Kairi took a long route home that afternoon, gliding down a road that ran south from the center of Dark City, following a tangle of shady streets lined with newer houses. She glided round and round, unwilling to make the final turn and head for the ridge. There was so much to think about. Why was Roxas doing this? Was he just feeling sorry for her? Did he want to be her friend? Did he want more than a friendship? But it wasn't these questions that kept her gliding. It was the luxury of remembering: how he had looked rising out of the water, a shimmer of drops spilling off him; how he had touched her, gently, so gently. At home, she'd have to listen to her father's story about the latest round of snobbery that he had encountered; he'd talk about the ups and downs of Sora's life as a third grader; he'd find a new way to say thanks for the things Aqua kept giving him, and walk on eggshells around Riku.
With all that going on, the moments of the afternoon would fade and be lost forever. In her mind, Kairi saw Roxas in slow motion, swimming in a circle around her. She remembered the way his hands had felt when he helped her float, the way he had slowly tilted her head back in the water. She trembled with pleasure, and a little fear. Angels don't let go of me! she prayed. This was something different from a crush. This was something that could flood out every other thought and feeling. Maybe I should back out now, Kairi thought, before I'm in over my head, before I get hurt. I'll call him tonight. But then she remembered how he had pulled her through the water, his face full of light and laughter.
Kairi didn't see the other glider coming. Lost in thought, responding only to what was directly in front of her, she didn't see the dark glider run the stop sign until the very last second. She slammed on her brakes. Both gliders squealed and spun around, and for moment they were side by side, lightly touching. Then they veered away from each other. Letting her breath out slowly, Kairi sat in the middle of the intersection. The other driver threw off his helmet. A stream of your-letter words came rushing at her. The shouting stopped suddenly. Kairi turned to look coolly at the driver. "Riku!" She took her helmet off. His skin was pale except for the scarlet that had crept up his cheeks.
He stared at her, then glanced around the intersection, looking surprised, as if he were just now recognizing where he was and what had happened. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Yes . . .yes. Are you?" "Well, I'm breathing again." "I'm sorry," he said. "I-I wasn't paying attention, I guess. And I didn't know it was you, Kairi." Though his anger had subsided, he was still looked upset. "That's okay," she said. "I was gliding in a daze, too." He looked at the wet towel around her shoulders. "What are you doing around here?" he wanted to know. She wondered if he would make the connection between the wet towel and swimming and Roxas. But she hadn't even told Olette or Selphie what she was doing. Besides, it wouldn't matter to Riku.
"I need to think about something. I know it sounds crazy, with all the space we have at the house, but I, well-" "Needed other space," he finished for her. "I know how that is. Are you heading home now?" "Yes." "Follow me." He gave her a brief, lopsided smile. "Behind me, you'll be safer." "You're sure you're okay?"she asked. His eyes still looked troubled. He nodded, then revved up his glider. When they arrive home, Aqua landed in the driveway after them. She greeted Kairi, then turned to Riku. "So how is your father?" Riku shrugged. "Same as always." "I'm glad you went to visit him today." "I gave him your good wishes and fondest reguards," Riku said, his face and voice dead-pan. Aqua nodded and stepped around a spilled box of colored chalk. She bent over to look at what had once been clean, white concrete at the edge of her driveway.
"Is anything new with him? Is there anything I should know about?" she asked. She was studying the chalk drawings done by Sora; she didn't catch the pause, didn't see the emotion on Riku's face that passed as fast as it came. But Kairi did. "Nothing new," he said to his mother. "Good." Kairi waited till the door closed behind Aqua. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked Riku. He spun around, as if he had forgotten that she was there. "Talk about what?" Kairi hesitated, then said, "You just told your mother that everything's fine with your dad. But from the look on your face, at the intersection and just now, when you were talking about him, I thought maybe . . ." Riku played with his keys. "You're right. Things aren't fine. There may be some trouble ahead." "With your father?" "I can't talk about it. Look, I appriciate your concern, but I can handle this myself. If you really want to help me, then don't say anything to anyone, alright? Don't even mention our little run-in. Promise me." His eyes held hers.
Kairi shrugged. "Promise," she said. "But if you change your mind, you know where to find me." "In the middle of an intersection," he said, giving her one of his wry smiles, then went inside. Before going in, Kairi stopped to study Sora's concrete masterpiece. She recognized the bright aqua of her water angel, and the strong snow white lines of Namine. After a moment, she identifed a few dragon, they were easy to spot; they usually looked as if they had swallowed a vat full of lighter fluid, and they always fought the angels. But what was that? A round head, with funny bits of blonde hair, and an orange stick coming out of each ear? The name was scrawled on the side. Roxas. Picking up a piece of black chalk, Kairi filled in two olive teeth. Now he looked like the guy who was kind enough to cheer up an eight-year-old having a very tough day. Kairi remembered the look on Roxas's face when she had yanked open the storeroom door. She threw back her head and laughed. Back out now? Who was she kidding?
Roxas was sure he had scared Kairi away that first day, but she came back, and from the second lesson on he was very careful. He barely touched her; he coached her like a professional; and he kept dating what's her name and that other girl. But it was getting more difficult for him each day, being alone with Kairi, standing so close to her, hoping for some sign that she wanted something other than lessons and friendship. "I think it's time, Cupcake," he said to the heartless after two frustrating weeks of lessons. "She's not interested, and I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to get Kairi to sign up at the gym." Cupcake purred. "Then I'm going to find myself a monastery with a swim team." The nest day he made a concious descision not to change into his bathing suit. He pocketed a brochure for the nearest gym, strode out of the pool office, then stopped.
Kairi wasn't there. She forgot, he thought, then he saw Kairi's towel and ponytail holder down by the deep end. "Kairi!" He ran to the edge of the pool and saw her in the twelve-foot section, lying all the way at the bottom, motionless. "Oh, my God!" He dove straight off to the side, pulling, pulling through the water to get to her. He yanked her up to the surface and swam for the pool's edge. It was difficult; she had come to and was struggling with him. His clothes were an extra, dragging weight. He heaved Kairi up on the side of the pool and sprang up beside her. "What in the world-?" he asked. She wasnt' coughing, wasn't sputtering, wasn't out of breath. She was just staring at him, at his soaked shirt, his clinging jeans, his sagging socks. Roxas stared back, then threw his waterlogged shoes as far as he could, down several rows of bleachers.
"What were you doing?" "What were you doing?" She opened her hand to show him a shiny piece of Munny. "Diving for this." Anger surged through him. "The first rule of swimming, Kairi, is never, never swim alone!" "But I had to do it, Roxas! I had to see if I could face my nightmare without you, without my-my lifeguard close by. And I could, I did it." she said, a dazzling smile breaking over her face. Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders. Her eyes were smiling into his, the color of a crystal blue sea in the brilliant sunlight. Then she blinked. "Is that what you were doing-being a lifeguard, being a hero?" "No, Kairi," he said quietly, and stood up. "I was proving once again that I'm a hero to everyone but you." "Wait a minute," she said, but he started to walk away.
"Wait a minute!" He didn't get far, not with the weight of her hanging on to one leg. "I said wait." He tried to pull away, but she had him firmly anchored. "Is that what you want, for me to say you're a hero?" He grimaced. "I guess not. I guess I thought it would get me what I want. But it didn't." "Well what do you want?" she asked. You, he thought. Was there any point in telling her now? "To change into some dry clothes," he said. "I've got some sweats in my locker." "Okay." She released his leg. But before he could move away, she caught his hand. She held it in both of her hands for a moment, then lightly kissed the tips of his fingers. She peeked up at him, gave a little shrug, then let go. But now it was he who held on, twining his fingers in hers. After a moment of hesitation, she rested her head againt his hand. Could she feel it-the way just her slightest touch made him heat up? He knelt down. Taking her other hand is his, he kissed her fingertips, then he laid his cheek in her palm.
She lifted up his face. "Kairi," he said. The word was like a kiss. "Kairi." The word became a kiss.