Orange Grove
By: Leelee488512
Disclaimer: Many of the events present in this novel were fabricated and not at all true. The main characters belong to Square Enix and Disney.
Chapter Ten
Duchess Kairi skipped to her brother's room casually and knocked on the door loudly. In a matter of seconds, the nineteen year old unlocked the door with an odd smile, not his usual devilish smirk, and let his sister inside.
"You seem pleasant for a boy who was awfully grim this morning. What changed your mood?" Kairi asked smiling as she sat on his bed with a bounce.
"I have absolutely no idea! . . . You knocked, sister." Axel smiled wider than Kairi did and took a seat in the chair next to the bed.
"Yes! I came to ask you how you were doing, and I have my answer, so I have no reason to stay." Kairi stood up to leave, but only made it to the door before Axel stopped her with an odd question.
"Kairi, is Naminé coming to see you tomorrow?" He asked looking down at his hands.
The duchess could tell there was something else that he was supposed to say to her, or at least hiding some hidden agenda, but she said nothing. She nodded yes, and her brother gave her his mysterious smirk that was followed by a thank you. Whatever he was hiding, she was definitely going to find out one way or another.
Naminé Innokenti pranced into the Winter Palace with her usual smile and simple light dress, which was white that day, ready for some hot chocolate made by the famous palace chef. She took a seat at the long dining room table at the seat that stood parallel to the front seat where the emperor would usually sit. Kairi and Axel sat at the table waiting for her-Axel sat across from Naminé while Kairi sat in one of the many seats in between.
"Good morning, Kairi." Naminé said happily as expected.
"Hello. How have you been, cousin?" Kairi replied with a small smile.
"I've been well, thank you." Said Naminé before her sky blue eyes wandered forward to Axel.
An awkward tension filled the atmosphere in the room, and the energy going back and forth between Axel and Naminé gave Kairi imaginary whiplash. The duchess shuffled in her seat nervously and looked back and forth at the two. She needed to leave before they either killed each other or started another one of their awkward- and oddly inappropriate conversations.
"Um . . . I am going to see what Prince Sora is doing at the moment. I'll be back shortly, excuse me." Kairi slid out of her seat quickly and almost ran out of the room.
Axel let out a light chuckle as he watched his sister exit the room, which Naminé returned with the same action. Their eyes met again, and both parties looked away, turning crimson in the cheeks-or at least Naminé. After a long, biting silence, one of them got up the courage to talk.
"Do you want to help me get hot chocolate?" Naminé asked bravely. She held on to the table as if Axel would push her off of it for asking the ghastly question.
"Of course." Axel answered a bit too eagerly.
He stood up, along with Naminé and waited for her to come up to him before walking into the kitchen. Surprisingly, the chef wasn't there at the moment, but there was a large pot filled with hot chocolate boiling on the stove. Axel took two cups from the three that the chef was probably going to use and poured the contents of the hot jug into the cups, almost burning himself in the process.
There were two doors in the kitchen, one towards the dining room and the other leading out to the Orange Grove. Naminé and Axel stood across from each other in the one leading to the dining room. The door leading to the room happened to be broken, and couldn't close.
"This hot chocolate is spectacular." Naminé said looking at the ground. She held on to the cup for dear life as she tried to convince herself to stay still.
"I know. If only Kairi could be here, drinking with us." Axel awkwardly replied taking a sip of the beverage.
No, I am quite glad that Kairi isn't here at the moment, Naminé, and then took it back. As fast as the thought came into her mind, she forgot what she had meant by it.
"I wonder where she is right now . . ." She sighed absentmindedly drinking more of the hot chocolate. Hot chocolate was the only thing that got her mind off of Axel. The burning sensation in her throat hurt, and the pain stopped her from staring at Axel. Usually, she could stop thinking about him easily when her mind began to wonder, but now he wouldn't leave it. All she could focus on was thinking about nothing, because whenever she thought of something besides him, the topic seemed to find its way back to the boy. The sixteen-year-old wasn't even paying attention to the rich, natural taste of the chocolate. She just gulped the drink down and closed her mouth, not realizing that she still had the drink in a tilted position.
The blazing hot beverage spilled on the upper part of her chest, dripped down into her bodice, and splattered all over the skirt, burning her in the process. She moved back, biting her lip to stop herself from screaming. In the process, she hit her back on a sharp, large splinter on the side of the door. It ripped her dress in the part that was tied up, making it looser than usual, and she jumped in pain, making it rip lower.
Axel moved in, pulling his cousin away from the splinter. Her eyes hit his, and lightning struck them. Yet, the two didn't pull away, but move closer . . . and closer. Naminé stepped up to the teen and leaned in. Their lips touched softly, taking their breaths away. The kiss was like stevia, bittersweet. While it made both parties feel on top of the world, but made them feel like they were committing a felony. It deepened slowly, and was about to again when Axel opened his eyes and saw Naminé, and a rush of thoughts ran in his mind. She is your cousin, a small voice inside of his head whispered, dismissing the other thoughts of her that were anything but that. Axel blinked, pulling away from his cousin.
"Naminé, we cannot do this." He whispered, trying to calm himself down. His voice of reason demeanor was coming back, but slowly.
Naminé blinked, backing away slowly. The burning feeling had gone from her body, but another type of pain replaced it. She shook her head, not accepting what he had said. Finally, she knew that he felt the same way about her that she did him, and she would hold on for dear life.
"No, Axel. We can!" She said moving closer to him, but the boy would have none of it.
He wanted to kiss her more, but he could see how horrible their future together would be. They would tarnish the Lomonosov and Innokenti family name, as well as their country. There would always be a problem until the left each other. Axel wanted to keep their friendship intact, but being the intelligent person that he was, knew that that was not going to happen at all. The best he could do was try to make the disaster that was coming softer than it would've been.
"Naminé! What we just suggested . . . that was sin!" He yelled sliding away from her and into the Orange Grove.
"I don't care!" She yelled back, following him frantically.
Axel turned to Naminé and begged her to calm down, but she got worse. She ran closer to him and yelled back until he pushed her away from him before he ran upstairs. Naminé didn't follow, but sat down on the ground, crying quietly to herself. Everything had gone so fast. She had fallen in love and gotten her heart broken all in the same day.
"Oh my goodness." Was all that Kairi could whisper as she stood in the dining room doorway. She had seen the entire catastrophe.
How was that?! I think that this version of the chapter was better than the last. The Namine/Axel arc is gone . . . for now. Was that a good kiss? I wanted it to be simple because, frankly, I am not mature enough to know how being in love (like Romeo and Juliet love-FORBIDDEN) so I was winging it. I hope ya'll liked it. Kairi will be going to France soon, so that's something to look forward to. . . oh, drama. . . how am I supposed to write that- a couple together for a week straight, not in love to add to that, gee. . . I'll make it work (as Tim Gunn says).
God Bless,
Leelee488512
P.S.-How are your feelings on couples?
P.P.S.-Here's a couple of songs that I listened to as I wrote, FYI: If It Kills Me, Jason Mraz. A Beautiful Mess, Jason Mraz. Pavane for Dead Princess, Maurice Ravel. Just so you know.