After taking a deep breath, Kairi opened her eyes and examined herself closely in the vanity mirror backstage.
She squinted and began fixing the minor imperfections that had always been present whenever she checked a mirror, like the two strands of hair that strayed too far from her bangs. After deeming herself presentable, Kairi felt the air grow very cold and strange. She looked at the corner of the well-lit mirror and froze.
"Riku," she greeted, immediately recognizing his muscular build leaning against the studio wall. The costume designers of the show had already dressed him in his interview clothes, which consisted of a fashionable suit designed specifically for him. Underneath his grey blazer was a black button up shirt and yellow tie, and simple violet pants adorned his legs.
"You look good," Kairi admitted, and the psychic's predictions tormented her brain.
"Not as lovely as you," he complimented, getting off the wall. He approached her with a smile that she couldn't quite place. What she could place, however, was that it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. "You certainly aren't the same girl from two years ago. You're just forever blooming, aren't you, Kairi?"
Kairi began twiddling with hem of her dress. The designers had made her some black strapless number with an exposed back that ended far too high above her knees in her opinion. To preserve some innocence, she requested simple make-up, but it did nothing to hide the seductive playfulness of her bellowing skirt. Her heels were the same shade as her red hair and far too high for Kairi's liking, but she figured that if this is what it took to get votes and a good impression, then so be it. Anything for Sora.
"Thanks," she said, gritting her teeth.
"Listen," Riku started, suddenly sounding exasperated. "I know it was pretty childish and immature of me to walk away from you and Sora a few years back, but I'm different now. I'm more controlled, more mature this time."
"What are you trying to say?" Kairi asked, raising an eyebrow while crossing her arms accusingly.
"That, if you want, I can take care of you. I won't run away from problems like Sora did. Give me a chance, Kairi, please. I can treat you better than he did." Riku gave her a pleading look.
Kairi looked absolutely disgusted. "I don't need anyone to take care of me. And Riku, in case if you've forgotten, you have a girlfriend. Don't tell me your feelings for me have already resurfaced and are suddenly of more importance than the feelings you have for her. It's unfair, and what you feel for me is only infatuation."
He smirked darkly, walking closer to her. "Xion's just a friend. She knows this." He then began playing with a strand of her hair. "And my feelings for you haven't resurfaced. They never disappeared in the first place."
"You know, I thought you'd changed," Kairi said, heartbroken that she was incorrect about him before. "But you've learned nothing from before. Good luck tonight, Riku." And with that, she left to speak with Roxas and Naminé in the audience.
"Naminé, could you help me tie my hair up?" Kairi asked. Within five seconds the blonde was already behind her equipped with hair elastics and bobby pins.
"So, have you seen Riku's girlfriend yet?" Roxas asked. He took his seat in the front row while people filled the studio quickly and eagerly.
"No," Kairi confessed. But I do feel sorry for her, she mentally added.
"I met her in the elevator," said Roxas. "She seems really cool."
"Really? Where is she?" Kairi asked as Naminé tugged on her hair. "Ow!"
"Sorry," Naminé apologized with pink cheeks.
"She's over there," said Roxas, tipping the straw on his smoothie in a way that discreetly pointed in her direction.
Kairi followed the straw and saw a slender girl with short, stylish black hair making idle conversation with her make-up artist as she coated her eyes with a generous amount of eyeliner. She wore a yellow peplum dress that matched Riku's tie, and it modestly ended just above her knees. When she opened her eyes, Kairi found her own indigo eyes widening slightly.
She was gorgeous.
Jet-black hair and bright blue eyes was such a unique and striking combination that Kairi wasn't accustomed to. She had a sweet face and a kind smile, just like Sora, and by the way she was laughing with the make-up artist, she seemed to have an easygoing personality as well. Kairi could see herself getting along with her.
"Her name's Xion," Roxas informed. "She's the only other female keyblade bearer here, aside from you."
"I even think she kind of looks like you," said Naminé. "If your hair was black when you were fourteen when you had your hair short, I'd actually be kind of scared." Naminé then backed up and examined her masterpiece. After circling Kairi and nodding, she smiled. "All done. You look fantastic."
Kairi examined herself in her phone mirror and smiled. Naminé had tied her hair into a perfect side ponytail. "Thank you, Naminé."
Before her cousin could respond, a deafening bell rung across the studio, startling everyone within its vicinity. The crew onset immediately quickened their pace and began fixing last minute details.
"You know what that means?" Roxas asked with an excited smile. "It's show time."
4
The Best Policy
The first couple up was Olette and Hayner.
For the most part, they played the cards right. They were adorable, just as Kairi had expected, but did nothing to make them stand out. Luckily, the host (some fresh new face named Zidane), was able to make the audience laugh to make up for Hayner's lame COD references.
"Something's not right," Roxas observed when the first couple's time was up. "They barely asked questions from the previous seasons."
"That's because they got a new producer this season," a familiar voice told him from the seat behind him. When Roxas turned to face the source of the voice, he nearly fell out of his seat. "Axel, what are you doing here? When did you get here?"
"What, I'm not going to look out for my little sister while she's on some lethal teen survival show?" the redhead asked plainly. "And my plane arrived about two hours ago, thanks for asking."
"Never mind that," Naminé whispered. "What did you say before?"
After swallowing his mouthful of popcorn, Axel replied. "Oh, right. They got new producers for this season, so the show is gonna go through a major makeover. Better arenas, harder challenges, you name it. As you can see, they even changed the set for this season's interviews."
"What?" Roxas whispered harshly. "That means…"
"Everything you taught Sora was for nothing," Naminé finished with a grave expression.
"This is bad," said Sora, pacing backstage uncontrollably. Although it was a time of distress, Kairi couldn't help but think that he looked adorable regardless.
"Sora, it's going to be okay," Kairi said in attempts to comfort him. "Perhaps they'll ask you a lot of questions that Roxas taught you."
"What if they don't?" Sora whimpered. "You know I'm a terrible liar, Kairi. I wear my heart on my sleeve."
"Then I'll lie for us," Kairi suggested.
"The host will keep directing the questions towards the males to test them," said Sora. He then pulled on his hair and groaned. "We're dead. We're so dead."
"Hey," Kairi said softly. She placed a hand on his hip, and the other in his hair to ruffle it. "Don't worry. We'll be fine, okay? Trust me." Her hand slowly began to move down to his cheek. "You're such an easy person to talk to. Just act casual, and everything will go smoothly. Just pretend we're on the couch in my living room."
Sora closed his eyes and sighed into her palm. His hand made his way from her elbow to her wrist, causing her to shiver inwardly. He held her wrist in place for a while, basking in the silence. When he released his grip, he grazed his lips slightly over her wrist and let her arm fall. His eyes re-opened, and Kairi suddenly found it hard to breath.
He smiled at her. The way the lights from the vanity mirror hit the side of Kairi's face was just perfect. "Have I told you that you look beautiful today?"
Kairi blushed. "No, but it's nice to hear."
"But the dress is kind of…"
"Short, I know," Kairi finished with a nervous chuckle.
"I was going to say sexy and easy to access but…" Sora was cut off by a playful punch on the arm. "Ow! What? If I'm going to be your boyfriend I might as well play the part realistically!"
Kairi rolled her eyes. "Thank you for the compliment. You look handsome."
Sora tugged on the lapels of his stylish blazer and nodded firmly. "I know."
Kairi placed a hand on her forehead and sighed dramatically. "Why must I be cursed with this narcissist of a boyfriend?"
"Excuse me," Sora insisted as he pulled her to him by the waist. "But I believe you're dating the finest specimen of man," he whispered into her ear.
Kairi chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, you wish."
"Augh, gross. The cuteness is blinding me. Can someone please gauge my eyes out?" a familiar but friendly voice asked teasingly.
Sora pulled away from the embrace and turned to the source of the voice.
"Tidus!" Kairi exclaimed as Sora ran to give their mutual childhood friend a fist bump followed by a classic bro hug.
"What are you doing all the way here?" Sora asked. "Twilight Town is a long way from Destiny Islands."
"Thank you, Sora, I did not know that," Tidus replied with a sarcastic grin. "I'm gonna give you a minute to take in my fancy attire and dapper appearance."
"So you're obviously here to serve the free food backstage, duh," Sora reasoned.
Tidus chuckled and clapped Sora on the back. "Oh, Sora. You and your optimistic demeanor never get old. I'm glad you and Kairi decided to get back together."
Sora and Kairi shared a look, but pressed the matter no further.
"So, uh, Tidus," Sora stammered, "What brings you to Survival of the Cutest?"
The air suddenly grew tense, and Sora immediately regretted asking the question.
"Hey, you… don't have to answer," the brunet offered.
"No, it's okay," Tidus said as his blond surfer bangs covered his eyes. "My mom had a recurrence a few weeks ago."
Kairi subtly gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, recalling that Tidus' mother had geostigma a few years back.
"We just can't seem to afford treatment this time round, so Yuna and I are going to try our best to help lower the cost," Tidus explained with clenched fists.
Suddenly, Sora's post-secondary problems became a mere drop in a vast ocean wave of feels. He had the sudden urge to let Tidus win, but the fear of disappointing his parents demanded to be remembered.
"Tidus," he said while placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Good, uh… good luck out there," was all Sora could muster.
Tidus smiled sadly. "Thanks, Sora. You too." He then turned his attention to Kairi. "Take care of him in there, okay?"
"Don't worry," Kairi assured. "I'll make sure he behaves and eats all his vegetables." Sora rolled his eyes.
"Tidus," a feminine voice called. A young woman with short, spiky hair and a braid running down her back revealed herself from the shadows backstage with a nervous expression on her face. Her name was Yuna, and she had been Tidus' girlfriend since junior year.
"Are you ready?" she asked as the host announced their names. Tidus joined hands with her, and Sora and Kairi watched wordlessly as their interview began.
Tidus and Yuna were couple four out of eight. Surprisingly, Tidus avoided the topic of his mother and the stigma and cracked a few jokes here and there instead. Sora inwardly admired this. Tidus was always the type to be modest, and he didn't want to use his mother as a sob story for votes. Fairness was just in his nature.
The next couple consisted of two people named Leon and Yuffie. For the most part, Sora could tell they were faking it. They seemed more like siblings than a couple. Things weren't looking so well for them until Zidane asked Leon how he asked out his girlfriend.
"Well, I work at Starbucks," Leon began.
Roxas and Sora gulped at the same time.
"He better not steal Sora's answer," Roxas growled.
"And instead of placing her name on her order, I wrote her a note asking to be my girlfriend," he finished. Sora smacked his forehead as the audience cheered.
Roxas snapped his fingers in a Z-formation. "Oh no he did not! Naminé, hold my weave girl! Hold my weave!"
"Roxas, honey, please calm down-"Naminé urged as she held him down.
"I will not calm down!" fought Roxas. "Dishonor on you," he said, pointing at Leon, "Dishonor on your cow, dishonor on-"From behind, Axel covered Roxas' mouth with his own hands.
Riku and Xion were up next. Loud cheers sounded from the audience when they entered, presumably because they were well known in their hometown.
Throughout the interview, Kairi was impressed by how good an actor Riku was. He was charming, a complete gentleman, and was nothing but sweet when he spoke about his girlfriend. He even snuck in a few admirable glances her way, knowing that the cameras would zoom in to catch it.
"So, Riku," Zidane started, making himself more comfortable in his seat. "Would you consider Xion to be the most important girl in your life?"
"Well, no," he answered, his eyes drifting onto Kairi who was behind the curtains across from him. Xion did not seem surprised about this. It made Sora feel bad for her. Roxas had bragged about how nice she seemed, and now the "Great Xion" was deduced to nothing more than an ornament next to Riku.
"Ohh," said Zidane, his voice deep and in unison with the crowd. He frowned. "If not Xion, who is?"
"My mother, of course," Riku lied, earning cheers from the crowd.
"Ha. Gay!" Axel shouted.
"Well, isn't that sweet?" Zidane asked, leaning back in his chair. A loud beep sounded from the speakers. "It seems our time is up. Thank you for your time, Riku and Xion. It was a pleasure interviewing you."
"The pleasure is all ours," said Riku, standing up to shake Zidane's hand once more. Xion did the same. That was another thing about Riku. He referred to him and Xion as one person, which surely scored him points in the caring department.
"Looks like we're up," Kairi whispered when Riku and Xion exited the stage on the opposite side.
Sora inhaled sharply. "Mhm."
"Ven, Ven! It's their turn!" Aqua squealed from their couch. "Hurry!"
Ventus came running into the living room with a pot of uncooked popcorn. He jumped onto the couch next to Aqua and turned up the volume in their home theatre. As the host introduced the next couple, Ven summoned his keyblade and casted a firaga spell under his pot to cook the popcorn.
"Oh my," Aqua gasped when Sora and Kairi entered the fun and futuristic looking set. Cheers sounded from the audience and, as expected, wolf whistles. "What is Kairi wearing?" Aqua asked, knowing her pupil all too well. Kairi was slightly more modest about her choice of clothing.
"Who cares? She looks hotter that a firaga spell," said Ventus, popping a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
Aqua covered her mouth and chuckled. "And this is why you're not dating."
Back on set, Sora emerged from the right side with Kairi in tow. The sounds of the audience became muffled, and the weight of his blazer increased tenfold. He suddenly found it hard to breath, and he could feel his vision failing as the studio lights above blinded him.
Regret washed over him, and he began to think that perhaps participating on the show wasn't such a good idea. It wasn't the crowd, per se, but the lying. At that moment, he just wanted to be back on Destiny Islands, lying on the white sands with Kairi laughing by his side.
Then, he felt it. The soothing moment, the return to reality, Kairi's hand laced with his. Air rushed back into his lungs, and his senses were back on point. He squeezed back gratefully, and they took their seats wordlessly after shaking the host's hand.
"So, Sora, Kairi, I understand you're both from Destiny Islands?" Zidane asked after the crowd's cheers died down. Sora squinted through the studio's bright lights in attempts to locate his brother, whom he finally found in the middle of the front row. Roxas' lips were pursed into a tight line, and he shook his head with a frightened expression.
Translation: You're on your own, bro.
Sora groaned.
"That's, uh…" he stammered in attempts to answer the host's question. Kairi began massaging his hand with her thumb and sent him a soft smile. Sora took a deep breath and nodded. "That's correct."
"And I hear that you two are the second pair of keyblade bearers on the show this season," Zidane announced excitedly, earning a few shrieks and cheers from the crowd.
Sora's lips turned upward into a relieved smile. Keyblade training. This was something he could talk about.
"Yes, we are, and we're honoured to be a part of this thrilling experience," Sora said, remembering to refer to him and Kairi as one. His confidence became more evident in his voice, and Kairi nodded proudly. "Shout out to our masters Ventus and Aqua on Destiny Islands!" Sora then shouted whilst waving towards the camera placed directly to his right.
"Yeah, that's my boy!" Ventus cheered with a mouth full of popcorn.
"And how long have you been studying the art of keyblade wielding?" Zidane asked once the applause faded.
"Since we were fourteen," Kairi answered whilst gracefully crossing her legs in a ladylike fashion.
"So would you say you two have a high chance of winning this season?" Zidane asked.
"I'd say we have a decent chance," Kairi answered modestly, not wanting to come across as cocky in front of their viewers.
"Are there any strengths or weaknesses that we should be made aware of?" Zidane then asked.
"Weaknesses?" Sora repeated.
Think of the cheesiest answer possible, he reminded himself. He frantically looked around the set, desperate for an answer, until he came across Kairi's eyes, her nose, then her deliciously red mouth.
"Kairi's lips, of course," Sora answered with tinted cheeks as the audience sighed lovingly. Kairi turned away from him, trying her hardest to not laugh. From the front row, Roxas gave his brother a thumbs up while Axel cackled maniacally from behind.
Back on Destiny Islands, Aqua desperately tried to calm down Ventus who was rolling on the floor whilst laughing uncontrollably.
"Aww, that's adorable," said Zidane. "There's nothing sweeter and deadlier than a woman's lips, am I right?"
"Sure?" Sora squeaked with uncertainty.
"So how exactly did you two meet?" Zidane asked after he leaned back in his seat.
Sora laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. They were back to the lying business, and he had already forgotten the cheesy answer he had rehearsed with his brother weeks before; however, he did recall that it was the truth, so he went with it and sugarcoated nothing to remain genuine.
"Well, in all honesty, we've been best friends practically since birth, so we met really young, therefore I can't exactly remember," Sora admitted wholeheartedly. The audience chuckled amusedly, as did Kairi.
"Well, that's reassuring," Kairi teased. More chuckles.
"Do you remember?" Sora challenged, looking at his 'girlfriend' with skittish eyes.
Kairi turned red. "W-well, not exactly, but-"
"Exactly," Sora pointed out while tweaking her nose.
Zidane leaned back in his seat with crossed arms and a smirk, admiring the playful camaraderie between the two. "So how long have you two been dating?"
Sora and Kairi immediately stopped their bantering and shared a look of panic. One look at her best friend told Kairi that he didn't know how to respond, so she tried to answer for him.
"Two years."
"Six months," they blurted out simultaneously.
Sora cleared his throat and looked directly at Zidane to clarify. "Two years and six months." The fake couple inwardly sighed in relief when the audience bought their unrehearsed lie.
"And if you don't mind me asking, how did this relationship first come to be?" Zidane asked, his chin resting on his hands in curiosity.
Sora gulped as he locked eyes with Kairi. His first answer was stolen, and the way the question was worded ("first came to be") brought back unwanted but beautiful memories.
The first time Sora asked out Kairi, they were sixteen. It was, if anything, simplicity at its dorkiest. One day after school, when Sora had mustered the courage to finally ask out his best girl friend, he took her out to their play island and planned to ask her out on the way there. Sora figured that being in the middle of the ocean meant no escape, so any answer, good or bad, was definite.
But of course, nervous as he was, Sora managed to capsize the boat in the middle of stammering the question; however, when they emerged from the watery depths of the ocean, Kairi threw her arms around his neck and nodded whilst laughing at his failed attempt to be romantic.
Sora shook his head at the memory. There was no way he was going to use that, and judging by the pleading look on Kairi's face, she agreed. It was much too personal to share.
Well, then what? Sora asked himself. He had nothing, and neither did Kairi. The obnoxious ticks of the wall clock intimidated him, and each second that went by was a viewer lost. He had to come up with something, anything, and fast.
He could feel his palms getting sweatier, and he was certain Kairi noticed. She tightened her grip on him, and this was when Sora found his answer. He quickly glanced at her wrist and saw that she was wearing the cute plastic bracelet that she received from the Kinder Surprise he bought her before they left for Twilight Town.
A new wave of confidence hit Sora as he grinned madly and threw an arm around his 'girlfriend'. "Well you see, Zidane, Kairi really likes Kinder Surprises. They've been her favourite since she was a child."
Kairi sighed in relief and nodded. That much was true, but where was he going with this?
"So when we were sixteen," Sora continued, "I bought her a Kinder Surprise, and instead of a toy, inside the chocolate egg was a note asking her to go out with me."
The crowd broke out into cheers and screams, and Kairi couldn't help but blush. Given how much Sora truly knew about her, it was such a beautiful, believable lie. A beautiful, believable lie that she wished wasn't actually a lie.
The remainder of the interview proved itself uneventful. Zidane asked a question, and Sora would respond with mostly one-word answers. Things weren't looking good for them in the remembrance department –that is, until Zidane asked them what their favourite song was.
Sora gave Kairi a knowing, excited look, and she reciprocated it almost instantly. Roxas turned to look at Axel with a hopeful expression, and the pyromaniac merely nodded with crossed arms and a smug expression. Up in the control room, Demyx was already on it.
"Okay, can I just say something crazy?" Kairi asked enthusiastically after a familiar and catchy tune began to play on the speakers.
"I love crazy," Sora responded with a small grin, playing along.
And suddenly, they were back in Kairi's living room, singing and dancing along to Disney's Frozen (their most recent obsession) like wild maniacs. With absolutely no shame whatsoever, Sora and Kairi danced across the set with over exaggerated movements and on tune—albeit obnoxiously loud—singing voices.
"I mean it's crazy," Sora began.
"What?" Kairi asked as she sat next to him on Zidane's desk.
"We finish each other's-"Sora started.
"Sea-salt ice cream bars!" Kairi interrupted playfully as she hopped off the desk to run elsewhere.
"That's what I was gonna say!" Sora claimed as he ran after her.
And as if it were rehearsed, Sora resumed their cheesy choreography and pulled an epic finale by dipping his best friend, in which he got a perfect view of her succulent neck and heaving chest. With rosy cheeks, he slowly pulled her back up to her two feet and saw that her eyes were wide with excitement and that her lips were curved into a thrilled smile. Her hair was slightly messier than usual, but it somehow still managed to frame her face perfectly. Sora felt his breath hitch in his throat. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.
"Can I say something crazy?" an extensively entertained Zidane then asked once the song and deafening cheers came to a close. "Our time's up."
"Target acquired. I repeat, target acquired. Do you copy, Porcupine?"
"I copy, Red Riding Hood. What are your findings on the enemy?"
"They're located behind the hallway on the left. They're slowly approaching as we speak armed with nerf guns and pillow shields."
"What do you suggest our attack plan is?"
"I'm going to flank in from the right and take out as many as I can. When I'm down, reveal yourself and finish them off."
"But Kai –Red Riding Hood, you can't make that sacrifice!"
On the walkie-talkie, Sora heard Kairi fake a sniffle. "It's the only way, Porcupine."
Sora gulped. "I –I love you, Kairi."
"Aww, I love you too, Sora. Now let's do this. Autobots, roll out!" she commanded with her best Optimus Prime impression. From behind the couch, Sora heard Kairi's swift and light footsteps against the hardwood floor, a nerf gun being loaded, and a girlish scream.
"Naminé!" Axel scolded. "Kairi's attacking! Now is not the time to be screaming!"
"That wasn't me!" claimed the high-pitched voice of the artist. "It was Roxas!"
Sora could practically see Axel rolling his eyes.
"There she is! Fire at will! Move move move!" Axel ordered once he located his sister. Sounds of nerf bullets being fired simultaneously and running filled the air, but everything went deadly silent after ten seconds. Sora's heart stopped.
"Man down! Man down!" Kairi shrieked. Sora dramatically loaded a mag of six bullets into his weapon. It was time.
"He's behind the couch!" he heard Roxas yell, but it was too late. By the time his brother had figured it out, Sora was already halfway over the couch, tumbling in the air. When he landed, he smirked and took aim. Screams filled the air, and the opposing team was down within five seconds.
"Victory!" Sora declared, raising his hands in the air. Kairi rose from the dead and began doing a battle cry alongside her partner.
"Well I think that concludes stealth training for today," Roxas said as he uncurled from his fetal position.
"You're just saying that because you got your ass whipped," Sora teased.
"I was simply caught off guard," Roxas claimed defensively.
"Okay, Roxas, okay," Kairi teased unconvincingly as she cleaned the mess in the living room.
"So, Axel, are you staying here for the night?" Roxas asked, obviously directing the topic away from his dishonorable cowardice.
"Nah, I gotta head out," the older teen said as he rose from the couch. "Meeting Demyx and a few old friends for a drink at eleven."
"It's eleven twenty-three," Naminé pointed out.
Axel clasped his hands together and ran for the door. "Then that means go time for me, and nap time for you little tikes. You have a big day ahead of you. Demyx and I won't exactly be there to help you this time round."
"Thank you for your concern," Kairi said as she bowed before her older brother and opened the door courteously. Just as he walked past the doorframe, he stopped and turned to look down at his little sister for a good five seconds.
"What?" Kairi asked amidst the silence.
Axel sighed and ran a hand through his fiery red spikes. "You know I'm not good at this kind of stuff."
Roxas, Sora, and Naminé aww'd as Kairi chuckled and threw her arms around her lanky older brother. The moment bore a strong resemblance to her high school graduation two months ago, minus the cap and gown.
"Be careful, okay?" the pyromaniac said as he pulled away from their embrace. While Kairi nodded, Axel turned his sights to Sora. "You better take care of her in there, got it memorized?"
"Yes sir," Sora answered with a playful salute. After bidding everyone farewell, the older teen went off on his merry way, leaving the hotel room in silence once again.
"So, I guess we should all head off to sleep," Roxas suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and went their separate ways. Just as Kairi was about to enter the room she shared with Naminé, Sora grabbed her wrist, unsure why he had done so in the first place. Perhaps it was just an excuse to feel their hands touch again, perhaps not.
"Yes?" Kairi asked, certain that Sora could feel her quickening pulse under his grasp.
Sora merely shook his head and smiled toothily at her. "Nothing. Good night, Iri. I'll see you in the morning."
Kairi nodded and shut the door behind her. When she threw herself on her side of the bed, she mentally scolded herself for expecting anything more than Sora's hand on her wrist. What was supposed to happen? Was he supposed to scoop her up in his arms and fall for her again after lying to the entire galaxy earlier that night? Were they supposed to walk away hand in hand into the sunset without a care in the world?
Kairi squished her cheeks in between her hands and emitted a long awaited sigh. Of course things weren't going to sway that way. Their mission was simple: get the money, get out. That's all there was to it.
At two thirty in the morning, Sora lay in bed wide-awake.
Sleep had been evading him for the last few hours, and he very well knew why. What was he thinking when he thought that he and Kairi were going to leave this competition unscathed? The show had barely even started and already he was in danger of screwing things up because of feelings; feelings that he didn't understand and feelings that weren't supposed to get in the way because he had been down that road before. Disappointing his best friend wasn't something he exactly enjoyed, nor willed to accept.
Sora sat up, careful not to wake his brother who was fast asleep on his respective side, and rubbed his eyes. He was thinking too much, and the cure for thinking too much in the middle of the night awaited him in the kitchen.
He quietly shut the bedroom door behind him and tiptoed towards the kitchen, only to find something interesting along the way. In the living room, the only source of light was the plasma screen, and there was only one occupant on the couch directly in front of it. On the coffee table was a plate of chocolate chip cookies and two glasses –one filled with milk, the other empty. Sora laughed to himself and joined the other occupant on the couch.
"So you knew I was coming," he said as he poured milk into his empty glass. He was well aware that he was feeding his earlier predicament, but he just couldn't help it. Above all else, she was his best friend, and she was the one he found the most comfort in.
"I had a feeling," Kairi admitted with a slight grin as she munched on her cookie. She sprawled her legs across his lap, as per usual, and continued to watch the re-run of the live interviews that aired earlier that night as Sora stiffened next to her.
He nearly choked on his drink at the sight. "We're dorks, aren't we?"
Kairi laughed lightheartedly as she watched Sora pick her up effortlessly and twirl her on set. "Yeah, but we're the second most adored dorks in the competition."
Sora raised a curious eyebrow. "Second? Who the heck could beat our over exaggerated cover from Frozen?"
"Riku and Xion," Kairi informed, her face void of all emotion. Sora's lips pressed into a thin, straight line.
"A pure heart, Sora," Kairi reminded, and Sora nodded. Instead of dwelling on the subject and stressing himself out even more, he decided to take the easy way out and made jokes about it instead to preserve the purity of his keyblade.
"Come on Kairi, I think we all know why he ranked first," he said as he threw an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. "It's because he's secretly a Sunsilk model," he whispered into her ear.
She laughed and hit him playfully on the chest. Riku's manhood had just been insulted behind his back.
"Sora!" she scolded.
"What?" he asked amidst her giggles. "There is no way his hair is naturally like that! It is flawless. He must condition religiously because damn son."
"Stop," Kairi chuckled, her hands still resting on his chest. They stayed that way for a while, basking in each other's presence with nothing but the TV light to illuminate them. Sora breathed in her refreshing tropical scent while Kairi gazed into the ocean that was Sora's eyes.
"Hey," she whispered against the muffled sounds of the television, wrinkling his shirt with her closed fists in the process.
"Hey," he whispered back.
"Your breath stinks," Kairi confessed shamelessly.
Sora rolled his eyes with a slight grin. "Gee, thanks."
"No, but seriously," Kairi said as she brought their foreheads together. "Can you promise me something?"
"Anything that doesn't involve spiders," Sora answered, "because you already know."
"Yes Sora, I am very well aware of your irrational fear of spiders," said Kairi. "But we're getting off topic. Point is I want you to promise me that, no matter what happens in this competition, that we'll still be best friends."
"Of course," Sora answered as if it were the easiest question in the world.
"Promise?" Kairi asked again, unconvinced that Sora knew what the promise, and its consequences, insinuated.
"Promise," Sora answered, though with less firmness and certainty than before.
"All right," Kairi sang as she snuggled into him, dropping the subject. Confused, Sora sat there, unsure if he had just been tested or not. After a few minutes of contemplation, he heard Kairi exhale loudly before going limp in his arms. He let out a breathy chuckle; she had fallen asleep.
He pressed his lips to her forehead before falling into a peaceful sleep himself.
The following morning, Sora and Kairi stood in front of each other in an all white chamber dressed in dark uniforms with mild armour. On their shoulders were glowing pauldrons with two stripes of electric blue, the respective colour of their team. Kairi was in the middle of tying her bright red hair into a high ponytail when Sora spoke up.
"Hey," he said, the nervousness in his voice echoing throughout the empty chamber. He wanted to say something along the lines of "I'll take care of you" to reinforce his protection, but he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, so he opted for the simple, "I got your back."
Kairi smiled as she tugged on her hair one last time. "And I got yours."
"Don't hold back," Sora said, smirking at her as if they were back on their training grounds back home.
"Oh I won't," Kairi promised while adjusting her protective gauntlet.
"Competition will commence in T minus ten seconds," said a monotonous, female voice on the intercom. Sora and Kairi were suddenly locked in place and were slowly being teleported into the game grid bit by bit.
"See you there," said Sora. Kairi nodded firmly before shutting her eyes as a blinding flash of white light blinded her momentarily. When she reopened them, she gasped and nearly fell at the sudden change of scenery, but her back hit something hard and broke her fall.
Kairi blushed when Sora held her by the elbows protectively. She decided to take in her surroundings as a distraction. For the most part, the arena looked simple enough. She looked upon a vibrant and untamed rainforest with some ominous looking plant life that fluoresced in unusual places, but apart from that, it looked doable. The competitors were placed in a straight line with Olette and Hayner to her left and Leon and Yuffie to her right. Tidus and Yuna were two couples down to her left, and Riku and Xion were at the very end on the right side. Kairi's eyes then zeroed in on one of the spherical floating cameras flying by them and looked directly into it. Sora's arms sneakily snaked around her waist, completely aware of the camera's presence, and tightened his grip when he felt her tense beneath him.
"It's okay," he whispered into her ear even when the camera flew away. "I got you."
When the countdown began, Kairi sighed and leaned into her 'boyfriend' for support. And the falling begins…
tbc
I shamelessly admit that my KH rendition of Frozen's Love is An Open Door (which I obviously do not own) was based on a true story. My friend and I do strange things when we're waiting for the next subway train.
Well, this was certainly a long chapter, wasn't it? It was a little disorganized in its construction, so I apologize if some things seem off. I personally dislike some parts, but I just wanted to get to the good and exciting portion, lol.
I left the uniform design very broad so that you could use your imagination. Knock yourselves out. I might actually mention this in the next chapter, but if I don't, I'll let you know here: Survival of the Cutest has five rounds in total. After the first round, which eliminates two couples in total, one couple gets eliminated in every round by coming in last place, and the final round will contain the top five couples.
So recently, one of my laptops (I have three, lol: a PC for Sims like a loser, another PC for fanfiction and video editing, and a Macbook Retina for school) died because the battery sucks complete and total ass. Unfortunately, it was my fanfiction laptop, so before it said goodnight I screamed and immediately saved the folder with all the fanfiction on a USB. I didn't even go for the school stuff. DAT DEDICATION DOE. Lol but it's okay now, I just got a new charger, so it's literally like a patient hooked onto an IV. It may or may not die again. Let's hope it doesn't! Long live the fanfiction!
Special thanks to: asb227, Crush-chan17, Nightwing2593, Q-A the Authoress, EternallySky, X-Crepuscule, Heeygurlitsme, the V-Blade, and Crimson Daydreamer for reviewing the last chapter! It's so nice to see familiar usernames reviewing from the Masquerade to Teenage Wasteland era, and seeing new usernames consistently reviewing! Thanks so much guys! And thank you to the people who put this story on alert/faved it! I appreciate the support!
Well, I should probably get some sleep now and get started on my essay asap. Darn university. Please kindly leave a review to give me an insight on your thoughts and/or feels, I'm sorry for any grammatical errors that I might have missed, and thank you so much for reading!
Kyorii
PS. Who immediately caught the Frozen reference?
PSS. Who caught the Mulan reference?