Chapter 14: Initial Attraction II
Kairi answered her phone as soon as she heard it ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kairi!" Sora answered on the other line. "Mind if I come over? I just happened to be passing your neighborhood and thought, you know, why not?"
Kairi giggled to herself. "Like I haven't heard that one before. What are you doing up so early?"
"I had to drop Roxas off at work. So is that a yes?"
"Isn't Roxas's work out of the way?" Kairi asked, purposely stalling her answer.
"Not if you don't know where you're going." Sora joked. "It's my lucky day. My awful sense of direction put me on the road that leads to your house. You know, the one with like two stoplights the whole stretch?"
"So basically you're on your way here, even though I didn't say you could come."
"Well if I'm not allowed over, then I guess I'll just have to drink these hot chocolates by myself." Sora said wistfully. "Ah, loneliness… the bane of my existence…"
Kairi rolled her eyes. Sora only got dramatic and poetic when he was hungry. "How far away are you?"
"I want to say five minutes, maybe shorter." Sora replied after a pause.
"'Why did you bother calling? It's not like I had a choice." Kairi stood up from her bed, unplugging her phone so she could walk around.
"The one who didn't have a choice, Kairi, was me."
"And how does that make sense?"
"Because I have to see my girlfriend before my day starts. Otherwise I'll die."
Kairi sighed. "You poor thing. You must be starving."
There was a short amount of silence before Sora answered. "Kairi, the cinnamon rolls smell heavenly."
"See you in a few minutes then!" Kairi giggled.
"Thanks, Kai. See you soon."
After hanging up, Kairi returned her phone to the charger and sighed happily.
Life was absolutely perfect.
Kairi was on top of the world and enjoying her best summer yet. She knew the reason had a lot to do with the fact that she reunited with her two best friends. Sure, she made new friends at school and in Radiant Garden, but none of those girls or guys knew her like Sora and Riku did. Riku would always be her closest brotherly figure and Sora her best friend.
Well, he was technically a boyfriend now, but that was a step forward.
Kairi felt her cheeks grow warm at the thought. To think that her best friend would like her back made Kairi's head spin. Her! The crush she harbored for a number of years was finally realized. She knew she was one of the lucky ones. If Sora didn't like her the same way, then their friendship would have taken a damaging turn. Sometimes she thought that she should have known all along, before both of them decided to accept their feelings and take that leap together.
Sora was her boyfriend now.
The thought seemed so foreign! "Sora and Kairi" meant more than a pair of best friends now. It was a title, a couple. Kairi laughed to herself. How had she not gotten over this yet?
The jump from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend was relatively easy. They hadn't done anything intimate, so maybe that's why they avoided any awkwardness so far. It wasn't that they were actively trying not to do things either; rather, they just never felt it was necessary.
Kairi actually found it funny when Sora tried to be romantic. Perhaps she was one of those girls who just couldn't take it seriously. After all, she was the kind of girl who fell for her best friend. Her best friend was most certainly not some tall, dark and handsome young man with all the right words and confident swagger that made women everywhere swoon.
He could be though.
But that meant more competition. Kairi was okay with the shortage of interested girls anyway.
The thought of other girls chasing Sora made Kairi's blood simmer. In retrospect, she was delighted when Sora would talk to her and tell her stories of how bad he felt for denying a girl. The guys she dated— though only for a short time— usually reminded her of Sora somehow too.
Kairi furrowed her brow, a look of disturbance crossing her face. Did that make her evil? She had liked hearing that Sora turned down a few girls here and there. She also used different boys to fill the void in Sora's absence. Those weren't actions of someone nice.
All of it was rather cruel of her.
No. It was natural and normal. If she had always felt Sora was hers, then how could she not react the way she did? Anger was the expected feeling when she heard that Sora built a reputation of being a good kisser.
Kairi stopped in her tracks. If she thought about the subject any more, she'd only be pissed when Sora arrived.
But wait! If the whole freaking female population of Sora's school— okay, more like a handful of girls— got a smooch out of him, then why hadn't she kissed Sora yet? The drunk one definitely didn't count either.
Kairi huffed, deciding life wasn't perfect after all. One, her boyfriend had yet to kiss her. What was up with that? Two, she had absolutely no one close enough to talk to when it came to frustrating things like relationships and boys.
Well, there was Naminé. Her twin, and probably her best female confidante, would definitely lend her an open ear. But her sister's advice would only go so far. Who was Kairi supposed to talk to when her relationship with Sora advanced? Naminé would be more lost than Kairi.
Unless Naminé got a boyfriend too.
Kairi paused. Naminé dating someone? Could it happen?
Unlikely. Her twin had such unrealistic expectations and incredibly high standards, and Kairi wasn't going to be the one to tell her that. She probably wouldn't be able to change how her sister thought too. It would take someone just as stubborn to influence Naminé in the slightest.
"Or Roxas, I guess…" Kairi said aloud. She didn't care what anyone else said. There was always something there between her boyfriend's twin and her own. It wasn't that she didn't believe in the existence of their little grudge match— it was certainly there— but there was always a sort of underlying affection or something. She could have been wrong, but it was awfully weird for two people to care so much of the other's opinion if they supposedly loathed each other.
The doorbell rang, notifying Kairi that her boyfriend had arrived. She jogged to the door, not even bothering to check as she pulled it open. Sora walked in, his smile a combination of delight in seeing his girlfriend and relief that he was going to indulge in his sugary breakfast soon.
"Hey, Kairi!" Sora made himself at home, taking a seat at the table. He placed Kairi's breakfast in the spot next to him. "I got you your favorite!"
"I see that. Thank you." Kairi bent down and pecked Sora on the cheek. Maybe he'd get the hint sometime today. "You excited for the island get-together?"
"More like super-mega excited!" Sora munched happily on his warm cinnamon roll. "I already prepared everything I have to bring. I hope you don't mind, but I'll be staying here until we head over. Everything's already packed in the trunk, and I was hoping we could just go together. Naminé too, of course."
"You're on a roll today." Kairi sipped some of her hot chocolate, sighing as she lowered the cup. "Inviting yourself over as you please and all…"
"I figured you wouldn't have a problem with it."
Kairi bit her lip. "I don't, but what about Naminé?"
"Unless she suddenly developed a hate for me, I figured that wouldn't be a factor either."
"Yeah, about that…" Kairi went along with the act, placing both of her hands on Sora's shoulders. "My sister secretly wishes for you to disappear. She mentioned something last night that she doesn't want to lose her twin to some boy, so…"
"You're breaking up with me?" Sora asked with mock despair.
"Alas, we cannot be!" Kairi pressed the back of her wrist to her forehead and sighed dramatically. The couple broke into a fit of laughter following their private joke.
"How did we go from talking about spontaneous planning to theatrical tragedy?" Sora chuckled, stabbing into the remains of his cinnamon roll with a fork.
"We're a very dynamic duo with a cultured background." Kairi said airily.
"Yes, quite sophisticated." Sora rubbed his chin thoughtfully, getting a laugh out of Kairi. "Do you remember in fifth grade when Mr. Sid made me rewrite all those words I misspelled during that vocab test?"
"I have to say that I remember that test among the many we took that year simply because of the way you epically failed it." Kairi nodded. "The best part had to be when you challenged his authority."
"Who thought it was a good idea to spell 'sophisticated' with a 'PH' instead of an 'F'?" Sora repeated his pre-teen question. The two shared a laugh over the memory. "I will never forget how to spell those words from that test."
A short lapse of silence filled a few seconds. "Wow, we've known each other for a while, huh?" Kairi said with a thoughtful expression.
"Since we were four." Sora nodded. "I'll always remember the day we met too."
Kairi blinked. "I'm glad someone does. All I remember is you and Riku always being there."
"You don't remember how we met?" Sora tilted his head curiously, a strange glint in his eye.
"To be honest, I don't." Kairi shrugged.
Sora smiled. "Huh. Maybe I'll tell you the story later today. It's one of my favorite memories."
"Wish I could say the same." Kairi leaned her head on her hand. "I guess we can start making new ones. I mean, how many couples can say they've known each other since pre-school?"
"Not many, but we're among them." Sora said proudly. "It's great that it saves me a lot of work too. Our families are already familiar with each other, and your parents already love me."
Kairi laughed. "Oh, thank goodness you don't have to work for my parents' blessing. And just to be clear, my dad actually liked Riku more than you."
"Probably because Riku was an adult charmer."
"No, he liked Roxas better too."
"What the heck?" Sora spread his arms out. "Why am I on the bottom of the list?"
"Because you were a normal child: loud, immature, and crazy. Riku could flip the off switch on command, and Roxas was generally quieter than you."
"Your father hated me for being a wild child?" Sora scrunched his nose.
"He didn't hate you. He likes you, just not as much as your brother and Riku. If you ask me, I think it's because he liked Riku's parents a lot."
Sora shrugged. "Nothing against my own, but Riku has awesome parents. I can see them being the cool couple among adults too."
"You know," Kairi's brow furrowed as she thought, "I wonder how my dad will react if I tell him we're dating now. You're actually my boyfriend now."
"Maybe it'll be like the good ol' days and he'll laugh, slap me on the back, and tell me I'm a charming young man." Sora suggested. He smiled sheepishly when Kairi looked at him skeptically. "What? A guy can dream."
"And dream big, apparently." Kairi looked up, catching movement from the corner of her eye. Her sister rubbed her eyes as she walked in tiredly. "Morning, sunshine! Somebody slept well, huh?"
Naminé yawned. "Not really. Pillows reeked of Roxas." The blonde turned into her bathroom. "Morning, Sora."
"Goof Mooring!" Sora greeted with a full mouth. He gulped down his food and smiled apologetically to his girlfriend. "I wasn't going to ignore her!" He explained.
"Whatever. I'm just wondering if you picked up on the same thing I did." Kairi crossed her arms.
"Does it have to do with Naminé?" Sora pointed his thumb in the direction of the bathroom.
"Yup." Kairi nodded. "See? That's what I'm talking about. She knows things she supposedly shouldn't."
Sora blinked. "Kairi, I'm going to be frank here and admit that I have no idea what you're talking about."
The redhead rolled her eyes. "You just said you thought the same thing I did!"
"I asked if it had to do with your sister, actually. I never said I knew what you were getting at." Sora said matter-of-factly. He drank his hot chocolate slowly.
Kairi sighed, but leaned forward so she could whisper to Sora. "Fine. Don't you find it weird that Naminé knows what Roxas smells like?"
Sora nodded. "That's kinda weird. I don't know what Roxas smells like."
"And," Kairi continued excitedly, "why was Roxas sleeping in Naminé's bed in the first place? The two like to say they can't stand each other, but since when was Roxas able to sleep in Naminé's bed and since when did Naminé begin to recognize Roxas's scent?"
Sora's eyes widened, a shocked look on his face. "Your sister is a werewolf!"
Kairi's mouth dropped open.
"Think about it!" Sora went on. "Your sister, who usually wakes up before or around the time you wake up, wakes up late today. She's also able to distinguish scents like a dog. And," Sora pressed his fingers to the table as he made his point, "there was a full moon last night. Naminé had her first changing last night and ran around, which explains why she slept in, and her innate powers as a werewolf kicked in, which explains her new keen sense of smell. And Roxas was in Naminé's bed because… oh. Oh my gosh! Roxas is a werewolf hunter! No wonder they hate each other so much!"
Kairi stared blankly at her boyfriend as he looked on with excitement. Her mouth opened and closed, mimicking a fish out of water, simply because she couldn't find any words.
Sora didn't seem to pick up on it. "I understand why you're so shocked, but I wouldn't be too worried. Naminé probably makes a nice werewolf and doesn't really give Roxas a justification to kill her, which is why he's always on edge around her. He's just waiting for her to make a mistake and… huh. Who should we side with? My brother wants to kill your sister but—"
Kairi held her hand up, cutting Sora off in an instant. She pressed her lips together. While she was glad to see that Sora somehow crafted a wildly imaginative backstory regarding Naminé and Roxas's strange relationship, she didn't want to tell him that he was wrong so bluntly. As his girlfriend and best friend, she was supposed to be supportive.
She'd let him down gently.
"Sora, while I feel that is a… possibility," Kairi turned her head slightly and cringed as if saying the word pained her, "I don't think that's quite right. Besides, if Roxas wanted to, uh, kill my sister, then how come it seems like their relationship is improving? They're spending time with each other now."
Sora pounded his fist into his palm. "I got it. Roxas is mad at the werewolf who bit Naminé and he's looking for a way to cure her, Naminé must be telling him there's no way to undo the curse, and—"
"Sora, I don't think that's it."
"But if you think about it—"
"No, really. It's not." Kairi gave in, shutting Sora's suggestion down. "To get back on point, my sister is awfully aware of your brother. I think that's a sign that maybe they're getting closer than I initially thought."
"Is this the part where I jump on your bandwagon and say that Roxas has been crushing on your sister since forever?" Sora asked, well-aware of Kairi's view on their siblings.
"No, but now you can't say I'm completely crazy." Kairi stopped talking when Naminé emerged from the bathroom, looking a lot more refreshed than she had a moment ago. "Hey Nam! Do you mind if Sora takes us to the island? He apparently made his own plans for his own convenience.
"Aww, Kairi! I made my own plans, but they're designed to help you guys! I can lift anything and everything you need to bring."
"Like a pack mule?" Naminé joked. "I don't mind at all. What time are we leaving?"
"Not for another… six hours." Sora smiled cheekily when Naminé raised a brow. "What? You guys aren't gonna be here forever! Can't a guy spend time with his friends?"
"I'm sure you came here with the full intention of spending time with both of us." Naminé smiled knowingly. "I'd be happy to spend most of the day in my room… or my studio, if you're willing to purge it for me."
Kairi rolled her eyes. "Naminé, it was one roach. We haven't seen one since."
"It doesn't hurt to check!" Naminé objected. "I don't really let anyone in there, but I am perfectly willing to make an exception in this case."
"Whatever." Kairi turned her head at the sound of her phone ringing from her bedroom. "I'll be right back."
"Yup." Sora opened up a small paper bag and took out a small muffin. "Here, Naminé. I brought you some breakfast."
"Oh!" Naminé sat at the table, thanking Sora as she pulled her food closer. "Is this the Berry Big Muffin? I'm actually surprised you know what I like. Or did Kairi tell you?"
Sora shook his head. "Actually, it was a lucky guess. Roxas ordered that before I dropped him off at work. I figured I'd order you one too." He laughed, turning his empty cup in his hand. "I guess you guys have the same taste in breakfast foods."
Naminé smiled, holding a hand over her chin to keep the crumbs from falling everywhere. "I guess so." After relishing the first bite, Naminé stood up to pour herself a glass of milk. "So I was wondering… are you actually willing to check my studio for more cockroaches? I haven't entered since, and I don't think I can go again unless someone tells me it's clear."
Sora nodded. "Of course! Though you really don't have to isolate yourself like that."
"I think you and Kairi could use some alone time." Naminé sat back down and transferred her breakfast onto a plate. "How are things going, by the way?"
"Great, I'd say. To think I was worried about jeopardizing our friendship…" Sora rested his head against his hand, grinning to himself. "It's not awkward at all, which is probably the best part. Then again, we haven't really done anything differently than before."
Naminé stopped eating, her interest piqued by Sora's words. "What do you mean by that? Aren't you guys dating now?"
"Doesn't Kairi tell you any of this?" Sora asked, squirming a bit under Naminé's gaze.
"Not really. I wish she'd keep me updated, but she hasn't. I had assumed it was because… well, because what you do with each other is private," Naminé struggled to find the right words, "but now you said something about nothing really changing."
"Oh! A lot has changed between us. We're open with our feelings and everything, but we haven't really done… anything to, I guess, show it." Sora hinted.
"So you guys haven't… kissed?" Naminé dared to ask. She gasped when Sora shook his head. "Now, that I find surprising."
"Well, we have kissed before, just not as boyfriend and girlfriend." Sora said sheepishly.
Naminé's eyes widened. "Oh! Are you talking about that time over spring break when you guys were drunk?"
Sora stared at Naminé, clearly lost. "Um, what?"
"Oh, forget I said anything!" Naminé quickly covered. "Is there a reason why you guys haven't… er, are you guys waiting or something?" Naminé rephrased her question. She found that she was terribly interested in the love affair between her sister and friend, but asking so directly made her feel invasive. She supposed discussing it with Sora also had something to do with it.
"Not really. Just haven't found that moment yet." Sora shrugged. "Kairi didn't tell you any of this?"
"Not at all." Naminé answered as she completely unwrapped her muffin. "The last time she talked to me about her boy problems— not that you're a problem! It's a general term, really."
Sora grinned. "None taken."
"Yeah. The last time we talked about you was the morning after the club." She nibbled on the muffin, her mood slightly deflated. "I don't think she trusts me with all that stuff."
Sora smiled sympathetically. Contrary to what Naminé thought, Kairi wanted to be more open with her sister. He'd heard it from Kairi many times, however, that she couldn't stand Naminé's gaze when she did something. Sora came to the conclusion that Kairi cared an awful lot over what her twin had to say, so much that she sometimes chose to keep silent. "Naminé, believe me or not, but I think Kairi would love to talk to you about our… er, relationship. Maybe you should try initiating it next time."
Naminé stared at the last bit of her muffin as she digested Sora's words. "Hmm. Maybe I should try that."
"I think you should at least start while I check that studio of yours." Sora knocked on the table.
Naminé sighed in relief. "Thanks, Sora."
"No problem! Just one question…" Sora took Naminé's stare as a sign to continue, "If you were a werewolf, would you tell me?"
"Um… yes?" Naminé looked at Sora, not knowing what to make of his disappointed look. "Why do you ask?"
Dragging his feet, Sora walked toward Naminé's art room. "No reason."
"Whew!"
Roxas dropped onto a chair in the reception area, feeling drained and exhausted after hours of work. The smell of pet shampoo reached his nose. It was probably his clothes.
A few seconds passed before Roxas checked the time on his phone. Sora was supposed to call and let him know who would be picking him up.
"Of course he forgot." Roxas muttered to himself. When his brother told him he'd be visiting Kairi after dropping him off, Roxas had a feeling his brother would be a little distracted. Nothing against Kairi or anything— he was happy for them both— but Roxas never had much patience. If Sora couldn't handle more than one task on his mind, then he probably should've picked.
Or maybe he did. Maybe his choice was to leave Roxas an extra hour at work.
"No big deal. It's not like I had anything to do or anything." Roxas said to himself.
Olette entered the room, visibly surprised to see Roxas still around. "You're still here!"
"Yeah." The blond scratched the back of his head. "I think Sora forgot about me."
"That's a shame. You know you're always welcome to get a ride with me and Hayner when we leave in an hour. We're all heading to the island anyway." Olette sat down at one of the computers, probably to put something on record.
"I might have to take you up on that offer if Sora doesn't— oh." Roxas felt his phone vibrating in his hand. "Maybe not."
Olette grinned. "Let me know after!"
Roxas walked away from her, pressing the phone to his ear. "Axel? What's up?"
"Your brother called Xion half an hour ago saying you'd need someone to pick you up." Axel explained.
"So why are you the one telling me this?"
"Because Xion couldn't pick you up. Are you ready to go? I'm outside now."
Roxas peeked outside the window. Sure enough, Axel's red sports car was parked in front. He turned to Olette. "Hey, my ride's here."
"Oh, that's good! See you tonight though?" Olette asked hopefully.
"You bet. See you later. Please remind Pence and Hayner to bring the volleyball stuff. They'll forget otherwise."
"You can count on me!" Olette saluted with a giggle.
Roxas exited the building and jogged over to Axel's car, settling into the purring machine. Axel greeted him with a smirk.
"You smell funny."
Rolling his eyes, Roxas buckled in with a sigh. "Let's see how you smell after washing half the dogs and cats in there."
"Fair enough." Axel nodded. "I hope you don't mind, but we're making a stop at the liquor store for the party tonight."
"Wait, what?" Roxas sat up, his brow furrowed.
"Are you surprised because I'm buying the alcohol?"
"That, and the fact that you're coming to this party. And can't you do this some other time? Maybe after you've dropped me off?" Roxas looked shiftily from side to side.
"Chill, Roxas. You're staying in the car. And what's wrong with me coming to this party? As long as you and Xion don't answer Larxene's phone calls, I'm fine."
Roxas covered his face with his hands. "Great. Thanks for dragging us into your relationship problems that will surely arise from your blatant lies."
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her!" Axel chuckled. "But seriously, I'm paying for all of this in cash. The crazy bitch will track me if I use my credit card."
Roxas opened his mouth to protest, but chose to keep his comments to himself. "So where's Xion? And why do you have to pay for all the alcohol that everyone else will illegally drink?"
"Xion's with Riku." Axel answered with a cough. "And he's actually paying me back later, so no skin off my back. In fact, I'm making a profit out of this thanks to the points this will give me."
Roxas didn't fall for Axel's attempt to change the subject. "What the heck is she doing with Riku now?"
"She didn't want me to tell you." Axel glanced over, only to see his best friend glaring at him. "Oh come on! Why are you getting mad at me?"
Roxas remained silent.
Axel groaned in frustration. "Fine. She took him to the hospital today to see her parents. She told him about her condition and everything."
Roxas's hands curled into fists. He wanted to punch something. Out of all his friends, Xion was the hardest to understand and predict. He came to know her very well, but at the same time she was a mystery. What exactly motivated her to act the way she did? "Why would she do that now? We have no idea how Riku will react to that."
"Apparently he reacted well. If she told him about herself, only to later bring him to see her parents, then we can safely assume he didn't make her feel uncomfortable." Axel pulled the car into a parking lot, unbuckling himself. "Roxas, don't think about it too much. I know you're jealous and all—" Axel ignored Roxas's protests, "— but Xion is allowed to make her own decisions and talk to whomever she wants. You're her best friend, but that doesn't give you the right to control her."
"I'm not trying to control her!" Roxas retorted. "I'm just… wondering why she suddenly finds Riku interesting."
Axel opened his door, but remained still for a moment. "I don't know if this is what you want to hear, but whatever you're thinking is probably right." Axel got out of the car, bending down to offer Roxas a few more words. "I know you're her best friend and you don't want to lose her to someone else, but Xion can date anyone she wants. I know you're fully aware that your opinion matters to her too. Don't become her enemy when she needs your support."
Roxas crossed his arms as Axel walked off, leaving him to sulk with his thoughts. As much as he hated it, Axel knew exactly how he felt. His older friend had a point. Even if Roxas didn't agree with the growing friendship between Xion and Riku, he was supposed to support his best friend.
The problem was that Roxas didn't want to give her that support.
A quick stop at home and a short drive later, Roxas and Axel unloaded an alcohol-laden car into Axel's small fishing boat. While it technically belonged to his parents, Axel used the boat the most as a means of escaping reality every now and then. Roxas used to tag along, but their schedules rarely lined up to allow that. That, and Roxas had a lot of trouble waking up at the break of dawn.
After a few treks between boat and car (Roxas had been extremely paranoid that he was being watched), all the drinks were transferred safely. Roxas tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Axel to return. He kept his head low, hoping no one would notice him. There wasn't exactly anything legal about a sixteen-year-old with a boatload of alcohol.
"Wow. Could you possibly look any more suspicious?" Axel teased as he tossed Roxas the keys. "I'm going to make a suggestion: try to look a little more confident, more adult-like. Your whole demeanor won't scream 'arrest me' that way."
"If you knew how uncomfortable I was, why did you take so long to get back?"
Axel laughed, speedily untying the boat. "I just wanted to see you squirm."
"Whatever. Do you want me to drive?"
"If you would." Axel motioned with his hand. As soon as he hopped into the boat, he pulled a beer from one of the coolers. "Isn't this great? How lucky we are to have a boat of booze."
"Now I see why you wanted me to do this." Roxas turned the boat around, heading for Play Island at a steady pace.
"I trust your skills." Axel took a gulp of beer, smiling into the light breeze and bouncing with the boat. "Hey, that reminds me. How's your little driving thing with Naminé going?"
Roxas raised a brow. "How do you know about that?"
"Xion told me." Axel said smartly. "Well?"
"They're fine." Roxas replied shortly.
"Has she improved?"
"Of course she has. She was awful before. Now she's just… bad."
Axel smirked. He could tell this was something Roxas didn't want to talk about.
All the more reason to ask.
"How many times have you guys gone out?"
"We had one driving lesson." Roxas reworded Axel's questions. "Why are you so interested?"
Axel shrugged. "I just wanted to know. Seems like you and Naminé have managed to put your differences aside."
"Hardly."
"No, I think so." Axel shook his head. "Don't lie to me, Roxas. I know things have improved between you two. Question is, have they improved to the point where you guys can call each other friends?"
"Absolutely not." Roxas responded. "You're reading into it too much. I'm just doing whatever I have to do so Xion doesn't leave." When his response was met with silence, he turned around to see his friend's reaction.
Axel pressed his lips together in thought as if he were debating something in his mind. The expression was gone as soon as he noticed Roxas staring, replaced with an easygoing smile. "Hmm. You're a little confusing. I can't tell whether or not you like Xion or Naminé when you talk like that."
Roxas blushed, turning his attention to the nearing island. "What are you saying? Of course I like Xion. She's my best friend."
"You know that's not the kind of 'like' I'm talking about. And if Xion is just your best friend, that must mean Naminé is your real love interest."
"Shut up, Axel. Naminé doesn't have to mean anything to me."
"Yet she does anyway. Cut the crap already! Xion and I are fully aware that you find her attractive." Roxas didn't bother saying anything else, much to Axel's chagrin. "Tch. You're such a child sometimes. Luckily for me, I'm your best friend, so I'm going to say whatever the hell I want and tell you that sometimes you can be really immature. To tell you the truth, Xion and I also know that Naminé is growing on you. Whether you acknowledge that or not is up to you, but please learn to accept things about yourself even if you don't like it.
"I think you have a thing or two to learn from Xion. Yes, sometimes she's a little too aloof for my tastes, but at least she accepts herself. Do you think she wanted to inherit her parents' illness? Of course not. I know your situations are different, but the principle is the same. You don't have to like everything about yourself. That dissatisfaction oftentimes leads to self-improvement. But don't go about denying things that really make you who you are." Axel finished the rest of his beer as they approached the dock, pausing in his speech for only a few seconds. "Besides, we can't help who we like. There's no shame in it, none at all."
The boat came to a stop along the wooden dock. Axel remained seated, wondering if Roxas had anything to say to him. He knew he might have slammed his teenage friend with the truth, but if he wasn't going to be the one to say it, who would? Axel almost felt obligated to guide Roxas. He knew. He was a teenager too. And at twenty-one, he was still learning.
Finally, Roxas turned his head just enough to look at Axel. A frown was etched onto his face as he looked at his friend with jaded eyes. "Are you going to tie the boat or not?"
Axel sighed. So much for that. "Yeah. I got it."
Roxas made his way through the thicket of the island, picking up twigs and dried branches they would need for the fire come nighttime. After unloading all the drinks, Axel told him that he was heading back to the mainland, to which Roxas gave a slight nod.
If Axel wanted to leave, then it was fine with him. Who needed him anyway?
Roxas readjusted his hold on his gatherings, bending down to pick up a few more branches. He knew they had a lot of daylight left, but the only thing Roxas wanted to do was to get away from everyone else.
Axel's little speech soured his mood considerably. What did Axel know? Not much, apparently. Roxas snorted. He should have never admitted to Xion and Axel that he thought Naminé was somewhat pretty. That's what led to this whole situation. Axel had to grossly exaggerate what he knew and twist everything that Roxas did. Why couldn't his best friends accept the fact that he was only hanging out with Naminé because of Xion's bet? Why couldn't they just let simple driving lessons be driving lessons?
No, they had to assume there was something more to it. Since he was hanging out with Naminé more, it obviously meant that they were becoming friends. Since he offered her driving lessons, it had to mean they were getting over their differences.
At this rate, if he even so much as looked in Naminé's direction, Xion and Axel would declare that Roxas wanted to marry her.
What a load of crap!
Roxas returned to the beach, dropping all the branches and small twigs near the small fire pit. He didn't realize it while under the shade of the trees, but it was extremely hot today. Maybe that's why everyone was in the water. Sora, Tidus, Wakka and Ven were playing catch, with Kairi, Selphie and Aqua wading nearby. He was surprised to see his friends and coworkers setting up the volleyball net a little farther down the beach. They probably arrived while he was gathering firewood.
Roxas made his way to the picnic table, dropping onto the bench with a sigh. He grimaced when he noticed he was covered in sweat. After the small struggle to peel off his shirt, he reached into a cooler and quickly opened a bottle of water, draining half of it with a few gulps. Relieved, he returned to his spot on the bench and sighed.
He looked around once more, wondering if he had missed anyone. A few people were missing, but they'd most likely arrive within the hour. Among them were Xion and Riku— they'd probably arrive together— and Naminé. Roxas bit his lip. If Kairi was here, then surely Naminé should be around as well.
"Why do you look so angry?"
Roxas whipped around to face the owner of the voice, a smile replacing his noted expression. "I was wondering why you hadn't shown up yet, is all. Care to explain why you're late?"
Xion sat next to him, removing her hat and sunglasses and placing them in her lap. "We had to stop by Riku's place to pick up the alcohol."
Roxas snorted. "Why did you make him buy more if you had some already?"
"We didn't have enough. Looking at it now though, I'd say we're set for the night." Xion got up for a moment and returned with a hard lemonade. "Can you open this for me?"
Roxas grudgingly took the drink and twisted the cap off, handing it back to Xion. "Where's Riku?" The question came out forced.
"He and Axel are probably unloading the alcohol." Xion explained. "Riku brought his dad's boat, and he's anchoring it a little ways off shore. I think Axel said the plan was to fill his boat with the booze and then just bring it over to the dock." She pointed to the dock that Axel had left half an hour ago."
"How in the world did you get here then?"
"I took that." Xion pointed to the beached Jet Ski next to the shack. "I'm surprised Riku let me use it."
"He's been rather friendly lately, huh?" Roxas remarked as he gulped down more water.
Xion stared at him for a moment. "Have you put on any sun screen yet?"
"No. I'm in the shade."
"That's no excuse." Xion got up again, returning to the bench with a large bag in hand. She pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and motioned for Roxas to turn around. He obeyed. "A little sweaty?"
"I did a lot of… walking before you got here." Roxas glanced at the large pile of dried branches he had gathered earlier. He felt Xion wipe down his back with something. "Was that my shirt?"
"Yup. Relax, though. I brought you spare clothes." Xion squeezed the lotion onto her hands and pressed it into Roxas's back. She giggled when he shivered. "Sorry. That must've been a little cold."
"A warning would have been nice." Roxas exhaled slowly.
Xion spread the sunblock all over his back, massaging his shoulders gently. "I took Riku to see my parents today."
Roxas blinked. Axel must've kept their conversations a secret. He felt a little remorse for forcing Axel to tell him when Xion had planned to do so already. "Really?"
"Yeah. And I told him everything about me too." Xion continued. She dropped the sunscreen into his lap, indicating that she finished with his back. She took off her sundress, rolling it up and placing it in her bag.
"How did he react?" Like clockwork, Xion and Roxas turned at the same time so Roxas could return the favor. "It might be cold." He warned before pressing his hands to her back.
Xion didn't flinch. "Pretty well, actually. To be honest, I thought that would be the deal breaker. It didn't send him running for the hills."
Roxas looked up to see Xion smiling to herself. She looked so relieved. Roxas gulped. "You're that confident in him?"
"I trust him." Xion affirmed.
Roxas exhaled slowly. In that split second, he made a decision. "I guess he's halfway decent after all."
Xion turned around and smiled widely. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing." Roxas stalked off with a red face, trying his best to distance himself.
Xion wasn't having any of it. "Wait! I think I just heard something akin to approval just now!"
The blond groaned. "If you pester me more, I'm taking it back."
Xion shook her head with a giggle before wrapping her arms around her best friend. "You're so prideful."
Roxas slowly returned the hug, resting his chin on the top of Xion's head. "Whatever. Just let me know if he does anything that doesn't make you happy."
"What, you planning on decking him or something? Good luck with that."
"You'd be surprised how stupid I get when someone I care about is threatened."
Xion went stiff for a moment, but pushed away from Roxas with a smile. "Riku isn't a threat to my existence, you know. Besides, I've witnessed first-hand how you react when a friend is in danger. I'm sure Seifer won't ever mess with you again."
As the memory flooded back to Roxas, his face went red in embarrassment. "That's not what I was—"
"I'm going to say hello to everyone else." Xion interrupted. She took Roxas's hand and placed the sunscreen bottle in his palm. "Finish up, okay?"
Roxas wanted to reply, but he knew Xion wasn't going to hear anything else. Sighing, he popped open the cap of the bottle and lathered his torso with sunblock.
A loud disturbance from behind caught Roxas's attention. He whipped around to find Naminé gingerly rearranging the plastic cups that fell on their sides. She pulled her foot out of a nearby trash bag, a small pout on her lips. Her eyes widened when she noticed Roxas watching her in amusement.
"Did you not see the giant black bag at the end of the table?" He asked condescendingly.
"I was a bit… distracted." Naminé quickly folded her sketchbook and stuck a charcoal pencil into the spiral spine.
Roxas eyed the sketchbook in her hands and noted that she was still fully dressed. "Where were you the whole time?"
"What does it matter to you?" Naminé brushed by him, locating her bag in the sand.
"Would it kill you to answer my question without some scathing remark?"
The question caught Naminé off-guard. She stopped sifting through her bag, staring at Roxas like he'd grown another head. Snapping out of her trance, she returned to her task, albeit a little more calmly. "I was doing a quick sketch of the bent palm."
Roxas didn't get anything else out of the artist. After taking suntan lotion from her bag, she walked closer to the water. Roxas watched her the whole time. What was her deal anyway?
He thought about following her, but froze in place when she hitched her sundress up. In one fluid motion, she took off the extra layer, revealing a white bikini underneath.
Roxas felt his heart racing in his chest, but couldn't bring himself to look away.
He stared shamelessly. A breath caught in his throat as Naminé bent down to spread her lotion over her legs, all the way up to the golden rings that connected her bikini bottom around her hips. Her hands traveled over her flat stomach, stroked each arm, and finally over the exposed skin of her chest. Then, her hands wiped along her lower back. Roxas watched in amazement as she managed to cover every corner of her back with her fingertips, reaching those pesky places by simply pushing her chest out.
"Wow. At least close your mouth."
Roxas snapped out of his trance and felt his face burn in mortification. He was caught.
By Axel, no less.
His best friend sniggered. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's perverted, but your interest is completely natural."
Roxas lightly slapped his cheeks, trying to play it off. He couldn't look at Axel without feeling exposed. "It's not what you think it is."
"Right. I didn't just see you gaping or anything. But don't worry, you're secret is safe with me." Axel tapped his chin. "Unless, of course, it slips my tongue after a few drinks. I won't be responsible for what I say if it gets to that point."
Roxas glared at him. "Are you—"
"Threatening you? Perhaps. How could I not with black mail like this?" Axel pulled out his phone and wiggled it in front of him.
The teen crossed his arms. "Do you really think I'm falling for that?"
Axel shrugged, showing him the screen as a low voice narrated the video. "In its peculiar mating ritual, the species Roxas partakes in small sessions of voyeurism as it scopes the territory—"
"Turn that off!" Roxas attempted to take the phone, but Axel leapt away with a laugh.
"What do you think? Is this not worthy of peer review and a small segment on TV?"
Roxas attempted to steal the phone, but failed yet again. "What do you want, Axel?"
Axel blinked. "Nothing. I just wanted to let you know that you have to be a little more secretive. Had it been anyone else, they would've thought you a pervert or something." Axel promptly deleted the video, much to Roxas's relief. "Judging by your tone, it sounds like you haven't forgiven me."
"Deleting that video was a start."
"I'm not sorry." Axel said with finality. "But I see that you've at least come to terms with a few things. I expected you to be staring down Riku."
Roxas narrowed his eyes, searching the beach for his brother's best friend. "When did Riku come by?"
"Oh my." Axel said with a wry smile. "You were so engrossed with Naminé that you didn't notice that?" Axel pointed toward the water. Sure enough, Xion was perched on Riku's shoulders engaging Kairi and Sora in a little competition.
"What do you want me to say, Axel?" Roxas rubbed his eyebrows in irritation.
"Nothing, Roxas. Nothing at all."
Roxas and Axel remained silent until the older boy walked off. Roxas was left alone to wallow in his own frustration.
Underneath all his public opinions of the troublesome blonde, Roxas never thought of her as anything short of pretty. She was beautiful, even. He really wished his attraction didn't exist. How could he find her so attractive if her personality repelled him so strongly? It sucked.
But it almost certainly had to do with their early childhood.
Despite what he told people, Roxas remembered the moment that started it all. It was a secret he shared with no one, and he would take it to the grave if he had to. He wondered if Naminé remembered it too.
Roxas laughed humorlessly. If she did, then they could have stopped fighting ages ago.
Not that it mattered now. The simple event came to define their future. Their relationship could be improved— it was happening now, after all— but Roxas doubted that it would ever be fixed.
Some things were just irreparable.
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Chapter Data: Word Count- 7,805. Total Editing Time- 604 minutes.
Harmless Author Fact 14: I don't handle large crowds and public speaking very well. In fact, I make efforts to avoid those situations if I can.
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