Rating: M
Warnings: Still the same.
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers last chapter. :3 I'm glad there's a love for the OT3. Anyway, I should note this, because there's a very, very good chance that chapters will come very slow. This project is very much a spare time thing. I have a novel I'm working on, and in between edits from my beta, I write on this story. However, my work has decided to go ahead and make me full-time. By the time I get to the end of the summer, I'll be off to my first year of college with an 18-hour load. So, please don't lose heart. I'm just offering an early explanation. :3 Please enjoy.
I had agreed to do the research, with some minor help from Zidane and he had agreed to do the building. I would hand him nails or hammers or whatever he might need. The set up was really much better than I could have hoped.
Once I sat by myself at lunch, it became even more apparent how lonely I was. Even Selphie had a different lunch. I gazed at all the different people, each lost in their own conversations. How had I never realized that the lunchroom was so desolate before then?
I had just unwrapped my peanut butter and jelly sandwich when Zidane sat across from me. He sat down deliberately and greeted me warmly. "Fancy seeing you here!"
I smiled weakly, afraid that he was going to insist on talking about first period. The idea of talking about the trebuchet was not a welcome one to my mind. "Um, hi." He grinned wider and took a bite out of his cheeseburger.
After a moment, he swallowed and continued talking. "I don't really know anyone else yet. This place is just a little different."
"How so?" I asked curiously. Trezevant must have been a long ways away, because I had never heard of it before. His tail flicked and I had to resist the urge to ask him about it. No doubt if Sora ever met him, that would be the first question Sora asked.
Sora would tilt his head to the side as he towered over Zidane, his blue eyes misted over with curiosity. I imagine he would wonder if Zidane were really a monkey in disguise. Or perhaps a chimpanzee. If that idea failed to appeal to him, he'd probably think that all of us were born with tails.
His eyes would probably grow as wide as they possibly could. He'd pull me aside later, all the while giving furtive glances in Zidane's direction. He'd look at me, his eyebrows knitted together as he tried to find the way to phrase his question. After awhile, he'd give up with an excited sigh and ask, "Did we have tails when we were little?"
Or rather, the old Sora would have. I imagine he probably would still think Zidane was really a monkey in disguise. I couldn't help considering that either. When I stopped staring at that spot on the bench, I noticed that he was looking at me, an eyebrow quirked. He had the tiniest hint of a smile, and his chin was drawn town, so he could pretend he was looking down at me.
"What?" I asked defensively.
He smirked and shrugged lazily. I blushed, horrified at what he thought I was really staring at. "W-wait!" I stammered and he laughed. My face grew redder and my eyebrows furrowed together. "I wasn't looking at that!" I insisted.
He tilted his head to the side innocently and asked in a saccharinely sweet voice, "Looking at what, Kairi?" I hunched my shoulders and crossed my arms. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea about me.
"Stop it," I pleaded suddenly. He laughed.
"I haven't done anything. You're the one getting upset." I relaxed and shook my head at him. He continued to laugh.
"So, what was Trezevant like?" I asked. It was time to change the subject, because we were treading towards subjects I didn't want to talk about.
"It was a school. The periods were managed a bit different, and it was much bigger, but it was a school."
"That's all you did? I mean, you only went to school? You didn't have any friends?"
"Oh, I had a group of friends. We called ourselves Tantalus," his voice sounded sad. It was the first time he'd ever really sounded sad around me.
"Why'd you move?" My eyebrows raised and I was frowning. I wanted to appear sympathetic, but I hope I didn't look like he'd just kicked my puppy.
"My aunt wanted to get away from the city, so she came here. I came with her."
I wanted to ask about his parents, but it seemed really inappropriate. He had taken to actually eating his lunch. He didn't look sad anymore, at least. I looked down at my own lunch and shrugged. I was hungry too.
The rest of the school day was uneventful. Just as I'd feared, Sora wasn't in any of my classes. I waited outside the main entrance. Students streamed past me, some jostled me, and others shouted back and forth and created a ruckus. I hoped Sora or Riku showed up before I got trampled.
Soon enough, Sora walked out and I ran up to him, asking over the din, "Where's Riku?"
Sora glanced back at the school and shouted back, "He got stopped by the football coach, I think."
"I wonder why he didn't stop you," I mused aloud.
"Football? Me? Are you kidding?" he asked with wide eyes and a quick shake of his head. "I'm not getting tackled to death over a stupid ball." We laughed.
"Yeah, but you'd probably be really good at it, Sora. You're the keyblade master!" I joked.
"Yeah, but that only helps for beating up heartless and nobodies, not running around with a ball."
I laughed again and we started the walk to the beach. We didn't even have to say, "We're going to the beach!" It was understood. I was glad that my friends were back. I walked close to Sora.
"You think Riku will do it?" Sora asked with a small smile.
"Play football? I dunno. He might. I think he'd like the swim team more, though. But I don't know if Riku's cut out for sports anymore," I said, trying my best to sound sage. Sora looked at me with a quirked eyebrow and I blushed in embarrassment. "I dunno."
He shrugged and stopped as we got to the beach. I walked a little further, closer to the water and sat down. From here, I could see the island that we played on as kids. Those were fond memories, I mused to myself. Sora sat next to me after a moment. I leaned my head against his shoulder without even realizing it.
When I looked up, I could tell he was blushing. I was too, but he didn't move.
"So, do you miss them?" I asked.
"Yeah," he mumbled and looked down at me, curiously. I smiled. Poor Sora, his new best friends separated from him by worlds. Maybe Donald and Goofy were thinking of him too, right then. I thought they were, and I think Sora thought they were too.
He looked back towards the island, and so did I. We sat in silence for I don't know how long. The sun had sunk some, and the waves had come closer to us. They were touching our shoes. I wanted to bask in the sun forever, just Sora and me. I felt more comfortable lying against him than I had all day. My blush grew.
Riku joined us some time later. He sat down on the other side of me and I lifted my head to look at him. He looked smug.
"So, what happened?" Sora asked curiously. I stifled a yawn. I hadn't realized I was so tired.
"I told him I'd think about it," Riku said with only cursory glance at me. I smiled weakly.
"Are you really going to think about it?" I asked and forced myself to sit up straight, though Sora's shoulder was very comfortable.
"No. I'm not going to do it. He wouldn't take no for an answer, though." He grinned and stood up again, to pace. I looked at Sora in confusion and Sora shrugged as wel.
"What's wrong, Riku?" I pushed my hair out of my face. It was all in tangles from the wind. Riku's hair already looked like it was in tangles.
"Pent up energy. I haven't sat still for so long in forever. I've gotta walk or do something," he replied helplessly.
I laughed at his explanation and smiled warmly. Riku could be so adorable when he wanted to, I realized. "Oh, so Sora can be calm, and you're the one that needs to race around?" I jumped up and abandoned my bag.
I fiddled with my shoes and socks, until they were both off. Sora and Riku stared at me, and I smiled at them. The wet sand between my toes felt wonderful.
"Let's race, then, Riku." He stared at me in disbelief as Sora jumped up, his face filled with excitement.
"Don't forget me!"
I nodded and quickly shouted, "Go!" Sora and I took off running, and Riku ran after moments later. I looked forward, running as fast as I could. It didn't shock me when Sora pulled past me. I laughed and watched him stop with a smug look on his face. Riku was right behind me. I stopped and fell onto my knees with a gasp for air.
Riku offered me his hand.
