Disclaimer: Yeah, um.. I still don't own it.
I would like to thank whoever '???' is for reminding me to add the name of the sequel. Which of course, I hadn't even begun writing yet. However, since you asked so sweetly, I felt inclined to humor you, which has led me to massive brainstorms and I am quite happy with the outline which has been obtained due to said brainstorming. The current title is Essence of War, however it may change. If it does, I'll post it in here, or in this story's summary.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put up with me through this story! Please leave your reviews and tell me how I did! I really didn't like how the ending chapters to this story turned out, but I think the sequel will even it out considerably. I hope you enjoyed my story anyway!
~~~~
Kairi and Sora walked down the beach, listening to the seagulls as they flew overhead. Christmas had passed just four days ago, but it seemed like an eternity to Kairi. She sighed happily and turned to face Sora.
"My parents are coming home today.." She whispered, smiling grimly at him. They would never approve of her relationship with Sora, and she could already hear their angry voices, yelling at her.
But to her surprise, Sora just smiled. "So what? Let them come, they don't deserve to lick the bottom of your shoes." He stated as he tickled her affectionately.
She couldn't help but laugh and try to wriggle out of his grasp. She managed to struggle free, only to be swept up into his arms a moment later. He sat down with her on the sand, his arms wrapped around her protectively. Sora could still taste the peppermint on her lips from earlier that day, when he had helped her get rid of the candy canes on her Christmas tree. She ran her fingers through his hair, giggling that even when it was damp from the moisture of the ocean, it still stuck out in spikes.
The snow had melted shortly after Christmas, and the temperature had risen considerably, but the weather forecasts had predicted more snow later in the week. Sora leaned back into the cold sand, Kairi snuggled comfortably next to him. He stared up at the crystal clear sky, noting the sweet scent of winter still floating in the air.
He was pulled abruptly out of his thoughts, as two familiar figures ran down the beach. Yuffie ran up and crouched next to Sora and Kairi, keeping her gaze on the two young men, quarreling in the sand.
"Knock it off, Cloud! The party was my idea! Leave him alone!!" She called, huffing when neither acknowledged she was there.
Sora laughed. Cloud hadn't let Squall forget the whole alcohol incident on Christmas. They weren't exactly fighting, but they weren't quite getting along either. Cloud had Squall in a somewhat playful headlock, or to the untrained eye, it would have appeared to be playful. Sora laughed again and jumped to his feet, dashing down the beach and barreling into his two friends. They collapsed in the sand, getting the wind knocked out of them when Riku, Tidus, and Wakka decided to join in.
Yuffie and Kairi had to support each other, laughing too hard to stand. Selphie walked up and shook her head at the mass of boys, wrestling rather roughly on the beach. The fighting started getting a bit too rough, so the three girls decided to step in, pulling one boy away at a time. Sora and Riku helped pull Cloud and Squall away from each other, only to be thrown to the side when they broke free, chasing each other into the ocean.
Water flew everywhere as they laughed and shoved each other, falling into the freezing waves. Sora and Riku stared after them, glancing at each other and exchanging a meaningful smirk, they charged into the waves after them.
The girls collapsed into fresh fits of laughter, quickly being hushed when Tidus and Wakka picked up Selphie and ran into the water after their friends. She shrieked when they dumped her into the freezing ocean, jumping up and staring unbelievingly at them, her mouth open in shock.
Yuffie and Kairi were dying from laughter on the beach, watching Selphie chase Tidus through the water, only noticing too late when Sora and Squall snuck up behind them.
~
The nine friends sat on the beach, watching the tide come in. They where freezing after their adventure in the ocean, so Riku and Cloud had built a fire. It was reduced to glowing embers by now, but the group was nearly dry anyway.
Sora turned to look at Kairi, "We gotta get you home soon, or your parents will throw a fit." He said quietly, noticing the content look on her face.
She sighed calmly, "Alright," She answered, climbing to her feet. "Bye, guys. See you later." She called, waving as she walked towards the dock. Sora ran to catch up with her, waving over his shoulder at his friends.
"Are you alright?" he asked, lowering his voice as he got closer to her. She didn't seem upset at the thought of seeing her parents again.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled, taking his hand and gesturing toward the dock. "Are you going to help me get home?" She giggled. "You don't have to.. I know you haven't seen Cloud in a long time," She looked at him, her eyes hinting concern.
He looked back over his shoulder, shrugging. "Nah, I can always find him later. I'd rather be with you anyway, Cloud isn't nearly as pretty." He whispered, shifting his gaze to the dock up ahead.
Kairi blushed a little and laughed. She still wasn't used to people complimenting her on anything. Her parents always just ignored her, or told her to go away. As if reassuring herself that someone cared, she swung around and buried her face in Sora's chest, silently comparing him to her family. She felt a strange warmth spread through her body when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.
She sighed into his shirt and looked up to his face. "I don't know what I would do without you, Sora." She whispered. "Promise you'll always be my family?" She asked, eyes brightening when he smiled at her.
"Of course, Kairi. I promise, I'll always be there for you." He said honestly.
"And Sora?"
"Hmm?"
"Sorry you had to rescue me from that ass, Kutsuu. But, thanks…"
Sora grinned, remembering the fight. There was still something odd about Kutsuu, though. Something he couldn't quite place. It was there, at the back of his mind, screaming some urgent warning at him. He shrugged the feeling off, not able to place the memory.
~
"Kairi!" Came her stepmothers not-quite-angry-yet voice, hollering down the street at the sight of her stepdaughter. She hadn't noticed right away, but Kairi was walking, hand in hand, with that Sora boy from down the street. She turned to hide her disgusted face, off dating when she should be home staying out of trouble!
"Welcome home." Kairi greeted her parents as her father stepped back out the door, retrieving more baggage. He looked from Kairi to Sora, deciding it wasn't worth the physical strain to reprimand her.
"Hello, Kairi. Have a good Christmas?" he asked, not really interested. He pulled another heavy bag from the car and began moving toward the door.
Sora stepped forward, grabbing the bag out of Kairi's father's hands and throwing it effortlessly onto his shoulder. He smiled innocently at the older man and carried the bag into the house, setting it carefully down on the carpet.
The slightly graying man looked down at Sora as he walked past him down the driveway. "Thanks…" he said simply, moving to escort his wife inside.
"Leaving already?" Kairi asked, sliding up next to him on the sidewalk. She smiled and gave him a hug. He returned it, and gestured over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I gotta get home, promised my mom I'd let her teach me how to cook. Somethin' about needing to depend on myself someday." he gave her his trademark grin and kissed her quickly on the cheek, dashing down the road to his house.
Kairi stood on the sidewalk, watching him as he disappeared down the street, returning to a family she wanted desperately to be part of.
She turned sharply, facing her own home, but with a different feeling than she used to. She didn't dread walking through the door, didn't want to run away from the coldness of her family. She felt confident for the first time about facing her parents. Holding her head high, she marched up the driveway and into her house, ignoring the old couple awaiting her explanation and walking slowly upstairs.
"Kairi-" Her father began, before she cut him off. "Goodnight!!" She called happily from the stairs, leaving them behind with confused looks plastered to their faces.
~~~
The End
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would like to thank whoever '???' is for reminding me to add the name of the sequel. Which of course, I hadn't even begun writing yet. However, since you asked so sweetly, I felt inclined to humor you, which has led me to massive brainstorms and I am quite happy with the outline which has been obtained due to said brainstorming. The current title is Essence of War, however it may change. If it does, I'll post it in here, or in this story's summary.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put up with me through this story! Please leave your reviews and tell me how I did! I really didn't like how the ending chapters to this story turned out, but I think the sequel will even it out considerably. I hope you enjoyed my story anyway!
~~~~
Kairi and Sora walked down the beach, listening to the seagulls as they flew overhead. Christmas had passed just four days ago, but it seemed like an eternity to Kairi. She sighed happily and turned to face Sora.
"My parents are coming home today.." She whispered, smiling grimly at him. They would never approve of her relationship with Sora, and she could already hear their angry voices, yelling at her.
But to her surprise, Sora just smiled. "So what? Let them come, they don't deserve to lick the bottom of your shoes." He stated as he tickled her affectionately.
She couldn't help but laugh and try to wriggle out of his grasp. She managed to struggle free, only to be swept up into his arms a moment later. He sat down with her on the sand, his arms wrapped around her protectively. Sora could still taste the peppermint on her lips from earlier that day, when he had helped her get rid of the candy canes on her Christmas tree. She ran her fingers through his hair, giggling that even when it was damp from the moisture of the ocean, it still stuck out in spikes.
The snow had melted shortly after Christmas, and the temperature had risen considerably, but the weather forecasts had predicted more snow later in the week. Sora leaned back into the cold sand, Kairi snuggled comfortably next to him. He stared up at the crystal clear sky, noting the sweet scent of winter still floating in the air.
He was pulled abruptly out of his thoughts, as two familiar figures ran down the beach. Yuffie ran up and crouched next to Sora and Kairi, keeping her gaze on the two young men, quarreling in the sand.
"Knock it off, Cloud! The party was my idea! Leave him alone!!" She called, huffing when neither acknowledged she was there.
Sora laughed. Cloud hadn't let Squall forget the whole alcohol incident on Christmas. They weren't exactly fighting, but they weren't quite getting along either. Cloud had Squall in a somewhat playful headlock, or to the untrained eye, it would have appeared to be playful. Sora laughed again and jumped to his feet, dashing down the beach and barreling into his two friends. They collapsed in the sand, getting the wind knocked out of them when Riku, Tidus, and Wakka decided to join in.
Yuffie and Kairi had to support each other, laughing too hard to stand. Selphie walked up and shook her head at the mass of boys, wrestling rather roughly on the beach. The fighting started getting a bit too rough, so the three girls decided to step in, pulling one boy away at a time. Sora and Riku helped pull Cloud and Squall away from each other, only to be thrown to the side when they broke free, chasing each other into the ocean.
Water flew everywhere as they laughed and shoved each other, falling into the freezing waves. Sora and Riku stared after them, glancing at each other and exchanging a meaningful smirk, they charged into the waves after them.
The girls collapsed into fresh fits of laughter, quickly being hushed when Tidus and Wakka picked up Selphie and ran into the water after their friends. She shrieked when they dumped her into the freezing ocean, jumping up and staring unbelievingly at them, her mouth open in shock.
Yuffie and Kairi were dying from laughter on the beach, watching Selphie chase Tidus through the water, only noticing too late when Sora and Squall snuck up behind them.
~
The nine friends sat on the beach, watching the tide come in. They where freezing after their adventure in the ocean, so Riku and Cloud had built a fire. It was reduced to glowing embers by now, but the group was nearly dry anyway.
Sora turned to look at Kairi, "We gotta get you home soon, or your parents will throw a fit." He said quietly, noticing the content look on her face.
She sighed calmly, "Alright," She answered, climbing to her feet. "Bye, guys. See you later." She called, waving as she walked towards the dock. Sora ran to catch up with her, waving over his shoulder at his friends.
"Are you alright?" he asked, lowering his voice as he got closer to her. She didn't seem upset at the thought of seeing her parents again.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled, taking his hand and gesturing toward the dock. "Are you going to help me get home?" She giggled. "You don't have to.. I know you haven't seen Cloud in a long time," She looked at him, her eyes hinting concern.
He looked back over his shoulder, shrugging. "Nah, I can always find him later. I'd rather be with you anyway, Cloud isn't nearly as pretty." He whispered, shifting his gaze to the dock up ahead.
Kairi blushed a little and laughed. She still wasn't used to people complimenting her on anything. Her parents always just ignored her, or told her to go away. As if reassuring herself that someone cared, she swung around and buried her face in Sora's chest, silently comparing him to her family. She felt a strange warmth spread through her body when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.
She sighed into his shirt and looked up to his face. "I don't know what I would do without you, Sora." She whispered. "Promise you'll always be my family?" She asked, eyes brightening when he smiled at her.
"Of course, Kairi. I promise, I'll always be there for you." He said honestly.
"And Sora?"
"Hmm?"
"Sorry you had to rescue me from that ass, Kutsuu. But, thanks…"
Sora grinned, remembering the fight. There was still something odd about Kutsuu, though. Something he couldn't quite place. It was there, at the back of his mind, screaming some urgent warning at him. He shrugged the feeling off, not able to place the memory.
~
"Kairi!" Came her stepmothers not-quite-angry-yet voice, hollering down the street at the sight of her stepdaughter. She hadn't noticed right away, but Kairi was walking, hand in hand, with that Sora boy from down the street. She turned to hide her disgusted face, off dating when she should be home staying out of trouble!
"Welcome home." Kairi greeted her parents as her father stepped back out the door, retrieving more baggage. He looked from Kairi to Sora, deciding it wasn't worth the physical strain to reprimand her.
"Hello, Kairi. Have a good Christmas?" he asked, not really interested. He pulled another heavy bag from the car and began moving toward the door.
Sora stepped forward, grabbing the bag out of Kairi's father's hands and throwing it effortlessly onto his shoulder. He smiled innocently at the older man and carried the bag into the house, setting it carefully down on the carpet.
The slightly graying man looked down at Sora as he walked past him down the driveway. "Thanks…" he said simply, moving to escort his wife inside.
"Leaving already?" Kairi asked, sliding up next to him on the sidewalk. She smiled and gave him a hug. He returned it, and gestured over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I gotta get home, promised my mom I'd let her teach me how to cook. Somethin' about needing to depend on myself someday." he gave her his trademark grin and kissed her quickly on the cheek, dashing down the road to his house.
Kairi stood on the sidewalk, watching him as he disappeared down the street, returning to a family she wanted desperately to be part of.
She turned sharply, facing her own home, but with a different feeling than she used to. She didn't dread walking through the door, didn't want to run away from the coldness of her family. She felt confident for the first time about facing her parents. Holding her head high, she marched up the driveway and into her house, ignoring the old couple awaiting her explanation and walking slowly upstairs.
"Kairi-" Her father began, before she cut him off. "Goodnight!!" She called happily from the stairs, leaving them behind with confused looks plastered to their faces.
~~~
The End
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~