A/N: Sorry again for the delayed update (again, delayed for me…). My grandma finally passed away Sunday June, 10 after battling Alzheimer's for almost 8 years… So I have been busy with family stuff, funeral, and all that… BUT! I am back! …So on to Sora and Kairi…

Confessions

'Cause no matter how hard I try

I can't escape darkness inside, I know… I know…

When all the pieces fall apart

You will be the only one, I love… I love…

Love… Love? Did he just say love? Kairi's face stiffened and her mouth went dry as she pondered Sora's word replacement. She had heard this song many times, and was almost certain the true lyrics were 'the only one who knows… who knows…'

I Love… She felt nauseous as those two simple words spun around in her head in torrid circles, berating her thoughts and clouding her mind. What is that supposed to mean… I love… She suddenly could not stand the piercing sapphire eyes that were still boring holes in her skull as thoughts of her recent heartbreak and disappointment flooded the forefront of her mind... I. Don't. Love You. Those chilling words that he had spoken only a week ago still echoed in her ears and taunted her dreams at night.

In those quick seconds between I love… and You love me, but you don't… Kairi had made a decision. And that decision included getting Sora's voice out of her head and his eyes off of her mind… So she quickly stood up and whispered an apology in Yuffie's ear before darting towards the nearest balcony door.

As she pushed her way through the crowds of people, some recognized her as the girl that the guy on stage was singing to and they cooed and awed at her, asking her to 'give him a chance' and 'he's not that bad of a singer'… But she ignored their cries and as she neared the open doorway, she vaguely heard the screeching of the microphone and Sora shout.

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"Kairi! Wait!"

Sora jumped from the stage, his eyes carefully following the flash of auburn hair winding through the crowd of people gathered around the back of the bar. He barely saw her disappear out the last balcony door that was nearest the stage as he weaved through the mass of bodies, ignoring the pats on the back and 'go get her's coming from them.

When he finally made it to the door, he paused… Unsure of what he was going to say…

He was surprised to find the long narrow balcony completely empty. Dirty glasses littered the vacant tables, suggesting that their occupants had retreated indoors to enjoy the live entertainment. The night air was cool and crisp, and the cobblestone streets smelled of the rain that had washed through the town only hours before. A slight wind picked up the scent of the neighboring restaurants as the music inside wafted through the open sets of doors behind him. His heart skipped a beat when he found Kairi leaning over the railing at the far end of the balcony, her hair whipping about her head in the breeze, obscuring her face.

He gulped as he uneasily made his way over to where she was standing. He carefully leaned up against the railing beside her, his forearms resting on the railing and his fingers loosely entwined. For a few minutes he didn't say anything. Sora kept his eyes fixated in front of him, as did Kairi. Although, he stood close enough to her that the scent of hot food was easily replaced with coconut and vanilla as the wind picked up her hair in loose tendrils. The two just silently stared out over the dim outline of the city streets below them, the only sounds coming from the soft music playing inside.

Sora finally broke the silence… "You know… I used to come here, to this very balcony, when I couldn't sleep. I would sit here for hours and think about what my life used to be like. I wondered about you and Riku, if you guys were safe."

Kairi's stance remained unchanged and silent as Sora continued on softly, both their gazes still fixated on the city below them…

"I thought about you a lot… Every night in fact," he chuckled a little. "You were usually the reason I couldn't sleep! But ya' know…" Sora played with his hands nervously as he continued, "I would come here and think about your laugh, and your voice, and your smile… And it made it easier. Knowing that you were safe made me stronger and it made it easier to do what I knew I had to do. I knew that I could be the Keyblade Master as long as I knew that you were safe and one day I would see you again…"

Kairi sighed and swallowed against the lump in her throat as Sora slowly turned his head to look at her.

"Kairi… The thought of your smile was the only thing that kept me going during so many nights without you. I would sacrifice everything I have to keep you smiling…" He continued apologetically, his eyes briefly fell to his chest before returning to her obscured face behind a mass of crimson "…and I realize that I haven't done that lately. I know that I said some things that I shouldn't have said… and I've done some things that I shouldn't have done. But you have to understand that I did them only because I thought that it would keep you safe. And if keeping you safe meant sacrificing my happiness, then I was willing to do that…"

Sora slowly turned his body towards Kairi, and brushed a piece of stray hair flapping in the wind to tuck it behind her ear so that he could see her face. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her bottom lip as if trying to subdue unshed tears. His own eyes were dry, though sincere, as he gently turned her face towards his and held her cheek in his palm as she slowly opened her eyes...

"But Kairi… I was never willing to sacrifice your happiness. I want you to know that I lied to you when I said that I didn't love you… I'm sor-"

Kairi cut off his apology when she suddenly slung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. She didn't say anything, but Sora could feel the silent tears seeping through the thin fabric of his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He bent his head down, so that top of her head rested perfectly in the crook of his neck and his mouth was close enough to her ear that his breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine. He closed his eyes, and one tear slid down his cheek as he held her in his arms while three words nagged at the back of his throat… He had spent the past two years building up the courage to say the next few words that would most likely change his life forever… "I love you, Kairi" he whispered softly in her ear.

He felt Kairi's embrace around his neck tighten as she slowly lifted her face from his chest and met his gaze, "What did you say…" she whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking and her cerulean eyes bright with tears.

Sora smiled softly as he brought his hands from her waist to her face, "I said that I love you." He gently ran both thumbs under her eyes to wipe the tears from her cheeks, "I always have…" He leaned down closer to her as he held her face in between his thumbs, close enough that he could smell her cherry lip gloss, "And I always will…"

Time stood still as Kairi felt Sora's soft warm lips connect with hers in a way she had only dreamed about. She could no longer hear the soft music from inside the bar, smell the city streets surrounding them, or feel the cool breeze brushing her skin. All she could hear was the beating of her own heart, smell the sweet cologne on Sora's shirt, and feel the electric current that sparked from his touch as he kissed her.

As Kairi slowly pulled out of the kiss, the wind felt harsh on her bare lips as the world around them abruptly returned to life. "Sora… I..."

Sora's face flushed and his heart raced as Kairi struggled with words to respond. His knees felt weak, and his body intoxicated with the warmth of her lips.

"I don't know what to do…" she replied softly.

Sora felt his heart drop a little. Not exactly the response I was looking for… "Kai, what do you mean?"

She sighed as she pulled out of Sora's arms and leaned back up against the railing of the balcony, "It's just… I don't know if I can do this… Sora… I don't know if I can let myself get that vulnerable again…"

Sora nodded as he fought against the lump forming in his throat and the tears burning the backs of his eyes.

"I want to be with you, it's just that I don't think that my heart could take another heartbreak," she sobbed quietly as she buried her face in her hands. "I don't know what to do…"

"Kai… Please don't cry. I can't stand to see you cry anymore… Especially if it's because of me…" Sora slowly came up beside her and rubbed circles on her back soothingly as she cried softly into her palms. "What if…" he glanced around nervously, "…what if we just start all over again?"

She paused a second before lifting her face from her hands and wiping her cheeks, "What do you mean?"

"I mean… what if we just start out like we were… best friends." He replied with a smile, "I don't want to push you into anything that you aren't ready for, Kai. But I want you to know… that as long as there is blood in veins and breath in my lungs, I will never break your heart again." He replied sincerely as he met her gaze. "And you can consider that a promise."

"A promise?" Kairi repeated.

"A promise…" Sora finished with his classic cheesy smile and Kairi couldn't help but laugh.

"OK Sora…" she answered, knowing that Sora's promises were always kept.

"Friends?" Sora asked, still wearing his goofy grin as he stuck out his hand, waiting for a handshake.

Kairi smiled back, her eyes drying of the tears clouding her vision. "Friends," she answered as she grabbed his hand tightly.

"Come on…" Sora said as he threw an arm around Kairi's shoulder and steered her towards the door, "I think we're missing a birthday party inside…"

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A/N: Well… I know it was short, but I only wanted the balcony thing in this chapter…

So…what did ya think??? Actually, it really turned out completely different from how I had originally planned it… But I kind of like it: )

But yeah! Kairi finally knows how Sora really feels!! But… can she open up her heart to him again after he broke it?! And when will Sora tell Kairi about the Shadow??? Well… you'll just have to wait and see!!

Up in the next chapter… the gang gets ready to depart for a different world… with a new member added to the crew! Gasp! Who could it be???? Hehehe

PLEASE REVIEW!!! This chapter was REALLY hard to write….