Title: Friends
Author: vendettadays
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Pairing: Fuu/Olette
Characters: Fuu, Hayner, Olette, Pence, Rai, Seifer
Rating: T
Length: 2473
Spoilers: None
Summary: Friends look out for each other, whether it's with a little talk or an awkward chat or even with a fight.
Rai
Olette ran down the steps, turning the corner to the Back Alley. She was supposed to meet Fuu fifteen minutes ago at the Sandlot, but the tram she was on had suddenly stopped just short of the station. She hoped Fuu was still waiting for her.
"Oi, you!"
She turned at the shout to see Rai leaning against a brick wall outside the Usual Spot. His arms were crossed, resting against his broad chest. It had the effect of making him appear even bigger than he already was, especially since he was wearing his school uniform. If it were anyone other than Olette, they would've turned tail and ran. But to her, he just looked like a school bully.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, y'know?" Rai swaggered towards where she was stood.
"What do you want, Rai? I haven't got the time to talk to you, I'm late," replied Olette flatly, going to move round Rai, but was blocked from doing so.
"Well, you're gonna have to make time, 'cause this is important, y'know?"
Olette crossed her arms like he had earlier; she wasn't scared of someone like Rai. Years of hanging out with Hayner and Pence had taught her that just because she was small, it didn't mean that she couldn't floor a guy with a well-aimed kick.
"I'm not here to fight, just wanna little talk, y'know?" said Rai, putting both his hands up.
She stared at him critically and then sighed, well aware of the time. "Fine, what about?"
Rai rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Olette tried not to get irritated by it. But the thing was, out of the two friends that Fuu had, she preferred Rai to Seifer. Only by a little bit though.
"Fuu."
Olette blinked, she hadn't thought that Rai knew. Well, actually, she hadn't thought that Fuu would tell Rai. But then again, Fuu had said that she trusted him and Seifer, so it didn't surprise her that she had.
"I want you to know that just 'cause you're a girl, don't mean I'll go easy on you," warned Rai, punching his fist into his right palm. "'Cause if I find out that you hurt her, you're gonna have to face me, y'know?"
Olette's mouth formed a small o, finally realising why Rai had sought her out when they normally passed each other in the street in silence, pretending not to see each other. The corner of her lips twitched. She wanted to smile at his protectiveness over Fuu, if she wasn't getting a slightly annoyed that he thought she would intentionally hurt her.
"I'd never–"
"She never used to talk," interrupted Rai, his hand rubbing the back of his neck like he was uncomfortable talking like this. "She could go days without saying anything, it's just who she is. But then a while ago, it was like she changed, y'know? Small things, nothing big, like she started say 'hello' or 'good morning', when she never used to.
"She trusts us, I know that, but she doesn't like telling us stuff. So when she told me and Seifer about you two, she smiled. I've known her since we were kids, but that's the first time I've ever saw her smile like that, y'know?"
Rai eyes her seriously. He didn't really know this chick that well, but if she was able to make Fuu smile like that, he deserved her respect.
"So if I hear you've been hurting her in anyway, you'll be getting a visit from me, y'know?" Rai said, pointing at himself with his thumb to emphasise his point.
"I got it," replied Olette, nodding firmly. "But it won't happen though."
"Yeah, well it better not." Rai grinned before sauntering past her, his mission complete.
Olette smiled to herself, thinking that her opinion of Rai had just changed from 'bully' to 'he's not a bad guy'. She looked down at her watch and jerked into action, hurriedly running down the street to the Sandlot. She was so late.
When she made it to the Sandlot, she searched the square and instantly found Fuu sitting on one of the benches by the stage.
"Fuu, I'm so sorry I'm late," gasped Olette, sitting heavily onto the bench next to her girlfriend.
She hoped Fuu wasn't angry with her as she tried to catch her breath. It was almost as if Fuu had heard her thoughts, because she placed her hand in Olette's. A wordless gesture that meant that wasn't angry.
"The tram was late coming into the station, then Rai stopped me–"
"Rai?" asked Fuu, confused as to why her oaf of a friend would do that.
"Yeah, he wanted a talk with me." Olette thought the frown on Fuu's face was adorable.
"About?"
"If I hurt you, he'd hurt me."
Fuu didn't say anything, choosing to answer with squeeze from her hand. She seemed contemplate something and before Olette could ask what it was, she had decided. Fuu placed a sweet kiss on Olette's lips, before tugging her onto her feet with a small smile. She'd deal with Rai later.
"Let's go," said Fuu, admiring the blush that dusted Olette's cheeks from the corner of her eye.
"Hey, I was keeping an eye out for, y'know?" Rai backed away from an advancing Fuu. They were on the Pier and he was dangerously close to falling off it. "Seifer tell her!"
All Seifer did was shrug, careful not to jostle his left arm, which was in a sling as he continued with his fishing. "Told you not to go find her."
Fuu shook her head, smiling in amusement, which stopped Rai in his tracks long enough for her to kick him into the water.
Pence
She's late, thought Fuu, glancing at her watch that read ten past four.
They had arranged to meet at the Sandlot at four to do some shopping, but mostly because Fuu wanted to spend time with Olette. Sometimes it was hard to find time that suited both of them, especially since they went to different schools on opposite sides of Twilight Town.
Fuu had heard that the tramlines were having some maintenance work done today, that's probably why Olette was late. She took a seat on a nearby bench, so she could wait patiently for her. She hadn't been sitting for nearly a minute before a bright flash distracted her from her thoughts. She looked up to find someone standing to her left, a black camera obscuring their face from view.
"Sorry, just had to take a photo." The person with the camera turned out to be Pence, but at the sight of the glare he was being given, he nervously added: "Guess I should've asked first, huh?"
Fuu didn't bother answering him, because what was there to say? It was common sense, really, to ask someone before taking a photo of them.
She had hoped that Pence would leave once he got his photo, but apparently that would have been too easy. Instead, Pence plopped down on the bench, sitting a respectable distance from her.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, whilst she knew that Pence was getting increasingly uncomfortable with it, she wasn't about to break it just to ease the tension. The only person she'd ever felt compelled to do that with was Olette, something that she had never regretted doing.
"Umm, so…" Pence began, unable to bear sitting in this awkward silence (on his part) anymore. "So you and Olette, I guess that makes you her girlfriend?"
"Yes." Her answer was short and her tone was definite. She didn't really want to talk to him, but he was Olette's friend and she felt that his question was something that had to be answered loud and clear.
"Right, yeah, of course you are, you guys are dating after all," rambled Pence, fiddling with the straps of his camera. He sighed, Olette had to choose the most intimidating girl in all of Twilight Town to go out with. "Well, Olette's always talking about you, it's always I want to take Fuu here or I wonder if Fuu would like this–"
Pence broke off with a slight panic, mistaking her serious expression for something angrier. She knew Olette had told her friends since she'd had asked Fuu if she was okay with it, which she was. But it hadn't crossed her mind that Olette would speak so freely to them about her, just the thought that Olette did made her heart beat a little faster.
"I mean, she's always talking about you in a good way, that is, and even if your name is mentioned in passing, she looks really happy." He hoped it was the right thing to say, to rectify whatever he had said to make Fuu stare at him so intently.
"She does?"
Pence was momentarily shocked that Fuu had asked him a question in return. He had met Fuu more than a handful of times; especially with the way Hayner liked to challenge Seifer on a regular basis. He had heard her speak and more so since she started going out with Olette, but whenever he tried talking to her, she'd normally just gave one-worded answers. This was the first time Fuu had initiated conversation.
"Yeah, Olette's always happy, it takes a lot to get her down. Whenever she talks about you, it's like she's even more happier, if that's possible. Kind of like someone switching up the brightness of the sun, if you get what I mean."
Fuu didn't, but only because she'd stopped paying attention after 'she's even more happier'. When hers' and Olette's tentative friendship had changed to one where they were holding hands and exchanging kisses, in the back of her head Fuu couldn't quite rid the lingering doubt that the only reason that Olette was with her, was because of some nefarious plot that Hayner had hatched to get to Seifer. She didn't think that Olette could do such a thing and she was so glad that her initial assessment was correct.
"Hayner and I always thought that it must get boring being the only girl in our group, we always talk about guy stuff: basketball, video games, girls. But it seems like we have a lot more in common now," joked Pence.
Apparently that was the wrong thing to say as Pence felt the prickling sensation that he was being glared at. He decided that that must be the appropriate moment for him to leave.
"Anyway, just wanted to say that whatever it is that you do, it's making her happy." With nothing more to say and also so he could make his escape, Pence gave a wave to which Fuu nodded in response and left.
Fuu turned her head just in time to see Olette entering the Sandlot, her brown hair a bit windswept and her cheeks a little pink from running. Fuu wouldn't say it out loud, but she silently thanked Pence instead for alleviating her doubts and promised that she'd do all that she could to keep making Olette happy.
"Hey, Olette."
"Morning, Pence!" Olette waved at him as she entered the classroom and went to sit at her assigned seat. "Where's Hayner?"
"He's taking the day off, got into another fight with Seifer yesterday and the idiot broke his wrist," replied Pence. "We'll go visit him later, I have to give him his homework, even if he can't write."
She sighed. Typical Hayner.
"Oh yeah, I developed some photos, thought you might want some copies," said Pence, handing over a small stack.
Olette quickly looked through them and stopped when she saw one of Fuu looking tranquil, sitting on a bench, lost in her thoughts. She smiled widely, placing them carefully away into her bag. She'd have to thank Pence later.
Seifer & Hayner
"Hey, Seifer!"
Seifer knew exactly whom the voice belonged to and there were only a few people who had such a lamer voice. He ignored it and carried on walking down Station Heights.
He turned around when the sound of running footsteps behind him grew louder. "What do you want?"
Hayner stopped in front of him, wearing an expression of extreme arrogance that just ticked him off. Hayner planted both his feet solidly on the ground, so that he was nearly toe-to-toe with Seifer.
"You've gone way too far this time, Seifer!"
"What are you talking about, lamer?" asked Seifer, getting more and more annoyed that Hayner was accusing him of something that he obviously did not do. He would have to teach him a lesson, once he found out what he was being accused of.
"Don't play dumb with me," said Hayner, through gritted teeth. "It's one thing to blame us for stealing photos, but this? You've crossed the line."
"Has your brain finally started to shut down? What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about your plan to use Fuu to break Olette's heart!"
Seifer went silent, his mouth dropping open a fraction at what he just heard.
"I know that you like to think that people are beneath you, but they're your friends, Seifer. You can't just treat them like they're nothing!"
"Are you crazy?" Seifer all but yelled once he found his voice again, his hands clenching into fists. This was insane!
"I honestly never thought that you would stoop so low, just to try and get to us," murmured Hayner with contempt.
"Okay, chicken-wuss, you listen to me." Seifer grabbed hold of Hayner's collar, hoisting him easily into the air. His brows furrowed in anger. "I'd never use my friends like that, especially over some stupid plan that only someone like you could ever come up with!"
"Yeah, well I don't believe you, and come on, only someone like youwould think of something like that!" said Hayner, raising a fist.
Seifer had to hand it to the guy, he was a foot of the ground and still managed to look defiant. Well, he was just going to have to permanently wipe that look off his face.
"YOU TWO GET OUT THE WAY!"
The two of them turned their attention from each other, their eyes widening as they came face-to-face with a cart filled with cargo as it barrelled into them.
"A broken wrist? What did you do this time, Hayner?"
"Hey, Seifer was the one that started it, not me!"
"Dislocated shoulder."
"If I weren't holding that lamer, I'd be fine."
"Can you not start a fight with him each time you see him?"
"I wouldn't have to if he stopped being so cocky."
"Idiot."
"Yeah, whatever."
Their friends could be such idiots sometimes, but Fuu and Olette wouldn't change them for the world.