kh_drabble | [176] Him and Her

Challenge: [176] Very Important Person
Title: Just Him and Her
Word Count: 399
Author's Notes: Haven't posted here in far too long! Hope you enjoy

It’s a routine for them now

He hands her the brush and rubber band, sitting cross-legged while she settles herself behind him on the sofa. Even though he’s already brushed his hair, she smooths it out, catching a few tangles he missed, careful to not pull too hard. Then she divides it into three equal sections, small hands weaving them together to form a thick, silver braid, using the rubber band to secure it at the end.

It was her idea.

She’d found him trying to do something with his hair to keep it out of the way during the summer. If it had been any of the others, he probably never would have heard the end of it, but Kairi had just offered to help by braiding it for him. He’d protested at first--if he could save the worlds, he could deal with this. Unfortunately she’d had little patience with what she referred to as “silly male ego,” and he’d been forced to give in (he had always been weak where she was concerned). And it wasn’t like he’d have accepted the offer from anyone else.

It’s taken some practice.

Kairi barely knew how to braid from practicing on dolls when they were much younger. Even if he was better than Sora at sitting still for long periods of time, he wasn’t used to doing so while someone messed with his hair. At first the braids had been messy and uneven, despite all the time and care Kairi put into them.

They’d laughed a lot then, him gently teasing her as she tried to fix her mistakes. For her part, she’d never seemed to mind that it took a few tries to get something they were satisfied with, chattering while she worked about what they might do that day, or telling him what had happened during the time he’d been gone. And if her hands slipped, or were a bit shaky, they just laughed it off and tried again.

Now she’s quieter, more steady. Her hands don’t slip, and she rarely speaks after saying a cheerful, if sleepy, good morning. And that’s okay. Soon enough, Sora will wake up and there’ll be enough talking as they make breakfast and discuss plans for the day.

For this small time each morning, though, it’s just him and her.