Chapter Text
Sora was finally warm. Heat radiated from his heart to the rest of his body, and yet he trembled all over. Kairi was here. She had finally found him. He sensed her, here in his heart. With each passing moment, he felt strong, stronger than he ever had before, and yet weak. So very weak. Like he might melt from the warm, tender feelings she kindled deep inside him.
When at last his eyes opened, he knew he had woken up to a different world than the one he'd fallen asleep in. That world was dull and gray and lifeless. This world was bursting with color and feeling and sensation. The red of Kairi's hair and how the golden rays from the setting sun hit it just right, the pink of her coat and white of her blouse, the blue of her eyes with flecks of violet. She cradled him in her arms, and he loved her scent, her soft hand cupping his cheek, the beautiful, brilliant smile on her face. Even her tears were sweet because they were joyful. They were for him.
He reached up and touched her face, gently wiping the tears away. They had both been broken, but a broken heart could still love. A broken heart could still heal. A broken heart could be made whole. It wouldn't be the same as before—there would be scars and rough edges from where the broken pieces had joined together—but it would be something new and beautiful, a testament to the resiliency of the human heart.
He smiled because it was impossible not to. Life was hard, life was pain and suffering and separation and death, but it was also precious and beautiful. Glimpsing that beauty for even a fleeting moment gave him the courage to face another day. And looking into Kairi's face, he had enough courage to face a thousand hardships, a thousand heartaches.
“Kairi,” he said, and the sound of his voice was enough to make her cry all over again. “You found me,” he added, because a part of him still couldn't believe this was real.
She smiled through her tears and kissed his hand. “I told you I would, didn't I?”
His smile got even bigger. “You did, yeah. Thank you for catching me.”
She tilted her head in an adorably confused way. “Catching you?”
“Catching me,” he confirmed, playing with strands of her hair. “For so long, I felt like I was falling.”
“We caught each other, then,” she told him. She gently rested her hand on his heart, checking for any lingering damage. “How are you feeling?”
"Amazing. Like I could fly.” He carefully sat up. Thankfully, it seemed Riku and Strelitzia had dragged him back to the sidewalk while he was passed out, so he and Kairi weren't in immediate danger of getting run over by a car or a sea of people. And whatever damage that Heartless had done to him, Kairi had healed it completely. He really wasn't kidding when he said he felt like he could fly.
With her by his side, he knew he could do anything.
She helped him to his feet, and he savored just being with her. His hand no longer ached for her touch, because she held both his hands in hers. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. They had to drink in every single detail, all the changes and all the things that were the same.
A group of curious onlookers had gathered around them, expressing relief that the boy with the Keyblade was alright.
Kairi listened with delight and looked at him with such pride in her eyes. She cupped his face, and he instinctively leaned into her touch. “That's my Sora, always helping people everywhere he goes.”
The people of Quadratum thanked him for the first time by name. She had no idea how much that meant to him. Or maybe she did. She smiled and caressed his cheek with her thumb, and it took everything in him not to kiss her right then and there.
But not here. Not with all these other people watching.
Presently, Riku and Strelitzia rejoined them. They had dealt with the Heartless and secured the area while he was asleep, apparently. Together they carried some very dilapidated shopping bags. Sora wondered if any of Kairi's gifts had survived the ordeal intact, then remembered the ring at least was still in his pocket.
“Look who finally decided to wake up,” Riku said with a smile, like Sora had just fallen asleep for a quick snooze on the beach. He set his bags down on the sidewalk and gave Sora a hug. Sora hugged him back, relieved he and Strelitzia were both okay.
“I know we sort of met earlier,” Strelitzia said to Kairi as she set her bags down, “but I wanted to introduce myself properly. I'm Strelitzia, and I couldn't wait to meet you. Sora and Riku have had nothing but good things to say about you.”
She offered her hand, and Kairi shook it. On Destiny Islands, people introduced themselves with bows, but where Strelitzia was from, it was different.
“It's nice to meet you, too, Strelitzia,” Kairi replied. “Thank you so much for watching out for them. Sora told me about you and how you were his first friend here. I know he was really lonely without us, so that means the worlds to me.”
Strelitzia shook her head. “I was lonely too. If anything, he and Riku helped me.”
Kairi smiled. “I’m glad they did.” She looked at Sora and Riku with so much pride in her eyes, and Sora thought he would melt into a puddle on the pavement.
“Why don't you guys go back to Sora's place and take the bags with you?” Riku suggested. “Strelitzia and I will finish things up here and be in touch later.”
As Kairi turned to look at Sora, Riku gave him a quick wink. Not only was he the best friend, he was the best wingman.
“Yeah, that sounds great!” Sora said, maybe just a little bit too enthusiastically.
Kairi's cheeks turned pink. “Thank you. See you guys soon.”
With that they gathered up the bags and made their way to Shibuya Station.
“What's in these bags, anyway?” Kairi said once they were safely settled onto a subway car. She peered inside one of the ones she was holding.
“Gifts,” he said with a smile.
“For?”
"You,” he said. “We knew you were coming, and I wanted to get you something. I didn't really get to buy you anything before I disappeared, and I wanted to make it up to you.”
Her lips parted, then she smiled at him with so much affection in her eyes.
“Go ahead, look at them if you want,” he gently urged.
“I'll wait until we're at your place.”
His place. He was trembling with excitement at the thought of being alone with her. All the things they could do, all the experiences he wanted to share with her…
The rest of the subway ride seemed to take forever, and he was practically bouncing off the walls by the time they disembarked. Then there was still the walk back to his place, and he kept having to slow himself down so he didn't overtake her in his eagerness to reach their destination. She took in their surroundings out of curiosity, but she kept looking at him and smiling and biting her lip.
At last they were in the apartment building, and then going up the elevator to the right floor, and then finally he was fumbling with his key. His hands shook so much it took him several attempts to get the key in the lock and turn it. He pushed open the door and held his arm out.
"Welcome home, Kairi.”
She turned to him and smiled. “I’m home.” Because home wasn't a place so much as it was a person, and they were each other's homes. So long as they were together, they could make anywhere a home.
They took their shoes off, then stepped up into the apartment. Kairi took it all in—the couch, the kotatsu and TV on its stand, his cozy little kitchen. He took her bags from her and set them by the couch.
She noticed his balcony and asked to go out on it. He rushed to slide the doors open, and she walked out and stared in wonder at the huge city that unfolded below them. It was dark now, and the lights from all the buildings made everything seem so vibrant and alive. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and just held her, his eyes fluttering shut. She rested her hands over his and sighed happily.
“The view is fantastic,” she said presently. “There must be so much to see and do here.”
“There is. Anything you want or want to do, just say the word. Your wish is my command.”
She turned to look at him. “Anything I want?”
He nodded. “Anything.” He truly meant it. She had saved him, and he wanted to express the love and gratitude in his heart.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled shyly. “Then, in that case…Could we fly? I'd love to see the city from above, and I want to see the stars in this realm. It's hard to see them with all the city lights.”
He gently wove their fingers together, and they said “One Heart” in unison. He felt the wing sprouting from his back as he watched her wing sprout from hers. Their wings were even larger and more beautiful than he remembered. Maybe because they were a year older and had even more precious memories of each other.
The wings glowed softly in the night, and he thought Kairi looked like an angel.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “This is really happening! I haven't been able to fly since the day we—”
“Me either,” he said softly. Because she was his other half, his soulmate he needed to soar. Without her, he couldn't fly.
She looked at him, suddenly serious. “Sora—”
“It's you or nobody, Kairi.” He'd made up his mind the moment they’d shared the paopu fruit, and losing her had only reinforced his conviction.
She ducked her head and smiled. “I feel the same way about you.”
They flapped their wings, and their feet left the balcony. No matter how many times they did this, it was exhilarating every time. Plus, this would be a brand new view of Quadratum for him, too.
They swooped and soared, steadily climbing higher and higher. The buildings became like models, the vehicles like toy cars. The view of the city from up here was incredible. He and Kairi flew all over the place so he could show her so many of its important landmarks—the Quadratum Skytree, Ueno Park, the Quadratum Tower, the Imperial Palace and Gardens, the Rainbow Bridge with its nightly illumination—but really, he did it so he could see the delight in her eyes, the smile on her face, the wonder in her expression. So he could hear her happy giggles and squeals of excitement and awed “wows.”
“Sora, you aren't even looking at the scenery right now!” she playfully scolded from their current perch on top of the Rainbow Bridge as they finished their ice cream. “There's a giant robot over on that island that you haven't even noticed.”
He rested his cheek on his free hand. “But everything I want to see is right beside me.”
She blushed and ducked her head, and he beamed at her because he really, truly meant it. Nothing in any realm compared to her. He could stare at her for hours if she would let him.
She bit her lip as if she were steeling herself for something. Then she shyly reached for his other hand and lifted them to their feet.
“Come with me,” she said, the wind whipping her hair around and a playful spark in her eyes.
He tilted his head. “Where are we going?”
“You'll see,” she said, then fell off the edge. He went hurtling after her, and at the last possible second they extended their wings and skimmed over the bay, their wings brushing against the water and splashing them with spray. Then they climbed higher and higher, till the city was far below them and the stars twinkled brilliantly above them.
This reminded Sora of the first time he and Kairi had used One Heart together. The beautiful night sky, their brilliant wings glowing with light, the shimmering stars all around them. He turned to face her just as she faced him.
She bit her lip again in that adorably shy way, then wrapped her arms around his neck. His heartbeat thundered in his ears and his mouth went dry. This was happening, it was really happening. His arms went around her waist and brought her to him, and she gasped softly. He leaned closer, closer. The anticipation was killing him, and he knew he would remember this moment for the rest of his life. The look in her eyes, the breeze blowing through her hair, the soft pink of her lips, their wings keeping them aloft and the stars dancing around them.
He tilted his head, his eyes fluttering shut, and their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss. He was giddy and weak and strong all at the same time. All because of her. They briefly broke apart to smile shyly at each other, then kissed again and again and again, each kiss growing more and more passionate. He felt like he was falling once more, falling more and more deeply in love with her.
No, it was more like soaring with her by his side. It was the most incredible feeling he had ever felt, and it made all the tears and heartache leading up to this moment worth it. His heart became ever more deeply intertwined with hers with each tender kiss, each longing touch, each gentle caress.
He knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too. As they finally let themselves fall back to earth, still embracing because they couldn't bear to be apart, he just gazed at her, drinking her in. She had a soft, contented smile on her face, and she gazed back at him.
They carefully alighted on his balcony, and as soon as their wings disappeared into a shower of glowing feathers, they looked at each other. A smile twitched at his lips, and she giggled into her hand and playfully pulled him inside.
Every second that followed was truly precious, every moment a treasured memory joining the trove already inside his heart.
He was glad to be alive.
Kairi woke up the next morning unsure of where she was at first. Sunlight streamed through a nearby window, and she was lying on a futon with a blanket carefully draped over her. A dresser was near the bed, and on the dresser she spotted a lucky charm.
Her lucky charm.
It had worked. It had really worked. She’d made it to Quadratum. To Sora. She smiled, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Yesterday hadn't been a dream, then. It was real.
She spied a change of clothes carefully laid out for her by his closet. They looked brand new and must've been part of the gifts he had gotten her. He'd chosen well—a cute pink blouse, a black miniskirt with ruffles, long boots, thigh high socks, and even some matching jewelry. She put everything on besides the boots and emerged from his room.
He was in the kitchen, making breakfast for them both. She quietly watched him for a few moments. It was so sweet and thoughtful of him to do this for her. He was scooping rice into bowls from his rice cooker when he looked up at her. A big smile spread across his face and made his eyes light up.
“Good morning,” he said. The joy and love on his face made her insides turn to mush.
“Good morning.” She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for the new clothes. I love them.”
“I'm glad they fit. Riku and Strelitzia helped me figure out the right sizes.”
“Well, you all did great. It was really thoughtful of you.”
He looked very pleased at her praise. She washed her hands and helped him finish making breakfast. They ate at his kotatsu, a feast that consisted of miso soup, steamed rice, salted salmon, roasted seaweed, tamagoyaki, and pickled daikon and cucumbers, plus green tea.
“Sora, these recipes…” They were so much like the ones she used to make him. Especially the tamagoyaki. He had even used sugar in it like she always did. “You remembered?”
He smiled. “Yeah, I did. I really missed your cooking. Making your recipes helped me feel closer to you.”
“I'm glad.” She gently squeezed his hand, and they continued their breakfast. When they were through, she popped up to wash the dishes while he dried them. A quick text with Riku and Strelitzia confirmed they would meet up with them for lunch. But while she was finishing up the dishes, Sora surprised her by wrapping his arms around her, giving her a loving peck on the cheek, then resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Thank you again for saving me, and thank you for last night,” he murmured. She nearly dropped the bowl she was holding, a hot blush blooming across her face. Last night had been pretty wonderful. That magical date flying across the city, their kiss amongst the stars, and everything that had followed.
Those memories were ones she would treasure always.
“Thank you,” she said softly, setting down the bowl so she could kiss his cheek and rest her hands over his.
He sighed in contentment. “Forget about the dishes for now, I have something I need to show you.” He gently grasped her hand and led her to the balcony, and she wondered what he possibly had in mind. She had already seen the city, though the sun rising over the horizon and the people getting ready for a new day were a lovely sight.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.
“Sora?” she asked, her voice trembling because she couldn't really believe what was happening. For her, just being with him was enough. She didn't expect more, not yet, not till she had safely brought him home—
“I know we're too young to get married, and we already shared the paopu fruit, which somehow feels more serious than marriage anyway,” he continued, earning a chuckle from her, “but I wanted to give you something that shows how serious I am about you.” He opened the box, and inside was a beautiful silver ring with a pink gem cut in the shape of a lotus flower.
“Oh, Sora, it's beautiful.” It was gorgeous and would match her jewelry perfectly.
He smiled and got down on one knee, and her head spun. “Kairi, no matter where our journeys take us, I'll always come home to you, I swear. Will you wear this as a sign of my promise? I carry your lucky charm around with me all the time, but I wanted you to have something, too.”
She wiped her teary eyes. "Yes.” With trembling fingers she reached into the box and slipped the ring on her hand. The pink gemstone caught the sun’s morning rays, and she smiled through her tears. He was crying now too, tender tears of joy, and she embraced him. He wrapped his arms around her too, melting into her touch like he couldn't get enough of her hugs.
“We'll go home together,” she promised him. She wasn't sure how yet, but today was a new beginning. They had both been broken by what life and fate had thrown at them, but together they were lining the pieces up and making something new and beautiful.
They sealed their promise with a kiss, ready to face whatever the future had in store for them.