A/N: While I wrote this I listened to Sanctuary: After The Battle. I felt it fit the story. And when I read it over, it went quite nicely. So if you wouldn't mind, not saying you have to, would you please listen to either Sanctuary: After The Battle or Passion: After The Battle.
"I can't believe another year's already come and gone," the brown eyed girl said breathlessly. "I mean...it went so fast. Where did the time go?"
"Well, at least it was a good year. Right?" Sora asked her, a small smile on his lips to compliment his cobalt eyes.
"Mm," she nodded. "Right. Because it was spent with friends." She smiled as she held up her camera, which was on its strap and around her neck. "And I've gots lots of memories."
"And new ones to make," Sora added. "So...can I see some of those?" He pointed a finger at her camera, which she let go of, letting it hang by her chest, "Not now. Maybe later."
"Aw, c'mon Jade," he whined. "You gotta let me see 'em before the new year!"
"Later," she winked.
It was New Year's Eve. And everyone was there. Gathered at the paopu tree. Riku was there, and Kairi, Selphie, Tidus and Wakka.
Kairi and Selphie had brought snacks, like chips and cookies and Riku brought a few packs of canned soda.
"I'm glad you decided to come," Sora said, Kairi, Selphie and Tidus passing drinks around to the others. "It wouldn't of been the same without you."
"Yeah, I'm glad I came, too," she smiled, as she took a soda from Tidus. Sora took one, too.
Flashback
"Jade, you should go," Jade's mother told her earlier, busy washing some dishes as her daughter sat at the kitchen table, holding a small handmade invitation. "It'd be fun, don't you think?"
Jade looked over the invitation;
You're invited to Selphie's New Years Eve party!
Location: The Paopu Tree!
Time: 10:30 - 12:00!
Hope to see you there! Let's kick off the New Year with some fun!!
"I don't know..."
"This is the last day of this year. And the minute that clock strikes twelve, it's going to be an entirely new year. A clean slate. Don't you wanna make that something special?" her mother asked, drying her hands on a dishcloth.
"I'm perfectly fine sitting her with you guys and drinking grape juice with ginger ale at twelve," Jade mumbled.
Her mother made a face, "You don't seem so excited. Didn't you have a good year?"
"I had a great year. I mean, everything went just fine. But I'm kind of scared of the New Year. Me and Sora have become so much closer this year... What if I lose him?" she placed her chin in the palm of her hand. "Or what if something goes wrong. What if I say or do something right before the big twelve, and---."
Her mother cut her off, "You still like him? Sora?"
Jade blushed, "Yeah. And that's what I mean. I don't want to mess anything up. This year with him...it's been so great. We're best friends, and we had a great year..."
"You know that New Years eve superstition?" her mother asked suddenly. "The one where you kiss the person you love at twelve o'clock. Right at the beginning of the New Year."
"..eh.."
"If you don't then your love life goes terrible for the rest of the New Year," her mother continued. "You know what they say... What you do on New Years happens for the rest of the year."
"I don't believe in that junk," Jade objected.
Her mother made another face, "Come on, honey. Go out and celebrate with your friends. Wouldn't you rather be with Sora on New Year's Eve?"
Jade's face flushed, "Mom..."
"Oh, come on."
"Well, maybe.."
"Don't forget to bring home that kiss!"
"Mom!"
"So you going?"
Jade slunk into her seat, "..I...I don't know..."
End Flashback
"But, you know..." Jade started. "I wouldn't of come if you weren't going to be here."
Sora's lips perked into a smile, "Really? That's kind of funny. I wasn't gonna come if you weren't gonna be here."
Flashback
"Sora, quit being a baby," Riku told his younger best friend. "It's gonna be fun."
"Yeah, but..."
"And you gotta kiss her," Riku added. "Right at twelve. Or else you're gonna lose her."
"Gah!" Sora shouted, gripping his head tightly, almost ripping out chunks of his brown spikes. "WHAT!?"
"It's New Years Eve, Sora. You gotta kiss her tonight."
"B-but..." Sora was frantic, rushed words running off his tongue. "What if she doesn't like me? She prob'ly doesn't! She's gonna think I'm some kinda pervert if I try and kiss her! She'll probl'y think I'm weird! This year's been great with her, I don't wanna mess up the new one! What if I do or say something? I'm scared of the New Year, Riku!"
Riku blinked a few times, before sighing and running a hand through his platinum hair, "Sora, calm down. She feels the same way. I know she does. You know you're never gonna get the guts to tell her how you feel. Tonight is the perfect opprotunity."
"Gee, thanks Riku," Sora muttered.
"You know the superstition, right?" Riku asked her, glancing at the clock. Selphie's party was starting soon. "Kiss the one you love at midnight and you'll have a good love life in the New Year."
"But what if she doesn't like me back!?" Sora cried, shaking Riku by the shoulders. "I'm terrified! I don't want the year to end! The new one could mess things up between us until, until next New Year!"
Riku peeled the younger boys hands off his shoulders, placing a hand on the door, "You coming or not?"
Sora bit his lip, pondering, "I...I don't know..."
"You might never get another chance as good as this. You know that right?"
End Flashback
"What time is it?" Jade asked, as Sora checked the watch on his wrist.
"Five minutes to midnight," he murmured, the noise in the background almost drowning out his voice. His ocean blue eyes locked with her chocolate ones for a breif moment.
11:55
"So..." Sora asked, feeling himself blush as he sat straight up again. "You looking forward to a clean slate or no?"
"In a way yes," Jade replied slowly. "I just hope some things don't change. Like you being in my life. I don't wanna lose my best friend for the New Year."
"Same."
"But I'm looking forward to all the new beginnings. A whole new adventure. It's kind of scary when you think about it...but pretty exciting, too."
"Yeah," Sora nodded in agreement, "You're right."
11:56
"What's your number one New Years resolution?" Sora asked her, trying to keep a conversation going, running from the silence. Even though there was music, laughter and shouts taking place all around him. Jade and him were the only ones not, well, really partying. When they arrived they just sat up on the Paopu tree, watching the water. They'd hardly interacted with anyone else.
"Um," Jade felt the blood behind her cheeks heat up as she racked her mind for something to say.
"To tell you how I really feel about you..." was what she wanted to say, but she didn't.
"Um," she paused. "I think all I really want is a new adventure. You know...new friends, new events... just for things to be fresh and exciting. If that's..really a resolution."
"No," Sora's eyes twinkled into her own. "I get it. I...I think that's mine, too."
11:57
"And, I think..." she balled her hands together, looking back out into the water. "...I don't want there to be any more fears or lies. I want to overcome them all. I want them all to just melt away... I kind of want to start the New Year as a new person. I don't know what'll be left of me, but... I want to try to continue and build myself to be the best person I can be."
Sora blinked at her, her eyes glittering as she looked towards the endless ocean. All the noise, everything around them seemed to disappear.
"I realized nothing's really broken..." the corner of her lip twitched upward slightly. "Everything's perfectly fine. I'm not sure why I thought the New Year would be so scary, but..." she looked to him, her face softening. His did, too, her warm orbs melting into his own eyes.
11:58
"In you and I, Sora..." she murmured. "There's entirely new beginnings. New horizions. There are many worlds out there...but they share the same sky. The same destiny. I think the New Year's not going to be so bad, afterall..."
"I know what you mean..." he murmured back to her. "I just want to start a good New Year with you."
His sweet, hot breath was pounding against her lips as they leaned in towards each other, their eyelids slowly fluttering shut.
11:59
"Hey! Let's take a picture of the New Year!" Tidus shouted, as the others all cheered at his idea. He grabbed the camera from around Jade's neck, almost causing her to fall off the tree but Sora caught her with a soft smile.
"How'dya work this thing?" Tidus asked, obviously puzzled by the device as he examined the camera, looking for the timer.
"I think you press that button, ya," Wakka said, pointing to a dial with a button.
"No, it's that one!" Selphie sqeauled.
"No, Selphie that's the..." Kairi started.
"Guys! One minute to midnight! Figure it out!" Riku shouted amongst their quarells. Together they all quickly found the timer, and set it. Wakka, Selphie and Kairi quickly stacked up the soda cases, and the bowls the chips had been in, making a make-shift stand to put the camera on.
"Hurry, c'mon!" Riku yelled to them, as they all leapt into the picture.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
12:00
"Let's see it!" Selphie and Kairi cried in excitement, as everyone raced to the camera but Jade and Sora.
"That's a nice picture, ya," Wakka nodded.
"What a nice memory," Selphie grinned, as Kairi nodded in agreement.
"Hey, you two!" Tidus called to Jade and Sora, who were still on the paopu tree. "Don'tcha wanna see?"
"I'll show 'em," Riku said with a knowing smile, as he took the camera over to them and handed it to Jade.
"You never did show me any of the pictures," Sora said, as Jade put the camera upright.
"I don't think any of those were as good as this," she said with a sincere, and heart-warming smile as she handed it to Sora. His own warm smile appeared on his lips when he saw the picture.
Everyone had raced into the pictures, funny poses and faces on them as they shouted 'Happy New Year!', except for Jade and Sora.
Except for Jade and Sora who were sitting upon the paopu tree, sharing a sweet and simple New Year's Eve kiss.
"I don't know what I was so scared for," Jade whispered, leaning her head on Sora's shoulder.
"Me, neither," he replied, placing the camera beside him and resting his head gently on top of hers.
"Happy New Years, Sora."
"Happy New Years, Jade."
A/N: So, instead of another Christmas story... I decided I would write a Christmas story for Roxas and a New Years story for Sora! ^-^
Anyway, this actually took me quite a bit to finish. I started the small bit in the beginning last night around one o'clock, and finished the rest of it today. I'm happy with it...though I wish I could've explained the 'superstitions' a little better. I also wish I could've translated what I was trying to say better. Like what Jade said about the New Year. Especially the flashback with her mother, about the New Year and how her and Sora were so close... I had trouble trying to get that down. Haha. And I'm not very pleased with that part, but I am happy with this story. ^-^ But besides the flashback portion..everything Jade said about the New Year...are actually my real, true thoughts. It is a little scary when you think of it, but very exciting. So I guess you can say this is a bit of a deeper story, and a bit of a look into my mind, heart and sould. Haha. ;P
Hope you liked it! Review, please! ^-^