Disclaimer; I do not own Kingdom hearts or any of the characters.

Kairi sank down on her knees and put a foot at each side of her rear placing her hands gently on her lap. Her tears had run dry and her sadness was overpowering but the guilt she was feeling of Sora getting in between a fight between her and Tidus leading to him getting hurt was overshadowing her own pain, she looked up towards her best friend who was leaning against that banister; head tipped back, hands covering his face and quite a bit of blood on his torn clothing. When boys fight, they don't hold back.

He let out a deep heavy sigh while pulling his head back forward and trained his eyes on her and that is when she saw the blood still trickling out his mouth where he had gotten punched first hit.

The nineteen year old girl stood up taking the twenty year old guy by the hand and began descending up the stairs pulling him along with her. He followed wordlessly having a feeling where she was taking him and what she was going to do. She had done it every single time he had gotten hurt when they were younger if his Mum didn't get to him first and he hated it with a passion no matter how more mature he was now.

She turned on the bathroom light and pulled him towards the bathtub making him perch on the side while she quickly retrieved the item she was on a mission for out of the ashy cabinet placed just above the sink. He groaned audibly which made a small hint of a smile work its way to her face with memoirs of the past before wiping off being replaced by a frown.

She pulled the medium sized bottle of alcohol out with some cotton wool and dragged the laundry basket over to him so she could sit while tending to his wounds.

Sora's bathroom was striking, something you would not expect for a guy living on his own who had just left his teenage years short of two months ago. It was the third biggest room in the house, first and second being his kitchen come living room and his bedroom but it was beautifully decorated. He had an old style bath and a separate shower at the opposite side of the room, the floorboards were solid oak wood and the walls were painted white giving the room a light airy feel. It was a good place to relax if you were having a bath at the end of a long day.

Neither young adults had said a word to each other since Tidus had gone but words didn't need to be spoken between the two, all each had to do was look at the other and be able to read them like a book. All these little things were what made their friendship one of a kind. Something very special.

As Kairi dabbed a small dose of the alcohol which was drained on the filament to his jaw line he winced and squeezed his eyes shut. The alcohol was seeping into the broken skin in aid to wash out any bacteria or dirt that may have been pulled in but the burning sensation almost felt painful. She ran a frail hand through his brunette bangs and he blinked open at a touch offering her a grimace turned smile. She returned it with her own apologetic contorted face which turned into a sad smile.

She touched the left side of his jawbone bone lightly and stared into his blue orbs, their eyes locked staying fixed and content for a few minutes. It was never gauche it just fell completely natural into their stride.

Sora reached out and grabbed her defined hipbones effortlessly picking her up and placing her on his left leg so both of her legs were in between his but not quite touching the floorboards. His left arm draped indolently all the way around the bottom of her back leaving his hand to rest idly on her left hip.

Pulling his right hand up to her face he affectionately drew patterns on one of her cheeks with his index finger revelling in the softness of her skin, the rest of his fingers brushing her nose frequently. They often had tender moments like this and as his eyes checked over her face he could see her eyelashes were stuck together with the dew from her tears, the patch of freckles on each side of her cheeks just below her eyes stood out on the inflamed tearstained skin.

Pulling his arm up he brushed back her bangs leaving his hand resting on the crown of her head, he pulled her face forward and placed an innocent kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes at his loving gesture.

'Sora?' She whispered in such a tiny delicate voice he barely heard it, he kept quiet and listened to what she had to enquire. 'Was what Tidus said true?'

The brunette male sighed subtly, he was wondering when this question was going to arise, guessing there was no point avoiding it he had to come right out and tell her the exact truth. The truth he had needed to tell her for years. Well practically since the first day he met her. His thoughts were interrupted again by her gentle voice.

'Sora please, I need to know.' He looked down at her and caught her staring with pleading eyes awaiting her to know the obviously needed truth.

Sora exhaled once more and repeated the action he took to place her on his lap but reversed, gently settling her down in front of him he leaned forward to grab her supple hands.

Even though they were not on sitting on the other anymore they were still at a very close proximity, Sora's legs were parted with his elbows leaning on his knees and holding Kairi's hands resting on her legs which were shut so tightly together they were almost shaking and he knew she needed to know the answer, she was so tense.

'Yes, everything Tidus said was the truth and it has been for years.' He managed to keep a strong powered voice but he was afraid it would crack, that was the first time he had spoken since the blond had left. He glanced at the beautiful girl who was facing him trying to comprehend what he had just admitted. When he opened his mouth to speak once again she interrupted.

'How long have you felt this way?' she whispered boldly gazing into his eyes.

'I always had a crush on you, but when I heard that Axel had kidnapped you when I was fifteen and you were fourteen I just knew then and there I was in love with you and would go to the worlds end to get you back safe even if it meant you'd return and I wouldn't.' He let out another deep breath, spilling his heart out was certainly making his body feel lighter but it didn't numb the pain any less.

'Why didn't you tell me Sora?' The ruby haired beauty cried, tears streaming once again down her already stained porcelain cheeks.

'How could I Kai? You were in a perfectly happy relationship with Tidus, even though it almost killed me, just seeing you so happy kept me going. Never once though did my feelings alter, I thought that maybe seeing how happy he made you I'd find the strength to move on but I never found it, if anything my admiration grew for you even more.' He was so surprised he hadn't broken down yet.

'I mean why didn't you tell me before? I was madly attracted to you before Tidus, I said yes to him because I thought you'd never realise my feelings and Tidus was the chance of happiness, the chance to move on in my life.' She wept regret and guilt filling her body as she realised what pain she'd caused her best friend, the one she swore to herself she'd never hurt and yet she had been for three and a half years without recognizing.

The brunette male's eyes widened at the revelation, all this time if he hadn't been so gutless they both could have been happy and almost hit the four year mark by now or maybe even longer. He inwardly cursed himself and tried to convince his inner voice to not ask this question but he had to know the answer no matter how much it pained him. Needless to say there can't be much more pain to endure through, he had had almost every inch of physical and mental pain a human being could possibly pursue.

'Did you l – love me Kairi?' He stammered losing his cool and beginning to break. The young woman looked positively stunned; she had not been expecting that asked. She took a deep breath.

'I think so, it was so much more than a crush and it killed be when you just spoke to another girl never mind anything else.' She divulged, her tears not ceased but slowed down rapidly.

'A – and now?' Sora asked, visibly shaking from both the answer he'd just received and for the possible answer he was about to be given even though he predicted the outcome.

Kairi shook her head signalling that she didn't know, she reached a hand out to cup his cheek and tenderly stroked his stubbly jaw, with her thumb tracing it over his lips as he pulled his left hand up and gently placed it over hers and planting an infinitesimal kiss on her thumb.

'Sora, I know my feelings for you never left, they are still there and as horrible and could be seen as unfaithful to Tidus my heart did yearn for you every second of my relationship with him, but with that being said the impact of not knowing you shared my feelings and knowing Tidus loved me how I loved you... Sora I became drawn to him, but I can honestly tell you I never loved him.'

Sora stared into her eyes, disbelief overcoming his senses, astonishment that she could have never loved a guy she had been with for just over three years, she carried on though.

'I kept telling myself that love would happen when it was destined, that I couldn't force love upon my senses it had to come natural, I thought because I was deeply attracted to Tidus and how he treat me felt like the most wonderful thing in the world that it would come eventually. I know I was unfair to him by trying to figure out my feelings but I was so sure that I could gradually fall. But even now three years on, those feelings I have for Tidus are neither no way near love nor the feelings I feel for you.'

'You feel or you felt?' Sora enquired.

'Feel.' She admitted. 'Sora I cannot lie to you, I am incredibly devastated with what happened with Tidus, I wasn't in love with him but I had fallen for him and that will take some time to get over. As for the feelings I have for you, I buried them so I guess rekindling the flame is going to have to be worked on. But if I sort my head out I think I will make the right decision in the end.' Kairi said holding both of his much larger hands in her petite ones.

'I think I will be okay with that and I think we will be okay in the end, Kai.' Sora responded giving her another tender peck on the lips and smiling genuinely for the first time since the start of the conversation. Looking at his watch he saw the time was 4:27am. He looked down at the redhead still perched on the laundry basket and held out a hand.

'Come on you let's get you to bed, it's bloody late.' He smiled as he pulled her up and not letting go of her hand. 'You take my bed and I will take the sofa.'

Sora attempted to let go and walk towards the exit when he felt a tug on his sleeve, he looked down at the source and saw her biting her lip. Something was bothering her; he let her speak up first though and entwined their fingers as her indigo eyes bore into his, he patiently awaited her to speak.

'Well, I was thinking that if you'd like we c – could maybe share the bed, that way we both might get a bit of sleep. If you think it will be awkward though say and I will take the sofa, you stay in your own bed I intruded anyway.' She rambled.

The male didn't even answer instead he beamed down at her and pulled her along behind him turning off the bathroom light as they walked past the switch and turning left to his room wordlessly, he opened the door and the room was lightened by the moonlight enough so there was no need for artificial lighting.

He reluctantly let go of her hand, shut the door and made his way to the chest of drawers gathering some of her pyjama items she stashed at his house. She always liked to keep a spare set of clothes and pyjama's at Sora's house, probably because they were accustomed to it by their parents when they were kids. Except when they were little it involved Riku too.

Offering them to her she contentedly accepted and he turned around to look out of the window as she quickly changed. It didn't take very long.

'I'm done, so which side is yours?' She motioned to the double bed with the sheets all tangled up in a messy clump atop of the mattress from his scramble to answer the door to her a few hours before.

'I usually sleep in the middle, so pick a side and I will happily reside on the other.' He smiled off-handily. He laughed as she leaped onto the bed like a small child and cuddled under the soft sheets, begging for sleep to overtake her and take her to a happier and simpler state of mind for a few hours, maybe a bit of shut eye would clear her head and help her think straight.

He crawled in next to her and laid on his right side facing her as she was positioned on her back; draping his left arm over her stomach he kissed her temple.

'G – Night Kai, I'm here if you need me to talk to anymore.' With that he closed his eyes, very quickly falling into a half happy slumber.

'Goodnight Sora and thank you.' She replied shutting off the world as she drifted off gradually.