Likewise: Sora's View
"If I did anything right in my life, it was when I gave my heart to you"
...
"Just a little bit more..."
I stretched my arm as far as it could reach before finally, I managed to grasp the fruit in my hand. I tugged it and managed to dislodge it from the tree. Once I had a firm grip, I hopped off of it and sighed in relief.
"Okay Sora...gotta make sure that you say everything on your mind,"
It was so difficult to keep calm; I admittedly lied about all the chores I had to do. In fact, I did them all within a few minutes of getting home. What all my time was spent doing...was thinking about everything I was going to say to her.
She was all that was on my mind ever since the day I came back here...and saw that she finished the drawing. The drawing of us sharing a Papou Fruit. I constantly tried to tell myself that it was only friendship...but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really care for Kairi. More so than anyone else around. I had wanted to spend some time with her, just the two of us since we got back after The World That Never Was but once Master Yen Sid decided she needed to be trained, that time became almost impossible to find. For all I knew, this could be the very last night that we got to spend alone.
"Better make the most of it...better head over there now; she's probably there waiting for me,"
I made my way over to the crawlspace and made my way through, anxiety beginning to weigh down on my nerves. I had no idea how she was going to react, but the fact that she filled in the drawing with her half...gave me a good feeling that she would at least listen to what I had to say.
That was probably the thing I loved most about Kairi: she was always there for me. If I got a cut, she was there to apply the band-aid. If I was feeling down, she would cheer me up. If I was feeling discouraged, she would give me a pep talk and make me believe in myself. And she always did it with her gentle smile.
"Better calm down...or I probably won't get through even half my speech,"
I made it to the end of the crawlspace.
"Kairi?" I called out.
I saw a blue skirt as I got to my feet, but some dust falling from the ceiling got to my nose, causing me to sneeze. The sound of her giggle indicated that she was fully aware that I was here.
"Took you long enough you lazy bum," she teased.
"Sorry about that, doing all that stuff took longer than I thought," I replied.
I then began to look around, feeling a nostalgia not so different than when I came here after returning home. I smiled absent-mindedly.
"Sure brings back memories doesn't it?" I asked.
"Sure does!" she replied in her joyful tone.
I crouched down and began to run my hands along the drawings, laughing softly to myself. Though I was genuinely nervous, I tried to use the drawings as an outlet for my anxiety. She joined in on the fun as she started to comment on each of our pictures. This continued for several minutes as we went over just about every inch of the wall, each drawing having a hearty laugh or an embarrassing memory. Though she knew that I called her here for a purpose, she didn't seem to mind just having fun; it wasn't often that she got the chance to do so. Upon reaching a particular drawing however, my heart rate immediately doubled. I was thankful that I was looking straight at the drawing, else she might've noticed some of the color leave my face.
"...Gotta stay calm,"
My breathing unconsciously quickened and I tried to shake my head free of the coming emotions. All I had to do was tell her what was on my mind and she wasn't going to turn me away for any reason.
"What's wrong Sora?"
She clearly noticed that I was barely able to maintain my composure. I took a breath before sitting next to the drawing and patting the floor next to me. She joined me, though her eyes didn't leave mine for even a moment. It was genuine worry and I knew that she wouldn't leave this place unless she knew I was alright.
"It's...really hard to put it into words," I said.
I broke eye contact with her for a brief moment to catch my breath.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately...about this coming war and everything that happened in the last year," I began.
"Come on Sora...you've fought against a thousand Heartless, dueled several members of Organization XIII and faced the darkness...you can do this,"
"The one thing I keep coming back to...is you Kairi," I said.
I placed my hand on the drawing, particularly over the special part that I knew she filled in.
"I didn't tell you...but the first place I went when we got back was here," I said.
I kept my focus on the drawing in an effort to use it to channel my anxiety.
"...I couldn't believe that you came back here and filled it in," I said with a soft laugh.
Feeling a little calmer, I turned back to face her with a grateful smile.
"You're the only reason I was able to get this far...whenever I felt that all hope was lost, your voice kept me going," I said.
I glanced at her face briefly...to see that she was blushing profusely. She didn't seem to notice my gaze, so I reached for one of her hands and held it lovingly. It was a bold move, but I felt like I needed to let her know it all in as clear a way as I possibly could.
"I was horrified when I saw you that day in Hollow Bastion...and when I had the choice of giving up everything to save your life, I did it without a second thought...because you mean the world to me Kairi," I said.
The memories came rushing back to me as I recalled the day when I had to fight Riku to protect her heart. If I had lost that fight, neither of us would be here right now but more importantly to me, she would've been stuck in that empty state. That was the moment when I knew that I was going to make the sacrifice to bring her back. It didn't matter what happened to me because at the end of the day, she was the most important person to me and if one isn't willing to risk it all to protect that person, one couldn't truly call themselves a close friend.
"Nothing compared to the happiness I felt that day when I saw you again in The World That Never Was...that you were alright and more importantly, that nothing changed between us; we were still friends,"
I kept going off of the momentum my words were putting me on, feeling less and less afraid and more and more passionate. I looked away for a brief moment, to try and calm my racing heart before turning back to her.
"Ever since Riku and I got back, I've wanted to spend more time with you because I missed you so much...it was the hardest year I've ever had to endure but then all of this started happening,"
I used my free hand to gesture to the air.
"And now that we could be called at any time...I felt terrified that I'd never get the chance to say what I've always wanted to say to you Kairi," he said.
My eyes broke away, looking towards the ground as I readied myself.
"This is the moment...you've gotta say it Sora,"
Though it was only a two second pause, it felt like days as my brain tried to figure out the words to say to her because now, I was positive of my feelings.
"...I love Kairi,"
"What's that Sora?" she asked.
Her tone was gentle and her other hand enveloped mine, as if she were encouraging me to say what I had to say. I shut my eyes tightly and took a sharp breath.
"That I love you,"
I didn't pause, I didn't struggle nor did I hesitate. I managed to say the three words that I've always wanted to say to her, though my heart continued to have a flood of emotions run through it, like a river with the most intense current.
"I was always watching you since we were kids...I wanted to make you smile and I didn't ever want to see you frown," I continued.
I heard her gasp softly and for some reason, I felt tears start to stream out of my closed eyes.
"Why am I crying..."
Gathering more courage, I continued my speech.
"And after all this time, now I'm sure...I really do love you Kairi; you're everything to me...and I would do anything to protect you,"
I took a breath and tried to speak again but I was silenced by a finger. My eyes flew open to reveal the most genuine smile I had ever seen grace her face. That...was the face I had grown to love. The face that lit the way whenever I was struggling in the darkness. The face...of the girl I loved.
"You don't have to say anymore...because when I finished that drawing...I knew my feelings too,"
I couldn't believe my ears as I instinctively backed up until I reached the wall. It was then that I realized just how close she was to me. Maybe she ended up leaning closer during what I was saying. Once I saw her lean towards me, I finally managed to grab hold of my erratic heart and face her. Her eyes began to narrow.
"I never stopped thinking about you...even when I thought I had forgotten you, you found yourself right back where you belong...in my heart,"
Those three words...meant the world to me. Even after that long year, of no word or promise that I would come back, she kept me in her thoughts. Kept me in her heart...and that was likely the only reason that we were here today. If she didn't hold me so dear to her, we couldn't have reached this very moment.
She took one of my hands and placed it over her chest.
"...You feel that?"
I felt her racing heart and I smiled inwardly to myself before nodding.
"Every day you were gone...it felt like it wasn't beating," she said.
I narrowed my eyes, feeling guilt begin to swell within my heart. I had kept her waiting so long that even though I came back, I felt as if I didn't fulfill it. I couldn't imagine the pain and suffering she went through while Riku and I were gone, or the feeling of helplessness when she was powerless to help us. I closed my eyes, still feeling tears run down my cheeks.
"But when I saw you again that day...when I hugged you and said that it was real...that was the moment I truly knew that I wanted to be with you,"
She moved nearer to me and gave me a smile.
"You didn't break your promise to me...you came home just as you said you would and for that...you've made me the happiest girl in the world,"
She gently wiped the remnants of the tears from my cheeks.
"I love you too Sora,"
My eyes widened even more and once her lips touched mine, my heart skipped a beat. The contact was warm, a great contrast to the cold night's air. It took me a few seconds, but I was finally able to bring myself to kiss back. My hands released hers as one went to her left cheek and the other gently grasped her right arm. She responded by leaning a little closer, ensuring that our bodies were connected, just as our hearts have been for all this time. After several seconds, I broke away from her, smiling and blushing brightly.
"Now's the time..."
I reached into my pocket, before pulling out a Paopu Fruit I picked only moments earlier. Kairi blushed profusely, but didn't shy away from the gesture.
"...Share this with me?" I asked.
"Of course I will,"
I broke the fruit in half before handing her a piece. Once I did however, she didn't place it in her mouth, instead, she brought it towards mine. I gratefully brought the piece in my hand to her mouth and after a non-verbal count of 3, we gently placed each piece of the fruit into our mouths. The fruit was distinctly sweet, but I believed it was even more so because of the fact that I was sharing it with Kairi. After several more pieces, the fruit was finished.
"...I guess we're intertwined forever," I said.
It was a corny line in retrospect, but Riku's words resonated once again in my mind. I looked back to her and barely time to react before she kissed me again. After several more seconds of pure warmth, Kairi broke away before giving me a smile.
"Even if we didn't share it...you already know that I'm always with you," she said.
I noticed that her face had shifted to a passionate one, her eyes further cementing the fact that she meant every single word. She smiled and before leaning her forehead against mine and placing a hand on my chest. I responded by gently cupping her cheek and nodding.
"Likewise,"
