Author's Note: Well then! Here we are at Chapter 3! I hope you guys are enjoying it so far, and I super hope a lot more people read and enjoy it! I'm not the type to hold chapters hostage for reviews, but I would really really appreciate if any of you could take a minute to tell me how you feel about the story! I haven't written anything in a while, so feedback would really help. :) That being said, I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is the property of Square Enix, not mine! As mentioned before, this story is also going to include certain elements that some might not want to read/find objectionable/whatever else. Chapter 1 has more details, but basically...don't like it, don't read it! :P On to the story!
The seemingly unlikely couple, at least in Kairi's wishes, pulled up to the Fading Daylight Mall Plaza, a host of tall buildings obstructing the bright sunlight radiating down from the sky. Being a Saturday, the mall was somewhat packed, though not nearly as much as it was around holiday season. Sora parked the car precariously into a spot somewhat distant from other cars, breathing a sigh of relief as he turned the car's engine off.
"People. Are. Insane." he turned to face the red-headed girl sitting beside him, his eyes pleading for confirmation that the many near-death experiences they faced weren't his own fault.
"They are pretty awful," Kairi giggled slightly, her hand covering her mouth as it grew with a small smile.
Sora noticed himself unconsciously watching the girl, growing self-conscious as the action embarrassed him.
"Ah, uhm...your chariot has arrived, my princess," Sora stated heroically dashing out of his door to the other side of the car, pulling it open with much ado.
"Princess?" Kairi gave him a serious look, "Well don't I feel special," she couldn't help but smile at the boy's antics once more, gently taking her skirt between her pointer fingers and thumbs to curtsy as she stood up, "Thank you, valiant knight."
Sora stood stoically waiting for the 'princess' to begin walking towards the mall, carefully shutting the door behind her as he joined her stride.
"I was really glad you texted me back this morning," Sora beamed, his eyes shining in the brilliant sunlight, "I know you said no funny business," Kairi laughed at this, "But you really seem like a cool person to know."
"Thanks, Sora," Kairi found herself smiling once again, unable to control the happy feeling the boy walking alongside her was giving her, "You're a gem yourself."
"Gem? Are you trying to call my flamboyant and showy?" Sora whined, pawing at the girls arms with flailing hands.
"Well I mean look at yourself," she smirked, swatting the boy's hands away, "Besides, are those the worst descriptive terms you can think of?"
Sora stopped for a second, seriously contemplating the question, "Well, no, probably not at all, but I dunno. There's all the stereo types of girls wanting a macho guy, HRRRRGHHH," he groaned out, attempting to pose and flex at the same time, almost losing his balance in the process.
Kairi smacked the boy on his back to hurry him along, laughing at his antics the whole walk into the mall.
'It seems so normal...hanging out with him like this...'
The duo stepped into the sprawling mall, heading first to the information kiosk by the benches that had a handy reference map posted.
"I haven't been here in a while," Sora noted, scouring over the map of the area, "OH MAN!" he whined, pawing at the dimly-light plastic screen much as he had Kairi's arm only moments ago, "They got rid of one of my favorite stores..."
"Oh? What was it?"
Sora shot up, his hair seemingly sticking up moreso than usual as he began to nervously respond, "Uhm, you know, like...video games and stuff."
"Are you talking about Paopu Products?"
The name seemed to strike a chord in Sora as he began to slide down the plastic kiosk in defeat, "How did you know?" he smashed his hand gently into the kiosk repeatedly, sobbing aloud with each motion for effect.
"It was one of my favorite places, too. They had all sorts of great skin, nail and hair care products. It didn't close down, though. They just moved to online only because they said it was more cost-effective that way, plus they said their products could get out to more people."
"Wow, you're really in the know," Sora stood up, dusting himself off as he looked at the girl in amazement.
"Well, uhm..." Kairi suddenly blushed, Sora's eyes making her uncomfortable, "I have really sensitive skin and their products worked really well for me," she waved her hands in defense.
'That's only half a lie...' she thought, continuing the motion.
"Anyways, though," Sora said, clearing his throat as he smashed his fist into his open palm, "They're really expensive so I never got to buy much," he nodded his head at the statement.
"I'm guessing it's one of their gels that gives your hair its gravity-defying look, right?" Kairi teased the boy, making him blush a little.
"S-So what? It's my trademark look," he responded, looking down as his shoe swung back and forth scuffing the tile.
"I know, I u-" Kairi suddenly shook her head, "I just know a lot about their products," she affirmed, nodding.
"So what do you want to do first?" Sora threw his arm behind his head, nervously scratching his neck unsure of where to go.
'So he still does that when he's indecisive...'
"Food court? I forgot to eat breakfast this morning," Kairi gave a half-innocent smile as she held out her arms in an 'oops' manner.
"I'm always up for food!" Sora grabbed the girl's hand, rushing to the giant location on the sign marked 'FOOD COURT'.
The two arrived in the slightly enclosed area in what felt like milliseconds to Kairi.
"You must really love your food," Kairi offered, her head reeling as she dusted herself off.
"Of course! People need food to live! AND I WANT TO LIVEEEEEE!" Sora cried out melodramatically, soliciting a few intrigued glances from the mall-goers around them, "Sorry," he chuckled quietly as his face tinged red.
"I don't think we need food quite that much, but I guess I get where you're going with it, Sora," Kairi patted the boy on the shoulder, making her way over to the smoothie shop, Paopu Pulps.
"I know we're known for Paopu fruits, but didn't anyone ever think naming EVERYTHING around here after them was a little...dumb?" Sora asked, seemingly to no one but himself.
"It's kind of a cute name, I think," Kairi answered in response, exchanging the munny she was holding for the smoothie offered to her.
Sora had already gone and grabbed a slice of pizza with garlic knots, 2 tacos from the nearby Mexican Taco vendor, an extremely decadent and large cinnamon bun, and a diet coke from the nearby vending machine, because, as he explained it, he didn't want to get fat.
"Are you a vegetarian?" Sora suddenly asked, becoming self-aware of his food choice as he inhaled the tacos laying before him.
"No, I just try to eat healthy. My parents aren't around a lot to make many home made meals, so whenever I buy something I like to try and make sure it's fresh or healthy."
"That sounds lame," Sora thought for a moment, before correcting his statement, "I mean to say, it stinks that your family isn't around much. I kind of understand, though. My mom is busy with work and my dad...isn't around."
"Do you mind my asking?" Kairi said, her eyes focused on Sora as she sipped her smoothie.
"Not really, it's just...there's not much to say. He wasn't there much when I was a kid, and then after I-" he recalled something for a moment before changing his wording, "And then he left one day."
Kairi noted the sad, distant look in Sora's eyes, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"It's alright, it's not even him I'm..." Sora trailed off, apparently losing his train of thought in whatever daydream he was having.
The two shared a silence as they finished their meal, Sora somehow finishing his eclectic array of food slightly before Kairi finished her smoothie.
"That was good," Sora grinned dumbly, having clearly enjoyed his meal.
"You're something else, Sora," Kairi playfully hit the boy, offering him a stick of paopu-gum for what she knew would be bad breath.
He graciously accepted, blowing small bubbles as they continued their walk down the mall's pathway, looking for a store to head into.
"What about here?" Kairi pointed to the local game store, noting the sale signs on the windows.
"Video games?" Sora gave Kairi an 'are-you-joking-or-for-real' look out of the side of his eyes.
"Believe it or not, Mr. Heroic and Valiant Knight, I just so happen to enjoy video games."
"Nope. Girls hate video games. Everybody knows that," Sora shook his head unwilling to listen.
"Not ALL girls..." Kairi said, apparently wanting to add something, but instead skipping her way into the store.
The two looked around for a short while, nothing of interest catching their eye as they looked around the store.
"So, Miss Princess Secret Video-Game Fan," Sora exaggerated each of the words of Kairi's made-up title, "What games do you like, since you're a fan?"
"It really depends. My parents aren't rich or anything, but I have most of the different consoles because that's usually the type of present I ask for. I'll play anything that seems intriguing to me, though."
Sora seemed dumbfounded at the statement, not because Kairi's gender actually made him want to dictate habits for her, but instead because even Riku would make fun of him for trying to talk about video games.
"Then, my Princess, I decree I REALLY WANT TO HANG OUT AT YOUR HOUSE SOMEDAY," Sora began whining as he dropped to his knees, suddenly clawing at the girl's skirt.
Kairi uncomfortably stepped back a little, managing a small smile, "Maybe next weekend, Sora," she pet the boy's head like a dog would be, earning an excited head shake from the boy.
'Maybe...'
The two perused a tiny bit more, growing bored of the store and heading out into the mall's pathways once more.
"A jewelry store..." Kairi mumbled to herself not really intending for Sora to hear.
"You want to check in?" Sora replied, turning into the small glass door as he opened it.
"Ah!..." Kairi gasped, not realizing she had spoken aloud.
'Not really my thing, but...'
She stepped into the doorway, looking around the various jewelry posts scattered throughout the floor. Different oddities lined the back of the store, while small glass cases held intricate necklaces and other valuable looking pieces. The store clerk, a slightly older woman, probably early 30s, gushed as the two entered the store, complimenting them, "Oh my, aren't you a cute couple," she held her hands to her face and shook herself back and forth.
"We're not a couple, ma'am," Sora corrected her, apologetically, "We're just friends."
"What a shame, you two would be lovely together!" she continued, smiling at the two broadly.
'That's an interesting theory...' Kairi gazed off at a random piece of jewelry, not quite sure of what she was looking at, but trying to escape the store clerk's ramblings.
"Hey, we should get something for one another!" Sora suddenly stated, nudging Kairi's arm.
"Wh-What?" Kairi reeled back, rubbing her arm.
"You know, like...friendship bracelets or something! I'd like to think we're new besties..." Sora smiled broadly at his friend, his face suddenly contorting in pain as he sobbed, "Unless...I knew it...the pretty girls just want to make fun of me!" he looked as though he would collapse, a pathetic sight in all, but one that made Kairi smile all the same.
"Okay, okay. Get off the floor, Sora," she smiled, giving the boy a hand as he pulled himself off the floor.
The two scoured the small little shop for a present, not quite sure what the other would enjoy. Sora asked the girl to close her eyes for a moment while he bought her present. Kairi, in turn, asked Sora to wait outside while she got hers.
'What am I doing...?'
The red-head stepped outside the store with a small 'ding' of the automatic bell. Sora attentively walked over to her and smiled broadly, holding his hands behind his back.
"Alright, now, I want you to close your eyes for me while I get your present out," Sora commanded, but Kairi had a far-off look in her eyes.
"Listen, Sora...I need to te-"
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Sora obnoxiously put his finger in front of his mouth and shushed the girl, "I'm trying to make a show of my present?" he said sarcastically as a question, his smile never fading, "Let me just give you yours and then you can say whatever," Sora looked to be pleading with his eyes, but his smile just seemed to say 'You know you want to anyways' to Kairi.
"...Alright, Sora," Kairi hesitantly closed her eyes, hearing the boy ruffle around a bag.
She could feel his touch on her neck as he lifted her hair, gently pushing it off to the side. Lost in his touch, and surprisingly soft hands, Kairi didn't even think about what he might have gotten for her.
"Annnnnnnd open!" Sora shouted triumphantly, once again in front of Kairi.
The girl opened her eyes and pushed her hair back into place, her fingers brushing into something metal as they swept the hair away. She followed the metal feeling along a chain, both of her hands now anxiously awaiting to see where the chain ended. As her hands clasped, she felt a slightly rigid object in between her fingers that caused her to look down. In her hands, Kairi held a small but beautifully crafted silver crown, its points separated by two almost circles. The chain itself attached to the largest of the three points, its silhouette falling perfectly on to her chest.
"Sora, I...it's..." Kairi was genuinely speechless.
"I figured...I keep calling you a princess, and all princesses need a crown, so..." the boy blushed slightly at his female companion's shock.
'I'm not much for jewelry, but he really...'
Kairi suddenly became very flustered.
"So what were you saying? You needed something?"
"Ah, uhm, no. I'm okay. We should probably head home soon though. I don't wanna be out too late."
The sudden change of attitude seemed a bit strange to Sora, but he agreed regardless not wanting his new friend to feel uncomfortable.
"Alright, we can head home if you want," Sora nodded, giving the girl a smile as he began walking back towards the entrance.
'I-I'm sorry, Sora...' Kairi thought to herself as she gripped the small white bag she was carrying behind her back, out of Sora's vision. She carefully slipped it into the small purse she had hanging off to her side while he was distracted, not knowing what else to do with it.
The ride home was a little less fun and exciting than the rest of their day, and Sora couldn't help but feel it was related to Kairi's sudden mood change in the mall. Not wanting to pry, however, Sora drove on in silence, not even daring to turn on the radio and make things worse.
Stopping the car, Kairi stepped out at her house, the boy waving goodbye and telling her they should definitely see each other again soon. Kairi silently grabbed at the necklace Sora had given her, holding it with a sad look before she nodded slightly and rushed into her house.
Sora made his way home, feeling no better than he had the previous night with Riku.
"I really hope I didn't do anything to upset her..." he said, her sudden mood change still bugging him, "I probably should've just dropped it after she seemed like she didn't want to go in to the Jeweler's..." Sora scorned himself, tossing himself onto his bed much in the same manner as he had that morning. One thing was for sure. Kairi and him would most likely not be spending time together next weekend.
You were so beautiful, and I acted so nonchalant...
Even knowing all the mistakes I was making.
AN: Well then! Why the sudden spook by Kairi? Comment/Rate/Review/READ ON! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and be on the look out for Chapter 4 soon!