aoi hoshi

Sora grimaced when Noel kissed Kairi's cheek, but her question made him smile (though he tried his best to be subtle). "Sure. I don't mind," he then waved to Noel as the other boy departed, "I can take things from here, so have a good night." Riku released a nervous laugh. "Heh, well, that settles that, then, huh? Kairi will go back with Sora; Naminé will go back with Roxas, and Lightning..." he trailed off to look for the pink haired girl's confirmation.

Sora yawned after the clamor of the audience died down. The night was still pretty young, but Sora already felt exhausted by everything that had happened. And I don't think I can watch them anymore... "I'm gonna head back to the dorms now. I have some homework to finish up."

"He definitely earned it," Naminé added with a giggle. Goosebumps blossomed on her skin with the weight of his arm around her shoulders, but Naminé tried to school her expression into something that, like his gesture, she hoped was nonchalance. Sora clapped Roxas on the shoulder lightly. "You did good. Never expected you to be a singer though." He noticed the arm hanging off of Naminé's shoulders lazily and smiled in spite of Noel's presence. Sora wanted to be happy for his friend on the outside too.

"Thank you," Naminé bowed her head politely and led them through a maze of bodies until they found their friends still off to the side. Sora was stiff next to Riku and Lightning, and there was a far-off look in his eyes. "We're back," the blonde announced. Riku smiled in relief and waved at the two. "Good. Nice job out there, Roxas."

Naminé debated the idea, chewing on her lip. Of course she wanted to spend more (alone) time with Roxas, but she couldn't just leave Kairi either. Not with the tension between the boys. "I think...we should head back," Naminé finally said with a wry smile, "I don't want to leave Riku and Lightning with the whole Sora and Noel thing."

"I just came to find you," Naminé chirped in response. The others might have followed, but she wasn't sure.

“Roxas!” Naminé exclaimed with, looking up at the boy with wide blue eyes. Fan girls watched the interaction between them with visible distaste, but Naminé found herself so happy that their scowls didn’t even tickle her skin. “You were incredible out there!” She said, using his arm to steady herself. If only her words could properly express her feelings. Even incredibly felt insufficient for artistry the skater displayed on stage. Those long notes, his falsetto, the lyrics...

Naminé looked away with a heavy blush. “That’s not true...I know he cares about what you guys think too.” Though, Kairi’s assertion did make her happy. “I’m going to go find him,” Naminé called out over her shoulder; she started to weave through the throngs of fans, her focus narrow as she thought of Roxas.

Naminé's breath caught when their gazes connected and it felt like the moment had stopped; the screams around her muffled. But then it was gone. Naminé turned to Kairi with a wide grin, having forgotten Noel was beside her. "That was amazing! He definitely deserves an A for that!"

Sora had tried to keep his eyes off of them. Desperately tried to keep his gaze straight and fixed on the performers, but she was, as always, on his mind. So, he looked. The sight of them being so close together nearly made the brunet throw up. ‘As long as she’s happy.’ He chanted to himself over and over. ‘As long as she’s happy.’ He couldn’t hurt her anymore.

"Yeah...at least Kairi's there." Not that he wanted the two of them together, but he didn't want Noel feeling like a complete outsider either. Naminé tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly when their eyes met. The lyrics he sang then made her heart melt. I feel like such a fan girl myself. Minus the screaming. One of Roxas's admirers tried reaching towards the blond singer to grab onto his foot, but one of the security personnel, a senior with an impressive set of muscles, quickly intervened with a stern look.

"Nice ego boost," Riku joked. It really did surprise him how well Roxas was able to sing. "Too bad he didn't share any of that singing talent with you, Sora." "I resent that," the brunet shot back with a pout, "besides, Ariel thinks I have an excellent singing voice." Maybe not pop star level, but hey, I can carry a tune well enough to get through Sebastian's practice sessions. Riku only laughed. How he had wished to be witness to Sora's musical affairs! Lowering his voice, Riku then commented to Lightning. "How is Noel doing? He's been pretty quiet." Not that it wasn't understandable given the lack of familiarity the brunet had with the group, but things, from what he could tell, were still relatively tense.

"Do you know the song?" Sora asked Naminé, whose blue eyes were fixed on the boy onstage. She didn't even bother looking at the brunet. "Not this one. He wouldn't let me listen." She wasn't sure why he was being quite so secretive, but she was excited to know the song Roxas had crafted for his performance. What would it be about? His fanbase seemed enthusiastic as well; one girl screamed his name even before the first note could be sung. Sora cringed. "Big fan already," he said to Kairi out of the corner of his mouth. Back on the islands, some of the other kids had become obsessed with a local singer. Her songs were, of course, good, but Sora never understood their zeal.

"I think you'd have a pretty voice," Riku declared, nudging her back. He already loved her voice when she spoke, so she had to be a decent singer. Better than him. Not that that's much of a challenge.

Riku shot Lightning a glare, but there was no fire in his eyes. "Very funny. I think you'd make a better partner though."

Riku nudged Lightning as the first performer came onto the stage; a boy with golden curls and a pearly smile. He grabbed the microphone and started singing an upbeat pop hit that Riku did not know the lyrics to at all. "He's pretty good. Not the best but decent"

"Five sounds about right," Riku said, "Naminé?" Naminé dug through her pastel colored purse until she found the program Roxas had given her earlier. "Five," she confirmed, skimming through the contents. Her eyes lingered on Roxas's name the longest. "I think the others should be good though." "Do we know anyone else?" Sora asked, motioning for Naminé to hand him the program. The blonde obliged, and Sora read over the names until he stumbled across one that was familiar. "Tuna? Don't we know a Yuna from somewhere or is that just me?"

Naminé watched him leave, a light blush dusting her cheeks. They would meet again. She mused with a budding smile. Like we always do. A handful of devoted fans huddled around the center of the stage; a large wooden half circle with lights decorating the outside to keep performers visible as the sky faded into night. "This should be fun," Sora commented as he followed their group towards an open space near the right side. He tried to keep his eyes away from Noel. If he didn't, it would be hard to maintain his cool.

"Right," Naminé affirmed with a small nod before looking at the group, "We should probably go find Riku and Lightning. It'll start getting crowded otherwise." Probably with more of his fan club.... The thought brought a frown to her lips. Hopefully, there wouldn't be anymore Reginas. "Heh, we can't miss that," Sora added cheekily. He was actually pretty excited to see his other perform though. It would be nice to see the blond center stage.

Sora took the hint and released the other boy's hand. "I've never been there. Big city, huh?"

"You from around here?" Sora asked, not releasing his grip. His smile was intact, but there was a fire in his eyes.

Sora eyed the other boy's hand for a moment uncertainly. Should he? He glanced at Kairi and sighed in defeat. He should. "Sora," the boy returned with a wry smile, "Nice to meet you." The brunet kept his grip on Noel's hand tight as if to test the other's worthiness.

Sora trailed behind Kairi helplessly. What could he do? "O-Okay..." He just hoped he could keep his cool with the other boy. Sora was sure Noel had mixed feelings of his own given the history he and Kairi shared with one another. Naminé led the two past the cotton candy stall and back towards the games, giving her own blond companion a small nod to signify she had their two friends in tow. I just hope things stay civil.

Sora tried to keep his smile but even his cheeriness faltered slightly. "Y-Yeah, that'd be great." He needed to stay positive. Noel had to be a decent guy if Kairi was willing to go on a date with him. "They're still playing some games over there, if you want to join," Naminé offered. She could tell Sora was tense. Not that she blamed him. Sora held Kairi so dearly. Meeting Noel would be quite the test for the boy hero.

"Kairi?" Naminé called gently once she felt that her friend was within earshot, "I don't mean to interrupt, but..." Noel is waiting. He's upset. She wanted her friends to be together. She did. But Noel was a nice boy...