~2235 words. Sora/Kairi. Starts during the end of KH3 and moves into KH4. Sora POV. Angst, Romance, Fluff.
This story is dedicated to @tamtam88, and the art is by her as well! Thank you again for drawing such a beautiful piece and providing such wonderful inspiration 🥺 ❤️
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2
Summary: Sora and Kairi make their final stop on their world tour: home. Before he disappears, he gives her a special gift to remember him by, a paopu hair clip with a deeper connection to his memories than either of them realize.
Sora had taken Kairi to lots of worlds. All the things he wanted to see and do with her, all the experiences he wanted to share before he was gone. But he couldn’t delay the inevitable forever, and so at long last he took her to the one place he both loved and dreaded. He sensed Destiny Islands before he saw it: the sea-salt lingering in the air, the hot tropical sun beating down on his skin, the crash of the surf nearby.
“Oh, we’re home,” Kairi noted as they fully materialized, a tinge of sadness in her voice. She glanced at their surroundings. They were on the Main Island a little ways away from the Town Square, hidden behind a few scraggly bushes. The din of the yearly Ocean Festival drifted to their ears, and the smells of fried festival food, sweet candied fruit, and slow-cooked fish wafted towards them.
She released his hand and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Does this mean…?”
He fumbled with the zipper on his jacket. “Yeah. I don’t know how much longer I have. But I promise I’ll make it through the festival and then to the Play Island. Everyone’s waiting for us.”
He was fighting fate every second just to stay a little bit longer. To remain just a little further into the future. And while he was fighting a losing battle, he still felt like he’d won. Being with Kairi was his personal triumph, his “reward” as Xigbar had so crudely put it.
Kairi wasn’t a reward, she was his most beloved person. And being with her? No reward could possibly compare. So fate would just have to wait a little longer until he was ready to say goodbye.
He looked at her and knew he never would be.
A few moments passed like this until at last she met his gaze and smiled. “Then I promise I’ll be brave until then.”
“Kairi…” There were tears behind that smile, an ocean of pain behind those big blue eyes. Her voice might be playful and lilting, but only so she could hide the tremor and terror in it.
She shook her head. “I can cry when you’re gone. But for now, I want to smile and enjoy the time we have left. What good is it if I spend the whole time you’re still here blubbering?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d like to be able to comfort you at least.” That was what a guy was supposed to do for the girl he was going out with, right? And he hated seeing Kairi cry. Especially when it was all his fault. He wanted to fix things, not make them worse.
She hummed softly, then clasped her hands behind her back in that playful Kairi way he loved. “Then let’s make some memories now that will comfort me later.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
She found his hand, and he still felt giddy holding her hand like this. It was so small and soft and gentle, so warm and reassuring. He’d even dreamed about this, and now that his dream was a reality, he couldn’t get enough of it.
She led him to the Ocean Festival, to the nearest food stall. A cute little octopus mascot advertised the takoyaki for sale, and he treated them both to a set of the fried octopus treat. The breaded part was nice and hot, and the octopus was fresh and delicious, just the way he liked it. They thanked the stall owner (an old family friend) before settling down at a picnic table with a checkered tablecloth on it.
Kairi made it partway through her takoyaki when she frowned and set it down. “Sora, do you think this is your last meal?”
Yes. “I can’t say I really thought about it,” was all he said out loud.
Kairi’s lower lip trembled. “It is, isn’t it?”
Now he was the one who couldn’t meet her eyes. Her pain was like a dagger to his heart. If he said something now, he might really lose it.
“Well,” she continued, her voice chipper again, “it’ll just have to be the best last meal ever. To tide you over until you can eat with me again.”
He smiled softly at that. That was Kairi for you, talking about when they would eat together again, not if. She’d never been one to let fate get in the way of what she wanted. He wished he could follow his heart the way she followed hers. He tried, he really did, but he had his moments of doubt.
Like right now.
She was not so easily perturbed. She put her hands behind her back and tilted her head in that delightful Kairi way again, making her hair splash across her cheek. “Well?” she playfully prodded. “What do you say?”
“Sounds good. A big meal to tide me over until I can eat with you again.”
He was rewarded with one of her smiles. “We’re gonna try every single food stall then! Make sure you get all your old favorites!”
He laughed. “Alright, alright.” She pulled him to his feet, and together they picked up treats and goodies from every single food stall and returned to the trusty picnic table. She teased him and challenged him to eat every last crumb of food, which he did till he reached the point he couldn’t possibly eat another bite.
She poked his stomach and giggled. “You sure about that? Sometimes I think you have a bottomless pit for a stomach.”
“I’m a growing boy,” he said, mock seriously. “What did you expect? I’ve gotta get taller than Riku somehow.”
She stilled, and he wondered if he’d said something wrong. “Kairi?”
She smiled, whatever it was that was bothering her gone now. “You can eat all you want, but I don’t know if you’ll ever be taller than Riku.”
He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow, continuing their playful little game. “Wanna bet?”
She tapped her cheek and pretended to be deep in thought. “Hmmmm, I’ll bet you a date when we meet again.”
“Deal.” That was a bet he’d be happy to lose.
She rested her hand on her chin, her lips twitching. “But honestly, Sora, I don’t mind if you never grow any taller. You’re just the right size to make me feel perfectly safe when you hug me.”
His heart fluttered at that, and he felt his face burning. “Really?”
“Really really.”
“So…you like hugging me?”
She giggled into her hand. “I really, really do.”
He grinned. “I like hugging you too.”
“I’m glad you do.”
They just looked at each other for a few moments like they were the only two people in existence. Gosh, he was gonna miss her. He had no idea where he was even gonna disappear to, but so long as he was Sora he would long for Kairi, that much he knew.
“Kairi?” he asked, reaching for her hand so he could weave their fingers together.
She earnestly searched his face. “Yeah?”
“I, um, I…I…” He wanted to get the words out before he disappeared. Let her know what was in his heart before he was gone. It was the least he could do.
She smiled and shook her head. “Not yet. It’s not time.” She gently tugged at his hand. “C’mon, let’s go look at the trinkets.”
Once again, she led him to the stalls where old family friends were hawking their wares. A jewelry stall in particular caught his eye thanks to the little hair clip with a paopu fruit on display. Kairi was always tucking a strand of hair behind her ear because her hair tended to do its own thing when she moved around. Maybe this would be a nice gift for her.
He gave her some munny and told her to pick something out for herself from the clothing stall next door, which bought him time to make his purchase. She returned with a breezy tropical wrap that was varying shades of blue and captured the ocean’s hues perfectly. He complimented her choice and how nice it looked with her eyes, and she thanked him for the compliment and for the gift.
“So, mister,” she said as they strolled idly among the stalls, “what did you send me away for?”
“This.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pink box. “I know it’s just a little thing, but I want you to have something to remember me by until I come home. It’s only fair when I still have your lucky charm.” He opened the box and handed her the paopu hair clip, and his hand flickered in and out of existence. Kairi’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she smiled and took the gift from him.
“It’s so pretty, thank you.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Could you help me put it on?”
“Sure.” He reached for the hair clip, his fingers trembling a little as he grasped it and undid the clasp. Very carefully, he lifted it and caught a slender lock of her hair, then gently clicked the hair clip into place. Smiling, he took a step back and examined his handiwork. “Kairi, you look beautiful.”
A faint blush dusted her cheeks, and then she smiled so freely and so warmly and so openly that it caught him completely by surprise. Heat crept up his cheeks, and his heart pounded. Was she always this beautiful, or had his feelings for her made her even lovelier to him? Either way, this memory would be etched into his heart forever. She’d asked him to make memories with her that would comfort her later, but he was pretty sure this moment would be a comfort to him too.
“Thank you, Sora,” she said sweetly, then rested a hand over her heart. “I’ll wear it when I come for you.”
He tilted his head. “When you come for me?”
She nodded. “When I come for you. I don’t care how long it takes. I will find you and I’ll bring you home.”
He smiled. That sure was like Kairi, turning his declaration of protection on its head, telling him she’d come for him this time.
“Thank you, Kairi.” He reached for her hand, and together they enjoyed the rest of the festival. He never wanted this to end, but his time was growing short. He wanted to say goodbye to his parents before they went to the Play Island, and so she went with him for moral support. She was there, waiting patiently in the room a polite distance away, when he broke the news of his fate. And she stayed with him as he and his mother and father wept and embraced. He told them he’d be back soon, and he begged them to look after Kairi until then.
“We will,” his parents promised, and she smiled and nodded. He wanted to ask Riku to watch over her too, but he knew his friend already understood.
At last it was time to go to the Play Island. He simply opened a portal, and together he and Kairi went through it, reappearing at the paopu tree.
The sun was sinking low in the sky. Soon it would be dusk, and then all the light would be gone. His life would be gone too, and with it his time with Kairi.
He was determined not to cry. Their friends were celebrating just a little ways away, and he wanted these final moments with Kairi to be happy ones.
Together they sat on the paopu tree, and he smiled fondly remembering her boldness when she’d offered him the fruit. That boldness, that complete fearlessness in following her heart, had saved him. Had saved her too.
He offered his hand, and she took it. He wanted to hold her as close as could be, but he couldn’t do that and look her in the eye or see her beautiful smile. So this was a good compromise. And besides, he wanted to watch the sunset with her, hand-in-hand, side-by-side. Just taking in every precious moment. Home was here and home was her, and soon this would all be nothing more than a memory.
The clouds passed and the sun sank lower and lower in the sky, setting the entire world on fire with its golden light.
It was time. He smiled and gently squeezed her hand. “I love you,” he said. Funny how three simple words could express an eternity’s worth of feelings from deep within his heart. It felt so good to say them too, to share them with the person who meant more to him than anything.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted, as if his words had come as a surprise. But no, she wasn’t surprised, just overwhelmed. A single tear welled up out of her eye and ran down her cheek, shining brilliantly in the sunset. She smiled bigger than ever, so happy and sad at the same time.
Oh no, he’d made her cry. He hadn’t wanted to make her cry. But she’d been so brave for so long that she couldn’t help it. And that was okay. It was okay to cry. He just wanted to go out with a smile.
And so he did. As he faded from this reality, her smiling face was the final thing he saw.
A/N: Thank you all for reading! And a big thank you to Tam for collaborating with me ❤️ She provided the story idea and drew the art piece that inspired the moment where Kairi smiles and Sora is just blown away 🥺 ❤️ And then some of her other art inspired moments in the next chapter which will be posted tomorrow for Valentine’s Day 👀 ✨
I had a lot of fun working on this one and I hope you all enjoyed ❤️ See you tomorrow!
If what Sora whispered to Kairi at the end of KH3 were their parting words from KH1 (seeing as the secret ending has him saying the opening lines of that game), then it's only logical that their reunion in KH4 could be their exchange from KH2's ending.
Heck, how about variations of KH1 and KH2's ending dialogues at the end of KH3 and KH4 respectively? It'd be the perfect callback.
End of KH3 (maybe we hear this in a flashback in future):
Kairi: Come back to me. Promise?
Sora: You know I will.
End of KH4:
Kairi: You're back!
Sora: I'm home.
Imagine in KH4, Sora waking from a dream of the moment just before he faded away in which the viewer hears his and Kairi's parting words. That would be heartbreaking. It would just further drive the fact home that he's painfully aware he may never see her again, let alone Riku, his friends and the island.
