Passerby, tourists and inhabitants alike, grimace in the Sandlot. By all means, the atmosphere should be merry. The famous Struggle tournament shall begin soon, after all. And yet, two boys argue loud enough to drown many a voice.
"What idiots," Vanitas thinks from his perch upon Naminé's shoulder. Her steady steps draw him closer to the juvenile figures in the twilight.
"I was first! Everyone saw it!" claims the shorter.
"You're too chicken to race fair and square!" retorts the taller.
Their silhouettes grow clearer, along with nagging terror. "No," a lightbulb turns on and shatters in Vanitas' mind, "those are our idiots!"
Lea, employing his freakishly long legs for evil, naturally reaches the squabble first. After waving off annoying passerby, he gently places a hand on each boy's head. "Boys, boys. What seems to be the problem here?"
The two shouts ring in synchronicity.
"He won't admit I'm first!"
"He won't admit he cheated!"
He pulls them apart by grabbing their jackets. "Now, how do we solve this?" They scratch at each other like cats. "And stop hitting each other. You can do that later!"
The clawing stops, but the air hangs heavy with two-fold foreboding brooding. "Hrmph!" Both boys kick up dust as they stomp toward their respective friends. Only once they gracefully untagled themselves from Lea's grip, of course. Lea shakes his aching wrists. "Really, guys? That wasn't very cash munny of you."
Mouths hang open. Laughter erupts. "Where in the worlds did you learn that?" Neo stops flies from flying in first.
Lea snaps his fingers and runs a hand through his hair. Even the sun accentuates his practiced suave pose. "Don't you see? I am hip with the youth."
All light has left Roxas' eyes. "Never open your mouth again please." The most cat-like person present gives his impression of a thumbs down.
Luckily, another force encroaches so they don't club Lea. Divine intervention, thy name is Hayner.
"What do we have here?" a messy-haired blond in a grey vest strolls up to the group of six, a swagger in his every step. The other two trailing after wave.
"So unsure you need to scope out the competition, eh?" Roxas replies without missing a beat. He stands a little straighter to meet his gaze head on.
"What? No way! I just wanted to see those new friends of yours."
Roxas deliberates whether he considers them friends yet. "You don't need to be jealous." Naminé, sure. The other two sit at a solid maybe.
In the background, Xion makes grabby hands at Vanilla, the intent to ruffle written clear. The self-restraint on display is impressive. Vanilla scrambles to Naminé's other shoulder, but she picks him up, tells him something too quiet to overhear, and he reluctantly agrees to a headpat.
Neo just kind of lets it happen. "You're this Hayner I've heard so much about."
"The one and only. And these-," Hayner throws a thumb back, "-are Olette and Pence."
"The two making bunny ears behind you?"
Never has anyone spun around as fast as Hayner in that moment. So fast that Pence's bunny ear gesture still hangs at head height.
"Come on, guys!" he whispers at incredible volume, "You're making me look bad in front of the new kids!"
A sharp whistle resounds through the Sandlot. "First round starts in ten minutes! All contestants, please prepare!"
"Nice to meet you three!" Olette waves, "but looks like we've got to go."
Roxas stretches and stands. "That's my cue."
"Show me the way this time, you jerk," Neo scoffs without venom and leaves the bench as well.
When the aspiring sports stars disappear into the perpetual sunset, Lea drapes across the empty space left behind. He heaves a melodramatic sigh. "You love to see them getting along."
Xion pushes the several bags displaced by Lea back up. "I'm surprised they stopped their catfight so quickly."
"About that." Naminé wrings her fingers together. They're a little clammy. "Neo's been getting better. With… holding it in, I mean."
Across the arena, the three boys gearing up laugh amicably. "I can see that," Xion replies. "Roxas' trying his best, too. Two peas in a pod, aren't they?"
Two peas in a pod no longer set to boil over, luckily. "I'm just happy neither of you slugged me." Lea leans forward, elbow propped on his leg and head resting in his hand. "I wouldn't be mad if you did."
Naminé's hands fly up. "I wouldn't have! Tell him I wouldn't have, Vanilla!"
"Meow." There's a first for everything, like a deadpanning cat. A cat that sounded like a person merely saying "meow."
"You were tempted but didn't. Impressive!" Nonetheless, Lea somehow interprets Vanitas' intent.
"I wouldn't have," Naminé repeats for no one's benefit but her own. "It was a long time ago. It couldn't be helped."
"Bzzt." His hands form an x, and Lea imitates a buzzer. "I could've helped it. Could've saved both of you a heap of trouble. But I didn't care back then."
As the ones with the least context, Vanitas and Xion stare dumbfounded.
"I dislike-" her hands grip Vanitas' fur, and a nudge steels her expression, "I hate that part of you." Naminé's grip loosens. "But I like the part of you that helped Roxas and Xion. I like the person who's here now, and hate the person you used to be."
Lea whistles, high and sharp. "Didn't expect that perspective. Why… I'm flattered! That's awfully mature of you." He scratches his neck. "Can your cat stop stabbing me with his eyes?"
"He's known you for an hour, Lea. You can still win his affections." Whatever misdeeds Lea comitted, Vanitas will forgive them, since Naminé does. For now.
"I've got it!" A spotlight shines on Xion. "A secret!" She scoots over to Naminé, the b$hags between them finally clattering to the dusty floor. "Lea's really glad," she stage-whispers in full-earshot of Lea, "that you think that way. Because he's trying really hard to be better too! Your forgiveness means a lot."
"Don't expose me like that! I'm the laid-back funny one!" His drastic display of laid-backness sees him unknowingly imitating Vanitas by collapsing into a boneless puddle.
Not as good as the original, Naminé giggles to herself. "Tell that to Neo too, okay?"
"That I'm laid-back and funny?"
"You know what I mean."