Eh… hehe… Sorry for keeping everyone waiting again… :hides: But yeah, since it IS Christmas… I might as well update and keep everyone happy, right:everyone nods: Ok then. :D Merry Christmas to all, and to all, NO KH2 SPOILERS! Hehe… seriously though, no spoilers. This story doesn't exactly follow the game plot so there won't be spoilers. And I haven't gone looking! I probably won't either. There are a lot of people out there who don't want to be spoiled, me including, so don't be mean and spoil things for people! Thank you. :D

You know what I really want you guys to give me as a present? Reviews! Please…:P So, if you have the heart to just leave a review when you finish reading, please do so! They are greatly appreciated and besides, who doesn't like a little constructive criticism?

Many thanks to these nice people who reviewed the previous chapter: Anoa (now changed to Nicole), thesrazrbladekisses, carbuncle x3, RuinsofTikal, Sorasgirl333, ShadowD07, Sora's GuardianAngel, Shirozora, WaterSpirit1, Duelwielder, and Tyjet. Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I was hoping that Square Enix would be kind enough to give me ownership over KH for Christmas, but unfortunately, I'm not that lucky. I don't own it! XD

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Emotionless

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Chapter 8

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Of Blackouts and Sleepovers

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Cloud's heart beat at an unsure pace, now staring solemnly at Aerith. He opened his mouth to try and say something, but the silence was overpowering and the heat on his face numbed his thoughts. "Aerith… I…"

"Come on and get it over with already!"

The blonde's attention suddenly snapped back towards the door and he scowled at it, though it was meant for the little ninja on the other side. He could practically hear Leon scowling on the other side as well. "Yuffie, if you pressure him, he'll never get the chance to get anything out!"

"But he's so slow… He'll never admit anything!"

"You mean, he'll never admit anything while YOU'RE around, so let's go. Cloud, Aerith, I'll stop by later in about an hour to let you guys out."

Leon reached and grasped Yuffie's arm and pulled her along. The grip on her arm distracted her from even trying to complain about anything right now, and she silently complied to following Leon down the hallway in a complete daze for some reason.

It was silence all over again and the only possible thing heard was the unbroken sound of the rain outside the window. The window… No… The rain's coming down like bullets… There's no escape from this… I can't run away… At least we're alone… With a weary sigh, Cloud walked over to where Aerith still sat, unmoving. He stopped a couple steps at her side, staring at her intently, not even daring to blink. He still seemed unfazed even when she spoke.

"Does it really come to such a surprise to you? That I would actually say something like that in front of everyone?" Aerith swung her legs back and forth slowly before she got off the desk. The blonde merely watched her. She continued, though her voice got softer and quieter.

"You don't have to be so shy anymore since we're alone. It took… a lot of courage… to admit what I said out loud. Especially since you're right here…" She turned her head slightly and looked at him, a genuine smile on her face. "Can you say… that you feel the same… about me?" The last two words came out just above a whisper as she continued to stare at his hazy features. Why is he so blurry…? Oh no, I'm crying! I didn't even realize…!

She turned away quickly, her hazel brown hair falling in front of her eyes as she tried to blink her vision clear. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to start crying like that! I have no idea what came over me…" Her hands came up to her face as she wiped off a tear that had traced down her cheek.

"Aerith… I… do feel the same way about you."

Neither of them moved at first until Cloud stepped forward quietly and embraced the smaller woman, Aerith never seemed happier. A wide smile was spreading fast on her face and she let out a giggle. The blonde let her go suddenly, confusion written clearly on his face. "Why are you laughing? I thought you were just crying a second a go!"

"But it's funny! You can't stand to see anybody cry, can you? I guess it just made you decide to hurry up and get your feelings out faster, huh?" Cloud stared at her with his wide mako eyes, blinking them a few times and his mouth slightly open. "Wait- but- you…" Laughter erupted from Aerith as the blonde's face turned pink and he turned around, his snow white scarf following suit. The brunette slunk to the floor holding her sides as her laughter started to quiet down.

"I'm not lying though, I really mean it." Aerith looked up, a few giggles managing to escape her lips. Cloud turned around and kneeled down in front of her, a smile finding its way onto his features. Soft hands found their way around Cloud's neck as he was pushed back against the floor, finally receiving a long awaited kiss.

XxXxXxXxX

"Yeah, so can I stay? I don't want to leave Kairi all alone. Alright, thanks mom!" Kairi heard the phone being put down on the receiver in the living room and brought a hand up to touch her lips again for what seemed to be the millionth time. Naminé sat neatly on one of the chairs in the moderately small kitchen. She looked around when she noticed that Kairi was staring blankly into the refrigerator, one hand holding onto the fridge handle while the other was on her lips.

"Kairi?"

Indigo eyes blinked and the red head promptly looked over at her friend before Sora walked into the kitchen. He sat down opposite Naminé and let out a soft yawn. "It looks like I'm staying here for the night then…" The brunette grinned as he scratched the back of his head, all the while making Kairi unable to look at him from the heat on her face. The blonde let out a curt laugh and smiled, she had a sneaking suspicion that something had happened between them.

"Hey, where's Riku?" Naminé's face turned a slight pink, noticeable on her pale skin quite easily as she couldn't help herself from asking that question. A mop of silver hair peeked out from behind the door frame and looked questioningly at everybody. "Over here, who wants to know?"

Kairi covered up for Naminé as she suddenly took on a cheerful attitude. "Oh, we all just wanted to know where you were… now, who wants hot chocolate?" Everyone complied with that and were soon sitting down in the living room again. Riku turned the tv on and was flipping through channels lazily while Naminé sat watching him and trying to catch glimpses of what was flashing on the screen so quickly.

Thanks to Kairi, Riku and Sora's clothes had dried and were now sitting neatly on top of the dryer, though neither seemed to have made any notion to actually go and put them back on. "Ah nice! They're showing that one scary movie! Let's watch it." Taking a sip of his hot chocolate, Riku leaned back against the couch and settled his gaze on the screen interestingly.

Kairi coughed unconsciously and set her cup of cocoa down on the coffee table, feeling a pair of sapphire eyes on her. Sora had sat down on the couch were Riku and Naminé were sitting, and was motioning for her to come and sit next to him. "Hey Riku, what's this movie about?" Surprised that the blonde girl on his right had spoken up, he turned to her and started talking about the plot, staring interestingly into her sparkling cerulean eyes.

"Riku, you're ruining the whole movie for us!"

"Huh?" Sea green eyes turned to face a pouting Sora and a smiling Kairi. "Can we just watch the movie?" Kairi asked rather dully now, her mind asking tons of questions all over again on how she had ended up kissing Sora and why she was sitting next to him right now. "Fine… I guess…" Riku sighed as he settled his gaze on the screen again.

XxXxXxXxX

"Squally?"

"…..."

"Squall?"

"It's Leon, and what do you want?"

"Why haven't you let go of my arm yet?"

As soon as it had left her lips, Leon let her arm go on instinct, his face flushing. "I was just making sure you wouldn't go running back to that classroom again… yeah…" Yuffie's eyes narrowed accusingly and she stopped the older man from walking any further. "Wait, do you- uhmm… never mind…" She seemed to shrink in front of him and went back to walking silently through the halls. For a moment, Leon's stormy eyes fixed themselves upon the young raven haired woman next to him and he sighed. "I must be crazy…"

)))) After a while of aimlessly walking around…

"Hey Leon…" Yuffie's face was reflected off the glass on the snack machine as she looked over all the candy selections inside. Leon made notice that the girl was speaking to him and went back to staring boredly at the clock. The teacher's lounge was completely empty, the two of them being the only ones left on the campus with the exception of the other two locked up in the classroom.

"Let me guess, you want some money to buy something…"

"No, it's not that silly!" She laughed and turned around to look at him, his solemn bored face the same as ever. "I was just trying to start a conversation…you know, so it's not so quiet." Despite her attempt to spark some form of chatter between them, Leon never managed to utter a couple words before he shut his mouth.

"What'd you have for breakfast this morning?"

"Toast."

"Have you seen Tifa around lately?"

"Nope."

"What do you suppose Cloud and Aerith are doing right now?"

"Yuffie!"

The ninja put on a pout at the dirty glare Leon was shooting at her. "What!"

"Stop asking so many questions already!" Bringing a hand up to the bridge of his nose, the brunette let out a shallow sigh and shook his head. "Besides… that's neither of anybody's business… especially yours!" Yuffie let out a mock angry expression and sighed. She gingerly moved her feet around and stared at her shoes for about a minute before she decided to speak up again.

"Umm… Leon?" Yuffie waited patiently for him to respond, of which he did rather monotonously. "What now?"

"Actually… I WAS gonna ask to borrow some money…hehe…"

XxXxXxXxX

Wide eyes refused to blink as they stared horror struck at the screen. The movie the four teens had been watching was so enticingly scary that they hadn't even dared move off of the couch. Naminé and Riku had found themselves tangled in each other, not having noticed that they had since they just wanted something to hold on to.

Kairi was grasping onto Sora's arm, her full attention on the movie while Sora watched alertly. There was a flash of light and the loud sound that followed, making everybody jump and causing Naminé and Kairi to let out a slight scream. It had gotten conventionally darker as the sun was already blocked out by the dark grey clouds. A shiver ran up Kairi's spine as she continued to watch.

"NO! Don't go in the shed!"

"AAHHHHHH!"

"RUN! GET IN THE HOUSE BEFOR-AHHHH!"

They all watched transfixed as the hideous monster chased its poor victims to their doom and then- the tv turned off and everything went dark.

"Hey!" Everybody jumped when the earsplitting thunder crack sounded through the whole house. "The lights went out… this sucks…" Sora pouted again, though nobody could see with the darkness around them. Riku and Naminé noticed that they were gripping each other from fear and suddenly let go, praising the pitch-black for being there. The rain hit profoundly at the window as Kairi stared at it, knowing well that the thunder had been the cause of the power outage.

"I'll go look for some flashlights then… since it looks like the power will be out for a while…" The auburn haired girl got up, letting go of Sora and making sure she didn't trip over anything.

The brunette heard what Kairi said and felt her get up off the sofa, heading toward the kitchen. "Earlier in the bathroom… If only Riku hadn't come up, my plan would have come through… I could have told her about why everything happened the way it did… about my true feelings…"

Sora shifted a bit and frowned. "She's had a tough time with her emotions for a while… too many insecurities… but she doesn't know the truth on what I've been going through…"

Letting out a stifled yawn, Sora slumped back and felt over on the couch for where Riku was sitting. "Hey Riku, so how does the movie end…? Riku?" The brunette stretched out his feet in hopes to bump them into the other boy, but his attempts were a failure since both the blonde and silver haired teens had left at the same time Kairi had.

"Where did everybody go?"

Sora scratched his head and got up, bumping into the table in the process and nearly falling flat faced on the carpeting. He stretched his hand out and felt around for the wall, smirking when he found it. Using it as a guide, he walked along until he heard somebody in the room closest to him. He walked as quietly as he could and peeked into the back room, the dark obscuring his vision greatly since he just saw the faint outline of somebody standing there.

"This is my chance to tell Kairi the truth…"

It took all his will power to step into the room only to be pummeled by the person that had been in there in the first place. "Kairi!" He was released as soon as he spoke, the other person dismayed by their mistake. "Sora!"

"Riku!"

"I thought you were Kairi!"

"I though YOU were Kairi!" Sora squinted slightly and saw that it was indeed Riku standing there, getting dressed apparently. The silent stare down through the dark went on for another second before they both started laughing. "Sorry… I'll be more careful who I jump next time…" Riku joked and vanished out of the room. Sora walked over to where the drier was in the small back room and knocked over several things he didn't see. After an annoyed grumble, he found his clothes and put them on, leaving the white robe there.

"With Riku around… I'll never get to tell Kairi anything!"

The brunette stood standing in the dark room and sighed. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he was curious to find that he there was a pen in there. He pulled it out and suddenly remembered all over again. "I forgot to give this back to Kairi…"

XxXxXxXxX

"Here, take a flashlight." Kairi handed one over to Naminé and she turned it on, pointing it throughout the kitchen. "I think there's some candles upstairs, come help me look for them." The blonde girl nodded and followed Kairi up the stairs.

"Where'd Sora and Riku go off to?" Kairi's indigo eyes scanned the dim lit living room from half way up the stairs in search of the other two. Naminé kept walking on shyly up the steps slowly. "I think Riku went to go put on his clothes or something… I don't know where Sora went though." They stayed put until Kairi just shrugged and continued up the stairs.

"Oh good! There's plenty of candles to last us for a little while." Both girls sighed as they picked up a couple candles from a box in her mom's closet. Shining the flashlight back out into the hall, Naminé watched Kairi curiously as she rummaged through a couple other boxes.

"Hey Kairi, guess what?"

She stopped rummaging and flashed her light in Naminé's face, apologizing when the blonde shielded her eyes. "Sorry about that… what where you saying?" The red head stepped out of the closet and plopped down on her mother's bed. Her friend sat down next to her and laid back, stretching on the soft covers of the bed. "Remember those two teachers we suspected earlier?" Kairi nodded. "Well, this student teacher named Ms. Kisaragi had this crazy matchmaking idea and we actually pulled it through! We locked them both in a classroom, can you believe that!"

"Really! Things like this make me wish I didn't get sick… Ah man… I can't believe I missed something like that… I can't believe I would want to be part of something like that…hehe… hahaha…" Soft laughter sounded out throughout the quiet room and soon got a little louder as Naminé joined in.

Lightning flashed outside again and illuminated the room, soon followed by the all familiar roar of thunder.

"I haven't been able to laugh like this for a long time… I just wasn't able to." Kairi's serious tone made the blonde quiet down, her full attention back on her friend. Naminé's radiant eyes blinked a couple times and she beamed. "At least you can say that you missed it, right?" The red head brushed some auburn hair out of her face and nodded, a smile finding its way to her lips. "Sure… In a way, laughter heals your soul… I guess."

The blonde jumped up and brushed off her white dress, shivering slightly. "Hey Kairi, let's go change into our pajamas… It's getting cold."

"Oh, I'm already in my pajamas! Hehe… Well, you can go get dressed, you brought some extra clothes right? If you didn't, I'll let you borrow some." Naminé shook her head solemnly. "It's alright, I brought some. Thanks anyway."

The blonde headed out the door with Kairi right behind her, Sora's black jacket keeping in her warmth. The t-shirt she was wearing underneath reached right above her knees, leaving her legs exposed to the cold of the house. "Whoa, it IS getting chilly in here… I'll go turn on the heater and then you can just come back downstairs, ok?"

Kairi tiptoed over right before going down the stairs and found the little temperature control box. Shining the flashlight right at it, she fumbled with the controls until she noticed it probably wasn't going to turn on because of the power outage. "Great… Without heat, we're probably all gonna freeze."

"You need someone to keep you warm? You could have just asked me if you needed any warmth."

"Ah great… Just what I needed at the moment… Riku." The red head flung around, not very surprised to see a smirking Riku standing there right behind her. "Uh, that's very kind of you to suggest that Riku, but… no thanks." Riku's expression didn't change as he followed her down the stairs, the girl most likely glaring again. There was a soft noise coming from the back room and Kairi paused, wondering and thinking that it was most likely Sora in there.

"Hey Riku, catch!"

Riku was caught off guard as Kairi threw the candles she had put in her pockets a couple minutes before at him. "Woops! Umm, better pick those up, and can you please light them and put them up around the place? I'll be right back, and thanks!"

The silver haired teen was left with a dumbfound expression as he picked up the candles.

Kairi stumbled into the little room and shone the flashlight around, finally finding Sora sitting on top of the drier. He looked over at her and jumped off quickly, tripping over a box and running into a couple other boxes awkwardly. "Eh, sorry about that… I shouldn't have been sitting up there anyway…"

Still shining the light, Kairi's mood seemed to be going downhill. "I know what I want to say, I just need to say it and get it over with… Sora, I need to ask you something… Something very important… Why did you… Why did you leave in the first place…?" Her thoughts circled her mind and she stuttered, almost afraid to ask.

"S-Sora…"

Sora got up and approached her, stopping right in front of her.

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time…"

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(To be continued)

Finally! XD… I finally started to get more into explaining and making the plot make sense. It's about time too… Well, that's all I have to say right now… It's Christmas, wooh! Merry Christmas!

Remember, leave me a review, please? Maybe you can read it and if you don't have time to review, come back later and do it! I know that not everybody has all the time in the world, but seriously, leaving a review doesn't even take a minute.

Until next time then. Have a good holiday and a happy new year!

-Twilight Aurora