Note to Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Kingdom Hearts. All the characters belong to Squaresoft and Disney, etc, (except Cyra who is fully mine) so please don't sue me cause I have nothing to give any of you people.
Author's Note: Sorry about my chapters getting shorter if they are, but this is a layout for the next few chapters because something is going to happen and I've brought more people into it now, more pairings, too. I have one original character in the story now and I'm sorry if people think Leon/Yuffie is wrong because of age. I know she's supposed to be sixteen, but here she'd older and of course so is Leon. But if Trunks can be like 20 years older than Pan, what's the big deal with a ten-year difference? Besides, it does actually happen in REAL life, believe it or not. It doesn't make it ok, but this is a fanfic. Oh and one more thing, all this is based on Kingdom Hearts since I know NOTHING about ANY of the Final Fantasy's and nothing about Rinoa, ok? Yes, I do know Rinoa and Squall were together but that's about it. I'm sorry to disappoint some of you.
Thoughts of Zephyr
"This island is absolutely beautiful. What do you think?" A young woman with raven black hair sighed dreamily as she clapped her hands together, starry eyed. She turned to her partner. "You seem preoccupied. Where do you think they went that is taking them so long?"
"Who knows? Who cares?" A tall, slender man replied, his chestnut hair falling about his shoulders. He yawned and the woman frowned instantly. "What is it now?"
"Can't you act civil for once, like I don't bother you?" She tapped her foot against the concrete ground, her agitation mounting by each passing second. "If you didn't want to be stuck with me you could've told them and left me here."
"I never said that." He began as he started away from her.
"But you meant it. You always do." She fled in the opposite direction, dropping her headband in the process as she shielded her eyes against something unknown. He sighed as she disappeared around the palm trees, her figure fading before he picked up the headpiece.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What if someone sees us?" She stuttered slightly, her words coming out in gasps and clipped words from the intensity of her situation. She grinned even in her dilemma.
"Then why don't we go somewhere else?"
"That...would be a good...idea..." Aerith tried to pry him off her neck, though she was delighted to have him kissing her in such a way since she had waited so long for it. Publicly was another matter though. She pushed him away gently, her hands coming to rest on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. He buried his nose in her hair, nuzzling her soft silky strands as he inhaled her scent. Aerith did not struggle against him as they stood in the hallway of the first floor, leaned up against what was clearly someone's occupied room. Somehow, though she wasn't sure how, Aerith managed to shake him from her, which emitted a growl of protest from his lips. She simply smiled as she pointed in the direction of the front desk. He looked slightly perplexed as she walked away without further or due, her hips swinging from side to side in rhythm with the clock behind him. And before he knew it, she had disappeared completely around the French corridors. He shook his head as he followed eagerly after her, his alabaster eyes searching desperately for her figure within the crowded lobby.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (POV switch to 1st person, Kairi, and I will always do Kairi is 1st person)
Streams of sunlight drift through the window, the curtains parted long before my slumber might be disturbed. My auburn hair splays across the bed as I snuggle further within the protection of silk sheets, my pale skin shielded from the blinding perpetual light that floods the room. Beside me someone twitches, tan skin reflecting the suns bright beams as he hugs my small figure tightly to him. I respond in the only way I know: I fall back into his warm embrace as the intruding sun continues to beat upon us. I let out a soft yawn as I pull the pillow against my face to keep from waking up from my dream. Or is this a dream? I try to remember everything that occurred last night but find that my memory is gone. I feel my mind struggle angrily to recall it all, the feelings that were expressed between us last night, if they really did happen. In one final attempt to recollect the events, I thrash wildly against the bed, knowing that if he is still beside me, then it is real. And I am granted my answer with a quick reaction.
I feel Sora's arms still my flailing arms as he drags me back from above him, his sienna hair protruding slightly from beneath the sheets below me. I rejoice happily, my eyes shining as we both disappear underneath the covers. I smile goofily as his forehead touches mine, his indigo eyes never opening, but his lips formed into a satisfied grin as his lips cover mine in a tender kiss. I respond quickly, my hands roaming over his back, which causes him to moan softly from his throat. I pinch him and he lets out a surprised yelp as I leap from bed and shoot out the door. I look back for a moment and see his face. He looks positively bewildered as he stands in the doorway, his tousled chocolate hair askew atop his head, ocean blue eyes wild with confusion, and totally shirtless. Shirtless? When did THAT happen? Nevertheless, he stands there for a moment, in shock, but then darts after me. I let out a shriek as I run down the hallway, knocking over someone in the process, but I am too filled with adrenaline to say sorry and continue down toward the beach shore, Sora on my heels.
At first I try to avoid him, running along the endless seashore, but when I feel the burn in my legs, I stop for a brief rest since I believe Sora is far behind me. This is where I make my mistake. Just as I am about to take off I smack face first into the sand. I hear Sora chuckling behind me as I look up in time to see his hand extended in offering. I grunt in response, rolling my eyes and folding my arms across my chest as I sit up and ignore him. He continues to chuckle incessantly while he sends a dazzling smile my way. And he surprises me yet another time during our stay as he sweeps me off my feet into his strong arms, spinning me around until we've both fallen into the salty water below. I cough lightly as I spit water out of my mouth, suddenly very interested in anything but Sora's wet, finely toned chest that glistens in the sunlight. I shiver as his hand rests on my back, his fingers trailing down my shirt to stop just above the waistband of my skirt. I inhale deeply, my breath catches in my throat as his hand plays with the elastic before traveling back up my shirt.
The tension between us is gone, not like the boat ride and various nights before, or is it? I feel my shoulders clench when his fingers come up the front of my shirt. Suddenly my confidence dwindles and I feel fear grip me as his hands tug at my shirtsleeve. Without warning I slap his hands away as uncertainty plagues my mind. I stand up abruptly and take off running in the direction of the boats. I don't know what has overcome me, but I feel my heart beating rapidly as though it will rip through my chest and leave me dead upon the ground. What is this fear I have? I can feel Sora's footsteps upon the dock, pounding heavily as he runs towards me. In a bout of desperation I jump into the water and try to swim away though I know this attempt is futile because there is nowhere to go for miles, at least not without a boat. With a defeated sigh I stop midway in the water, my shoulders sagging as I submerge myself in the water around me, ignoring Sora's frantic cries. I allow myself to sink under fully; I briefly wonder if I'll come up, but my question is answered as I feel Sora's arms lift me up.
I curse silently in my head, wishing I could be anywhere but Sora's comforting embrace. Then it hits me: am I afraid because I still think Sora is using me as a sex object? I pinch my arm to convince myself otherwise, but my stubborn mind refuses to let the concept go. I turn to Sora with teary eyes even though I am determined to be strong. "Is it true? You never answered me last night." I ask weakly to him, my voice betraying me as well as my crystalline tears.
"Is what true?" He questions, dumbfounded by my interrogation. "What did I never answer?"
"WHAT AM I TO YOU SORA?" I shout at him as I shove him away, roughly. I turn my back to him, anger coursing through my veins as I continue to delude myself, I think. "AM I SOMEONE YOU CARE FOR OR A-A SEX OBJECT?"
"A what? Kairi, I told you last night! Don't you remember? I told you that I care for you!" He sounds disbelieving at my outburst and I feel guilt swell up inside of me. Masking my hurt, I take one last look at him before sprinting back to the hotel, my tears dried by the wind and my sobs lost to the breezes. Once within the shelter of my room, I sink to the floor, drowning in my sorrow, hoping that Sora will forgive me when I seem him-inevitably.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ (This is another POV switch and will remain in this POV for the rest of the story)
She was plain out miserable, sitting outside atop a tree, high above anyone's view. She picked yet another petal from the yellow daisy in her hand, though it was extremely pretty in her eyes. She let out a heavy sigh as she spotted couples walking below, her heart longing to do the same but finding the task too difficult to slave away over more than she had done so in the past. Instead of sulking over it the way she used too, she found solace in tearing things apart or ignoring things or people who bothered her. Yuffie let out another sigh as she noticed him walking--more like treading--through the sand with his blade tucked neatly in its sheath. She saw its handle glint in the sunlight, but did not bother elaborating on it further than she had, for she was more than thrilled to hide away from him and his harsh words. Yes, his words cut her like dagger sometimes and he had no idea.
But what seemed to bother Yuffie more than anything was his cool, nonchalant attitude that would never give way to his feelings, whatever they were. Or the way his chestnut hair swayed delicately in the breeze as it fell over his eyes, rich in a sapphire hue, deeper than Sora's. Yuffie let out a giggle, something she hadn't done in a long time. She smiled wistfully as she remembered how she used to be, not who she was now. She realized that the giggly girl she was back in Hollow Bastion had dissipated into nothingness since the Kingdom Hearts incident. She didn't even know she could still laugh more or less hold the smiles she did so well. At first it had seemed she would remain the lighthearted youth forever, even after the days of Kingdom Hearts. But somewhere between the closing of the doors as well as Aerith and Cloud's reunion, her smile had faded and was replaced by a somber frown, not completely hopeless though. If she recalled correctly, she had taken off at the sight of Aerith and Cloud uniting. Yet, she realized it wasn't so much them that made her flee, but the facial expression that had graced her partner's face at Cloud's arrival. She remembered her eyes tearing at this show of emotions from him toward the other female. And she scowled. How she wished that face was for her, back then.
Now she would just ignore it and trudge on in her state of artificial happiness like sugar sweetener: it was superficial like she was now. Whatever had brought these feelings to her was something she never figured she'd solve, but at this point, she guessed she didn't care anymore. Tearing away the last petal, she jumped down from her perch, gracefully landing on her feet. Meanwhile, she noticed that her partner had turned in her direction, his fierce eyes narrowed on her. Yuffie ignored this and continued to dust herself off since she had decided that checking into the hotel would be a good idea. 'Now, I just have to find Aerith.' She thought grimly, her almond shaped eyes tracking her partners every move until she felt him right behind her. Even though he was still there, he made no sign of gracing her presence and she returned this by not acknowledging him. She simply stared in front of her where someone had conveniently placed a large advertisement, thus giving her reason to keep ignoring him. That was until he said something or so she thought. And he did, but not what she had expected.
Instead, she released a childish squeak as his hands landed on her shoulders; his hands traveled slowly down her arms, skin against skin and Yuffie blushed in spite of herself. She felt a chill run up her spine as she heard his voice in her ear. His actions were quite uncharacteristic of his attitude. "How long have you been here? I've been looking for you."
His tone was gentle, but the harshness in his voice would never leave him, Yuffie had concluded during her alone time. Her eyes closed for a brief second as she relished in the sensations his skin sent through her body. She now understood why Aerith had shivered at his touch when he had saved her; it was screaming with sensuality whether he knew it or not. "Really?" She asked breathily, her voice trembling as his fingers curled around her wrists. "Why...would you be looking for me?"
She did not expect his answer to be an epiphany, but what he said stunned her nonetheless. "You dropped your headband earlier. Don't you want it back?" He asked in a snobbish tone. Her face scrunched up as his breath tickled her neck, sending her head into a spiral of anger and despair. "Well Yuffie, do you want it back? You're hair looks a bit ruffled."
"No." She replied hastily, her tone icy as she spun around to face him, her eyes burning holes through him. She shoved him away roughly, her composed resolve finally faltering. "No Squall. I don't want it back. Why don't you just tear it apart and burn it? Or why don't you fix it up and give it to Aerith?" She slapped her hand over her mouth following that comment. She wasn't supposed to give way to her jealousy. In a panic to preserve her hurt pride she kicked up a cloud of sand and ran into the hotel.
"YUFFIE, WAIT!" Leon called after her, his worry consuming him, though he would never admit this to her. As he ran after her, he couldn't help but let a small smile grace his lips. He cared very much for Yuffie, more than Aerith. Yes, he had been interested in Aerith, but she was gone and a past interest at that. He had never believed in anything resembling love let alone love itself until Yuffie had come along with her cheery attitude and management of his sour attitude. His heart felt fluttery when he thought of her because she was light to his darkness like Aerith was to Cloud. He had been interested in Aerith, but when he saw the love in her eyes at Cloud's return, he knew there was nothing more between them, not that there had been ever. One more sigh escaped his throat as he trekked down after the young woman who seemed to possess some uncanny speed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Can't you just stay still for a moment?" Selphie asked in frustration as Tidus squirmed yet again, throwing her tweezers off for the third time. Without warning she snatched the tweezers, steadied his leg with one hand and poked him hard. Tidus let out a yelp as the metal point connected with his tender flesh. It subsided quickly though as Selphie spotted the wood intruder and rescued his leg from infection. Once done, she wiped her hands on her dress, sniffling in satisfaction before heading to the bathroom to wash her dirty fingers. "Well, was that so hard? Seriously, I thought you were never going to stay still. Tidus, are you ok?"
She giggled as she spotted Tidus upon the bed; arms still bound by the ropes she had used earlier. She let out an innocent laugh as she kept watching him thrash with his one free leg. Tidus glowered at her. "Well, are you going to untie me? These hurt, you know!"
"No, I rather like you tied like that." She smirked as she continued to observe him, her eyes traveling along him, taking in every inch of his appearance. Tidus shifted uncomfortably and Selphie realized what she'd been doing. Letting a light blush stain her cheeks, Selphie ran over and hastily untied him from his confinement. As soon as he was free, Tidus murmured something inaudible to her and rushed out the doorway, leaving behind a stunned Selphie who just stared after him. She took one last look at the doorway before slamming her door. 'Why does he always do that?' She scolded herself for "checking" him out the way she had, but was there a reason to be discreet? 'He never takes me seriously anyway.' She thought bitterly. 'Neither does anyone else for that matter, especially Riku.'
Selphie gave one more bitter sigh as she plopped down on her bed, pulling a thin sheet over her. She turned her gaze to the window and found herself drifting off into a deep slumber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was straight out bored. Riku didn't know which was worse: losing Kairi to Sora or watching happy couples run along the shores. He released a sigh as he watched one particular SINGLE girl walking down the shoreline. 'Now that's not someone you see everyday.' He thought as the girl looked around, clearly confused and lost, from what it seemed. Riku tried to act oblivious as she slowly walked up to him, her steps tentative and unsure of where she was going. But he figured he might as well answer her since she had already tapped his shoulder. He turned to her, aquamarine eyes meeting bright ruby orbs. 'Now THAT isn't something you see everyday.' He reminded himself, never having seen a person with ruby eyes before. "Yes?"
"Excuse me sir," She began shakily, uncertainty lacing her voice. "Could you tell me where I might find this place? I've been looking all afternoon and I can't seem to find it."
Riku took a hesitant look at the name on the paper and laughed. The young woman looked alarmed, her ebony hair swishing in the breeze as she took a step back from him. Riku smiled more to himself than her as he stood up, offering her his hand. "I'm sorry, it's just that this place is the big building you've walked around five times now Miss...?"
"Cyra is my name. I must look like a fool to you Mr...?" She gave him an expectant look.
"Riku. My name is Riku." He said as they shook hands, her slim one fitting easily into his. He marveled at her skin, which was a rich shade of olive and a contrast to his pale, milky skin. The combination of her dark hair, crimson eyes, and olive skin was a bit overwhelming for him for he was quite used to Kairi or Yuffie, both who had milky skin much like his. He nodded in the direction of the building. "Well then, Cyra, how about I help you get settled? I know all about this island. I come here all the time with my friends. What do you say?"
"Why thank you. I don't think most strangers are this kind." She said as they began their walk to the hotel. She looked shyly at the front desk, awaiting the process to be complete. Once it was done, she smiled at Riku and shook his hand. "Well, thank you again Riku. If I see you around, maybe we could...I don't know...talk?" She looked hopeful.
Riku nodded, a smirk playing across his lips. "I'd like that Cyra. I'd really like that." He looked thoughtful for a moment before snapping his fingers. "You know what, Cyra? I have reservations to eat dinner at the restaurant down the block tomorrow. Would you like to go?"
"That sounds nice, but you hardly know me..." She trailed, her eyes traveling to the floor as a blush graced her olive skin. "Wouldn't it be...strange?"
"It would give us a chance to get to know one another. So...do you want to go?" Riku asked again. She nodded fervently. "All right." With that he began to walk away, silver hair swaying as he walked.
"But how will I know where to meet you?" Cyra shouted after him.
"I'll find you." He said plainly. "See you around Cyra!"
"Yeah," She whispered quietly to his already fading figure, "see you around, Riku."
Giving him one last appreciative look, Cyra started to her hotel room, intent on having a restful evening. AS she was unpacking, she kept seeing Riku in her mind. There was no doubt that he was attractive, but there was more to him than that, she could clearly see. There was something about him that screamed mystery, sensuality, and tenderness-darkness. She could feel it when he had shaken her hand-the darkness of his past creeping into her skin. She did not believe in magic, but who was she to say nothing was possible when everything was possible? She gave the dressed to her right one last wavering look before she collapsed onto the bed, fatigue overcoming her.
^TBC...^
(Ok people, this is short, I admit, but it'll get better. I will be giving more information, but this was a layout. If you didn't read the author's note at the beginning and you're confused, then go read it. It explains why this chapter is the way it is. Please R&R, if it's not too much of a problem, but forget flames ok? They aren't considerate, though constructive criticism is welcomed. Thank you to ALL my reviewers who read and reviewed and even to those who didn't! I love you guys!)
+DarkKairi+