aoi hoshi

"What about the others?" Sora asked, gesturing subtly towards the other girl and jock beside her. Sora might have seen the jock around campus, maybe even in one of his own classes; but there was nothing that made the other girl familiar. Naminé had to hide the small gasp that escaped her lips. Alexis. Roxas's 'fan' was there too, eyes glinting green daggers trained on her. The artist averted her gaze to her shoes.

"A picnic then!" Naminé said with a cheerful nod. The fresh air would do them some good. Kairi especially. I'm afraid they'll stare regardless of where we are, but at least outside you don't end up feeling so trapped. Sora grabbed a burger and a bag of chips and headed towards the register to pay. From the corner of his eye, he saw a group of students watching them with a special keenness. One of them, a girl with her hair slicked back into a glossy ponytail, waved in his direction. Sora nudged Kairi. "Do you know them?"

Naminé handed Roxas a lunch tray and kept her voice quiet as well. "Where are we going to sit? I think we already have an audience..." Which the blonde, being as shy as she was, didn't like at all. She much preferred when their group was able to sit near the window undisturbed.

The line in the cafeteria was long and nearly every table was filled with prying eyes as Sora and his friends waited to buy their lunches. Sora brushed his hand against Kairi's in an attempt to console the red head. His own gaze was kept forward, expression betraying nothing. "You okay?" Sora whispered.

"Roxas is right," Naminé added, "The posters are gone, and if there's any issue at all, we'll be here for you." She didn't want Kairi to feel alone. Not again. They were a team. Her, Roxas, Riku, Lightning, and Sora. Naminé just hoped they could find whoever had done this sooner rather than later... Sora stumbled forward a little and rubbed the back of his head. He didn't know what would happen when they entered the cafeteria today, but the boy knew that whatever happened...he wouldn't let Kairi be hurt again. "We'll find out who did this," he vowed quietly, "I can promise you that."

"That sounds good," Naminé agreed. She squeezed Roxas's fingers again before releasing him to move towards her own dresser to fish out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It was decorated with pain splotches. "I'll change in the bathroom real quick."

Straightening her hair, Naminé looked back at the boy affectionately. "C'mon, Roxas. It's time to get up." She reached for his hand and tugged on it lightly. She really did love everything about him. "We'll let you girls get dressed first," Sora said, ruffling his hair a little before stretching his arms again. "Then we can hit up the cafeteria." He wanted to spend more time with Kairi. As much time as he could. It's gonna be weird being alone tonight...Which itself was a weird thought considering she had only been by his side one night. But the impact...it hit him hard.

"Well, if you two lazy bums won't join us," Sora called to the two blondes teasingly, "then I guess me and Kairi will just have to get breakfast without you." He wanted to disguise his own disappointment with cheer quickly. He couldn't let Kairi be down because of him. ​I wonder if she feels the same though... Naminé tried to answer but her voice could only slip into girlish giggles. She didn't notice her counterpart's expression as she playfully wrestled away from Roxas.

"I think so too," Sora confessed lowly. Part of him couldn't help but feel jealous of the two blondes. He was happy still. Of course. Roxas and Naminé deserved to be happy, but...How is it that our nobodies can confess their feelings and be together, but when it comes to Kairi and I...Was there something about being Nobodies that gave them a different perspective? More motivation maybe? Sora wished he could ask Roxas. But the topic of his origins wasn't exactly an easy one to broach, even now.

"You're so stubborn," she teased, feeling her cheeks grow red as he buried his face in her hair. Did he realize how much he affected her? Sora cocked a head in Roxas and Naminé's direction subtly. "What do you think? Before or after Christmas break?" His nobody wasn't exactly mute about his feelings and had a tendency to express himself rather bluntly.

Naminé squealed, but her attempts to break away were half hearted. "Roxas!" she protested weakly, "We can't sleep the whole day away!" Though, she couldn't deny that the thought was appealing. Nestled together in their own cocoon all day...it would be paradise. She wondered if he felt the same? Sora raised an eyebrow and called over to the blond teasingly. "We do have to go get breakfast eventually, you know." He moved his gaze to Kairi then. "I think we should make a second bet." He wanted to add that she beautiful in the mornings. That her burgundy hair seemed even warmer with the rising sun, but how could he? They had been so close, and yet, even now, Sora still felt so far from being able to confess his feelings to the red head.

She moved her hand away then and started to pull away with a mischievous sparkle in her blue eyes. "I'm getting up now~" He really was adorable like this.

Setting the lipsticks back onto her dresser, Sora offered a sheepish grin. "Um...it's all good now." He was happy to have been able to be with Kairi last night, but what did she think of the situation? Did she regret it now? Was it merely a remedy for a moment of weakness? Or did his presence mean as much as hers did to him? Hearing Roxas's complaint, Sora chuckled. "As long as he's not armed..." Naminé pushed herself upright a little more and looked down at Roxas with an affectionate tilt of the head. "Roxas," she coaxed sweetly, "I think it's time to get up now." She weaved her fingers through his spikes, enjoying the soft texture.

Sora looked at Kairi again, taking note of her pajamas calmly for a moment before his eyes grew large. Reality sunk in. Deep. Hastily, Sora swung his legs over the bed to stand. The movements were too fast, however, and the brunet fell against Kairi’s dresser with a loud thud. Nothing broke, but a gradient of pink lipsticks rolled onto the floor. “Sorry!” Sora apologized and went to pick them up hastily. The sound woke Naminé up. She shifted so that her head peeled up from behind Roxas. “Sora?” She asked groggily. Her hair was a fluffy mess. “What’s wrong?”

Sora moved his neck around, an easy smile in place. He felt well-rested today. The fact that he had just shared a bed with Kairi for the night hadn't quite hit the brunet yet. "Rox, you up yet?" Sora looked to Kairi. "Roxas isn't really a morning person. Found that out the hard way." Which involved a rather heavy trinket being lobbed at his head.

Sora slept through the rest of the night peacefully with Kairi in his arms. Her presence acted almost like a nightlight, keeping the shadows of his past, of Xehanort at bay. the blanket that had been draped over both of them was nearly on the floor with only a corner clinging across their stomachs. Stretching tiredly, Sora buried his face into his pillow for a minute more before opening his eyes. "Morning, Kairi."

Sora blushed, and he was happy that the darkness hid the ruddy color. She would like that? "M-Me too. I mean...yeah. That would be nice." The gossamer touch of her fingertips against his cheek bought goosebumps to his skin. Naminé returned the squeeze. A whisper slipped against his shirt, audible despite being slightly muffled by the fabric. "Roxas..."

Sora nodded, letting out a small yawn before nestling his chin on top of her head. "I'm sure. Don't worry. I just get...nightmares sometimes." He wouldn't disturb her sleep withe details though. Sora was sure Kairi suffered from her own set of mental horrors. "I feel better with you here though." His hand felt warm against her back, and even asleep Naminé craved his touch. Would she ever feel as secure, as happy as she did right now in his arms? Naminé doubted it. She and Roxas...they saw one another as they were. As themselves. No matter how long she was her own person, she knew Roxas would be the only person in the world to understand that.

"Mmm, yeah," Sora mumbled drowsily, "I'm okay...now." He didn't want to describe the horrors in his head. The feel of Xehanort's darkness crawling all over him, looking for a single crack in his mask. How the Seeker had held Kairi before throwing her like a rag doll into a sea of inky heartless. It was too much. Naminé sighed contently and burrowed her face against Roxas's chest. Kairi's voice was like a distant wave as she slept. Most times she would wake and see what the red head was doing, but with Roxas, her head was filled to the brim with bliss and her eyes wouldn't open even a crack.

Feeling her draw closer to him, Sora's hands, the trembling, stopped. His heart slowed back to an easy rhythm again. She's safe. Here in my arms. His grip tightened. Why couldn't he do this every day? Her light seemed to drive the darkness away.

Sora woke up in a sweat. The echoes of a nightmare still clinging to him. He checked beside him for Kairi, who had been swallowed by the darkness in his dreamscape only moments ago. "Kairi...?" he whispered.

"I hope I win too," Sora teased back softly. Her arm around his stomach was warm and made is heart nearly burst from the rush of joy. He wanted to be with Kairi. Take her to Corona. "Let's just hope Riku cracks before Christmas then, huh?"

"Of course!" Sora chirped back with a smile to mirror Kairi's. "They're really beautiful..." He looked to her violet eyes that shined under the dim lighting of the room. It made him want to kiss her...But I can't...

"Um..." What did he want? To share a paopu. The thought darted into his head before being pushed away quickly. No! That's too obvious. Way too obvious. "We could go to the Kingdom of Corona together. Yeah, um...there's this festival that takes place. We could dance. With music." Wow, he sounded stupid. He hoped Kairi wouldn't notice. Or think he was desperate.

Sora's cheeks lit up at the insinuation of her words. "Um...l-like what?" he stuttered. Was she implying that she wanted him? But that couldn't be...right? They were just friends. Not that he didn't want to be something more...Yet, with all the guys around her. All the attractive guys around her...I can't compete...