Chapter: Papufruit

I looked for and found Sora. Here we were now facing each other. It was probably my only chance to sort it out without a hitch, but I didn't have much time to choose my words wisely. So I would have to improvise and hope that what I was doing was right.
"Sora ..." I started, but got no further. There was a huge lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow that easily.
"What's up?" He asked.
"I ... I have to explain something to you!" It came from me.
"What to explain?"
"Just everything! I don't know where or how to start ..." That was true. Besides, I didn't really dare. I was terrified of saying the wrong thing or of embarrassing myself. Sora looked at me expecting me to continue. I bowed my head slightly. What should I say?
"Well, because of Riku ..." I continued.
"What about him?" Sora burst out with a slightly defiant undertone.
"You said I should share a Papu with him ...""And?" Said Sora. Clearly a bit too sharp. I winced slightly and realized that I was doing exactly what I definitely didn't want to achieve. I had to change that quickly.
"But I don't want to share a Papu with him," I heard myself say and looked into his eyes to show him that it was nothing but the truth. Sora looked at me with wide eyes.
"But ... but I thought ... that you ... and he ...", Sora stuttered to herself.
I shook my head hastily: "I don't know what Riku is thinking, but I don't love him .... I ... would like to share this Papu ..... with another person ..." I couldn't grasp. The last part just came out without my even thinking about it. Besides, I immediately regretted it.
"Oh," Sora looked depressed and looked to the side. Oh no! He must have thought that while I wasn't in love with Riku, I wasn't in love with him either! Sora was the person I really wanted to share a Papu with! What should I do?What if he wasn't in love with me and I misinterpreted everything? Would I then destroy our friendship? I was balancing on a very shaky rope. And it was all or nothing!
"Sora, can you promise me that we will stay friends, no matter what I say?" Without noticing it, I looked at him half desperately, half pleadingly. Sora seemed to be thinking. Did he think he couldn't keep the promise?
When he nodded, a load fell from my heart. "Okay, I promise."
I smiled. Then I looked at the floor, embarrassed. There was no way I could tell how I felt about him. I didn't have the courage to do that. But I should have thought about that earlier, since I've gone too far. I swallowed audibly.
"So ... I ..." it felt more like a croak than speaking. It didn't work like that. I put a hand in my pocket and took out the papu fruit that Sora had given me. Then I pressed it into his hand without being able to look at him.Sora looked surprised and confused at the same time.
"Kairi ..."
"I ... II would like to share this papu with you, Sora ..." I whispered.
"With ... me ...?" He sounded incredulous. I nodded slightly. Then there was silence. Sora broke the papu in two and gave me one half. We looked at each other smiling. And ate our papus. I felt like the happiest person in the world. Now our fates were linked.

Since we had shared the Papu there has been an embarrassed but not uncomfortable silence. Sora and I sat together in the sand. He was holding my hand and it made me feel tingly in my stomach. My eyes were closed, which made me more than aware of his presence. When I felt something caress my cheeks, I opened my eyes again and a pleasant warmth spread inside me. I looked into Sora's sky-blue eyes and sank into them like in a sea. The intensity of his gaze brought a slight red tinge to my cheeks.Then he slowly came closer to my face ...
"Sora, Kairi! I'm sorry if we disturb you with something, but how about we go back by boat?", Tidus suddenly shouted. Sora and I drove apart and were redder than any tomato would ever be. Then we got up almost at the same time.
"L-let's go back!", I said. "Sure, of course we're going back immediately!" I heard Sora say. He took my hand in his and smiled at me. I smiled back. Hand in hand we walked to the boat, sat down, and noticed Tidus and Wakka's questioning looks, which made us blush. We didn't speak, but the looks Sora and I kept giving each other were probably more than enough answer.