A/N: Just another chapter before I have to slow down for a while. Hope you enjoy it! Tell me what you think!

Lies Bring Us Closer

Chapter 7: Paddling

"Roxas!" Kairi shouted as she searched the hallways of the hospital. The nurse at the desk had told her Roxas would be on this floor. She had yet to run into him. "Roxas!" she called again. There was still no sign of the blonde haired man anywhere. She sighed and clutched the sack that was in her hand. He had forgotten his lunch at home this morning so she decided she would bring it to him on her lunch break. She thought she would have time for both. She sighed again and lightly fell against a wall. Where could he be?

"Did I hear you looking for Roxas?"

She turned her head to the right and spotted a tall, blue-haired man. He looked similar to the one in Roxas's picture on the television stand. The only difference was he had no scar on his forehead. She found this odd, but decided not to question it. "Uh, yes, yes I am," she answered, "Where is he? He forgot his lunch."

The man chuckled, "He's in the rest room. He got a bit squeamish at the sight of a woman's blood. It's just down the hall. You can't miss it."

"Thank you!" Kairi exclaimed with a warm smile. She quickly turned away and hurried down the hallway. She scanned each door for the sign of the 'rest room'. She found a door labeled such and quickly pushed it open. Sure enough, Roxas was there lying in one of the beds. She smiled; his eyes were closed. "Do you think you can stomach your lunch?" she asked gently. His eyes quickly fluttered open. She hadn't noticed how long his blonde lashes were.

He smiled at her. "What are you doing here?" he asked; she could tell he was happy to see her.

"You forgot your lunch. I can't stay long, though. My lunch break is almost over," Kairi explained. She placed the sack lunch next to him on the bed. "I think I just met one of your co-workers," she added, "He seemed nice."

"Who'd you meet?" Roxas asked; it almost seemed like a demand. Kairi couldn't mistake the tension in his voice. He seemed like he was growing hostile.

"Um, he had long blue hair and golden eyes," Kairi described, "His voice was kind of monotone, too."

"Oh," Roxas deadpanned, "He's not a co-worker. He's a superior. He's kind of a creep so try to stay away from him, okay?" Kairi slowly nodded; she didn't understand. She could tell the thought of that guy angered Roxas. "I'll walk you out, how about that?" Roxas suggested. His smile quickly returned.

"That sounds nice," she answered. She helped Roxas out of bed and made sure he had his lunch. Together, they exited the room and began their walk down the halls of the third floor. Kairi thought they would take the elevator down to the ground floor, but Roxas insisted on taking the stairs. She decided not to question his decision. "So, Roxas. You know what today is, right?" Kairi asked. Roxas only shook his head. "Today marks five months since I moved in," Kairi chirped with a smile, "I want today to be special. So, expect to come home to a treat."

"A treat?" Roxas murmured. His eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Yeah, a treat. My treat to you," Kairi replied coyly. She jumped a couple of steps down and turned to face him. She had a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Would you like a bit of it now?" she offered. She could see the blush beginning to spread across Roxas's face.

"I am curious," he mumbled quietly as he moved closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face; it was hitched. He was nervous, she could tell. She placed her hands on his shoulders and brought herself even closer to his face. She stared deep into his eyes. They seemed glossed over. She slowly leaned in and planted a light kiss on the surface of his lips. "Whoa," escaped his lips.

She couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. "That's only a taste of what you'll get tonight. I have an announcement to make," Kairi explained with a playful tone, "But anyway, I'll be off! Don't want to be late!" She turned away from Roxas and began to run down the rest of the stairs.

It may have taken six months, but she had finally decided what she was going to do. She would give Roxas a chance. He'd been so nice to her. He was so comforting. She couldn't deny the feeling in her heart and the buzzing in her mind. He was right for her. He cared about her. Sora didn't and he never would. That time of her life was over; she was ready to move on. And she was sure, with Roxas's help, that she could make a full recovery. She was ready.

Once her shift was over at the office, she hurried home to the apartment. She immediately began cooking the dinner she'd been working on learning for a week. Kairi wasn't the greatest cook, but there was no way she could go wrong with this meal. She decided she was going to make chicken breasts in a seasoned, tomato sauce. This would be accompanied by steamed rice and serving of mixed vegetables. She wanted something romantic, and this seemed romantic enough.

The cooking didn't go exactly as planned. Some things were burned and others just tasted dry. She frowned and stared at the meal she struggled to make. "This will just have to do," she muttered sadly. Kairi turned to look at the clock; she had thirty minutes until Roxas would return home. She quickly ran into the bedroom to start getting dressed. She would have to move quickly.

She pulled out her little red dress and placed it on her bed. She went into the bathroom connected to the bedroom and began to do her makeup and hair. She decided she would go for something sexy; something that a movie actress would wear. She applied thick, red lipstick and shadowy eye shadow. She made sure to emphasize the eyeliner and mascara. Kairi frowned. 'Now I look like I'm trying too hard,' she mentally whined. It was too late to change it now. She grabbed her curling iron and began curling her hair. She wanted something that said sexy. Unfortunately, she got a look that said I'm seven years old. She curled her curls too tightly and ended up looking like Shirley Temple.

Kairi ran her fingers through her hair to try and loosen the curls, but nothing seemed to work. She finally decided to leave it as is. She only had around ten minutes left till Roxas arrived home. She ran back into the bedroom and stripped down to her undergarments. She was already dressed in a pair of her delicates. She had a matching pair of black, lacey thong and bra. She slipped on the red dress and then ran to the full-length mirror hanging on the bathroom door. The dress was held on by very thin straps. The straps connected to the body of the dress that immediately dipped in the front and provided a nice view of Kairi's matured bosom. The dress hugged her hips and clung to her legs. It ended somewhere at the middle of her thigh.

"I guess this will have to do," Kairi muttered as she fiddled with the strands of her hair. She wasn't fully pleased, but it was too late to do anything. Roxas would be home any minute.

"I'm home!"

She grinned. She tugged at her dress and straightened her back. It was time to impress. She stepped out of the bedroom and spotted Roxas hanging his jacket on the coat rack. She grinned and scurried toward him. "Good evening, Roxas!" she chimed. She paused in front of him and winked. A blush instantly spread across his face.

"K-Kairi," he gasped as his eyes looked her over. She couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction. "Why do you look like that?" he asked.

She smiled and stepped closer to him. She placed her hands on his chest. "Because tonight is special. Now go change into something comfortable and I'll start serving dinner," she instructed. She watched the bewildered Roxas walk into his bedroom and close the door behind him. 'It looks like it's working. Now to get through dinner and make my announcement,' she thought.

Soon dinner was served and Roxas and Kairi were seated at the kitchen table. She made sure to sit close to him. They chatted a bit about Roxas's work and what he did that day. Apparently, Roxas had to take care of a girl with a bad rash. He didn't like it too much.

"So, what was your announcement?" Roxas asked. He looked like he'd been waiting to ask that question all night.

She smiled. "I wanted to announce that I want to give us a chance," Kairi admitted shyly. She'd been planning for this all week; she shouldn't be nervous. Yet, for some reason, when she said those words she actually felt unsure of herself. She felt as though there was still some chance she might be rejected. At the same time, she also felt extremely happy. It was a feeling she hadn't had in a while. Sink or swim, it's what Riku would always say.

"Really?" Roxas awed. He looked excited. The happiness was practically glowing off of his skin. She liked to see him so happy. Kairi nodded. "Then, Kairi, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked gingerly.

"Of course," Kairi replied quietly. She didn't know why, but she wanted to cry. It was a happy moment, and yet, she wanted to let the tears run freely. She didn't feel sad or overwhelmed. She didn't understand her emotions. "I don't know why, but I kind of want to cry," she confessed as she began wiping her eyes for ghost tears.

Roxas stroked her cheek and stared into her eyes. "Maybe it's because you're extremely happy," he whispered as their faces grew closer.

"Perhaps," Kairi breathed just as their lips met. She felt the rush of butterflies flutter through her stomach as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It didn't matter that they just ate or that there was a bit of sauce on Roxas's chin. This was perfect. This is what Kairi had always wanted. Something simple, something pure. She pulled away and rested her forehead on his. She enjoyed the slight tickle of his blonde bangs. "I really, really like you," she whispered sweetly. She detected a bit of sadness in his eyes. She frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He moved away and shook his head. There was a bittersweet smile on his lips. "Nothing is wrong. Everything's perfect," he answered almost cautiously, "I just wonder why you chose me."

She giggled and took Roxas's hands in her own. She rubbed circles on the surface of his calloused palms as she smiled at him. "I chose you, because you care for me. Ever since I met you, you've been taking care of me. When I'm sad, you let me cry on your shoulder until I feel better. When I'm happy, you accept my upbeat personality. And when I feel like anything else, you deal with it just fine. How could I not chose you?" Kairi asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I can't argue with that. I love you, Kairi," he confessed.

"Oh, Roxas," she whispered as she pulled him into another embrace.

This was right; it had to be.