Whoa.

Okay, honestly, I didn't think this story would take off. At all. Because, well, it's not much of a story. But thank you soooo much for reviewing. It was totally awesome to see how popular this was. (Yes, I did decide to wait two weeks, anyway. -evil grin-)

Well, yeah, the giant overload of conversation does continue, but if it has a certain flare to it it's okay, correct? I don't think the conversation will let up much - I did try to edit it - because it's more life-like (in my opinion) to have them always talking. Life is full of chatty people, anyway. -grin-

With the whole anti-climatic thing...(hangs head) sorry. But the whole story is just a bus ride somewhere (you'll find out soon, I think, the destination). So I'm not about to throw in some twist and toss it off the road. I know, disappointing, but I'm like that.

Oh, and about Sora being out-of-character...heh. Sorry. I love him in-character just as much as the next person, but I love his wiseass, sarcastic-ness just as much in this story! (If I may say so without seeming arrogant). Anywho, he will also probably remain OOC, but I hope that won't be too upsetting.

As you're probably ignoring this anyway, why don't I get on with it?

Oh! Quick lil tidbit. Erm...that sounded stupid. Anyway, Riku won't be fully introduced until the end. He's only mentioned from now until then. -weeping- Riku doesn't have a big part. So sad!

...Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am just not awesome enough to be able to own the sheer awesomeness of the awesome Kingdom Hearts (and awesome Sora and Riku).

Hour Two – Ten a.m.

"You get your hands off!"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the bag out of her hands. Reaching in, he retrieved a breakfast bar, checked the name, decided it looked good, and then threw the plastic bag back into her lap. After ripping off the wrapping he dropped that in her lap, too, grinning when she protested.

When she started to smack him, though, he rolled his eyes and turned to her.

"I didn't eat."

She was such a hassle. Really, he had to explain himself?

"Well too bad! That's my food!"

He glanced at her passively, holding her stare for a moment, and then took a bite off of the bar, chewing it thoughtfully as she tried to kill him with her eyes. Swallowing and grinning when he was finished, he tilted his head.

"'S good, too."

She dug her nails into his arm in frustration.

"Ow!" he cried, pulling away and nearly falling into the aisle. Blinking, he tilted his head as he realized he was leaning halfway out of his seat, grinned at all the startled passengers, and then sat up, flushing slightly.

Next to him, Kairi was giggling.

"Yeah. Real funny." He blinked, and then looked at her. "Wait, you laugh?"

The amused look on her face turned into one of indignation. "Yes, I laugh."

"At other people's expenses, then."

"That is not true."

"Ch."

"You're impossible," she grumbled, crumpling the wrapper in her hand and throwing it into her open backpack. Then, reaching into her bag, she fumbled around for something appealing when a cross look flashed on her features. "You took my favorite one, you dope."

"Oh, that's uncalled for."

"Gimme," she said, reaching for the food in his hand.

He laughed and leaned back, holding it high above his head. "Ask nicely."

"Like you know manners," she shot back, one hand on his chest as she reached for the bar above their heads.

"A little close, aren't ya, Kai?"

"Don't call me that, either," she snapped, momentarily pausing from trying to steal his breakfast. Her eyes were flashing, and her face was scant inches from his.

His cheeks prickled.

Then, arching an eyebrow, he smirked at her. "What, Riku can give you a pet name but I can't?"

"It's not a pet name, it's a nickname, moron. And no, you can't, because I hate you."

"Well, oh well," he said, and then stuffed the bar into his mouth. She dug her nails into his arm again, still very close to him – actually closer now – and he winced.

After chewing and swallowing he removed her nails from his flesh, pushing her back and then rubbing at the skin as he shook his head at her.

"You're vicious."

"I don't like you."

"Jeez, really?"

"Mm…" she said, leaning forward and picking up her black backpack. He rolled his eyes at the thing – really, it had everything – and watched as she pulled out a water bottle. He shook his head as she uncapped it and took a sip, and then shot him a look.

"What?"

There was lightning in her eyes, actually, as she regarded him; exasperation as description was an understatement. He guessed hell hath no fury for a Kairi pissed.

That didn't stop him from mocking her, however.

"You…are obsessive."

"No, I'm not. But you're incompetent."

"You wound me. Please, take this knife out of my heart."

She sneered at him, taking another sip, and then capped the bottle. He sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Really, why are you so prepared for everything? Can't you be a little less perfect?"

She shoved her water bottle into her back with unnecessary force. She didn't even look at him as she spat, "Don't test me."

"Why not? You'll ace it, anyway."

Sitting up, she whirled on him, the few bangs that had fallen from her bun brushing against her cheeks as she leveled him with a glare. "I'm sick and tired of you. Already! Can't you grow up for once?"

"You're grown up enough for the both of us," he said sarcastically.

"Tch," she spat, smoothing wrinkles out of her dress and obviously doing her best to forget his presence.

He rolled his eyes at her.

"You're such a child, you know that?" She snapped. "Everything's just a big, stupid joke to you."

"The only one that seems to bother is you, since you're too mature to find anything funny."

She glared at him. "No, everyone thinks you're a child, Sora. They just won't tell you. You're just an overgrown kid, that's all you are!"

Blinking, he started at her words, surprised to find them so insulting. He stared at her for a long minute, wide-eyed, but she was already focusing her attention back on smoothing out her skirt, murmuring viciously under her breath. He was speechless, actually, with no way to reply to what she'd said; and that was a first. He tried to shove it aside, too, tried to shrug off the biting words as if they were nothing, but he couldn't. They hurt.

All he was was a child to her. That's all she saw. That's all he'd ever been in her eyes.

A child.

So he caved. Giving up on trying to find a comeback, giving up on trying to ignore her words, he turned his head and slumped in his seat, staring straight and reaching for his headphones.

"Sora?"

He didn't pause. His hands closed on the desired object, and after settling it in his lap he put one earpiece in and then the other. He closed his eyes, settling himself, and then a song was on, filling his senses.

He closed his eyes and spent a lot of time like that, bouncing his knee idly as he kept his head resting against the seat. He wouldn't be able to ignore her for the next six and a half hours, he knew that, but while her words still stung he couldn't face her.

And he was just being stupid, really. People told him to grow up all the time. It was no different coming from her.

Minutes ticked by, and on went the silence between them, until his right earphone was yanked out of his ear. Starting, he turned off the music automatically and looked to her, irritated.

"What?"

"Dammit, don't ignore me, all right?"

His expression darkened; he could feel it. And she cringed slightly, too. "You're the one who didn't want to talk to me from the beginning."

Snapping back to her regular fighting self, she glowered at him. "Fine. Then if you're gonna ignore me, don't be pissed at me when you do it."

"Why? Afraid you might feel guilty?"

"No, afraid because I know I'll feel guilty."

He snorted softly, but then pulled out his other earphone and shoved it back into his pocket, fiercely so as to appear like it was his only choice and he wasn't happy about it. She smiled for a fraction of a second and then turned her head, focusing on the passing scenery.

…Which wasn't much, as they were on the highway.

"Sorry," she said suddenly. It was soft, terse, but not insincere.

"Hmm…"

"You're not a kid, all right?" She turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You just…frustrate me. You act so…so…immature."

"Right, and you only associate with perfect, mature guys, so I piss you off."

"Sora, that's not fair. And this is why I can't stand you." She closed her eyes. "Plus, you act like an idiot."

He smirked against his will and shook his head, looking forward. "I'm touched."

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "I just don't understand you."

"Which is probably why you hate me."

She blinked, startled by his words, and then frowned. "Don't make me out as the bad one. You hate me, too."

He shrugged, resting his head back on the seat cushion, and crossed his arms comfortably across his chest.

"Hey."

He looked to his left to see Kairi staring at him passively, leaning against the window. He arched an eyebrow.

"I said don't ignore me, remember?"

"No, you said don't be pissed when I ignore you."

Her brow twitched in agitation, and he smiled. "Well, I changed my mind."

"Again." Then he tilted his head. "You just want to argue with me, don't you?"

"I'm bored, Sora," she grumbled, turning her head to look out the window. "It's barely been two hours, and I'm stuck on this bus next to you. I have a right to want to talk to even my worst enemy."

"Ooh, your worst enemy, huh?"

She blew a strand of hair from her eyes, and he smirked. That was a classic sign that Kairi was irritated.

He would know.

"Hey, if you're mad, just come out and say it, because I can read you like a book anyway."

"Tch."

He held up his hands. "Okay. Fine. Ignore me."

"You piss me off," she muttered.

He smiled and looked forward, drumming his fingers on his knee. "See? Better."

"You do it on purpose, don't you?"

"Mm hmm," he laughed.

She sighed. "Why?"

"Oh, because you hated me the moment you met me in high school, and this is my payback."

"You were a jerk."

"I was not."

"You're still a jerk."

"Okay, neither of that is true. I'm just an ass to you."

She looked to him, grinning against her will it seemed. "Is that any better?"

He blinked, and then grinned back. "No."

Sighing, Kairi looked back out the window. "You think they're happy?"

"Riku and Naminé, you mean?"

"Yeah," she said softly.

He stared ahead. "They're great. Really. I've never seen Riku so happy. And Naminé, she's nuts about him. Ever since high school it's been like that."

"Mm…"

"God, when was the last time you bothered to see them?"

She turned narrowed eyes on him. "I can't just see them, you asshole. My job kinda permits me from having a social life."

"You could've called, just once. Naminé misses you."

"Well you've got it so easy, don't you? You don't have to do anything that requires effort, and you can see your friends whenever you want. So much so that you think you have the right to tell me what to do!"

He sighed and looked forward. "God Kairi, I'm just trying to help. You've always been like that, though. Shooting me down without a second thought."

"Not true," she hissed.

"No?" he asked detachedly, looking to the side where the old woman still slept.

Kairi was silent, and he closed his eyes, nodding. His opinions just weren't good enough for her.

"Just…shut up," she murmured, and he turned her head to see her looking out the window, eyes half-lidded and sadness written across her face.

He sighed, and he would've wrapped his arm around her shoulders if she'd let him. But Kairi was independent, stubborn, and despised his very being wholly and completely. So he wasn't about to attempt such a thing.

"If you ask me," he said, leaning back, "I'd say that a phone call every so often would be sufficient. Because I know, Kairi, with your way of being a perfectionist, that you practically kill yourself with your high standards." He shrugged and closed his eyes. "And no one should live like that, looking down on themselves and having no friends."

"I bet you really care."

"Right, Kairi. Just shoot me down again, like you always do."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"Well deal with it. You can't always have things the way you want them."

"I hate you," she murmured.

He just nodded, closing his eyes and listening to the cacophony of sounds around them. "I know."

Getting deeper into the story...yay! A second chapter. This is now the longest running story in my archive. Which is...kinda sad.

Anyway, thanks again so much for reviewing. I hope I get just as many reviews again, because it makes me super happy, but, well...oh, forget it. Please review, though, despite my inability of coherence at the moment.

Hurray!

And I can't wait for the next chapter. Waiting to post is killing me. -smile-