Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, yadda, yadda, yadda. It's owned by Disney/Squeenix etc. etc.

Note: Fool's Paradise is a Kingdom Hearts fanfic that I'm working on. It's Zemyx, first person, switching between the POVs of major (and minor) characters.

Zexion: Love

It was love at first sight. Or it would have been if I believed in such vapid notions. Which, for your information, I do not. I believe that "love at first sight" exists only in one-dimensional novels written for hordes of hormone-crazed squealing teenage fan girls. It does not exist in the real world, although, that is the only way to describe the way I felt when I saw him for the first time. He was surrounded by about 50 of his closest friends. I could have called it love at first sight but at the time, I think I was more comfortable with the idea that I was losing my mind.

I was a sophomore at Radiant Garden High School. It was supposed to be the best school in Hollow Bastion, however, despite this, I found that the majority of students in my year were insufferable morons. I was sitting, as I usually did, alone at a table in the cafeteria (as far away from the giggling crowds of girls as possible) trying to lose myself in a brick of a novel called "Atlas Shrugged"/

I found, however, that I was entirely unable to concentrate on the book. Due, not only to the dreadfully dull writing style, but also due to the fact that some gaggle of idiots had populated the table next to me. I turned to give them the most deadpan glare I could muster when I saw him. I might have been jealous if I wanted to have people follow me around because I was good looking… And he was good looking.

He was seated in the middle of the table in a scene that was somehow akin to DaVinci's "The Last Supper". He was tall and leanly muscled with an unruly mop of dirty blonde hair. He glanced at me (or rather, in my direction as no one ever looked at Zexion Legerdemain) and found his beautiful sea-green eyes meeting mine.

I hid my face in my book, cheeks suddenly burning hot.

Smooth, Zexion, real smooth.

• • •

"Hey, Demyx, I think that guy is staring at you." A small dark-haired girl, sitting in front of me (and next to him) whispered, pointing at me.

Demyx turned back to look at me immediately and I returned my gaze to my history notes. To my horror, I had drawn a large black scribble over them. My stomach sank. Not only had I been caught staring, but I had ruined my notes. It had been a week since that fateful day in the cafeteria and I'd poured as many resources as I could into finding out more about the beautiful blond who had looked at me. Through blackmail (while illegal, it is highly useful) I'd discovered that he was a Junior (although he should have been a Senior, he'd been held back Freshman year). He was on the swim team, his best subject was music and… He was dating Namine White.

While that last part was rather…problematic, I had come up with three plans of action:

a) being to walk straight up to him in the cafeteria and ask him out in front of everyone (including his pesky little girlfriend). Of course, being rejected in front of everyone and spending the rest of my high school career dodging beatings in the hall wasn't exactly appealing…

b) I try out for the swim team and hope to catch his attention that way. But, seeing as I can't swim that might not be a good idea… Although getting mouth to mouth resuscitation may not be so bad…

c) I could just follow him around trying to gather the courage to talk to him and become friends.

Obviously, plan c was my choice and while the "follow him around" part was going very well, the "gathering up the courage to talk to him" part was not.

I was, metaphorically, screwed.