A/N: I'm back guys! It's weird, huh, that the first chapter's long as hell while the second's a bit short. (What do you mean, you didn't read the reposted first chapter? It's got major sugar-coated fluffiness at the end!) I'm still venting out because I got thisclose to beating Sephy (Only one bar of life left, darn it) when one wrong-timed Elixir (yes, it was my last one) finished me off. Grrr. And those guys who just read, please, review too, I want to know what you guys think about this ficcy. Please, review!
Summary: It's the little things that hurt the most. Between love and duty is a decision he will regret for the rest of his existence.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. There. I said it. Now please stop bugging me.
III: Listen
Kairi stared down at the piece of parchment Sora had handed her a moment ago. She knew something was up when she saw his face not that long ago. Sadness didn't belong on Sora's face. It just...didn't fit.
She smiled up at him. "So... when are we going?"
"Did you just read it, Kai?" Sora asked her unbelievingly, kneeling and pointing to one sentence over her shoulder: Do not endanger a princess of heart. "Don't you---"
"Crystal, Sora. Did you really think I'd let you leave me waiting again?"
"This isn't a game, you know."
"Sure I know that. That's why we three have to stick together." She gazed towards the sunset. "Just think... going someplace new... Riku's gonna love this..." She trailed off, daydreaming about Keyblades and white doors with huge keyholes.
"I have to go alone, Kairi."
"Suure you do," she replied sarcastically. Knowing Sora, sentences like that don't stay true too long, because Sora wasn't the serious type. (Riku made up for that and more.) "But that doesn't mean we can't bend the rules a bit---"
"I mean it." The note of finality in Sora's voice would be trivial, coming from anyone else, but coming from him...it was frightening. Kairi turned to look at Sora's face, and she could feel her heart crumble when she saw his resolve.
"No you don't," she whispered. The hell he didn't mean that. After all that had happened (and her mind flashed back to what happened on this very dock, but this time, Naminé was whimpering softly instead of giggling) he couldn't just go and leave her hanging in the air. "You don't mean that."
"I'm sorry, Kai," he said, wrapping his arms around her, his voice breaking for the first time since she'd known him. " I really have to go. Alone. Riku... damn, you can't go with me. I won't stand putting you in harm's way. If the other Keyholes out there are sealed, then you--and the others will be safe."
Kairi blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall as she wrenched herself free from Sora's grip. She was not going to let him go, not after all that they had been through together. Not after they found each other. Hell no. "And I suppose being a princess of heart, hanging out with two Wielders on an island where Heartless are around every corner waiting to rip my heart out, is safe! Do you think leaving me will keep me safe? I'm not a defenseless girl anymore, Sora, I can take care of myself!"
"Riku'll protect you."
"That's it! You're giving me away for some stupid reason? You've done enough for this world, for all the worlds out there! It's high time they did you a favor and left you alone to live a normal life!"
"It's not a stupid reason. It's what's best for everyone."
"Does your everyone include Riku? Does it include everyone who'll miss you, for that matter? Does that everyone include me?" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I don't think that's best for me, Sora. For us. Why don't you just ignore it, then it'll go away."
"It won't ever go away." He stated calmly, voice regaining its strength.
"You can't save everybody, Sora. You're not expendable like that, going when someone tells you to. Will you please just stop listening to the King! It's your life he's ruining, not his!"
Sora averted his gaze and stared at the sunset. The silence was so heavy she could touch it. Kairi was mad. How dare he do this to her.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Listen to me, Kairi Dalmasca!" he bellowed as he pushed her down, pinning her shoulders to the dock, his face hovering close to hers. She had never, once in her entire life, seen him in a rage like this. He was Sora, the happy kid, for crying out loud. And she realized she was afraid of him. She was shaking all over. Screw afraid. She was scared to death. (Naminé, miraculously, had fallen silent, because she knew Sora could kill when he was angry. He did kill almost the whole Organization.) Scared to death and crying.
"It's my life and it's my choice. I don't go by anyone's rules, damn it. I'm going because I have to, because someone up there gave me this huge key, and I can't do anything about that," he breathed, bringing his face closer. "I have to, Ka, I don't want to. I don't want to leave my home."
"Then why are you going?" she managed to say. She could see her sobbing self reflected in Sora's eyes, which, she realized, were shimmering with unshed tears. The happy kid was crying too. That scared her more.
"Because..."he choked slightly on the words. She could feel his tears falling on her face and mingling with hers. "Because I don't want to lose you again."
"I don't want the Heartless to go and rip your life apart again." He said through gritted teeth as he eased his grip on her shoulders. "I don't want anyone else's life to get ripped apart."
"But you don't have to go alone."
"Yes, I do."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!" She howled. "You will wait until your birthday tomorrow so I can get Riku to convince you!"
"I already talked to him."
"This conversation is over!" she said firmly as she stood up. "You will not go until we, at least, can talk about this, Sora Hikari. I'm not going down without a fight."
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"Kai..."
"Tomorrow morning, Sora. We're coming with you, whether you like it or not."
I most certainly don't like it, Roxas thought bitterly as the two continued to bicker, or, as Sora tried to get a word in while Kairi continued her tirade. He didn't like it at all, but since he was Sora's nobody, he was in for the ride, whether he liked it or not. That was unchangeable. What he wouldn't give to just fade away, instead of living someone else's life.
"I told you, I won't change my--"
"You just wait."
He just hated Sora right now. Sure, he can go leave the island and leave his princess, Roxas didn't care, but why did he have to take Roxas along? He wasn't as righteous as his Other, he had Naminé to look after.
Roxas! We will meet again. And then we can talk about everything.
Well, they did meet again, but they never had the chance to talk, being absorbed by their Others and all. He never had the chance to ask Naminé whether that sketch that he asked her to draw just before leaving the Castle That Never Was in search of Sora. He never had the chance to just touch Naminé (It was always Kairi's hand Sora held, not Roxas holding Naminé's). And the way things were going, he may never will.
"Don't. Go." Kairi huffed as she turned and walked away.
He knew Sora wouldn't change his mind. No matter what Kairi said, he'll go tonight.
Sora, please.
"Naminé!"
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Kairi stopped walking. "Don't start with me again, Sora. Naminé has no say in this. She wants Roxas to stay."
"Kairi, please, let me talk to Naminé." She spun around.
"Sora, what the heck do you think you're saying!"
"I'm not Sora! I'm Roxas!" Sora huffed. That's when she realized it was Roxas talking. She could almost see Sora and Roxas shimmer repeatedly between each other. "Naminé, please, I know you're listening! I don't care what it takes, but I'm going to break free, and I'll come back to you!"
She smiled at him sadly. "I don't think Naminé can hear you, Roxas, she's crying too hard."
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"Kairi, what are you doing!" Riku almost yelled as he spotted her sitting at their kitchen counter. (Seeing Kairi at that early in the morning woke him up better than one of Sora's practical ice-water-in-bucket-on-door jokes.) "How did you get in? The door's kinda... locked."
She glanced up from the mug (the one shaped like a White Mushroom head) she was holding and smiled sweetly. "I jimmied your lock. Seriously, you should change your doorknob, it's falling to bits."
Riku arched an eyebrow. "Spit it out. You want to surprise Sora."
"Yayness, Riku, you figured me out," she said, rolling her eyes. She slid off the chair. " And I want to make up with him for yesterday. I figured I was too hard on him."
"You mean, make out." he snickered as he watched scarlet rise up in her cheeks. (Hell she was beautiful when she blushed, he admitted that.) He took his own favorite mug (the Sea-salt promotional DiZ gave him, which he suspected was a sneaky hint that he should buy the popsicles next time) and poured some cocoa in.
"So not, Riku. Uhhh... do you think he's already awake?" She asked nervously, fiddling with her mug's handle.
"Haven't heard anything. Knowing him he's still sleeping with his mouth wide open."
Kairi giggled, sounding excited and nervous at the very prospect of having the honor of waking up Sora (which, as easy as it may sound, was a real pain in the neck to do, some days he just wouldn't budge from bed) and the first to wish him a happy birthday. He felt a twinge of jealousy that he knew would never go away, unless Kairi saw otherwise.
"I can't stand this, I'm gonna go," she said, standing up and balancing her mug on what seemed like a photo album.
"Good luck," he called as Kairi went up to Sora's room. "And please, lock the door if you don't want me to barge in and catch you doing---something."
"Shut up, Riku!"
He grinned to himself as he helped himself to those tiny marshmallows he always put in his cocoa, dropping some into his mug and watching them bob and sink.
Down, up, down, up, down, up, down, sink.
Down, up, down, up, down, up, down, sink.
Down, up, down, up, down, up, down, sink.
Yes, mornings made him feel that way. Especially mornings when your dream girl's waiting when you come down.
Down, up, down, up, down, up, down, sink.
Down, up, down, up, down, up, down, sink.
He was drowning his ninth marshmallow and contemplating whether he should drink now when he heard something crash to the floor above. Hope they don't get too...rough, he grinned again as an evil thought came to mind, but I'm gonna go...check. He made his way to Sora's room, where he supposed the two were getting so frisky they were accidentally breaking stuff.
The door was ajar. "I told you guys to lock the door," he called, smiling mischievously. He pushed it open.
"R-riku..." Kairi was kneeling on the floor, the remains of her mug scattered on the floor, the cocoa spreading out.
The bed was carefully made, the pillows lined up exactly. Empty except for the hollow champagne bottle and the note under it.
-Sorry. Riku, now you take care of Kai. Yeah, and tell her I took her lucky charm. Thanks. See you around.-
He glanced at Kairi and just shook his head resignedly.
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Don't take me wrong, I like drowning marshmallows, thank you very much. Review, please. You guys who just read, please review, it's kinda disheartening to write when people just read and then don't have anything to say about it. See? Two chapters, only four reviews. Does my writing suck that much? (Roxas: stop whining and get on with it!) Flamers, go ahead, make my day. Now I'm gonna go and take Sephy on again, darn it!