It's love. It feels like this.

Love

It feels like this: there's a fluttery, warm feeling in your chest and no matter what you do you can't keep the smile away. If you're new to the feeling, chances are you'll be blushing too. Don't worry about that, it's quite cute. It's likely she blushes when she thinks of you.

You reach up and grab the clothes over your chest, clutching them as though they were the heart that makes you feel this way. Your breath catches, shuddering out of you. You're nowhere near her, but all you can see is her face because she's the one you love the most. Maybe you'll feel like giggling. Maybe you'll be the kind of person who wants to sing. Something will come out of you. Generally you'll be so full of feeling some of it will bubble out of you.

It came out of Sora the day he sat in the shaded Secret Place, a piece of chalk in his hand as he etched on the wall. He'd been feeling this way ever since Riku had thrown that Paopu at him last night. He'd barely been able to meet Kairi's eyes to bid her goodnight. His mother checked for fever after he had pushed his food around his plate rather than scoffing the lot in a matter of minutes. He'd tossed and turned in bed that night, unable to switch his mind off.

After you've managed to calm down all the joyous energy, some nervousness may creep in. Your stomach might flop over a few times or you'll suddenly feel cold. Maybe you'll feel breathless again, but this time it won't feel nice like before, it'll feel like there's a chasm at your feet and if you admit to the one you love how you feel, you're going to tip over the edge and never stop falling. Because right now, at this moment, you can't imagine your life if she says 'no, I don't love you like that. I'm sorry.' There is no one else for you. But what if she doesn't feel the same?

But she does, doesn't she?

You get to the point when you think 'yes, I'll tell her now' but that pit of anguish holds your tongue. You think, 'not today, tomorrow maybe' but tomorrow is suddenly today and nothing comes of it. So you wait for another tomorrow, the tomorrow when the abyss doesn't terrify you. You think, 'one day she'll give me a sign that she loves me too'.

And there it was, a hand offering a Paopu to the picture of a little girl. Sora leaned back and regarded his artwork.

Maybe he shouldn't have done it. There was no way she'd never see it.

Or maybe…

And that's another thing you'll always do – imagine the perfect times together. But they are waiting in tomorrow.

He didn't know he was running out of tomorrows.