Roses are red, terrors are… blue?
Pairing: RoxasXKairi {Roxiri}
Genre: Romance, friendship, humour, drama
Rated: T (M?)
Summary: Roxas's life has always been normal. But after becoming friends with Axel, he enters a whole new family. With two twin terrors.
Chapter Ten
Extremely Please 2.0
"Ah, good, you're here," my boss said, looking at his watch.
"As if I'm late," I grumbled, putting on my little name card. "The shop's not even open yet."
"Watch your mouth," Seiffer barked. "I can always lower your salary, remember?"
"It's already past the minimum," I stated dryly. "Anyway, where's the new guy?"
"Not here," he said, sitting down on the chair. "He's even more late than you are. That's special."
"I'm not late, Seiffer," I said firmly. "You live here. That's all."
The phone rang and he gave me a stern look. "We'll talk about this later, Strife," he said, pointing an accusing finger at me when he picked up the phone. "Good morning, this is videostore Twilight Horizon, Seiffer Almasy speaking," he said as friendly as he could be.
I shrugged it off and took a look at today's schedule. There was a lot to do today and it would be too much if I was on my own.
I might not make four o'clock. And that was unacceptable.
I started unpacking some new boxes, putting the orders that came from the site apart from the rest.
Then finally the little bell went off and I put my head around the corner to see who came in.
Seiffer was nowhere to be seen, so if it was a customer, I had to take care of him.
But it was the silvery unicorn instead.
"Hey, Riku," I said, a bit confused. "What brings you here?"
Then I noticed the blue shirt he wore. It was identical to mine. He had already put his name tag on it.
"Oh," I said, as he pointed to the name tag. "You're the new employee."
He nodded and grinned. "Hi, colleague."
I was certainly not looking forward to it.
"Hi," I said, not really enthusiastically. "So, we've got a lot to do today. We'd better get started."
As if I hadn't started already. "Besides, Seiffer wants to talk to you; he thinks you're late."
"Really?" Riku said, looking at his watch with a confused look on his face. "I'm five minutes early."
"To him, everyone who arrives three seconds later than he does, is in fact very late," I shrugged.
"Got it," Riku said, coming towards me. "So, what's on the schedule?"
"We've got to prepare the orders that have gotten here today and send them off," I started, looking at the list. "There's also a new batch of CD's, DVD's and games that have to be put in place. We're preparing for the sales as well, so we have to put up these posters everywhere," I said, grabbing the ugly green things. "Let's see if we can do this all before lunchtime."
"Before lunchtime?" Riku said, his face blank and disbelief in his voice. "Are you mad?"
"Have you seen the rest of the list?" I shoved it towards him. "If you want to finish this before your shift ends, we'd better hurry."
He silently joined my side as I was putting the orders together: bought item with the receipt and the address.
Even though he was a dick who had a crush on the same girl as me, he was a pretty cool colleague.
He didn't speak much, looked at how I did things and repeated them in a steady, firm pace.
Perhaps this wasn't so bad.
"So, I was thinking… what is the best way to ask Kairi out, do you think?" he suddenly said just before we had our lunchtime. "I mean, they usually come flying, but Kairi's a tough one. Maybe a new creative idea coming from someone else does the trick, you know?"
Definitely as bad as it seemed like in the first place.
—
"Wow," Seiffer said, looking at the checklist. "Everything's done?"
"Jup," I said, preparing to leave. "See you Monday."
"Hold up, hold up," Seiffer said, frowning at me. "What's the hurry?"
"I gotta go," I said stiffly. "What's wrong?"
"I wanted to talk with you about your salary. Perhaps I was wrong to decrease it so much for stupid things."
I chuckled. "That's an understatement."
Seiffer shrugged a bit. "You're doing good work. I was thinking about raising it a little."
"So that it is the legal minimum?" I asked with a smirk. "That's a first."
He snorted. "There's a first for everything. Now get lost before I lower it again!"
"See ya, boss," I said, shutting the door behind me. Riku was finishing up, but I was not waiting for him.
I was looking forward to see everyone tonight, but I could do it without him, really.
—
"You're here!" Kairi opened the door in one swift movement, her whole face expressing joy and excitement. "Just in time!"
I walked in, closing the door while she sprinted to the kitchen. "I sent Axel and the twins to the park - Axel said he knew where you lived, so I told him to come to you around half past five- so they don't know we're cooking!" she chanted while I followed her. "All right, they know you're doing some of the cooking, but they don't know I prepared, where is it again…, oh right, here, look! It's a complete 3 course meal, so I bet they are delighted!"
She showed me three recipes and I took them over, glancing at them. "This seems tough," I said a bit uncomfortable, rubbing the back of my neck. "And that's a lot of ingredients too…"
"Don't worry!" She said immediately, spinning around to give me a broad smile. "I've got everything covered!"
There were two bags on the table, in which I now presumed were the ingredients.
"I start to feel uneasy at the thought that you're going to see how much I fail in cooking," I said, a little horrified.
She laughed. "Don't worry, we can just make you cut everything and stir some pots or something," she winked. "We can tell everyone later you did it all. It'll be our secret."
That seemed fine by me. I chuckled. "All right, well, if they're arriving that soon, we'd better get cooking!"
"Right!" She said, her eyes flashing to the clock above us. "Right."
I took the bags and gestured for her to lead the way out.
"At least I can carry… that means something too."
"Of course, Roxas, of course."
—
"Sooo, if I get this right, we need to prepare this first," I pointed to a heap of vegetables. "And then put the meat in it, and then er…" I took a quick glance at the recipe again. "Then we need to put it inside the French pastry?"
"That's right," Kairi said, standing next to me, her eyes scanning the recipe too. "So, if you start cutting the vegetables, I'm going to make the desserts first."
"Why?" I asked while she already unpacked the necessary ingredients. "Shouldn't I help you first with that then?"
"It has to cool off in the refrigerator for a while," she said, her slender fingers quick and confident as she started to unwrap packages. "So we can work together on our second course when we're both done."
"Okay," I said, watching how she struggled to get her apron in the right place. "Need some help with that?"
"If you could,- ah, thanks," she said, hiding her face from me as I stood behind her, tying the loose ends of the apron in a neat bow.
"Okay," she recollected herself and shook her hair out of her face, smiling at me. "The mission starts… now!"
I chuckled, starting to cut an onion. "You're really into this, aren't you?"
"Of course," she said happily, preparing a piping bag with chocolate. "I've always loved cooking. I used to do it together with my mother."
"I see," I said, trying not to cry, but damn, the onion!
"When she died," Kairi said softly. "It didn't seem right to just stop doing what we both loved doing. Besides," she added with a lighter tone. "I believe my cooking is very well appreciated by certain persons."
We both started to laugh as we thought of her brother.
"So, what about you?" Kairi said, looking up to see the tears rolling down my cheeks. "Awwh, poor baby, are you so sad?" she said, biting her lip not to laugh harder.
"Hush, you," I said, wiping at my face with my sleeve, only worsening the effect. "Gah," I pressed my eyes shut and made a strange face. "Good spreading of activities, Kairi. You get the chocolate, I get the tears."
Kairi hiccuped in her laughter. "C'mere, let me kiss you better," she said, planting a quick kiss on my cheek.
My eyes shot open in surprise to stare at her, but that wasn't a very good idea, I quickly found out.
It was definitely Kairi's intention, and my eyes stung like crazy, but my cheek tingled and so did the butterflies elsewhere.
"All better now?" she asked innocently, a mischievous look on her face.
"You're mean," I said, giving her a soft pat on her back with a wooden spoon. "But I'll forgive you, because if I don't, I won't have dinner tonight."
"Like that isn't mean!" Kairi said, feigning shock. "You just said that the only reason you want me here is to make you dinner. Psh."
Like I was going to tell her that I had many… many reasons.
I had finished the onion and put it aside when I started on the leek. "Of course there is only one reason, I'm a simple guy," I said jokingly.
Kairi hummed. "Yeah, I figured that much," she laughed. "No, don't worry," she added quickly. "I don't think you're just simple."
"Thanks," I said, grinning as she admired her work. "Oh, you're already done?" I said in shock.
"Oh no, not yet," she said happily. "But almost, so you'd better hurry," she gave me a wink. "I'm not waiting."
—-
We both stood proudly in front of the oven. "Great," I said as she planted her hands on her hips. "That's one item off the list."
"Two," she said laughing. "There's a part in the refrigerator too."
"Right. So the first thing is soup, right?"
"Yes," she nodded. "The twins love it. I made it once, for Christmas last year."
"That's good! Then there is at least one piece they like of the three courses!" I said, nudging her.
She giggled. "No, the last part is going to blow their minds and I'm sure they like the second course as well!"
"Of course," I said brightly. "You made it."
"Oh, stop it," she said, but she smiled widely.
"Shall I set the table while you prepare the soup?" I looked at my watch while returning her smile. "I think we're going to make it just in time. When I'm done, I'm back to my job of stirring the pots."
"Deal," she said, laughing, turning to the small pile of left cut vegetables to put into the soup.
I set the table not too formally, for three purposes. One, this was not a date. Second, then it would be a date with Axel too and that was not the plan at all, and third, I was sure the twins would ravish the table.
In conclusion, I was finished early.
"That smells good," I said appreciatively as I looked over her shoulder into the pot."Can I help?"
"Sure," she said, giving the wooden spoon to me. "Stirring it is, sir."
"Right, gotcha," I said snickering, taking the spoon over while Kairi checked her phone. "Is Axel on his way?"
"Yeah, he asks if I can find it by myself," she said giggling. "He doesn't suspect a thing."
"Good," I said, grinning. "The surprise is still intact."
She winked at me. "We make a good team, Roxas!"
"We do indeed," I agreed. "We sure do."
—
"He's around the corner," Kairi said, looking up from her phone to check if she saw Axel already through the window.
"Well, just in time," I said, stirring the soup one last time. "I think it's done."
"You know, Roxas," Kairi said when she collected the bowls from the table. "This was really fun."
"I agree," I said, looking tenderly down at her, pleased to see that her cheeks had a faint reddish glow. We heard the doorbell and I grinned. "Why don't you open the door to begin the surprise?"
"Okay," she said happily and was ready to dash off to the door.
"Wait!" I said, gesturing her back. "Here," I said, loosening the tie of her apron. "This might spoil a lot."
"You're right!" she gasped, putting the apron away and grinning at me. "Thanks!"
I heard Axel's low voice say her name in a shocked manner and the twins were cheering excitedly.
Kairi led them back into the kitchen, where I was serving the soup.
"Hey Axel!" I said cheerfully. "Hello Vanitas and Sora!" I added, getting down on my knees to hug them. "Long time no see!"
"We missed you," Sora said very solemnly.
"Noooo," Vanitas said, shaking his head. "We saw him yesterday!"
"Oh," Sora said, frowning while putting a finger to his chin. "All right. I missed you, Roxy," he then said to me, grinning. "We are hungry," he added in the same tone, like it was on the same subject.
Kairi picked them up. "We're going to have dinner right now," she said happily while Axel sat down and started to sniff the smell of his soup. "So I want you two to behave and eat properly, okay?"
"Yes, mommy," the twins said in unison as Kairi put them down on the chairs.
"Dude, did you make this?" Axel said suspiciously. "It smells terribly good, man."
"Of course," I huffed. "It's not as if I can't cook." I gave Kairi a wink behind Axel's back and she smiled as she sat down opposite of me.
"All right. Bon appetite, everyone!" Axel said immediately, grabbing a spoon.
It was silent for a moment when everyone started to eat the soup.
Kairi and I looked at each other when we saw Axel frown and quickly swallow another mouthful.
"I KNEW IT!" He exclaimed, accusingly pointing the spoon at me. "IT WASN'T YOU!"
Kairi and I burst into laughter.
"Surprise!"
—-
After dinner, Kairi was right about the desert. She had made small 'Olaf'-ice cream figures and the twins were really into it.
Axel snickered. "Oh, look, I ripped his arm off," he said, quickly putting the chocolate arm in his mouth.
"So you've seen the movie too?" I asked him, taking a spoonful of ice-cream out of the body of the popular snowman.
"Of course," Axel said easily. "At least twenty times, because the twins made me watch it with them. LET IT GOOO!"
"Okay, stop singing," I interrupted. "No more singing."
"Let it gooo!" Sora sang, his arms wide over his head, dripping ice-cream in his hair. "Let it goooo!"
Vanitas joined by drumming his hands on the table. "I'M NOT A NICE GIRL ANYMOREEE!"
"That's a new addition," Axel commented. "However, I like it."
"Oh, Sora," Kairi chuckled, removing the ice-cream from the brown locks of the toddler. "Now your hair is all sticky."
Other than the karaoke that was inspired by the treats, the last part of dinner went on smoothly.
Kairi and I went to keep shooting each other secretive glances and smiles and I just hoped I got to do this again with her.
And judging by the looks she gave me, she thought just the same.
—
"ROXY! PLAY WITH US!" Sora cried in my ear, tugging at my hair, while the other was hanging onto the waistband of my jeans. "ROXY! ROXY!" Vanitas whined.
Axel sat back on the chair and wrapped his arm around Kairi's shoulder, who tried to hold her laughter. "Isn't this a night sight, Kai? Look at that: they've combined forces and we get to kick back for a second!"
"No! Let go of my hair," I tried to pry Sora off my head, but he was very keen on holding on.
Seems like he has had years of practice.
"PLEASE?! PLEASE?!" Sora pleaded loudly in my ear.
"Vanitas! Come on, guys!" I said, tugging at my waistband with my other hand to keep my trousers up. "Let go!"
"LET IT GOOO!" Vanitas roared. "YOU'RE NOT A NICE GIRL ANYMORE!"
"I never was a girl in the first place! Sora, you're making me bald!"
"I do feel a little sorry for him," Kairi said, but smiling widely. "Although it is kind of funny to watch."
"You're just watching until his pants drop off, pervert," Axel said, nudging his sister with a grin.
"No! I'm not! You-" she flushed and she gave her brother a fervent push. "Get lost, you creep."
"EXTREMELY PRETTY PLEASE?!" Vanitas yelled. "WITH A STRAWBERRY ON TOP?!"
"I've eaten too much already, Vanitas! No, Sora! Let go of my hair!"
"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?!" Sora continued.
Vanitas turned to Kairi. "Mommy, help?"
"What do you want me to do, honey?" Kairi smiled, not meeting my eyes, but I could see a flicker in hers. Shit.
"Do you want to please with us? Please?" Sora said happily.
"All right," Kairi said, getting in front of me.
"Oh no, stop that," I said as she made a puppy dog face. "No, don't you dare!"
"Extremely please 2.0?" She whispered, pouting a little. "Do you want to play a game with my really sweet kids?"
"OKAY, OKAY, I'm playing with you! Now let go!"
"WE'RE LETTING GOOOO!" Sora sang, letting go of my hair and making a dramatic gesture with his arms in the air, while I had to catch him before he fell off my shoulder, my trousers dropping slightly as Vanitas slid down my leg and landed on his feet.
Kairi just burst into laughter as I gave her a stern look. "Don't use that method ever again!"
She made a little bow and smiled at me. I forgave her instantly.
"There you go," I said, putting Sora down and pulling my trousers up again. "Okay, I've got an idea. If you still got that much energy, let's play Twister!"
That was a terrible idea.
Kairi had insisted not to play along, but she agreed to be the spinner.
"All right, everyone, right foot on red!" she said, laughing at the situation in front of her.
Sora laid flat on his stomach, his arms and legs spread like he was a starfish. Vanitas didn't really get the idea of the game and just stood up straight with both his feet on one red spot and hands on his hips in a proud and smug manner.
Axel was leaning back on his hands and tried to touch the red spot with his right foot, but I was kind of crawled up and couldn't reach it without falling over Sora.
Sora however, started to make a snow angel where there was no snow at all.
One of his feet touched my trembling leg and I fell over for real.
"Roxy is out! Roxy is out!" Vanitas exclaimed, pointing at me.
I didn't really mind however, because that meant I could relax on the couch without being torn apart either by myself or by the twins.
"Left hand on blue!" Kairi said, after spinning again.
We watched as Axel and the twins fought it out together, while we laughed at them from the sidelines.
Kairi's warmth was really comfortable and I caught myself thinking that this was way better than nearly falling face first into Axel's crotch.
On second thought, anything was better than falling face-first into Axel's crotch.
Axel was a little too inflexible (because he was the only one who played the game right, though), so he lost from the twins, who made up a joy dance and swung around wildly with their arms.
A bit too close to my mom's favorite vase.
I sprinted towards it to protect it from their wild movements.
Axel chuckled. "Good save, man. It was close."
Kairi finally calmed the toddlers down from their excited state and she stood up, although a little reluctant.
"The kids have to go to bed," she said, holding Sora close to her chest, who was sucking his thumb, while Vanitas held her hand. "So I guess we have to leave," she said a little apologetic. "Axel can stay to do the dishes with you, though-"
"No, no," I interrupted quickly. "It's my pleasure. You all better get home safely."
"You sure?" Axel said, looking at the pile. "That's a lot of-"
"We have a dishwasher," I said, laughing. "Don't worry, it'll fit."
I walked with them to our front door and Axel gave me a pat on the shoulder. "We should do this again, sometime!"
"Sure thing, Axel," I said as he took over Sora and Vanitas from Kairi.
"I really had a great time, too," Kairi said a bit shy. "I really hope you're going to help me out with cooking again!"
"Perhaps I can finally convince people it really is my doing then," I said chuckling.
"I'm sure they will believe you then," Kairi said brightly. "Good night, Roxas."
She seemed to hesitate a little, but then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my waist.
"Sleep tight," she said softly, her warm breathing in my neck.
I pressed her a little bit more close and I could feel an idiotic wide smile on my face.
"Sleep tight, Kairi."
As soon as she let me go, the twins had freed themselves from Axel and hugged my legs. "Good night, Roxy!"
I sat down on my knees to give them proper hugs. "Sleep well, Sora! Good night, Vanitas!"
They gave me their trademark grins before running back to Axel, who saluted me. "See you later, man!"
"Gotcha," I said, grinning at him.
I watched the family walk away, the smile on my face couldn't be eliminated tonight.
—
After I had cleaned everything up in the kitchen, I went to clean up the Twister game. I hadn't played it for more than ten years.
After I had put everything back in the box, I fell back on the couch.
I stretched my arms and found out my smile could be eliminated after all.
This had been the last night of my mother's favorite vase.
"Damnit!"