1055 words. Sora/Kairi. Post-Canon. Sora POV. Romance, Fluff, Sappiness. For SoKai Day 2022: Island Wedding.
Summary: Sora whisks Kairi away from their wedding reception and takes her to the Play Island for a private ceremony, just the two of them.
Warning: the level of fluff and sappiness might cause toothaches because there’s no way Sora wouldn’t be a complete sap on his wedding day.
The sun sank low over the horizon, setting the beach of the Main Island afire with golden light. The sky and sea met in perfect harmony, blending together to the point Sora couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. Like the whole world was celebrating how he and Kairi were married now.
Married. Really, truly married. He’d thought this day would never come. They’d been through so much, too much, and yet this was real. She was real. The rings on their fingers were real. The vows they’d exchanged in front of all their family and friends were real.
“So, would my husband like to tell me why he stole me away from our wedding reception?” Kairi asked, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
Sora glanced at her and returned the smile, his heart fluttering at the title only she could ever call him. Only she would ever call him. A word with so much history, used by so many people stretching back, back, back in time to when marriage was first invented, when a word was needed for this role he’d just assumed. A role he took seriously, a role he was determined to see through “till death do us part” and beyond. To protect her, cherish her, love her, provide for her. Be there for her through thick and thin, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.
A role he wanted to fulfill with all his heart: that of Kairi’s husband, just as she was his wife.
“So we could have a private ceremony of our own,” he explained as he led her to the docks. “Away from all the crowds, just the two of us.”
“You are such a romantic sap,” she teased, her eyes sparkling. “One ceremony wasn’t enough?”
“Nope, and while I might be a romantic sap, I’m your romantic sap,” he said proudly.
“That’s right,” she said, her eyes softening, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. “I still can’t believe this is real, you know? That we’re finally married. That I’m your wife.”
“My wife,” he echoed, the tenderness in his voice betraying how much that title meant to him too. To be able to call Kairi that, to be the only one in the worlds who could, and all because she wanted this, wanted him—
It made his head spin and his heart slam against the walls of his chest, over and over again, pounding out a joyful rhythm.
He helped her into his boat and then grabbed the oars. He was in his reception tux, sure, but that didn’t really matter. Rowing was a lot easier than if he’d been wearing his wedding attire, a black haori that was like an overcoat with his family’s crown crest on it plus the traditional hakama to accompany it.
Kairi likewise was decked out in her second outfit of the day, a radiant blue dress that made her look like the sea she was named for. For the wedding ceremony she’d worn an iro-uchikake, a colorful red and orange wedding kimono with special embroidered flower designs in gold silk, but for the reception she’d changed into this gorgeous evening gown that shimmered with every move she made. Her hair hung loose as the evening breeze teased it, and he just stared at her, mesmerized, as he rowed them to the Play Island.
“What?” she said softly.
“You’re beautiful.”
A flush of color dusted her cheeks. “Thank you.” She rested her hand on her cheek and sighed.
“What is it?”
“You’re very handsome,” she replied, and he smiled, a big, lovesick smile that he could show her freely now that they were alone, now that they’d stolen away on this rickety little boat to have a moment to themselves.
Once they landed on the shores of the Play Island, the stars began to come out. Twinkling in the sky like brilliant diamonds, each one a world with people and stories and histories, laughter and tears and joys. Much like Destiny Islands had its own stories, including his story and Kairi’s story and their shared story which hit such a big milestone today but had begun so long ago.
Would people tell their story? Would they share it with their children and their children’s children till it became a legend like the legends he and Kairi had grown up hearing on Destiny Islands? All those stories contained some element of truth. Based on the lives of real people, only the specifics had been lost to time and the gaps filled in with fantastical details.
If their story was passed on like that, the truth of their love would prevail, he was sure of it. How they’d endured so much to be together but how love had conquered all in the end. And as he led Kairi to the paopu tree, he knew it was all worth it. Being with her was worth it. All the blood and sweat and tears, all the pain and suffering and separations. All of that faded away in light of her radiance. Her love for him and his love for her brought out their truest selves and drove them to be the best they could be, and that was why he wanted to seal their vows one more time.
“Here,” he said once they were seated on the paopu tree, handing her the yellow star-shaped fruit. Casual and sudden because she’d handed him the paopu so casually and suddenly all those years ago. Playful and perfectly serious at the same time.
He took his piece and said, “With this fruit I offer you my heart. My love, my light, may we never be apart.”
She smiled and repeated the vow. “With this fruit I offer you my heart. My love, my light, may we never be apart.”
They fed each other the fruit to fulfill the vow, to marry the spiritual to the physical, the intangible to the tangible. There were no witnesses but the stars above, no noises save the waves crashing against the shore. Just the two of them enjoying the moment together as husband and wife.
And as Kairi smiled at him and he smiled at her, Sora couldn’t think of a better way to start their marriage.
A/N: Happy SoKai Day! It’s been a while since I’ve written something this fluffy, but it was really nice, you know? Like treating myself to some cotton candy.
I based the descriptions of Sora and Kairi's wedding attire on thebeestfemale's beautiful promo art for the event. Please check out her other work as well!
