Chapter Seven
When I got home Aqua was awake and watching game shows on the couch. She was dressed and her makeup was done, her hair was brushed and styled, but judging by the slippers on her feet and the small mountain of snacks she had accumulated on the coffee table in front of her she had been home all day, nevertheless, she looked happy to see me.
"How was your day?" She asked as I sat down next to her and reached for a kit-kat bar.
"It was so much fun," I said brightly, "Sora carved my name into a cave and then we ate bread on a roof," Aqua gave me a concerned look
"That sounds...interesting... you two have really hit it off, haven't you?" She grabbed the notebook that she usually had on hand to help me write, "Do you know how to write his name?" I shook my head and opened up my own small book, Aqua and I had a 'game', where she would write down a word or a sentence, and I would copy it over and over again until my handwriting became somewhat legible, Aqua could be surprisingly strict.
"Sora is a lot of fun, he's taught me a lot and I want to find a way to thank him properly," I chewed on the inside of my cheek, drawing a blank, "I'm taking suggestions."
"Maybe you can make him some cookies?" She wrote something in her notebook and passed it to me.
"It's the character for sky, you taught me this before," I remembered his sunny smile and the storm in his eyes, "it suits him." I copied it down carefully in my notebook.
"Sugar cookies are easy to make for beginners, I'm pretty sure I have a cook book here somewhere... " Aqua got up and stretched, balancing on the balls of her feet I watched, feeling slightly jealous, everything she did seemed effortless and elegant, she never got flustered or overly emotional. "Here we are." She handed me a thin, laminated binder.
"I can't read this,"
"Yes you can." She smiled
XxX
I returned to work in good spirits after my four day weekend, package of cookies safely in my bag. I had burnt the first batch, so Aqua and I ate them, but these ones had turned out a lot better, at least, I hoped so.
Sora was at work before me, as usual, he had a sandwich in his hand and a far off look on his face, but he perked up a little when he saw me.
"Hey, good morning," he looked down at his sandwich as if seeing it for the first time, "wow, I'm out of it today."
"That's not like you," I put my hand to his forehead, "you don't feel warm."
"Ah, yeah," he backed up a little and tossed his sandwich in the bin, "maybe you gave me brain damage when you knocked your head against mine," he made a face, "it hurts just thinking about it."
"Well, here this might cheer you up," I grabbed the cookies from my bag and handed them to him, "I tried to make cookies, tell me what you think?"
"Home made cookies? You're right that does cheer me up, hand em over," he tore into the package as soon as I handed it to him. "These are so good," he said, not waiting to swallow before speaking.
"You're such a kid sometimes, honestly," I handed him a napkin, "you've got crumbs all over your face." Sora wiped his face, and then sheepishly handed me a cookie.
"Thanks Kairi." We both jumped as the door swung open and Riku strolled in, yawning.
"Good morning Riku," I said, "Is Cid sleeping in today?"
"You guessed it," he looked around, "hey, where'd you get the cookies?"
"Kairi made them for me," Sora said wrapping them back up and shoving them in his jacket pocket.
"I want one,"
"She made them for me, you can have free ice cream." I watched their back and forth, amused.
"Not fair, Hey Kairi you should make me my own batch," said Riku, "since Sora is being a miser. "
"I guess I coul-"
"Me and Riku are gonna make cookies together so you don't have to worry about it," Sora cut in, smiling brightly, "It'll be fun, right Riku?"
"I guess so..." Riku looked annoyed, but once Sora made up his mind there was really no talking him out of it. The door chimed again as our first customer of the day walked in.
"Good morning!" I called.
XxX
It took a longer time closing up The Creamery than usual, especially for a Monday. Sora and Riku had been having a battle over who could stock the shelves quicker and they were now bickering (albeit light heartedly) in the back room.
I decided to head out after I finished mopping, Sora always walked me home, but he was busy at the moment, and I'd feel bad interrupting him for something so silly. Besides, I had gotten pretty used to the walk to and from work at this point, I could probably do it in my sleep.
It was a rainy night, I brought my umbrella, but I didn't open it, the rain felt good on my skin after being inside all day. The night was almost completely silent, the insects and the birds that usually filled the island with their song had hidden away from the weather, It was sort of lonely.
A crack of thunder got me moving, thunder frightened me, though I couldn't put my finger on why. I hurried down the street, splashing through puddles and splattering my legs with mud. Aqua's apartment was a 10 minute walk from the Creamery, I was cold, and soaked through, but I was almost home.
"Hey!" A gruff male voice from behind me made me jump and I turned around, wielding my umbrella like a club. It was, of course, the last person I wanted to see; Braig, grinning like an absolute maniac, leaning against a street light.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, more annoyed than anything else. Just when I was feeling all independent this guy had to show up, grand.
"What are you doing here, Kairi?" He asked, his smile widened, his teeth, abnormally white, glinted in the light of the moonlight, I took a step back.
"I don't see how that concerns you at all," I hoped I sounded less scared than I felt, I wasn't sure I could hurt him with my umbrella, but I was willing to try if I had to.
"Don't be like that," he took a step towards me, "I've missed you,"
I thrust my umbrella in his face, "step back!" My hands were shaking, he didn't even flinch.
"Real scary Kairi, I'm so impressed," he grabbed the end of my umbrella and yanked, hard, sending me careening into him. He wrapped one arm around me tightly, pinning my arms against his chest. I struggled, kicking and even attempting to bite him, but his grip was like a steel trap. Giving up, I sucked in a deep breath and screamed as loud as I could. It was loud enough to startle Braig who dropped me painfully onto the cement, knocking the wind out of me, he clutched at his ears, cursing. I took the chance to get to my feet, breathing raggedly and holding my throbbing chest, there was no real chance of me out running him, but if he came at me again I would do whatever I could to hurt him, I wouldn't go without a fight.
I reached for my crumpled umbrella when I heard footsteps slamming against the wet pavement, I turned my head and saw Sora, barreling down the street towards us. He skidded to a stop in front of me, facing Braig, fists clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles were bleached white. I was surprised, I'd never seen Sora angry, not once, but now he was shaking with fury.
"You need to leave," Sora said, he had forgotten his own umbrella back at the creamery, and his clothes were soaking, but he didn't seem to notice. Braig stared blandly back at him, his one yellow eye glowing like a cat's eye in the dark, after a moment he turned his attention back to me.
"Good luck," he shrugged one shoulder, unconcerned, "you're living on borrowed time Kairi, and when that time runs out, I'll be there to collect," he turned sharply on his heel and walked away, whistling tunelessly to himself. I reached out to Sora but he jerked around to face me, his eyes were deadly serious.
"I told you that I'd walk you home,"
"I know, but you were talking to Riku, and I thought-" I forgot the rest of my sentence when he pulled me into a tight hug, I could hear his heart pounding frantically in his chest, he was still trembling.
"I was scared," he murmured against my hair, "you were just gone, I looked everywhere and I couldn't find you, and then I heard you scream," his breath caught, and he held me tighter, "I was really scared."
"I should have told you," I wrapped my arms around him and stroked his back, trying to comfort him, "I'm sorry, It will never happen again."
"Promise?" he pulled back and looked me in the eyes, suddenly I was uncomfortably aware of our proximity.
"I promise," I slipped out of his arms and grabbed my umbrella, "we're gonna catch a cold," I held it out to him, " I'll share this with you." He smiled at me, looking tired, but I was just happy to see that he wasnt angry with me.
"Thank you," he ran a hand through his dripping hair, "thank goodness."
