A/N: Four words: I HATE BEING SICK. This last summer, for the most part, sucked. I got sick for 2 week periods TWICE, and once was during family vacation. STUPID WRITER'S BLOCK will also not leave me!!! I hate it so much! With the busy pace of work and the horrible sickness I caught to go along with that, I have failed to please my fans. I am sincerely sorry for continuing the story so late. With student teaching already started as well, I still have not continued up until this point. I hope you all can accept my apology and continue to have fun reading.
Anyways, this chapter title is pretty self-explanatory...just read to find out. ENJOY!
Feedback from third chapter comments:
Death Rebirth Senshi- I am glad you like the suspense! Enjoy this chapter!
xXxSmidgexXx- Sorry for the update lateness. I hope you will continue to read my story.
xxlottexx-You will find out why he had to in this chapter. WINK WINK
Kisdota-The Freak Gamer- Oh, there will be more SxK moments to come, believe me!
NOBODIES BECOME SOMEBODIES
Chapter Four: Warnings and Affections
After walking out of the cave, Sora and Kairi saw that Riku wasn't alone. Their faithful trio of friends, Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie, were walking around with him.
"We're over here!" Kairi shouted to them.
"It's about time we found you two!" Selphie crossed her arms, "I didn't wake up this early for nothing!"
Kairi laughed. Her and Sora went over to where they all stood.
Sora then took Riku to the side and whispered, "What's your deal?"
"Huh?"
"Why did you come get us so soon if you knew that-"
"Sorry. I couldn't stall any longer," Riku admitted, "I was done with the sail fast, and I was going to wait more. Then, they came along wondering where you guys had gone."
"Oh...I see," Sora took a very deep sigh of disappointment.
"It's okay," Riku assured him, "It will all work out."
"Sure. I guess."
"So, are you all ready to go?" Tidus asked.
"Yep!" Kairi answered, "So, why did you all come here anyway?"
Wakka added, "Well, we didn't want last night to be our last goodbye. We all decided to meet up with you for when you sailed off."
"We'll miss you three so much!" Selphie squeezed Kairi tightly, "I'm going to be stuck with the boys! How will I last so long without another girl around?"
"You'll survive," Kairi reassured her, "Just find some of our other classmates in town."
"But they aren't my best friends like you are!"
After everyone had said their farewells, and Kairi, Riku, and Sora were getting on the raft, Tidus asked them, "So...when will you come back?"
"We're not sure," said Riku, "But, we will come back sometime. Don't worry."
"That better be a promise!" Wakka stated.
"Definitely!" Sora answered.
"You three stay out of trouble!" Selphie teased.
"Sure thing, Selphie," Kairi added in a tone of sarcasm.
The raft had set sail and they began to slowly drift away from the island as they watched their friends wave in the distance.
Sora couldn't believe it...They were actually leaving! He felt relief. He looked forward to the unknown future ahead of them.
However, his gleeful emotions began to sink in an instant. After glancing back at the island once again, he saw something that startled him. For a split second, he could've sworn he saw the island crumbled in pieces and the morning sky become pitch black. Then, it faded back to normal.
"What!" he moved to the edge of the floating vessel to get a better look.
Nothing...just the same...
"Sora? What's wrong?" Riku was concerned.
Could I have imagined it all? Sora was so confused. It looked just like that night...Why did it seem like-
"Earth to Sora!" Riku waved his hand in front of Sora's face.
"Oh!" Sora looked at his two friends, "Sorry, I just thought I saw something. I'm fine," he lied.
"Okay...if you're sure," Kairi turned back around to look up ahead, her legs dangling over the side of the raft.
What am I worrying about? Sora tried to convince himself, It...wasn't really changed...was it?
xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx
Donald Duck wandered around the green, shrub covered yard of the Disney Castle. It was very quiet...and a bit too quiet and peaceful for his liking.
Life had been so boring for him and Goofy after they had to say goodbye to their best friend and companion. He had hoped the king would find a way for them to visit Sora at one point, but it had been taking too long to figure out. He was beginning to think he would never get to see Sora ever again.
The silence of the outside was broken when he heard snoring behind a sculpted bush.
He sighed, That's Goofy, alright.
Donald didn't have the slightest inkling to get him up, though, since there wasn't really any reason to wake him at the moment.
Whoosh!
The sound behind Donald sounded awkwardly familiar. It can't be...that should all be over with...
He slightly gulped and slowly turned around to face-
...nothing.
Nothing was there at all.
"What!" He rubbed his eyes and looked again. "I must be hearing things."
Donald shook it off and began walking to the center of the garden to the gummi garage entrance. He wanted to check up on Chip and Dale's latest modifications.
Just as he was about to reach for the door, he heard the same sound again.
Just ignore it. Just ignore it...he closed his eyes as he murmured to himself.
Then, he heard the noise at least twenty times all in sync. His opened his eyes reluctantly. They grew wide when he realized he was surrounded by heartless.
"WAK! GOOFY, WAKE UP! WE HAVE TROUBLE!"
He summoned his staff and fire flew straight toward the creatures.
"Phew! That was easy...Wait a second."
The heartless reappeared as if nothing happened.
"Watch out, Donald!"
King Mickey came out of nowhere and began to fight heartless with his keyblade.
"Your Majesty!" Donald was worried, "What's going on?"
"I don't know how all this started, but these are not the same enemies we have faced before."
Donald was thoroughly confused, "What are you saying?"
"I agree with Donald!" Goofy ran toward them, bashing the black shadows out of the way with his shield. He now stood in front of them. "They all look like the same heartless we have fought before."
"Sure, they look the same, but they don't go away after they are hit. Apparently, they can't even feel our attacks." The king was also not sure what danger they were facing. "Even so, when one of them attacked me I could feel the hit. So, they aren't completely illusions."
"What do we do then?"
"We need to find a way out of here, Donald. Maybe the worlds are accessible again."
"What about Queen Minnie and Daisy?" Goofy wondered.
"They are safe in the basement chamber with the Cornerstone of Light. No harm can come to them as long as they stay there. I told them we would come right back from our destination."
"But, where will that be?" Donald asked.
"We need help, so you know where we must go."
xxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxx
"So, what do we have so far?"
"Well, Riku," Sora brought up his fishing line from the water, "We've caught a total of..."
"EIGHT!" Kairi slammed the bucket filled with fish in front of him with glee.
"Wow," Riku was surprised, "You could've stopped a long time ago. We just need enough for tonight."
"Yeah, but you know how Sora gets. He can't stop at just one," Kairi laughed.
So, that evening, they set up their little fire in the middle of the raft, cooking their scrumptious dinner.
"It's a good thing we brought a suitable container for lighting the tinder for our fire. We don't want our raft burning up." Sora added jokingly.
That made Kairi laugh again, "Yeah, could you imagine? We'd be gonners!"
Riku sighed with a smirk on his face, That's so much like them to laugh at things like that. They sure are perfect for each other, aren't they?
After a hearty meal of cooked fish and Kairi's cookies (that her mom made), the three of them lay on their backs, gazing at the sky. The campfire was still ablaze.
"This has been pretty relaxing, hasn't it?" Riku brought up.
"Of course," Kairi agreed.
Sora sat up suddenly, looking across the ocean at the blazing sunset.
"Sora?" Riku sat up as well.
Sora didn't answer.
"You've been acting strange ever since we left. Are you sure everything is alright?"
Sora turned to look at him, "I've just...been doing a lot of thinking lately." He turned back around, his head resting on his upturned knees.
"Trust me, Riku," Kairi stated, "Sora's fine. He's just in his own little world at the moment. Isn't that right, Sora?"
"Sure," Sora didn't turn around this time.
"Well, if you say so," Riku yawned and lay down once again. "You know, I think I'm ready for some sleep." He turned over, facing the opposite direction of the two friends, "See you at dawn."
Kairi smiled, "Okay. Goodnight then."
Sora and Kairi just stayed where they were for a long time, not saying a word. Sora was still thinking of what he saw back at the island, while Kairi was just admiring the view.
The silence was broken when the sound of Riku's snoring filled their ears.
It started with a quick chuckle, and then another...and another...until both of them were bursting out in perpetual laughter.
They couldn't stop until they realized they had laughed so much that tears were coming out of their eyes.
Kairi stood up in the midst of holding her stomach from the pain of laughing so hard. "I'm not trying to purposely laugh at Riku but...but, it's just too funny," she giggled a little more, unable to contain herself.
"I know," Sora agreed, "It's hard to stop."
Kairi now walked over to her friend and sat next to him.
"Sora, it's been ages since we've been able to laugh like this, huh?"
"Yeah, it has. I can't remember the last time I did this."
"Well, I remember perfectly!" Kairi held her pointer finger up to her head. "It was only a few days before we started building our first raft those few years ago. Us three were walking along the beach and you somehow tripped and fell right into the water! You were soaked from head to toe!"
"Oh, right," Sora rubbed his head, turning away, "That's why I didn't want to remember."
"But, I couldn't help it! You looked so goofy with your hair all flat from being wet. It almost covered your entire face!"
"It was not funny! It was embarrassing!" Sora protested, now looking her straight in the eye.
Kairi grinned, "You're so cute when your mad!"
"Uh!" Sora was taken aback as his face began to turn beet red at her sudden statement.
Kairi had to laugh once again because of his reaction. After she stopped, she looked up at the stars.
"Oh," she was a little shocked, "I guess I didn't realize it was already nighttime."
"Are you tired at all? Maybe we should get our rest as well." Sora almost stood to get a pillow when-
"Wait. I want to stay up just a little longer. The sky is...so beautiful tonight."
"Okay. If you want to." Sora couldn't say no...just like last time.
Another few minutes passed by before he looked over at Kairi.
"Hey, Kai..." he noticed she was shivering a little.
"Yes?"
"Aren't you cold?"
"Oh, no, I'm okay. It's only a little chilly, that's all."
"C'mon, you don't have to lie like that. Here, I'll get something." Sora walked over to their supplies and pulled out a thick blanket.
He went back over to Kairi and draped it around her shoulders. He sat down next to her again.
"Is that better?"
"Yeah. A little bit." she still wasn't as comfortable as she would have liked.
Sora, building up some courage, started to move nearer to her. When he felt he was close enough to keep Kairi warm, he wrapped his arms around her form and pulled her close into his embrace. As he rested his head on top of hers, he asked, "How about that?"
Kairi felt herself beginning to blush from being so close to him. She simply replied, "Thanks."
Sora smiled, "Sure thing." His nerves were beginning to fade. He guessed it was because he was starting to get used to being around Kairi more often...and because he was almost able to confess how he felt about her back at the island.
"Thank you," Kairi repeated.
Sora chuckled under his breath, "You already said that."
"No...I mean it." she pulled back just enough to be able to look at him."Sora..."
She did it again. Every time she said his name he felt a strange knot form in his stomach.
Sora looked down, gazing at her beautiful facial features.
She spoke again.
"Thanks for always being there...for me."
Kairi smiled that gorgeous smile of hers, and Sora could think of only one word to describe it.
Stunning.
The two stared at each other for a little longer. Sora was having such a hard time holding himself back from showing Kairi how much he loved her.
His body started moved on it's own as he bent down to place a short, sweet kiss on Kairi's forehead.
Kairi wasn't the only one surprised. Sora's mind was racing so fast. This was NOT normal for the two of them. It seemed so awkward, yet at the same time so...
...right.
As he pulled back for their eyes to meet another time, one of his hands moved up to gently stroke her cheek.
"Kairi, I..."
He didn't know what to say next. Her beauty always made it difficult for him to form the right words.
Kairi's heart was thumping so hard that it felt like it was about to burst. She wanted to say something, too, but she couldn't speak, and she didn't know why.
The next thing Sora said made her tremble, but not from the cold.
"Would it be okay if...if I kissed you, Kairi?"
Kairi's eyes grew wide. She didn't think he would ask so soon. Sure, she wanted it to happen, but...was she ready?
Sora grew anxious with each passing second of no response. Was this the wrong time to ask her?
Kairi made her decision. She knew her emotions for the boy next to her were genuine. Was this love? Maybe.
She wanted to find out.
Sora saw Kairi give him a small nod. "Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded again, "Yes..."
The look of longing on Kairi's face made Sora's hesitation to act cease.
As he leaned in, Kairi tilted her head on instinct, closing her eyes in anticipation.
Sora paused for a few seconds when they were millimeters away, just to hold on to the moment. They both savored the feeling of each other's breath on their skin.
Sora's eyelids then fluttered shut as he closed the gap for their lips to meet. Kairi melted at his touch, unable to move. She didn't know what to think of it. Only that it was the most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced.
When she was finally able to focus, Kairi kissed him back, wanting to show him that she felt the same way.
Realizing that Kairi was now pressing her lips to his made Sora feel light headed and dizzy. Was this actually happening? It all seemed like a crazy dream...
...a wonderful, breathtaking dream.
He moved his arm, currently around Kairi's shoulders, farther down so it wrapped around her waist, trying to pull her as close to him as possible. Kairi responded by placing her arms around Sora's neck.
They broke apart only for an instant, to catch their breath, and then they kissed again. This time they weren't simply pressing lips together, but slowly moving in time against each other. With each passing moment the kiss grew more passionate. Sora's head moved from side to side, changing their position every now and then.
They both couldn't stop their actions. Their emotions were taking over. They had both kept their feelings for each other bottled up for so long. Now that the moment had come, they didn't want it to end.
But it had to.
They reluctantly pulled apart, breathing heavily.
"Wow..." was all Kairi could say at that point.
Sora's other hand moved from her cheek, and it now ran through her hair.
"Kairi...you're the world to me."
He wasn't lying, as cheesy as the phrase sounded.
"Never forget that."
Kairi replied, "You know I won't." She turned around and leaned against him with content.
"Good night...Sora."
Sora smiled as his arms wrapped around her figure once more, sleep almost taking them.
"Goodnight."
A/N: I hope this chapter was worth the wait for all of you! Please be patient for the next one, though I know for a fact you won't have to wait as long as last time. Ta ta for now everyone! PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS!