Chapter 2: Grave
Axel kicked back in his old brown recliner. He inhaled, the dull ember consumed the thin paper rolled around the calming grass. He held it between his index and middle finger, exhaling four large white ring clouds of smoke. The tide was coming in, washing over the pain from the other night and dragging it back into the dark abyss. Reality was slowly slipping away, leaving with the tide.
"You wanted some," he coughed as he offered Xion a smoke.
Xion glanced up from the glass table in the dining room. "I don't smoke, Axel," she rejected quietly.
Axel tapped his index finger on the arm of the chair. "Well, I know that, but… shit's really crazy right now."
Xion continued to sit in silence, staring through the scratched up glass table. She saw her faint reflection staring back. Dark circles formed under her eyes from the sleepless night. "Did you get a hold of Roxas' mom?"
Another moment of silence passed. "Yeah," he said. "She got the call sometime last night." His words felt slowed and delayed, out of sync with his mouth. "Unfortunately she won't be able to make it back for a few weeks." He scratched at his purple reverse teardrop tattoo on his cheeks.
"Funny how our parents decided to go on a cruise together." Her thoughts lingered back to when her, Axel, and Roxas learned that their parents would be leaving for a months. They ecstatic, even partying the night they left. They finally had their freedom for the summer, but now Xion just wished they would come back. They always knew what to do.
There was an unexpected knock at the door. Axel quickly snuffed out his joint, coughing as he waved his hand to waft the smell somewhere else. "Come in!"
"Axel, is Xion here?" Aqua peeked in through the door.
Axel nodded, gesturing to the dining room.
Aqua swept her royal blue locks of hair out of her heart shaped face. "Oh thank God! I've been looking all over for her." She hurried over to the dining room and wrapped her long elegant arms around the younger girl. "I heard about it this morning from Mom. Are you okay?" she asked, her words laced with care.
Xion lightly touched her older sister's arm. "I'm still here… somewhat." Her voice was hollow, every word being empty.
Aqua pulled her arms away from Xion, taking a seat next to her. "I know it's really unbelievable knowing that someone you love is in a coma. You're numb remembering how you had talked to him before it happened. He was perfectly fine and now he's in a coma fighting for his life." She placed her soft hand on top of Xion's head, her long nimble fingers tangled into Xion's hair as she ran her hand down her short raven hair. "But he's fighting so he can one day see you and Axel again."
Xion gazed into Aqua's soft crystal blue eyes. She was always gentle with Xion, protecting her like a protective mother protects their weak child. "Don't you have a recital today?" Xion asked, changing the subject.
Aqua poked Xion's nose. "You always come before ballet," she reminded her little sister.
Axel walked into the dining room, grabbing a chair and swinging it around. "Hey, Aqua." He leaned against the back of the chair. "How's the married life?"
Her eyes sparkled. "Terra's fantastic. He's willing to pull his own weight and he's very helpful. Sometimes too helpful. He can be an ass sometimes with his ego." Aqua sat up straight, sitting in an elegant and proper manner. "Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend yet?"
"Psh, I'm still single." Axel rubbed the back of his head. "For some reason when you label yourself as a bisexual people act like you're fucked up in the head when really I just want to fuck in bed."
"That's… nice."
Xion fell forward, smacking her head on the glass table. Aqua grabbed her chest in shock. Axel pressed his hand against the glass table. "Don't worry, this shit is sturdy."
Aqua rolled her eyes. "Can you help me take Xion back to her room?"
Axel pushed himself out of his chair. He scooped Xion up into his long, lanky arms. "I'm relieved she was able to finally fall asleep." He carried her off with Aqua following behind her.
Xion awoke in a field of daisies. A soft breeze came by making the daisies wave back and forth at their own individual rhythm. In the distance she heard a piano playing softly. She stood up, the white flowers and long blades of grass gently tickled her legs and feet. She walked in the direction the piano was playing. I know this song. It's Chopin's Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2. It's mine and Roxas' favorite piece.
The piano grew stronger, each note being played fiercely as the tempo increased, but there was nothing for miles around, only a field of daisies stretching on for eternity. Xion marched on, walking endlessly, searching for the source.
Everything began to melt away around her. The bright field of daisies faded away into nothingness. Xion was enveloped in darkness. A single light came on, revealing a piano with no pianist. The piece echoed around Xion, wrapping her in the blissful melody. She felt drawn to the piano. She held out her trembling hand. She desired to touch the clean white and black keys that remained in place. The piano showed no physical signs of being played but the power and beauty of the piece resonated from the piano. Xion felt it in her bones, waking every atom in her body.
She ran her fingers over the smooth keys, finding the right key. She pushed the key down. The piece suddenly stopped and was replaced by a loud unresolved chord, like if someone just slammed down on a bunch of random keys. The sound faded off into nothing. Xion's entire body froze, her limbs locked in place, rendering her paralyzed.
Then a soft high note on the E string drifted in from nowhere. It was a violin, so soft as it cried with each note. Each note eased Xion's body little by little as she recognized the melody. Chopin's Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2. She listened, following the rhythm and the melody. She raised her hands, conducting the mysterious tune. Her hands moved vividly with passion, following each beat.
Suddenly the violin stopped. The notes echoed before completely fading away. A single tear rolled down Xion's cheek, falling off her jawline and hitting the ground. It splashed like a droplet of water hitting a pond.
Xion sat in the kitchen with Axel, quietly eating her cereal. She reached over to her juice box, bringing the straw to her full mouth. She loved the taste of ice cold apple juice in the morning.
"21 and still drinks out of a juice box," Axel scoffed at her.
Xion swallowed hard. "There's another one in the fridge if you want one."
Axel locked eyes with Xion. They stared intently, neither backing down. Axel scrunched up his face, getting up out of his chair without breaking eye contact. He backed up into the fridge, opened the door enough to reach his arm in. He knocked over everything in the process of getting the juice box without breaking eye contact. He retracted with arm with juice box in hand and returned to his seat. He stabbed the small straw through the opening, drinking the sweet golden nectar of fallen apples.
"You're going to have to clean that shit up," Xion said, eating another spoonful of cereal without breaking her stare.
Axel slammed his juice box onto the wooden table. "Do you have calendar in here?"
Xion threw him a quizzical look. "Axel, we lived next door to each other since I was fucking five. It's on the fridge like always."
"Sorry, must have forgotten," he muttered. He cocked his head to the right, looking at the pinned up calendar up on the fridge. "It's been three weeks."
Xion tapped her finger on the wooden table. "Yeah, it has." I haven't touch the piano in a while either.
"When are you going to tell him about how you feel?"
Xion's face burned a deep crimson. "I-I can't," she stammered. "It's too late for me to," she said, her voice fading off.
"I'm sure once Roxas wakes up he'll recognize his feelings for you," Axel said confidently. "It's going to be one big cliché moment. He wakes up and sees your beautiful face and realize how much he truly cared about you since he nearly died. He'll cry out 'My beautiful princess Xion!'" Axel flung his arm out above him. "'I can't bare to live another day without you! Please marry me Xion and let me make sweet passionate love you to you while Axel watches!'"
Xion threw her empty juice box at Axel. "You're too much sometimes."
He winked at her while seductively blowing her a kiss. "You know it baby."
Axel's old fashion flip phone vibrated loudly against the table. Axel swiped it up and flipped it open. "Yo!"
Xion circled her spoon inside the bowl of milk with bits of cereal left over. She listened to Axel made a few 'mhm' and 'okays' as the phone call dragged on.
"Alrighty then, good-bye." Axel shut his flip phone closed, dropping it onto the table. It landed with a loud thunk. "He's awake."
Xion closely followed Axel as the ran down the hospital corridors. She observed him from behind. He looked just as intimating from the back from how he towered over people and how his body moved when he ran. He moved with no hesitation.
He swerved in a room around the corner. Xion slowed her pace, coming to a slow walk. She peered in from behind Axel seeing Roxas badly bruised and mangled with a large neck brace and casts on her arms and legs. Her heart loudly thumped in her chest. She was speechless.
Roxas looked over at the two standing in the doorway with glassy eyes. He smiled. "Hi." His voice was the same as Xion had remembered it on that night. "Who are you again?"