fourteen
.
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.
The dice add up to a total of fourteen.
You land on a ladder.
Move up three more spaces.
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.
Xion traces her index finger on the rim of her coffee cup and raises a suspicious eyebrow at her companion sitting across from her.
"Are you okay?" she asks, her eyes not failing to notice the shakiness of his pale hands.
"Of course I am," Riku answers as he scans The Usual Spot with heightened senses. "What makes you think otherwise?"
"Because you just poured eight packs of sugar into your coffee and now you're acting like a rabid squirrel," she informs.
Riku leans back in his seat and examines his drink in disbelief. Sure enough, there were eight empty packs of sugar lying next to his mug.
"Something on your mind?" Xion decides to ask, but she already has her suspicions.
The silver-haired man only shakes his head and pushes his coffee away. "No, everything's fine."
"Uh huh," Xion says, clearly unconvinced. "I just asked as a formality. What I really meant to say was 'tell me what's on your mind'."
With a sigh, Riku leans his chin against the palm of his hand and dramatically looks out of the window. "They're on vacation. Alone."
And that's when she sees it: the familiar look of a man longing for another woman. It's all there: the distant, half-lidded eyes, the droopy eyebrows, the half-hearted grin... she's seen it all before.
"I mean, Sora's my bro, but…"
Riku suddenly feels a pair of small hands cover his own, and when he looks up, Xion gives him a smile that twitches slightly at the ends.
"Don't beat yourself up for feeling this way," she advises. "There are many factors to consider: they live together, you like her, and you've known him your whole life, so it's only natural that you're uneasy. Don't fight it—just accept it. The more you try to deny it, the more it's going to bother you, so just let it be and let the pieces fall where they may."
Riku smiles as the warmth from Xion's hands spread onto his own.
"I suppose you're right," he says. "There's not much I can do from here."
She nods in agreement and pulls her hands away from his.
"Everything is going to be fine," she assures. "Besides, it's not like they're suddenly going to fall for each other in one weekend."
Sora stares at the room before him in horror.
He certainly couldn't fault the view, and the Presidential Suite at their resort was absolutely breathtaking, but you'd think that three thousand munny per night would get you at least two bedrooms.
"I'll take the couch," Sora says as he passes the one king sized bed, which is nicely elevated on a circular podium with pin lights. Their suite is comprised mostly of stone and beige walls, while the furniture alternates between mahogany and glass. The occasional plant here and there adds some vibrancy to the place, but the overall feel remains airy and spacious.
Kairi lightly slaps her housemate's arm because of his earlier suggestion. "Oh, don't be such a baby, Sora. We're not hormonal teenagers. We can handle sleeping in the same bed without being naughty, right?"
"Says the one who checked me out on the plane earlier," he teases.
"You're not letting that go, are you?" Kairi asks as she pulls a few strands of hair behind her ear with a smirk. "I'd say you rather enjoyed that."
It is now Sora's turn to be embarrassed. The pink tint on his cheeks gives him away entirely.
"Yeah, well, I'm still sleeping on the couch," he says with childish determination.
"Suit yourself," Kairi says. Then, without warning, she throws herself onto the bed and sighs in delight as she relaxes into the marshmallow-like mattress. "Oh," she moans while snuggling one of the pillows. Sora feels a familiar heat stir within him upon hearing this sound. "I can't believe you paid for this entire room and won't even take advantage of what is has to offer. This right here was fashioned by angels who stole fluff from the clouds."
"You're just trying to get me in bed with you," Sora claims as he walks towards the sliding doors that are located just a few feet away from the foot of the bed.
"I'm trying to maximize your chances for relaxation, you ass," Kairi says whilst sticking out her tongue.
"Oh, I'm sure," Sora replies with sarcasm. Then, with a sharp intake of breath, he parts the doors to reveal the view in their backyard.
The sight that greets him is just what he expects and so much more. It is just as he remembers: soft, white sands, fresh waters that reflect the blue of his irises, and the familiar feeling of a cool and refreshing summer breeze tickling his cheeks. In that moment, he is four again, and he can almost hear his brothers laughing at him as he attempts to get a seagull out of his hair. He grins at the memory and gazes at the sight with affection.
It is a beach suspended in time, and for the weekend, he and Kairi would also escape from the ebb and flow of time and just simply live.
The sound of Kairi's voice suddenly coming from the bathroom distracts him from admiring the picturesque view.
"Oh my gosh, Sora, there's a hot tub with a little waterfall in here!" she squeals. "And there are massage jets everywhere! Oh, we have to try it right now. Like, right now. Come on!"
"Not right now," he advises as he leans against the doorframe of the bathroom. "We'd be killing daylight. Grab your stuff—I say we hit the beach."
The moment they exit their complex, Kairi can no longer contain her excitement.
"Oh, this vacation is going to be so great," she says whilst clutching her beach bag to her chest. Sora shakes his head and chuckles to himself as he watches his assistant skip next to him from his peripheral vision. Her childlike wonder and attitude was becoming apparent in her body language and he had to admit that it was getting kind of adorable.
"We're going to be here for the annual festival held in honour of the island's discovery," she informs with enthusiasm. "There's going to be fireworks, funnel cake, rides, games, the works—it's always been one of my favourite events."
"You had me at funnel cake," Sora jokes. "So in other words, we're definitely doing that."
"It's always a fun time," Kairi promises. "I've attended it every year up until I left for Radiant Garden."
"Sounds good to me," Sora says. He then lowers his sunglasses to examine their options on the main beach. After looking past the family activities, his eyes zero in on a particular hut and he smirks with anticipation. "Say, Kairi, how would you like to try something really fun?"
Ten minutes later, Kairi finds herself clinging onto her boss for dear life.
"Ready?" Sora asks as he revs the engine of the Jet Ski. He turns to look at her with wild, eager eyes, but she shrinks under his gaze when she notices the vast expanse of water in front of them.
"Have you ever driven one of these before?" she asks anxiously. When she left Destiny Islands, she was seventeen and was barely old enough to do such things, but now that she was older, things were going to be slightly different.
"Um, no, not really," Sora answers sheepishly. "But I learn fast!"
"What?" Kairi asks—more like screams—incredulously. Activities like these always seemed like fun from afar, but in the care of a complete newbie, Kairi could feel her excitement dying down with each millisecond that passed.
Sora childishly giggles at the face his assistant makes in the face of danger. "I'm kidding! Riku and I used to race these all the time in Bodhum. Don't worry; it's going to be fun! Just hold on tight," he advises. Kairi tightens her grip around his vest-covered waist from behind and presses her cheek against the back of his neck. "Tighter," Sora orders. Kairi repeats her previous actions with suspicion. "Tighter," Sora says again.
"Just how fast are you planning to go?" she asks fearfully.
Sora merely winks at her. "Don't worry about that right now. On the count of three, okay?"
After a preparatory intake of—most likely her final—breath, Kairi nods and squeezes her housemate as tight as her arms can allow.
"One," she breaths, but before she can take her sweet time for the next number, Sora suddenly exclaims "Twothree!" and they're off.
At first, Kairi's shrieks are that of fear and shock, but when she learns to embrace the wind in her hair, the butterflies in her stomach, and the spray of water beneath her feet, they turn into shrieks of freedom and exhilaration.
Throughout the entire ride, Sora feels a different kind of thrill. He'd raced with Riku almost a hundred times, but at no time did he ever feel like this. As he makes a sharp turn, he feels Kairi press herself closer to him and squeeze his waist even tighter with a squeak. He smiles at this small gesture but doesn't show her. The fact that she was hanging onto him, depending on him, trusting him, needing him, was certainly good to know. Being needed—it felt nice.
And there was no race here. Growing up with Riku meant a lifetime of competitions (which was fine because it made him strive harder once in a while), but whenever he was with him on occasions like this, Sora's sole purpose was to get from Point A to Point B with the fastest time. Here and now, there was no rush. There wasn't a Point B. He could just drive.
When they arrive back at the shoreline moments later, Sora helps Kairi off the vehicle and watches as she wobbles her way back to the hut from earlier.
"That. Was. Amazing," she breathes.
"Which is exactly what all the women say when they sleep with me," Sora teases. Kairi rolls her eyes as she straightens herself to regain her balance.
"You're disgusting," she says, but Sora knows she means no actual offense.
"So, are you up for anything else, or are your legs calling it a day?" Sora mocks.
Kairi's jaw drops at her boss' assumption. "Are you kidding me? We're just getting started."
Sora tosses his bag into his other hand, spins once, and ends with a flourish. He playfully bows before Kairi and looks at her with his infamous grin. "Then what's next on the list, your majesty?"
Kairi's eyes land on a volleyball court at the end of the beach. She turns to Sora with a wicked smile and he returns it just the same.
"Would you like to show them how it's done?" Kairi offers.
"It would be my pleasure."
The remainder of their afternoon passes with decadent bliss. After inevitably crushing their opponents on the volleyball court, the two had gone rock climbing on the inflatable wall on the water's surface, zip lining through the rainforest, exploring through the island's ancient ruins and caves, and snorkeling through waters bustling with aquatic life.
It doesn't take long for Sora to realize that Kairi is just the kind of girl that he wants to be with—platonically speaking, of course. He doesn't overlook the fact that she's tagged along with him on every adventure without fail. She was just as daring as he was. She could keep up. Naminé was much too timid to try anything they had just done, but Kairi welcomed every experience with opened arms.
Yes, she was exactly his kind of girl.
Just as they're about to call it a day and head back to their complex after dinner, they bump into one of Kairi's old friends on the way out of the restaurant.
"Kairi!" the young man exclaims. Sora immediately notices that his voice is heavily coated with a thick accent and that his hair sticks upward like an upside down broomstick. "Is that you? You look good!" he then says, looking her up and down with approval. This doesn't sit well with Sora.
After squinting for quite some time, Kairi immediately recognizes the young man and nearly tackles him to the ground.
"Wakka!" she screams as he lifts her off the ground with a laugh. Sora only cocks his head to the side and watches with suspicion.
"How have you been?" Kairi asks excitedly. "And what are you doing here?"
"Good, I've been good," the 'Wakka' fellow responds. "And my family's owned this restaurant for years. I just became the manager two months ago."
Kairi slaps her forehead. "That's right, I forgot. Sorry, it's just been so long."
"Yes, it has," he agrees while skillfully moving his eyes to ogle her once again. Sora's eyes thin into daggers. He knows that trick all too well. He'd shamefully used it himself a couple of times, but he'd never do it when he knew another man was watching. That was an informal declaration of war.
"So have you heard from your parents lately?" Wakka decides to ask. "I heard they were making an appearance at tomorrow's festival."
Kairi lets out a nervous laugh, not wanting to discuss the topic any further, and feels her arm brush against someone else's. "Oh!" she exclaims when she remembers the presence of her boss. "My apologies. I was too caught up in my excitement back there. Wakka, this is Sora, Sora, Wakka. Wakka's an old high school friend of mine."
"Nice to meet you," the islander says while politely outstretching his hand.
"Likewise," Sora says while accepting Wakka's tanned hand with gritted teeth. Two seconds in, he squeezes a lot harder than he should, and Wakka pulls away with a low whine. The two males make eye contact for a split second, and in that moment, Sora raises his eyebrows and smirks victoriously. He had won this round.
"Your boyfriend's got quite a grip there," Wakka points out with a pained expression. Kairi jumps at the assumption, but Sora is too busy being smug to correct the slip of the tongue.
"Oh, we're not—"Kairi starts.
"So were you two just leaving?" Wakka suddenly interrupts. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you. We were just about to have a fun competition for couples onstage. You and your boyfriend should try it before you go."
Kairi nervously twiddles her thumbs, wondering what must be going through Sora's head due to the ongoing assumption. "Well, that sounds fun, but I don't think we should—"
"In agreement with the company, the winning couple gets five year's worth of Dr. Scrooge's Sea-Salt Ice Cream!" Wakka announces proudly.
At this, all signs of embarrassment and/or haughtiness are thrown out the window and are quickly replaced with hunger and determination. The housemates share a mutual nod before turning their attention back to the manager.
"A five year supply, you say?" Sora asks for confirmation.
Wakka nods. "A new shipment is sent to the winners' address every month."
"Step aside, whack-a-doodle," Sora demands jokingly, but deep inside, he's secretly proud of his clever pun.
"All right!" the islander cheers, his accent shining through. "Just wait backstage with the other couples and we'll call you out in a few minutes."
After a playful salute, Sora laces his right hand with Kairi's and leads her backstage.
"Sora, are you sure this is a good idea?" Kairi asks as she tries not to let the intimate contact affect her body language nor the pitch of her voice. She is no longer a teenage girl. She is an adult and a professional employee of Caelum Industries… that just happens to be holding hands with her attractive boss.
"Are you seriously asking me that question?" he asks as he weaves through a few tables. "It's five years worth of free sea-salt ice cream! Do you know how much time and munny that's going to save us?"
"But we don't even know what they're going to make us do!" Kairi whines. What if it was a competition based off of how long they could lock lips without parting for air? She had a feeling that that wouldn't bode well with him or the company.
"Kairi, they could make me eat shit out of a plate and I'd still do it," he assures. His face then turns a sickly green colour when they take their place at the back of the line. "Let's just… hope it doesn't come down to that, though. Now pucker up," he says as he teasingly grazes his lips over her hairline. "Baby."
The redhead doesn't hesitate to shove him lightly despite the evident heat pooling her cheeks. How was he being so nonchalant about this whole situation?
"Please don't call me that," she pleads.
"We've been dating for like a minute and you're already pushing me around?" Sora asks in a lighthearted manner. "I don't think this is going to work out, Kairi."
He narrowly dodges her slap.
Minutes later, the two housemates find themselves facing each other onstage with a coconut placed in between their bellies.
"The objective of the game is simple," Wakka says as he paces around the five pairs of competitors. "The coconut is now at your bellies, and you must bring it up to your lips. If you touch or drop the coconut, you will be disqualified. The first couple to fairly and successfully complete the challenge will win five year's worth of Dr. Scrooge's Sea Salt Ice Cream as promised! Now, is everyone ready?"
The audience applauds to show their support while Kairi looks up at Sora with worrisome eyes.
"Relax," her boss advises. "It'll fall if you're tense. The trick is to be relaxed—it'll be easier to maneuver that way. We can totally do this. Just follow my lead, okay?"
Kairi suddenly frowns up at him. "Why do we have to follow your lead? We can follow mine just as easily!"
Sora throws his head back with a sigh at her stubbornness. "Honey, can we not argue about this right now?"
"I am not your—"
"Go!" Wakka exclaims.
The crowd breaks out into chants and cheers as each couple struggles to move their coconut upward. On the housemate's end, the coconut falls to the belt of Sora's beige capris.
"Use your chest to bring it up to mine," Sora advises.
"Working on that," Kairi says as she slowly brings her chest down to place the coconut on top of her breasts to push it higher and higher.
With reddening cheeks, Sora tries his hardest not to notice Kairi's coconuts pushing their coconut upward, but the task proves to be extremely difficult when he can easily see down her coral sundress. He decides to milk the situation instead.
"Nice bra, Kairi," he says with a malevolent smirk. He nearly laughs out loud at the look on her face. "I never thought you'd be the type to wear lace. I have to admit it's quite sexy."
"Can you not?" she pleads as she tries to maneuver the coconut upward.
"Black's a pretty bold choice for such a thin dress," Sora continues. "And I applaud you for your bravery, it's very hot, but I think a pink one would suit you much better. It adds a sense of innocence, don't you think?"
Due to the temporary lapse in decorum, the coconut nearly falls to the floor, but Kairi is quick to make up for the mistake by pushing her chest to Sora's to keep it steady. Two could play at that game.
Upon instinct, Sora places a hand on either side of Kairi's hips and inhales sharply at the contact.
"Having a hard time focusing, honey?" his assistant teases when she notices the expression on his face. It is one that expresses both pain and pleasure simultaneously.
Sora merely scowls.
"Don't flatter yourself," he growls as he and Kairi guide the coconut to the collar of his navy coloured golf shirt. Sora then watches as the couple behind Kairi drops their coconut. They curse loudly and are nose to nose within seconds, establishing their relationship as a rocky one.
With newly found confidence, Sora rests the coconut on Kairi's neck and tilts his head to help bring it up to her lips, but the familiar scent of rose extract and almond oil suddenly distracts him from his task and causes him to freeze. He'd only get whiffs of this amazing scent once in awhile, but to witness it up close and personal was a different experience entirely.
Kairi's eyes nearly roll to the back of her head when she feels Sora's hot breaths on her neck. Suddenly they're back at the ball, grinding on the dance floor, and she can feel her eyes cloud with desire at the memory of Sora's lips grazing the back of her neck. She hisses when she presently feels his lips glide across her neck to reach the coconut.
Sora tries his hardest to fight the temptation of going further, of trailing little kisses past her jaw and onto her lips, because if he could feel her pulse beneath his lips and get her to hiss at such a simple gesture, he couldn't wait to see how she'd react to the rest of his moves. Her uneasy breaths are almost enough to drive him over the edge, but the damn coconut makes its reappearance and forces him to return to the situation at hand.
And let's not lose sight of propriety. There was an audience watching.
With skilled lips, Sora brings the coconut up to Kairi's mouth and moves his lips upward to meet hers in an indirect kiss. As Wakka exclaims "Winner!", the crowd erupts into a fit of applause and cheers at their victory. Kairi's lips form a small smile beneath the coconut and come into full view when the spherical fruit falls to the floor.
"I told you we could do it," Sora says amidst the applause.
"We make a pretty good team," Kairi points out whilst hugging her arm.
"I guess we do, don't we?" Sora agrees with a warm smile.
That night, the two are given another addition to their memory tree.
After another fun filled day of massages, parasailing, and kayaking, Sora feels a raindrop hit his cheek as they're hiking through the nature trail.
"Did you feel that?" he asks Kairi, who is at least five paces behind him on the hill that they're currently climbing. She pushes aside a rather large leaf to reveal herself to him.
"Feel what?" she asks with a questioning look.
"Raindrops," Sora answers as he looks toward the sky, but it's difficult to see past the lush greenery of the rainforest.
"I didn't feel anything," Kairi says as she passes him. Sora allows himself two seconds to stare at her ass through her olive coloured shorts before following her lead. After suffering at the expense of Selphie's magic bikinis for nearly two days, he decides to accept the fact that he's physically attracted to his assistant and doesn't deny himself these perverted little pleasures in life.
"Are you sure?" he asks again when he feels another raindrop hit his forehead.
Kairi merely waves him off. "You're imagining things, Sora."
Five minutes later, the two find themselves running back down the hill to escape from the merciless downpour of rainwater.
Sora opens the door to their suite with a laughing Kairi on his shoulder, soaking wet from head to toe.
"I told you I felt something," Sora says as he throws his assistant onto her bed. "But no, 'You're imagining things, Sora'!" he mocks with flailing arms and a high-pitched voice.
"Okay, I'm sorry, you were right," Kairi apologizes as she hugs her knees with a giggle.
"So I guess we'll have to resort to room service because there's no way in hell that I'm walking out there again," Sora says as he walks into the bathroom to change into drier clothing.
"That's fine with me. What are you in the mood for?" Kairi asks as she strips herself down in the bedroom to change into a loose, dry sweater and cotton shorts.
"Pizza," Sora answers from the bathroom.
"Seriously?" Kairi asks as she pulls the sweater over her head. "We're on a top rated resort that can provide us with almost every delicacy galaxy-wide and you want to order pizza?"
Sora opens the door and emerges from the bathroom wearing a simple shirt and sweatpants.
"Is there a problem, princess?" he asks as he leans against the doorframe with crossed arms.
Kairi already has the phone up to her ear when she says, "Not at all."
Two four-cheese pizzas and a couple of drinks later, the two housemates find themselves playing harmless games on the couch in the living room while The Lion King plays on the plasma screen in the background.
"Okay, kill fuck marry… Larxene, Xion, and Olette," Kairi says.
"Mm," Sora says as he pulls a bottle of beer from his lips. "That's easy. I'd kill Larxene because she's a total bitch ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, fuck Olette, and marry Xion."
"You wouldn't want to fuck Larxene?" Kairi asks. "She seems like she's got a lot of experience, if you know what I mean."
"Okay, yeah, but there are three things to consider here," Sora justifies. "One, Olette's pregnant, so I can't kill her. Two, Larxene won't even high five me, and three, even if she did happen to let me touch her intimately—which she won't—I'd probably wake up tied to a board with knives thrown all around me because I bet she's into some real crazy shit. I don't roll like that."
"Ah, so I bet you're a real romantic in bed," Kairi observes as she takes a quick swig of her diet cola. After she sets the can back down on the coffee table, she leans back on the couch only to find that her boss' face is unbelievably close to hers once again.
"Would you like to find out?" he asks huskily. He slaps his leg and throws his head back with laughter at her reaction. "Oh, your face! That never gets old."
"Don't be surprised if you're bald in the morning," Kairi mutters.
"Oh, don't be like that," Sora says in between chuckles. "Now, your turn… kill fuck marry… Axel, Riku, and… Vanitas."
"Aw, that's a hard one," Kairi whines.
"I know. They're all hot, right? If it were up to me, I'd fuck all three of them," Sora says jokingly.
"All at once?" Kairi asks dramatically.
"Nah, not all at once," Sora answers as he takes another sip of beer. "I'm not into that. I prefer focusing on one person at a time so that I can give them my full attention."
"Ah, so you are a romantic in bed," Kairi insists with a grin.
Sora rolls his eyes while lightly pushing his assistant's shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, call it what you want. Now take your pick."
"Hmm," Kairi hums, deep in thought as she taps her chin. "See, I'd want to fuck Vanitas because let's face it, that boy is fine, but Axel's my buddy, so I certainly can't kill him…"
"You are aware that Vanitas looks exactly like me, right?" Sora reminds. "You just told me indirectly that you'd want to do me."
"Will you let me finish?" Kairi pleads with helplessly pink cheeks. Sora only shakes his head with a smug grin as he finishes the last of his third bottle.
"I guess I'd probably kill Vanitas, fuck Axel, and marry Riku," Kairi answers.
Sora nearly spits out his drink. "You'd marry Riku?"
"Well, yeah," Kairi answers with nonchalance. "Out of the three options you've provided me with, he's the closest one to me, and apart from him being the total package, marrying him guarantees unlimited fucks. See the logic there?"
Sora only pulls out his phone with a wide smile.
"What are you doing?" Kairi decides to ask.
"Texting Riku and telling him that you want to get married and have equally hot Riku babies," Sora replies.
"What?" Kairi shrieks. "No!"
She lunges towards Sora and attempts to confiscate his phone, but Sora stands his ground and continues to text with one hand while using his other arm to block his assistant's thrashing arms. When she finally finds an opening to his defenses, she breaks through without a second thought and pounces. She lands on top of him and places her hands on his chest to hold him down, and she keeps him there without fail.
"Pinned you," she says in synchronization with the movie playing on TV.
Sora is surprised to find that he's actually having trouble escaping her hold at first, but when he finally sets himself free, Kairi pushes him down again with a triumphant smirk and lowers her face to his to tease him.
Sora raises his eyebrows in surprise and acknowledges his assistant's strength by raising his hands in surrender. He inwardly admires their position before moving his nose up to meet hers to get her flustered, but much to his surprise, she doesn't move. She only continues to lower her entire body onto his, and naturally, he snakes his arms around her waist in response to pull her closer.
He squeezes her hips as if to question her actions, but she only stops when he can feel her breath on his lips. He gulps and purses his lips in response. She wasn't actually going to try something, was she? If she did, he wasn't sure if he had the will power to stop at this rate. He was her housemate and assistant, yes, but above all else, he was a man, and he could only do so much.
Just as their lips are about to touch, Kairi swiftly moves her mouth to his ear and whispers, "Pinned you again" before pulling away with a chuckle.
Sora growls and pulls on her arm to drag her back down.
"Oh no you don't," he mutters angrily.
He flips them over so that he's the dominant one, and he watches as she simply laughs beneath him with tears in her eyes. He sees what she did there: she's fucked with him, only not in the common interpretation of the word. She laughs and laughs, unaware of the frustration bubbling inside of him, but when he grows content with just watching her lay there, her laughter becomes contagious and he buries his face in the crook of her neck to muffle his own chuckles.
So perhaps it wasn't just physical attraction. If their relationship was built solely on the prospect that they found each other physically attractive, he probably would have hit a home run by now, but because he's laughing on top of her, shutting out everything save the smell of her hair, he knows that it has to be something much more than that.
Then, the unmistakable sound of thunder splits them apart.
Sora is on the other side of the couch within seconds, clutching the collar of his shirt while gasping for air. He's suddenly twenty-one again, getting struck by lightning in the training room. The feeling of unbearable pain coursing through his veins is fresh in his mind and he nearly screams in agony as his eyes grow wide, but he settles for a pained groan followed by heavy, uneven breaths.
"Sora, are you okay?" Kairi asks as she rushes to his side. Another crack of thunder brings him to his knees, but he grabs the closest thing possible to prevent himself from falling to the ground, and that just so happens to be Kairi.
"Sora?" she asks when he tightly winds his arms around her shoulders. She wraps her own arms around his midsection and feels him shaking against her like a lost puppy, craving for human touch and affection.
"Sorry," he whispers into her hair. "I… I was struck by lightning once in the training room and haven't quite recovered from it emotionally."
"Then what have you done about thunder storms for the last three years?" Kairi asks as she pulls him closer. "I'm sure you couldn't have avoided them all."
"I either called Riku or slept beside Xion," he answers shamelessly. "I-it's fine though," he insists before Kairi got the wrong impression. "I'll be okay. Let's just… get ready for bed, okay?"
Although hesitant, Kairi says, "All right."
"Trust me, Kairi," Sora assures with false optimism. "It should be over soon. I'll be fine."
He's not fine.
The storm perseveres until three in the morning, and even then the signs of it ending anytime soon are quite slim. After another lightning strike wakes Sora from his slumber, he shoots up from the couch and runs a hand through his hair with a sharp intake of breath.
Amidst his heavy breathing, he feels a familiar pair of arms encircle his shoulders from behind and finds himself being pulled into Kairi's embrace. The gesture does nothing but increase his heart rate, but overtime, he finds himself relaxing into her gentle rocking motions and soothing words.
"Shh, it's okay," she whispers as she feels him settle down in her arms.
"Kairi, I…" he starts.
"I know," she says, interrupting his apology. "Come on."
Sora feels his assistant grab one of his wrists and he reluctantly follows her into the bedroom.
"Kairi," he whines.
"Don't be a baby," she says, her voice still groggy from sleep. She throws herself onto the bed and motions for Sora to lie down next to her. With a heavy sigh he joins her and watches as she pulls the covers up to her midsection and faces him.
She's a total mess. Her bed head is almost as bad as his own hair on a daily basis and her eyes look absolutely exhausted, but still happy. Still Kairi. Still, from a certain angle, adorable.
Her sweater is much too large for her petite frame, but he knows that's just the way she likes it, and he can't fault her taste in comfort. The sweater naturally falls off one of her shoulders and sexily reveals one of her bra straps to him in a teasing manner, and he has to admit that the off shoulder look is quite good on her.
"You're wearing a pink bra," he points out when he notices it. He suddenly recalls their rather inappropriate conversation from last night's competition and smirks. "You're totally wearing that for me, aren't you?"
Kairi says nothing and turns her back to him, which is completely fine in her opinion because she doesn't fail to notice that her boss prefers to sleep shirtless.
"Oh come on, I'm just teasing," Sora insists with a chuckle. "It's cute."
She doesn't budge, but despite her back being turned to him, Sora sleeps like a baby.
After persuading Sora to take another form of public transit on the last day of their vacation, the two housemates find themselves walking through the annual Destiny Islands Day festival by the beach.
The festival stands strong and is bustling with life and colour on the pier, and local civilians, islanders, and tourists of all ages walk around with wide smiles on their faces, enjoying the night's festivities.
Sora, who is currently about to take a glorious bite out of his funnel cake, feels himself being dragged to the side by his overexcited assistant.
"That one!" she exclaims, using one hand to hug his arm and the other to point at a particular ride. "We have to do that one! You basically sit in this car that takes you around a track and you have to shoot targets with a laser gun and whoever has the most points in the end wins! I've done it ever since I was a kid, and I've won every single time."
"You want to challenge me to a shooting game?" Sora asks. "You are aware that I not only demonstrate, but shoot targets on a daily basis back home, right?"
"Which is exactly why I want to try it with you," Kairi explains. She tugs on his arm once more, causing him to drop the funnel cake that he had in hand, and he lets out a low whine as they take their place at the back of the line.
"You better buy me a new one," he mutters. "I take my funnel cakes very seriously."
"Fine," Kairi agrees. "But only if you beat me," she adds with a smirk.
"Oh it's on," Sora says while cracking his knuckles with determination.
"Like Donkey Kong," Kairi fights back.
"Like soy sauce on a wonton," Sora finishes.
Ten minutes later, Kairi emerges from the game with 2100 points while Sora is left with 800.
"Yeah, get wrecked son!" the redhead cheers. "I'd like strawberries and chocolate on my funnel cake, please."
"Okay, first of all, fuck you," Sora says pointedly, "and second of all, that red dot sight had an unacceptable margin of error. If you tried to aim with that thing on the battlefield, you'd die instantly."
"Oh, stop trying to validate your loss and just accept defeat already," Kairi says. "Now, I believe you owe me a treat."
"Fine, fine, but you're sharing," Sora mumbles as he reaches for his wallet. As they walk towards the funnel cake booth that they had come across earlier, they pass a middle-aged man making a speech on a podium with an audience listening intently to his every word. Beside him is a woman, presumably his wife, standing with a kind smile on her face and her head held high.
"Is that the mayor of Destiny Islands?" Sora asks, recalling the man's face in a few news articles that he'd come across back home.
"Mhm," Kairi hums while rocking back and forth on her heels in the lineup. "What gave it away? The sash that says 'Mayor' on his chest?" she teases.
"Shut up," Sora says as he shoves her forward. As they wait in line, Sora busies himself with the mayor's ongoing speech.
"And it is rather unfortunate that our daughter couldn't join us for tonight's festivities, but I do know that she holds a special place for Destiny Islands in her heart, and I wish her the best in all her endeavors in life, wherever she may be," says the mayor.
"They have a daughter?" Sora asks.
"Yup," Kairi says.
"I bet she's hot," Sora presumes.
Kairi rolls her eyes. "You would assume that."
"But I bet she's a total princess," Sora finishes. "I bet she has someone to cut her escargot for her."
"Bet she doesn't walk into rooms with a certain kind of flower because she hates them," Kairi adds jokingly.
"Bet she only likes her lobster with butter on the side," Sora continues.
"Where the heck do you get these stereotypes from?" Kairi decides to ask.
"I read your magazines when you're not looking sometimes," Sora confesses.
"What? No you don't," Kairi insists.
"I totally do, and it makes me question your taste in reading material most of the time. I mean seriously, do you really think that a multiple-choice quiz will give you piercing insight into your soul? Not likely."
"You totally tried one of them, didn't you?" Kairi asks with a knowing grin.
"Yes," Sora admits. "And I seriously doubt that 'Tickle Me Pink' nail polish is the best for my skin tone."
Kairi laughs as she punches his arm. "You're such a dork."
"Yes, but if I remember correctly from two nights ago, I'm your dork," Sora reminds as he snakes an arm around his assistant's waist.
"Ew, that's gross, I thought we broke up," Kairi says while wiggling out of his grasp.
"No, baby, please," Sora pleads jokingly. "Don't do this. I can change!"
Kairi covers his mouth with her hand and blushes in embarrassment when people start looking at them funny.
"Can you please just shut up and buy the funnel cake already?" she asks in a hushed tone. She only feels him smile against her hand in response.
After purchasing their second funnel cake of the day, Sora and Kairi come across a little old lady that offers them a paopu fruit.
"A fruit for the lovely couple," she offers sweetly.
"Ah, no thanks, we're good," Sora says while waving his hands with an anxious but polite grin. He may have left the island at a very young age, but he wouldn't forget the cherished legend of Destiny Islands' famous paopu fruits.
"So how many times have you used that trick on girls?" Kairi asks when they're out of the woman's earshot.
"Do you really think I'd resort to that?" Sora asks. Kairi crosses her arms and waits for an answer. "Okay, twice," he admits.
Kairi stands her ground.
"Thrice," Sora offers, but when Kairi only continues to look at him with skittish eyes, he throws his arms up in defeat. "Okay, like five times! Are you happy now?"
"Pleased," Kairi answers, but the look on her face changes to one of mortification when a familiar voice reaches her ears.
"Kairi, hey, Kairi! Is that you?"
With fearful eyes Kairi turns around and finds a young man around Sora's age waving at her from the dunk tank. He's just as she remembers: blond with a black beanie over his head, a cheeky grin on his face, and a fading, but still noticeable scar on his face from his troublemaking days in high school. The only difference she notices is that he's slightly taller than before, and there is now a hint of stubble on his chin.
"Do you know that guy?" Sora asks as he watches the young man wave in their direction.
"Unfortunately, I do," Kairi answers. She walks towards him with a heavy sigh. "Seifer Almasy," she greets regretfully.
"My, my, Kairi, the years have treated you well," he says with a grin that Sora immediately wants to smack off his face. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't making a very good impression.
"And who's this?" the blond boy asks when his sights land on Kairi's boss. "Don't tell me—your boyfriend?"
"No, just a friend," Kairi answers, and for reasons he can't fathom, Sora finds this title slightly disappointing after their playful encounters the night prior.
"Oh, goodie," the 'Seifer' character says as he swings his legs back and forth over the water-filled tank. "Maybe you'd like to give us another try, then?"
Sora nearly chokes on his funnel cake.
"You dated this guy?" he squeaks, his mouth full of chocolatey deep fried batter. "I had no idea you were into the doofus bad boy type."
"Hey!" Seifer exclaims, clearly offended. "Honey," he says while turning to Kairi with a frown. "You must be tired of pleasuring yourself. Why don't you ditch this porcupine and go for a real man?"
"He didn't," Sora growls as he throws the funnel cake into Kairi's arms. He walks up to the short-haired woman by the booth and slaps down five munny on the counter. "Give me one," he demands.
"One?" Seifer asks incredulously. "It's gonna take more than one to take me down, little man!"
Sora cracks his neck and adjusts his shoulders as he walks back to the starting line with the baseball.
"One is all it takes," he says haughtily. He then turns to face his assistant who's waiting for him on the sidelines. "Which one do you want, Kairi?"
"That one," she says, pointing at the large moogle plush on Seifer's left. Sora tightens his grip on the ball and smirks.
"You got it."
Back at the resort, Kairi sets her moogle plush down by the table at the restaurant Sora had chosen for dinner. They sit under the cabana closest to the ocean and watch as their waitress makes her way through the patio with seductive strides.
"Hello, I'm going to be your waitress for this evening," she says as she readjusts the placement of their wine glasses, purposely giving Sora a wonderful view of her breasts.
Although she purses her lips to stifle her laughter, Kairi can't help but feel outclassed. She never knew that a simple blue tank top and a tight, black skirt could go such a long way.
"Can I get you two a drink for starters?" she asks while flirtatiously batting her eyelashes in Sora's direction.
"One Sangria, please," Kairi orders, and the waitress doesn't even look her way when she jots the order down.
"And for you?" the young woman asks, watching Sora with dreamy eyes.
Kairi's boss turns to look at her with disbelieving eyes when he says, "Iced tea."
The waitress giggles playfully while lowering her face to level with his. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."
"Iced tea," Sora repeats with slight irritation. "And a bottle of your best wine, please." The waitress nods before scurrying off to get their drinks.
Kairi releases her laughter when the waitress is out of sight and earshot. "She totally thought you said pussy the first time."
"I know," Sora says as he turns to look at the beach with embarrassment. "And we're not going to talk about it."
"Okay," Kairi sings as she looks through the menu with an entertained smile. When the waitress returns, she sets their drinks down and takes their orders, but before she leaves, she purposely drops Sora's spoon and bends over to pick it up, giving him a very generous view of her ass. Kairi nearly spits out her drink at the gesture.
"Okay, she's hot, and normally that would turn me on, but that is just borderline desperate," Sora admits when their server is gone.
"What's this?" Kairi asks as she stirs her cocktail with the straw. "Sora's not going for the booty?"
"Hell no," he answers. "Not my type."
"Then what is your type?" Kairi asks curiously.
"Someone shier," Sora replies. "Someone I can… easily fluster," he continues as he grazes a hand over Kairi's on the table. He chuckles to himself when she pulls her entire arm back with tinted cheeks. "You see, I know it's the quiet ones," he observes with a whisper, "that have a secret wild side, don't they, Kairi?"
"I, um, wouldn't know," she admits.
"Mhm," Sora hums. "Sure you wouldn't."
"Sora." His name becomes a warning.
"Yes?" he asks with a grin.
"You are treading on dangerous waters, my friend," Kairi forewarns. "All this shameless flirting is going to smack you across the face one day."
It is Sora's turn to get flustered. "What? I am not flirting with you!"
"You totally are!" Kairi argues with a knowing smile. "Don't be so shy about it. I admit that I think you're cute, you probably think I'm cute since you enjoy getting me flustered, so it's only natural that we'd be flirting with each other. Don't worry, though. I understand that it's all in good fun and that you have no intentions of taking our flirting to the next level, so don't you worry your pretty little head about it."
"Wow, we are not having this conversation," Sora says despite Kairi's observations being almost one hundred percent accurate. He says almost, because lately he's been having some strange thoughts about the next level portion.
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Sora," Kairi says while poking him with the end of her chopsticks.
"This is making me uncomfortable," Sora confesses as he pulls something out of his bag. "Here. I got something for you."
Kairi stares at the poorly wrapped box in awe. "Sora, no. You didn't have to get me a gift. This vacation was more than enough."
"It's not much, trust me," Sora assures, "but I know you'll enjoy it."
"I swear if it's a sex toy—"Kairi starts.
"It's not," Sora interrupts. "Just open it."
Kairi reluctantly obeys, but when she gets a glimpse of what's inside the box, she throws its contents in Sora's face. Her boss catches the tomato hat with a laugh and watches his assistant huff like a child whilst crossing her arms.
"Happy birthday!" he offers with enthusiasm.
"Fuck you," is all she says.
"Kairi Hart, such language," Sora says dramatically.
"Get that thing out of my sight, you fucker," she continues.
"All right, all right," he says as he puts the hat back in the box. "Now, since it's your birthday, I think it's time for a toast," he suggests as he grabs the bottle of wine. He pours an even amount into two separate glasses and hands one to Kairi.
"To coming out of your mom's vagina twenty-two years ago," Sora says while raising his glass.
Kairi grimaces. "I am not toasting to that."
"Oh, just do it," Sora insists. Their glasses sing upon contact and they finish their share within seconds. Kairi twitches upon setting her glass down.
"That was… bitter," she says hoarsely.
"Yeah, that was pretty terrible," Sora agrees with a laugh. "Now eat up. There's more surprises waiting back at the suite."
Kairi looks up from the meal that the waitress has just set down in awe.
"What?"
Kairi's jaw drops when she and Sora enter the living room of their suite. Despite it being filled with gifts of various sizes, the first that catches her attention is the four-foot tall bouquet of flowers on the coffee table.
"Oh my gosh," Kairi says as she walks around it to admire the vast selection of roses and rather large circumference. "This thing is huge. Was this really necessary?"
"It's from all of us," Sora explains. "Riku, Xion, Selphie, Olette, Hayner, Axel, Larxene, Ven, Van, mom, a couple of other employees from work—they all contributed to that bouquet. Mom told me roses were your favourite so we went all out."
"Hell yeah you did," Kairi agrees. "Where did all this even come from?"
"I had Xion collect all your gifts and deliver them here on the exact day of your birthday," Sora explains. "Do you like it?"
"Of course I like it, you idiot!" Kairi exclaims. Sora feels a drop of sweat run down his forehead at the insult but thinks nothing of it when Kairi playfully hits the pink Mylar balloon that reads 'Happy Birthday!' beside the roses.
"Is it recording?" comes the familiar voice of Ventus from inside the balloon. It takes a few moments for Sora and Kairi to realize that it really is a recording.
"Ven, I don't think you hit the right button," says Axel. Vanitas snickers in the background.
"But the red light is glowing!" Ven argues.
"Are you sure? I don't think anything's happening," comes the concerned voice of Naminé.
"You idiots, it's already recording!" Larxene yells impatiently. The two housemates laugh as they listen to a very poorly rehearsed birthday song, but in the end, their effort is very much acknowledged. When the song ends, a few cheers and party horns are heard here and there, and amidst the chaos, Kairi can make out a few birthday wishes.
"Happy birthday, Kairi! Hope you have a good one!" Roxas screams.
"Have fun on Destiny Islands!" Ven exclaims.
"And remember to use protection!" comes the obnoxiously loud voice of Axel, who ends the recording on an awkward note. Sora scoffs and rolls his eyes.
"Idiots," he mutters. "Anyways, why don't you open your gifts? I'll record your reactions on my phone and send them separately so that you can send everyone your regards and whatnot."
"Sounds like a plan," Kairi agrees. She grabs the first present from the batch and sits herself down on the couch. "This one's from… Axel and Larxene," she reads. The first thing she pulls out of the bag is a pack of condoms. Sora nearly drops his phone.
"Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Kairi says simply. "Thank you for your concern, but I don't think I'll be using these anytime soon, guys."
After hitting send, Sora receives a text from Axel moments later that reads:
LOL you're welcome ;D
The next gift is a pack of ten Nutella jars from Olette and Hayner.
"Now that is a gift," Sora comments. He turns the camera to face him and says, "Bless your souls. May your child live long and prosper."
"Aww, that's cute," Kairi says from behind him. "Sora thinks I'm going to share."
"What?" Sora asks cutely, his voice weak and his eyes glazed with tears.
"I'm kidding," his assistant says as she pinches his cheek. "Thanks guys!"
After opening a pair of fashionable purple sneakers from Selphie, a watch from Ven and Van, a silver rose hairpin from Aerith, a pair of earrings from Roxas and Naminé, and a custom-made record from Xion, Kairi finally reaches the last present of the evening.
"This one's from Riku," she reads as she unties the turquoise ribbon on the small silver box. Inside is a golden charm bracelet with currently one charm attached, and judging by the familiarly and carefully crafted seashell, he'd purchased that particular charm in Bodhum.
To remember every world by, Riku had written on a piece of paper inside.
"This one's my contribution," Sora says as he tosses Kairi another small box from his pocket. She opens it to find a paopu shaped charm on the inside to remind her of the times that she and Sora spent together on their vacation.
"Aww," Kairi says with tears forming in her eyes. "You guys are so sweet. Thank you."
"It was Riku's idea," Sora admits as he continues recording. "He deserves the credit for this one."
"Well thank you, Riku," Kairi says as she admires the piece of jewelry against the moonlight. "I love it."
"And there's… one last thing," Sora says as he sets his phone down.
"What? I don't see any more gifts," Kairi observes.
"It's from me," he explains while walking towards the bedroom.
"Another gift?" Kairi asks. "You're spoiling me, Sora."
"What can I say? You deserve it," he says. He retrieves something that he presumably hid in the closet and walks back into the living room with something behind his back.
"Close your eyes," he demands softly.
"Are you secretly going to surprise me with a kiss?" Kairi teases.
Sora plays along by rolling his eyes. "Well it's not much of a surprise now, is it?"
With a giggle, Kairi shuts her eyes and excitedly outstretches her arms. Sora places a rather heavy item in her hands and commands her to open her eyes. She looks down to find a large white box with the words Serah Farron written across the middle in metallic silver letters.
"Sora, oh my gosh," she says in disbelief.
"Open it," he suggests when he begins recording again. Inside, the red purse that she's had her eye on for months awaits.
"Oh my gosh, Sora!" Kairi screams. "I can't accept this! This purse is like… two thousand munny!"
"Well if you don't want it, I guess I'll have to use it," Sora says. "Do you think this shade of red will look good with my skin tone?"
"Screw your skin tone!" Kairi exclaims as she begins to throw things from her old purse into her new one.
"So… do you like it?" he asks while scratching the back of his head. "It isn't too… materialistic?"
"Sora, as much as I like things that are valuable on an emotional level, I won't deny myself the materialistic pleasures of life," Kairi explains.
"Ha! Do you hear that, Xion?" Sora asks, pointing the camera towards his face again. "That's what you get for giving me shit the other da—whoa!" The camera follows Sora as he's tackled to the ground by an overexcited Kairi.
"Thank you," she says while wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You're welcome," he says, sitting upward to accept her embrace with a chuckle.
"You owe this to them, you know," she suddenly mumbles into his shoulder.
"Owe what to who?" Sora asks.
"Your happiness," Kairi answers. "To the people that care about you. I know that they may be a bit overbearing at times (Ven and Van immediately pop into Sora's head at this), but at the end of the day, you know they mean well and just want what's best for you. They just want you to be happy, Sora, so I'm really glad that you agreed to take these few steps forward, and for letting me join you. I can't guarantee that the journey ahead of you will be easy, but I do wish you every happiness along the way. You deserve it."
Sora smiles—really smiles—at how genuine Kairi looks and sounds in that moment, and that alone speaks volumes to her. Who would have known that some stranger that stood at his door six months ago would willingly be in his arms tonight? –And clothed, to top it off.
That same stranger wasn't just a piece of ass like the girls he used to bring home from work. He could actually laugh with her and they could easily carry on a conversation without feeling the need to fuck at the end or in between. He was content with just talking to her—anything else was just a bonus.
And she wasn't like Xion, because although he and Xion could hold down a conversation without any funny business, Sora knows that he can't feel something more than friendship for her. She's the sister he never had, and he'll only live with the regret that he loved her when he was lonely in the past.
But this time round, things were different. He no longer felt lonely, and he finally found a girl that could talk to him, understand him, put up with him, and accept him for who he used to be and what he'd become. A girl who helped him see that the people who cared for him weren't just separate stars, shining on their own, but a whole constellation. They were all connected, and she was the newest addition, shining brighter than them all.
So for the first time in a long time, when he pulls Kairi's body closer to his, Sora slowly feels himself letting go.
tbc
Chapter Inspirations: Fall—Serena Ryder, So Good—B.o.B
Mother of Buddha that was a behemoth. That was almost 10k right there, can you believe that? I'm really glad I saved all this for the next chapter instead of mashing it with the previous one, lol. Originally, this was supposed to take place in an amusement park in Twilight Town, and Sora and Kairi's trip to Destiny Islands was supposed to come about when they were already together—and I hardly consider that a spoiler because come on, we all knew they were going to end up together at some point.
Believe it or not, a number of scenes in this chapter weren't supposed to exist. These include the beginning scene with Riku and Xion (I have to thank Deathgod19 for giving me that idea), all of the scenes revolving around the lightning storm, and the presents with Kairi. The scene with the rather bold waitress was actually based off of a real life experience. I almost died laughing at my cousin when it happened.
So, I feel like this chapter was just 10k of shameless fluff, playful bantering, and sexual frustration. With that being said, there's not much to say about it, lol. It's pretty straightforward and not very deep. I hope you enjoyed it, nonetheless! The coconut challenge also came from Just Go With It, a movie starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. It's one of my comedic favourites.
Special thanks to Crush-Chan17, pokepals98, It's My Lucky Charm, KittyKat1217, Wildgirl404, Deathgod19, DestinyKeyblader28, Amulet Misty, and applebear for reviewing the last chapter! Thank you to those who also favourited this story and/or put it on alert! I'll attempt to get two sets of review replies in this time round, and I'm sorry for any missed or misspelled pen names.
I hope you enjoyed the fourteenth installment of D&L! Please kindly leave a review to tell me what you thought and/or what you'd like to see, I'm sorry for any grammar errors that I might have missed, and I'll get started on the next chapter asap!
PS. The next chapter is when the drama really begins, wink wink.
PSS. Lmao I just added the dividers to the chapter and the word count increased by 400. Fanfiction logic.