Tidal Wave

After putting on her work uniform, which consisted of a mostly black attire, save for the white waist apron, Xion left the apartment while everyone was still asleep. She checked her gummiphone on her way down the steps. 'Thank god I have the morning shift today, no one goes to the Bistrot in the morning!'

Xion boarded the tram and was off on her way to Le Grand Bistrot. The morning commute was particularly busy and the anticipation for what today's shift would bring swelled inside her. 'Everyone in Twilight Town lives by the clock, it's the only way to keep track of the day. Still, everything kind of runs together, our morning isn't the same as other worlds.'

The tram came to a stop at the Bistrot, Xion was taken by surprise to find the tiny venue packed. Olette, who was waiting on tables, waved to her with a wry smile on her face. "Hey Xion, I think Scrooge's breakfast promotion really took off."

"Breakfast promotion? Oh right, the new breakfast line is out today. The little chef must have his hands full."

"Ha, he's not the only one."

Xion continued on into the restaurant. 'I still can't believe the head chef is a tiny rat, then again, my boss is a duck.' Once she clocked in, Scrooge McDuck waddled up to her with coupons in his hand.

"Good to see ya Xion, and it looks like you're on time t'day!"

"That's right, si1"

"That's what I like to hear! Now as you can see we're very busy today, thanks to our breakfast line." He handed her the coupons. "Make sure you give these out to guests. They're for the new movie showin' tonight and it won't cost a dime out me pocket!"

'There's a new movie? I've been so busy with work I forgot, maybe I can invite Naminé and we can talk a little more.' Xion picked up a serving tray and got straight to work.

Despite not exactly loving her job, Xion did find herself improving dramatically as a server and as a person since her first days. Not only was she able to carry herself more efficiently, but also break out of her shell a little bit, although she still would've preferred a job that was less personable.

With her future movie plans in mind, the day didn't go by as painfully slow as it usually did. That was until everything came to a screeching halt during the final hour of her shift. 'Wait, is that who I think it is?' In the middle of pouring water refills for her current table, Xion saw the host bringing Roxas and Naminé to their table.

Naminé caught a glimpse of Xion and waved to her while Xion could only stare back, internally freaking out. 'It looks like they're hitting it off well, that should be a good thing. So why do I feel sick?'

"Excuse me, but I think that's enough water."

"Huh, oh no, I'm so sorry!" The cup was overflowing with water and spilling out on the table, she quickly wiped it up with the spare napkins in her apron and hoped no one else noticed. "I'm sorry, I should've paid attention."

"Don't sweat it, I used to be a server to you know and I spilled hot coffee all over someone's lap!" He started chuckling to himself, but Xion didn't find his story all too amusing.

"...Thank you for being understanding, I'll be back with your order!" She rushed back to the restaurant.

"–Xion, 2-1 is yours." The host said as she passed by.

'You gotta be kidding me.' She dragged herself over to Roxas and Naminé, making an effort to smile and hide the fact she was dying inside. "D-Didn't expect to see you guys here!"

Naminé rested her head in her hand. "Neither did I, but I bumped into Roxas while looking for you and he told me you'd be working at the Bistrot so I thought we could both go together and catch up. Hope we won't be too much of a bother."

"No, no, you aren't a bother at all. Roxas, on the other hand, is another story..."

"Hey!"

They all shared a laugh, alleviating some of Xion's stress and she eased right into work mode. "So what drinks can I get you two started with?"

"Ooooh, how fancy, but why are these drinks so expensive," Naminé said.

"That's the drink menu for adults, I'm not supposed to sell you that type of stuff."

"I'll just go with water in that case."

'After all that she just wants water.' "Yeah, I'll have the same," Roxas said.

"Great choice, I'll be right back with those waters." Xion returned inside the restaurant where she breathed out a heavy sigh. 'My chest is pounding, but I think I got through that okay!' The restaurant doors swung back open and Olette along with Hayner came in mid-conversation.

"What's up!" Hayner greeted, he set down a tray full of dirty dishes on the front counter. "Looks like Roxas brought a girl with him, wanna tease him about it?"

Olette rolled her eyes. "We can't do that while we're on the clock or we'll ruffle the boss' feathers!" She took a moment to laugh at her own joke while Hayner and Xion traded side glances. "But seriously, that's your table, isn't it Xion? Hopefully, you'll get a big tip from him."

"Yeah, you servers make ass hourly wages," Hayner said.

"Better than being a busboy."

"At least I take pride in my job!"

"...do you think those two are good together, Roxas and Naminé?" Xion asked.

"Why, are you jealous?" Hayner teased.

"N-No, that's not it! They're both my friends so of course I want the best for them."

"-Xion! Order's up!" A voice yelled from the kitchen.

Xion walked back out with a tray holding two cups of water and a plate of crêpes suzette, after passing out the first dish, she stared down Roxas and Naminé's table. 'Roxas looks like he's really into Naminé, I wish I knew what they were saying. No, what I'm thinking? Why should I care if they're together.'

With Xion's thoughts weighing down on her, she went to their table. They smiled and made conversation, not that she could focus on what they were saying. She set down the first water on the table for Roxas, then she would set down the next and take their order, acting as if everything was okay.

That's how she wanted it to go, but her arm had to get in the way and knock the cup of water all over Naminé's sundress. What came after was silence, a pure, unbroken stillness that suffocated Xion. She poured out with an apology before turning to run away, not stopping until she reached an empty bench near the gummiblock shop.

Diary entry: 07-14

Work is terrible! o(╥﹏╥)o

And I'm pretty sure Naminé hates me.

I thought life would be easier when I didn't have to question my own existence and live in a state of perpetual inferiority with my survival always on the line, but problems sure do find its way to arise（；¬＿¬)

Is this how it is to have emotions because if so I want to send them back… Thinking about it made me feel a little better, but now I just think I'm a bigger nobody than before.

I should go back before I get in trouble.

—

Xion put her phone away, prepared to leave, but she was frozen in place by the appearance of Naminé. Without a word, she took her seat next to Xion, "I think about you a lot," She began. "Maybe because I envy you."

"Envy me? But you...you're so amazing and pretty! I've always looked up to you ever since we first met, I mean, you seemed to know everything and I knew nothing."

She shook her head. "I'm flattered you think highly of me, but I'm not so important. It was always you that they missed, no one ever really thinks about me."

"I thought you and Roxas were, you know, like..."

"No, no- we're not that close at all. Maybe it felt like that in the way I was Kairi and he was Sora, but now...well, I guess the best word to describe it is awkward."

Xion was quiet for a moment, then she looked at Naminé, smiling. "I'm glad you came to Twilight Town! I don't know how much this will mean coming from me, but ... I missed you."

Naminé wrapped her fingers around Xion's hand. "You don't mind, right, that's what you told me the other day."

Xion could feel her face flushing bright red and her whole body getting hot. "...I-I don't mind, sorry if my hands are warm."

"I don't mind either~"

'Crap, that stupid feeling is coming back and Naminés right here! No, I have to think about something else, someone grossly unattractive.'

"What's wrong, Xion? You look disgusted."

"Nothing, I was just thinking about Isa."

"What?"

"What. I mean, uh, it's just that he owes me munny and I couldn't stop thinking about it!"

"Oh, okay. Isa's that grumpy blue hair guy? I remember him now, he used to send his dogs to hunt me down in Castle Oblivion!"

Xion smiled. "You say that with such conviction, I don't blame you though. He has this whole complex now about 'repenting for his sins' or something edgy like that."

"Heh heh, I'm sure we all feel the same way. Everyone's done something they regret, actually, I take that back. Xion, you seem pretty innocent."

"Innocent, me?"

"Hm, am I wrong?"

"N-No! Not at all!"

Naminé giggled. "You're a bad liar, you know that? But that's okay, we all have our secrets to keep." Sighing, she drew her attention away from Xion and gazed at the calming sky. "Xion, I wish things could stay just like this."

"Why can't they?"

"You have to work, don't you?"

"Wait you're right! I almost forgot!" Xion jolted out of her seat, then made a dash for the Bistro. Upon her arrival, she saw Olette chatting with Roxas and when she returned, they both acknowledged her with a wave.

"You're lucky we're friends Xion, I covered for your other tables," Olette said.

"Oh thanks, I'll have to make it up to you." Xion turned to Roxas when she left. "Sorry for leaving so abruptly, did she get both of your orders down?"

"Yeah...Xion, you're upset, what's up?"

"Ah, you always get right to the point. I...I was just a little nervous around Naminé, sorry."

"Heh, I could tell, but you're not the only one." He rubbed the back of his head. "After we got done catching up, I didn't know what to talk about."

"You usually won't shut about keyblades or the heartless."

"She doesn't have a keyblade, so she wouldn't get it. I ended up talking about stupid stuff, I bet she thinks I'm pretty lame and just sitting on my butt."

"I think Naminé's pretty forgiving in that regard, trust me."

"-What are you guys talking about?" Naminé cut in, finally arriving back at the table.

"Nothing!" They both said in unison, raising suspicion in Naminé, but she kept quiet nonetheless as she would pry the information out of Roxas later.

"Ahem- I'll uh, get you guys refills and check on your order!" With that, Xion disappeared back into the restaurant.

The rest of Xion's shift went by much more smoothly than before, like a weight had alleviated from her shoulders. When it came time for the bill, she was back to being all smiles and slightly less of a nervous wreck.

"So did you two enjoy your food? I apologize for my service earlier, but I hope everything turned out well in the end," Xion said.

"It's so weird when you actually act professionally," Roxas muttered.

"It's apart of my job, Roxas!"

"Well I think it's charming," Naminé said.

"-And it's good for business!" Scrooge McDuck boasted, approaching their table. His arrival caught Xion off guard as he rarely made appearances outside of the restaurant. "I don't believe I've seen the lass here around here before, what did you think?"

Naminé was drawing blank stares so Roxas nudged her in the shoulder. "That's you."

"Oh... it was great! The food was delicious, but I think the service was the best part. Xion is an amazing server, I would come back just to see her again~"

"Well that's to be expected, Le Grand Bistrot only hires the best!"

Xion hid her face behind the server checkbook to hide how red she was turning.

Scrooge left to check up on the other guests, leaving the three of them. "Uh...um, I'll be right back, I just need to clock out," Xion said.

Back inside the restaurant, Xion put her serving tray away and shifted through her tips and receipts. "Let's see, today was great! I got 975 munny, usually I only get like 500 munny for a four...!" She untied her apron, then set it down on the counter. Luckily, Hayner was walking back inside the restaurant. "Uh, Hayner, can you watch this for a second, I have to go to the bathroom!"

"Sure, it's safe with me."

Xion scurried inside one of the stalls, not realizing she'd been holding it for the entire shift. After Xion was done peeing, what she did next, she wasn't exactly proud of, but the toilet bowl ended up being filled with more than just pee and she stumbled out of the stall finally at peace with herself. 'That probably wasn't the best idea. I'm like in a different mindset whenever I start feeling like that.' After washing her hands, she quickly finished what she had to do, then met with Roxas and Naminé back outside.

"I almost forgot, but there's a movie showing later on, we should all go check it out. Or you can come over to our apartment," Xion said.

"We were just talking about seeing a movie, what's showing anyway?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know, I haven't been there in some time. I just got coupons, that's all."

"I know, how about I meet you guys at this 'apartment' and then we can go to the movies from there. I haven't had a conversation with Axel since... I was dragged into the darkness against my will and taken to sunset hill."

'She says that so nonchalantly.' Xion thought.

"I heard from Kairi his real name is Lea, but goes by Axel, is that correct?"

"That's mostly between the three of us," Roxas said.

"And Kairi," Xion said.

"I see, then it'll be nice to catch up with him! Oh, I wanna show you guys something too, here-" Naminé pulled out a clunky gummiphone from her moogle purse. "See told you I would get one next time we met, Xion, but I'm not sure how this works, it's so complicated!"

"It takes some getting used to, but if Sora can figure it out, anyone can," Roxas said, which made them all laugh. He fished his own phone from his pocket. "It's super easy, we just share each other's numbers and then we can call or text each other. There's some other functions too."

After trading phone numbers, Naminé beamed at the device she previously thought was functionally useless and now marveled at its capabilities. "Okay, I think I get it! I'll meet you guys at your apartment, I just need to pick something up from the mansion."

"By yourself?" Roxas asked.

"We can come with you!" Xion chimed in.

"Huh, no it's fine, you don't have to worry about me! If something bad happens, you'll be the first to know!" She started down towards the old mansion. "And make sure you send me the location of where your apartment is located, see ya!" With those enigmatic final words, Naminé disappeared within the walls of the town.

When it was clear her presence parted from them, Roxas looked over to Xion, grinning. She rolled her eyes in return. "It's not like you'll actually text her, just like how you never text me!"

"That's 'cause I see you every day. But Naminé's different, even if she goes far away, I'll still be able to talk to her."

"...you're right." Xion went quiet, slipping into her own thoughts. 'He barely used to talk about Naminé and now he's acting so excited about her. I guess that means I'm not the only one who thinks of her differently. So what does that mean for us?' She raised her head and gazed at Roxas, dirty blonde windswept hair, perfect blue eyes, he was more in likeness to Naminé than the ocean she felt separated them. "Roxas, we'll still be friends, won't we?"

Her words caught him off guard, but he was able to answer quickly, without putting in a second's thought, "Of course. Why would you ask something like that?"

"I don't know, I'm always so paranoid this dream we're living will end someday."

"Heh, you worry too much Xion. Me, you and Axel are inseparable, even if this world falls into darkness, we'll be in the darkness together."

"The darkness?! You're not helping, Roxas!"

"I'm just saying, you're pretty much stuck with us for life."

She shook her head. "Let's go home already."

A/N: Naminé can chain together memories, but couldn't figure out how to work a phone :/