Kairi swept her hair back and pinned it behind her head, then reached for the washcloth on the towel bar. Off came the day's sweat and makeup, and on went the moisturizer that kept her skin soft and healthy. She slipped on one of Sora's t-shirts, then let her hair down with a smile.
When she rejoined him in their bedroom, he was waiting for her on the bed with his hands behind his neck. A grin spread across his face when he saw what she was wearing.
"So that's where that t-shirt went," he said. "I was wondering what had happened to it."
"It works very nicely as a sleep shirt," she said as she tugged at the hem and twisted this way and that to show him.
"So it does." His eyes flickered across her body, then met hers again. "Then again, you could wear anything and still be beautiful."
"Oh really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Really really."
She reached over to turn on the lamp by the bed. "Burlap sack?"
"Yup."
"Bubble wrap?"
"Yup. Gives me a good excuse to tickle you, too."
She giggled as she turned off the main lights. "Trash bag?"
"Absolutely. You look great in black."
She joined him on the bed, and he put his arm around her and brought her close. She snuggled up against his bare chest and sighed as she listened to his heartbeat. It was steady and even, and it matched the gentle pulsing in her ring. She could feel his ring pressed into her skin, too, and it was in sync with her heart.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Kai," he said, then kissed her head.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Sora."
She looked up into his eyes, hoping to commit this moment to memory. The way he was looking at her… she wanted to remember it forever. Everything else just seemed to fade away as she lost herself in his eyes. The old saying about how eyes are the window to the soul was especially true of Sora. She felt like she could see right into his as they gazed at each other, and the love welling up and spilling out had yet to run dry, even after all these years.
It never would, either. That thought was overwhelming enough that she had to look away for a moment. Some days, she didn't feel like she really deserved that love. Couldn't help but wonder what she had done to earn it. But of course, that was the whole point of love. It wasn't earned or deserved, it was freely given. And Sora had so much love to give.
He gently touched her face and said her name, and she had to look at him. She didn't last long before she had to look away again, overwhelmed once more by the way he was looking at her.
"Stop it," she murmured into his chest, her face hot. Even after all these years, he still had that effect on her.
"Stop what?"
"Stop being so wonderful. I can't handle how you're looking at me right now, it's too much."
He chuckled, and even without looking at him, she knew the exact smile that must be on his face right now.
"Sorry, I can't help it," he said. "My heart does what it wants, and you know I'm terrible at hiding my feelings."
"I do know," she said as she touched his chest. "It's one of the best things about you."
Leaning forward, she planted a gentle kiss over his heart. A thank you once again for everything he'd done for her, for all the love that drove him to fulfill his vows to her. This day of all days, she wanted to remember everything he'd done for her.
He gently lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes again, then captured her lips in a soft kiss. Her heart sped up a little until it was in sync with his, beating as if they truly shared one heart. She wondered if this moment would soon become a feather in their wings, if it would make their bond even stronger and allow them to soar even higher together.
When he leaned back, he murmured, "Kairi, I love you," and it was too much. The tears spilled out of her eyes because she couldn't hold them back anymore.
"I love you too," she responded, and his eyes were watery, too. But they were good tears, happy tears, and as they embraced once more, Kairi was grateful that this, too, was something they could share.
They were truly a team, in every sense of the word. Two halves of one whole, bringing out the best in each other. Lifting one another up so that not even the lows were so bad, and the highs were even better.
This was how she had chosen to spend her life, and she was truly grateful for every moment they were together. They'd been young when they'd made that fateful decision, it was true, but Kairi wouldn't trade it for the worlds. She and Sora got to spend every day together now. He'd kept his promise.
And she would keep hers too, one day at a time.
A/N: Thank you for reading! The cuddling idea was inspired by a conversation Alja and I had, and the "jewelry in tune with their heartbeats" idea came from DuskyDancing originally, so thank you both for the inspiration! And thank you to all of you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the fluff! Happy Valentine's Day!
