AN: Prompt 24 - "no time". I don't own the characters - Square Enix does. I just play with them. The song lyrics are from Bowling for Soup's "Almost", which is also where my story title comes from.
It was the last day of the school year, Zexion's final year at school. He was moving to Radiant Garden to attend university, as were several other people from the school. Not that he cared. There were very few people he could tolerate, much less liked, here in Traverse Town. He was wandering aimlessly around the school, having nothing better to do during his final lunchtime there.
As he passed the music rooms, he could hear a cheerful-sounding melody emerging from an open window. He paused to listen, and then realised who it was as soon as a voice started to sing along. Demyx. One of the few people in Zexion's year who hadn't completely ignored his existence or tried to steal his homework. Demyx had been perfectly courteous. Then again, Demyx was a bit of an outcast too, because of his music.
Zexion continued to listen, letting the song wash over him. The music was upbeat and happy, but the actual lyrics didn't fit the mood. In fact, they were really quite sad, and tinged with regret. Zexion couldn't help wondering who had been on Demyx's mind when he'd written the song. Abruptly, the mood changed, and the music became much softer.
"I almost forgot to say something else, and if I can't fit it in I'll keep it all to myself. I almost wrote a song about you today, but I tore it all up and then I threw it away."
Demyx's head appeared out of the window, looking at Zexion shyly. "You don't have to lurk outside the window listening. I don't bite."
"How did you know I was here?"
"Saw you walk past, and then I could see your shadow. When it didn't move for a while, I figured you were listening."
"Who'd you write the song for?"
"Come in, and I'll tell you." Zexion started to move towards the door, but Demyx pushed the window open wider. It was big enough to climb through, but Zexion wasn't sure. "What are they going to do, expel you on the last day? Come on."
Glancing around furtively, Zexion took the hand Demyx offered, and clambered through the open window. Once Zexion was inside, the musician closed the window and began his explanation. "I figured, since this is our last day and all, that it was too late to tell a particular person I liked them, I'd run out of time and lost my chance. Hence why it keeps saying 'almost'".
"Who is it?" Despite his opinions of his gossiping classmates, Zexion was curious. He knew about Demyx's brief fling with Axel, before the redhead had taken up with Roxas, so he had a feeling it would be one of the guys.
"I didn't think I'd need to spell it out for you, Zexion. I thought you were smarter than that."
"Me?"
Demyx nodded, shy once more. "I didn't know how to tell you."
"I'd say you just did, Demyx." Their eyes met and they reached out to each other.
If Demyx hadn't been playing his song, or if Zexion hadn't been walking past and heard it, it would have been too late for them, but it wasn't. They'd almost run out of time, but not quite.