13

Salty and Sweet

Sora and I eventually made our way over to Cid's shop, where we sat and sipped politely at the bitter coffee he brought us. He assured us, through a mouthful of tobacco juice and obscenities, that he wouldn't tell Yuffie where we were—because she'd stolen his smelly cigar and thrown it in a trashcan, the blankey-blank, and he didn't owe her anything.

"Thanks, Cid," I said, interrupting his long stream of self-invented swears. "And… do you think we could sleep on your couches tonight? Yuffie will probably come looking for us if we go back to the castle…"

Cid squinted blearily at us, inserted a toothpick into his mouth, and grunted, "Don't see why not. Just so no Heartless pop in and trash the joint cuz of him." He jerked his head in Sora's direction.

Sora brought all four legs of his barstool back to the floor with a crash. "Hey! You're lucky I'm here! I'll probably end up saving your ass!"

I shot Cid a venomous look. He was a bad example.

Rather than apologizing, he snorted with laughter and removed the toothpick from his mouth with a flourish. "Yeah, you'll save me, alright. From a problem you caused, kid."

Sora scowled. "Can it, Gramps. I'm not the one who let all those Heartless in."

"I know it wasn't you. But it was probably cuz of you."

"Okay, enough," I snapped just as Sora opened his mouth to retaliate. "Play nice or we can't stay."

"Fine by me," Sora grouched, folding his arms and sitting back on his seat like a small child.

"Oh, by the way, I found you a new navi-gummi piece," Cid said gruffly. "But I ain't gonna install it for you if you're gonna keep call me names."

All hostility was suddenly forgotten, even though Sora technically didn't really need a gummi ship anymore. They delved into conversation about parts and warp holes, and my attention wandered off in its own direction.

I leaned on my hand and stared into the dark pool of liquid before me, even though the smell was starting to make me nauseous. A pair of anxious, coffee-darkened eyes stared back at me from the blackness. They reminded me of another pair of eyes, gleaming from the darkness— always watching, waiting, and biding their time….

I shook my head as thought to clear it. Why the hell couldn't I stop thinking about Riku? It wasn't as though he couldn't take care of himself. I was being stupid.

The longer I sat there worrying and breathing in those intoxicating coffee/turpentine fumes, the more my stomach began to writhe and churn. I was beginning to wonder if it really was turpentine until I realized that I was sitting next to an overloaded garbage can. A terrible smell wafted from it when Cid shifted positions—the same smell that was making me sick.

I rolled my eyes, stood up, and hoisted the bag out of its canister. "Hey, Cid, I'm going to take this out now," I said, wrinkling my nose and holding it at arm's length.

Cid looked up, startled. "Be my guest," he said gruffly. Sora snorted.

I lugged the bag of toxic waste out the door and into the starry night, then closed the door behind me. I took several grateful gulps of fresh air, then paused to look up into the sky and listen to the steady hum of voices coming from Main Street. The celebrations were still in full swing, apparently.

After throwing the garbage in Cid's huge, graffitied dumpster, I leaned against the door with a sigh, hugging my arms as though to bar out the chill. I didn't want to go back inside—not with Cid barking out insults and giving me the stink eye until I took another swig of coffee, anyway.

My throat tightened. All I really wanted was to know that Riku was safe. It wasn't any of my business anymore… but I couldn't just ride off into the sunset without knowing that he was alright, either.

"Oh, Riku," I whispered, staring up at the moon and hugging my arms. "Why do you always have to be such a tragic little hero?"

A sudden crash sent me whirling around, heart pounding and eyes popping. It had come from the alleyway on my left—an alleyway that was completely shrouded in darkness, incidentally.

I eased myself away from the wall and peered into the gloom, ready to fight or flee at the first sign of movement. Somewhere in the distance a dog bayed; the wind whistled over the chimney tops. But whatever had announced its presence only a few moments ago did not seem eager to make the same mistake again. The blackness remained silent and absolute.

I swallowed hard, then stretched out my hand and closed my eyes. My keyblade appeared with an earth shattering clang and flash of light. I braced myself for whatever must have heard the noise; it would surely spring to attack any second now that my cover had been blown.

I stood there for several long moments, crouched and gripping my keyblade tightly by the handle. But nothing happened.

And then a shadow flitted across the moonlit road in front of me; it was gone in a split second, but I still caught sight of the light that reflected off its silver zipper. I still caught a whiff of damp leather.

A low sucking sound rent the stillness of the night. A patch of darkness appeared—darkness that was much more deep and dynamic than the night sky it stood against. The shadowy figure appeared on the rooftop as well, then sprung into the portal as gracefully as a raven on the wing. Several seconds after he vanished, the portal of darkness was still churning.

I thought of calling for Sora. But before I could so much as bat an eyelash, another figure appeared on a rooftop across the street.

Riku leapt high into the air and landed beside the portal of darkness as though the distance were nothing, when in reality it was more like twenty feet. Then with catlike agility, he pounced on the portal.

It had all happened so fast that my shriek was too late to stop him. "Riku!"

He turned his head just before he sank into the dark depths, his aqua eyes flashing like gemstones. And then he was gone.

"Riku!" I yelped again, dashing toward a nearby fire escape. Without pausing to think, I jumped as high as I could, caught onto the end of the ladder with one hand, and dragged my body upward, feet flailing. I slipped a little, but in the end managed to get a firm grip on the ladder. I then began a hasty ascent, hoping with all my might that the portal would somehow still be there when I made it to the top.

I flung myself onto the roof, scraping my palms rather badly in the process. The portal and begun to close, its black and purplish tendrils curling outward and fading away into the night. I sprinted toward it, but it was shrinking—I'd never fit through, now—

"No!" I yelled to no one in particular, plunging my arm into the darkness up to my shoulder. I wouldn't let him go again. I wouldn't!

The edge of the portal contracted around my arm like the sodden, clammy lips of a dead person—vile and putrid, dank and grotesque. It sucked greedily at my skin.

But I didn't pull out. "No! You can't have him again. I won't let you!"

And then my damp, freezing arm began to burn; a white light surrounded my shoulder like a halo. The darkness shivered and dispersed with a sound that was not unlike a sigh—and quite suddenly, I was standing on a rooftop with my arm outstretched, completely alone.

I stood there for a moment, heart burning with emotion and fingers flexing around my keyblade. Suddenly there was a pounding of footsteps behind me. I whirled around.

"Kairi!" Sora's eyes were wide with anxiety as he ran, panting, to my side. "What happened? What were you yelling about?"

"The man in black! And Riku!" I cried, chest heaving. "We've got to follow them, Sora!"

Sora stared at me for a moment, eyes bright and intense. "Let's go, then. Open a path."

"Open a—path? Me?"

"Do it, Kairi," he urged.

I gaped at him, mouth open and eyes wide. Was he serious? "I can't!"

"Yes you can!" Sora snapped, clearly exasperated. He grabbed me by the tops of my arms, whirled me around, and lifted my keyblade arm out in front of me. "Come on. I've already tried, remember? What if you're the only one who can? What if Riku needs our help?"

My throat constricted. The thought of Riku being beaten down by a dark, faceless stranger made my heart burn.

"Okay." Without really pausing to think or doubt, I pressed my palm outward authoritatively and willed the depths of space and time to part for me.

A sudden flash of light nearly blinded me; the sky seemed to have been torn down the middle like a giant screen, behind which a series of stage lights gleamed. I threw an arm over my eyes, stunned.

"Sheesh, that's bright," Sora said, and I saw him mimic the movement in my peripheral vision. "Way to go, Kairi!"

The light drew us forward until it enveloped our every sense. It was almost as though it came to us rather than the other way around. I turned around, squinting against the brightness, but the doorway seemed to have disappeared behind us.

"Will this take us to Riku?" I asked, peeking back at Sora's darkened silhouette.

He shrugged. "I dunno. You're the one who opened it, not me."

I gaped at him. "What? But I don't know where it leads either."

Sora gave a single-noted laugh, then reached for my hand and took it in his own. "If your heart wants to find Riku, then that's where it'll take us. That's the way these things work."

I looked up at him carefully. "And you're… okay with that?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "Sure. You told me how you felt. And I trust you."

I stared at him for a moment, then threw an arm around his neck and crushed his lips to mine. When we finally broke apart, I stroked his chin with one fingertip and spun on my heel. Together we proceeded into the blinding light: the uncertainty of certainty.

~o~

I lost track of time as we wandered through the bright nothingness, our footsteps oddly muffled against the floor that we couldn't discern from the walls or ceiling. Sora held my hand the entire time. His presence was solid and strong at my side.

I'd once heard that the Corridors of Darkness were dangerous to travel without a vessel. Supposing you had a heart, anyway. Nobodies and Heartless navigated them well enough; they had no such entity to lose. I had been able to pass through them on several occasions, simply because my heart had been made of pure light and was therefore untouchable.

But I worried about Riku. What effects did the darkness have on him, when he lived in a world of in-between? And what effects did the light have on him? Did it hurt? Did it burn him like an ant beneath a magnifying glass?

"Look," Sora suddenly said, interrupting my train of thought. "Up ahead."

I peered through the blinding white in the direction he was pointing. At first there was nothing—only more nothing. And then I saw it—the faint shiver in the white walls; the infusion of color and darkness in a small, circular area. It was as though the light were thinning.

"C'mon." Sora pulled me to a jog. Space and distance regained their meaning as the portal drew nearer, still writhing and churning, its colors a-blur. I held my breath and closed my eyes as we passed through it.

For a moment, it was as though someone had turned off the lights and left us in a midnight-dark bedroom. The absence of light was apocalyptic; it enveloped my every sense. My eyes were open, but they saw nothing.

"I think I'm blind," I said matter-of-factly, blinking rapidly and clutching Sora's hand.

"Nah, your eyes just need to adjust to normal light levels again," I heard him say. Then, "I think… I think I know where we are."

"How?" I wondered, forcing my eyes to focus on the dark silhouette beside me. It was the only thing that I could see.

"Listen."

All I heard was my own breathing. Then the faint howl of a wolf came floating through the air. Goosebumps prickled their way up and down my arms as I caught the staccato notes of branches clicking together in the wind.

And then Sora blurred his way into focus. He was shrouded in darkness. Bare, gnarled branches framed his figure, and moonlight shone down on his cheek and shoulders.

But my eyes must have been playing tricks on me, because the Sora that stood before me seemed to be dressed in raggedy black with a pumpkin strapped to his head. He smiled at me, and for a split second, I perceived that he had fangs.

His eyes roved over my figure. "Wow. You look terrifying," he said, still grinning lopsidedly. "But in a good way."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, shaking my head and blinking rapidly. This was so bizarre.

"Look at yourself, Kairi."He chuckled softly; I could tell he was enjoying himself.

Obediently, I looked down at my arms and legs. The first things I noticed where the striped black-and-white leggings; then the boots, the tiny pink dress, and finally the dirty white gloves with the hole for my pinky finger to peek through.

I glanced up at Sora, lips pursed and eyebrows raised. "Um… what's going on?"

He was still looking me up and down appreciatively, his irises gleaming from the blackness that shrouded his eyes. "We're in Halloween Town. There's this spell that makes you—blend in. That's why we look like this."

"Weird," I remarked, peering down at my bare arms. There was an almost grayish cast on my skin, making me look almost undead.

Suddenly, an earsplitting crack rent the air. As was fitting, I jumped nearly ten feet in the air.

Sora whirled around and put a finger to his lips. Riku, he mouthed, pointing to a spot on our left.

I craned my neck. Sure enough, a dark figure was weaving its way through the trees. It leapt over a fallen log and took off down the hill.

Ignoring Sora's admonition, I cried out. "Riku! Riku, wait!"

For a split second he turned his face toward us, his eyes betraying his identity quite effectively. And then there was another crash, and a second figure appeared not far from where we were standing. Riku sprung at it, keyblade raised and teeth bared—but a second later it vanished in a churning pool of darkness. Riku dove in after it without any hesitation.

"No!" I yelped, springing after him without thinking.

Sora grabbed my arm and dragged me to a stop. "Easy, Seabiscuit. We have our own ways of getting around, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," I said, watching the dark portal twist and fade.

After it had gone, I stared hungrily at the place where it had been only moments before. It had all happened so fast.

"Why didn't he stop?" I sighed bitterly. "Didn't he hear me call him?"

Sora shrugged one shoulder, shifting his feet uncomfortably. "Um... well, you know Riku. He… he does what he wants to do."

I cocked my head, lips pulling down at the corners. What was that supposed to mean? "You mean he does what he needs to do."

"What he thinks he needs to do, yeah."

I threw him a sour look. It wasn't like him to belittle Riku—which was probably a good thing, because I was now finding out how much it irritated me. Even if Riku didn't care that I was frantically searching for him, it wasn't Sora's place to point that out.

I turned away from him, took several confident steps into the dark woods, and raised my hand. Again, it was as though the scene before me was torn down the middle. Light poured into the gloom, blinding and disorienting.

"Let's go," I said, casting a sideways glance at Sora.

He shouldered his keyblade, sighed, and followed me into the light.

~o~

Agrabah marketplace was pitch black and silent in the night hours—and therefore the perfect place for a black-clad figure to hide. I imagined him lurking behind rolls of elegant cloth, vases, and beaded tapestries, keeping an eye on Riku the entire time, yet still managing to remain unseen by the rest of the world.

Of course, we hadn't seen Riku yet, so we weren't actually sure that he was there. We'd been wandering the dusty streets in silence for twenty minutes. Once a horned beetle scuttled across our path, its waxy black shell gleaming in the moonlight. Other than that, everything was still.

"Are you sure they're here?" I eventually murmured to Sora.

"No," he replied, shrugging. "Only you can know that."

I huffed a sigh. "Stop saying that. Don't be so damn mysterious."

"I wouldn't have to be if you'd trust yourself once in a while."

I glared up at him from beneath my eyelashes. And quite suddenly, a tiny motion just over his left shoulder caught my eye. A tall, thin black figure glided across a nearby rooftop, then disappeared into an open window.

"There!" I hissed, grabbing Sora's hand. "They're here!"

We ran to a nearby fruit stand and ducked behind it. Sora peeked over the counter, eyes narrowing. "What's this guy up to, anyway?"

"Running, at the moment," I replied, keeping my eyes peeled for Riku.

"I wonder why Riku wants to catch him so much," Sora mused.

Again, I was irritated. "Because he's the bad guy, remember?"

Sora snorted. "That's a good enough reason for me and you. But not for Riku."

I opened my mouth, then let it close. There was probably some truth to that.

The dark figure came soaring out of a window on the opposite side of the building, Riku hot on his trail. They dashed along the roof, rounded a corner, and leapt down into the alleyway before I had time to bat an eyelash.

"Come on!" I cried, dashing after them. If only I could get Riku's attention. Surely he would stop. Surely he would wait for us, so that we could continue our search together—just the three of us, like it was always meant to be.

But by the time I skidded around the corner, they were gone. I was just in time to hear the soft sucking sound of a dark portal disappearing.

"Arrggg," I growled, stomping my foot in frustration. Sora screeched to a stop at my side, panting lightly.

We chased them to Wonderland next, passing through hedge mazes and snoozing regiments of cards. I ran until I tasted blood, yelping Riku's name and reaching out for him, but never getting close enough to grab hold.

Then we returned to Agrabah and played peek-a-boo in the palace dungeons. He scaled the heavy brick walls and swung from the chains that decorated the ceiling, but not once did he answer my call. He merely hurried onward, always in hot pursuit of the black-clad figure and feigning deafness.

I sensed that Sora was losing patience with both of us simply because of his expression and the way he stood with his hands in his pockets, looking on. He kept his mouth shut, though, and for that I was grateful. I didn't need him to tell me what I was already coming to believe for myself—that Riku didn't want us to go with him. He didn't want anything to do with us. And he didn't want anything to do with me.

I supposed that it was reasonable for him to want to shun me. I'd ripped out his heart, after all. But somehow, through it all, I'd never thought that he actually would. I'd thought that he'd cared more than that. I'd thought that he was sort of superhuman in that way. Maybe he was just trying to protect me—he'd already proved himself obsessive in that area by returning to Radiant Garden, after all. But why couldn't he do me the simple favor of answering me, of stopping, or even looking at me? It didn't make any sense.

After leaving Agrabah for the second time and wandering aimlessly through the Corridors of Light, I finally came to a stop in front of the next opening, arms wrapped tightly around my ribcage and eyes smarting. Sora placed a comforting hand on the small of my back, but didn't say anything.

I found that I didn't want to exit the Corridors again. I didn't want to scream after someone who wouldn't reply. The disappointment of it all was sure to choke me.

I wrung my hands, staring at the lines and tiny imperfections on my skin. Finally I looked up at Sora, throat tight and eyebrows furrowed. "I'm confused," I said simply, sadly.

His arms constricted around me; his chin came to rest on the top of my head. "You still want him."

"I want you more." How many times would we have this conversation? And when would it be enough to justify what I was doing to him?

He held me for an immeasurable amount of time, running his hands soothingly up and down my back. It was a really miracle that he was still at my side, when I stopped and thought about it. Someday he would get sick of my indecisiveness; it was inevitable. He'd leave and he'd be better off without me.

The very idea of it brought a fresh torrent of tears to my eyes. I was always chasing after them—Riku and Sora, Sora and Riku. Would I ever be happy with just one of them? Or would they both realize what a selfish monster I was and leave me for their sanity's sake?

Finally Sora lifted my chin and brushed at my damp cheeks. "Kairi, stop," he said gently, interrupting me mid-hiccup with a finger to my lips. "It's okay. Really. I said I trusted you, and I meant it."

"Well, you shouldn't have," I blubbered, brushing my damp, sticky hair away from my face. "I'm sorry, Sora—you deserve so much better than me."

He shook his head earnestly. "Kairi… you're all I ever wanted. You're all I ever will want. I love you."

I looked up at him, eyes round and full. "But I can't s-say the same to you. And I hate it!"

He kissed my cheek, desperate to soothe my pain—as though mine were the priority!—and murmured, "I can wait until you can. I've forgiven you; I swear. All that's left is for you to forgive yourself."

I sniffled a little, mulling over what he'd said. Was it really just… me? Was I the only one who was still holding a grudge here? "But… what about Riku? He hates me."

"It's not your fault if he does," Sora assured me. "And he'll get over it."

I hiccupped again and rested my head on his chest. It was true; I'd made my apologies to Riku. The only one who was still standing by with lofty-eyed disapproval was me.

Believe in yourself, a voice said.

I looked up, confused. The voice that had spoken was definitely female; light, delicate, and familiar. But Sora and I were alone—and he was still looking at me as though he hadn't heard a thing. Perhaps it had been nothing but a memory.

A memory! That's exactly what it was. It was a phrase I'd heard before. But it was so cliché—so overused and insubstantial. Believe in yourself? If there was any self that I should not believe in, it was mine. She was a demonic little creature.

Wasn't she?

And yet she was the only one who seemed to think so. Maybe… maybe she was wrong.

"Look, Kairi," Sora suddenly said, bringing me out of my reverie.

I raised my head and saw, to my astonishment, a large portal opening up directly in front of us. It was bright and substantial—far more so than any of my past portals had been.

"Where… do you think it leads?" I asked softly, eyes wide.

Sora smiled. "I dunno," he said, tapping his finger over my heart. "I guess we'll find out."

I suddenly realized how heavily I'd been leaning on him. Once I stepped out of his embrace, my legs seemed to turn to Jell-o. He held my hands through it all, though, his eyes never leaving mine.

And then, side by side, we stepped into a whirlpool of color.

~o~

"Ow!" I screamed, plopping down on my bottom and clutching my knee with both hands. As I watched, two beads of crimson appeared between my fingers. "Ow-ow-ow!"

My howls must have alerted anyone within a ten-mile vicinity of my discomfort. It was a hot and blustery day, but that hadn't prevented us paddling out to the island to play. Sora and Riku were somewhere nearby, as well as Selphie and Tidus—I never wandered far from any of them, after all. Still, the decibel level at which I expressed my pain was easily loud enough to reach another world.

A smattering of light, frantic footsteps sounded in my ears. "Kai! Kai! Wassa matter?"

I looked up, my cherubic cheeks dripping with tears. "I'm hurt," I boo-hooed, still clamping my hands over my knee, which I'd scraped rather badly on the dock upon stumbling and falling.

Sora knelt down beside me, his ridiculously huge blue eyes widening at the sight of the blood on my fingers. The hot wind blew his sandy, unkempt hair over his face—a face that radiated such anxiety that an adult would probably find our situation humorous if they could see it. Either that or very, very sweet.

"You need a Band-Aid, Kai? Do ya?" he chirped, placing a tiny hand on my arm.

I made no response except to howl even louder; a trickle of blood had begun its decent down my shin.

Sora seemed to take this as an affirmation. With atypical six-year-old agility he leapt to his feet and sprang off the dock in the direction of the canoes.

A gigantic splash met my ears—I stopped mid-howl and peeked, curiously, over the edge of the dock in time to see Sora jumping to his feet (the water he'd landed in was only about six inches deep) and wading frantically to the nearest canoe.

He scrambled into it, untied the rope, and turned his face determinedly toward me. "I'll be back, Kai," he said gallantly. "Don't worry!"

I sniffled. "Okay." There was a quaver in my voice, but at least I'd stopped bawling.

And sitting on the edge of the dock, I watched him paddle off into the waves, his sharp little elbows poking the air with each backward thrust. I watched him disappear as my tears dried in the hot wind, wondering all the while why he'd been so quick to volunteer. Sure, he was one of my "bestest" friends, but he was always doing things like this for me. Always.

Always waiting, always watching. Always there, no matter the physical distance between. Always.

And besides, (I thought as the memory faded like the sunset) those physical distance days were over now. Which made the "always" thing even more real.

He took my hand, stealing my attention from the distant waves over which it seemed he had disappeared only moments ago. "What are you thinking?" he whispered, slowly and passionately. He reached up to trace my lips in an almost worshipful manner.

We were sitting on that same old dock, listening to the waves rush in and out. And in that moment, I doubted there was a more beautiful place in all the worlds.

I smiled and looked at my knees. "I was just… remembering," I said quietly.

Sora smiled too. "Mmm," he said softly, breathing deeply and closing his eyes. "Good place for it."

"So… I'm guessing you like my destination choice?"

He nodded, one corner of his mouth pulling upward. "Definitely my favorite. Although Halloween Town comes in a close second."

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

"No reason," he said teasingly, grinning even more widely and putting his hands behind his head. The smirk on his lips said otherwise.

I took his chin between my fingers. "You're a dork."

"Nah, I'm just a sucker for redheads in spandex and goth make-up," he murmured, inching his way forward by minute, incredibly unnerving degrees. He turned his head to the side ever so slightly, and, still grinning impishly, touched his lips to mine.

I ran my fingers through his hair, kissing him back and savoring his taste and the smell of his skin. He was so good. Everything about him was delicious. Even his touch tasted good on my skin. My lower back was addicted to the feel of his hands and arms. My lips were addicted to his face, his neck, or any other part of him that they could reach. We needed him like air—all of us.

He pulled me onto his lap and cradled me in his arms like a small child. His hands were so smooth, and yet so rough all at the same time—freak, I loved those stupid gloves he always wore—and a tiny gasp escaped my lips as they wormed their way beneath my shirt and came to rest on my ribcage. I cradled his face in my palms and sucked on his mouth like he'd stolen my dying breath.

After a while, I got daring enough to wrap my legs around his waist and run my hands along his chest. His hold on me tightened almost instantly; the tempo at which his lips danced with mine increased dramatically.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me down on the dock—hard. His eyes were bright and his breath came in short, rapid gasps as he leaned over me, teeth gleaming like pearls in the moonlight. I would have complained about the goose egg I could feel growing on the back of my head, but his lips silenced mine quite effectively.

His hands ran up and down my arms, my stomach, and the sides of my thighs. Mine knotted in his hair as he caressed the insides of my knees.

After a minute or two, I turned my head, gasping for breath. His lips trailed kisses along my jaw, down my neck, and across my collarbone and heaving chest. I marveled at his endurance. Did he ever pause to breathe, this boy?

It had never been like this before. Not with Riku—not with anybody. There was so much between us now—so much pain, so much passion, so much sweet chaos. We shared too much to remain apart, physically or emotionally. We were starving for more.

His kisses rained down on me, but my body was as dry and thirsty as desert soil. And then I realized, as his fingertips began to dip and slide beneath the hems of my shorts, that we weren't going to be able to stop this time. There would be no Heartless to distract us, no shrieking Yuffie or crumbling staircases. There was only us.

The very idea of it made my stomach twist into a knot of anticipation. "Sora," I panted, worming my way out from beneath him. "Sora, wait…"

It wasn't easy to reach him where he was. His eyes were dark, deep, and hungry; his Adam's apple bobbed dramatically as he sat back on his heels and gazed down at me. His hand was still resting on the inside of my leg in a way that was making my toes curl.

I peeked up at him from beneath my eyelashes. "Sora… I…"

And rather abruptly, he sighed and removed his hand from my leg. "Sorry," he murmured, eyes downcast. "Dunno what got into me…"

I gaped at him for a moment. "No," I said, surprised, "I didn't mean that… I just wondered if you…" I found myself blushing and looking at the grove of palm trees just beyond his shoulder. For some reason, I couldn't continue. Instead, I sat up and crushed my lips to his once more.

His body went rigid with surprise, then it became relaxed as I wound my arms around his waist. When I finally broke the kiss, he leaned back, cocked his head, and looked straight into my eyes.

"Kairi," he said, softly and slowly, "I love you."

I met his gaze with identical devotion. He was so beautiful, gazing down at me with the moonlight cradling his face like that. He was so Sora. "I know," I breathed.

He brushed his lips against my cheek. To my surprise, the tip of his tongue flickered out and brushed against my skin. "You taste like sea-salt ice cream after you've been crying," he explained, half-smiling.

"What's that?"

He laughed. "Um… it's this ice cream flavor that should be nasty… but it's actually pretty good. It's salty and sweet at the same time."

"Hmm." My lips curved upward involuntarily; I looked up at him with what I imagined must have been a mooning expression on my face. Maybe he didn't realize how incredibly romantic he was being right now, but I sure did. I kissed him—for what must have been the ten billionth time, but what felt like the first—and wrapped my arms around his neck.

To my astonishment, however, he broke the kiss after only a few seconds, got to his feet, and offered me his hand.

My eyebrows shot upward, but I took the hand and allowed him to pull me into a standing position. He then scooped me into his arms, smiling widely, and proceeded to carry me along the dock and down the rickety steps to the beach. I wasn't sure where he was taking me, but I found that I didn't care—just so we would be together.

As he wandered along, I rested my head against his chest, content. The wind rushed through the nearby palm fronds, soft and familiar, and in the distance I could hear a chorus of crickets. Beneath my ear, Sora's heart spoke clearly and fervently of his intentions.

Lub-dub, lub-dub. Kai-ri. Kai-ri.