You're My Xion
Xion sat atop the clock tower, watching the train pass in the distance. In her left hand was a sea-salt ice cream pop, the melting blue ice trickling down the popsicle stick and getting on her glove. Her right hand was placed over her chest where her heart would have been if it existed. A sigh escaped her lips as she realized her two best friends probably weren't going to show up. She was alone, which meant those voices would return.
"You're useless," Saix's voice rang through her head.
"You're nothing but a replica, Poppet," Xigbar's voice sneered.
"Are you crazy? Roxas couldn't love you! First of all, Nobodies can't love, and second of all, you're a part of him!"
"If Nobodies could love, Roxas would love Axel."
Xion lowered her head as that thought passed through her head. "They…they have been hanging out a lot together," she choked, tears starting to stream down her cheeks. "What if the others are right?"
Then another nasty voice came into her mind. She wasn't exactly sure whose voice it was, but it certainly wasn't friendly.
"You're not a girl! You're a boy! You have a penis!"
Xion let out a sniffle and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "I'm not a boy…I'm a girl," she whimpered.
"I hate you! I wish you'd die!"
That's it. Xion had had enough. She threw her ice cream down onto the concrete behind her and buried her face in her hands. "No one wants me…" she sobbed. "I should just leave!"
"Axel and Roxas lo…" A voice began.
Xion cried harder. She flew up out of her seated position and headed for the stairs down. Tears blurred her vision; she could barely see where she was going. "I have to get away!" she cried. "I have to – OOF!" She was cut short by the impact. She had run into something – someone, actually.
"Xion!" a voice exclaimed. It was Roxas.
Xion tried to move past him but he held her shoulders firmly.
"I'm sorry I'm late Xion," Roxas apologized, confusion in his voice. "But what's all this? Why are you crying?"
Xion looked up at him, her blue eyes miserable and damp. She let out another sniffle and then turned her face away. "Please Roxas…just let me go," she breathed.
"Why should I?" he asked, his eyebrows creasing. "You're my friend and you're hurt! I'm not going to just abandon you!"
Number XIV sniffed again and stood there silent for a moment. "Please…" she finally whispered. "I don't want to ruin your life anymore…"
Roxas couldn't believe what she was saying. All this time they had best friends – as close as could be. He was even closer to her than he was to Axel. Collecting seashells off the beach, enjoying sea salt ice cream together, pulling pranks on Xigbar, gazing at the stars each night. "Why…why would you say that?" he asked, sorrow in his eyes. "You're my best friend…you're not ruining my life."
Xion's mouth opened, salty tears running in and colliding with her taste buds. "I…I…"
"Axel~"
"You have Axel!" she said coldly, turning her head away. "So you don't need me."
At those words, Roxas felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He didn't think he could take this standing up anymore. He took Xion and led her to the edge and they both sat down. He gazed into her eyes, his hands still on her shoulders. "Xion…you're my best friend…please…don't push me away…" As Xion's gaze stayed fixed to the ground, more tears started to flow down her cheeks. Roxas noticed this and brought his hand to her face. "Let's dry that pretty face of yours," he said tenderly, wiping her cheeks.
"Roxas..." Xion whimpered pitifully. "It…it's not pretty. I'm just a replica. An imperfect replica."
Roxas placed his hand back on her shoulder and tightened his grip. "Imperfect is perfect."
To show her confusion, number XIV sniffled. "Huh?"
"Let me explain," the boy began, scooting a bit closer. "If you were considered a perfect replica, you'd look exactly like Sora. And you'd be a boy. Who wants another Sora running around?" He paused – but Xion did not speak – so he continued. "But because you're an imperfect replica, you're you. And that's exactly how I like you." He pulled her into an embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her body.
"But Roxas…" Xion protested, still in tears. "The voices in my head…they tell me you love Axel."
Roxas, who had been soothingly rubbing the girl's back, froze. "Love?" he asked, a weirded-out expression on his face. "Axel explained to me what love is…I like him as a friend but nothing more."
Xion brought her arms around his body and started to hug him. "So…those voices…they're lying?"
Number XIII nodded. "Yes. Those voices are filthy liars, Xion. Don't believe what they tell you," he told her firmly.
Xion rubbed her nose in his coat. "But even some members tell me I'm useless," she protested.
"Don't believe them," Roxas answered definitely, tightening his grip on her. "They're also liars."
The next few moments were silent. Xion was thinking about what Roxas had told her. Ignoring those voices wasn't going to be easy, but with Roxas she would have to strength to carry on. At length, she spoke.
"So where's Axel?" number XIV inquired.
"Dunno," Roxas answered.
"Didn't you have a mission with him?" Xion asked, confused.
Roxas shook his head. "Nope, his mission was with Larxene. Mine was with Luxord."
"Okay," she responded. Then her mind wandered again. "So…you mean I'm not useless?"
"Of course not!" Roxas exclaimed. He brought her even closer to him – she was practically in his lap. "You're my Xion. And I love you."
Xion froze. Had she heard correctly? She knew that if she had a heart, it'd be racing. Her face suddenly grew very warm as she separated from him a bit to look into his eyes. "You…what?"
A tender smile appeared on his face. "I love you." He leaned forward and gently planted a kiss on her forehead.
"But…I…I don't underst-" Xion began, but Roxas cut her off.
"That's okay, you don't have to understand," he assured her.
Roxas' caring expression seemed to deliver Xion from all her confusion. A smile soon appeared on her face and her blue eyes became bright again. "I love you too."
Roxas let out a light gasp as she pulled him into a tight embrace. Tears of joy started to flow from his eyes as his best friend embraced him. "Oh Xion…never listen to those voices, promise?"
Xion nodded as she kissed the material of his coat. "I promise…"
After a few more minutes of hugging, Roxas noticed the ice cream Xion had thrown down onto the cement. "Hey," he said, separating from the hug. "Let's get some ice cream."
"Okay," Xion answered with a smile. The two then stood up and headed for the ice cream stand – hand in hand.
