Chapter Six, Hour Six. It sure is going fast. I'm just surprised no one's bored of this yet.
Disclaimer: Do I look like the kind of person who'd own Kingdom Hearts? (Sure, technically you can't see me and all, but you know)
Hour Six – Two p.m.
The bus was jostled as it ran over a bumpy patch in the road, and Sora cringed, his head jerking up. And he froze, eyes catching the soft features of Kairi's face, not focusing on anything in particular.
His face flared in embarrassment.
Trying to clear his head, Sora flicked his eyes to Kairi's briefly, catching for the first time a sincere glint of happiness shining there. His cheeks burned worse, and he smiled slightly, crookedly, glad to know that so far they hadn't been driven to fight with one another. She stared back, confident smile on her lips, the hint of play in her eyes, and her head tilted, her overall appearance full of bliss. She was calm, close to having a good time with him, and that made his heart skip a couple beats. Still, she wasn't laughing, but he could almost hear the sound in his ears; he really craved to hear the sound, too, to know what it would be like for Kairi to laugh without holding back, to be herself with him. And he wanted to be himself with her, as well; he wanted to know her.
But even though they'd come so far, they weren't at all close...to an agreement.
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
He stared at their hands, how hers contrasted so much from his. Kairi was pale, elegant, graceful, (well, despite her unbearable temper), hands smooth and soft. And he was tan, clumsy looking, his hands gloved, large, and with callused fingertips; he even gave off a sense of strength when next to her. They were opposites in every way, even down to their fingertips.
His heart gave a pain-filled lurch.
"Paper beats rock."
He grinned, lifting his eyes back to her, and tilted his head. "Aw, come on. What's the score now? Ten to one?"
"Eleven to one," she said with a grin, giggling slightly. It was musical. "Sorry, Sora. You just suck at games."
He laughed and shook his head. "Fine. Another round."
"All right."
That competitive shine was back in her eyes, and she stared at him, eager to win. Always eager, always triumphing. How someone could be such a picture of perfection, even with so many flaws shining through the cracks in her surface, was beyond him. But she was – perfect, that is.
Unbelievably perfect, and so much so it stole his breath away.
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
He stared at their hands a moment longer, watching how much they contrasted, feeling the sudden urge to take her hand in his and compare how soft hers was to his – and then keep holding it and never let go – but he flushed at his thoughts. Glancing up, he smirked at her.
"Ha!" he exclaimed, grinning triumphantly. "Tie!"
She giggled, amused. He wondered if all he would ever do for her was amuse her (and irritate her), and found he didn't want that. He wanted more than that.
But he couldn't understand what more was. And it was frustrating, to want something, and then not know what that something was. Almost as if he was denying himself of it. But he couldn't be, right? It wasn't…his fault.
Right?
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
He didn't stare at their hands long this time, immediately going with his feeling of impatience to stop the thoughts whirling around his head. He didn't want to think about it anymore. He just wanted to have a good time – as good a time as he could, anyway – and then get off the godforsaken bus from hell.
That's what he wanted. Nothing more than that.
"And…scissors beat paper," he grumbled, glaring at her, his irritability maybe a little stronger than reasonable.
She smiled and brushed another strand of hair from her eyes. "What can I say? I'm just that good."
"I think you cheat," he muttered, checking the time momentarily – 'Two thirteen. Where's the time gone, anyway?' – and then lowering his hands to his lap. "You know, we're more than halfway there now."
"That's great," she said, smiling. Then she frowned. "And I do not cheat."
"Ch. Sure."
"New game, then."
"I dunno. I don't think you can be trusted."
"I'll hurt you, Sora."
He smirked. "We're back to this, then?"
"You're just so frustrating!"
He ruffled her hair upon sudden impulse, the strands so soft beneath the calluses on his fingers. Immediately, though, she batted his hands away with her own, looking very harrassed and very impatient. Then, in exasperation, she sighed heavily, tufts of hair blowing out of her face and then settling back into her eyes. He smirked at her, entertained by her reaction.
"Now I have to fix it," she complained, making his small smirk turn into a grin. "Thanks."
She pulled her elastic out and kept it on her wrist, running a hand through her red locks, which caught some of the sunlight streaming in through the window. He watched, his stomach flipping again, and then he looked straight, away from her, trying to maintain his composure.
He wondered if that ever worked for him. He was easily figured out, after all, or so he'd heard.
"You know," he began, voice softer than normal, "it looks fine down."
There was silence, and from his peripheral vision he caught the sudden stillness in her movements, hair still taking the shape of a ponytail in her fingers, elbows jutting outright. And then, "Huh?"
He blushed, feeling stupid. Had she not heard him? Did he really have to say it again? Honestly, it was killing him enough already. But…he could just lie, pretend he didn't say anything, ignore her flat-out…
He looked over and grinned at her weakly. "I'm just saying, you don't have to wear it up. It looks fine down."
Her grip loosened on her hair, and then it all came tumbling down, falling onto her shoulders. He watched, shifting uncomfortably, face warm, and then she trailed her fingers slowly through her tresses, blue eyes wide, incredulous, and somewhat thoughtful as they examined him. He fidgeted yet again under her stare. "It…what? Are you saying you like my hair down?"
"I…" He flushed, embarrassed, and looked to his left desperately. "No."
She elbowed him sharply and he looked back, but caught her smirk and knew she was going to give him grief. Rolling his eyes, he leaned back and watched as she let her hands settle into her lap, hair still down and curling over her shoulders.
Forget what he'd said. She was cute, too.
"You're lying."
He crossed his arms, grunting softly. Her lips just curled upwards a little more, excitement that she'd caught him on something making her blue orbs shine brilliantly. She was all about finding people's weaknesses, and he'd give anything that she assumed she was close to finding his.
Only, there was no way in hell he was going to let her find this out. She was his weakness, after all, and for her to know that could mean disaster.
He leveled her with a serious look. "Do you have gum?"
She started, surprised, the interest and excitement fading a little from her eyes. "Huh?"
"Do you have gum?" he repeated.
"Uh…yeah…" She leaned forward, reaching for her backpack. He let out a quiet breath, relieved that she was momentarily distracted.
"Is cinnamon good?"
"It's fine," he said, leaning back and running a hand through his strands of coarse brown hair, eyes on the metallic-looking ceiling of the bus. What a narrow escape that had been.
Well, at least he didn't have to explain himself now.
He wrinkled his nose. No, there was nothing to explain. Nothing at all.
She sat up and handed him a wrapped stick of gum, one for herself in her other hand. He turned his attention to her and grinned his thanks, then unwrapped it, looking to the side as he popped it into his mouth and chewed.
"You always were so prepared."
She shifted rapidly in her seat, and he looked over curiously to see her stiff-shouldered, pretty blue eyes narrowed on him. "Hmph. I swear, if you're---"
"It was impressive," he said gently. "You were the one person in school with her head on her shoulders. I guess I was jealous of that."
The words sank in, and Kairi seemed to have nothing more to say. Clearing his throat, Sora looked down, nervously bouncing his knee – a habit he'd had since forever – and finding himself wondering how she'd react. He chewed his gum slowly, waiting for her to speak.
"I had a lot of problems in high school," she murmured, and he shifted, lifting his head so that he could look at her again. "Being that organized just left no time to think of anything else; I liked it that way."
Her words left an impression on him. He furrowed his brow in thought and regarded her curiously, wondering not the first time about her. High school sure hid away the secrets you most wanted buried, that was for sure. He'd just assumed Kairi was some kind of control-freak; life problems was the last thing on the list, no doubt.
He knew it was wrong of him to ask, but now he wanted to know more. "Your parents have a crappy marriage, too?"
She looked at him in surprise. "My parents walked out on me."
His eyes widened in shock, and she shifted under his gaze. Her eyes then lowered, and she rubbed at her arm in unease, shoulders low and body screaming discomfort; it was as if she was trying to protect herself from him, his gaze seemingly ripping her apart.
He cleared his throat again, softening his stare, and she clasped her hands tightly in her lap, head still tilted off to the side and away from him. "Kairi, I…I'm so sorry."
"No," she murmured, turning her head further to look out the window. "That wasn't the problem. They left when I was young, and then I was placed in the care of my grandmother. I loved her more than anything, but she was all I had. She died just before I went into high school."
Sora leaned back, startled. "Looking at you, I never would've known," he murmured. "You were so together and everything."
"You used to say I could never feel emotion," she said, turning her head and grinning slightly, sadly.
He shrugged. "It seemed that way. You weren't swayed by teen drama, were always cool and distant…it was scary."
His words seemed to lessen the heaviness their former topic had brought on. It was a good feeling; he let himself relax a little more, as well.
"I scared you?" she asked incredulously.
"Unsettled is more like it," he said, blowing a bubble and then grinning when it popped. "I could never figure you out."
She pursed her lips slightly in thought, probably trying to decide whether she should be angry with him or not. And then a light entered her eyes, some thought whirling around her head "You mentioned parents having a bad marriage. Did your parents…?"
He smiled gently, softened gaze making her trail off. Color momentarily rose on her cheeks, but she immediately turned her head, and he passed it off as nothing more than his imagination. Drumming his fingers on his knee, he flicked his eyes to where her hand rested, on the bus's windowsill.
"My real father walked out on my mom when I was two," he said, tilting his head in thought. "And then my stepfather came." He tried so, so hard to hide the fact that just the thought of him made him cringe, made a metallic, bitter taste enter his mouth, but she was watching him now, a form of concern he'd never been given by her now in her eyes. "He..." Hesitating, his eyes locked with hers, and then he looked away, unsettled. That look in her eyes was making it so much harder to say."My stepfather abused her verbally and then cheated on her." He shrugged his shoulders a little. "My mom's a wreck now; doesn't believe in love anymore. Holidays with her are brutal."
"You say it like its nothing," she said softly.
"It's how I cope," he said, looking forward, expression passive. "You make nothing a big deal, and then it isn't. So my mom's screwed up; I still love her more than anything. She, at least, stuck around for me."
"You weren't this understanding in high school."
"I was a stupid teenager," he said, smirking, feeling a little more at ease. "Now I'm just a stupid young adult."
"And the difference is?"
"Teenagers do the stupider things."
She grinned when he looked back at her, and he blew another bubble. It popped and then he began chewing, feeling the silence creep in again. Things would start feeling monotonous once more if they didn't find something to talk about.
"You weren't a lot of things in high school," Kairi said softly, tapping her nails on the windowsill as she looked at him.
He blinked, startled. "Like…?"
"You played sports, but you weren't a jock," she murmured, eyes down. "I mean, you weren't with the popular crowd. Riku wasn't, either."
"I seem like I belong with the popular crowd?"
"Do I?" she asked, arching a brow.
"Actually, yeah. You're so perfect and all."
She narrowed her eyes, suddenly cross. The corners of his lips tilted up, and despite the effort he could not hide his amusement. "Would you shut up about that? It gets annoying."
"Case and point," he said, smirking wide now. "It does get annoying."
She sighed softly and rested her forehead on the glass, closing her eyes. "I'm tired," she mumbled.
"Then go to sleep. You're not gonna miss anything."
"What are you gonna do to me if I let my guard down?"
"Leave you at the next bus stop."
She grinned and opened one eye, looking at him. "Well, I guess if you're honest I can't do anything to stop you."
He chuckled and ruffled her hair gently, sparking a cross look on her features. Then, leaning back, he looked ahead, still smiling. He found he was unable to stop as of late, actually.
And he liked it; it had been a while before he'd slowed down and smiled.
And hewas the one giving Kairi crap?
"Don't worry," he said, grinning at her. "I'll protect you."
She rolled her eyes and smiled, settling against the wall of the bus and letting her eyes flutter closed.
"If I wake up on a bus bench, you are getting one nasty voicemail through Naminé."
"Oh, then I guess that settles that. I can't just leave you behind."
"Better not," she murmured, smiling as she nestled further away from him and more against the window.
"You want my jacket? It'll serve as a good pillow."
"'S fine," she murmured, yawning behind her hand and then sighing contentedly.
Conversation then ceased between them, and his mouth twitched into a smile as he grabbed his earphones, shoving them into his ears. He turned on the power and listened as he watched Kairi now and again.
She shifted quite a lot when she searched for sleep. She was definitely one uptight person.
And then, at last, she seemed at peace. He tilted his head, momentarily pulling out the earphone from his right ear, and heard her breathe in slowly and calmly. He smiled and nodded his head, putting the earphone back, and crossed his arms over his chest, looking forward.
Now that it was quiet, though, he didn't want to be just by himself. And by himself was how it felt, with the stoic bus ride and the sometimes violent jerks of the vehicle as it rattled along on the highway (which they'd pulled onto again). Plus, little by little each hour, he'd grown to actually enjoy the fiery redhead's company.
And he'd grown fond of her, too.
Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Of course, this wasn't supposed to happen. Fate had no dealings in his life. He'd been his own man since he'd learned how to take care of himself, and that was at a fairly young age no less. He didn't get thrown into relationships full of passion, didn't meet the woman he was to be with forever by bumping into her at a coffee shop. He despised coffee, for one. And he certainly didn't fall for the girl he'd had a large crush on since forever. Because love didn't play in his life, as it didn't in his mother's. And fate had something against him.
Riku was in trouble, that was sure, for messing him up like this. Everything he'd known he now thought he didn't know at all.
Casting a sidelong glance at the girl beside him, he smiled softly and rubbed her shoulder once, then let his hand fall.
And his heart seemed to plummet to his stomach as well.
The end of another chapter.
Hour Seven next. Review, please!