A/N: Greetings, fellow KH lovers! I'm aliciousness, and this is my first KH fanfic that I'm posting. I sincerely hope that you'll enjoy the following material.

Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fan fiction. The author does not, in any way, own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. Other names, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, other stories, locale, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

DUSKS & LADDERS

"People always think that the most painful thing is losing the one you love in your life. The truth is… the most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special, too." –Unknown

one

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.

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A new game is placed on the table.

A new beginning.

You roll the dice. It lands on one.

Move up one space.

.

.

.

Kairi takes a deep breath as she musters the courage to knock on the door.

She twiddles her thumbs and rocks back and forth on her heels as she waits for someone to answer the door. After thirty seconds, she receives no answer. She knocks again with slightly more urgency; still no answer. Before her knuckles can make contact with the wooden surface once more, the door swings open, and a half-naked young woman scurries out. She desperately tries to clothe herself as she approaches the elevator, and she enters as soon as it comes.

Kairi only watches with her jaw agape, unsure of what to make of the situation. Did she have the right address? She briefly checks the sticky note in her jacket pocket. Yes, this was the correct address indeed.

She raps her knuckles against the door again, though with more caution. A young man no older than twenty-three suddenly stomps down the spiral staircase wearing nothing but a pair of navy blue sweatpants and an irritated look on his face.

Kairi feels her cheeks heat up. It seems that her cousin Naminé failed to mention that her potential future housemate was fine as fuck.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you left," he grumbles while scratching the back of his head. His hair is a complete mess and he seems to be squinting. Kairi checks her watch. It is two thirty in the afternoon, and he seriously just woke up.

"Naminé, I don't think living with your ex-boyfriend is the best solution for me. He is a guy, after all. He might… try things, or worse: I'll remind him of you, and everything will just get extremely awkward."

"It won't. Trust me on this, Kairi. He's actually a really nice guy."

"I, uh… I was never here," Kairi says timidly. Her potential housemate raises a suspicious eyebrow at her. She merely clears her throat and tries to stand straighter to show confidence. "I'm Kairi. Kairi Hart." No reaction. "I think, or, I hope, that Naminé told you I was coming?"

The attractive young man looks at the ceiling as if expecting it to give him an answer, a reminder, anything.

Then it clicks.

"Please, Sora. She really needs a place to stay and you know she can't stay with me and Roxas. That would just be awkward."

"Sorry, Nams, but I think I'll pass on this one."

"Sora, you don't understand. She really needs this, and you've had that huge loft all to yourself for far too long. Don't you think it's time for a house mate? All this alone time isn't very good for you."

"How would you know?"

"Because despite what you think, I still care about you."

"…"

"Come on, Sora. This will be good for you."

"…"

"Her name is Kairi. She's my cousin. I think you'll really like her."

"Nam-"

"For me, then. Please. Do this for me."

"…"

"…"

"Fine, for you."

"Oh," is all Sora can muster when he returns to reality. "Well, this has been sufficiently awkward," he admits shamelessly. "Just let me change, and I'll be right with you in a moment. Feel free to wait in the living room until I get back."

"O-okay," Kairi stammers, thoroughly impressed with his sudden change in tone. As he walks back up the spiral staircase with calmer strides, she walks into the open living room and takes a seat on one of the leather couches. While she waits for Sora to return, she decides that it is a good time to admire the downtown loft that could be her home someday.

Because the wall was composed of a large, two-floor window on one end, it contained a spectacular view of New Twilight –the downtown of Twilight Town that always hustled and bustled with life. The high ceiling made everything feel airy and spacious, and the combination of red brick walls and hardwood floors complimented each other extremely well. The staircase and fence separating the second floor from the living room was made of adamantite steel, the finest steel that existed, and the furniture chosen was both futuristic and artsy. It was no doubt that Naminé was the interior designer of the two-storey masterpiece, and it was because of her talents that the loft became one of magnificence and class.

Kairi briefly wonders how Sora can afford such a place on his own.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he suddenly apologizes, pulling her back from her from her reverie. He walks back down the steps dressed in business casual attire and a fresh face. His hair, however, remains an untamable but stylish mess.

He walks over to her with a friendly smile on his face and offers his hand like a true executive. "It appears I haven't formally introduced myself yet. Sora Fair."

"Kairi Hart," she repeats, standing to shake his hand.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Tea, maybe?" he offers.

Kairi shakes her head. Then, in an amused voice she says, "This is a really nice place you've got here. Are you sure you won't mind sharing it?"

Sora thinks back to his conversation with Naminé and inwardly sighs.

"I don't mind. I think living with someone will be a nice change." He is lying through his teeth and he knows it. "I've got to make use of all this extra room somehow, right?"

"Mm," Kairi agrees, walking around with her hands behind her back. She observes the house a little more, critically analyzing things here and there. The kitchen is to the far right and contains what appears to be the finest looking appliances that munny could buy. To the left is a small home theatre and, as a guess, doors to the bathroom and laundry room.

"Can I look upstairs?" Kairi asks. Sora merely presents it to her with over exaggerated arm movements.

The second floor wasn't that different from the first, but there were more paintings on the wall (by Naminé, no doubt). It may have been half the size of the first floor, but it had more rooms than Kairi had expected. It had enough room for an office, a workout room, two personal bathrooms, and two bedrooms; one of which could belong to her.

"Is this the guest room?" Kairi asks. Sora nods.

Kairi proceeds in sliding the door to the side, revealing a room that is fairly small, but more than adequate for her needs. It contained a twin sized bed, a nightstand, a work desk, a cabinet, an empty bookshelf, and a small walk-in closet. Two walls were made of brick, the other painted purple, and the other made entirely of glass.

"If it gets too bright in the morning you could always do this." Sora snaps his fingers and the panels of the glass flip over until they are all tinted. Kairi walks towards the middle of the room in awe and snaps her fingers for a complete view of New Twilight. It isn't the technology that fascinates her, but the scenery.

"So what do you think?" Sora asks as he leans against the doorframe.

"How much per month?" Kairi asks.

As Sora gives her the details required, Kairi places the palm of her hand against the window and looks outside. The city certainly looked spectacular, and Sora did seem like a hospitable young man (despite the young woman that scurried out earlier; that was admittedly sketchy), the air smelt of promise, and best of all:

She was far, far, far away from home.

Her decision didn't take much thought.

"I'll take it."

tbc

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of "Dusks & Ladders". I apologize for any grammatical errors that I've missed. Please kindly leave a review to tell me what you think, and I'll start on the second chapter as soon as I can!