Hayner's Promise

RESTORATION AT 60% COMPLETE

I waited by Scrooge McDuck's place for Hayner's late ass to show up. He was thirteen minutes late according to the clock tower, not that I was counting. I'd not been able to sleep so I got up early. I'd never been on a date, and I had to make sure I was well-prepared anyway. I spent a good while with the hair wax in front of the mirror, making sure each brown spike was pointing just right. My undershirt was fresh, as was my crisp, black-and-white jacket with its polished silver zipper that gleamed under the sun. I had butterflies in my stomach, but I was ready.

Hayner looked dazzling in his signature muscle vest and sleeveless, khaki jacket. His blond hair was gelled back in such a way that I could never tell if it took him two hours or two minutes to get it right. He was so Hayner in the way he greeted me with a fistbump. I couldn't understand why he wasn't exhibiting symptoms of total nervous breakdown like I was.

'Hey man,' said Hayner.

'Hey,' I replied hesitantly.

Unfortunately I caught sight of Seifer strutting round the corner. If anything, that helped me get it together.

Seifer's eyes narrowed under his beanie hat. He slithered over to Hayner's side. 'You're still friends with that faggot, Hayner? That's brave of you.'

'Don't you have anything better to do?' I asked him.

Hayner clenched his fists so hard they shook. Suddenly, violently, he grabbed hold of the back of my head and kissed me fiercely. Fuck, that was a good idea! I got the twin satisfaction of shocking Seifer while reacquainting myself with the inside of Hayner's mouth.

'Oh God, ew. Two faggots? Stop it before I throw up.'

Haner wiped his mouth. He looked his rival in the eye. 'It takes more bravery to fight for what you believe in than to push others around.'

Seifer clapped his hands together. 'Amen to that. Nice performance, boys. Okay so you two are brave enough to kiss in the street or whatever? How about you show just how brave you are by entering the Struggles Tournament?'

'Yeah, we'll enter just to beat your sorry ass,' Hayner said defiantly.

Seifer looked to me. 'What about you, pretty-boy. You gonna enter?'

I took hold of Hayner's hand. Our fingers locked together. 'I was gonna enter anyway, but if I get the chance to beat you down, then I'm all for it.'

Hayner squeezed my hand. 'Yeah, dude.'

'Perfect,' Seifer said with a fiendish grin. 'I'll see you at the tournament then.'

'Count on it,' I replied.

He waved a dismissive hand as he walked away. 'Have a good day, faggots.'

Hayner was grinning from ear to ear. 'Nice one, Roxas. Did you see how wound up he was? It makes me so happy!'

We walked to my place hand-in-hand like there wasn't a care in the world between us.

The apartment had got stuffy while I had been gone. Hayner shrugged off his jacket as we got in and I threw open some of the windows. I made us microwave pizza and we sat on my bed cross-legged together, as we ate.

Nirvana was rocking quietly out of the stereo and there was a gentle breeze coming from the open window. I lay back on my bed and looked up at the wooden beams. Hayner was still sat beside me, munching on the last of the pizza.

'Hey. Hayner?'

'What's up?' he replied while chewing.

'It's really cool that we can hang out like this. I'm really glad you came here today.'

'Yeah, me too, dude.' I saw him licking pizza grease off his fingers. 'You gotta learn to use the oven though. I mean, microwave pizza, seriously?'

'Shut up!' I got up and tickled him under his arms.

Hayner tickled me back and we got into a playfight. The pizza was flung off the bed as fingers tickled over ribs and under armpits. Somehow Hayner got ahold of my foot.

'Nooo!' I screamed. His fingers rubbed my foot through my sock and I laughed uncontrollably as I convulsed around the bed. Next thing he had my sock off and I was in danger of going insane as he tortured my bare skin. I squirmed and got a hold on his chest and tickled him as hard as I could through his black vest. 'Stop it, Hayner!' I laughed. 'Oh God, stop it!'

Hayner relented and we sat together laughing as we caught our breath.

'What are you gonna do if we end up head-on in the struggles?' Hayner asked.

'I dunno. I'll wear thick shoes.'

Hayner laughed. Out of the blue he advanced at me again and I flinched.

'Wait! I'm not gonna tickle you. Promise.' He gently put an arm round my shoulders.

He pulled me into an embrace and our mouths found each other. I ran my fingers through his crunchy gelled hair as we kissed.

We lingered close after the kiss.

'You taste of pizza,' I informed him.

'Likewise, pepperoni-breath.' Hayner's brown eyes were wide as he looked at me and grinned. 'Remember Seifer's reaction earlier?'

'We really got him wound up, didn't we?'

Hayner smirked. 'It's gonna be so awesome when we beat him in the struggles. Show him our gang's best once and for all!'

'Yeah,' I agreed, a little in awe of his enthusiasm.

'So, did you wanna make out all day or did you have something planned?'

I looked around my room. 'I got plenty of Playstation games. We could play something?'

'Sounds good.'

I showed him my console and collection of games stacked up on my desk. We drew the curtains and squashed up on the edge of my bed, each with a controller in hand as we followed the nitro-speed racing on my little square TV.

'So, Hayner. Do you ever wonder what will happen after we graduate high school?'

Hayner was the button-mashing sort of guy. 'Yeah, we'll go to college.'

'But like, do you ever wonder what will happen to us?'

He looked sidelong at me. 'Us?'

'You know, our friendship.' I bit my lip. 'Or whatever this is.'

He paused the game. 'Oh no, I sense mopey Roxas coming out.'

I put my controller down and leaned against the wall. 'I'm being serious, Hayner.'

'I know.' He gave me a friendly punch. 'I think you worry too much.'

'Do not.'

'Come on, let's get it out of your system. You wanna know what this is?' He gestured between the two of us.

'Yeah, that would help.' I admitted. 'How come you're here with me when you like Olette?'

'Geez. I can like both of you, can't I?'

'I guess. But how can I know that you really want to be with me?'

'Well, Olette didn't want me for one.'

I looked to my feet. My right foot was still missing a sock after the tickling match. 'So I'm the consolation prize?'

'Whoever said I wouldn't chose you first?'

'But I'm a boy. You'd have an easier time being with a girl.'

'Now you're just talking shit,' said Hayner. He pecked me on the cheek. 'How could I prove I love you? I got it! If we face each other in the struggles, I'll let you win.'

'Why would you do that?'

'Why not? We'll still get to beat Seifer, and I'll get to prove my love.' Hayner gave me a cheesy grin.

I felt myself frowning skeptically. 'Are you sure?'

He held a hand out. 'I promise.'

I took hold of his hand and held it to my chest. 'Does this mean we're boyfriends, then?'

'We're whatever you want us to be.' Hayner replied.

He could have been more helpful. 'All right. We're boyfriends then,' I said.

'Boyfriends.' He pulled me into a hug and we kissed again.

Hayner directed me to lay beside him. We squashed up on the bed together. He put his arms around me and I felt the warmth of his body against my back. His touch was gentle and comforting.

'What happens when we do graduate school?' I asked.

'We go to college. Probably different colleges.'

'Do you really think so?'

'I think it's very likely,' Hayner remarked. 'It doesn't mean we can't stay in touch. We can phone and email and visit each other.' He squeezed me.

'I guess so. It's hard to imagine it working, you know?' I looked round my room. The fish were still swirling round the lamp. The stained glass moon and stars on my door were shining brightly with the light from the hallway. 'I wish this could be forever.'

I felt Hayner's hand on my side. He held me gently. 'Nothing's forever, dude.'

I sighed heavily. 'Doesn't the future scare you?'

'You gotta follow your heart, Roxas. Do what feels right in the moment.'

I got what he was saying, but it was hard to feel it. Maybe Naminé was right, maybe I didn't have a heart.

'What's this favour then, Rox?' Olette was stood outside Scrooge McDuck's place.

I ran my fingers through the spikey points of my hair. 'I wanted to say sorry I turned you down in class.'

Olette laughed heartily. 'Have you been stewing on this? I forgot all about it already!' She winked at me. 'Is that all you wanted to see me for?'

'Hayner and I are boyfriends now,' I explained as I passed her a sea-salt lolly. 'We're entering the struggles together. What I wanted to ask you was, will you promise the winner a kiss?'

She pointed at me with the lolly. 'I thought you weren't into girls!'

Olette was playing ditzy. 'You know the answer to that question. You gotta tell us both beforehand. Make a big thing of it.'

'I feel like I'm missing something.' She smirked at me. 'You want your boyfriend to know that if he wins the struggles, I'll give him a kiss?'

I nodded. 'Pretty much. Hayner promised me he'd let me win if we fought.'

She snapped her fingers. 'Got it. So lover-boy has to choose between keeping his promise to you or getting a kiss from his girl-crush.' She did a little dance. 'This is juicy.'

'The lolly or the situation?'

'Both, Rox.' She sucked the lolly. 'This is a very tasty bribe. I would have done it for nothing, you know.'

'It's a deal then?'

She looked me in the eye, her tone took on a serious edge. 'I don't think you got anything to worry about. But it's a deal.'

We shook on it.