Chapter 12: Sweeter than Sweet
Kairi was the closest thing to my ideal girl. She was breathtakingly beautiful, a lovely kind of funny, a cute kind of athletic, and an attractive kind of intelligent. She really was the first girl to ever mark off every quality so far on the Ideal Girl List.
She checked off one more tonight.
You see, if you were to go to the top five qualities, the turn-ons, you would find there: a girl who plays video games.
"Kairi?" I choked in surprise. Her giggle rang through the headset.
"The one and only!" she laughed.
Kairi, my ideal girl, was playing video games.
Do you know what's even more attractive than a girl who plays video games?
A hot girl that plays video games. And Kairi was definitely classified under that category.
I think I'm in love.
"But how…?"
"You really can't connect the dots?" Ven asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Riku didn't 'accidentally leave' anything."
Oh. Ooooooh. I get it now.
"So you're using Riku's?" I sat up excitedly, readjusting my headset. I couldn't believe it. Kairi was really the fifth player. Kairi.
"Yup! Riku called me while you were taking a nap. A spontaneous plan, but hey. I'm a spontaneous person!"
"Okay, I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Kairi has Riku's this and Sora didn't know that and blah blah blah." Hayner let out an agitated sigh. "Can we start? Not ready? Too bad." A timer flashed on screen, indicating that the match was starting.
"Jeez. Someone's cranky today." Kairi teased.
"He's just mad that he's not getting laid tonight." I remarked.
"Jealous? I think so." Ven chuckled.
"Dude, Roxas is totally getting some in the room over!"
"Riku!" Kairi quickly interjected. Now he's in trouble. "They're not having sex!"
"Shouldn't have said that…" Though nobody saw, I was shaking my head.
"Because if they were, you'd hear them! They're definitely screamers." Kairi added. Riku and Ven burst out laughing.
Did Kairi actually just say that?
Hayner, who seemed to be the only one paying attention to the game, suddenly spoke. "Okay guys, it's starting!"
"Roxas and Naminé's honeymoon?" Ven quipped.
"The match, Ven. By the way, first place gets to have sex with Kairi!" Riku announced.
Whoa. Wait. "What the fuck, guys?"
"Sora, it's not going to be handed to you. You gotta play to win!" Ven said casually. Oh yeah, because we didn't just say anything totally offensive and inappropriate about Kairi! "Though, that prize doesn't give me any incentive at all. No offense Kairi."
"None taken!" Kairi said cheerily. My mouth dropped open. This wasn't the real Kairi. It couldn't be.
"Okay, what the hell is going on? Are you guys just messing with me or something? Why are you talking about Kairi like this?"
"Oh no, he's going all 'knight in shining armor' on us…" Hayner groaned.
"Sora, it's all right. I've played with these guys tons of times. You boys deserve a chance to be obnoxious. Don't let the presence of a girl ruin that."
"But…"
"Really Sora. It's fine. They always say these kinds of things."
I was finally beginning to understand. "Oh. So… you mean you guys are joking?"
Riku snorted. "Of course not. Winner really does get to have sex with Kairi."
Or maybe I wasn't. "What the hell, Riku!" I thought he actually cared about her!
"Sora, please. Just relax." The sound of her voice calmed me down a little. "Besides, look at your screen. No way am I losing to you punks!"
I followed her directions and saw that the first round was already finished, with Kairi's name at the top of the board. When did it even start?
"What the…?"
"Zero kills, Sora?! You'll never get laid!" Hayner sniggered into the microphone. If he was next to me, I'd punch him. Hard.
Ven spoke thoughtfully, bringing me away from my murderous thoughts. "Man, I can already tell this is gonna be a fun night. Long, but kick-ass."
"Not as good as your brother's!" Kairi sang. We all got a laugh out of that one.
This is gonna take some getting used to.
We flew through the first few rounds as they posed no challenge whatsoever. All the while, we talked about random topics, the strange sounds in the night coming from the room adjacent to Riku's (While no sounds were actually produced, it was a running joke), and Kairi really took the jokes in stride. Sometimes I feared that they were getting a bit too offensive, but it never seemed to bother her.
Speaking of Kairi, she was… good. She was really really good. I remember Riku telling me that he'd invite one of the best, but I didn't think it'd be Kairi. Once again, she took me by surprise.
There was something oddly attractive about a girl who could perform a no-scope headshot on a moving target from across the map.
There was also something extremely hilarious about Kairi using her character to teabag the headless cadavers of her slain enemies.
"Yeah! You like that, don't ya?!" Kairi taunted amidst maniacal laughter.
Just look at her. I have to say it again.
I'm in love.
Kidding.
"Kairi, how did you get so good at this game?" My curiosity simply had to be satiated. I was amazed that she consistently appeared on top of the board with the most points. I was in second place, just barely above Ven in kills.
And no. It's not because I wanted to have sex with Kairi. I was just really good. The guys, of course, didn't believe me.
"It's the only one I play." She answered. "And this is the only mode I play too. I'm not that great against actual people."
"Which is why she never agrees to the sex bet when we do battles like that."
"Shut up, Hayner." Her tone was more annoyed than angry. "Anyway, Riku got me into this. In fact, I know more about video games than how to play them. But this is the only one I ever really got into, you know?"
"Ah…" Okay, so maybe she isn't a real gamer, but she still hit all the top five qualities of my ideal girl.
"Guys, split up into two teams. Ven and I will stay with Hayner because he's sucking balls. Sora and Kairi should take the second base." Riku ordered the team.
"Dude, I'm texting people. It's distracting." Hayner defended. "Would you rather I pause the game?"
"We'd rather you play, actually. In case you haven't noticed, we haven't even reached the halfway mark yet." Kairi added as the sound of a head exploding popped through the air.
"It's probably Olette." Riku sighed.
"It's Pence. Why do you have to assume I'm sending love messages to Olette?"
"Well we didn't assume that much, but now we know that you're lying!" Kairi's joke made everyone, save Hayner, break out into a fit of laughter. The antagonized blond decided to turn his headset off, as he remained silent for the rest of the round. Well, just because he couldn't hear us didn't mean we were going to stop teasing him.
It was like that for the next few rounds: we'd be in our teams, someone would die from time to time, or Kairi would steal the last kill from me. And the jokes were just endless. One minute we'd be making fun of Hayner, then they'd turn on me and say that the only reason why I was doing so well was because I wanted to get in Kairi's pants (obviously not true!), and then the conversation would somehow find a way back to Roxas and Naminé. They were the most popular subject of the night.
"I swear I heard the bed squeaking. No joke guys. No joke." Riku reported in a harsh whisper.
"Well if you needed any more indication that Roxas has no experience whatsoever, you got it." Hayner sniggered at his own comment.
Nobody spoke until Kairi killed a tough enemy, curb-stomping its poor head into bits. "Don't be mean, Hayner. And they're not doing anything besides trading a few kisses."
"They're making out?!" I gagged in disgust at the thought. Unnecessary.
Riku, still unconvinced, held fast to his belief. "I'm pretty sure the two will walk out of the room tomorrow morning and be forever changed."
"That's a disgusting thought, man." Ven quipped quietly. Another round had finished.
"Guys, shut up." Kairi sounded pissed now. I was sure that the others felt it too: the conversation went dead silent. "Now, I won't say this again. They're not having sex."
"You sound so sure." The words slipped out of my mouth before I even knew what I was saying. Oh no.
I think I just—
"I am. See, when feelings have been caged up that long, they come out wildly. That bed wouldn't be squeaking, Riku. You'd be hearing it slam against the wall like an overloaded washing machine!"
"Ugh, gross!" Ven stated in disgust. On the other hand, everyone else found the comment hilarious. "How is that funny?! Do you think I enjoy seeing my brother and a friend I've known since birth go at it like there's no tomorrow?" The question only served to fuel our laughter, a chorus of low hums with an effeminate ring.
"Yeah, sorry about that. It was such an opportune moment, and I wasn't going to pass it up!" Kairi's half-hearted apology came through a fit of giggles. I had to wonder how she did it: being so feminine, yet able to blend herself in a group full of obnoxious guys.
I had the honor of killing the last enemy of the round, stretching as I watched his body explode into bits and pieces. "Hey, look who got first place now!"
"Try to show some restraint, Sora."
"Yeah, for real dude. We know you want to have your way with her, but don't be so obvious about it…" the double team by Riku and Hayner had me turning a redder shade.
"Aww, leave Sora alone! He's just the only one trying, that's all."
Finally, someone on my side. Even better, it just happened to be Kairi.
"Thanks for realizing, Kai—"
"Trying to get into my freaking pants, you perv!" she interrupted with a harsh accusation. Cue the roars of laughter.
"Kairi!" I half-whined, half-yelled in exasperation. Why was everyone picking on me?! "Ugh, you guys suck…"
"Man, Sora's easily the best person to make fun of!"
"He's so desperate…"
"Disgusting…"
"All right already! Don't you think that's enough, guys?" First Ven has to turn everyone against me, stabbing me in the back; then Riku pours salt on the wound, with Kairi to rub it in after. Why was everyone so mean…
"Yeah guys, leave him alone already." Hayner drawled tiredly. "I don't know about you guys, but I need a break. We're halfway through, so I deem this moment to be… pee break and whatever else you need to do."
"Yeah, way ahead of you, dude." Riku's claim was followed by a strange sound. It kinda sounded like he was…
"Are you actually peeing?" Kairi asked in disgust. My best friend laughed at her shock.
"Okay, I really had to go, and I was banking on the fact that you wouldn't be able to hear me."
"Well then stop peeing so loudly!" Kairi reprimanded. "It's so awkward when you have to hear that."
"Well, whatever. I'm done now." Kairi mumbled something about washing hands. "How can I pee… not loudly?" Riku pondered. Ven was quick to reply.
"Easy. You just aim for the sides of the toilet bowl."
"Is this conversation really happening?" Kairi groaned and asked no one in particular.
Amidst Ven's and Riku's discussion on strategic peeing, I answered, "Yeah, it is."
"I like to spell my name on the sides of the bowl, you know? It's never just one place. And it's like a race against yourself because you have to hit all the places before you run out of ammo."
"You put way too much thought into peeing, Ven." Kairi interrupted.
"It's not normal. Just my two cents." I quickly interjected. I personally didn't play games while I peed.
It was honestly one of those things I just… did.
A ruffling, scratchy sound noisily interrupted the conversation. "Okay, I'm back. How's it hanging?" Hayner's out-of-breath voice came through.
"Hmm… a little to the left."
"That's disgusting, Riku." Yup. Too much information.
"Kairi, it's only disgusting if you think about it. Just don't try to imagine my penis hanging—"
"Can we move on? Just a thought." I interrupted Riku's rambles, to which Riku only laughed off.
"You asked for it…"
We were down to the last wave. Unfortunately, Riku, Ven, and Hayner had somehow died.
Yeah— FAIL.
Yes, I was frustrated. Was it because the rest of the team sucked balls?
Maybe.
"Damn it… Sora, you need to pick me up again…" Kairi growled. I quickly found her character, letting her fight again. Just to clarify, Kairi wasn't one of those sucky guys. When I say terrible, talentless, useless teammates, I mean Ven, Riku, and Hayner.
"Come on guys. It's the last one, and I want to go to bed." Hayner, being the whiny punk that he is, elicited a growl from Kairi.
"Maybe if you guys didn't die in the first forty-seven seconds of the game, we'd be done by now." She retorted in annoyance. She seemed to be letting off steam by blowing enemy bodies to bits.
"Hey, that was Hayner's fault. I told Riku to just let him die, but he didn't listen." Ven defended.
"Forgive me for being a team player… besides, there are only eight of them left. That's like four for each. Finish it up, guys."
"We're trying. Sora, pick up that grenade launcher next to you."
Hearing Kairi's order, I said through gritted teeth, "I'm kinda pinned down right now…" As if she were the only one getting shot at…
"Oh. My bad." And just like that, the enemy's head was blown clean off its shoulders.
Riku whistled in admiration. "I don't think it's possible to ever get tired of watching that."
Kairi and I continued to play while the others told us what to expect or when to hide. It worked out pretty well until Kairi died.
"Wait, are you dead?!" I asked nervously. I got a frustrated growl in response.
"Are you freaking kidding me? That's impossible. I was completely healthy a second ago!"
"Sora, there are five left. Don't you dare mess this up." Hayner once again remained ignorant of my plight. I'd very much prefer it if he were knocked out right now.
"Four left now! Go Sora!" Ven, who was much more encouraging than Hayner, cheered me on.
"Dude, run upstairs and use the narrow hallway so you only have to deal with one at a time." Riku advised.
Oh. Of course.
Per Riku's strategy, the game met an anticlimactic end. There was no epic kill cam or victory song. It just kinda… ended.
"Dude, why didn't we just do that before?" I was fighting a smile the whole time. I, Sora, had just saved the game for everyone on the hardest level possible.
My gosh. Why am I so amazing? Like really. I'm sorry for taking it all.
"I only thought of it then. Oh well. We'll try that the next time we do this."
"Guys! Check the scoreboard!" Ven suddenly exclaimed. "You are not gonna believe this. You are really not gonna believe this."
"Sheesh, Ven. Are we not going to believe this? Huh? What was that? We're not gonna— holy shit. No way." Riku gasped.
"This has to be some glitch." Kairi said in monotone.
"What?" climbing down from my pedestal of awesomeness, I decided to check the scoreboard, expecting to see me and Kairi at the top.
Everyone was silent for a few seconds, dumbstruck as to how to react. Hell, I didn't know how to react either.
Because there, on the scoreboard displayed on the giant flat screen, was my name. At first place.
Well now. That was unexpected.
"… Well, now what?" Hayner broke the awkward silence with the uncomfortable question.
"I think I'm going to go to bed now… er, good night guys." Ven signed out before any of us could reply. Well, not like we even responded in the first place. Suffice to say that we were all speechless.
"Kairi, I think you just lost your virginity for losing a video game." Riku stated in realization.
Ha, I think he's ri— what the fuck is he saying!? "Riku!"
Kairi suddenly burst out laughing. "I can't believe this is actually happening… wow…"
"This is the epitome of awkwaaaard…" Hayner laughed. "I think I'm just going to end the session now…"
"Wait, Kairi—"
"Good night, guys. Good night, Sora!" Kairi said right before leaving.
Oh, great. We can save the awkward for later then.
"Yeah, I'm going to bed. Catch ya guys later. It's been a good game."
I stared straight ahead, completely still on the bean bag. Maybe it wasn't awkward for them, but for me… how the hell was I supposed to face Kairi? I see her every day!
And it's not like I didn't want to see her every day. It's just…
"Who made this stupid bet anyway?!" I growled and rubbed my face in frustration. Should I just ignore it like everyone else? And I guarantee I would if I didn't like Kairi the way I did.
I turned off the TV and made my way to bed, turning off the light as I left the area. All I had to do was… not think about it. Right. Ignore the whole thing, see Kairi tomorrow, and act natural. Nothing awkward. It's not like I just won sex with Kairi or anything.
"Uggggghhhhh…" I groaned and smothered myself. Thinking like that wasn't going to help my cause at all! "C'mon, Sora! Get to sleep. Forget about it and get to sleep…" I repeated the mantra inside my head, over and over. With nothing but the constant order to fall asleep, it didn't take long for me to finally close my eyes for the night.
I heard knocking, so I cracked my eyes open. It was still dark, and for some reason the room was spinning. I looked for any kind of light source, but my hands found nothing. The knocking persisted, so I took the chance to trek the dark basement that was still a little unfamiliar in the blackness of night. Surprisingly, I didn't run into anything and made it to the stairs without incident. There was a little light seeping under the cracks of the door, forcing me to avert my gaze elsewhere. Before I knew it, was standing at the threshold, my hand wrapped around a knob I couldn't really feel. More knocking coerced me to turn the thing and get it over with.
My eyes locked onto the intense gaze of a pair of angel eyes. She stood, calm and half-amused. I was frozen at the doorway, and suddenly the room too full of tension and the air too thick with restrained ambition.
Kairi. Wearing nothing but a bath towel, just like the very first time I saw her.
I was paralyzed by the sight of her; intoxicated by the smell of cherry almond; awestruck to hold her attention, to be in her presence. An overwhelming surge of feelings washed and chaotically thrashed inside of me: begging, vying for release. I was falling so fast: so quickly being overrun by my emotions and urges to act, to finally allow my feelings to manifest.
My hand, as if on its own accord, slowly rose until it lightly caressed her soft cheek. She was still, not at all intimidated by my actions. I could hear nothing but the beating of my own heart, the rate of the pounding ever becoming more rapid.
Wordlessly, she placed a hand on my unclothed chest, making me shiver under her hot touch.
I was breathing heavily, gasping for air: trying to find a way to calm myself, to tame my wild feelings.
I leaned in closer, slow enough so that she wouldn't be frightened. She didn't flinch; her eyes were half-closed in waiting. I felt her fingers tangle in my hair, softly clutching and pulling me closer.
"Sora…" her voice, like silk, reached my ears in the quietest of whispers. "You earned this Sora…" I could feel her hand run up my shoulder and neck, finally resting on my face.
"Kairi…we…" I tried to tell her that we didn't have to; that she didn't owe me anything. But my words were choked by the overwhelming sensations of her touch, silenced by excitement of something new and strongly desired.
I opened my eyes slightly, finding myself to be downstairs. I didn't remember how we got there, but we were standing right next to the bed. I couldn't move at all. Kairi smiled so innocently as if our actions were the most natural thing in the world.
I couldn't do it. It was all too good to be true.
"Kairi…"
"Sshh…" she placed both of her hands on my naked chest; my skin prickled like fire under her warm touch. "Just relax…"
She pushed me onto the bed and I was sucked out of the world.
I woke up with a start. Immediately shooting up, I looked around the room frantically, panting from the realization that whatever just happened was—
A dream.
"Holy crap."
I need help.
I threw off the covers and quickly walked to the sink, rinsing my face with cold water. The dream was still extremely fresh in my mind, and I didn't need any of that if I wanted to be able to look Kairi in the eye today. And, mind you, I did.
Someone has to clean this whole mess up.
I pushed everything pertaining to Kairi into the far reaches of my mind until I would see her. I had other stuff to do. Like my laundry. Yes, my laundry. After cleaning myself up a bit, I fetched my phone and the basket of clothes sitting at the end of the bed. I quickly made my way upstairs and entered the main floor.
It was quiet: in fact, silence was ringing throughout the whole house, with only the hum of the air conditioning system in the background. The light that filtered through the windows also indicated that it was still early in the morning. I checked my phone and examined the time: 9:00 AM.
Ew, why did I wake up so early?
The tile felt cool against my bare feet as I made my way to the laundry room. I quickly got to work and threw my clothes inside the high-tech-looking machine, wondering how to start the thing. After figuring out that I had to press the "start" button (go figure, right?) the laundry was underway.
I'd have to return to that in about fifteen minutes. Now I had time to kill. I first turned on the TV and stopped on a network channel with news anchors talking about the going-ons of Destiny Islands. I sat and listened for a while. Nothing exciting was going on this week (aside from reports of surfing competitions, but I didn't surf) or for the rest of the month, but next month looked promising. I became aware that the biggest summer event for this part of Destiny Islands was the Pier Festival. Well, it encompassed both the pier and boardwalk, but the more important part wasn't added to the name.
I wonder if I'll be around here long enough to go to it. The Festival looks like a big deal, and this year their having a dance that only happens every four years on the penultimate day. It's obviously significant. Maybe the group I met here will plan something around that time.
I went into the kitchen, but left the TV on just in case any more interesting news came on. The time it took to heat a hot chocolate took almost two minutes off my waiting time, which was very much appreciated. I completed the process I became so familiar with and returned to the living room, clutching a warm mug. I positioned myself comfortably on one of the sofas and watched as I waited.
Not five minutes later did I hear the door in front of me opening. Kairi walked in after the lock retracted, wearing pink sweatpants and a white t-shirt. She noticed me upon entering and smiled.
"Hey! Good morning." She greeted cheerfully. It was a little disconcerting because she greeted me casually too.
"Er, hi… uh, I mean, good morning!" I overcame the initial shock and gave her a proper greeting. She shook her head in mock disappointment. "How are you?"
"Me?" I smirked at her reply, careful not to vocalize any sassy comments. No, I meant your invisible friend doing pushups on the floor next to you. She's been there all day. "I'm fine. I woke up a little too early for my liking, but I'm functioning just fine. I uh… I got you something too. Good thing you didn't make breakfast." She walked over, and only then did I realize that my heart was beating faster and faster.
Easy, Sora. This is reality now. Please don't do anything stupid. "Cool. What is it?" She handed me the brown paper bag. From the scent, my eyes lit up in realization. "A cinnamon roll?!"
She laughed, settling on the couch across from me. "Yup. Riku told me it was secretly your favorite food when you were younger. He said you would react like that too." I smiled, taking out the box that contained the warm pastry.
Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. It's a cinnamon roll.
"Thanks, Kairi!" I opened the box and took a huge whiff. "Aaaah. It's been so long…"
Kairi didn't find my reaction the least bit weird; if anything, she looked amused. "No problem. I'm glad you still like it. Though I'm hoping that you won't go crazy as Riku described. He mentioned something about you falling down a flight of stairs?"
I cringed at the memory. "Yeah, I got a little excited. But c'mon, I was twelve years old. It was a big deal!" What was I saying? Every cinnamon roll is a big deal.
"As long as you don't go too crazy," she smirked, twirling her soft hair around her fingers, "I'm not getting paid to babysit a seventeen year old."
"Jeez, I don't get that bad." I sliced off a huge chunk of cinnamon goodness and stuffed it in my mouth. I was almost moved to tears as I chewed, groaning with pleasure as the sweetness overloaded my taste buds. "Kairi, you are the best. Like, seriously. I lo— I love this." Oops, minor slip of tongue there… "The cinnamon roll. Thank you times infinity." I clarified with a huge grin. There was probably cinnamon sticking to my teeth, so I refrained from showing the pearly whites.
She smiled warmly, tucking her hair behind her ear and bringing her knees to her chest. "Heh, no problem. I'm glad you enjoy it still. Riku made it seem like it was an old, passing thing."
I chuckled at the ridiculousness of that statement. Me? Get over cinnamon rolls? Only for Kairi. "Heck no. Never. I will always love cinnamon rolls."
"Now I wish I had gotten you two!" she laughed as I stuffed more of the amazing food into my mouth. "You're wolfing that thing down faster than I've ever seen."
I was careful to swallow before answering, "Sorry, but I really can't get enough of this stuff. Where did you get this? It's amazing. I have to get more sometime."
"Just a small bakery near Riku's house." She watched me finish the last of the roll, her head tilted in quiet fascination. "That was fast."
"That was good…" I corrected with a smile. I gulped down the last of my hot chocolate and let out a contented sigh. "What were you doing near Riku's? Was he home already?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Yeah. He left Ven and Roxas's around six this morning because he had a morning workout to do." Pfft, working out is overrated. "I just had to drop off the stuff he left for me last night."
"Oh." While I had intended to make a silly comment on the fact that Riku wakes up at an abominable time of day, the reason she went over reminded me of another awkward mishap.
Great.
The memories from last and my dream came flooding back to me, making me itchy all over. The room suddenly felt twelve degrees warmer.
Kairi yawned noisily, stretching her slender arms into the air. "I can't believe you beat me last night. By like, two kills too…" she rubbed her eyes, showing signs of tiredness.
"Uh, yeah… about that… thing," the choice of word just made me feel more awkward. "We can forget about it. The thing from last night."
She looked up at me with lazy eyes, "You mean you don't want to?"
I felt as if something suddenly lodged itself in my throat. "Wh-what? Kairi, I— no. No." I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"
She giggled, stretching herself out comfortably on the sofa. "Yup. Probably would've worked if I was running at a hundred percent too…" Kairi shifted and adjusted herself so her head was resting on her arms. "Next time for sure…"
She seemed to be slipping from the conscious world with slowing breaths. "Are you going to take a nap?" I asked quietly.
"I think so… I'm so tired. Just don't let me sleep for over an hour and a half."
I nodded. "All right…" Wow, now what? She came back, but it's still as if I'm alone in the house. "I'll, uh… sweet dreams!" I said before returning to the kitchen.
I take that she agrees that we should forget about the bet from last night. Works for me.
I had to busy myself somehow, so I decided to eat. Since I had already eaten a cinnamon roll, a little voice in the back of my mind told me that I should eat something… healthier. I took some of Tifa's cereal (it was the only non-sugary box in the pantry) and poured myself a bowl. To top it all off, I added banana slices. Classic.
I had a feeling it was going to be a long hour and thirty minutes.
The time had passed. I finished my laundry, cleaned up the basement, and cooked (meaning poured milk into a bowl of cereal and adding banana slices) myself a decent breakfast.
I was reluctant to wake Kairi up because… well, she looked comfortable. I don't know about anyone else, but I never had an urge to wake a sleeping angel. But she did tell me I had to…
"Well, here goes nothing…" Taking a deep breath, I knelt before Kairi and poked her shoulder. "Kairi… hey, it's time to wake up."
No response.
"Kairi, c'mon! You better not get mad at me. I'm trying here!" I shook her lightly, causing her to stir. "It's been an hour and a half already. You said not to let you sleep more than that."
"I'll get up in five minutes, mom…"
I withdrew slightly. Did I sound like a mom?
Brushing the short swell of insult away, I urged Kairi again, "Kairi… wake up! I'm dying! I'm dying, Kairi!" I threw in a gurgle and fell to the floor in dramatic fashion.
"Good…"
Whoa. Ouch.
"Kairi, that's mean…" I picked myself up off the floor, pouting at her sleeping form.
"Good. That's what you get for waking me up." Her voice came through clearer, but her eyes were still closed.
"Hey! You're awake!" I declared with delight.
She cracked open an eye, "Oh, nice to meet you. Captain Obvious, right?" she smirked confidently, complaining when I ruffled her hair. "Hey! What was that for?"
"I would answer 'for making fun of me', but even Captain Obvious thinks that's obvious." I grinned teasingly. She pushed me hard enough to force me onto my behind, but her face showed obvious amusement. "Jeez, all I did was follow orders."
"I know." She ran a hand through her hair, trying to alleviate the damage that I (I honestly thought that sleeping did more to her hair than my actions) had done. "You were just the unfortunate soul I charged with the duty. Don't take it personally."
Once again, I was picking myself up from the floor because of Kairi.
Does anyone see a trend here?
"I'd hate to be your alarm clock." Brushing imaginary dirt off my shorts, I straightened up to full height. "Why'd you want to be awake at this time? Do you have something to catch on TV?"
Groaning in satisfaction, she stretched her slender arms above her head. I forced myself to look away. "No, I just… I just wanted to be up. I didn't need more than an hour and a half anyway." She yawned, rapidly blinking to suppress her watery eyes.
"Are you sure? You can sleep a little more if you need to."
"I'm fine… by the way, what are your plans for today?" she titled her head in query, constantly trying to comb her hair with her fingers.
"I don't know. I'm kinda bored, actually." I dropped onto the sofa with a leg hanging over the armrest. Kairi spun around quickly and glared.
"Sora, don't say that!" When I told her I had no idea what she was talking about, she explained, "We're stuck in school for the majority of the year, looking forward to summer vacation. You can't possibly be telling me that you're wasting this coveted time being bored! Take advantage of it, Sora! Before you know it, you'll be sitting in the classroom again, listening to the teacher drawl on and on about filtration process of the kidney!"
Taken aback, I couldn't help but ask, "Is there some sort of… a form of animosity toward your biology teacher or something?"
Her lips twitched into a small smile. "Maybe. But I really do look forward to summer vacation. And that is why I like to spend every minute of it doing something, anything so I'm not bored."
I grinned in agreement. She was right. I sat through hours and hours of classes, waiting for this time to come… and I'm wasting it. I'm on freaking Destiny Islands. There's got to be something to do here.
But I really didn't feel like going out much.
"Okay, so you're right. I am wasting time. But I don't feel like going out. What to do?" I asked her.
She tapped her chin in thought, her eyes gazing upward. "Hmm… why don't we watch a movie? And maybe we can order pizza for lunch."
I blinked. Well, that about settles it. "Sure. Works for me."
"Cool. I don't really feel like going out today either. What kind of movie do you want to watch?"
"I dunno. What does Tifa have?" I got up from the couch and browsed the large compartment of the entertainment center. All the movies were neatly arranged on an electronic… revolving platform.
Seriously, this house is stocked with the awesomest high-tech gear.
"Okay, well I wanna watch a musical." She declared. I turned to her with a raised brow.
"For real? I never took you for one to like musicals-made-movie. Any in particular, then? She's got them all."
"Oh really? Why don't you pick your favorite then?"
"Huh?"
"You must be familiar with all of them to say that she has them all. Plus, you're probably surprised I watch musicals because you do too." She crossed her arms as if she had proven something.
I scratched my head in confusion. "Um… what? I didn't follow that process."
"Too bad." She giggled as she threw herself onto the most comfortable couch. "Hmm. I should probably make popcorn…"
"Good idea." I turned back to the movie collection and resumed my search. "Do you have a favorite?"
"I do. But I don't want to watch my favorite. I want to watch your favorite." She said matter-of-factly.
"And if I don't have one?"
"You do. So pick it."
Oh gosh. So how do I go about picking this movie without her making fun of me? Should I just pick a different one? "Er, I don't think you'll like my favorite."
"Why not? Tell me what it is."
"I'd rather not." That means I'd rather not tell her my favorite musical and compromise my manliness.
"Tell me."
"No."
"Sora, tell me!"
Ugh, fine.
I mumbled the name of the musical, hoping she would hear.
"What was that?" She leaned forward, intent on hearing it this time.
"Mamma Mia." I answered in a clearer voice. Already, I could my cheeks heating up.
It didn't help when my answer was met with an unrelenting silence.
Crap. I knew that was going to happen. She probably thinks—
"Hahaha!" Kairi suddenly burst out in hysterics, her laugh echoing throughout the house. I turned to see her clutching her sides, adding yet another reason for my red face.
"I knew you would react like that…" I shuffled my feet uncomfortably on the floor, pouting in Kairi's direction. "I don't want to watch anything anymore…"
"Aww, Sora!" She tried to whine, but only ended up wheezing instead. I chuckled at the strange substitution. "Sora, come on! I'm just surprised! I think it's adorable that you like that musical!"
I dropped onto my butt and sat idly on the floor, staring at the design underneath me. "You're just saying that."
"No I'm not!" I suddenly felt her arms wrapped around my shoulders. She was saying something, but I was almost completely lost in the overwhelming sensation of her arms embracing me and the scent of cherry almond overtaking my senses. "It really is adorable. Can you take it out and set it up? Please?"
I made every effort to keep myself from slurring my words. I didn't want her to let go yet, so I asked, "And if I don't?"
"Then I'll be really sad. I want to watch your favorite musical. Come on, Sora! I'm not making fun of you!"
"F-fine…" I plucked the movie from the rotating device; I couldn't help but feel disappointed when Kairi broke her hug and cheered.
"Awesome! Thanks, Sora. I'll go make the popcorn now! Set it up!" she skipped off into the kitchen, her step a lot bouncier. I shook my head and sighed. Did she really not understand the effect she had on me?
I continued to set up the movie, pressing random buttons until the surround sound system came on. After adjusting the volume and finding the appropriate remote, I retreated to the best couch in the living room. Kairi came back holding a bowl filled to the brim with popcorn.
"I added extra butter!" Kairi sang excitedly as she sat next to me. I took the bowl off her hands and ate the first piece.
"Already in the musical mood?" I grinned.
She took a piece of her own and chewed down on it noisily. "Yup. Don't tell me you aren't. I'm expecting you to break out into song at any given moment."
I started the movie, chuckling when she tried to take the bowl from me. "Good. Now when I do, you won't be startled." I joked.
"Now that would be a sight to see." Kairi snatched another handful of popcorn and laughed. "If you can't help yourself, at least put down the popcorn before getting up and breaking out into dance as well. I quite enjoy popcorn, but not if it's on the floor."
I grinned slyly, "I won't be making any guarantees, Miss Kairi."
"Yes, I've been broken-hearted~"
"Blue since the day we parted~"
"Why, why, did I ever let you go?" We sang the final line in unison, staring out wistfully into the driveway for dramatic effect. Kairi almost fell backwards laughing when the pizza guy looked back at us, gave us a weird look, and walked faster toward his car. He promptly sped out and away.
That was the cherry on top of the mountain of awesomeness.
"Kairi," I gasped the syllables between every hysteric laugh, "That. Was. Amazing." Why was this girl so freaking amazing?!
Kairi, who was bent over laughing, made every effort to meet my gaze. She failed out of laughing too hard. After a few seconds of unrelenting laughter, she wheezed, "He'll remember us for the rest of the day. Good job on the follow up and improvised duet."
I shrugged, balancing the boxes of pizza in each hand. "I know all the words; what can I say?" I walked past the now turned-off TV and into the kitchen, sliding the pizza boxes onto the table. "What do you want to drink?"
"Whatever you're getting. My gosh, we definitely have to do that more often."
"Do what?" Watch movies together?
"Sing duets to random people to freak them out, of course."
"And make them feel like they just came into contact with a strange couple who implied that they wanted to have some sort of deranged threesome? No thanks, Kairi." She laughed, one of the few to find my sarcasm… funny. "I'm kidding. That's definitely planned into my list of 'things to do' during this summer vacation."
"I'm right there with you!" I gave Kairi a filled cup of soda, falling into the seat across from her. "Out of curiosity, how many times have you watched Mamma Mia?"
"Why? So you can make fun of me again?" The question-made-accusation left my lips through a smile. Kairi cutely pouted and huffed.
"You know I was sorry for that. I think it's cute that you like a story like that."
"I know, I know…" I opened the first box of pizza (we got two on my insistence) and picked the biggest slice. "I don't know the exact number, but I've definitely seen it over twenty times."
"Aww, so cute!" she cooed. I looked away in embarrassment, taking a large bite from the pizza.
"Yeah, whatever…"
For the most part, our lunch was filled with conversation. Times like these were testaments on how comfortable I had gotten with Kairi. For someone I've only known for six days, it sure felt like she was one of my longtime friends. How could someone I met under the most random of circumstances become one among my favorite people?
Slice after slice, Kairi and I talked about everything: good movies, good music, our friends, and school. I loved the way she explained things. She always got so into her stories, speaking animatedly and with brilliant impersonations. I felt like we were catching up instead of telling a new friend of old experiences.
After finishing a box and a half of pizza (much to Kairi's disgust, but I think she was more impressed), we cleaned the kitchen of any mess and put the leftover pizza away. Per my suggestion, we agreed to take out the strawberry ice cream still sitting in the freezer. I didn't know we had only one carton left because I don't remember ever finishing the first one.
But when we opened the freezer door and found that there was in fact only one carton… well…
All hell broke loose.
"It's mine!"
"Dibs!" we screamed and reached for the carton at the same time. My hand fell on it first, but Kairi got a second hand on it before I could. We both held onto it with fierce determination.
"Well, well, well." Kairi drawled. "Looks like we have a predicament."
"Not if we say that first touch gets it." I stared back with fierce determination.
Kairi laughed and nodded toward the ice cream carton. "Excuse me? Is that your hand on top of mine? What does that mean?"
"It means you got a second hand on it faster than I did. See, if you were to look on the top of the carton, you'd find your hand placed on top of mine." I argued.
"So what do we do? Rock papers scissors?"
"Yeah, not falling for that one, Kairi."
She giggled, shaking her head. "Man, either I'm losing my game or you've finally caught on."
"I'd like to think that I've gotten to know you a little better and finally caught on." I flashed a smile. She huffed and looked away, making my smile disappear. "Uh, something up?"
"Yeah. You're cheating." She cryptically said under her breath.
"What? Cheating? How?"
She looked at me, and seeing my distressed state, added, "Never mind. How long do you plan on holding my hand?"
I almost retracted my hands out of reaction, but stopped. "Wait a second…" I narrowed my eyes, making her giggle even more. "Nice try. But when are you going to let go of my hand?"
"Hopefully never." Her eyes connected with mine and a heart-stopping smile shone on her features. My whole back suddenly started getting a prickly feeling; all I could do was slightly gape and stare. After realizing what she had said, her cheeks turned a cute shade of pink. She coughed lightly and added, "Uh, so long as your hand is on the ice cream. You know. 'Cause I want the ice cream…"
"Yeah…"
Awkward silence.
"Tell you what," I said a little louder than normal. I inwardly flinched at my unintended volume, but said, "Why don't we share it? I mean, we just ate pizza and everything, so I don't think we'll finish. Plus, I don't think we should keep the freezer open for too long."
She pondered for a quick moment and agreed. "Good. My hand— hands, are kinda getting cold anyway."
She first lifted her hand off mine, then removed her other. After an awkward chuckle, I took out the ice cream while she collected silverware.
Or at least, I thought she did. I opened the carton and found that she was holding two plastic spoons. "Uh…"
"Oh, I figured that since we haven't really used any dishes, we could just… you know, share the carton. So we don't have to do any dishes."
I liked the idea, so I made it obvious. Nodding fervently, I held my hand out for a spoon, which she dropped into my hand. "Shall we go into the living room? Let's see if there's anything on."
She agreed and led me to the couch we were on before. I held out the carton after taking the first scoop. "Hey!" she protested. "I wanted the first scoop."
I grinned after savoring the strawberry goodness. "Well, you're too late now." She immediately took a scoop and ate it.
"You're going to pay for that later." She stopped on a random channel.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah really." Her eyes showed that she was serious. I wanted to laugh.
"We'll see what you've got under your sleeve then." I turned my attention to the movie, but didn't really pay attention to what was happening. We started talking about other things again; things that didn't relate to the TV or movie at all.
"I am going to regret eating this much later." She sighed as she ate another spoonful.
"Why? If anything, I have something to regret. I had a whole pizza pie and here I am, sitting on the couch eating strawberry ice cream." I laughed. Not to mention that amazing cinnamon roll from this morning. I was still getting over that.
"Yeah, you fatass." She pointed her spoon accusingly at me, tucking her soft hair behind her ear with a mirthful smile. "I'm just thinking about all the working out I'll have to do later."
"Work out? When?"
"When Miss Lockhart gets back. She's gonna kick our asses around. That's Roxas and I, of course."
"Oh." I nodded slowly, trying to ignore the little reminder that Tifa and Cloud were returning tomorrow. "Are you worried about getting fat or something?" I quickly looked at Kairi and wondered what exactly she had to worry about.
"No, not really. I don't— well, I do care about my weight, but I'm not…" her eyes darted upward as she thought of a word to use, "obsessive about it. I can actually eat as much as I want because my workouts will burn it all, but I like to keep a healthy diet too. For example, I can't remember the last time I was sick. I've never missed a day of high school unless it was an excused absence for tennis or something."
"Wow. That's kind of scary. Impressive, but scary." I still guiltlessly ate the ice cream I was holding.
"Thanks!" she smiled warmly. "Yeah, so… I like to eat healthily and exercise healthily. Though sometimes I wish I had that natural metabolism that Naminé has. The girl— forgive me for saying this, but athletics is definitely not her prime field— doesn't exercise beyond walks in the park with Roxas, but she somehow stays skinny."
"Does she eat a lot?"
Kairi thought about it for a moment before laughing quietly. "Well, not like a cow. But she doesn't starve herself. She actually eats full meals and remains unaffected. Remarkable, if you ask me."
"Yeah…" I waited for Kairi to take her next scoop before taking another. "Speaking of Naminé, have you heard from either of them?"
She blinked before hopping off the couch, running to her purse on the end table. "Oops. Two missed calls and some messages." She giggled nervously before opening her phone. "From Roxas and Naminé. They want to know if we'll meet them in… an hour. No, make that forty-five minutes."
"Meet them for what?" I asked after swallowing another spoonful of ice cream.
"Hopefully not lunch." Kairi threw me a look as she approached the couch again. Laughing, she took another scoop of ice cream and ate it. "So what do you say?" she asked with the spoon still in her mouth. "Want to meet up with them?"
I thought for a moment. "Why not? I kind of want to see if they'll act differently since they were so couple-ish already."
"Good. If you don't mind, I'll be taking my last scoop. I have to get ready 'cause I'm still wearing…" she looked down at her pink sweatpants, "Yeah. I have to change.""
I chuckled when her face began to turn slightly red. "All right, good idea." I took my last scoop, "I'll put this back in the freezer."
Kairi suddenly yelled in panic, "Sora, wait!" I immediately stopped, my eyes catching her frantic motions. "There's something in your ice cream!"
"Huh?" I looked down at the wrist Kairi was clutching, and then to the ice cream. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. There's just something… here," she made a motion to show me something, but her actions were more of betrayal.
Before I could react, she ate the last bite right off my spoon.
Oh no. No she didn't.
She did not just eat my ice cream. My strawberry ice cream.
"Kairi…" I released a slow breath; the spoon was shaking slightly in my quivering hand.
She bit her lip, feigning innocence. "Yes? Is something wrong, Sora?"
Gee, let's think.
Never mind.
I quickly lunged forward, screaming my head off, and pinned a laughing Kairi underneath me on the couch. "Give it back!" I yelled in grief.
"It's kinda too late for that now!" she giggled as she tried to escape my hold. "I told you. I warned you that you had it coming. I merely followed through on the threat."
"Really? Well I just might reach down your throat and get it back."
"For a bite of ice cream? I can hardly see it happening. You can try, if you'd like." She challenged with a playful gaze.
I moved my face closer to hers and narrowed my eyes. "Don't take me lightly. That was perfectly good strawberry ice cream."
"Mmm, and it was so good." Kairi moaned with pleasure, sending shivers down my spine.
Oh gosh, not now.
Control the hormones.
"You owe me…" I started, but stopped when I realized that a hand had broken free from my hold.
She poked me in the forehead and stuck her tongue out. "I told you. That was payback."
I dropped more of my weight on her. "It was my last bite before getting ready."
I couldn't help but notice when she licked her lips. "Too bad for you. I can still taste the strawberry on my lips. You're not going to go that far for your last bite, are you?"
I swear, women had to have been created to wreak havoc on the minds of men from the inside out.
I suddenly felt a little dizzy, and everything around me got a little hazy. "Maybe…" I couldn't even think straight, "maybe I will…"
Her free hand tightly bunched my shirt under her closed fist. I slowly closed my eyes, submitting myself to the overwhelming feelings that were coursing through me.
"Wait." Suddenly, I couldn't move forward. The hand that had previously been holding my shirt was now an open palm, pushing me back.
I felt terrible.
"Sor—" I started to apologize, but my word was interrupted by the loud ringing of her phone. She sighed, chuckling under her breath.
"Figures. Totally saw that coming…" I immediately got off her and picked up the forgotten carton of ice cream and plastic spoons. I took them to the kitchen and put them in their proper place.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid…" I mumbled to myself. Why was I even allowing things like that to happen? Pinning her to the couch? Really, Sora? What did you expect to happen?
I returned to the kitchen to hear the rest of Kairi's conversation. "Yeah, that'll work… yes, I'm sure that I won't be eating anymore. Don't be afraid to start without us… okay, I'll see you then. Bye."
She hung up her phone, meeting my eyes in a more sober-feeling room. "I'm guessing that was Naminé or Roxas?" I asked, folding my hands behind my head.
"Roxas." She answered. "We'll be meeting them at the new café downtown." I nodded, not knowing how else to respond. Sighing, she made a move for the stairs. "I'm uh… I'm gonna get ready now. Meet you here in fifteen?"
"Yeah." I grinned. "I'll be waiting."
RE: I'd like to take this time to apologize to the other authors of this site. It seems that I'm hogging all the best reviewers. These people are dearlybelovedangel, True-Light-San, ShadowSpooky, Str1k3n01r, Kairi Nanami, Fanfiction Fanatiction, JazzBox, Lebrezie, Keyblader123, mookie muffin, LAF108, jenyflo5483, Princess of blah blah blah, Yellow Gummybear, TinaalovesMints, hidden x charade, Electron Beam, Tayt63, ILooovesMatty, LadyAxel22, Storyteller35, Roxasfan123, Blood Seraph, HideYourFeathers, SiegLord, mattjesse, lovelymokotan27, Telracs1994, Rebel-chan, SecretAgent99, SilverClock, young gun kid, infidelities, Black-Dax, Noodles For Jae, experienced keyblade master, Hikari-Kawaii, Aldergrace, xTwichii, Nicrafetix, iandin123, what lovely little nonsense, mameido13, and spellbound. I know, I know, I'm such a hog. But I kinda love these guys.
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