myosotis and zantedeschia

by Junnieevee

Xion smiled at her, showing her dumbest, most dorky smile on the worst moment ever. And yet, her brain didn't register how much of a dumbass she was being, as she slowly raised a hand and waved before she knew what she was doing. The fairytale-like spell vanished as the little angel blushed and yelped like a small, kicked puppy, running away from her gaze. "Roxas please kill me"

So this is 'myosotis and gannets' ft. sassy xion, stuttering mess naminé, gross couple akuroku, soriku pining idiots, vaniven the sweetest fuckers you'll ever know and terraqua as maybe the best parentfriendsTM.

Myosotis is the real name of the forget-me-not flower, and Zantedeschia aethiopica of the arum lily (or alcatraz) flower, or well, at least that's what google says. Anyway, enjoy.

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"Honestly, when was the last time you got laid?"

Xion gripped the sides of her notebook tightly, messing up the pages and glaring daggers to Vanitas, who worked peacefully over his customer's back skin. The gentle buzzing coming from his tattoo machine filled the silence in the room until of course, Vanitas had to ruin her first moment of concentration in days. It has been a rough week for Xion since her big brother asked her to design his first tattoo ever. Of course, she was honored to do it, but as time passed every work she came up with didn't seem to be enough. His drawings lacked all the things she wanted to portray on his brother's skin, or sometimes she put so much on it that ruined one of the design principal features: simplicity. Simplicity was all Noctis asked her for his tattoo, and honestly, it made sense, he didn't like flashy things.

Everyone at the parlor seemed worried for her, even Vanitas, with his non-conventional ways to ask if she was ok.

"Vanitas, shut up" she growled, not wanting to begin an argument in front of a new customer

"It wouldn't hurt you a little bit of fun" he kept teasing her "Are you single, Shiki?" he asked his customer, pretending innocence

The girl, Shiki, stuttered an answer, obviously not prepared at all to be included in this conversation.

"I-I already have someone..." she answered shyly, and if Vanitas wasn't doing her tattoo, Xion would have smacked him right on the head

"Please don't mind him, err, Shiki," Xion said, glaring at Vanitas again "He's only being a jerk"

"Well shit, sorry, I'm just trying to help" he rolled his eyes as he whipped the ink excess of Shiki's back "But seriously, you're worrying the fuck out of Sora and the others. Would it hurt you to take a rest?"

Xion sighed, slumping over her wheeled chair. "I just... I just want to give him a good design, I want it to be special"

"Well, you won't do shit if you keep sulking and throwing away every idea you have. Why don't you ask him exactly what he wants?"

"He looked me in the eyes and said 'Can I leave it to you?' and I said 'Yeah, of course! I'm a professional after all!'. You and Axel make it seem like it's so easy to be that smug..."

"I think you're just spoiling him. Everyone spoils him so much, I hate that guy"

"You just hate his guts because Sora looks at Noct like the big bro he never had"

"He fucking has one! I'm his big bro!" he stopped tattooing, getting easily upset by Xion's words.

She laughed, and even Shiki giggled quietly on her spot.

"If you don't mind me giving you advice..." began Shiki, getting Xion's attention "If he trusts you that much, I think he will be happy with anything you do for him. I saw your portfolio before choosing Vanitas, everyone here is so talented"

Xion smiled "I know... is just that... I dunno..."

"You want it to be perfect. I know the feeling"

Xion brushed her hair back with her fingers "You do?"

Vanitas got back at work and Shiki flinched in pain before answering "I like to make clothes. I sew and design them, and every time I want to do something for my girlfriend it never seems to be enough" she giggled "Have you ever had that feeling, Vanitas?"

Vanitas hummed for a minute, lost on the tattoo but actually giving Shiki's question a thought "My lil' bro and I have matching tattoos. We made'em to each other before opening this place, and well... I couldn't stop thinking 'This has to be my best motherfucking tattoo ever' " he whipped the ink excess "What do you want to make for him, Xi?"

Xion groaned "Everything a nothing, you know?"

"No"

She glared and Vanitas stuck his tongue out.

"How about flowers?"

Xion blinked at Shiki, who faced the wall on the other side of the room, unable to look at her without stopping Vanitas' work.

"Flowers?"

"Yeah. Flowers have lots of meanings, you know?"

Xion glanced over his own right arm, a whole sleeve of forget-me-nots floating over ocean waves and seashells sank all the way to the sand in the bottom, covering from her shoulder to her wrist. This one was a birthday gift from Axel and Roxas; Roxas' lines were perfect, and Axel's bright, beautiful colors made her tear up every time she remembered the first time she saw the stencil over her skin.

"Maybe... Maybe I'll try with some flowers then"

One Sky was the home Xion never had. Well, she had a house, but not even her own room felt as homely and warm as the tattoo shop did. No one was ever at her house, Noctis moved out and their father never was around, that's why she moved out as well, but even so, things didn't change a lot. She still saw her parlor as home, and of course, his friends as her family. Everyone there was kind, warm, talented and hardworking (everyone maybe except Vanitas, but that's another story). Sora was the boss and one of their main artists, Roxas was his right hand and main piercer, and Aqua was the only one of them that kept order there so she mostly was in charge of paperwork, taxes, and schedules, but she was also an artist. Axel took care of the hairstyling and makeup salon, and honestly when Vanitas wanted he could do everything already mentioned.

She was, of course, also an artist, but she helped Axel in the beauty salon too. She hadn't the guts to pierce someone though.

Xion began working at 11AM. Every morning she could feel the smell of fake leather, hair spray, ink and sterilizing alcohol filling the air inside the shop. Sometimes it smelled like Aqua's perfume, or someone's deodorant too; today Axel decided to, apparently, bathe himself in axe. The first thing she heard as she opened the glass door was Roxas complaining loudly to the redhead, while Sora tried to calm him and Aqua giggled quietly behind the counter. Xion smiled, everything was in order as always.

"Hey, where's Vanitas?" she asked Aqua, leaving her bag on her locker under the desk she was working on.

Aqua smiled brightly, stopping her fingers typing on the computer "Ven's back on town!" she said excitedly, joining her hands.

"Ventus?" she blinked, surprised "I haven't seen him in ages!" and smiled.

"I know right?" Aqua smiled back "I haven't seen him since I joined Roxas on their family meeting for Christmas"

Ventus was Roxas' big brother, the same age as Vanitas. Those two had an interesting story behind them, from enemies to friends to pining idiots who never dared to confess to each other before Ven decided to go study at Scala ad Caelum's University. Xion knew Vanitas better than she wished she did and could tell that if it hadn't been for his and Sora's family issues, Vanitas would've followed Ventus to the end of the world.

"Vanitas got out of here the moment Roxas told us the news" Aqua giggled again

"I wonder if they learned a thing or two all these years"

"Vani is totally going to confess right now" Sora joined the conversation, the others finally noticing her presence

"Ven's an idiot so he probably is going to say yes" Roxas rolled his eyes

"That if he didn't find someone else at Scala," said Axel, sliding an arm behind Roxas, holding him by the waist. The blonde responded by stabbing him with his elbow on his side. The redhead only laughed and roughly kissed his boyfriend in the cheek.

"Get a room you two" Xion scoffed.

"Even if Ven found someone else I think Vani doesn't care," Sora said, a big, confident smile on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ven doesn't have anyone else, I'll tell you that," Aqua said, getting back at work again "But Vanitas had an appointment at 12PM, so, who's gonna cover?"

"Do we know our precious customer?" asked Axel, finally having trapped a grumpy (but docile in the end) Roxas on his arms, placing his head on his boyfriend's spiky, blonde locks.

Aqua smiled somberly, and everyone flinched "It's only our lovely, cherished customer Larxene"

Axel and Roxas sighed as they laughed nervously "She only wants a new tattoo right?" asked Roxas.

"Oh don't, worry, she's bringing Marluxia too, he wants a piercing and hair treatment"

Sora and Xion looked at each other, and the both of them shouted "Is your turn!" at the same time.

"Man, those two the same day?" Axel groaned.

"Can I stab Marluxia in the eye? We can say it was an accident" Roxas deadpanned, but Sora punched him in the arm "Sora you're the boss! You can put a sign that says 'Not Bitches Allowed' or something!"

"Most of our customers are bitches, Rox" murmured Xion

"Now, that's not true, let's stop being rude everyone," said Aqua, his mom-mode activated, making everyone shut up "We're going to be nice at them and no, we can't dye Marluxia's hair green," she said as Axel opened his mouth. He scoffed "And Xi, I'm sorry sweety, but last time Sora tattooed Larxene's... cheeks..."

"It was her friggin' butt!" Sora cried loudly

Everyone grimaced at the memory, as Roxas sighed and murmured something like 'please just say fuck', and Xion punched the wall dramatically.

"All right..." she said, on a monotone tone.

Everyone got to work after that, and Xion got her tools ready as she prepared mentally for what was coming. As she cleaned her needles, Roxas got inside her parlor and sat on her chair.

"Hey, if it makes you feel better I'm the only one who can pierce here, I was doomed from the beginning"

"Bro, what if Marluxia want's a Prince Albert?"

"I wanted to comfort you but now I feel offended" he pouted "Whatever, I have good news for you"

"Larxene fell off the stairs and she's not coming?" she asked sarcastically.

"Not that good" she whined, "Well, how are you doing with Noct's design?"

"You said good news not more material for my art block"

"Shut up" he chuckled "I'll suppose you are still stuck, so, I know you have been looking for nice flowers to help you to inspire yourself"

"Vanitas told you?"

"He and the computer's browser"

"And?"

"Ven's new job is at a Flower Shop. I asked him if they could help you find what you are looking for" he said as he typed something on his phone

"Really? That's actually awesome!" she smiled "Where's that?"

"I sent the address to you" he smiled, showing her his phone's screen.

Xion took it and saw the shop's info. It was near One Sky, near enough to go on foot. Maybe she had seen it before but aside from her own flowers, Xion didn't know anything about plants. Aqua and Sora were better drawing them than her after all.

"It's cute," she said, returning him his cellphone. "I'll go after Larxene's appointment, maybe a nice view and a fresh atmosphere will stop me from throwing up..."

"I'll pray for you"

"Wow thanks" she rolled her eyes.

Before they could say something else, they heard Larxene's loud voice at the front of the shop. 'What do you mean Vani's not here!? I specifically asked for him!' 'I'm so sorry Larxene, he had some personal matters to attend out. Don't worry, we got Xion to do what you asked for...'

"I swear, Aqua must be a saint or something..." mumbled Roxas then Aqua called him to attend Marluxia "Gotta go, good luck"

"Yeah, whatever" she huffed.

As soon as Roxas got out Larxene got in. 'Stay out of my way kid' Xion heard her say under her breath. The taller girl was hot, Xion had to admit that, and she enjoyed doing jobs for hot people, but today there were more cons than pros on this matter.

"You better do an amazing job pipsqueak, I'm not paying you for nothing," she said, lying on the reclinable chair as if the place belonged to her.

"Calm your tits Larxene, you've done most of your tattoos here. I think the quality is insured" Xion said, shaking the ink and loading the machine "So, what do you want?"

Larxene had a sleeve of thunders and storm clouds made by Aqua on her right arm, roses in the base of her neck product of Vanitas' hand, and the number XII inked on her abdomen, a work of her own, on sight for everyone to see thanks to the black cropped top she was wearing. She always wore the shortest shorts Xion had ever seen, and today wasn't an exception. Her long, powerful legs were at full display, along with more thunder and roses designs on them. Those legs caused Xion's panicked bi brain to short circuit the first time she crossed the shop's door, like two years ago, but after having her on their parlors multiple times by now, all the charm faded away thanks to her awful personality.

Larxene went quiet for a minute, but Xion didn't mind, she preferred the other girl as quiet as she could be.

"A dandelion," she said, voice weirdly low.

Xion raised a brow, watching almost in awe a facet of their number one undesirable customer she had never seen before.

"Where?"

"Here" she put a hand over her chest, right on the heart. Xion blinked twice, genuinely surprised. 'Does she even have feelings?' were her immediate thoughts. Then she shook her head, maybe Larxene wasn't as bad as everyone in the shop thought she was.

"Take off your top then"

"Eh~? Are we thirsty here?" she mocked her, and Xion deadpanned to her, any consideration of the other's feelings now gone.

"Please just tell me you have a bra under"

"I don't know, why don't you discover it by yourself?"

Xion groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I'm killing Vanitas..." she growled between teeth.

"Come on kiddo, do your work"

"Right..."

Later, when she talked to Axel and Roxas at lunch, she will rub her eyes furiously and say 'She didn't have a bra on'. Then she will feel better after Roxas said that Marluxia did, in fact, want a Prince Albert.

"Gross" Axel said, half mockingly, half having consideration of his friend and his boyfriend "Well, you two have done a great job, thanks to you the shop will survive another month without struggling"

"Buy me ice cream" ordered Roxas, face buried on the redhead's chest, arms hanging limply to his sides.

"Everything for you, babe" he smiled, kissing Roxas' crown of golden locks.

"What about me?" whined Xion, pulling Axel's arm off Roxas' waist "I deserve an ice cream too!"

"Get your own boyfriend to buy you ice cream" smirked Roxas, hugging Axel back.

"I don't need a boyfriend if I have two amazing best friends with enough cash on their wallets to buy me a fucking sea salt popsicle"

"That almost sounds like a compliment," said Axel, amused.

"She only called us rich to get her a popsicle, but I will accept it," said Roxas in a false tone of solemnity.

Sora let them go out for 'ice cream break' (an actual, completely legal and valid thing in the shop), and for the rest of the day, Xion relaxed, not thinking about Noct's tattoo, or Larxene's awful personality. For the rest of the day, it was just Roxas and Axel bickering about stupid things, melted sea salt ice cream on their fingers and lots of laughter like they when they were sixteen and nineteen again. It was just Xion getting a frozen brain as she competed against Roxas to see who could eat an entire popsicle first, it was just Axel doing dirty jokes about it and the furious flush in Roxas' cheeks before kicking him on the shin.

"With how much ice cream Sora will be satisfied with?" asked Axel as they scavenged the ice cream shop's cooler like the nasty ice cream goblins they were.

"Dunno, last time he ate nine popsicles in a row," said Xion, avoiding the clerk's vicious glare over the counter.

"More like, twelve man. That's like a whole gallon of ice cream" said Roxas "Although I don't blame him"

Xion counted twenty-five popsicles inside their green ecologic cloth bag (she remembered Sora saying "we're a socially responsible company guys!"), doing some calculations and coming to the conclusion that it'll be enough ice cream for about one or two days "We are legally incapable of judge him"

"It would be very hypocritical of us" nodded Axel "All right lads, let's pay"

The three of them left the -empty- cooler behind and went to pay for their popsicles under the clerk's hard stare on them, glancing over Roxas' ear piercings, Axel's makeup and Xion's visible tattoos.

"Twenty-five sea salt popsicles please," said Axel

Warily, the clerk got the ice cream out of the bag, counting every popsicle one by one as they talked. Axel took out his wallet and handed the amount of money the screen of the cash register showed, and again, the clerk counted each dollar with too much focus.

Ten minutes later they got out of the store with an ecological bag full of sea salt ice cream.

"Next time let's just go to McDuck's shop" scoffed Roxas.

"Too pricey" complained Axel.

Xion shrugged "Well, at least the ducklings don't act like we're going to steal something"

"Right"

They stopped for a minute to take a popsicle each, someone saying something like 'It will ever exist something like too much ice cream for us?'. The answer came as they bite their frozen treats without a care in the world.

Xion sighed contently, slowly licking her lips. In two more bites, she finished it and glanced around searching for a nearby trash bin, and just like that, it was then when she saw her for the first time.

At first, she thought it was some sort of angel, not only because the beautiful white dress she was wearing, or the golden halo made of twilight and pale blonde locks around her head, it was something about the lightness of her steps, her cute, round face, and the way her big, grey-blue innocent eyes stared straight at her. To her, not to Axel, or Roxas, or even her tattoo's; just... to her, Xion Lucis Caelum the Fourteenth (XIV).

She was breathtakingly beautiful, that kind of beauty you know goes beyond physical appearance.

Xion smiled at her, showing her dumbest, most dorky smile on the worst moment ever. And yet, her brain didn't register how much of a dumbass she was being, as she slowly raised a hand and waved before she knew what she was doing.

And the fairytale-like spell vanished as the little angel blushed and yelped like a small, kicked puppy, running away from her gaze to the insides of the store they just came out of.

"Smooth move girl"

Xion's blissed-out state melted and her face became a representation of the horror itself.

"Roxas please kill me" she blurted out.

"Oh great Axel, you broke her"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Guys please throw me into the river with one of Sora's cloth bags on the head and let me drown"

"I'm not murdering my best friend with the Aladdin Style," said Roxas.

"Why are you labeling a murder style with a Disney character name?" asked Axel.

"Is not exclusively Disney, idiot. They took the name from- UGH GUYS THAT DOESN'T MATTER!" screamed Xion desperately. She wished she had choked with a popsicle stick (a winner one, please). At least she would've died happy.

"Come on Xi, everyone has bad flirting days" Roxas tried to comfort her.

"Not me- Ooof!" Roxas viciously punched Axel in the stomach.

"Not even Sora has ever messed up a flirt this way!" she exclaimed, hands messing up her hair, Roxas and Axel looking at each other worriedly. She began walking in circles "He has this 'I'm-a-heavily-tattooed-young-man-with-a-lip-piercing-but-I-still-believe-in-Santa-Claus-please-corrupt-me' look that attracts people, and what do I have? A fucking stupid creepy smile and wave that screams 'HELLO I'M A FUCKING DUMBASS!'"

Axel gave Roxas the bag full of ice cream and said "All right, it's time to execute 'Sack of Potatoes Protocol'" or SPP for short.

"Don't SPP me right now Lea, I'm burying myself on my grave and no one can stop me now"

However, Axel SPP-ed her. He carried her on his shoulder just like a sack of potatoes as Xion halfheartedly punched his back, giving up midway to the tattoo shop and simply limping on Axel's bony shoulder.

"Your shoulder is uncomfortable" she growled.

"I'm not letting you throw a tantrum over a failed flirt," he said "You'll get over it, and who knows? Maybe you'll discover that creepy smiles and dorky waves are just her thing"

Xion fake-sobbed "But she's so cuuuuute!"

"Come on Xi, see the bright side" smiled Roxas "Maybe she was homophobic"

"...how's that the bright side?"

"You're not good at this babe" sighed Axel.

They arrived at the shop with a SPP-ed Xion, a bag full of ice cream and no clue on what to do to cheer their friend up. Sora raised a brown brow up 'Why are you SPP-ing Xion?'. But fortunately, Mommy Aqua always knows how to raise their spirits.

"How about this?" she said, as Axel finally dropped her on her feet, "I asked Ventus for some flower arrangements to take them pics and add them to our portfolios. Sora and I agreed that it would be a nice addition to our styles, and Ven he said they'll be finished by tomorrow morning. How about you come with me and you get inspiration for your brother's tattoo?"

The reminder that she still had work to do on her big bro's design brought her to reality again. Soon her gigantic fail was forgotten (well, almost), and her sense of duty made her think straight once more.

"All right," she said after a deep breath, and then a bright idea occurred to her "Oh my God where's my sketchbook?"

Everyone laughed at that, as she hurried back to her parlor to get her sketchbook. How could she forget that thing? She began doing research on her phone as she did some random rough doodles with a pen, strokes of blue ink soon filled the paper, and after a while, Roxas came to check on her.

"Sylleblossoms?" he asked, "Huh, do you think they have them at Ven's shop?"

"That would be perfect," she said, not even looking at him as she worked "Get out I'm working"

"Geez, I was trying to be a good friend you know?" he smiled, and obeyed anyway "Ok, good luck"

"Bye"

She pushed every thought unrelated to the tattoo back on her mind, buried so deep where not even she would find them until she finished this draft. Not Axel and Roxas bickering in the background, not Aqua and how she should thank her for her offer, not Sora unwrapping the new popsicles already and complaining that they were melting, and certainly not the little angel from before, even if her amazing eyes still were burning on hers.

That night Roxas and Axel guided her home as she was still drawing while walking, and only looked up to say bye and lock her door. She stopped working near 1AM, she had a light dinner and decided to shower the next morning with a smile on her face. Things were going good.

She even allowed herself to dream with the little angel, her cute face and fantasizing with kissing those pink sweet lips.

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Hope you had enjoyed this chapter!Please, if you found even the smaller grammar error on this, tell me, I'll be happy to hear you out and fix it . Comments and kudos are very much appreciated! I'm still searchin a beta reader, so, if you are interested or know someone who is it too, please let me know! English is not my first language so, sometimes I struggle with the grammar.