Chapter Text
Kairi paced outside the administration building, a colorful bouquet of balloons lazily following her every turn. If Sora passed his exam today, he would finally be done with his alternative secondary schooling. He had been working so hard on it over the past year, she was hoping for his sake it would finally be over with. The sound of a door latch broke her from her thoughts.
Sora walked out the door, face beaming when he saw her standing there.
“Kairi!” he shouted, rushing her into a smothering hug, “What is all of this? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to be the first to congratulate you once you found out you got your certificate,” she hummed, her face quickly becoming mischievous, “You did pass didn’t you? I’d hate to have to return these balloons.”
“I sure did!” Sora grinned, releasing her to reveal the golden envelope in his hand. “I just need to drop off this copy to the island’s legal office so they have one on file.”
“Well let’s get going then,” she grinned in return, carefully tying the balloon strings around Sora’s wrist.
Together the two set off down the street in high spirits. Sora couldn’t wait to share the news with the others that he’d be joining them on missions regularly again soon.
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Sora and Kairi reached Sora’s house a short while later. To his slight disappointment, Riku hadn’t been home. He had been hoping to share the good news with him in person.
However, Sora’s disappointment was short lived. Making his way through the door, he was startled by a very loud shout.
“Surprise!” Riku and Roxas sang loudly.
Sora couldn’t contain his laughter at the scene before him. The silverette and blond before him were a mess; blotchy colored frosting smudges covered their faces and arms. Both still were wearing equally messy aprons around their necks. In their hands they held a cake platter with the goofiest cake Sora had ever seen.
The cake was chaotic, and therefore the perfect visualization of Riku and Roxas’s ability to operate on a single braincell together. Riku’s side was coated in red frosting with a white trim border that he could only guess were meant to be shaped as stars. In contast, Roxas’s side was slathered in blue frosting with a matching white trim border, except in the shape of… something? Sora wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be. Scrawled on the top of the warring frosting colors on the top of the cake read the words, ‘Congrats Sora!’
“You guys! Thank you!” Sora laughed, “The cake is really… creative! I love it!”
“It would’ve been better had SOMEONE,” Riku cast Roxas a challenging smirk, “Remembered that your favorite color was red.”
“ACTUALLY,” Roxas retorted back, giving Riku an equally challenging grin in return, “It was someone ELSE who clearly forgot your favorite color was blue.”
Sora looked at the cake once more. Red and blue together like that… why did that feel so familiar? A flashback to Quadratum hit him— the menacing Yozora was staring him down with his oddly colored eyes. Sora let out a nervous laugh, shaking the memory away.
Riku and Roxas looked at him with anticipation. “Well actually…” Sora began, “Neither of those colors are my favorite anymore.” And for good reason, Sora thought to himself.
“What,” Riku said flatly in disbelief.
“You’re kidding. What’s your favorite color then?” Roxas asked, clearly upset he lost his personal challenge against the silverette.
Sora paused for a moment. He hadn’t been prepared for this. “U-uhm, I guess I’d have to say I’m a pretty big fan of orange right now.”
“Since when?!” Riku’s voice squeaked, the unusually high pitch making Kairi giggle.
“Damn, I can’t believe we messed up this bad,” Roxas dramatically groaned, taking the cake back to the counter in the kitchen.
Riku followed, still talking in a higher pitched voice to drive Kairi into a full-fledged laughing fit.
Sora smiled. He had grown to cherish moments like these. He knew they couldn’t always be together like this, but he would make the most out of every opportunity he got. Walking into the messy kitchen, Sora carefully cut a piece of cake from the side where the frostings met to ensure he got a piece of equal parts of red and blue.
“Thank you again guys,” he beamed, “This is perfect, and absolutely unforgettable in more ways than one.”
Laugher filled the kitchen as they dug into the cake in celebration. To Roxas’s feigned disdain, Riku promised the two would clean up the kitchen once they were done.
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Sora knew he had been right from the start; things had changed, and they would keep changing as time progressed. That was how life worked after all. However, he understood now that maybe it had been for the better all along.