A/N: The first draft of the #projecttw playlist is now up on my profile! I'll be updating it from time to time, but the bulk of my inspiration is there.
Background Information:
TERMINOLOGY
360 no scope: a trick shot that involves a player in a first person shooter game spinning 360 degrees and shooting another player without the use of a scope; otherwise known as the most shameful and embarrassing way to die.
PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND
XVII | best served sweet
In the midst of her morning routine, Xion hears a knock on her door and steps out of the bathroom to sneak a peek through the peephole. She half expects it to be Riku or Roxas, so it comes as a very pleasant surprise to her when she finds Naminé standing on the other side. She opens the door, and the artist strolls in dressed in a white sundress-like cover up, a stylish sun hat, and a navy diamond tote bag slung over one shoulder.
"Good morning Xion," she greets.
"Good morning," Xion returns, taking in her getup. "If I hadn't known any better, I'd say you were going out today."
"That's a good observation," Naminé says back with a giggle, and Xion takes a moment to acknowledge why Roxas admired her so much.
To the naked eye, Naminé may have looked like a fragile doll, but she was much more than that. By coming to the resort, she faced her fear of the outdoors where she could, remained supportive as her boyfriend rose to stardom, spoke through her art, and treated Xion like an actual human being. Given the circumstances, their interactions in the castle had been admittedly awkward at first, but after getting to know one another, they now spoke as if they weren't two teenagers with agoraphobia and geostigma. They spoke as if they were Naminé and Xion: two teenagers looking out for each other, accepting and facing their supposed burdens head on, not allowing themselves to be limited by it.
"So at breakfast we decided that a bunch of us were heading to the Atlantica water park today," Naminé then says. "Would you like to come with us? I figured you could use some air."
"A water park?" Xion repeats with raised eyebrows. "Sounds fun, but also very fast-paced and squished with countless teenagers. Will that be okay with you?"
Naminé's eyes soften at Xion's concern. "I'll be fine. I plan on enjoying the lazy river for the most part anyways. So what about it? Want to tag along?"
You're on Kingdom Hearts Resort! Xion then recalls Roxas reminding her last night. Now is not the time to tiptoe or sulk.
Xion looks back at her room, back to the walls and the ceiling that she'd memorized every inch of and turns back to Naminé. A change in scenery would be nice, and perhaps some fresh air could help her get her thoughts straight. Making new memories certainly sounded better than hiding under her covers all day, so her decision doesn't take much thought.
"I'll be in the lobby in ten minutes."
Sexy.
Sora can recall the very moment he first became acquainted with the word. It was his first day of high school, and he and Riku had just seen Kairi in her uniform for the very first time. She'd walked down the staircase of the mayor's house dressed in her white blouse, light blue plaid skirt, matching plaid tie, thigh-high navy-coloured socks, and taupe cardigan in hand. Sora just about had a nosebleed on the spot because how did she make that look so good, but luckily Riku was able to cough some manners into him.
"Close your mouth," he'd said while elbowing him discreetly.
Unaware that his jaw had even dropped, Sora did as he was told, but back in the present, he can't help his jaw from falling to the floor at the sight of Kairi stripping down to her swimsuit at the Atlantica water park. He'd seen her in a swimsuit during their night swimming session. He'd even seen her in one during her birthday. The results of her developments had overwhelmed him both times, but the difference now, however, was that she was no longer in the one pieces that she used to compete. No—this time she was in a stylish bikini, and he was but a poor teenage boy with raging hormones.
The top was pink in colour, criss-crossing in a way that really brought attention to her breasts, and the matching patterned bottom was high-waisted, doing wonders to her curvy figure. Years of volleyball, swimming, and keyblade training had toned and shaped Kairi's body well (something she was always so wonderfully modest about), and this ensemble did nothing but show that off.
"Sora?" Kairi then questions while waving a hand in front of his face. "You okay?"
"Bumfuzzle," he confesses, his voice strained. "Super bumfuzzle."
Kairi turns absolutely red when she realizes what he's getting at. "O-oh. I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Sora squeaks. He feels the sudden urge to pull on his collar but quickly realizes that his tank top doesn't even have one. "I'll manage."
Kairi only nods appreciatively while awkwardly twiddling her thumbs.
"If it helps, you can, um…" She then makes a motion to remove his shirt. "You know, j-just to be fair."
"Oh," Sora says. He then removes his top and tosses it onto the pool chair with the rest of Kairi's things. "Thanks."
"Sure thing," Kairi says, her eyes on anything but his exposed chest.
"So…" Sora then starts after clearing his throat, trying to change the topic from the fact that they were two teenagers that were terribly attracted to one another. "Will Tidus be joining us today?"
The question takes Kairi aback. She never expected Sora to ask about Tidus' whereabouts, but what she didn't know was that he wasn't asking because he genuinely cared about the guy. He was asking because the idea of their next encounter made him nervous, and judging by the notes he'd accidentally stumbled upon in the editing room last night, Tidus could ask Kairi to be his girlfriend at any moment now.
"Um, no," she then answers, and Sora inwardly sighs in relief. "I told him that I wanted some time to hang out with my friends for a bit."
And time to figure out what she wanted them to be after their awkward kiss, but Kairi keeps that part to herself.
Sora, however, beams at her answer. For a few moments, he still had Kairi to himself, and he wasn't going to waste that time thinking about some other dude whisking her away. No—he would use it to remind her that their friendship was the most reliable, and that she didn't need some lying weasel to enjoy her summer vacation.
"Well then, shall we hang out?" he then asks while grabbing an inflatable tube for two from a nearby rack.
Kairi takes hold of the other end of the tube with a smile. "We shall."
At the lazy river, the remainder of the Oathkeepers (alongside Naminé, Xion, Olette, and Pence) find themselves gently riding along the shallow pathway, surrendering to the slow current that carried them peacefully on their inflatable tubes.
For Riku, however, the ride is far from peaceful. A few tubes ahead of him, Xion lounges alongside Naminé and Olette, and he sighs heavily at the distance between them. He wanted nothing more than to close the gap, to be by her side, but they were physically and emotionally distant now. From the corner of his eye he could tell that there were a few fan girls fawning over him, practically begging for his attention, but he was in no mood or mindset to give them any. The old Riku would entertain them without question, but this Riku had his sights set on Xion now. True, he'd messed around with a handful of girls since the summer had started, but even the most intimate of gestures couldn't electrify his body as much as one kiss from Xion did.
Riku groans. He may have been playing in the shallow end of relationships before, but he was approaching the deep end now, and he was more than willing to tread.
A few tubes behind Riku, Axel acknowledges the look of longing on the teen's face and scoffs. The little punk. He may have claimed to know what was best for Xion, but he'd done nothing but hurt and confuse her both physically and emotionally. Axel then takes hold of an unused water gun floating nearby, loads it, and wastes no time spraying the lovesick look off of his face. Riku immediately turns to him with a WTF expression, eyes narrowed, but Axel merely shrugs as if it were an accident.
At the front of the river, Xion only watches the spiteful (and rather childish) exchange with heartbreak and dismay.
After thoroughly enjoying every possible water slide that the park could offer, Sora and Kairi find themselves at the snack bar, munching on a plate of fries. As Kairi chats animatedly about going on the wave pool next (after properly digesting their food, of course), Sora can't help but lean against the palm of his hand with a content smile.
The last time they were here, nine hours after she'd first arrived at the resort, Kairi walked out on him after he impulsively tried to win her back. Things were very rocky between them at first, but now, they were finally on good terms again. It definitely wasn't easy, but if he could level up from painfully clingy and awkward ex-boyfriend back to best friend in the span of a few weeks (and yes, he was going to use the term level up), he could certainly level up from best friend to boyfriend/love of her life by the end of the summer. He just needed to keep grinding patiently, do the seemingly silly side quests out of pure respect for her, and play his moves just right.
"Oh," Kairi then says as she picks up her phone. "It's Tidus. One sec."
And when Kairi leaves to answer the phone call, Sora breaks a French fry in half with a fake smile. Ah, of course. The ever eternal Tidus Clearwater boss battle. He knew that his quest would continue being far from easy, but if it meant that Kairi was going to be his girlfriend again, then it would be a very rewarding and noble quest indeed.
Wait, Sora then thinks, all the colour from his face draining as he realizes something. Kairi was talking to Tidus. Could he be…? Sora then shakes his head at thought. No. No way. There was no way that this guy was going to ask her to be his girlfriend through the phone. For the purposes of Teenage Wasteland, it had to be romantic and, most importantly, public. Tidus was more than likely asking Kairi on a date right now, and he'd probably ask her during said date.
Sora's heart drops at the thought. What was he going to do about that date? Could he do anything about that date?
"Hey Sora," Hayner greets, approaching the snack bar and occupying the stool next to him. Behind him, Olette and Pence appear to be in line for towels. "What's with the face?"
"Huh?" Sora asks, confused. "What face?"
"You look like you just got 360 no scoped," Hayner then points out.
Sora's shoulders deflate. He didn't get 360 no scoped, but he was certainly about to.
"I accidentally stumbled across some valuable intel last night," the brunet then announces dramatically.
"Intel?" Hayner repeats with one eyebrow raised. "Do tell."
"Well," Sora starts, making sure that Kairi wasn't anywhere nearby, "I discovered a hidden door in the left wing lounge last night—"
Hayner shakes his head in disbelief. "Hold up, there's a secret door?"
"Yeah," Sora answers. "If you pull one of the books, it swings the bookshelf open like a door."
"Damn," Hayner whispers, mind blown. "You unlocked a secret room. Aight, I'm invested. What did you find?"
"The editing room for Teenage Wasteland," Sora says when Hayner cringes, "but that's not even the worst part. I came across a few editing notes and, out of pure luck, discovered that Tidus will be asking Kairi to be his girlfriend during their next date, which is more than likely tonight."
"And?" Hayner asks as if expecting more. "You have told her about him and the whole act, right?"
Sora begins to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "Well…"
Hayner crosses his arms, the disapproval very evident on his face. "Dude, I hate to say this, but you are cutting it real close here."
"I know!" Sora exclaims. Then, with a defeated sigh, "I know, but… I'm still torn between being her best friend and being the guy that respectfully stays out of it. More than anything I want to warn her, but I don't want to break my promise, either."
Meddling could only make things worse, Riku had warned him, and that still remained true.
"Sora," Hayner then says, his tone serious. "Tell Kairi soon, or I will."
Sora gulps, but before he can say otherwise, they're joined by Kairi, Olette, and Pence.
"Hey," Kairi says while plopping back down on another stool. "Everything okay?"
While Hayner nods unconvincingly, Sora only fakes a smile through gritted teeth.
"Mhm," he answers. "Just peachy."
At sundown, Selphie approaches Tidus at the entrance of the luxurious waterfront estate owned by the Clearwaters, her steps eerie and eyes sinister. She finds the star player of the Zanarkand Abes dressed for the night's festivities in a pale blue button-up and dark jeans, just making his way to his pickup truck. His stylish getup may have hinted at a fun-filled night, but his languid movements and dull eyes held little to no promise.
"So I trust you know what you have to do tonight?" Selphie questions. Tidus only boards his truck without sparing a glance in her direction.
"Yes," he answers unenthusiastically, "but I can't control whether she says yes or no."
When it came to sensing emotions, Tidus was no idiot. Even he could tell that Kairi felt nothing in their kiss atop the Ferris wheel (it also helped that her eyes were very expressive), and he couldn't blame her. He'd be lying if he said he'd felt anything at all. Kairi was a great girl, but she wasn't… well, to put things bluntly, she wasn't Yuna.
Besides, she may not have realized herself, but Tidus had seen the way Kairi acted around her ex-boyfriend Sora. Her eyes lit up and her lips automatically curved upward at his very presence, and she was more relaxed and naturally playful with him around. Deep inside, she clearly still harboured feelings for the guy, and one could easily tell by the very air surrounding them that they had a very special bond, one that could only be attained through years of friendship, and no one, not even Tidus Clearwater, was any match for that.
Selphie, on the other hand, thinks otherwise and scoffs.
"She won't resist you," she says confidently. "No one can resist Tidus Clearwater, so that's the least of your worries."
At the outdoor amphitheater hosting the third round of Battle of the Bands that evening, Sora is a fidgety, shaky mess backstage, and everyone (with the exception of Kairi because she isn't there and is on a date with the lying weasel) notices.
"Everything okay Sora?" Roxas asks while placing a supportive hand on his cousin's shoulder. "There's no need to be nervous. You aren't even performing today."
The third challenge, which was to perform a song with a single instrument, was taken on solely by Roxas, who was ready to wow the crowd with not a guitar performance (the audience would see that coming given his online reputation), but a heartfelt piano one. The rest of the household (again, with the exception of Kairi because asdfghjkl) showed up for moral support, but Sora's mind appears to be elsewhere.
"I know," Sora then says out loud. "I'm just… tense is all."
"What for?" Riku asks, chiming in.
Sora squirms uncomfortably, never feeling so torn in his life. "I don't know if I should say."
"But you probably should if it's bothering you this much," Roxas advises. "Come on, let us help."
At the sight of his friends watching him with concerned eyes, Sora trembles nervously, but when he locks eyes with Hayner in particular, the gamer offers him an encouraging nod. Sora gulps, unable to hide his anxiety, and erupts like a volcano. From the moment he'd accidentally overheard Selphie and Tidus' conversation in the lounge to the most recent events with the secret bookshelf, he unveils it all, and everyone openly gawks at the information.
"So what the hell are you doing here, then?" Axel asks amidst the shocked silence. "You have to warn Kairi about that two-faced buttsack like right now!"
"B-but Riku warned me not to meddle!" Sora reasons with flailing arms. "And I don't want her to think that I'm using this as unfair leverage to win her back or anything."
"She won't," Riku assures with crossed arms. "And I know that I told you not to meddle, but this is one of those rare cases where you should. Above everything else, you and Kairi are best friends, and that should come first. It's going to hurt her, yes, but it'll be better coming from someone that really cares about her."
Taken aback by Riku's response (he was so sure that keeping his mouth shut was the best option), Sora looks around to find everyone nodding in agreement.
"But Roxas," Sora then says, wanting to be there to support his cousin.
"I got this," Roxas assures. "We'll be fine."
Sora's sights then turn to Hayner, who appears to be giving him an I told you so look.
"I'm sorry Hayner," Sora apologizes. "I should've just listened to you from the beginning."
Hayner only shakes his head and offers Sora a pat on the back. "Don't worry about me. Just do what you need to do."
And Sora runs off to do just that.
A hasty fifteen minute drive later, Sora parks his golf cart at the entrance of the Mini-Putt Pixar golf course: the known venue for Kairi and Tidus' dreaded date. He pays for the admission fee, runs across the strangely quiet course (likely empty due to Battle of the Bands), and finds Kairi at the eighth hole, sitting on the porch of the house from the movie Up with a Styrofoam cup in hand. Atop the house is a vast array of fake balloons emerging from the chimney, and beside it, a miniature waterfall resembling Paradise Falls leads to the ninth hole below.
By the time he reaches her, Sora's practically breathless, but he tries to blurt everything out, nonetheless.
"Kairi, I have something really important to tell you," he wheezes, his hands on his knees. "Tidus, he—"
Kairi weakly raises her hand, stopping him. "No need to explain, Sora. The deed's already been done."
Sora's heart shatters. Was he too late? "Wh-what?"
"I rejected Tidus," Kairi clarifies, her eyes closed and body eerily still. Sora's eyes widen at the answer as he straightens his posture and runs his hands through his hair with a deep breath. Relief is the first thing he wants to feel, but it hardly seemed appropriate considering that his best friend was sulking right in front of him. He'd been so focused on getting to her that he hadn't even noticed that Tidus was already nowhere to be found.
"Sora," Kairi then says, clearly stifling a sob.
"Yes?" he asks softly.
"I could really use my best friend right now," she whimpers. He's by her side within seconds, taking the spot right next to her. Kairi immediately takes comfort in his presence and leans her head against his shoulder, and Sora's heart warms at the familiar feeling of having her close.
"So what happened?" he asks while throwing an arm over her shoulders.
"He asked me to be his girlfriend," Kairi says, her voice cracking, and Sora begins to rub comforting circles into her shoulder with his thumb. "And as charming as he is, I couldn't go through with it. I mean… he totally failed to respect my boundaries. I told him that I wanted to keep things casual between us, nothing romantic, but he'd pushed for it anyways."
"O-oh," Sora says, surprised by her answer. He had other reasons to reject the guy, reasons he'd soon tell Kairi once he found the right opening in their conversation, but he should've given her more credit. Of course she wouldn't agree to be the girlfriend of some cute guy she'd just met at Kingdom Hearts Resort. She was smarter than that. She was the type to take her time; the type to build a strong foundation before jumping into a committed relationship, and Sora of all people should've known that. She also knew what she needed, and it wasn't Tidus.
Tidus may have been Prince Charming to plenty of other girls on the island, but not to Kairi. She didn't need someone picking up her glass slipper whenever it fell. She was plenty capable of doing that herself. No—what she needed was someone to take her shoes off with her and frolic around the beach barefoot; someone to laugh with her as she playfully splashed water in every direction; someone to be with her through the good times and the bad, no matter how high and how low.
She needed a best friend.
The thought gives Sora hope and makes his heart flutter, but what Kairi says next completely derails him.
"Then I dumped my milkshake on his head," she says casually while shaking the empty Styrofoam cup she has in hand.
Sora gawks at her. "What? Whoa. I of all people can totally see the boundary thing being disrespectful, but did you really have to dump a milkshake on the guy for asking?"
Kairi laughs, but it's hollow. "No. The milkshake was for using me as a pawn to increase the ratings on Teenage Wasteland."
Sora nearly falls over. "H-how… how did you know about that?"
"Hayner told me before I left," Kairi says simply. "He even snuck me into some secret editing room for Teenage Wasteland and showed me all the notes."
Sora's parted lips part even further. The gamer really wasn't kidding when he told him that if he didn't tell her himself, he would.
"Did he tell you how he found out about everything?" Sora asks fearfully.
Kairi nods, but if she showed any signs of being angry or upset, he doesn't catch them.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself," Sora says guiltily. "Above all, you and I are best friends, and I shouldn't have hid something like that from you. I should've told you the moment I found out and spared you from all this trouble. I'm really sorry, Kairi."
Kairi then shakes her head, though with closed eyes and balled fists. "Don't be. I understand why you did it. Hayner expressed how worried you were about telling me the night you found out. We were going through an awkward phase, and you didn't want to make it seem like you were making up stories about Tidus to put me against him."
Sora gulps as he recalls the excitement he'd seen in her eyes before her first date with Tidus.
"You looked so happy that night," he says, "and I was causing you a lot of trouble already. I couldn't ruin that for you."
"I know," Kairi tells him sadly. "I'm the one who asked you to be supportive, and you were just respecting that."
"So… you're not mad?" Sora asks.
Kairi turns to face him and musters a thankful smile despite the tears welling up in her indigo eyes. She had just been used and lied to, and yet she still tried to stay strong. Sora almost chuckles at the familiar sight. Typical Kairi. She'd probably held back around Hayner and Tidus earlier, but she didn't need to hide around him.
"You respected my boundaries even when it was the hardest," she then says, her voice strained. "How could I be mad?"
Sora boldly takes one of her hands in his, his way of telling her that she didn't need to hide the way she felt anymore, and she doesn't hesitate to let her guard down for him. The tears spill freely from her eyes as Sora instinctively pulls her into a hug, and Kairi crashes into his chest. He holds her close as she cries it out, running a comforting hand through her hair, and she grips onto him as tight as she possibly can. It wouldn't have been the first time she came crying to him, and it definitely wouldn't be the last. Sora never liked seeing Kairi cry, and he ached with her every time she did, but he'd keep aching with her as much as she wanted. He'd be there for her until the end of time, and nothing, not even some manipulative TV personality or two-faced lying buttsack, could get in his way.
When Kairi's cries eventually subside into sniffles, she looks up at Sora, eyes puffy but thankful for his presence.
"Sora," she then says.
"Yes?" he whispers. He wants nothing more than to kiss her, to feel her giggle beneath his lips despite the circumstances, but he manages to hold himself back because now was hardly the time.
"I think I could really use that baking lesson right about now," she answers. She reaches into her small purse and pulls out one of the coupons he'd gifted for her seventeenth birthday, and he gladly cashes in the coupon that reads 1 Free Baking Lesson.
"It would be my honour," he says while getting up and outstretching his hands towards her. "But I'm afraid there's one more order of business that we have to tend to before we do that."
At the luxurious Clearwater estate, Sora and Kairi sneakily scale the wall of the front gate, the former armed with a paintball gun strapped across his back.
"Sora, are you sure we should be doing this?" Kairi whispers discreetly. "We could get caught!"
"Quit worrying," Sora assures as he sneaks a peek at the estate through the wrought iron gates. The lights of the house weren't on, but Tidus' pickup truck was conveniently parked in the driveway.
Perfect, Sora thinks, mischief in his eyes.
"What if there are security cameras?" Kairi asks fearfully.
"There aren't. I've seen the blueprints of this house, and if anything, there's just a security guard wandering the area from time to time, so if we get in and get out fast, we'll be fine," Sora says. He then catches Kairi giving him a look.
"And how exactly did you get your hands on the blueprints of this estate?" Kairi asks.
"We Funtertainers have our ways," Sora answers, "and it was purely for research purposes."
"Uh huh," Kairi says, unconvinced. "So can you tell me what we're doing here?" she then asks.
Sora only climbs the gate and gracefully lands on the other side in response.
Kairi's lips part in shock. "No. No way. I am not trespassing."
"What's this I hear?" Sora asks, playfully cupping his ear. "Is Kairi Hart chickening out?"
Kairi turns red with both embarrassment and anger at the accusation. "I am not."
"Bok bok," Sora mocks teasingly, knowing that Kairi hated being left behind.
"Sora," Kairi warns.
"Sorry, I don't speak coward," Sora teases further.
Fuming, Kairi rolls up the sleeves of her sundress and begins climbing the gate. When she reaches the top, she suddenly becomes aware of the shortness of her dress.
"Um, Sora," she then says. "Can you… not look?"
"Huh?" he asks, confused. He finally gets the hint when she swings one of her legs over the gate. He turns beet red and looks in the opposite direction. "O-oh. Sure."
Sora gulps and feels his heart practically pounding in his chest, but luckily Kairi quickly sticks her landing and is by his side within seconds.
"All right, we're here now," she whispers. "Now what?"
To answer her question, Sora hands her the paintball gun and eyes the pickup truck with the plate number T1DU5 right beside them.
"Fire away my dear," he says dramatically.
Kairi's eyes widen as she takes hold of the weapon. "You want me to do what?"
"Oh come on, don't act like he totally deserves it," Sora reasons. "And trust me, it's very cathartic. I would know from experience."
The two lock eyes for a brief moment before bursting into a fit of giggles at the memory of Sora mercilessly paintballing Ephemer Evans' car back on Destiny Islands in his jealous rage.
"Why did you have a paintball gun in the back of your golf cart anyways?" Kairi then asks while wiping a tear from her eye.
"It's Hayner's," Sora answers. "He... may have left it there from the night we stalked you and Tidus at the drive-in theatre all those weeks ago."
"You what?" Kairi asks.
"Hey," Sora starts with crossed arms, "just because I didn't mention anything to you verbally doesn't mean that I wasn't physically looking out for you from afar."
Despite the ridiculousness of it all, Kairi's eyes soften at her best friend for always having her back.
"Now go," Sora says, ushering her over to the side of Tidus' truck and presenting it to her with a flourish. "Give this thing a new paint job."
Though with much reluctance, Kairi eventually raises the gun and places her hand on the trigger, but before she gives it a pull, she turns to Sora with an unsure look. He only nods at her encouragingly, and after a deep intake of breath, she musters up the courage to shoot. A splat of blue paint rests on the passenger side of Tidus' car, and Kairi turns to Sora with a nervous grin.
"Keep going," Sora urges.
Kairi takes another deep breath and takes aim again, shooting all over the door and making her way to the front of the hood. Halfway through paintballing the entire truck, Kairi's nervous grin transitions into a full on mischievous smirk. Sora was right: with every paintball that left her gun and hit Tidus' truck, the burden of being used and lied to in front of the entire island lightens a bit more, and by the time she runs out of ammo, Tidus' truck is a rainbow-infested mess.
"So," Sora starts with his hands on his hips, a knowing grin on his face. "How'd that feel?"
"Like, really good," Kairi confesses breathlessly, exhilaration still coursing through her veins. Master Aqua had always taught her that revenge was wrong, but in (very) small doses, it sure was sickly sweet. As for Sora, well, large doses of his silly (and often childish) antics combined with his contagious smile were the heart fluttering kind of sweet and, dare she say it, essential.
"I'm glad," Sora then says, and he means it; but before he can outstretch his arms for a proud embrace, he catches a glimpse of a flashlight from the corner of his eye. The two share a frightful look, but before either of them can react, the light coming from the backyard flashes in their very direction, and the two freeze like two deer caught in headlights.
"Hey!" comes the deep voice of the security guard. "What's going on here?"
"Time to go!" Sora exclaims, immediately taking Kairi by the wrist and making a run for the gates. He then lowers himself, lacing his hands together, and after years of playing volleyball together, Kairi very well knew what this meant. She straps the paintball gun over her shoulder, carefully steps on his laced hands, and allows him to throw her upward and over the gate. She sticks the landing on the other side, and Sora climbs over and joins her not a moment later.
As the two make a run for the golf cart parked nearby, they hear the security guard unlocking the gates behind them, and they both quicken their pace in a fit of more giggles. Luckily for them, the security guard isn't as swift and stops his pursuit the moment the two board the golf cart and make their sweet escape. At the sight of a defeated security guard resting his hands on his knees behind them, gasping for air, Sora and Kairi's giggles transition into full on maniacal laughter, and they spend the next few minutes wiping tears from their eyes.
For Kairi, something about the lively, spontaneous air reminded her of the night Sora drove her home from the end of school year beach party, and she relishes in it: the hot but simultaneously chilly winds, the youthful feeling, the giddy playfulness of it all. She outstretches her arms just as she did on the back of his scooter last year and takes a deep breath, soaking it all in and feeling it in her lungs, and turns to find present day Sora looking at her with those bright blue eyes and charismatic smile of his. Kairi returns the smile effortlessly, but feels a familiar tingle in her lips when she recalls the kiss they'd also shared that night. She feels her heart still at the memory, and present day Kairi turns away with a blush.
When Sora and Kairi return to the castle, the latter still appears to be riding her spontaneous post-paintballing high and unexpectedly parts ways with Sora at the lobby.
"I'll join you in the kitchen soon," she says while heading in the direction of the spa. "I promise!"
"Okay," Sora says, waving farewell with a half-smile.
He then makes his way to the kitchen and decides to get a head start on gathering all the equipment and ingredients for their baking lesson. After examining everything they have to work with, he briefly considers what to make and snaps his fingers when he recalls the heavenly scent of his mom's cinnamon rolls. Those always brought a smile to his face, were fairly easy to make, and were sinfully delicious. By the time he throws everything they could possibly need onto the stainless steel countertop and measures everything accordingly, Kairi finally waltzes into the kitchen.
"So," she says, her hands laced behind her back, "what do you think?"
Sora looks up and immediately drops the (luckily) empty mixing bowl he has in hand, letting it clatter onto the floor.
Kairi had cut her hair.
What used to flow past her shoulders now rested just above them, and the stylish cut framed her face nicely, making her look more mature but every inch just as beautiful. He notes that it's not as short as when she was fourteen, but it looked just as trendy and, most importantly, comfortable.
"Whoa, Kairi," he breathes. "You're a knockout."
Kairi blushes at his reaction and playfully twirls for him, showing off her new look.
"Thank you," she says. "I figured I needed a change: a reminder that I won't be the same naive Kairi for the rest of the summer. From here on out, I'm going to take on every adventure with a whole new energy!"
Sora welcomes her newly found confidence and motivation with a proud smile (although in his opinion, both had always just come to her naturally) and invites her to join him by tossing an apron in her direction.
"Is this new Kairi still up for a baking lesson?" he then asks.
She excitedly puts on the apron in response. "You bet!"
Some time later, when Hayner, Pence, and Olette return to the castle, they follow the heavenly scent of cinnamon rolls and stumble across a very interesting sight in the kitchen. There's flour all over the place, there's cinnamon filling smeared on both Sora and Kairi's faces, their hands are obviously sticky with cream cheese frosting, but the two look as if they were having the time of their lives. Kairi allows Sora to guide her as she carefully spreads the frosting all over the baked rolls, and Olette doesn't fail to notice the pure admiration twinkling in her roommate's bright indigo eyes as well as her willingness to be in such close proximity to her ex-boyfriend.
For Kairi though, the whole thing is strange. It was strange to have the guy she had her heart broken over to be mending it so well, but even this felt more right than having Tidus' lips on hers. Sora then takes one of the finished rolls in his hand and, totally oblivious to Hayner, Pence, and Olette's presence, lifts it up to Kairi's mouth. She takes a bite, sighs in delight at the taste, and urges Sora to take a bite himself. He does as he's told, nods happily in satisfaction, and it isn't until Hayner clears his throat that the two finally notice their presence.
"Well hello," Hayner greets. Behind him, Olette covers her mouth as she lets out a knowing chuckle, and Pence quickly snaps a picture.
"Oh hey guys," Sora says, totally oblivious to their amusement. Kairi, on the other hand, finishes the remainder of their shared cinnamon roll in an embarrassed silence.
"Where is everyone?" she then asks, trying to draw the attention to anything but them.
"Went to some after party after the performance," Hayner answers while shamelessly walking towards the tray of cinnamon rolls. "Mind if we partake?"
"Please do," Sora says while walking the tray towards them. While Hayner and Pence take one and remain by Sora's side, Olette takes one and walks over to Kairi on the other side of the counter.
"I was going to ask if you were okay," Olette starts, specifically not mentioning He who shall not be named, "but I see that you're in good hands."
Kairi's cheeks heat up at Olette's wiggling eyebrows, but she nods in agreement. Sora was there for her when she needed him, and for that she was thankful.
"Oh, and I'm really digging this new look but the way," Olette then compliments, referring to her roommate's hair. "It suits you."
"Thanks," Kairi says while tucking a few strands of claret hair behind her left ear, flattered.
Back with Hayner, Pence, and Sora, the professional gamer brings forth some interesting information.
"So we heard that Tidus Clearwater's pickup truck got mysteriously paintballed tonight," Hayner points out, and Sora nearly chokes on his second cinnamon roll. "It's all over the website and social media. Do you happen to know something about that?"
"Maybe," Sora says guiltily through a mouthful of cinnamon roll. Then, after properly chewing and swallowing, he places a grateful hand on Hayner's shoulder. "Thank you, by the way. For having the courage to tell Kairi what I couldn't right away. You really helped us there."
Hayner shrugs as if it were no big deal, but nonetheless feels touched. "It's no biggie. Kairi taught me how to swim for the blitzball tournament, and you helped me out with Olette at The Pier the other night. That's what friends do, right? Help each other out?"
Pence and Sora can't help the grins that make their way onto their faces at Hayner's choice of words. For the first time ever that summer, the supposed "lone wolf" had used the F word, and they couldn't be prouder.
"Yeah," Sora answers as he gladly accepts the gamer into his inner circle with a fist bump. "That's what they do."
At the after party Hayner had mentioned taking place in The Noize's backyard, Xion finds herself squished uncomfortably on an outdoor wicker loveseat, watching as everyone around her occupied themselves with a conversation or activity nearby. The host (Neku, was it?) was conversing with Roxas (and naturally the sight of them hitting it off attracted a crowd), Axel was preoccupied with a poolside flip cup tournament, Naminé (yes, even Naminé) was discussing her artwork with another teen that recognized her from Artist's Alley, and Riku… well, Riku was leaning against a nearby wall with his arms crossed, paying no mind to a swarm of fangirls begging him for selfie.
Xion was never a conversation starter herself, but she knew why no one else was paying much attention to her. Online, she was Xion/Alice: Axel's ex-love that he was supposedly cheating on and Riku's "secret girl". It may have sucked to be portrayed that way, but in all honesty, she'd still take this over being trapped in her room all day because in there, she was truly invisible. Out here, at least she existed and was known for something. It may not have been true, but at least it was something.
Amidst the blue club lights and techno music blaring from the speakers, Xion finally decides to get up and asks Naminé if she wants a drink. The artist nods appreciatively, thinking that a nice glass of water could help calm her nerves. She'd slowly been getting used to these environments for Roxas' sake (the recent conversations about her art style and techniques were starting to help), but that didn't stop the onslaught of screaming, overactive teenagers from being overwhelming from time to time.
Xion approaches the outdoor bar, but it's so crowded that even with her tiny little hand raised, she remains unseen by the bartender. She manages to make her way through the crowd, but even in plain sight the bartender pays her no mind. A loud whistle is then heard, and everyone moves to make way for Riku Kenbishi of The Oathkeepers. He has the bartender's attention immediately and requests two iced waters. The bartender hands him his order within seconds, and he hands them both to Xion.
"Thanks," Xion mutters while accepting the drink. "But I could've handled that myself."
"I don't doubt it," Riku tells her. "But I just wanted to help."
Xion awkwardly accepts his efforts with a nod and makes her way back to Naminé, leaving Riku to watch her retreating figure with a sigh. He so badly wanted to reach out towards her, but until she decided what she wanted them to be, he had to keep his urges to himself.
Man, he then thinks. Was this how Sora felt? It sure was exhausting, but he had to give props to the guy for staying strong.
"Would it kill you to keep some distance?" a familiar voice then asks behind him. Riku turns to find his fellow redheaded bandmate scowling at him with his arms crossed.
"Why are you so against me helping her?" Riku asks tiredly.
"You mean apart from the fact that you disguised her to try things she shouldn't be trying, nearly got her killed, and confused the hell out of her by kissing her?" Axel asks sarcastically. "Gee, it sure is a mystery."
From afar, after handing Naminé's drink to her, Xion observes the two bickering boys and hastily begins to make her way back to them, the artist just a few steps behind her.
"At the end of the day you and I just want what's best for her," Riku says simply. "We just have differing opinions about it."
"As if you know anything about what's best for her," Axel says, seething. "I know you, Riku Kenbishi, and I of all people understand your approach with women. People like you and me? We don't change. In the end, you're only going to break her heart, so if you think for one second that I'll even let you touch—let alone date—my little sister, you've got another thing coming."
"Will you two cut it out?" Xion says, approaching the two with angered strides. Behind her, Naminé urgently searches for Roxas. "You've been bickering about me and taking shots at each other everywhere we go, and I'm downright sick of it." Xion then turns to her supposed older brother and looks him right in the eye. "Axel, would it kill you to stop starting shit with Riku?"
The redhead's jaw drops in pure shock. "Are you seriously defending him right now? He's caused you so much pain, Xi—how are you okay with that?"
"Because it makes me feel human, Axel!" Xion exclaims, and the boys find themselves taken aback by her sudden outburst. "All this confusion, all this pain… I would rather feel this than nothing at all."
"Xi…" Axel whispers, wide-eyed.
"Besides, those aren't the only things that he's shown me," Xion continues. "He's shown me joy, compassion, and adventure, and those aren't easily dismissed."
Riku's heart skips a beat when she turns to look at him, but just when he thinks that he has her in his grasp, she floats away once again.
"I'd love to go on a date with you and see where we can go," she starts, tears welling up in her eyes, "but as much as I want to, I can't. I've seen this movie before and I know how it ends: you either break my heart as an ex-playboy or we go the Nicholas Sparks route and I die, breaking your heart instead. Either way, it doesn't look good for us, and we both can't get out unscathed."
When Riku remains speechless (although his mind is racing with a thousand things to say), Xion then turns her attention back to Axel.
"And you," she starts, boldly poking him in the chest. "Who I can or can't be with is not up to you. It's my choice, not yours, so there's no sense in arguing about it."
"But…" Axel starts. Before he can get a word in, Roxas cuts through the crowd with Naminé and puts himself in between the two boys.
"Hey, is everything okay?" he asks, sensing the tension in the air.
"Everything's fine," Xion says, though her tone is far from it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home."
"Wait, Xion," Riku pleads when she turns her back to them, but Axel immediately grabs him by the wrist before he can take one step towards her.
"Don't even think about it," the redhead growls.
"Let me go," Riku grumbles, pulling himself free. He gets about three steps out before Axel tackles him to the ground, and the crowd gasps in shock as the drummer of the Oathkeepers throws a punch at the bassist's face. The latter retaliates with a punch of his own, but Axel has a few more right hooks up his sleeve. Roxas immediately tries to pry his hotheaded best friend away, but everyone's phones are already out within seconds, lighting and recording the entire fight.
"Both of you, cut it out!" Xion screams, tears streaming down her face. Beside her, Naminé covers her mouth in shock and shivers at the violent scene.
"Way to show her what's best for her," Riku says through gritted teeth.
"I'm only trying to protect her, you little shit," Axel curses, readying himself for another punch.
"I said cut it out!" Xion yells at the top of her lungs, her hands balled into tight fists. At the sound of her distressed plead, Roxas, Axel, and Riku stop moving entirely and turn to face her.
"Xion," Axel starts, immediately sensing her weakened state. He unballs his fist just as her eyes shut, and Riku's heart clenches.
"Xion!" Roxas exclaims, and he runs forward just in time to catch her as she faints into his arms.
tbc
Chapter inspirations: Tokyo Nights by Digital Farm Animals, Shaun Frank, and Dragonette really inspired the adventures of Sora and Kairi during this chapter, and the song playing at the party hosted by The Noize was Summer Nights by Tiësto (feat. John Legend). Wow, we have a night theme going on here, don't we?
Fun fact: I craved cinnamon rolls so much after writing this chapter that I've decided to make some myself. How will they turn out? Stay tuned lmao.
A/N: I don't care what anyone says—KH3 Kairi hair is here! (Although I will fully admit to seeking Jomatto and Redeeming Endeavor's advice before deciding to pull through with it, and we all agree: her short hair is poppin'). Also I might be biased to liking Kairi's hair in general because my hairstyles constantly revolve from KH2 to KH3 Kairi: layered, some shade of red, bangs parted to the right, and varying in length. And no, that actually wasn't KH inspired. Full disclosure: I was (and still am) in love with Caterina Valentine's hair from Victorious as a teenager. And yes, that totally means I'm currently in love with Ariana Grande, too.
Also, another update within a week! YEET! I'm going to be totally honest though: I only wrote this chapter so quickly because I really wanted to write that SoKai portion. In my head it was actually supposed to happen much later, but what the hell, right? I've got more exciting places to drive this thing.
So originally this chapter was also supposed to include what happened to Xion at the hospital, but I feel like I've been hitting the gas pedal a bit too hard in this chapter (particularly because the Tidus saga had come to an end so quickly). I feel like I haven't been fleshing out some scenes as much as I should be, so I decided to beef up the SoKai in this one a bit more (fun fact: the paintballing scene actually wasn't supposed to exist, but now its become one of my favourites, and if you've read my one shot Dear Past Self, it probably looked familiar, too) and save the more serious events with Xion for the next chapter. It's quite heavy stuff that would've stolen the limelight had I included it, but also entails a lot of excitement (at least on my part since I know what's coming). Expect the next chapter to (maybe) be a shorter one, but one that will drive the action in the next few chapters after it!
Special thanks to: J3NNA5AUR, Tyjet Ansatsu, RE (who tf are you?), Michelle, Mr. Spinner, Aundielen, skysailz and Shiranai Atsune for reviewing the last chapter! I'm sorry if I missed or misspelled any pen names, but thank you all for your continued support and investment in this crazy story of mine.
I hope you all enjoyed the seventeenth installment of Project: Teenage Wasteland! Please kindly leave a review to let me know your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors that I might have missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!
xoKyorii
PS. I joined AO3 recently under the same name. Anybody got any tips to share?
