When Xion awoke the next morning she couldn't remember where she was until she noticed the shock of red spikes on the pillow next to her and the memory of last night came flooding back. Last night she had lost her virginity to Axel Flare; a man, who only a few weeks ago she had professed to hating, a man who annoyed her to the point of wanting to strangle him and a man who she was very quickly falling in love with! The weight of that realisation crashed down on her like a tidal wave and she needed to get out before she started having a panic attack.
Trying not to wake Axel she slipped out of bed and gathered up her clothes. As she began pulling her dress on she realised that she would have to walk back to her own room like this...either that or borrow something of Axel's and nothing said 'walk of shame' more than wearing men's clothing. Axel stirred slightly in his sleep and Xion decided she'd take her chances in the dress, if she bumped into anyone she say she stayed at Kairi's...how was she going to explain her absence to Larxene? She decided she would cross that bridge when she came to it; she might even get back before Larxene woke up and she wouldn't have to say anything.
As she turned the door handle she took one last look at Axel, biting her lip in thought. She wondered if she should leave him a note or something to let him know where she had gone. She cursed herself at how immature she was being but she just couldn't face Axel (or her own feelings) right now. Right now she needed a hot shower and to talk to someone with more experience in this area than herself. She swiftly left the room and entered the corridor, quietly closing the door behind her as she did.
As she began walking back to her room she prayed to every deity that she could think of under the circumstances that she wouldn't meet anyone she knew. She rounded the corner of the corridor Axel's room was on and found herself face to face with a sheet of blue hair, a raised eyebrow and a questioning look.
"Zexion." she said, trying (and failing) to sound nonchalant. Evidentially the deities either weren't listening or thought that it would be much more fun to watch her squirm.
"Morning Xion." the blue haired teen replied, not even bothering to hide the slight smirk in his voice. "And what are you doing up so early?"
"I fell asleep at Kairi's last night." she replied, trying to put some conviction into her lie.
"Sure you did." Zexion could see straight through her as if she was transparent. It was almost as if he knew what had happened between her and Axel last night...he couldn't have done, could he? "Shall I tell Axel I've seen you?"
"No, I'll call him later." Xion replied looking down and letting her fringe fall over her face to hide her embarrassment.
"Sure you will." Zexion stated. God-damn it, why did he have to be so perceptive?
"Look I need to go, I'll see you later Zexion." Xion brushed passed him, trying to stop the tears of shame that were threatening to spill from her eyes.
"Xion," Zexion called after her and she turned to face him. "Axel really likes you. I know most of the time he acts like a twat and doesn't have a clue how to behave like a normal human but he cares for you. He doesn't put this much effort into something if he doesn't care; he sang to you in front of the entire school for crying out loud. I will admit that was a ridiculous thing to do," he added in response to her incredulous stare "but it was his way of getting your attention and telling you he cares. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that he's a bad guy because of his past discrepancies."
"Thanks Zexion." Xion smiled. The blue hair boy wouldn't have been her first choice of someone to confide in about this but Zexion had made her feel a lot better about things. "Tell Axel I'll call him after I've had a shower."
"Ok, see you later." he smiled and continued on his way. Xion sighed contentedly, she felt so much better. Yeah Axel was an idiot but, Zexion was right, he did obviously care about her and she cared about him. She'd shower, change and then go back and see him.
After bumping into Xion Zexion had entered his room to find Axel still sound asleep. He swept a glance over the room; saw the clothes scattered over the floor and the empty condom wrapper in the bin. Judging by Xion's reaction when he saw her in the corridor he didn't need to be a genius to work out what had transpired between her and Axel but this new information only confirmed his suspicions. He leaned down next to Axel's head and ran his hand gently through the tousled red spikes.
"Axel." he purred, making his voice sound a feminine as physically possible. Axel stirred.
"Xion." he moaned softly, taking hold of Zexion's hand and opening his eyes slightly.
"Not quite." Zexion replied speaking in his normal register. Axel's eyes shot open and he jumped back in surprise.
"What the...?" he cried in confusion. As he tried to recover from the shock his eyes darted around the room. "Where's Xion?"
"Gone back to her room." Zexion stated, getting up and going to sit down on his bed.
"What?" Axel asked, rubbing his head slightly – it still hurt from knock against the dresser last night.
"I bumped into her in the corridor as she made her escape."
"Made her escape? God, Zex, you make it sound like I forced her back here."
"What happened then?" Zexion asked his friend.
"We went out, I took her back to hers but Larxene and that pink-haired prat she's dating were having sex so she came back here, we talked and then we fell asleep." Axel explained.
"You really expect me to believe that's all that happened?" Zexion asked incredulously.
"I don't 'kiss and tell' Zex." Axel shot back.
"Yes you do!" he exclaimed. Zexion rarely lost his composure but Axel had known him long enough to tell that he was actually getting really angry. "You're famous for it Axel! You did that exchange student, Mulan, last year and it's all we heard about for three months!"
"That was then..." Axel mumbled.
"And what, this is now?" he cried. Axel put his head in his hands, why did no one think he was capable of changing? After a moments silence he heard Zexion sigh. "Axel I actually like Xion." he said a lot more calmly. "Roxas, Riku and I really like her, much more than the usual blonde haired, big chested bimbos you usually go for. I'm saying this as your friend don't screw this up! This is the happiest I've seen you since Larxene broke up with you and I don't want to see Xion get hurt."
"I'm in love with her, Zexion! I'm not going to hurt her, I can't hurt her." Axel said looking up and Zexion knew he meant it.
"Good." he stated getting up and grabbing his bag. "Now come on and get dressed, we've got class." Axel began routing around for clean clothes and a towel while Zexion began sorting through the books he would need.
"Hey Zex, where were you all of last night?" Axel asked, before heading into the bathroom for a quick shower before class.
"I was in the library." came the simple reply.
"All night?"
"I fell asleep while studying." the blue haired teen stated, not looking up from his book shelf. Axel narrowed his eyes, Zexion was definitely keeping something from him but he didn't have the time or the will to press him about it now. He would just have to try and find that out later for now he would get ready for class and let his mind wander back to thoughts of last night and Xion.
'Hey Beautiful, Sorry I missed you this morning (I had an amazing time last night, by the way) I have to go to class now but I'll see you at lunch-time. Love Axel xxx'
"Oh my gosh, that's so cute!" Namine all but squealed as she handed the note back to Xion. Xion had found the note stuck to her door as she was about to leave for class. Once she had got to hers she had showered (quietly so as not to wake Larxene and Marluxia) and fallen back to sleep. When she re-awoke she had no time to go and see Axel before her first class but had found that he had left a message for her.
"So what actually happened last night?" Kairi asked, a huge grin on her face, as the three girls made their way to the changing rooms after an intense work out in their physical education class.
"He took me out for a late night picnic then walked me back to mine but Larxene and Marluxia were having sex so I went back to his." she told the sisters, a blush forming on her face that had nothing to do with the exertion of the class.
"And did you...you know?" Namine asked, ever the subtle one Xion thought. She didn't answer but her blush and her smiled said everything.
"How was it?" Kairi asked, practically beaming.
"Amazing!" Xion replied as she pulled the changing room door open. Once they entered Namine tackled her and hugged her, giggling happily.
"Aww yay! You two are so perfect for each other!" she shrieked.
"How?" Kairi asked, grinning. "He's an idiot and she's...well, normal."
"Details!" the blonde said waving her hand dismissively. "Anyway I need a shower!" Xion and Kairi grinned at each other shaking their heads. Namine was such a scatterbrain and could never concentrate on something for more than a few seconds – kind of like Roxas.
The three girls grabbed their towels and regular clothes and made their way to the shower block at the end of the changing rooms. The block was already filled with a thick layer of steam and each of the seven cubicles had a pair of legs visible underneath the small doors. Seven voices gabbled above the sounds of running water as the girls in the stalls gossiped to each other.
"Bloody Swim Team!" Kairi muttered, shaking her head in annoyance as the seven sisters that comprised Destiny Academy's Swimming Team laughed and joked over the top of their stalls. "Shall we just wait outside?" Xion nodded and turned to go but turned back around as she heard a name that caught her interest.
"...Axel Flare." one of the girls in the stalls said. Xion stopped dead, Kairi and Namine both turned to stare at the cubicle the voice came from.
"What about him?" asked another voice.
"Have you heard about his latest conquest?" the first voice asked.
"Arista I don't think this is something you should be talking about here." another voice stated.
"Oh come on Attina you know you want to know, he is your ex after all." the voice that was Arista's smirked.
"It was one night!" Attina shot back. "It's not like I actually dated him, like Andrina."
"We went on a couple of dates!" Andrina replied. "I'd hardly call it dating."
"You still slept with him." another voice stated.
"So did you Alana!" Andrina retorted.
"Who on the Swim Team hasn't Axel slept with?" Namine whispered, Xion bit her lip. She didn't want to hear where this conversation was going but she couldn't tear herself away.
"I never said I hadn't." Alana stated.
"Just out of interested who here hasn't slept with Axel Flare?" a new voice asked.
"Just you, Ariel." Attina replied.
"Why haven't you slept with him Ariel?" a new voice asked, genuinely interested.
"Because I don't sleep with just anyone, Aquata." Ariel told her sister.
"And you're saying we do?" Aquata asked.
"Please, the only reason she hasn't slept with Axel is because she's in love with Eric but she won't tell him!" the final voice laughed.
"Adella! You promised you wouldn't say anything!" Ariel cried.
"I lied, baby sister, I lied." Adella sang.
"As fascinating as this is," Arista spoke up again, much to Ariel's relief "do you want to hear my gossip or not?"
"Not." Ariel replied.
"Then don't listen." Alana shot back.
"Anyway," Arista continued as if her sister's hadn't spoken. "You know he's been after that new girl, Xion." At the sound of her name Xion grabbed the nearest thing to her for support, the hot and cold valve for the showers, and gripped it till her knuckles went white.
"Xion?" Attina asked.
"You know, the really smart prissy little kid with black hair." Arista clarified.
"Arista, do you have to be so mean?" Ariel asked but Arista ignored her.
"They got it on last night." she crowed and Xion felt the blood drain from her face.
"Axel Flare strikes again." Aquata muttered.
"How do you know?" Adella asked Arista.
"Saw her coming out of his room in a dress this morning and put two and two together." Arista stated.
"That's not conclusive proof." Andrina stated.
"Maybe not but one thing I do know is that him and those weird friends of his had a bet going that he could nail her." Arista replied.
"How do you know?" Alana asked. "This is serious Arista, you can't be stirring rumours again when it's something like this."
"I know because I heard Riku and Roxas talking about it." Arista said.
"Which one's Roxas?" Andrina asked.
"The clumsy one with hair like a chocobo's tail." Alana replied. "He's dating one of those twins who's names I can never remember." Namine snorted in disgust and Kairi jabbed her in the arm and gave her a look that said 'now is not the time'.
"So Axel actually slept with this girl for a bet?" Attina asked.
"Possibly slept with." Ariel stated. "You don't know she actually did sleep with him."
"She slept with him, Ariel."Aquata snorted. "Once Axel Flare turns on the charm he gets exactly what he wants from girls."
"Xion are you ok?" Kairi whispered. Xion opened her mouth and closed it again, she didn't trust herself to speak. She felt sick, she was shaking and her knees felt as if they would give way at any second.
"Why? She must know what a player he is." Andrina said.
"The sad thing is he probably told her loved her and she believed him!" Arista screeched with laughter. "Too naïve and stupid to realise that he only wanted her for one thing!"
On hearing this something in Xion's mind snapped. Pain, hurt and anger were coursing through her veins and her grip on the water valve tightened. As Arista's laughter and harsh words rang in her ears she pulled the valve as hard as she could towards herself. Seven screams met the three girls ears as the water gushing out of the showers suddenly became ice cold. Xion turned and ran back to the changing room, closely followed by Kairi and Namine, ignoring the sisters as they scrambled to turn off their showers and grab towels.
Tears filled her eyes as Xion grabbed her things, no other thought running through her head than that she needed to get out of here and get back to her room. She slammed the changing room door open, still in her gym clothes, ignoring Kairi and Namine calling after her and ran to her room. Once she got there she opened the door, thankfully it was empty – she didn't want to deal with Larxene right now. She flung her bag on the floor, fell onto her bed and cried. She cried till her chest ached and her eyes burned as every part of her body screamed in pain at what she had just overheard.
Why had she been so stupid?
Authors Note: Thought I'd take advantage of the Disney cameos again and having the Daughters of Triton as swimmers seemed quite fitting (plus we all knew that Arista would be the bitchy one) Hope you enjoyed
