Author's Note:Sorry that this chapter ends so abruptly, I'm horrible at tying things off so I'm really, really sorry! Hopefully everyone who has read the story so far enjoys it! Please, please PLEASE review, it's my only way of knowing if I'm doing okay and I really appreciate it. Thanks a lot!
The week passed by in a blur, the classes whisking by quickly and her time at her dorm flying by even faster. Drama class, of course, was beginning to be her only enjoyable time; there was never any homework, and she was always with Sora, so it helped her relax. Even when she was extremely stressed about school, he seemed to be able to calm her down, make her forget about it.
Whenever she got home, it was immediately study time. The gang would pile up in the tiny livingroom of the dorm, each person's face stuffed into their books. Kairi found it rather odd how they chose to spend their time together, doing things independently. She supposed that's why this little cluster of friends worked so well together—they just wanted to be with one another, even if they weren't interacting with each other. Still, she found herself longing for the presence of another person, even when she was supposed to be busy studying.
Friday was the big day, the one day where she promised she could relax and stay away from her books. There were supposed to be parties all over campus—down at the Emerald Lake beach, in most of the frats, all the dorms, everywhere. The gang asked her to join them in their quest to hit every party on campus, a mission which they called "the Ultimate Party Experience". Much to their dismay, Kairi denied, saying she had to stay home and catch up on some Latin—which was a giant lie. Then again, she couldn't plainly say that she was sneaking out with Sora, the boy they all despised, to get ridiculously hammered. Kairi figured some things should not be told, and this was one of those things.
Friday night, once the gang had all scattered—it had taken the girls two hours to get ready; they'd been fighting over space in the bathroom so they could do their makeup, and then helped each other pick outfits to wear—and left the dorm, Kairi heard the front bell ring. Hopping down the steps, she pulled open the door, surprised to be met with an icy wind and a friendly face.
"Ready to get smashed?" Sora grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. His cheeks and nose were red and flushed, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jacket.
Kairi rolled her eyes, grabbing her coat and pulling it on as she stepped out into the cool, crisp wind. She closed the door behind her, the darkness enveloping the pair; they walked along the path, heading down a direction Kairi hadn't ever gone before. "Where are we going?"
"I told you—we're leaving campus," He explained, breath becoming a soft, white cloud of fog as he spoke. "I'm taking you to my special spot."
Kairi's eyebrows raised. "Your special spot?" She blinked. "Sounds…special."
"It is," He laughed; more white cloud huffed out from his lips.
Sora lead her down the trail, which made its way toward the Emerald Lake; they were on the side opposite the beach, and she could see all the lights and people on the sand, partying and shouting and blasting their music. People were dancing together, and drinking from red cups and kissing; from their standpoint, way across the beautiful lake, the entire party seemed a bit too rowdy, too exciting for the location. Where they trudged through the trees, their quiet side, everything seemed beautiful, mystical; the party seemed ugly and annoying, and she was glad she hadn't gone.
They walked around the lake, following a small dirt path; they chatted as they went for what seemed like a long time, although Kairi was pretty sure only twenty minutes had passed and that the cold was getting to her head.
Back home, they'd never had weather like this: it was always warm, sunny and tropical. Here, up on the mountain, things were different: the seasons actually changed, the weather got colder, and some years there was even snow.
Their path veered off from the side of the lake and they could no longer hear the noise from the party; there was only soft silence, the sound of the woods around them and their quiet footsteps. Kairi's breath was shaky, her body trembling as she shivered—it would take her some time to adjust to the weather, that's for sure.
And then, almost out of nowhere, the trees around them began to disappear and they were in a small clearing, a meadow. The grasses were high and yellow, dying off by the cold weather; across the clearing, the grass dwindled down to rock, leading up to the huge lighthouse that rested on the peak of the cliff. The lantern on it circled, lighting up the dim fog over the cliff and then beaming down at them, blindingly bright.
"Is that it?" Kairi asked, absolutely in awe of its beauty. "The lighthouse—is that your special place?"
"Yeah," Sora nodded; he looked over at Kairi, for the first time noticing how cold she was. "Let's get inside—it's warm." He reached down and gripped Kairi's hand softly, their fingers intertwining as he jogged across the rocky cliff, tugging her alongside.
Sora brought them to the nearest side, finding the door easily, like he'd lived there all his life; inside, it was dim, the only light being the giant lantern that swung around in the very top, littering the mountainside and the ocean far below with a golden beam. He closed the door behind them enveloping them in the warmth of the lighthouse.
"Is anyone in here?" Kairi asked timidly, voice quiet.
Sora shook his head, his hand still wrapped up in hers. "No—it's been deserted for years. They come in and replace the light every four months, but other than that, I've got the place to myself."
Kairi blinked, looking up; there was a spiral staircase that wound itself up the side of the lighthouse, leading up to top, where there was a level all to itself. The entire building was white, old looking but rather clean and well taken care of. It was warm inside, and she hesitantly tore her hand away from Sora's to remove her coat; he took it from her, hanging it alongside his.
"C'mon," He smiled at her softly, blue eyes watching Kairi, big and happy. "Let's go up."
"Okay," She nodded, following up the big spiral staircase. The entire way up, Kairi was absolutely mystified by the place; at the very top, the entire thing was windows, and she felt a dizzying fear rush through her. She'd never been particularly scared of heights, but being so high up was a jolt to her system. She walked towards the window, looking past her reflection and peering out at the ocean far below; the final glow of the sunset could be seen on the horizon, giving a small bit of the water a pinky glow.
Sora stood beside her, grinning. "You like it?"
"I love it," Kairi whispered, voice soft, like it was melting. "The ocean—it's…wow."
A small smile flickered onto Sora's lips, and he looked at his feet shyly. "I hoped you'd like it—you know, seeing the ocean. I thought it would remind you of home."
Kairi's expression twisted into a frown, and she turned to look at Sora. "You did?"
"Yeah—you always talk about how much you miss your ocean. So, I thought I'd bring you to it." He shrugged. "You do like it, right?" A hesitant frown washed over his features.
"I love it, Sora," Kairi laughed. "Thank you so much."
He seemed genuinely glad that he'd been able to make her smile. He nodded back towards the other side, motioning for Kairi to follow him; she did so willingly, her eyes trailing him as she walked.
They sat down on the floor against the wall furthest from the staircase; Kairi watched Sora with curiosity, watching his expression flop between different emotions. He seemed to be struggling with himself, battling between two things to say. Eventually, one topic won out and he spoke, blue eyes glued to the floor.
"This is where I go," He murmured, voice soft and low. "When I'm gone from school. I go here. It's easier to think."
"To think about what?"
He blinked. "Everything. Things, people, places. It's nice to be able to get away from the Academy for a little bit."
Kairi's face twisted into a frown and she glared at him, hard. He was confusing. She couldn't seem to make sense of him—he was the nicest person she'd met in a long while, one who was kind and sweet and happy-go-lucky beyond belief, and yet he was this stand-offish loner, one without friends and without a confidante. A boy who chose to lock himself up in a light tower rather than be with other people.
She felt like he was an actor cast for the wrong part in a movie. He should be the popular boy, the one with girls all over him and a plentiful number of friends; he should be the boy at the parties this weekend, the one kissing girls and dancing with them and laughing all of the time. He should be that boy—but he wasn't. Instead he was the boy who was regarded a disgrace and a distraction, one that didn't belong and was never given a chance to.
Kairi didn't quite know what to think of him. Sora, in any other school in any other place, would be the most popular boy—but here, he was the rebel, the bad boy. It seemed wrong, odd. He was too nice to be a bad boy. Sure, he was a bit rebellious, but he wasn't a bad boy. He seemed like a regular boy, one that should go to a regular school in a regular town and be the kid everyone wanted to know.
He confused her.
"I like it here," Kairi whispered, voice gentle as she raised her chin and looked around. "Feels like home."
Sora's ocean eyes met hers, and he smiled. Honestly, she couldn't see why he was so disliked—she was beginning to like him more and more every minute. Why did her friends hate him without even knowing him?
"You can come here," He responded, struggling with his words. It seemed like he was fighting with himself, saying something important. "You know. Whenever. To think."
By the look in his eyes, Kairi was sure that was something he'd never done before. He looked sort of terrified and overjoyed all at once, resulting in an intense, wide-eyed look flickering through his features. She seemed to realize that he'd never done that before, given his lighthouse—his escape—up for someone else to cling on to.
She smiled, and it made him feel better. "I think you'd have to come with me—I'd get lost on the way."
Sora nodded, trying to hide the ecstatic smile he felt bubbling in his bones from wearing onto his face. He'd never done that before, never really opened up much. He felt a bit lighter, like the girl sitting across from him had taken a weight off of his shoulders. "Okay," He nodded back. "I'll come with you."
Kairi laughed. "Okay. Good."
Again, that sweet silence that Kairi first appreciated about Sora hung over the two; Sora's eyes were back on the wooden floor shyly, and Kairi's were searching his face with increased curiosity.
Then, before he was even really aware of what was going on, Kairi threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She slammed her eyes shut, breathing in his scent, clinging to him. He was warm, his body soft yet hard with muscle, and she could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath.
Sora blinked, caught off guard, before he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Kairi. After a moment, he relaxed into her, falling prey to her gentle touch; he hugged her back, his chin resting into her shoulder perfectly and their heads leaning against one another.
It was the first hug he'd given in two years.
"Thank you," Kairi said gently, muffled against his shirt. "For making me feel better." She leaned back, cheeks a bit red—she was embarrassed; she'd practically jumped the kid—and glanced down at the floor.
Sora blinked, his own face a bit warm. "It's…no problem," He replied, a tiny smile working its way onto his lips.
They both looked at one another, eyes like the sky locked on eyes like the ocean, and for the first moment in a long time, both of them felt perfectly okay. They stayed like that for a while, quiet and warm and okay, and then they set out to what they'd been intending to do.
They got roaring drunk.
Now, it wasn't the gross kind of drunk, the one where everything is a blur and you wake up with your eyes burning and the back of your throat tastes like vomit, but rather a sweet sort of drunk, where you feel happy and floaty and just past the point of being tipsy.
Sora was amused to find that Kairi was a giggly drunk; she laughed at everything he did, even if he was being dead serious, and laughed even harder when he tried to do something funny. Sora knew for a fact that he was a funny drunk, one who would go out of his way to make his company giggle or snort or show even the slightest amount of amusement, and so that's how the night went. Sora cracked jokes and said knock-knocks and anything else he could possibly find funny, and Kairi simply listened and laughed, and took off her shoes and sprawled herself across Sora's lap when she got tired. Eventually, they both knew it was time to head back, otherwise they'd fall asleep in their lighthouse—and it was theirs, now; Sora couldn't see how it couldn't belong to Kairi, too, considering how much she'd lit it up—and Kairi's dorm-mates would catch on to something. So, drunk and wobbly, they stumbled through the cold forest in the wee hours of the morning, back to Kairi's dorm; the lights were still on and her friends were visible through the open windows, looking worried and a bit angry.
Kairi let out a sigh, knowing that the fun night was nearly over. She turned to Sora, the taste of alcohol on her lips. "Thanks, Sora," She said, voice was sweet as honey, "I had a really good time."
Sora shrugged shyly. He paid close attention to her, holding his arms out in case she tipped over too much and lost her balance; he noticed how cold she was, how her lips looked a bit too pale. "You better get inside," He responded, "Before you freeze to death."
She made a face. "You wouldn't let me freeze," Her voice was messy, slurred just a small bit.
"True," Sora grinned. "But you should go—I can see your blonde friend having a panic attack inside."
Kairi peered at her dorm, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Yeah," She nodded. "Namine's probably pissed." Kairi blinked, staring at her building for a bit longer before turning back to the spiky-haired boy. "Really, though—thanks. This is the most fun I've had in a long time."
That seemed to really please Sora. He shrugged, cheeks flushed and lips twisted up into a grin. "Let's do it again, then."
Kairi laughed. "Okay. Might have to lay off the alcohol a bit, though—I liked it a little bit too much."
"So I've noticed," Sora chuckled, hands grasping her waist when she stumbled. He set her back up straight, then pulled away.
Kairi looked at him for a bit longer, hesitant. She didn't really want to leave—he seemed to be the only thing around here that really made her feel better, the only thing that relieved her home-sickness. "Right," She muttered under her breath, forcing herself to take a step back towards her building. "See you in drama?"
Sora nodded, laughing. "I'll be there."
Kairi gave him a wave, then turned and walked to the door of her dorm; she walked in, the warmth of the place a shock to her numb fingers, and closed the door behind her. The lights were bright, and she blinked for a moment, getting a grip on her surroundings.
Outside, Sora stayed for a moment, just grinning at the frosty ground below him. He hadn't been this happy in—well, he didn't think he'd ever been this happy. He felt like someone had lit a spark in his belly, given him some kind of warmth. It had been a long time since he'd smiled like this—a good, real smile—and he clung to that feeling. After a moment, he turned and began to make his way towards his own dorm building, the cold weather no longer bothersome. He was far too happy to care about the cold.
Back inside the warmth of her building, Kairi stretched out her fingers, pain shooting up them as they began to defrost. She frowned, crinkling her toes at the same time; all of her extremities hurt, aching like they'd been cramped up for hours.
And then, Namine came down from the stairs, spending the next ten minutes interrogating Kairi on where she'd been. Knowing she couldn't possibly tell the truth, Kairi mumbled out some lie—which she was awful at doing—about going for a walk and stumbling upon a party and having a couple drinks, which Namine took as a perfectly good excuse and accepted graciously. Of course, Kairi could never really be sure if Namine had actually believed her—she was an awful liar, really—but she was grateful that her friend had let it go. Actually, she'd felt rather appreciative of the fact that Namine had been so worried—she'd stayed up all night waiting for Kairi to get home.
Kairi then stumbled her way to the kitchen, about to have some toast as a late night meal to satisfy her starvation, before she realized that the kitchen wasn't empty. Roxas was there—fast asleep, mind you—his face smushed against the island countertop, a plate of now-cold spaghetti resting beside him. There was a little sticky note attached to it; in his messy writing it said 'FOR KAIRI'. A strong mixture of guilt and appreciation washed over her when she realized how her new friends really cared for her; she popped the plate in the microwave, and ate it once it was warm enough. Then, before she flicked off the late and headed up to her room—she didn't have the heart to wake the sleeping boy—she gave Roxas a kiss on the cheek, hoping some part of him would know she was grateful for the gesture.
As soon as she made it up to her bedroom, she collapsed into the squeaky mattress; her eyes snapped shut and she drifted off peacefully, still in a bit of a tipsy haze.
It was the first night she dreamt about Sora.