A/N: This was originally written for KHplatonicLove's theme challenge/contest on deviantArt. This also happens to be my 100th KH story (which I can barely believe myself lol). So it's extra special to me. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Special thanks: Mystics Apprentice, my lovely beta reader. :)

~ It was like hearing from a vampire that he was vegetarian and preferred cheese over blood. With other words, it didn't make any sense. ~

Hmm...this soda is far too sweet, Kairi mused silently when she took a small experimental sip from the cool drink.

Honestly, she felt like cavities were forming from this one sip alone. It probably had to do with the fact that it was Valentine's Day today.

More like Single Awareness Day, if you ask me.

In fact, the whole coffee shop was decorated with glittery red and pink hearts and matching garlands, possibly for all the couples that would want to have an extra sweet drink here on this special day. She hated it, because it was all too bright, but something told her that her friend Selphie, who was a hopeless romantic, would love every bit of it.

To each his own, I guess.

She briefly wondered what the people around her thought when they saw her sit at the table, all alone, staring out of the window without really seeing anything. If only Sora and Riku were here with me so that I wouldn't look so forlornly alone, she thought.

This was nonsense. Since when did she care what people thought about her? Shaking her head slightly at her silliness, the teen turned her head to take another sip of her soda.

"Whoa!"

Kairi nearly choked on her drink when the bright yellow rose suddenly appeared right in front of her. The startled look was still plastered on her face as her gaze slowly traveled from the flower to the hand that was holding it, to the extended arm and, finally, right into the smoldering eyes of…

"Vanitas?"

The redhead's mouth dropped open. Was she hallucinating now?

…Okay, she'd definitely had enough soda for today if this was the result that it brought.

"You're going to catch flies if you don't shut your mouth," the dark-haired teen noted calmly, before putting the rose in her right hand. It wasn't roughly, but it was hard enough to wake her out of her current daze. "Here."

Kairi blinked, wracking her brain for something to say. All she could do, though, was give him a puzzled look, wondering what this meant.

"What?" he demanded curtly, almost as though he'd made her angry.

"Uh, what do I do with it?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh I don't know, maybe put it in a vase or something?"

Kairi let out an impatient huff, taking offense to Vanitas treating her as though she was stupid. "No, I mean, why?"

Vanitas shrugged. "It's Valentine's Day, remember? People do these kind of things."

Yes, they did, but she'd never expected to get a friggin' rose from Vanitas. It was like hearing from a vampire that he was vegetarian and preferred cheese over blood. With other words, it didn't make any sense.

She let those words sink in, before asking hesitantly, "So…we're friends?"

He thought about that for a moment. "Barely."

The smirk that was adorning his rather handsome face, however, told her that he did regard her as a friend now…more or less. The fact that she was best friends with Sora, his younger brother, didn't matter. And apparently, this was as close of a yes she could get from someone like Vanitas.

"Good, 'cause for a moment I was afraid that you wanted more from me," she said jokingly.

The arrogant teenager then frowned, almost looking as though he was disgusted by the mere thought. "Ew, I'm not that desperate."

"Hey!"

"Anyways, I gotta go…shove some freshman against the lockers and stuff. See ya."

After ruffling her hair (probably more to annoy her than out of affection), to which she swatted away his hand, he left. Kairi watched his retreating back, not sure what to think of this. Just when you thought that you had seen everything in this world...

"Wow… That was weird," she said to herself, before running a hand through her silky smooth hair to make it look more presentable.

A few minutes later, when the red-haired teen asked the waitress for the bill, she heard to her great surprise that someone had already paid for her.

Her deep violet eyes widened in pure disbelief. "Huh? Who did that?"

"A spiky-haired boy with black hair and golden eyes. I think he was around your age," the woman replied, before leaving her alone with her train of thoughts.

Kairi turned the bill and encountered yet another surprise. Vanitas had scribbled down,

Don't get used to me paying your drinks and treating you like a princess. This is just a one-off gesture to get on your good side.

~V.

Kairi rolled her eyes. How typical. At least he was being honest...not to mention rude. Besides, she had all the time of the world to do something about that attitude of his. Not that it needed much work; judging by his actions today, Vanitas was the biggest softie deep down inside, and she couldn't wait to bring out that particular side of him...