-- -- -- -o- -- -- -

Solstice

-- -- -- -o- -- - --

By: oathk33p3r

Disclaimer: No.

Wow. I haven't updated forever. I'm terribly sorry...I'll try making it up by posting at least three more chapters by the end of this month.

Characters

-Kairi
-Sora

-- - - Chapter Four - --

+She was the feeder+

-Kairi-

Shoot shoot shoot.

Kairi dashed down the stairs, two at a time, as she buttoned up her uniform. She had overslept, which was pretty rare for her.

She burst into the kitchen and was surprised when the usual warmth didn't greet her. The girl's shoulders sagged in disappointment when she realized her father's absence, which probably explained the cold. Letting a sigh escape her lips, she grabbed the brown, paper bag on the counter. She arched a brow when she realized that her lunch wasn't warm either.

Why was it so cold today?

Shaking her head, Kairi tucked the bag under her arm and slammed out the door, climbing onto her bike as soon as she got her hands on it.

As she rode her bike, her eyes slowly closed and thought of yesterday night. Now she remembered why she had woken up so late; she couldn't sleep.

Sora…his beautiful face wouldn't leave her alone. The way he walked, talked, and even blinked. It was all so graceful.

But it wasn't his appearance that bothered Kairi. It was just the fact that he was so pale. This was an island, which meant a lot of sun and water. People didn't walk around with faces as white as his.

Kairi let out a pleasant sigh when she started fantasizing about his eyes.

They were crystal clear, as if he was able to mirror anything anybody did and see what was behind it.

The girl shuddered and realized that her legs had pedaled her to the flower shop without her aid.

She swiftly got off the bike, her lunch still tucked in her arm. She fumbled for the keys and gasped when she dropped it.

But it didn't touch the floor; it didn't even have the chance. A gloved hand placed the keys into her hands.

Kairi looked up and her eyes widened. She nearly hyperventilated.

"Good morning, Kairi," Sora greeted with a smile.

+Sora+

As silent as a shadow, Sora hid behind the tree he had been leaning on and glared at the door, knowing exactly who was going to come out.

A few seconds later, the door to the house fumbled open and the man he had been waiting for came out. He was grasping his shoulder in pain as he walked over to his car with some difficulty. A gentle wind carried his scent over to Sora. He breathed deeply, his nose flaring. Yes, that was the one. It was him.

He eyed the car until it disappeared. As soon as it rounded the corner, Sora took long strides towards the house door. The man had left it unlocked. He was ready to turn it when his nose caught an awfully familiar scent.

It was mixed with the aroma of a hundred flowers with a blend of the sweetest blood he had ever smelled.

His sapphire eyes widened.

"No, it can't be," Sora gasped.

His dead, cold heart seemed to beat a hundred times a second as he sniffed the door again. He was positively sure; she lived here.

Shaking his head, Sora managed to hide himself in the shadows. A few moments later, the girl named Kairi busted out of the door and jumped onto her bike.

Hands trembling, Sora easily caught up to the girl and outran her. Her eyes were closed, so she didn't see him, thankfully.

He darted through the early morning strollers and the occasional car until he came in sight of the flower shop. He slowed down to a stop and waited by the door, the shadow of the building protecting him from the sun and wandering eyes.

The girl was pedaling painfully slow, but she finally showed up and started towards the door, oblivious to his presence.

Sora stood near her, breathing in her scent, just to make sure. Before he was able to take another whiff, he heard her gasp as she dropped her keys. Sora gracefully caught it and handed it to the girl. She took one look at him and looked as though she was going to pass out.

"Good Morning," he said with a smile.

+Kairi&Sora-

"Um, good morning," she mumbled as she finally pushed open the door to the shop.

Sora raised a brow. She seemed so much more…tentative than yesterday. She had been sarcastic and rather cold to him just the other day.

"Strange," Sora breathed.

"What was that?" Kairi snapped automatically.

Sora took a step back, surprised. He blinked, then smiled.

Kairi seemed surprised with herself as well. She slightly shook her head and her eyes were strong again.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

Sora looked behind his shoulders then back at the girl standing in front of him.

"Me? Should I need a reason to be here?"

"Well, yeah. 'Cause you don't follow someone around first thing in the morning for no reason," she retorted.

The brunette blinked, then smiled again, irritating Kairi even more.

He's so beautiful…

"I just wanted to keep you company," Sora admitted. It was half true.

"I don't need your company; especially when you hide yourself in my store all day long."

Sora's smile instantly disappeared and his brows knitted together.

"Hey, Kairi. That was only because…" Sora trailed off.

"What? 'Cause of what?"

The tinkling of bells at the door saved the boy as Kairi ran off to greet the first customer of the day.

Sora ran a hand through his brown locks and strolled deeper into the store, inhaling the various scents. Just as he had suspected, they smelled exactly like the girl. He looked back at her, memorizing her features. He was surprised to see how serene she looked. Her auburn hair was piled up atop her head with a simple clip, but it gleamed crimson when she stood right by the window. Her skin was pale, but not like his chalky, dead-looking skin. It was more of a translucent, porcelain, type of pale. Her eyes were what amazed Sora the most.

They were the exact color as the person he was thinking of at the moment. Her eyes were what convinced him that she was the girl, and her father was the man he had been searching for.

As if he had been slapped in the face, Sora stumbled backwards and his mouth fell open.

"No…"

She was the next feeder.

And he had to take her before Xemnas did. Sora shuddered as his cold, red eyes seemed to be staring right at him at the moment.

By the time Kairi had sold a few roses to the customer, Sora was found sitting casually on her seat behind the counter. She rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter.

"Now, tell me why you're here again?"

Sora hid his current dilemma with another dazzling smile.

"I already told you; to keep you company."

Kairi groaned and slapped her face into her hand.

"No, besides that."

"That's honestly the only reason why I'm here. You look tired and lonely all the time, even when that peppy girl is here."

Kairi gave him a blank stare.

"This is only your second time seeing me."

Sora shrugged, the sapphire eyes behind his long lashes shining innocently.

Finally deciding to surrender, Kairi allowed Sora to sit by the cash register as she started to water the plants. It was until she had turned around when she realized Sora was right behind her, following every move.

"Why do you keep following me?!"

"I want to help," he said flatly.

Kairi placed the silver water can she was holding by her foot and looked straight at Sora.

"Look, I'm here to work. I get paid to work. And I'm living for work!"

Kairi jammed a finger at Sora's chest, wincing in pain when she realized how hard it was. She shook it away and gave Sora her "mean face" again.

"And you are not here to work, you don't get paid to work, and I'm sure you don't live for work either!"

She sure got that right.

"That's why I'm helping."

"Fine."

Kairi picked up the water can and jammed it against Sora. He barely flinched nor stumbled backwards.

"You water the plants."

Kairi stomped past Sora and went towards the counter. She sat on her chair and crossed her arms, her face twisted in annoyance.

Sora smirked and started to water the rest of the plants, whispering to them.

The constant one-sided argument continued throughout the morning until the clock indicated noon.

A couple of girls had been lingering, flirting and giggling with Sora and driving most of the other customers away.

That's why the brunette was back in the closet, just like yesterday.

"Ugh, stupid Sora," Kairi mumbled as she started to unpack her lunch.

She felt guilty about forcing him into the closet, but she had a lot on her mind and it was hard to think with an abnormally beautiful stranger following her around. Anger and making a fuss was the only way to get rid of him.

Blowing a few strands out of her eyes, she opened the lunchbox, her stomach begging for food.

A cold slice of steak in a pool of blood met her eyes. Immediately nauseas, she threw the raw meat aside and turned away, coughing.

What was her dad thinking?

"Is something wrong?"

"AHH!"

Kairi whipped her head around to see Sora bending over her, his face only inches away from her nose.

Blushing, she straightened herself up in her chair and shook her head.

"I'm just not hungry."

Sora looked down at the food and his eyebrows shot up.

"You eat raw meat?"

"…no. I'm not some lion, Sora."

It felt weird saying his name. Sora.

"May I have it then?"

Kairi stared up at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"Maybe I'm a lion," the boy replied as he picked up the food. He took the fork next to Kairi without permission and went back towards the closet.

"Plus, I'm a vampire, remember?" Sora reminded Kairi with as much sarcasm in his voice as possible.

It was risky, yes. But a vampire would never tell anybody that they're a vampire, right?

"Ah ha ha, very funny," Kairi said. She hadn't forgotten yesterday's incident.

"Just kidding."

Kairi raised a brow as Sora turned on his heel and marched towards the door. He indicated the dumpster across with the meat and flashed a quick smile.

He was going to throw it away.

But as soon as Sora was out of Kairi's field of vision, he tore the meat with his teeth and sucked the cold blood out of it.

It wasn't fresh, but it was still delicious.

He snapped the lunchbox shut and headed towards the flower shop again.

But that was before the truck hit.