A/N: Next chapter! I'm uploading two tonight. Sooo, thank me? Lol, just kidding. You don't have to thank me. Haha.
Lies Bring Us Closer
Chapter 4: Wading
Since both Roxas and Kairi enjoyed their first friend date, they decided to go on even more. They spent nearly every free weekend together. Most of the week Roxas was busy at the hospital and Kairi had things to do at her day job. Surprisingly, she wasn't fired for her random surge of irrationality. She thanked Selphie for covering for her. Though, she never explained to Selphie what happened that day. She didn't want to think about it.
She found that she was smiling more. Everyone around her seemed to notice as well. Selphie was always pestering her about the person that was making her smile so much. Roxas would tease her about it. This was mostly because she always claimed she was an unhappy person. Unhappy people don't smile, is what he'd always say. She didn't care, though. Roxas smiled more often as well.
Kairi felt as if their friendship was just meant to happen. She felt she could be herself around him. She felt like he understood her more than anyone she had met before. With the exception of Sora, of course. It was almost like Roxas was filling the hole in her heart.
Tonight, Roxas invited her over to his apartment. He said he wanted her to try this recipe he was working on. Roxas had always claimed he was a good cook; so naturally, Kairi couldn't wait to try whatever he was making. She also was flattered that he trusted her enough to have her over at his apartment again. The last time she was there was because she nearly drowned. Now, it was so they could spend some quality time together. There was a difference.
She knocked on his front door and patiently waked for him to answer. Kairi had her flaming hair in a ponytail; it swayed around whenever she walked because her hair was so long. She was dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a blue and white striped tank. Her shirt had a hood attached that was also striped with the same colors. She only put on a pair of brown flip flops because she was just going across the way. Roxas had advised her to dress casually so she didn't put much effort into what she was wearing. Finally, he opened the door.
She could see the ingredients of whatever he was making smeared on his cheeks and white apron. She stifled a giggle. It was a strange sight to see. She never thought Roxas was an apron kind of guy. Still, it added to his charm.
He smiled at her. "Sorry, I kind of look like a mess. But come on in. You can watch some tv while I get cleaned up," Roxas suggested. He stepped to the side so Kairi could enter.
She slipped off her shoes and wandered further into the apartment. The last time she was here she hadn't bothered to really take in her surroundings. The entranceway immediately led to the living room. He had a simple, brown loveseat in front of the television stand. There was a matching carpet and a coffee table in-between the two. On the television stand, Roxas had set up some pictures of himself and other people. She couldn't help but study these.
The first picture was of Roxas and some red-headed guy. The strange man seemed to be wearing makeup and he had a keg in his hand. Roxas looked unsure of his surroundings and a little nervous. She thought it was cute. The next picture was just of Roxas standing in front of Disney Castle. She had always wished to go there; she couldn't help but be a little jealous. The next picture was of Roxas and a large group of people. He was the shortest of the group. They were all wearing black cloaks. The people around him seemed positively eccentric. One man that wore an eye patch and had his gray hair in a ponytail was giving Roxas's bunny ears. The same red-headed guy from before had his hand on Roxas's shoulder. Beside Roxas was a blonde guy with a Mohawk-looking style of hair. He was wincing in fear of the angry-looking blue-haired man beside him. She thought it was a funny picture. The last picture was of Roxas and a raven-haired girl. She kind of reminded Kairi of herself. They looked happy. Roxas even had his arms around her.
'Was this the person Roxas was talking about that night?' Kairi thought. She stared at the image curiously. She couldn't deny that Roxas had a great taste in women. The girl looked like she was amazing. Her smile was absolutely gorgeous.
"That's Xion."
Kairi turned to see a newly-cleaned Roxas. He had a serious look on his face. She knew she'd hit the nail on the head. Xion was his Sora. "Was she the one you loved?" Kairi asked quietly. She didn't want to bring up any bad memories, but she couldn't help her curiosity.
"Yes, I loved her. She passed away a couple of years ago, though. She and my best friend, Axel, got into a car crash," Roxas explained, "It was the night before our college graduation."
Kairi frowned. She felt terrible for asking now. She could see the pain in his eyes and the stiffness of his features. "I'm sorry, Roxas," she apologized sadly.
He shook his head and gave her a weak smile. "No, it's all right. I've come to terms with it. Besides, I'm not alone anymore. I have you," he answered. His tone and mood didn't seem to change, but she could tell he was making an effort at not being sad.
She walked away from the television stand and took a seat on the couch. "Well, since you told me that. I guess I can tell you about Sora," Kairi said as she stared at Roxas's ceiling. She hardly noticed that he had taken a seat beside her. "He was my best friend since we were young. We spent all our time together as kids and even teenagers. But, when it came time to apply for college and what not he decided that he was going to leave Destiny Islands. I wanted to go with him, but I didn't have the munny to do so. So, he promised to come back once he got his degree. He wanted to be a doctor, just like you. He said he'd come and intern at the Destiny Islands Hospital so we could be together again. I was so deeply in love with him, and before he left he said he loved me too. So I waited, but when the time came for his return he was nowhere to be found. He didn't respond to any of my emails or calls. So, I became hopeless. And a month ago, when he finally did contact me, it was only to break my heart," Kairi explained.
Roxas wore a frown. It almost seemed like he was angry. Kairi didn't know if she had said something to upset him, but she decided it was better to just leave her story as is. If he wanted to know more, he could ask. "I'm sorry, Kairi," he finally uttered.
She shook her head. "No, it's all right. Soon I'll come to terms with it. Besides, just like you, I don't have to be lonely anymore," she answered bravely. One day she would convince herself that she didn't need Sora, one day. She let out a deep sigh and then smiled at the blonde man. He looked as if he was deep in thought. Kairi thought she would spare him the waste of time. There was no use thinking about Sora. "So, what's for dinner?" she asked.
"Oh, hope you like sloppy joes," Roxas answered with a small smile, "I tweaked the recipe a bit. It's really messy."
"How'd you know that was my favorite food? I don't recall telling you that before," Kairi murmured curiously.
He quickly interrupted her recollection of the times they'd spent together. "Just a lucky guess. Let's go eat," he suggested as he stood up. Kairi nodded and followed him to the kitchen table. It was a simple, plywood table. It suited his simple apartment.
She took a seat and watched as Roxas began making the plates. She enjoyed watching him. For some reason, his image just comforted her. It was a feeling she didn't think she'd have for a long time. Even though her heart was broken, Roxas seemed to always find a way of making her feel better.
Their dinner together was quieter than the usual. Kairi couldn't help but be surprised by the fact they were barely saying anything. She wondered if she had done something to upset him. She thought maybe he was still thinking about Xion and Axel. Or perhaps, he was thinking about her situation. She didn't know and she was scared to ask him. She quickly finished her sloppy joe and quietly complimented his recipe. She didn't know what else to do. 'Perhaps he just needs some alone time,' she thought.
"Well, thanks for the dinner, Roxas," Kairi announced with a smile, "But I think I'm going to go home now."
"Don't," Roxas lingered. She stared at him with curious eyes. She felt frozen. Why wouldn't Roxas want her to leave? He didn't bother to raise his gaze; he continued staring down at his empty plate. It was as if he was hiding his expression on purpose. Kairi didn't understand. "I need you to stay with me," he continued desperately. The tone of his voice called to her. She couldn't resist him.
She quickly scooted her chair closer to Roxas's. She leaned against the table slightly; she was trying to catch a glimpse of Roxas's face. "Roxas?" she called curiously. Before she knew it, Roxas raised his head and pressed his lips against hers. Kairi's eyes were wide and surprised as Roxas gently grabbed her face and pulled her closer to him. She could feel the warmth of his lips seeping into her. Slowly, her mind began to fog over and her eyes dropped shut. She wrapped her arms around Roxas's torso and moved closer.
This was what she needed: love. She knew it was happening fast and she knew she wasn't fully ready to give her heart away again. Still, she couldn't deny that Roxas was slowly seeping into her heart. She wanted to kiss him. She'd never felt that way for anyone besides Sora. Something had to be right about this. Something had to be. So, she let their kiss continue. She let it continue and develop into a full-blown make-out session.
They kissed with such eagerness and despair. She almost felt as if she was convincing herself that Roxas was Sora. What further scared her, was that, she thought Roxas might be imagining her as Xion. But she wouldn't let herself stop and ask. She was too afraid of having this wonderful feeling disappear. For so many years her heart had been aching. Right now, it felt full. She felt loved and accepted. Unfortunately, it had to stop. Roxas pulled away. The emptiness quickly returned to her and she couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed.
"Kairi," he whispered through his quickened breaths, "Move in with me."
She didn't hesitate to answer, "Okay."
Before she could react any further, Roxas pulled her into a tight embrace. "I know you think this is moving fast, but I can't deny my feelings anymore. I love you and I have for such a long time. In college, I saw you so often, but you never noticed me. Now, you'll actually spend time with me. You know that I exist. If I didn't ask to be with you I'd be denying myself happiness for the first time in years," he explained desperately, "I don't want to be alone anymore, Kairi."
"But what about Xion?" Kairi asked worriedly, "I thought you loved her."
"I did love her. But she's no longer here. I can't live in the past. I can be with you now, and though I loved Xion, I love you too," Roxas answered seriously.
She paused. She wasn't sure she was ready to love Roxas. She couldn't move on so quickly. Even though her heart wanted to move on to Roxas, it couldn't move so quickly. "I'm not ready to tell you I love you," Kairi answered quietly, "Not today, but maybe one day. Please understand me, I want to love you, but I can't just yet."
To her surprise, he nodded. "I understand, Kairi," he answered gently. He caressed her cheek and smiled at her. "You can have all the time you need," he added sweetly.
This had to be a dream. There was no way someone as sweet as Roxas could exist. Kairi smiled and felt her eyes becoming watery. She was so overwhelmed by her feelings; she didn't know how to feel anymore. So she cried. She grabbed onto Roxas's white t-shirt and cried. He only held her tighter and let her cry for as long as she wanted. This had to be a dream.