Omigosh, Hour Five! This story is going by so fast!

Oh, and here I want to say a special thanks to Shattered Serenity. I couldn't reply to her, and her review really made me smile. A lot. So, just letting you know, I loved this review from you just as much. XD

Disclaimer: Five words for you. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. -counts on fingers- Yeah! That's right! Five words!

Hour Five – One p.m.

"Reading?"

She arched an eyebrow and turned her attention to him. "Yeah. Why? Does it look like I'm doing something different?"

He rolled his eyes at her. It was a simple question. Really, she had to be so sarcastic and smart about it?

Grumbling, he slumped down. He'd just wanted to make conversation, after all. Nothing redeeming had happened since they'd boarded the bus, and he was slowly going out of his mind, unbelieveably bored. Really unbelievably bored. He'd never felt so bored in his life.

So was it so bad that he wanted to talk to her?

"All right, what do you want?"

"Nothing. Nothing," he said airily, waving his hand. "Read your book."

She groaned and snapped the text shut, agitated. "I'm never gonna finish this story with you next to me. I've come to accept that fact."

His annoyance at her gave way, and he smiled slightly and shook his head. "What? My good looks distract you?"

She rolled her eyes. "What good looks?"

Tch. How was he not surprised at her answer? "Ouch, Kairi. That was low."

She groaned and looked at him. "What is up with you? We hate each other, remember? So you're not supposed to be talking to me."

"You said don't ignore you, remember? Or did you change your mind again."

She glared at him. "Fine. What is it?"

"What is what?"

"Why did you interrupt me all of a sudden!"

He leaned back, tilting his head. "I dunno. I was bored. I mean, it's been twenty minutes and we haven't spoken even one condescending word to the other." He grinned. "Well, now we have."

"So what do you want to insult me with?" she grumbled.

"Actually," he said, smiling. "I was hoping that we could, y'know, make some kind of pact. Where we could actually have normal conversations with each other."

It wasn't that bad. He'd been thinking about it ever since they'd left the restaurant, both on relatively good terms, and he figured that after such progress they could make it work. It was only small conversation, enough to ensure the lack of boredom, yet not enough to promise something so ghastly as a friendship between them.

His brow twitched in annoyance briefly. Surely she wouldn't want that.

"A…pact," she drawled.

"Yup!" For the first time the whole ride, he was actually feeling cheerful. Couldn't she do the same?

She sighed and shook her head. "Again, that's not possible."

He frowned slightly. What was with her? Did she ever want to try new things? Was she so afraid of failure that she wouldn't bother to take a risk, even if in the end it worked out for the better for her?

After all, they wouldn't be fighting and hurting one another this way. They'd just pass the time until they could sit through the wedding, the receptions, and the reunions, and then go their separate ways. In all reality they'd probably never see each other again, after all of this.

So was a pact intended only for the rest of the bus ride – as she would probably do her best to ignore him once their destination was met – all that bad? He didn't think so.

And he wouldn't give up, at any rate, until he convinced her that it wasn't. "Well, we've never really tried."

"We never had to. Before now, you've wanted nothing to do with me, and I've wanted nothing to do with you."

"You've changed, Kairi?" he asked sarcastically.

"No. I still want nothing to do with you."

His lip twitched, and then he found himself smiling, unable to help it. No matter how insulting she meant to be, he still found it amusing. Just by the tone of her voice and the way her expression was so passive, it…it got to him.

He shook his head, facing away from her a second as he felt his face flush. No, no!

Letting out a deep breath, feeling the beat of his heart quickly go back to normal, he turned to face her and smiled. She caught the action from the corner of her eye and looked up, blinking in curiosity.

"C'mon. Let's just see if it gets us anywhere. I'm bored anyway."

"So I've noticed."

"Ha. So funny."

She smiled pleasantly and leaned down, shoving her book in her backpack. Her hair was cascading down the sides of her face, no matter her second attempt at keeping it at bay and out of her eyes. He shifted, feeling his cheeks warm, and then he blinked, startled when she sat up, and he looked ahead, at his seat, which wasn't nearly as interesting.

"So what do we talk about?"

He shrugged and looked over to her, to see she was staring out the window, head tilted in thought and finger tapping insistently on the window.

"No idea."

She looked back at him, annoyance clearly there. "My God, Sora."

He grinned and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. He was beginning to enjoy how irritated she got with him. She had the most charming reactions, after all.

He found he wanted to get to know her, though, outside all of those irritated reactions and temper-fueled insults that he alone invoked. He wanted to know the gentle Kairi that was a great friend to Naminé, the girl who giggled when Riku gave her attention, the girl who smiled brightly for anyone without holding back.

He wanted to know her. He brought out the worst in her, he knew, because she did the same to him. They were opposites, complete opposites, and yet not so different.

And he wanted to see that for himself. The words of his friends just weren't enough.

So he asked her, "How was life for you after the four thrilling years of high school?"

"Yeah. Thrilling," she scoffed, and he looked over at her, already amused. "Thrilling like a root canal." He laughed softly, tilting his head, interested to know where her life had gone after their four years fighting each other had come to an end.

He wouldn't have asked if he wasn't curious.

"Well, I dunno," she continued, "College was busy---"

"Because you were probably first in everything." She glared at him. "All right, I'm sorry."

"Like I was saying, college was busy, and I had job after job after job before I landed the one I'm in now."

He was startled. "You've always worked? Don't you know the concept of relaxation? Is the word vacation even in your vocabulary?"

"Sora…" she warned.

It wasn't that he was joking. It was astounding, what she had put herself through. He'd heard rumor that Kairi had landed herself in some Ivy League school, so that alone was pressure; but to have job after job on top of that? He couldn't imagine it.

And he pitied her slightly, for it.

Still, he smiled, not letting her know. "Fine. Go on…"

"Well, that's pretty much it."

"Nuh uh…" he said. That wasn't nearly enough. He wanted to know all about her. "Fill in the details. How many serious relationships have you had? How much of a jerk is your boss? How many friends do you still keep in touch with?"

She groaned. "Why do you care?"

"Kairi, it's a long bus ride."

But then, that was only one of the reasons. Kairi…she was an amazing individual. And he just couldn't help but want to know her. There was no other girl like her, after all.

He'd found that out once they'd gone their separate ways, and on cold terms.

She sighed and pushed a strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail out of her eyes. "I haven't dated – well, haven't had a boyfriend, anyway – since high school."

"You're lying," he said. He was astonished, to say the least. A girl like Kairi?

Was she holding out for someone?

He cringed. Dear God, don't let it be Riku…

"No," she murmured, looking out the window.

"Is it…" This wasn't his business, but…"someone else?"…he had to know.

Her attention snapped to him, and her eyes were wide. "Someone else? No!" Something about that statement seemed off. He just…couldn't believe her. "I don't have feelings for anyone."

"Really?" He was teasing her to cover up the awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. If he'd tried to sound honest, tried to let her know this bothered him more than he was letting on, he didn't doubt his voice would be soft and his eyes would look hurt. But, as was the case, he couldn't allow that, and so he looked ahead, smirking confidently.

And yet…not so confidently at all.

"Oh shut up, Sora! I don't! I haven't liked anyone since high school, when feelings and relationships were still superficial!"

He arched an eyebrow. Superficial, huh? "All right, Kairi. I'll play along."

Her expression darkened. "Shut…up."

Shrugging, he grinned easily. "Tell me about your friends, then."

Obviously the change of topic caught her off guard, and all of a sudden her rage melted into a sadness he'd never seen in her. He wanted to lean forward, to act like himself and do something to make her smile, but she hated his real personality.

And was why he used this sarcastic persona; it was his self-defense so she could never hurt him.

After all, he wore his heart right on his sleeve.

"Friends…" she whispered, shoulders falling. "They're…non-existent." She shook her head a little. "Well, there's Selphie. We get together." She sighed. "But I have no friends at work, my boss is a jerk, and my best friends are eight hours away from where I live." She sighed and closed her eyes, forehead resting against the window and her body appearing tired, like she was carrying an enormous weight. And if this, what she said – that she didn't have any friends – was true, he didn't doubt that she was probably feeling the greatest amount of pressure and exhaustion. He didn't doubt it one bit.

"Y'know…" He snapped his attention back to her. "I got a phone call once. I missed it. Naminé had called, telling me how much she missed me, and how she really wanted to talk. She mentioned that she was in love and wanted to tell me all about it." Kairi sighed again. "I was tired. I checked the message, deleted it, and went to bed. And forgot about it the next day."

Sora winced and looked at her. "You have no life of your own, do you?"

"You're a jerk," she said. "I don't know why---"

"Relax, all right? I wasn't teasing you this time. I promise." He ran a hand through his hair, looking to the now empty seat next to him. A great deal of the seats were empty, actually. "You're a hard worker. You've had it rough."

He looked back to find himself staring into her eyes. She looked troubled, as if torn whether to believe him or not, and then she lowered her eyes, folding her hands and staring into her lap.

But he wasn't being insincere. If only she knew that. If only she knew him. She'd realize that he was being honest if she bothered to get to know him, and didn't always shoot him down immediately.

She didn't want to trust him. He didn't know why, but she didn't. And that hurt him.

Because he was the kind of person who would be there for her, if she'd let him. But how she despised him so.

"What about you?"

He sighed softly, smiling a little. At least she bothered to ask.

But she probably saw this as getting even. His smile dropped. She didn't care. She just didn't want to be the only one to spill her life story.

Still…

He drummed his fingers on his knee, thoughtful. "I dunno. I went to a college near Riku – didn't even know it at first – and so we hung out quite frequently. Didn't see Naminé much, but when I did she'd ask for you." He looked to her hesitantly, and then picked up his narration. "Well, like you, I had job after job after job. Really bad ones, like working at fast food restaurants and such. Once I was a part-time mechanic, too. Anything to keep me staying in my crappy apartment," he said with a laugh. "I'm still not lucky like you are, though. I'm having trouble getting my feet firmly placed in the business world."

"Seems to me like you'd find a job easy." Her voice was soft, her expression still slightly depressed.

"Naw," he said, grinning at her. "People hate me."

She smiled sadly, and then looked ahead. "Have you kept in touch with any friends?"

"Riku," he said, nodding. "And Naminé. And I talk with Wakka and Tidus on occasion." He grinned. "Did ya know he's dating Selphie?"

"Yeah," she murmured. "Selphie told me once."

Sora winced, and then looked down. "No one else, though. I was kind of a loner in college. I liked it that way."

She looked to him, as if that was so hard to believe. "Don't you thrive off human contact?"

"Nah, that's Riku."

She smiled and looked back out the window. "What about you and relationships?"

"Never had one. Wasn't interested in high school, college was bad enough, and no girl wants to date a poor guy."

"Sora---"

"Okay, too far with that one," he said good-naturedly. "But nope, I'm still single." He tilted his head. "And the sad thing is, I always thought I'd get married before Riku."

"Ya did?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I didn't mind the concept; Riku was always the one who had trouble with choosing one girl and settling down. That's why he and Naminé always broke up; he cared about her more than anything, but their relationship troubled him. He finally woke up, though, it seems."

"You wanted to get married?"

He laughed. Apparently that was a shocking concept.

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "Still do. But I have to find that special girl first."

Kairi tilted her head at him. "You're kidding."

"Why would I try to impress you?" he asked. "I already know it wouldn't work."

"But come on. You? You seem like the last person to want commitment."

"And that's one example of how you don't know me at all," he said gently.

She stopped pressing, eyes wide. He tilted his head at her amiably and then looked forward, leaning back and staring at the seat in front of him. No hard feelings, was what he tried to tell her with that look; he knew he was unbearable.

He just…wanted her to see that he wasn't this asshole kind of guy she always saw him as. He wasn't. He cared about her, and her feelings, and that she laughed and was all right.

He lowered his eyes, troubled. He really did. And he didn't know how to handle it.

Because they would never have a friendship.

"It's okay, I guess, traveling with you."

He looked over to her, startled. "Come again?"

She shrugged, head turned towards the window. "I hated you in high school. You were such an ass to me. You humiliated me, too, sometimes." She shrugged. "But maybe that was just because I was such a jerk to you."

"Maybe," he said, looking forward.

She laughed, and he looked over at her again. "Maybe this was Naminé's idea. She always wanted us to get together, or at least be friends."

"She did?"

"Yeah." Her smile dimmed a little. "She always said we'd make such a cute couple. And Selphie backed her up, saying there was that love-hate issue that couldn't be ignored." She sighed wistfully. "Selphie always was a hopeless romantic, though."

"I see you put them in their places," Sora said softly, looking back ahead. His stomach fluttered again, and he looked further away from her, to the empty seat at his side.

"I guess I did."

"Selphie's coming, isn't she?" Man, was he desperate for a change of conversation.

"Yeah. She called and talked my ear off for an hour when she got the invitation. She and Tidus were going by plane, and she asked if I would go, but again, I had to disappoint her."

"And then you saw me waiting for the same bus and realized what you gave up. No wonder you were pissed with me. You must've been devastated."

"Yeah…" she murmured, though it sounded half-hearted.

He looked to her, uneasy. This was killing her. He'd really had no intention of making her miserable, but it seemed that whatever he did, that was always the outcome. Whatever he did, whatever he said…anything.

It was always his fault.

He hesitated, then placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked to him in surprise, eyes wide and questioning, but he noticed that she didn't flinch under his touch.

His stomach fluttered.

"I didn't mean to upset you, you know."

She grinned sadly, and he found himself wishing he could be the one person to make her happy. And he wanted her to smile for him, once, as if she was actually having a good time in his presence.

It's what he wanted, more than anything. For her to be happy…with him.

He blushed. But that was ridiculous. He didn't have those feelings for Kairi. He didn't.

"I know."

He rubbed her shoulder encouragingly and then dropped his hand, looking forward. He went to grab his earphones, since she'd probably appreciate him not saying anything to her, but when he pulled them out they vanished from his hands and ended up in hers.

"I…kinda like this pact thing," she murmured thoughtfully, eyes lowered when he looked to her.

At first he could hardly believe his ears. He thought he'd misheard her, or something along those lines, since it was still pretty clear that he irked her to know end. But when she glanced back at him hopefully, looking as if something she wanted to say was on the tip of her tongue, he smiled genuinely and in relief.

He…liked it, too.

Tilting his head, he took the earphones out of her hands, placing one in her left ear and then one in his right.

"This'll make it easier; we don't have to talk."

She smiled in appreciation, eyes lowered shyly, and then he turned on the music.

o.o What's this, Sora? What's this? (Looks around) No, really. What is this? (Reads over first draft, and then looks over final copy) I...I don't...-sigh- Oh well.

Yay! Sora's so cute, heh. So goofy, even when he is out of character.

Thanks to all my reviewers, and Wishes of an Angel and Shattered Serenity, who inspired me to give the idea of a possible attraction on Kairi's part to Riku. Does this mean anything, though? You decide...

Omigosh, again I can't believe how fast this story is going. Whoa! And I'm loving it every step of the way! I can't wait for the next chapter.