Let the angst begin.
CHAPTER FOUR – Jasmine
"Hey, Kairi, I just wanted to let you know..."
No, that's dumb.
Roxas can't think of a solid way to tell Kairi he isn't dating Xion. It's not that big of a deal, yet he's put off telling her since coming to Agrabah. Why? Good question. He's been trying to figure that out too.
"Kairi, do you remember when you said..."
She isn't in the palace right now which gives Roxas ample time to find his words. The princess decided to hit the marketplace a little before meeting up with Jasmine and Aladdin tonight. Neither royal can spare a moment until then.
"It's funny. I'm not actually..."
Even in the later afternoon, the sun scorches everything that gets caught in its beams. He's not sure how Kairi can stand it. Then again, she's been baking under the sun of the islands most of her life. Genie's keeping an eye on her while Roxas unpacks for the night and gets a bite to eat. He hasn't felt like eating a whole lot, though.
"Kairi, guess what? I'm available!"
"Nice lines. Write them yourself, did you?"
Roxas jolts in surprise. He turns to find the source of the scratchy, sarcastic voice perched on one of the ceiling decorations. He scowls at Iago.
"Don't you have someone else to annoy?"
"Nah. I can annoy Al any old time. You? Yer new. And yer not stayin' long. You've got my full attention."
"Yay me." Roxas walks away only to have Iago follow him. The stout red bird flaps its wings with a purpose. He comes to land on Roxas's head in a flurry of feathers and claws. "Hey! Get off me."
"Relax, kid. I'm only helpin' yer haircut. Seriously, it looks like my cousin Lenny's nest, and he could be mistaken for a pig."
Roxas doesn't relax, though. His arms flail around the vicinity of his head in an attempt to get the annoying bird off. Iago flaps his wings angrily in retaliation. He plants a claw a little deeper into the keyblade wielder's skull. Roxas yelps and ends up bumping against a table, knocking over the bowl that sat there. He himself collapses against the wall and falls to the ground with a hard thud.
Iago bends over to peer at Roxas. "Are you done?"
"...yeah."
"Good. Now look here, kid, I've flown around the block a few times. I think I can be of some help in yer predicament."
"I don't have a—"
"You like the red-head, don't you?"
"I do not—"
Iago's claws give a warning press against Roxas's skull.
"Ouch! That hurts, you know."
"Grow up, kid. You've been stumblin' all over yerself since you got here. It's like you've got a scorpion crawlin' around yer clothes. Not to mention, you can't stop lookin' at her. Pretty, ain't she?"
Roxas frowns at the bird, but his averting eyes give him away. "Beautiful," Roxas mumbles under his breath. He sighs. "Inside and out."
Iago hears it anyway. "Whoa, you got it bad." A malicious smile crosses the bird's beak. Roxas had no idea birds could look evil until he met this irritation. It's unnerving to have that evil smile aimed at him. "You wanna know somethin', kid? Because I know somethin' you don't. And it's a good somethin'."
"What?" Roxas asks, only half curious. He doesn't trust this one.
Iago plays at Roxas's patients by flying off the keyblade wielder's head. He lands on Roxas's foot then fluffs his feathers. He preens them back after a little inspection.
"Well?"
"Don't rush me, kid. It's a juicy somethin'." Iago's grin grows. "Here's the thing. Little princess red-head—"
"ROXAS."
The bellow of Genie's voice startles the duo. Iago flees to the ceiling in a frantic fluttering of feathers.
Genie whips around the corner of the palace. He comes to an abrupt halt in front of Roxas.
"Whatcha doin' lyin' around here, pal? Get up! I've got a surprise for ya!" Genie's eagerness gets Roxas to his feet. He carefully steps around the broken pieces of clay on the floor. Genie raises an eyebrow. "What did'ya do here? No matter." The blue being snaps his fingers and the bowl is back in one piece on the table once again.
"That's incredible," Roxas marvels.
"Eh, you get used to it after ten-thousand plus years. Not the point. Come on! The surprise."
"Where is—"
"Nevermind. You'll be too slow. Leave it to me!" Genie grabs Roxas by the back of his shirt and lifts him until he is several feet off the ground.
"Whoa! Genie, are you sure—"
"No time to lose."
Suddenly, Roxas can't take a breath because he is whipping so fast through the air his lungs don't have enough strength to catch it. Genie's sure grip on his back is the only thing keeping him from panicking. Even then, Roxas can feel a few drops of adrenaline being released.
He can finally take a breath when Genie stops and sets him on the ground. "There ya go, pal."
"Thanks," he wheezes. He forces his lungs to take a few more deep breaths. He won't tell Genie, but that certainly is not his preferred way to travel. "The—The surprise?"
Genie turns him around and points. Roxas realizes he's been set in an alleyway near the marketplace. A little ways off he sees Kairi talking to...
Xion.
Genie tugs him by his shirt. The blue being knows his own strength—he knows it well enough to pull a reluctant Roxas forward with just enough force to get his feet moving without hurting him.
"Here he is. One blonde keyblade wielder as requested." Genie plops Roxas in front of the two girls and gives him a pat on the head.
Kairi flashes Genie her princess smile. "Thank you, Genie."
"You are very welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, Al will be needing my help." With a wink and a salute, Genie whips away faster than a blink.
Kairi turns her attention to Roxas. "You look a little frazzled. Sorry if Genie roughed you up a bit, but I couldn't think of a better way of getting you here before Xion and Lea left."
"Lea's here too?" Roxas hears himself asking.
Xion nods. "He said we needed a pre-emptive break from the work King Mickey is going to dump on him—his words, not mine."
Roxas grins, hiding his nerves well. He hadn't left on the best of terms with Axel—Lea. LEA. Why does he keep doing that? "Sounds like him. That's why you're here then?"
"Mm-hm. He had said he would take me here sometime. I guess sometime is now."
"The same time we got here," Kairi says cheerfully. She in no way looks like she's suffering from the same anxiousness Roxas feels sticking to his insides. Then again, she's ignorant of the one thing Roxas feels anxious about. Now he's really wishing he would have told her on the trip over here. "The King must have told them where we were heading next because he's the only one I've told. Do you know what he's going to have you guys do?"
Xion shrugs. "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with what Riku's been working on. I hope it's not another tracking mission like Sora's on. Lea drags me around enough as it is."
"Sorry I have to take up Roxas's time. I'm sure he'd much rather be traveling the worlds with you two than having to watch my back all the time."
"That's not true," Roxas blurts. He quickly backtracks. "I don't mind. I mean, this has been—you aren't..."
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."
Oh thank goodness. Roxas hasn't been this happy to hear Lea's sarcastic tone since first getting him back after he disappeared as a Nobody.
Lea saunters over to Roxas and plants his elbow on his friend's shoulder. "Long time, no see. How's the quest been?"
"It's not really a—"
"Here, try one." Lea hands Roxas a stick with pieces of meat on it. He also hands one to each the girls. "I'm not sure what they are, but they smell incredible."
"This is delicious," Kairi says.
Xion hums in agreement. Roxas does as well when he bites a piece off before handing it back to Lea, who had given his friend his. It's a mouthful of savory, spicy meat that leaves a smoky aftertaste. Roxas hadn't realized he is hungry until he has that bite.
"I'll have to ask Jasmine what this is called because I'm certainly getting this on my next trip here," Kairi declares.
"And where is the princess of this world?" Lea asks.
"She couldn't get away from her duties today. Running an empire means she isn't always free. We're meeting up with her and Aladdin later tonight."
Lea slings an arm around Roxas in a grand gesture. A few passersby eye the odd quartet of friends but most ignore them, too busy in their own business to be concerned. "Lucky for us, we've got you for at least another hour. What do you say we see what else this market holds?"
"Maybe find a diamond in the rough?" Kairi asks with a cheeky smile.
Lea grins. "Exactly, princess."
They certainly don't find a diamond, but they do find a good time. It starts out with Kairi linking arms with Xion and demanding that they find something for her as a souvenir since it was her first time here. Xion allows herself to be ushered around. Roxas and Lea walk behind them most of the hour, allowing the girls to have their time to shop.
Then out of the blue, Kairi brings Xion over to Roxas, literally giving him her hand then moving to take Lea to another stand. It's at that point that Roxas really wishes he would have told Kairi. It may not be obvious to Lea or Xion what she's doing, but he knows. Kairi is trying to give him and Xion some alone time. It's not a bad thing necessarily. Roxas is good friends with Xion. But the knowledge of her intention makes him feel awkward. He lets go of Xion's hand.
He looks anywhere but her for a while. If he and Lea were on bad terms, he and Xion were no better, though their qualm is a much quieter issue. A stand catches his eye. The strung-up beads may be in the shade of the stand, but the small spheres shimmer nonetheless. He glances at the others. Kairi and Lea are deep in conversation. Xion is purchasing a loaf of bread from a different stand.
Before he can be missed, he approaches the stand and selects a string of beads in the colors of red and pink. He slips it into his pocket and turns back to find Xion looking at him with a quizzical stare. Roxas smiles nervous and scratches the back of his head. (Then he stops that. Seriously, he's got to get out of the habit.) She opens her mouth to say something but an exclamation from Kairi stops the friends' impending conversation.
"Lea, give it back!" Kairi's demand only makes Lea laugh.
"Reach for it, shorty." Lea laughs as Kairi practically climbs him to try and get her new headscarf back from where he holds it high above her head after jumping proved ineffective.
Xion laughs. "He never stops."
She moves to sit in the shade of a nearby building away from the crowd but still within sight of the bickering duo. Roxas joins her and watches the two fiery red-heads go at it. How they have the energy for that, he will never know. The intense heat has him begging for a sea-salt ice cream. He hasn't had one of those in forever.
He can't help smiling when he sees Kairi finally snatch the piece of cloth from his much taller friend and proceeds to give him a mini-lecture. "I don't think it's possible for him to stop."
"It's funny, seeing them so close. I knew they had bonded when they trained with Yen Sid and Merlin, but I keep forgetting..."
Roxas glances at Xion when her words trail off. Her relaxed look from before has settled into something sadder—darker. She's not staring at Lea. Her eyes are set on Kairi as she jokingly bats her eyelashes at Lea before rolling her eyes and smacking his arm. Lea laughs at whatever she says and ruffles her hair.
Roxas recognizes what's in Xion's expression the moment it appears. "Xion," he says carefully, "he doesn't see her that way. You know that. He sees you that way."
Xion jolts upright. "I-I didn't think—no, you've—you've got it wrong. I don't..." Xion's flustered state trails off as Roxas raises an eyebrow at her. "And I don't like...what do you mean...i-is it—is it that obvious?"
"No, but I got the hint after you were pretty obvious with not wanting anything to do with me romantically."
Xion's embarrassed blush turns to one of shame, and she lowers her head. "I wasn't trying to be mean. I just...I've never seen you like that. You've been—you're one of my absolute best friends."
"So is Lea," Roxas points out, "but..."
"But he's...oh, Roxas it's impossible to explain. If you knew what it felt like, then you'd understand. It's like...it does something to your heart. I've never had a heart to feel like this before. It makes it lighter and also feels like it weighs a thousand pounds at the same time. It makes you want to run without stopping. It's—It's the kind of relief you feel when you get to curl up in bed after an exhausting day."
Roxas nods his understanding. He may not have felt that yet—not to that extent, but...Roxas glances back at Kairi who is purchasing something at a merchant's stand. He remembers the firelight, the smile, the look, and he thinks, maybe, he's gotten a hint of what she's talking about.
"I'm happy for you two," he says.
"You are?"
"Yeah."
"Because you didn't seem—and I'm not sure if Lea actually—"
"He does."
"How do you—?"
"Xion." Kairi jogs over to the two resting in the shade and kneels in front of her friend. Xion's surprise grows when Kairi pulls out what it is she bought from the merchant. A flash of cobalt rests on Xion's head, contrasting beautifully with her hair and matching her eyes perfectly. "I found a headscarf the color of your eyes!" Kairi secures it so only Xion's face and some of her hair shows. "Doesn't it bring out her eyes?"
It takes Roxas a second to realize the question is aimed at him. "Oh, uh, yeah. Definitely."
"You look beautiful," Kairi says firmly. "A true beauty."
Xion smiles at Kairi's enthusiasm, catching some of it herself. "Thank you."
Lea settles on one knee beside Kairi. "I've gotta agree with princess here. You look good."
Roxas notes how much deeper Xion's flush becomes. Yep. She's got it bad for Lea. And, much to Roxas's surprise, that doesn't bother him like it had before.
"We should get going," Lea says reluctantly. "The shopping spree's gotta come to an end. Sorry princess."
Kairi deflates. "So soon? We still have a lot to see. There's some more food—"
Lea shakes his head. "The king is expecting us soon. I'd rather not be late and feel his wrath. Cut me some slack and let us go."
With a sigh, Kairi concedes. She gets to her feet and dusts herself off. "Fine, but we're coming back here after your mission and my mission are over. You got it?"
Lea laughs. "You got it." He holds out his hand to Xion. "M'lady."
Xion takes his hand, and he helps her up. Roxas stands too, moving to be beside Kairi. An internal debate goes on in his mind. Roxas debates whether or not to say something in order to push things in the right direction. (Truthfully, he's sick of watching the natural slow progression happening between his two friends.) When he sees Kairi's confused look upon seeing Xion's infatuated eyes aimed at Lea, he decides to push.
"Alright, lovebirds. We'll see you in two days."
Three pairs of eyes focus on Roxas. It's no less intimidating now than it was when the three fairies put him under scrutiny. Maybe he should have used more tact than that.
"Lovebirds?" Kairi asks. Her reaction is much calmer than Xion and Lea's. Both take a step away from one another. Xion fiddles with the end of her scarf while Lea inspects the higher parts of the building they are near. Kairi points between the two of them. "You two are..." She turns the accusing finger to Roxas. "But I thought..."
"Xion and Lea are practically together."
"Practically?" Lea's eyes narrow at Roxas. "Hey, buddy. We're..." He swallows his tongue as he contemplates his next words.
"We're...what, Lea?" Xion asks. Her small voice holds a large amount of hope. Enough hope to crush her heart if Lea's next words are not what she wants to hear.
Lea can hear this in her voice. Everybody can. He sighs, looking almost forlorn. He turns to Roxas. "You couldn't have let me make my move on my own."
"What do you mean, 'make your move'? You were taking her out every other day! I knew I was becoming a third wheel. I just wish you would have let me know instead of taking off without telling me."
Shame makes Lea's shoulders hunch forward and his mouth sink downward. Xion steps up to him and puts a hand on his arm. He perks up at the contact.
"Sorry about that," Lea says. "I didn't think you'd—I thought you—"
Roxas shakes his head. "Nah. I was happy to have her back, same as you. I didn't know you interpreted it the wrong way. She's all yours. After you ask her, that is."
Lea takes the hand Xion placed on him. He bends down a little to meet Xion's eyes. Kairi may not see it, but Roxas can see the nerves Lea's trying to hide. It's funny seeing his normally calm, cool, and collected friend sweat under the pressure of possible rejection. "Xion, would you go with me to do whatever it is the king wants us to do to defeat the remnants of darkness and afterwards grace me with your lovely presence on an official date?"
Xion's mouth spreads into the widest smile he's seen from her since the trio's reunion. "I'd thought you'd never ask."
Lea blinks. His shock tells everyone present that he never actually thought she'd say yes. "Really?"
"Really." Xion pulls him in for a hug which he returns with enthusiasm. When they part, they turn to their friends.
"On that happy note, we should take off," Lea says. He sounds slightly out of breath.
Xion takes off the scarf and hands it to Kairi who seems to finally have grasped reality. "Don't be silly. It doesn't match my eyes."
Xion presses the headscarf against her heart for a moment before also hugging Kairi. Kairi returns the embrace.
Lea holds out his hand to Roxas. It is their oddly formal yet completely informal way of saying goodbye. The two young men rarely hug or have any form of physical contact that doesn't include roughing the other up. It's their thing and it works.
"See you around, Roxas," Lea says.
"See you," Roxas says. "And hey, let me be a third wheel every now and again."
Lea laughs. He leans in a little closer. "You got it. Let's even make it a double date because this one was sure fun."
Roxas's good mood edges back at the comment. "We're not—"
Lea gives Roxas's hand a firm squeeze. "Not yet. Give it time. Work your charm."
"She's not even available," Roxas says. The "duh" he wants to add is implied. Maybe he should add it. It may help curb the bitter taste the words leave in his mouth.
Kairi is not available.
Lea leans back. "You sure about that?"
"Sure about what?" Kairi asks, having finished her goodbye to Xion.
"Nothing," Roxas says too loudly.
Lea laughs. He lets go of Roxas's hand and reaches for Kairi's head. She ducks back. "Stop messing up my hair, you doofus!"
"Suffer, princess!" Lea uses his superior strength and height to overtake Kairi, and ruffle her hair once again. Kairi's shrieks of laughter have Roxas laughing with them. He glances at Xion to share a happy, knowing look with her like before but can't. Xion has that dark look in her eyes again. The jealous one. The slightly sad one.
"Xion?"
"Hm—what?" Xion breaks out of her stupor. She plasters on a smile Roxas knows is only to hide her previous emotions. "Stop looking at me like that. I know. It's fine. I'll get past it."
"You better."
"Better what?"
Kairi has either really great or really terrible timing with things like this.
"Nothing," Roxas says again.
With a wave of his hand, Lea summons a portal. A lovely side-effect from defeating the darkness that he exploits every chance he gets.
"Does the king ever get mad at you for going wherever you want, whenever you want?" Roxas asks.
"All the time," Lea says mischievously. "Hasn't stopped me yet." Lea then takes Xion's hand and walks with her through the portal with a final wave goodbye thrown over his shoulder.
Roxas and Kairi stand there a moment and watch the spot where their friends disappeared.
Roxas scuffs his feet on the sandy ground. Kairi doesn't appear to be mad or anything. He might be in the clear, but he feels like he should talk to her about this before confirming that he's off the hook.
"That was fun," he says in hopes of getting the conversation going and out of the way.
Kairi turns her blank expression to him. Her expression is never blank. Even when it's resting, there's something akin to a smile on her face. Roxas does not like this blank expression or what it might mean for him. He didn't mean to lie to her. It wasn't really a lie even. He just wasn't sure how—
Kairi opens her mouth to say something, but a flash of blue whips around them then hovers in front of the duo, demanding both persons' attention.
Genie smiles down at them. "Dinner's ready! I have been sent once again to fetch you. I raced Carpet for the honor and won. The slow poke couldn't keep up. Don't worry, I promised him he'd get the next trip. Shall we?"
Roxas likes this whole eating-on-the-floor thing. He, Kairi, Aladdin, Jasmine, and the sultan all sit among the thick rugs and pillows with the food set before them on a stretched out cloth. The food is mostly finger food. Take a piece of this and dip it in that. Put this on that and shove the whole thing in your mouth. Everything is delicious.
Roxas wishes his stomach wasn't tied in knots. He'd eat a lot more of this delicious spread.
Dinner is a grand yet intimate event. Aladdin and Jasmine arranged for dancers and a few other entertainers to make an appearance. From their place on the floor, the spectators "ooh" and "ah" and applaud the performers. A snake charmer mesmerizes nearly everyone in the room. The fire-eater has Kairi leaning over to address Roxas from the other end of the rug.
"Too bad Lea had to miss this," she says. She gives him a small smile—a cautious smile—that makes Roxas think she's nervous which is ridiculous. She can't possibly be nervous of him. He's the one that should be nervous about whatever's going on in her head right now. He's the one that screwed up.
He tries to show how friendly he is through his expression and words of "Definitely too bad", but Roxas thinks he might have come across weird. He blames the years he had without his own heart. Expressing emotions is harder for him.
And yet...was he always this bad at talking to girls? He tries to remember what it was like before. When he was in the Organization with Xion and Lea, he didn't really have a lot of prospects. Xion was the only possibility then, but he never thought of anything romantic with her, mainly because he didn't have a heart. It was also because he was he was still only just getting to know her and the fact that they were too busy with the mysteries surrounding them.
In Twilight Town, his fake home, there wasn't anyone. Sure, he tried smiling a little more around that one pretty shop owner, and there were a few cute girls that hung around town. Nothing came of his appreciation, though. He never felt a connection with anyone there.
He lacks practice in this department. He certainly lacks knowledge in how to pursue anything romantic, even if he wants to, and he wants to.
The thought hits Roxas hard. It straightens his spine and makes him stop seeing whatever's happening before him.
Oh.
He doesn't just have a crush on her, he actually wants to act on it.
He wants to pursue Kairi. Not just have a crush on her from a distance. He wants to try and have a relationship with her. Kairi. Princess of Heart Kairi. The unattainable Kairi who probably has a line of admirers three worlds long. Sora and Riku's Kairi.
Oh no.
His first romantic interest and it's Kairi! Beautiful, kind-hearted, spitfire Kairi who treats him with nothing but respect and helped make him feel like a whole person after getting his own heart, who talked to him like an equal and not someone in connection with Sora, who smiled at him in the firelight like he was someone to admire...
No. No, he can't. He won't. Going down this path, at least in pursuit of her, is not good. Kairi won't accept him in that way. Then the others will find out and look down on him for it. They'll whisper and shake their heads, and he will be the oddball again like he has been in every group of friends he has ever had. He doesn't want to be the oddball.
Not to mention she's taken.
"Roxas? Are you ok? Are you going to be sick?"
"Huh?" Roxas comes crashing back into the present. "Oh, uh, I'm fine. I think it's the heat. I'm not used to it."
Aladdin laughs. "You wouldn't be the first one." He hands a piece of bread to a rather greedy Abu who has already eaten his share. Abu snatches it from where he sits on Aladdin's shoulder.
Having been brought out of his thoughts, Roxas finally notices that Kairi and Jasmine are gone. "Where are the girls?"
Aladdin's eyebrows furrow. "You really are out of it. They're out there. Jasmine's trying to teach Kairi one of our dances."
Roxas looks to where Aladdin is pointing. Sure enough, there's Jasmine and Kairi among the gaggle of women. Kairi had put on a clean, borrowed outfit before dinner. It shows off more skin than her previous outfit which had been concealed by a modest brown covering. Here, her stomach is exposed as she attempts swaying her hips in a belly dance Jasmine does expertly.
Roxas's head falls into his hands. Why? Why him? Why must he be tortured? How dare his heart slam against his chest at such a sensual sight. He'd like to go back to not having a heart please. Maybe if he summoned his keyblades, their combined power would be enough to rip it out.
"Maybe you should go lie down," Aladdin says. He pats Roxas on the back then hands him a cup of water. "Here. Drink something then go rest. We'll take care of the ceremony."
Roxas takes the water and chugs it in a few gulps. It has gotten rather hot lately. He wouldn't mind retreating to his room, but he can't. He's here for Kairi—to protect Kairi. He will do so. She's at her most vulnerable during the ceremony. He won't slack now.
"Thanks, but I'll be fine. I just need a minute."
"If you say so."
Sudden, rapid-fire clapping from the sultan accompanies his complimentary words. "Oh wonderful! You did lovely, my darling."
Thankfully, that signals the end of Jasmine and Kairi's dancing. The dinner also wraps up soon after that. The servants clean up the dining area as the people of honor make their way upstairs. The sultan bids them all goodnight in his own over exuberant, bouncy way. Abu catches a ride on his hat. After all the monkey's eating, sleep sounds better than watching a light show to him.
The remaining four head for Jasmine's old bedroom—now her and Aladdin's room since their wedding. They bypass the elaborate room, however, and head out to the balcony instead. Night has fallen. The glow from the room behind the curtains and the light of the moon illuminate them.
Roxas tries really hard—he really tries, honest he does—listening to Jasmine and Aladdin's retelling of their night on this balcony. Their flirting. The air of mystery. Those fateful words—"Do you trust me?" Their kiss goodnight, knowing then and there, this is the person for them. He forces all other thoughts to be put on hold.
The glow between the two princesses lights up the night. It casts a beautiful illumination on them Roxas has not seen yet since the connection so far has only been performed in better lighting. It's spellbinding. Glorious to the point he can't look directly at it. He pretends to be looking for surrounding dangers. Of course there aren't any.
Soon after, Kairi and Roxas bid Aladdin and Jasmine goodnight. They walk in silence through the empty halls of the palace. It vastly contrasts their similar trek back to their bedrooms that happened in Aurora and Phillip's castle.
Roxas wouldn't mind taking her arm and linking it with his, walking her to her room in that same gallant way only without the slightly tipsy way he did before. No more alcohol for him (well, after this trip, that is. He had another glass of wine with supper tonight along with a glass of water—thankfully fewer side effects occurred). But he can't take her arm. Won't. She doesn't want it, and he'd rather not fool himself anymore.
"Roxas." Kairi's voice may be quiet but it is enough to break the silence between them.
"Hm?" Roxas doesn't trust himself to make full words yet.
"I..." Kairi trails off. Her eyes stray to the floor until she shakes her head and looks back up at him. "I want to take a walk within the palace walls outside. Would you mind going with me?"
"You want me to go with you?"
Kairi ducks her head sheepishly. "I'm still not too fond of the dark. And...I'd like to have your company. Do you mind staying up a little longer? We can sleep in tomorrow to make up for it."
"Yeah. Yeah sure." Roxas can feel his heart pick up speed again, this time out of tension. He knows Kairi wants to talk to him. He knows he's going to get it. He has to prepare himself to feel the wrath of the princess.
They walk past the fountain and the birdcage into the green space beyond it. Kairi's steps slow. Roxas matches her pace.
"Roxas..."
Don't freak out. She might not kick you off the mission. She might not necessarily call up Sora and demand he get here to kick his butt. A preemptive strike is necessary. He should apologize before she lists his sins.
"Kairi, listen, I—"
"Roxas, I'm sorry." Kairi rushes the words.
Roxas's mind draws a blank. "...what..."
"I said I'm sorry." Kairi comes to a full halt. She fidgets with her fingers and her eyes look anywhere but him which is just fine with him. She doesn't necessarily need to see the shock on his face. "I put you in a really uncomfortable situation and made a mess, and I'm so sorry."
"You..."
"I assumed you and Xion were together, and you didn't feel like you could trust me with the truth of her and Lea's relationship—which is totally fine! We're not that close, I get it. I feel terrible for—oh. Oh. I just remembered I actually gave her your hand. I made you hold hands with her. I'm so sorry. Roxas, please don't be mad. I didn't mean to make things awkward. I thought—"
The laugh that blurts out of Roxas's mouth is completely unintentionally. Its intensity and volume surprise Kairi. She finally brings her gaze up to him, eyes from the unexpected reaction. Roxas can't help it, he laughs again, this time it's several bouts of laughter. It doesn't last long, yet it is enough to ease Roxas from his tense state.
She's sorry. For a completely ridiculous reason. Wow that makes him feel so much better.
"What's—Roxas...?"
Roxas quells his laughter. The happy relief creates a heady sensation, forcing him to take a seat or risk collapsing. Maybe he should have eaten more. Probably would be less likely to faint. Kairi sits in front of him, her features showing her confusion.
"I'm sorry. It's not funny. I'm—" Roxas chuckles again. He swallows it back. "I was...I thought you were mad at me."
"You? What for? I was the one who made things weird. I knew Xion was shy and I was trying to help her. I feel like an idiot."
"You were acting exactly like you should have with what you thought you knew." Roxas rubs his cheek. That does little to get rid of his smile. At least that issue isn't an issue. She isn't going to kick him off the mission. Thank goodness. He really likes it here with her. "It was an honest mistake. I didn't correct you last night. It was my fault you thought that."
Now Kairi laughs. "I thought you had forgotten that. You were kind of out of it. Too much wine for you."
"Hey, I've never had a drink in my life until going on this trip. You're a bad influence."
Kairi's laughter grows. Music to Roxas's ears. "Don't let King Mickey hear about it. He'll send someone else along with me, and that's not something I want to happen."
"No?" Yeah, there's no getting rid of this grin on his face. It's cemented there.
Kairi smiles and shakes her head. "This has been really fun, at least for me."
"Me too." Roxas gives her a thumb's up. "Best time I've had in a long while."
"You're just saying that."
Roxas tilts his head. "Why would I? I'm being honest. You can trust me because I trust you. Why...Why did you think I didn't trust you?"
Kairi averts her eyes again. She fiddles with one of her bracelets. "We never really talked. I didn't think you considered me much of a friend. I-I tried to be, but you had Xion and Lea and even Naminé—which is great! I'm glad you have them, like I have Riku and Sora. It just meant we never really got to know each other."
Kairi's words sadden Roxas. It's true. They hadn't really gotten much of a chance for anything one-on-one. Not sparring, not talking, not anything. He wanted to, even before that fateful night on the beach with the bonfire, he always kind of hoped to talk to her.
"I want to change that," Roxas says. "Can we change that?"
That princess smile makes a reappearance. Roxas feels like he hasn't seen it in forever. It washes him in warmth that the cooler night air lacks to give.
"I'd like that, Roxas."
He loves how she says his name. "Me too," he breathes.
"How about we start now?" Kairi shifts to make her legs cross. Her eagerness shows when she asks, "What's the deal with you, Xion, and Lea? Why were you three out of sync?"
"You noticed?"
"A heartless could have noticed. Did something happen to you guys? They left you, didn't they?"
"Ok, ok." Roxas holds up his hands. He gets himself into a more comfortable position. He did say he wanted to change their lacking in knowledge of one another. He might as well go first. Then, hopefully, she'll answer a few of his questions.
"After we were reunited again, Xion, Lea, and I were like you, Sora, and Riku. Inseparable. It felt like old times, the good ones. I never felt closer to them."
Kairi hums. "I know the feeling. Did...did you like Xion?"
Roxas leans back on his hands and looks at the stars above. He wonders briefly what world she and Lea are on right now. "I think...I might have. I don't know. I didn't have a heart before, and having one now," Roxas places one of his hands on his heart, "it's hard to map out. It gets overwhelming."
"It doesn't get easier, sorry to say," Kairi says. "I'm a Princess of Heart and I'm still no expert."
Roxas chuckles. "Right. I...I had asked her once, if she had felt any—I think I called them stirrings. She said no, and I think that created a bit of a rift between us. It wasn't until she started hanging around Lea alone that I got the hint. But things are ok now. She knows I'm not mad at her not...liking me."
"Did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt?"
"Being rejected. That can break a heart, you know."
Roxas closes his eyes and tries to remember. He thinks about his answer, making sure it's the right one. "No. It maybe stung a little, but nothing broke. I think that's how I knew I didn't really have feelings for her, because it didn't hurt when she said no." Roxas opens his eyes. "I think I went about it the wrong way, though, because it was then that she and Lea disappeared more and more often without telling me where they were going. They probably thought I was mad or something."
"To be honest," Roxas continues, "I'm really glad I got to go on this trip."
"To escape them?"
"No, to realize that there are more people out there to be close with than just the two of them."
Roxas is almost one-hundred percent sure Kairi is blushing now. However, his mental victory dance is short-lived when he remembers his own questions.
"Ok, your turn," he says.
Kairi squares her shoulders. "Bring on the questions. What do you want to know?"
"I'm new to this heart stuff. I'm curious, does it hurt your heart to be away from your boyfriend?"
Kairi tilts her head. Her face wrinkles into confusion. "Boyfriend? What boyfriend?"
"Sora."
Kairi's eyes widen and her features smooth out. The moonlight is bright enough to show that. "I'm not dating Sora."
I'm not dating Sora. I'm not dating Sora. I'm not dating Sora. I'm not—
Roxas hears the words, but he can't—won't quite believe them. "What? But you're...you two...you're always..."
Kairi shakes her head in the negative every time Roxas tries to start a sentence. "I'm not dating Sora. I'm not dating anyone. You thought—actually, I'm not surprised. A lot of people think I'm dating Sora."
"But you're not." Roxas wants confirmation again, even though he's heard it like four times now.
"I'm not. We're close like Riku and I are close or that Riku and Sora are close, but we have nothing romantic."
"Why not?"
"Wow, asking the hard questions."
"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to pry. It's just hard to believe. I mean, I see you guys together all the time."
"I could have said the same for you and Xion." Kairi sighs. Then she's lying down on the cool ground. Roxas glances around to see no one even close to them, only a few guards that are back at the palace entrance. In the darkness, they more than likely see nothing. That thought gives Roxas the courage to go and lie down next to the princess.
"I had thought about it before. A lot," Kairi says after a rather long pause. Roxas keeps his eyes to the sky. Kairi's tone of voice says more than her face ever could. "I thought he might be the one for me. I was convinced at one point."
"And now?" Roxas whispers, afraid he might break the spell the night cast to allow such openness between them.
Kairi sighs again. "Now...I'm pretty sure it will never be because..."
Roxas waits. He won't push this. Even though his heart is pounding, his mind is screaming, and he can hear the blood rushing in his ears, he won't push.
"I've told you about how he and Riku treat me lately. But it goes beyond that. I'm always left alone."
"But I see you with them all the time."
"No, you see me with them when we're all together as a group. You see me when everyone's together. We hardly get time alone together, remember? It's because we're always around everyone else. But when you're off with Xion and Lea or anyone else, I'm usually with the King or at Destiny Islands or even Radiant Garden without any of you." Kairi's voice takes on a slightly darker tone. "I get occasional updates when he or Riku get a chance. They hardly visit, and I'm not allowed to be with them when they're doing the King's bidding."
Roxas wants to fix the situation. Even though he has absolutely no control over the situation and even though he was wishing not minutes before that Sora would not get within three worlds of this place, he now has the urge to hunt him down and drag him here so Kairi can be happy.
"They care—"
"I know," Kairi says softly. "I just...there's not enough of Sora to spare. I can never have him all. He won't ever be able to stay with me, and I'm starting to think he won't ever see me as an equal in the important things. He either sees me as something high above him or a few steps below. The Princess of Heart or his childhood friend that needs protecting. No middle ground."
"No middle ground," Roxas echoes.
The silence that follows isn't oppressing yet neither is it comfortable. It remains there as both people contemplate the information given to them.
Kairi is not dating Sora. Kairi is not dating at all. Roxas tries to wrap his head around this information. What does this mean for his earlier internal meltdown? He nearly fainted at dinner from how much he wanted to try and get her to see him beyond friendship. Lea's words ring in his ears. "Work your charm." Charm? What charm? If Roxas has any charm, he isn't using it now. It would feel like he's taking advantage of her in this emotionally vulnerable state. If there's one thing he's learned since having a heart, it's that you don't mess with it. They're delicate, hearts are.
Instead, his mind comes up with something brilliant—"Did you know there's a scarecrow of me in Halloweentown?"—that doesn't sound brilliant coming out of his mouth.
Kairi abruptly sits up and gives him such an incredulous look that Roxas instantly feels ridiculous. But her bellows of laughter that follow make him feel less ridiculous. He sits up too and chuckles with her, not quite sure which part of his phrase she's laughing at.
"S-Sorry," she gasps. "I-I didn't expect—that was so out of the blue."
Roxas laughs too. "Yeah, it was. Sorry, but I figured, we're getting to know everything about each other, might as well put emphasis on the 'everything'."
Kairi lays a hand on his shoulder then her head follows. Her laughter shakes both him and her. Then she pulls her head back up.
"We are definitely stopping by there before we head back to King Mickey's castle."
Roxas makes an exaggerated face of annoyance. "What? We can't do that."
"And why not?"
"Because it looks so much better than me. I can't compete."
Kairi laughs even harder at this, and it sends direct lines of joy to Roxas's heart. "Then you shouldn't have told me about it," she says, poking him in the chest.
It takes another few minutes for Kairi to calm down and Roxas to stop cracking jokes to keep her going. When she finally gets a hold of herself, he gives her a helping hand up. Kairi loops her arm around his, and Roxas finds himself taking the escorting stance he had hoped for earlier tonight. He feels like he can stand tall when doing this.
When they reach the fountain, Kairi's hand flies to her hair. "My headscarf. I must have dropped it."
"I'll get it," Roxas offers.
"No, it's fine, thanks. I'll get it. Wait a minute please."
Kairi jogs over to the previously occupied spot. In the dim light of the moon, Roxas watches her bend down to pick up the scarf and wrap it around herself.
The stony, hopeless feeling that crawls up his spine that Roxas has felt countless times before tells him something he desperately didn't want to know and something he had thought impossible to feel on this trip.
Kairi must feel it too because she looks around. Her gaze latches onto something directly to her left several feet away. Roxas looks there too and sees what she sees. Two yellow eyes staring at her.
Instantly, Roxas has out Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He's sprinting towards Kairi, acting without thinking, instinctively knowing that he has to get to her, has to protect her. Kairi has out her own keyblade, Destiny's Embrace. She's running to him instead of taking a fighting stance. Through the adrenaline pulsing through him, Roxas knows this is the wisest decision she can make. The eyes have disappeared, making the exact location of the heartless impossible to know. If she reaches him, they can stand back to back in hopes of finding the creature and not being caught off-guard.
But something icy and hopeless clutches Roxas's heart. He somehow knows that he won't reach her in time. He knows the creature is advancing on them despite not being seen. It's moving too quick for either of them to assess and attack. Yet Roxas desperately pumps his legs in a dead sprint to get to Kairi.
He needs to protect her. He believes he can. He wanted this job, he got it, now he has to prove that he deserves it. Deserves her.
Roxas drops one of the keyblades and reaches out his hand for her. Kairi does the same. He can see the fear in her eyes and the desperation to reach him. He can feel those emotions mirrored in his own eyes.
He stretches his arm out out in one last attempt to reach her as she does the same. Their fingertips barely touch before a massive wave hits them with such intensity that it sends them both flying through the air before hitting the ground hard.
The world swirls around Roxas. He tries focusing but it proves as impossible as getting up does. He gets on his hands and knees but sways and falls back onto the ground. He blinks over and over, trying to get there to be only one world rather than three spinning ones.
He hears Kairi groan. That gives him enough motivation to shake his head and force himself to gain clarity. He crawls over to her, not trusting his balance on two legs. She has fistfuls of the sand beneath her. Pain pinches her features.
"Ka...Kai—ri." Roxas might throw up. He lays down next to her. He reaches and puts his hand over hers. It's surprising how much this helps. He can see straight. Kairi manages to raise her head.
"Roxas?" she blinks rapidly. "Wh...Are you ok?"
"I'm ok. Dizzy. You?"
Kairi releases the handful of dirt she has and grasps his hand instead. "Faint. Can't—" Kairi takes a couple deep breaths. "I'll be fine."
"Can you stand?"
Kairi sets her jaw and nods. She and Roxas help each other struggle to their feet yet continue leaning heavily on one another. Roxas sees Oathkeeper lying in the grass. He holds out a hand and summons it. It settles back into his familiar grip. Kairi does the same with hers. Roxas holds off with summoning Oblivion since Kairi still has his other hand for keeping steady. Truthfully, he's not too trusting of his own balance either.
"Do you see it anywhere?" Kairi asks.
Roxas scans the surrounding area. "No, but I don't trust my vision right now."
"Do you think it was alone?"
"It's possible. I'm not seeing any other heartless."
The silence is no longer a comforting blanket but an oppressive threat. The darkness isn't hiding them from the world anymore, it's hiding something from them. A dangerous something.
"We should have a look around. Just in case it isn't gone," Kairi says.
"We should," Roxas agrees, "but let's not split up. Too dangerous."
They end up walking the entirety of the area within the palace walls which turns out to be no small feat. During the day it is beautiful, but at night after an attack, every sound or movement is menacing. Roxas keeps a firm hold of Kairi's hand the whole time. With something like that around, either of them going it alone would be an extremely dumb idea.
That thing doesn't make a second appearance. Back at the entrance of the palace, Roxas warns the guards there, telling them if anything appears they are to wake him immediately. He then escorts Kairi by walking quickly and with a purpose. She stumbles to keep up. When they reach her room that is when Roxas stops.
"You wake me for anything, you got it?" Roxas says firmly. "I'm right next door. You don't even have to come get me. Just scream for help and I'll be there in a second. I know you can handle yourself, but whatever kind of heartless that was isn't going to play nice I'd rather you had backup. Alright? Will you get me?" Roxas needs verbal confirmation.
Even though they're in the firelight of the torches, she appears paler than what the moonlight did to wash out her complexion. "I will. I promise." She squeezes his hand tighter. "You'll be right next door the whole time. You won't leave me alone?"
"I'll be there all night. I promise."
Kairi releases a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I'm not usually this scared of heartless. I've fought them plenty. But that one..."
"It was different," Roxas says. "I'm with you on that. I'm shaken up too and I was a part of the darkness before."
Kairi gives him a smile. It's a weak smile, yet it shows she's a little better than before.
The two finally release the others' hand. Roxas feels something akin to a loss of connection when they do so, like there is some sort of pull to Kairi. He still wants to protect her and feels like he can't if she's not by his side. So he stands by Kairi's door until she closes it behind her. Then he drags his feet to his own room. He lies down on the comfortable mix of mats, pillows, and blankets, but they don't help him fall asleep. Instead, Roxas lies awake listening for any signs of distress from next door.
It's too quiet. Eerily quiet.
"Hey kid."
Roxas is up in a second with both keyblades summoned and pointing at the threat.
Iago holds up his feathers. "Easy. What, you wanna kill me for disturbing yer beauty sleep? I understand that you need it with a face like that, but it's not worth killing me over."
Roxas grinds his teeth and allows his weapons to disappear. "What are you doing here? You scared me half to death. I could have killed you."
Iago flutters down to a nearby table. "You could'a tried. Probably could not have succeeded. I've found I'm very hard to kill."
"I repeat, what are you doing here? It's been a long night and I'm not keen on visitors right now."
"Right, yer little scuffle with that heartless. Don't worry. It's gone."
That gets Roxas's attention. "How do you know?"
"I'm a bird. Animals got a sixth sense for these kinds of things."
"Then could you go and stay in Kairi's room?" Roxas asks eagerly. "You'd be able to warn her if it comes back, or you could get me before it appears."
Iago shrugs. "Sure kid. Why not. I'll protect yer princess, but only 'cause you look like you might pass out from worry. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here checking to see if you still want my valuable piece of knowledge."
Roxas rolls his eyes but doesn't trying shooing the unwanted guest away. If Iago is willing to help him out, the least Roxas can do is listen to him. "Sure. What's the info?"
Iago ruffles his feathers with pride. "What I know that you don't know is that girls touch."
Roxas's brain is far too exhausted and stressed to even begin comprehending what the bird said.
Iago frowns at him. "What, do I gotta spell it out for you? When a girl likes a guy, she touches him. You know," Iago preens back the feathers on his head and bats his eyes in an attempt to look ladylike and reaches out a wing, "they touch the guy's shoulder. They hold his hand. They give him an extra hug. All that mushy stuff. I've seen Jasmine do it a million times to Al." Iago gives Roxas a pointed look but grumbles when he sees only a blank look in return. "Geez, kid. I really do gotta spell it out for you. I watched you and yer princess since you got here and thought I'd help you out by telling you she likes you."
Roxas rubs his forehead. He's way too tired for this. "I'm her friend."
The squawk of indignation from Iago shreds Roxas's already frazzled nerves. "Kid! She touches you all the time. Can't you catch a hint or do you gotta wait until she does it to someone else to get a clue?" Iago sighs. "You know what? Yer hopeless. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to protect yer princess." Iago lowers his voice when he says, "But she ain't gonna be yer princess for much longer if yer that thick-skulled."
"What?"
"Nothing, kid. Go to bed. I'll stick with Kairi."
"Thanks, Iago. I really appreciate it."
"Yeah, whatever. Get some sleep. You look like death."
Surprisingly, after Iago flies out his window and Roxas listens to the muffled words of Kairi and Iago's chatter in the next room, Roxas falls fast asleep.
Over 9,500 words. I've never written such a long chapter before.
PLOT APPEARS. YAY!
I slaved over this chapter and I'm still not happy with it. Or maybe that's just an editor's/writer's critical eye. Either way, I'm done with this chapter. Let me know if anything's weird and I'll try to fix it, but I'm at that point where if I look at this chapter any more I'm going to have a scrambled brain. You guys look at it for me. Tell me if it's any good. (Pssst, that means review please)
You know, thinking ahead to later chapters, I have a pattern appearing: fluff, angst, fluff, angst, repeat. Hm.
(Oh and Roxas having a scarecrow in Halloweentown is a thing, I promise. Play 358/2 Days.)
