Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return V2

Roxas's smile disappeared completely both at the smile he could see was forced upon Namine's face and at the doorbell. He glanced in that general direction and then looked back at Sora. "I'll get it," he offered. He pushed himself up the chair before Sora could object, pulling the hem of his white shirt down as he started out of the room.

 

Sora kept his grip on the crutches, watching Roxas leave the room before he could respond. His gaze then landed on Namine, and he gave her a light shrug. At least Roxas was showing a little bit of kindness by getting the door for him. Still, though, he was curious as to who was there, and he wanted to see for himself. He grabbed his crutches and started to get up cautiously, his ankle not fully healed.

Namine watched Sora carefully, though she was still thinking about a lot of things. Roxas said he hadn't meant what he said before, and that was a relief, but he really did need to be more careful about what he said. Not only was it offensive to Namine sometimes, but if Roxas kept this up, he could ruin his friendship with Sora.

 

Roxas approached the front door and grabbed the handle, pulling on it. When he opened the door, his eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he smiled. "Kairi," he said softly. "Hey."

Kairi felt herself smile a little at Roxas's expression, covering up her surprise as well; she had expected Sora to answer the door. "Hi," she greeted back. "Um, I actually came to talk to Sora. He's here, right?" She couldn't imagine anybody being in his home without him being here himself. Plus, she really needed to speak with him.

 

Sora heard the voices just as he started toward the living room doorway, his crutches making him move a little slowly. But he came into the entrance hall a few moments later, seeing Roxas and Kairi standing at the door. He looked past Roxas and saw the look on Kairi's face; she had made her decision.

 

Kairi's eyes were on Roxas, but when she caught movement behind him, she leaned to the side a little bit, peeking around him. Her gaze fell on Sora, and her nerves kicked in again.

Roxas turned around when he saw Kairi look behind him, and he did the same. He then saw Sora. He looked from him to Kairi, and then back again. Clearly there was something unresolved here, but he wasn't going to push buttons.

 

Sora forced himself forward, his eyes staying on Kairi as he approached her. He had mentioned Kairi moving to Hollow Bastion to Roxas and Namine at some point, though he couldn't remember when that was. Regardless, it didn't matter now. Kairi had come to his home because she had decided what she wanted to do now.

 

Roxas saw the looks on his friends' faces and decided that was enough to tell him that this was private, of course. "I'll leave you two to talk," he said, looking from Sora to Kairi. He nodded to her and then turned away, stepping past Sora and walking out of sight.

Kairi watched Roxas go and then her eyes fell back on Sora, the girl standing upright now that she could clearly see him. She saw his condition, which saddened her, but she kept her gaze locked on his eyes. He was strong; she knew he would recover fast.

 

Sora noticed that Kairi stared directly into his eyes, and he did the same, coming up right in front of her and then stopping. He was aware that he was holding his breath in anticipation for whatever it was she was about to tell him. He couldn't read her facial expression to see if she would say a good thing or not, which made him nervous.

 

Kairi could see the anxiousness in Sora's eyes, knowing that he boy was waiting for her answer. "Um..." she hesitated, looking down at her hands again, clasping them together in front of her. "I know it's only been a few days, but I feel that I've made the right decision." After all, she had been thinking nonstop for almost a week now. Things were clearer to her, but this was the one thing that had been the hardest to contemplate. But now, she knew what she was going to do.

 

Sora nodded patiently, keeping his eyes on Kairi. Despite his nervousness, he would wait as long as he needed to for her to give him her answer. Being patient was the least he could do for her now, and he was willing to do much more than be patient. If Kairi decided to stay on Earth, then he would be her protector, no matter what. Even if it meant giving his life, he would do it willingly for the girl he loved.

 

"I've realized that my decision needs to be based off what is right for me," Kairi continued. She looked up at Sora, meeting his eyes. "I'd like to feel comfortable where I am, especially with the people I'm surrounded by. And I'd also like to be happy, because I've realized now that it's one of the most important things I want for myself."

 

Again, Sora nodded. He understood where Kairi was coming from; happiness and comfort were a big part of life. There was one other thing he wanted for her, though, and that was safety. But no matter where she went, she would be safe. In Hollow Bastion, she would have multiple protectors. But if she was on Earth, then Sora would be her guardian. Either way, she would be safe from harm.

 

Kairi bit her lip slightly as she looked up at Sora, but otherwise she continued. "The last thing I realized I wanted was protection, and the best protection I could ever get," she said. Kairi then lowered her eyes as she lifted a hand to her chest. "My heart helped me decide this one. Because of what happened a little while ago, it knows just as well as I do that safety is most important. And my heart wants to seek protection where it has once before."

 

Sora just looked at Kairi, trying to understand her words. She was being pretty cryptic, but as long as what she was saying made sense to her, Sora had reason to remain patient. When she told him her final decision, then he was sure that the rest of what she was saying would be much more clear to him. At least, he hoped so.

 

Kairi lifted her head to look back at Sora, her periwinkle eyes meeting his ocean-blue. "...I choose you, Sora," she finally declared. Now that the truth was out in the open, she hoped he would accept it after her mistake. She realized over the last few days that she was most comfortable around him and her friends, and that she was happiest with them as well. But most of all, her heart felt safe with Sora, and that was enough to tell her to stay.

 

Sora loosened his grip on his crutches, the teen in awestruck silence when Kairi finally told him what she decided. His eyes shone at the answer, his ocean-blue orbs showing a joy that he hadn't felt since he got home. His lips turned up into a smile, the brunet happy and at peace.

 

Kairi lowered her hand from her chest and clasped both of them together, feeling a smile spread across her lips. The look on Sora's face was enough to tell her that her decision was accepted, and that meant the world to her.

 

Sora heard a soft chuckle leave his lips, which surprised him. He hadn't laughed since he had gotten home, and even if it was just a single chuckle, it made him smile more widely. Kairi...was staying with him. There was hope for the two of them yet.

 

Kairi tilted her head to the side slightly at Sora's chuckle, her smile only remaining. She took a step forward, hearing the thud of her boots meeting the porch. She stopped right in front of Sora and silently brought up a hand, setting it lightly on the side of his face. She was very close to him now, her face just a little away from his. She looked from her hand to Sora's eyes, knowing that it had been a long time since they had been in a position like this. But somehow, it was okay with her.

 

Sora exhaled a soft breath when Kairi put her hand on his cheek, the brunet feeling breathless by the look in her eyes. But he didn't pull away; he didn't want to. He was so close to her, and this time, she had made the first move to reach out and touch him. His bright blue eyes stayed connected with hers, the teen waiting for what came next.