Chapter 11: Nights Under the Moon

After locking up her office for the day, Kairi drove over to Sora's house. She texted Aqua asking if she and Terra could be in charge of Yuki, which ended up working out just fine since she had soccer practice with Aika that afternoon. Sora actually didn't live too far from the health center. He lived in an apartment complex downtown called Bahama Bay. It was a pretty nice complex, although Kairi never understood the "nice" apartments that she would consider "overpriced". In her opinion, apartments weren't worth playing more than $1000 per month for rent unless she was sharing an apartment with one other person.

Kairi got through the security gate relatively easy, and by relatively easy, she followed closely behind another car into the complex. This was another thing that drove her crazy. She loved and hated apartment complexes that had security. A lot of it was pointless because of people like her who would just follow drivers in anyway. Kairi drove down the road to Sora's building and found a place to park. She always felt bad for taking a parking spot that most likely belonged to a resident. At the same time, it was only for a couple hours. What's the harm in that, right?

"Wow, this place is pretty nice." Kairi said as she took her shoes off by the door.

Sora laughed as he ran his hand over the entertainment center. "Oh, it's nothing special. I've had this furniture since I graduated college. I'm ready for an upgrade, but for the paycheck I make, it's not too bad." He began walking into the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure! Whatcha got?"

"Hmm," Sora searched through his fridge. "Well, I've got standard water, sodas, but I also have wine and can make cocktails."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Try me with the cocktails." She leaned against the kitchen bar.

Sora leaned against the bar from the other side, his face mere inches away from hers, and causing Kairi's body temperature to spike. "What'll it be, miss?"

"Something sweet. I'm very picky about my alcohol."

"You got it!" Sora took the fruit juices from the fridge as well as some coconut rum and began mixing. "Here, try this. I always suggested this to my customers when they weren't the biggest fans of the 'bitter' taste of liquor."

"Customers?" Kairi asked as she took the drink from Sora.

He nodded. "I used to be a bartender before I became a teacher. Ironically, I think I made more money making drinks, but hey, what can you do?" Sora asked crossing his arms and leaning against the counter.

Kairi sipped the drink. "Wow! This is incredible! This is so good!" Her eyes widened. "I love this!"

"Thanks, it's been a while since I made a drink for someone." Sora bounced off the balls of his feet as he spun a glass in his hands. "Don't get me wrong, I love science, but I've always had a creative side to things. When I was younger, I was shy and really insecure, so I wanted to do theatre because it allowed me to become a character that I can admire whether he was good, evil, simple, complicated, human, animal, pretty much anything. You know what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean." Kairi sat at one of the bar stools. "That's one of the reasons why I read so much. It allows me to escape into a different world. I put myself in the main character's shoes and suddenly, I don't think about anything going on in the real world."

"It must be tough, having to listen to everybody's problems every day."

Kairi shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. It's more my personal life outside of work that I like to escape."

Sora laughed. "What? You got a jealous boyfriend I gotta be worried about?" His expression soon faded as soon as Kairi lowered her face and turned it away from his. "I'm sorry…" Sora shook his head. "I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay, but no, I don't have a boyfriend." Kairi's expression turned serious. "I'm...happily single." She felt her heart sink as soon as her eyes locked with Sora's, almost as if she just regretted telling him that. "I'm sorry, that sounded harsh…" Kairi apologized as her grip on her drink tightened.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that." Sora shrugged. "People don't give those that choose to stay single enough credit. Besides, there's plenty of advantages to staying single. You don't have to share your food, you don't have to share your room, you can do whatever you want." He brushed past Kairi and jumped onto his couch. "You can jump on the couch if you want! Hell, you can even walk around your house completely naked during the hot summer if you want!"

Kairi burst out laughing. "Hey! I wouldn't ever do that!"

"Why not? You're gorgeous." Sora said, not realizing the words that came out. Kairi blushed and looked away. He felt the blood rush to his face and turned away trying to hide it. "I mean, you have a great body, you should embrace it and love it." Sora groaned as Kairi let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I don't mean that in a perverted way. This is just the Biology teacher in me coming out. What I mean, is that I hear of so many women and girls, both at the school and outside, that are always shaming themselves and their bodies. But seriously," He rested his hand on Kairi's shoulder. "You ladies are tougher than you think, considering what your bodies are built for, and I just...I consider all women beautiful, in their own unique ways."

Kairi brushed hair behind her ear as she smiled genuinely. "That was really beautiful, Sora."

"Sorry, I hope I didn't make this awkward…" Sora scratched the back of his head. Kairi laughed and shook her head, bringing a smile to Sora's face almost instantly. "It's the truth though. You're beautiful, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

"Thank you…" Kairi finished her cocktail. She slid the drink away from her. "So, what was this surprise you wanted to show me?"

Sora perked up. "Oh yeah! Come on!" He guided her out of the kitchen and down the hall towards the bedrooms. "It's in this room, but first, you have to close your eyes." Kairi raised an eyebrow. "I promise it's nothing weird! At least, I don't think it's weird, but trust me! I want to see your reaction."

Kairi sighed and closed her eyes. "If you walk me into a room full of dead bodies-"

"-I won't!" Sora took Kairi by the hands after opening the door and walked her into the center of a dark room. "Okay, wait here." He walked behind Kairi and turned on the lights. "Okay...now!"

Kairi opened her eyes to what was one of the most impressive sights she had ever laid her eyes on. Her jaw dropped as her eyes wandered around the room that was dressed up with various collectibles from science fiction movies, TV shows, video games, and books. There were bookshelves with action figures, comic books, novels, DVDs and Blu-Rays. There were posters both inspirational and stylistic. There were life-size props such as lightsabers and blasters. Kairi felt like she had boarded a rocket ship and blasted out of the earth and into outer space. There were collectibles from franchises such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Firefly, Allens, Metroid, Star Fox, she could've kept the list going on.

"Wow...I've never seen such a collection!" Kairi gasped as she spun around in place getting a good look at everything. "This is amazing!"

Sora smiled as he walked up behind Kairi. "This is about fifteen years' worth of collecting." He looked and saw her stand in place twiddling her hands together. "You can take a look around and get up close. You don't have to stand in one spot."

Kairi gasped. "Whoa! It's R2-D2!" She got her face up close to a figure of the droid. "Firefly! Such an underrated show!" She admired the poster next to the bookshelf. Kairi's eyes caught sight of a long row of Star Wars novels. "Are these the expanded universe books?"

"Yeah, if you haven't read them, you should. The newer movies ignore them, but they're still worth reading."

"I think I might!"

Sora ran a hand over his book collection. "I have a lot of science fiction books. If there are any you haven't read, you can borrow them."

"Thank you so much!" Kairi bounced up and down off the balls of her feet. Her eyes scanned the row of books only for them to catch a special book that was posted in front of the row. "Oh my god...is this what I think it is?" Kairi took the book off the shelf. "It's a first edition copy of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!" She flipped open the front cover. "And it's signed by Douglas Adams!" She gasped, holding the book close to her heart. "I've always wanted him to sign my copy. I've had it since I was young, but he passed away before I ever had a chance to meet him."

"That's one of my most prized possessions." Sora said leaning against his bookshelf. "My dad gave that to me before he passed away. He was the one that got me into sci-fi."

Kairi quickly set the book back on the shelf. "I'm so sorry."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Can I ask you something?" Kairi nodded. "Why do you always apologize? Not that there's anything wrong with it, but...you do it an awful lot. Even when you haven't done anything wrong."

"Sorry, I just-ugh! There I go again…" Kairi brushed her hand up her arm. "Honestly, I don't know. It's just a habit, that's all."

"Well, you have nothing to apologize for, at least with me." Sora smiled. He brushed his hand up and down Kairi's shoulder before turning to walk back out of the room. "Take your time looking around while I go start cooking. You eat steak, right?"

Kairi nodded eagerly. "Yes I do! It's my favorite!"

Sora chuckled. "Rare, medium, or well done?"

"Medium rare."

"Perfect, same here."

Kairi laughed and shook her head as she watched Sora disappear around the corner. Taking up on his offer, she continued to embrace the beauty of Sora's sci-fi collection. The longer she stayed in the room, the more she could feel a certain presence. It was his presence. It was Sora's. She could feel her stomach fluttering as if there were birds flapping wildly. Kairi loved staying in the room and could've stayed in it all day. Oh, if only, she thought to herself. She pulled off one of the Star Wars novels and began to skim through the first pages. It definitely grabbed her attention. She had read quite a number of sci-fi novels, but these felt brand new to her despite how familiar she was with the movies.

The scent of spices and butter lured Kairi out of the room and towards the kitchen. She couldn't help but watch Sora from behind him. He was cooking, but there was something about him that was different. He was cooking with a bounce in his step. Kairi smiled as she heard him silently humming to himself. She had never seen Sora in such a good mood before. It almost seemed like he had made a complete transformation. While Kairi never assumed that, she could tell that as much as Sora wanted to deny it, the two of them were making progress together. Kairi took a seat at the dining room table and began to read the book while Sora continued to cook. He took a peek back and felt a smile creep onto his face unable to stop staring at the face of this woman he felt such a strong connection with get lost in a book that she was already in love with.

"How do you like it?" Sora asked.

Kairi nodded and looked up, smiling widely. "So far, so good."

"Good, does this mean I can ask the obligatory, 'What's your favorite film in the series' question?"

"Does this mean I can give the obligatory 'Empire Strikes Back' answer?" Kairi asked back with a wink.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Good choice. Mine too." He began to serve the steaks. "Hey, how would you feel about eating outside on the balcony? I have a patio table and chairs. It's a really nice night."

"Yeah! Sure!"

Kairi stood up and moved to the table outside, Sora following shortly behind her. He carried the plates that their dinners were served on and set them down. He hurried back into the kitchen searched through the cabinet pulling out two wine glasses. On the bottom, Sora pulled out a large bottle of wine. He instantly recognized the wine. It was a bottle that he had planned on gifting to Xion, but she died before he had a chance to give it to her. Sora sighed and rotated the bottle in his hands, admiring the lavender-colored label. It was an unopened bottle from two years ago. Maybe I'll just do cocktails instead, he thought. Sora's eyes caught sight of Kairi, who sat outside on the balcony waiting for Sora to return. No, I wanna do something nice for Kairi, Sora argued with himself. But wouldn't that be wrong? It was meant for Xion...Sora shook his head and set the bottle down, once again fighting this rollercoaster of starting to move on, only to be back to square one.

After darting his eyes between Kairi and the wine one last time, Sora hesitantly reached for the bottle and the glasses before taking them back outside. Kairi greeted him with a smile that was infectious to him. Sora took a seat across from her and poured her a glass of wine before pouring himself one. The porch lights outside illuminated the two of them ever so slightly. To Sora, Kairi couldn't have looked more perfect with the light glowing in her eyes. The silent night felt like peace for the two of them. Kairi began digging into her steak, immediately finding herself lost in its savory flavors.

"This is so good. You're quite the cook." Kairi complimented. "The wine goes perfectly with it."

"Thanks, I wanted to thank you for all of your help these last couple months."

"Your welcome. Glad to be of service." She sipped the wine. "Mmm, this wine is fantastic."

"Would you like another glass?" Sora offered lifting up the bottle. Kairi nodded eagerly. It had been a long time since she had a meal like this. "I'm glad you came tonight. It's nice not eating alone for once."

"I know what you mean. It gets harder the older you get, especially if your family lives long distance from you. Before you know it, your friends are married with children, have jobs that go way into the later hours, it's not like in high school or college where you can just phone a friend if you wanna hang out."

Sora poured himself another glass of wine and sipped it in silence. "Yeah, I miss those times, especially with my dad." He looked up into the dark starlit sky that created a somber atmosphere for him and Kairi. "We used to go stargazing all the time. He always talked about how there's so much to the universe that we still don't know about. I guess that goes for anything. We think we know everything, but how do we truly know that?" Sora chuckled. "I feel like there's always something new to discover in life."

"That's really deep." Kairi said finishing her second glass of wine. "It's funny. When you become a Psychologist, you start studying people and questioning them. I'll be walking at the grocery store, and I'll see a random woman that looks sad and I'll start analyzing her in my mind. Is that weird?"

"Not at all." Sora laughed and shook his head. "I think it's really cool. It shows how in touch you are with your surroundings and with people." His eyes stared down at his hands momentarily before reaching for the wine bottle. "Third round?" Kairi smiled before letting Sora pour another glass. He also refilled his and noticed that both his and Kairi's plates were cleared. "Are you finished? I can take your plate."

"Let me help you with that."

Kairi stood up quickly only for Sora to wave off her help. She felt bad that he was going through all of this trouble for her, especially since it wasn't even a date...right? Is this a date? No! That's stupid! He's not even remotely interested. He's just being nice...and polite...and a gentleman...and...ugh. Kairi's thoughts fought with each other in her head. She reached for her wine and leaned against the balcony railing while she drank it. It truly was a night that was clear as a day with no clouds. The stars were all over the place and there was a full moon in plain view. It had been a long time since the world looked this beautiful to her.

"It's peaceful, isn't it?" Sora asked as he joined next to Kairi. "I spend a lot of time out here. It keeps my mind off of things." He pointed out towards a bunch of bright stars. "You know what those stars look like?" Kairi shook her head. "Everybody in Destiny Islands calls that constellation the Oathkeeper. It looks kinda like two hands exchanging paopu fruits."

Kairi looked hard at the stars. "Wow, it really does."

Sora stole a glance at Kairi as she kept her undivided attention on the stars. The twinkling reflected off her eyes and made them look like sparkling sapphires. He ran his sweaty hand up and down his arm feeling the goosebumps that had formed on it. Kairi caught his gaze and returned the genuine smile. If Sora was honest, he would've kissed her right then and there with how beautiful she looked. They broke their gaze when the sound of a shooting star grabbed their attention. Sora's eyes widened as he leaned forward on the railing and pointed at it.

"It's a shooting star!" Sora placed his hand on her shoulder. "You gotta make a wish, Kairi!"

Kairi laughed, taken back. "Make a wish? Sora, isn't that a little childish?"

"Aww come on, it's fun!" He looked ahead at the shooting star. "Sometimes, you gotta give reality the boot and just believe in magic a little bit." Sora flashed a cheesy grin at her. "Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"

"Okay," Kairi shook her head and shut her eyes. "You win." She shut her eyes and played along with Sora's little 'wish' act. Happiness, that's all I want. I just want to be happy again like I used to be. Kairi kept to herself and opened her eyes to see Sora gazing at the stars. "You know, you are so full of life."

"Thanks, that's the side I want people to see. Because, that's the real me. That's why I came to Twilight Town. I wanted to find myself again, and I think he's slowly starting come back…" Sora looked over at Kairi. "...Because of you."

"Sora…" Kairi softly muttered as she held a hand close to her heart that had begun dancing. She felt her stomach twisting. "Well, I better get going." Kairi began to move from the railing only for her to lose her balance. Sora quickly dashed in front and caught her. "Wow, that was a clumsy moment, sorry."

"You okay, Kairi?" Sora asked while he held her.

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine!" She walked inside and reached for her car keys only to miss the first time, and the second time, and the third time. After finally grabbing them, Kairi, her eyes looking a little heavier than normal, smiled and waved at Sora. "Thanks for dinner!"

Sora stepped forward and took her hands in his. "Kairi, please don't go."

"But, I have to get home."

"Then let me drive you home."

Kairi shook her head. "I'll be fine, really. I only live like a half hour away from here."

"Kairi," Sora firmly said. "You might get hurt…" He could feel his eyes well up. "Please, don't go." He pulled her into a hug.

"Sora, what're you-"

"-I'm sorry…" Sora choked out, holding Kairi close to him. "I don't wanna lose you too. Please...don't get behind the wheel."

Kairi sighed and returned the hug despite her arms and legs feeling weaker. "Okay, I won't drive."

Sora heave a sigh of relief. "Come on." He broke the hug and guided Kairi over to his bedroom that was surprisingly very clean. "Here, stay the night." Sora dug into his chest of drawers and pulled out a white shirt and dark sweatpants. "You can borrow these for tonight. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked standing up and nearly falling over again. "I feel like I'm being a burden."

"Hey, you're never a burden." Sora said handing the clothes to Kairi. "Use whatever you need in the bathroom."

"Thank you, Sora."

Sora smiled and walked over towards the door. "If I don't see you until the morning, good night."

Kairi waved. "Good night," she softly said.

After shutting the door giving Kairi her privacy, Sora walked over to the couch and collapsed right on top of it. Although he wasn't as tipsy as Kairi was, even he could start to feel the effects of the alcohol. His head started to hurt. Guess I better turn in for the night, he thought to himself. Sora opened the closet and pulled out an extra blanket. Right as he was about to get comfortable on the couch, he realized that he was still wearing his day clothes. I better pop in and grab my pajamas quickly before she falls asleep. Sora turned and walked back over to his room, only to…

"Sora!" A naked Kairi screamed as she ran for the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Sora shielded his eyes, trying his best not to blush. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just needed to get my pajamas! I'm sorry!" He sidestepped into his bedroom trying to avoid any eye contact with Kairi, who still hid in the bathroom. Sora dug into his drawers and pulled out a dark blue shirt and red pajama pants. "Hey, at least I was right!" He laughed. "You do have a really nice body!"

Kairi groaned. "Shut up…"

As much as Sora tried to lighten the situation, the embarrassment wouldn't leave. I should've known she was changing! He groaned at himself. Sora changed in his bedroom while Kairi stayed in the bathroom. He tried to be quick considering he was almost completely sure she didn't want to be stuck in the bathroom. After changing, Sora hurried back out to the living room and fell asleep on the couch. He would've said goodnight to Kairi one last time, but he figured that was the last thing he should do all things considered. He fluffed the pillow and pulled the navy blue blanket over him, getting comfortable. The couch wasn't his favorite to sleep on, but he wasn't about to make Kairi take the couch, and he wouldn't have dared to ask her to share the bed with him. Although...she does seem like she'd be great to cuddle with, he thought before turning on his side to fall asleep.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"WATCH OUT!"

Sora shot his eyes open at the sound of Kairi's scream. He jumped off the couch and quickly ran over to his bedroom. Under normal circumstances, he would've knocked, but this was an exception. Sora opened the door right away to see Kairi holding herself, her knees up to her ches, hyperventilating. He felt his heart sank as he went over and sat on the bed, taking hold of her shoulders.

"Kairi? Are you okay?"

Kairi looked up at Sora, still breathing heavily. "We were driving...and there was an accident-or there was almost an accid-he was going too fast and we-" She shook her head and covered her tear-filled face. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. He almost killed us."

"Who?"

"I can't…" Kairi shook her head, avoiding eye contact.

Sora sighed and pulled Kairi into a hug. "It was a nightmare. It's okay, you're safe." He rested his head on top of hers as she buried her face into his chest, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, I'll never drive after drinking ever again."

"Shh, it's alright." Sora softly said. He ran his hand up and down her back causing her trembling body to slow down and relax. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'm here."

"Sora…" Kairi whispered.

"Hm?"

"You're so warm."

Sora laughed. "Thanks. I guess that helps you out?" Kairi nodded, not leaving his arms. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me to."

Kairi's heart skipped beats. She recognized that those were the exact same words she said to Sora the first time she helped him through an anxiety attack. The fact hit her like a punch to the gut. Sora had shown his true colors that night. Underneath the depression he had exhibited at first, he truly cared about others, and he understood her. Kairi reached up and held onto Sora's arm giving him permission to stay with her. He could feel the goosebumps that had formed on his arms earlier return. Her soft hand sent the blood rushing back to his face. This was unlike any connection he had ever felt with anyone. All Sora wanted was to sit there, holding Kairi, and not let go until she said she was okay.

"Your hair, it's so soft." He randomly said running his hand through it.

"Thanks, I shampoo and condition every day."

Sora sighed. "I like it." He brushed her side bangs out of the way exposing her forehead and closed eyes. Instinctively, Sora leaned his face over and gave Kairi a small kiss on the forehead. "You okay?" He asked.

Kairi, her heart racing from the kiss, smiled weakly. "Yeah, I'm okay, thank you." She said still resting her head against his pounding chest. She finally sat up and wiped her tears from her face. "Sorry for waking you up."

"Don't worry about it, really." Sora said smiling. "I don't mind. I'd rather make sure you're okay." He brushed his hand against her cheek. "Go ahead and try to get some sleep, okay? If you need me, I'm just out in the living room."

Kairi nodded and lay back down in Sora's bed. He pulled the covers over her before walking back out of his room, shutting the door behind him. He collapsed back down on his couch and lay on his back staring at the ceiling. It would've been easy for him to just fall back asleep since it was about three in the morning, but something else was on his mind.

I can't believe i just kissed her like that, he thought.

A/N: Woo! I am NOT dead! See? I promised I wouldn't forget my AU fic! Be sure to check out my current primary project Oathkeeper's Awakening if you wanna read about Kairi going on her own journey to save Sora!