairi..." He left his arm draped over her shoulder and brought his other hand up to tuck a strand of ruby hair behind Kairi's ear. This simple but intimate gesture caused her cheeks to flush as dark as her hair and she turned away, hoping to hide the warmth flooding her cheeks.

Sora frowned, his lip jutting out in a puppy-like pout. "Aw, gimme a break, Kairi...!" He whined. He curled his fingers around her chin and brought her face close to his, leaning his forehead against hers. The close proximity of their faces left Kairi blushing furiously, her violet gaze darting between Sora's eyes and his lips, a strange urge curling up in her stomach.

Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight...

With a smirk on his face and a glimmer in his eye, Sora closed the remaining distance between them, brushing his lips against hers gently, pulling back to see her reaction. Wide-eyed as a doe, Kairi smiled before placing a delicate hand on Sora's cheek, pulling his face back down to hers. This time the kiss was more intense, riddled with the hesitancy of first love. The teens reacted purely on instinct, moving with each other perfectly.

It's hard to let it go...

It was a match made in heaven.

After what seemed like forever, the teens parted, taking in deep breaths. Both were red-faced and giddy, unsure of what to say next. Sora flopped down onto the sand, placing his hands behind his head. Kairi then followed suit, but she rested her head on the boy's chest with her ear over his heartbeat. Then, Sora spoke, his voice deep but still shaky with the uncertainty of what had happened.

"Hey, Kairi?" The girl looked up at him, barely moving her head from the comfortable place she had found.

"Yeah, Sora?" His laughter rang out again and he ruffled Kairi's hair with one large hand. The sound only intensifies when the girl flailed her hands at him, whining for "messing up her hair." Sora smirked and dropped a kiss onto Kairi's forehead, causing her to smile wider than she ever thought possible. She reached her hand upward and toyed with the silver crown on his necklace, twirling the emblem back and forth. A gasp erupted from her lips as a large hand covered hers as Sora laced their fingers together before placing their hands on his chest.

"I... I love you Kairi..." Kairi froze and her eyes jerked up to look at Sora. He had his typial sheepish grin on his face, and his cerulean eyes looked down at her lovingly. She smiled at him, her violet eyes reflecting the same emotion. Placing her lips against his hand, she nuzzled herself comfortably into his chest.

"I love you too Sora... I always have."