A/N: Just a short drabble so you guys know I'm still alive! I wrote this up in thirty flipping minutes, pretty much the only time I have these days. Ugh!

As for updates on Out of Sight: Painted and I worked on it a little bit yesterday, and we're trying to find time in our busy schedules to work on it some more. Sorry it's taken so long! It's completely my fault for taking up more hours and making more money T.T lol

Anyway, this really isn't anything. Just feelin' like my writing is a little rusty!

o-o-o

Sora had debated on this one for a while. At merely twenty-four years old, he had met the love of his life at a casino in downtown Twilight Town. He was smitten with this girl. She was everything he could have ever dreamed of and more, but unfortunately, she had a secret.

"What do you think she could be hiding?" Riku, Sora's best friend and right hand wing man questioned as he took a drag of his cigarette and placed his bet on the Roulette table. The casino bustled with drunks and hopefuls alike, all with one common goal: winning the big bucks. However, of course, it didn't always turn out that way.

"Damn it!" Sora yelled, watching his money drift away into the realm of nothingness. Sitting back with a deep sigh, he then shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm meeting with her tonight. I was hoping to have some extra cash on me." Sora eyed the Roulette ball.

"Maybe you shouldn't play anymore. You don't have the best luck when it comes to these things," Riku suggested, followed by a victorious fist gesture when the ball landed on his number. Sora accepted defeat once more and pulled his game card from the slot.

"Alright, I'll keep some dignity, I guess. Anyway, I should get going. She'll be at The Palace Gates any moment."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Why are you meeting there?"

"It's fancy."

"What, gonna propose?"

Sora scowled, but it quickly turned into a grin. "Whatever, man. See ya."

o-o-o

Ten minutes past the scheduled time, Sora was starting to worry. He gave polite smiles to the waiters that walked by, but the awkward atmosphere had him drinking more water than usual and tapping his foot too many times. He checked his phone.

"Sora! I'm so sorry!" a cumbersome voice yelled from across the restaurant, literally, and the spotlight hit him. As she rushed over to the table with her silver bag flying every which way, she somehow managed not to cause any damage. Flipping her red hair over her shoulder, she gave Sora a wide grin that melted all the butterflies away.

"Kairi," Sora said, feeling as if an imaginary collar was choking him in sweat, "Y-You're late, but I'm glad you made it."

"Waiter! Water, por flavors!" Kairi called out, and the man she made eye contact with was right on it. She turned back to Sora, still catching her breath. "I missed you, sweetie!"

"Heh, I missed you too."

"Aww!"

So, she was a little over the top at times, he thought, but over the past two years, Sora had learned to love everything about her. Kairi eyeballed the menu. Although Sora was itching to know her big secret, he kept quiet. If it was something bad, he wouldn't be able to get through dinner.

"Uhm, you look nice tonight," Sora said, absentmindedly admiring her red, strapless dress.

"Thank ya, so do you. Just wondering though, why such a fancy place?"

Sora chuckled. "I wanted to treat you."

"Oh, did you win a little extra today?" She grinned impishly.

"I think I lost more than I won," Sora replied.

Kairi leaned forward and took his hand, then whispered, "Oh, so are we splitting the check?"

Slightly embarrassed, Sora shook his head. "No, no! I've gotchu, gurl."

"Haha, you're so lame!"

"Thanks?"

Her smile inadvertently caused his speaking to cease completely. After the waiter took their orders, they were left to yet another round of topic starters, but the one thing that Sora couldn't get off his mind continued to haunt him. He took to his surroundings instead; the busy, energetic, yet peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant night scene, glasses clanking, people laughing, the random happy birthday song every twenty minutes—in which Sora felt obligated to clap afterward, and Kairi just reminiscing across the table with a margarita in hand.

"Remember when we met? You were winning like fifty bucks on a slot machine and I was putting in my next dollar?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah, and then I was able to get you up to twenty bucks."

"Which I lost on another slot machine," she said, sinking in her chair. Her cuteness caused him to chuckle.

"It happens. Well, hey, you won quite a bit at Blackjack, didn't you?"

"And lost it to a round at the Keno Lounge."

"Can never win, can we?" Sora said, swirling the straw in his drink. "I think the best thing is to just stop while you're ahead."

"Yeah, but it's so fun to watch the numbers climb!"

"That's the problem, I suppose."

Kairi let out a 'hmph," and sighed. "Sora, when are you going to move here?"

Sora didn't expect the conversation to turn so quickly, but he easily adjusted. "I don't know if I can afford to live here. What would I do? Where would I work?"

"You can totally get a job at Google."

"You have one of those?"

"Yup! I applied for customer service, but you have that Computer Science degree, don't you?"

Sora nodded. "Is it enough, though?"

"Computer Science, Graphic Design… you know you have a knack for the arts. Just apply!"

"You think Google can handle me?" Sora asked, somewhat honestly.

"Psh, they won't know what hit 'em!" Kairi said, her fist in the air. "I certainly didn't expect to fall in love with you."

Sora scoffed. "Oh, okay!"

Kairi rested her head on her hand and stared at him. "That's why I wanted to be completely honest with you tonight."

The air changed once more, and Sora prepared himself. "You mean, the secret?"

Kairi nodded and put both hands in her lap. Her solemn expression threw him off guard. "Please, please know that keeping this from you was very difficult, but I wasn't sure how you would react. We met at a casino, after all, and we're both still trying to figure out our lives."

Sora straightened up. "Um, alright."

Taking a deep breath, Kairi pulled out her smart phone and tapped a few buttons. She then closed her eyes, took another deep breath and held the phone close to her chest. "This is like a make or break deal. If you can't accept this, we can't be together. If you can, well, you'll have a lot to sacrifice. I don't trust just anyone, Sora."

"Understood," he said, even if he didn't fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. He looked closer at her, and he could have sworn he saw a tear in her eye. "Kairi…"

Gulping, she handed him the phone. Sora's eyes didn't leave her as he grabbed it, but once she looked away, he decided to look down. It was a picture of Kairi with a little boy, and they both were making the peace signs. His hair was brown with a tint of red, and his blue eyes were like a copy of hers. When Sora didn't respond, Kairi did so for him.

"His name is Jaden. He's going to turn five soon." Sora couldn't offer any sort of response right away. "There's a whole album on there. You can go through it, if you want. His real father is nonexistent, and, well, just know that there's no obligation or anything. It's a take it or leave it thing."

Sora scrolled through the pictures, each one cuter than the last. This was obviously a huge deal, and he had to admit, having cold feet was an understatement. "I don't know the first thing about kids…"

"That's totally fine," Kairi said almost too quickly, reaching for her phone, but Sora continued to look through. His expressionless face tortured her, and she couldn't tell what he was really thinking. Even Sora didn't know what to think.

Finally, he set the phone down and slowly slid it back across the table. Neither of them spoke for a grueling ten seconds.

"Um, wow. I didn't expect that. So, is this why you never let me come over?"

"Yes, that and my apartment is a freaking mess. All the play-dough and the Kid show DVDs would probably scare you away… just like this would."

"I am pretty surprised. This is a lot bigger than I anticipated. I don't know if I can, you know, fill that role."

Kairi nodded slowly. "I understand."

"You know," Sora spoke again, "normally, one would need tons of time to think about this, but, looking at you now, I've realized something. I'm still looking at you the same way. I still love you, and I still want to be with you. Yeah, a kid is definitely a huge responsibility, but… I'm not going to write off what we have just because of that. You didn't know me back then. I can't jeopardize you for your past."

"So, what are you saying?" Kairi asked.

Sora offered her a big smile. "I think I'd like to meet this little guy, that is, if you'd allow me to."

"Really?!" Her yell shook the whole restaurant.

"Yes," Sora recovered, "Because I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love everything about you. Everything."

"Holy shit, I love you," Kairi said, her amazement unfaltering.

He didn't know what to expect from here on out, but Sora did know one thing. When he said he wanted to be a part of this girl's life, he meant it.

o-o-o
o-o-o

blargh don't judge me my writing sux lately o wel
gota stay relevent ya hurd
i dnt feel lik edit kthxbai