A.N.- I know this is kind of late, but this project is literally just a fun side thing, so if you do read this I hope you enjoy:) This chapter is sort of a filler, has some cute moments here and there, somewhat important info, so enjoy. I have the next four chapters outlined so enjoy
SECRETS (SECRETS BY ONE REPUBLIC)
"I still can't believe Sora actually punched him though. Like in the face. With his fist." Axel said for the fifth time as he sat in the passenger seat of Roxas's car. They were on their way to their favorite diner in the downtown area of the island. Namine had insisted the two have a "bro" day when he broke the news. Roxas had called up his partner in crime and asked if he wanted breakfast at their usual place. Anyone that knew Axel knew he was never really one to turn down a free meal.
"I can't believe you were too busy playing beer pong with the blond girl to notice." Roxas said, chuckling and shaking his head.
"Hey, in my defense it was an intense game. And the blond girl had a name by the way." Axel said.
"Right, my bad, Larxene. She seems like your type." Roxas said. He peeked out of the corner of his eye and watched as his best friend merely shrugged and continued looking out the window. "So, is there anything there?"
"Honestly... I don't know. She joined the Organization at the beginning of the last semester, but I haven't gotten anywhere. She's a challenge Roxie." Axel said, a smug grin flashing across his face. "And I never back away from a challenge." Roxas knew it was true, but he genuinely thought there was something there. He'd never seen Axel actually do anything to try and make a girl happy, so it was definitely a step up. "What about you? I bet you're happy it's summer so you get a break from all the fangirls, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess. There's always the vacation girls though." The two of them laughed as Roxas pulled into the jam-packed parking lot. They each got out of the car and made their way towards the doors of the diner.
"But to be honest dude, you're kind of spaced out a lot lately. What's that about?" Roxas scratched the back of his head as they were led to a table.
"Um, I'm not really sure." Roxas was a good liar. He could lie to his father and his teachers and almost anyone... except his friends.
"Come on Roxie, there's obviously something on your mind lately." Roxas looked over as the older of the two glanced over the menu before setting it down. He looked at Roxas from across the table. "Seriously man, I've known you for ten years. I know when something's up." Roxas sighed. Well, this is why they were there, right?
"Well..." Roxas glanced around, making sure there were no familiar faces before turning to Axel. "There's something."
"I knew it! I totally knew it the second you picked me up too!" Axel said, sending a smug smile at the younger of the duo.
"Would you just listen? Okay, it's kind of a secret. Not even Sora knows, so you gotta swear you won't tell a soul." Roxas said seriously, looking Axel dead in the eye.
"I swear dude, my lips are sealed." Axel even held up his right hand and placed the other over his heart. "Really, you can trust me. Does Namine know? You know, since you guys are so close and all."
"Well... yeah, but it's kind of complicated." Roxas tried to think of the best way to say it. He couldn't just come out and say it like it was some everyday thing, right? Axel interrupted his train of thought.
"How is it complicated?" Roxas thought logically. 'How is it complicated? Well it has to do with her, so of course she knows. Actually, it's all about her!' He managed to form his thoughts into a single sentence.
"It kind of... has to do with her." The diner seemed silent as Roxas waited for his friend to react.
"Wait... hold on a second..." Axel 's green emerald eyes were scrunched in confusion and he had a hand on his head, trying to get his brain to process the information. He stared at Roxas from across the table. "You mean... you like her?" Roxas felt like face-palming at that moment. 'Okay, just be more specific...".
"Yeah, but there's more to it than that." Roxas said, looking down at the menu and playing with the napkin in his hands. He watched as Axel's eyes got wide and his mouth dropped open and he felt the heat surge his cheeks.
"You... and her? Together? Like... together-together?" Roxas merely nodded, feeling a huge weight being lifted from his chest. Axel leaned across the table, his voice hushed and curious. "For how long?!"
"Uh, since Christmas break, at least about that time." Axel's eyes bulged out even more and by that point half of his torso was leaning across the table.
"You mean to tell me you're dating Namine? Our Namine? For the past six months you guys have been like... a couple?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you." Roxas said, nodding as he watched his best friend nervously. He saw Axel's face twist and contort as he went through some sort of process until finally he looked somewhat relaxed and happy. The food arrived as he clamped a hand on Roxas' shoulder and grinned at the blond boy from where he sat.
"I never thought I'd see the day. I so knew you had a thing for her." Roxas just rolled his eyes as his best friend laughed and bit into his bacon egg and cheese sandwich.
"Oh, sure you did." Roxas said, digging into his own short stack. His friend just laughed and he finally felt relaxed. Sure, they were still a secret but at least now he had someone to talk to.
"You're my best friend dude, but I'm warning you right now if you hurt her I'm sorta obligated to kick your ass."
"If I ever hurt her, you better kick my ass because it'd be the stupidest thing I ever do." Roxas said truthfully. Roxas leaned back in the booth, breathing deeply and glancing out the window at the busy street outside.
"So you offered to pay for my breakfast just because you wanted to tell me that?" Roxas nodded at his best friend's question and watched as he just shook his head, taking another bite of the breakfast sandwich. "You know what Roxie? You should keep secrets from me more often."
Namine waited nervously, watching the clock as she thought back to her conversation this morning. She felt bad that she hadn't told Roxas her plans, but he'd find out soon enough. In all honesty, she didn't tell Roxas because she knew he'd be a bit confused as to why she chose to tell this person over anybody else.
Sora and Namine had been good friends for the past year or so. It was weird to think Namine actually had feelings for the guy once. He was too much of a brother now and she just couldn't see him that way. Ever since she had told him she liked him back in sophomore year, the two had developed such a brother-sister relationship. They talked a lot about serious stuff and Sora was very protective over her.
She knew he liked Kairi. When she had her crush, she had noticed the way he looked at Kairi. That's all it really took for her to know. So, she fessed up and told him her feelings, but she also told him she knew about his feelings and that she'd keep it a secret. She was sort of like his confidant, the one he went to when he needed to talk about Kairi. Roxas knew about it too, but Sora had never actually outright told him.
She made it her mission to become closer with Kairi after that, and the two had been best friends ever since. Namine saw her red-headed best friend glance shyly at the spiky-haired brunette when she thought no one was looking and that's when she knew that Kairi liked him back. She'd let the two work it out on their own though, she didn't have enough time to set them up while she was hiding her own feelings.
She was snapped out of her thoughts as there was a knock on the front door. She opened it up to see Sora on the other side. He smiled at her as she stepped aside and held the door open. "Hey Sora, come on in." He walked through the doorway and waited for her. She led him to her living room and sat down on the couch. He sat on the other end and she turned to face him.
"Wow, I can't believe it's already our senior year." She said quietly, trying to ease her way into any serious topics.
"Yeah, it's been five years and Cloud is still an asshole." Sora muttered, leaning back on the couch and crossing his arms. Okay... maybe not...
Namine sighed and looked at Sora. "Sora, we both know the reason why you hate him so much." Even though Cloud was indeed an asshole, there were other reasons for Sora's dislike towards the guy and just about everyone knew them. She watched as Sora just shook his head.
"Alright, I know it was pretty stupid of me to punch him, it's just... what he said..." Sora just trailed off and Namine frowned, feeling sorry for him.
"It got to you." Sora nodded and Namine thought about it. Everyone with eyes could see how Sora felt about Kairi. Besides, they were already practically dating with the amount of time they spent together. She really didn't think anyone would have a problem with them dating. And, if you take her and Roxas, that's at least four of them on one side of the whole dating debacle. What was there to lose, right? "However, as exciting as last night was, that's not why I asked you to come over."
"It's not?" Sora asked, cocking his head to the side and locking eyes with her.
"Sora, I've kept your secret for years... can you keep mine?" She felt like that question was heavy and it sat between the two of them as he thought it over. She glanced over at him and saw one eyebrow raised in that kind of curious yet concerned, kind of way. She just rolled her eyes. "Calm down Sora, I'm not gonna confess my love for you or anything. I have a secret... and I just can't keep it anymore." She confessed, looking down at her hands which were tangled by her nervousness. She took his silence as a sign to continue. She took a deep breath, trying to relax. Once it was out there, it was out there for good. 'Well, no turning back now...' she thought to herself. "Roxas and I are together."
At least two minutes must have passed before he said anything. "What?"
"We're together Sora. As in dating?" She said, turning over to look at him. He was looking back at like a confused puppy.
"What?" He repeated. Namine rolled her eyes.
"Me and Roxas. Boyfriend and girlfriend. You know, a couple?"
"So... you... and Roxas? Like... together?"
"Yes." There was another moment of silence as she let it sink in. She exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding when he finally turned to look at her and she saw a smile spread across his face.
"Wow. Really?" She smiled and nodded. Sora leaned over, grabbing her in a huge hug and squeezing her tightly. "That's great Nam! Dude, he's liked you since sophomore year. This is so great! Wait, I never knew you liked him." Sora said as he pulled back, barely breathing between his sentences.
"Ever since we became good friends... I don't know. There was just something there. And we both tried to ignore it, but we just couldn't, you know?" Sora merely nodded and she figured she might as well answer the question she knew he was dying to ask. "As far as how long, I think it's been about... six months since we got together." She saw his eyes widen once again.
"What? You guys have been dating for six months? How did I not notice?"
"Well, we kept it a huge secret. The only other person who knows is Axel, and Roxas just told him today." Sora's eyes studied the window as he let all the new information sink in. She let his mind process it as she thought about the weight that had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Why did you guys wait so long to tell us then?" He asked, looking over at her.
"Isn't it obvious? We hid it because of the group. We didn't know how you guys would take it. We were gonna wait until next summer to come out about it. Of course, that didn't quite work out. If you think hiding your feelings are hard, you should try hiding a relationship. It's a lot of hard work." They both laughed as she continued with her explanation. "So, we each picked one person we absolutely trusted that we could tell before we tell everyone. I picked you for a lot of reasons. I knew you'd keep my secret, and I knew you'd be happy for us." Namine explained. "And... because I wanted to give you some advice."
"Advice about what?" She took a minute, not wanting this to come out wrong or else she knew he'd get freaked out.
"I think you should confess to Kairi." She said. Another minute of silence passed and she let Sora think about her suggestion.
"Are you crazy?"
"No, Sora, listen to me. With Roxas, Kairi, you, and me, that makes half the group. If we can just get one more person on our side, I'm sure we can get rid of that rule. Besides, I highly doubt Selphie and Tidus care about the rule anyway. And as far as Xion and Riku goes, if the rest of us are on board, why not?" She threw out all her main logical points on why it would be a good idea, but it didn't seem like Sora was buying it.
"Okay, you have good points. But what if they don't go for it? I mean... what if it just breaks up our group?" If there was one thing Namine gave Sora a ton of credit for, it was stepping up to take the leadership role of the group. It was a hard position to fill, and he always went about problems in the best way possible.
"That's true. But Sora, is it really worth your happiness? Or even ours for that matter? Sure, the past few months I've spent with Roxas were good, but at the same time, it hasn't been great. I can't kiss him whenever I leave for class. I have to stand back and watch girls flirt with my boyfriend. And honestly, none of that's even the worst part. No, the worst part is that I can't even hold his hand when we walk down the street together. That's literally all I want, and it kills me. Something so simple makes me so upset. Besides, if our friends can't see past a rule that was made when we were young, then I'm not sure we're all as great friends as we think. On top of all that, we have one year left. Who knows if we'll all stay in touch during college? We're all going our separate ways, right? We only have a year, and I say we make the most of it." She knew the second she stopped talking that she had him sold. He sighed and ran a hand through his chocolate spikes, keeping his eyes to the floor.
"You're right..." There was still hesitation in his voice though, and Namine frowned.
"So what's holding you back?"
"What if she doesn't feel the same Nam?" Sora asked, and she had never seen him look so serious in his whole life. "What if she doesn't... love me? What then?" She was stumped because the possibility had never actually occurred to her. "I can't lose my best friend." He whispered, his eyes finding their spot back on the floor. Namine looked down too, feeling sympathetic.
"Sora, I don't know what to tell you. I understand where you're coming from, but the fact is that risk is still going to be there a year from now. This is really affecting you too, it's obvious. Roxas sees it, and I see it. Keeping it locked away and bottled up is really hurting you, whether you realize it or not. I can't force you to do anything, the choice is yours, but if you just saw the way she looks at you, it'd be obvious that she loves you too." Namine said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. She smiled sadly as he put his head in his hands, thinking about his options. He breathed out and sat up, looking over at her and smiling.
"Thanks Namine. You know, you're like the sister I never had." He said, his smile becoming more genuine as he spoke.
"That's what I'm here for. Well, I know Kairi wanted to see you today, so I'll let you go. Just remember that you've got us on your side and whatever you choose -whatever happens- we'll be here for you." Namine said, standing up and walking over to the door, opening it for the older boy.
"Alright, I'll text you later." Sora said, jogging down the porch and down the walkway. "Oh!" He said, turning around and walking the rest of the way backwards. "Remind him that if he hurts you I'm required to kick his ass!" Sora yelled before turning back around and jumping in his car. Namine just giggled as she watched him pull away, waving as his car sped down the road. She sighed and turned around, closing the door and heading upstairs to her studio.
"That didn't go half bad." She said, smiling to herself as she took a deep breath. There were no secrets left, she finally felt free and open. Nothing could possibly ruin her mood.
Riku woke up to his phone buzzing endlessly on the edge of his nightstand. He picked it up, groaning as he sat up in bed.
"Hello?" His voice was groggy and hoarse, but the person on the other end didn't seem to notice.
"Hey, what're you up to today?" Xion. Of course, she always called on the weekends.
"Well, I crashed at Leon's last night but I got up around seven and drove back down. I was sleeping, actually, until you called." He stood up and wandered down to his kitchen. He was up and there was no point in trying to get back to sleep. He was starving anyway.
"Oh, I ended up crashing over at Yuffie's with her and Aqua, she lives down the road. I just got back down, and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. We could go surfing, it's a nice day out." Riku looked out and saw the sun peeking through some white clouds.
"Yeah, sounds good, I'll meet you there in a little bit." He said, hanging up and sighing as he grabbed multiple boxes of food and put them down on the table. He quickly ate his breakfast and took a shower, his mind flashing back to the night before.
He really hoped Xion wouldn't be wearing that girly thing she was wearing the night before. And he really hoped her lips wouldn't be pink and her eyelashes wouldn't be covered in that black stuff again. It wasn't who she was, and she didn't need any of it in his opinion. He understood where she was coming from though. He hated the way most guys treated her. Sure, the two of them played video games and played sports together and everything, but she was still a girl. He didn't see her as one of the guys, he just saw her as a good friend who coincidentally likes to do the same things as him.
He shook it off, trying to push it to the back of his head. If he started thinking about that, then he'd start thinking about the whole Porcupine Goldilocks situation, AKA the Roxas situation. It was their code name for it whenever they talked about it in public.
Speaking of Roxas, he was onto Namine and Roxas. It was really obvious that they had feelings for each other. Whether they were dating or merely hooking up, Riku didn't know, but there was definitely something there. He knew Xion would be destroyed if she ever found out, but it wasn't his secret to expose. He'd have to sit back and simple let it run its course. It was just so difficult for him to do when Xion was so oblivious and naive.
Why was Xion so caught up on this one guy, who she's barely spoken to since junior high? What was so special about Roxas that Xion loved him, and she couldn't possibly move on. Those were her words too, not his. She was such a cool chick, nobody would ever guess she could get hung up on a guy like this. The one thing Riku never thought he could tell Xion is that he didn't think she really loved him. She was holding onto a friendship from their childhood that she had somehow romanticized over the years. Either that, or she was compensating for her insecurity by making up this chemistry and unrequited love that -and no offnse to Xion- was just not real.
He sighed, shaking his head. He was getting worse at ignoring his thoughts. He shoved them all to the back of his mind and tried to focus on other things. All these thoughts were definitely not helping his headache.
In no time at all, he had gotten to the beach with his board in hand, and he could see Xion waxing her board on the beach. He noted it was unusually empty for the summer. The vacationers always packed onto the beach, but only a few could be seen wandering around the sand.
"Hey, it's about time you got here!" Xion yelled over to him, waving from her spot as he jogged towards her. She was smiling and Riku smiled back, something that was rare and pretty much only happened around Xion. She wasn't one of those girls who smiled and it looked plastered on, her smile was small but still kind and soft, and for some reason it was contagious to him.
"Sorry, you woke me up. I had to eat breakfast too." He shrugged and slipped his shoes off, running a hand through his silver hair.
"Alright well hurry up, last one in is paying for lunch!" She yelled, taking her board and sprinting into the waves, laughing. Riku smiled as he easily caught up to her.
They spent a good hour or so on their boards, and he had to admit Xion probably caught a few more waves than he did. She was a heck of a surfer too, she could ride just about any wave. Most girls could barely stand on the board without falling off. After a while the waves calmed down and the two of them bobbed along the surf, watching the vacationers walk along the beach.
"Well there's nothing like surfing to cure a hangover." Xion joked, gliding her hand back and forth in the long. Riku realized she still had her signature chipped blue nail polish on that matched the color of her eyes and his lips quirked up. Selphie could change her clothes and her face, but she couldn't change what made Xion herself.
"I totally agree. Did you see what went down last night?" Riku asked. He hadn't seen Xion around much during the party and he wondered if she had seen the fight. He had gotten a first row seat too.
"I was walking in when it happened. I didn't see the actual punch but man, Sora really got him good. I didn't think he had it in him." Xion commented. "Cloud deserved it though. He always pushes Sora's buttons."
"The only buttons Cloud pushes are the ones labeled 'Kairi'. I just don't get why the two don't get together. Anyone with eyes can see how they're so into each other." Riku had known this since the first time the three of them had interacted together. The three of them used to hang out a lot actually. But for some reason, Sora and Riku had always competed against each other. From sports to video games, everything was a competition between them. Even Kairi became a contest. Ultimately, Riku got tired of it and just asked Kairi out, bu evidently it didn't work. Ever since sophomore year, Riku had spent most of his tim with Xion. The three of them hung out sometimes, but it just wasn't the same. Riku got along really great with Sora though, he had to admit the guy was dependable and trustworthy, and those were two things Riku thought was both rare and necessary in a friend.
"I think they're afraid we'd be mad or something." Xion said thoughtfully, glancing out to the blue horizon. "Like, they think if they date it could ruin the group. I wouldn't mind it though. The two of them have practically dated since diapers. It's painful how obvious it is too." Xion commented.
"I don't know Xi, but I feel like everything's gonna change soon. Before long, they'll get together, especially after last night." Riku added, staring out to where the ocean met the sky.
"Speaking of dating, and getting together and what not... I think I know who Roxas likes." Wow. Okay, Riku didn't expect that.
"Really?" He glanced over at her and her hands were tracing patterns on the board, her eyes glued downwards.
"I saw them together last night. It kind of makes sense too." Xion said, and by her defeated tone Riku knew she had gotten it right. "It's Namine, isn't it?" Her eyes looked up and locked onto his and Riku couldn't find the heart to lie to her, so he just nodded.
"Yeah. It's her." He didn't add that he saw them kiss. He didn't need to add on to her heartache. He let it sink in, prepared for anything. He was surprised she wasn't crying, it was a reasonable response to finding out the guy she supposedly "loved" is with another girl. The silence sat between them for a few more moments before she broke it.
"I think I'm gonna tell him."
"What?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but she merely repeated herself, sitting calmly on the board the whole time.
"I'm gonna tell him." She turned her head and locked eyes with him as she spoke. "I have nothing to lose."
"Xion, don't. Ok? Just don't. You're literally setting yourself up for heartbreak Xi."
"Even if he has feelings for her, I'd rather fight for him than just give up. I'd regret it if I just sat by and let this happen." She defended herself.
"But what are you fighting for?" Riku had finally just had enough. "You guys never dated! You've barely spoken to him since middle school! I'm sorrry Xion but I have never really understood why you're so hung up on Roxas freakin Hart. You're not a dumb girl, you're anything but that! But honestly, it never really made sense to me. This connection that you guys have- I don't see it. And I'm sorry if I'm wrong and you guys had something deep back in junior high, but I've seen them together. The way they act around each other, their body language, they have something Xion, and if you tell the dude you love him you'll not only ruin any friendship you two have but you'll set yourself up for pain. And I'm telling you this because I don't want to see your heart get broken, I really don't." Riku's voice got softer at the end once he realized he just blew up on her. Her jaw was set and her eyes were glued on the beach and he knew he both pissed her off and upset her but he couldn't help it. She needed the brutal honesty.
"Well Riku, I think that's the first time you've actually been truthful with me in weeks." Her voice spat out venom, her tone was bitter.
"Look, I'm sorry but if you're gonna march straight into the battlefield, you can't go empty handed." Riku said quietly. He waited for her response but she didn't give him one. "Xion, I don't care if you hate me right now, I just couldn't stand to see you put yourself out there without knowing all the facts. It's your decision, and I can't stop you from doing anything. Just know that if you do this, you;re gonna change everything." Xion didn't reply, but then again he didn't expect her to. She just turned her body away. She could hide it all she wanted, but he knew his words were spinning in her head. She began to paddle away and he let her go. He did everything he could.
"And Xion!" He called out and she stopped, turning her head over her shoulder. "When you need me to pick up the pieces, I'm here." He said. She got this look in her eyes and Riku couldn't read it. He'd never seen it before. But before he could get a second glance she paddled back to shore and took off towards the boardwalk, getting lost in the crowd.
Selphie walked up to the huge house that sat on Sunset Drive, feeling a sense of discomfort. She shook it off though, trying not to let herself be nervous. It was just a house, and they were just people, she had no reason to be nervous. Even though the house was practically twice the size of hers and she hadn't seen the people who lived here since she still wore pigtails, there was absolutely no reason to be nervous, right?
"Okay Tilmitt, you're just gonna knock on the door. You can do it." She whispered quietly to herself. She took a deep breath and held it in for five seconds before exhaling and knocking on the door four times. She barely knocked a fourth time when the door opened and she saw a somewhat familiar woman with curly blond hair on the other side of the door.
"Selphie! How long has it been? You've grown so much!" Mrs. Keystone greeted her at the door excitedly.
"It's been a while, yeah." She laughed at the older woman's enthusiasm. That was one thing she had always loved about his mother. Whether it was little league or the high school championships, Mrs. Keystone would be in the stands cheering them on louder than any other parent. "How have you been?" She asked politely.
"Oh, I've been great. I've read about you in the Daily Destiny(1), you're doing so good. Oh, just hold on a minute sweetie, I'll grab Tidus for you." Selphie thanked her and waited on the front step, bouncing on her toes slightly as she fidgeted with her outfit. She wore light wash high-waisted shorts and a red crop top baseball tee. It was perfect for the day she had ahead of her.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Selphie's head snapped up to see Tidus leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms over his chest. He smiled down at her and she realized he stood a good ten inches above her. She suddenly felt very small.
"Wow, I never really noticed how tall you are." She said, tilting her head to the side as she stared at him. It took her a moment to realize she never answered his question and she laughed, shaking her head and looking down. "Sorry, uh, that was random, I know. I just never really noticed that you're like, over half a foot taller than me."
"That's just because you're tiny Tilmitt." He said, chuckling. She kind of liked the way he called her Tilmitt, it sounded so... sporty. "So, what's up?" He asked again, his tone kind and friendly.
"Well, I feel like the rest of the group has so much drama going on right now, you know? So I was thinking, how about we do something fun?" She proposed, smirking up at him as he contemplated it.
"Sure, I'm not busy or anything. That sounds great, actually." He grinned down at his tutor and looked over his shoulder. "Just let me tell my mom, I'll be right back." He said, shooting one last friendly smile at her before he jogged back into his house. He was back in less than a minute. "Alright Selphie, what did you have in mind?" He asked as they climbed in her car. She put the keys in and turned the car on before glancing over at the blitzball star. He looked over at her as well, raising an eyebrow in anticipation.
"How do you feel about laser tag?"
He smiled over at her. "Wow, who would've thought tutor girl played laser tag?" She grinned and with that, she sped off towards downtown Destiny Islands.
It took them a good fifteen minutes to get to the arcade, but once they got there Selphie's body started to buzz with excitement. It wasn't very crowded for a Saturday night, which she was happy about.
"So, is it just us?" Tidus asked nervously, looking around the arcade. Selphie opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a guy's voice behind them.
"Are you guys ready to be dominated by Team Holette?" Selphie just laughed as Hayner and Olette walked up to the two of them. Olette just shook her head, her hand on her forehead.
"You have got to stop calling us that." She told her boyfriend. Tidus laughed along with them.
"Well you said Oner sounded like a disease!" Hayner protested. Selphie smiled at the couple and looked over at Tidus.
"It's us against them, and we're out for blood." She said jokingly.
"Sounds great. Let's get ready then." He said, gesturing to the entrance to the laser tag area at the back of the arcade.
"Best two out of three, you guys are going down." Hayner said as he raced ahead of them and through the doors.
"I better catch up to him before he gets in trouble. We'll see you guys in there." Olette said as she hurried ahead.
"Your friends are pretty cool. The guys on my team never want to do anything except party. I don't really see the appeal of it, you know?" Tidus said as they walked over to the doors.
"I find that highly respectable. Most teenagers can't see past the weekend." Selphie said. Tidus looked over and smiled at her before they walked through the doors. Olette was talking to the guy in charge and Hayner already had his gear on. Hayner was the only one who had played before, or at least that's what she let them think. Selphie was actually a pro at laser tag. Her family always played a huge 40 minute all or nothing round at their family reunions.
The guy who was working the laser tag gave them a brief run down of how it would go. Each round would be about 20 minutes. He taught them how to put the vests on and explained how they worked. When you get shot the light turns red and you have to go to a station and recharge the battery. You can't cheat because the guns are programmed with the vests and are put on a safety when you're out of lives. Once you charge up again, the light turns green and you're free to shoot. He then taught them how to shoot the laser guns, which was pretty simple. He showed them a diagram of the arena and then they were sent on their way.
Selphie and Tidus stood in front of the A Doors, while Hayner and Olette stood in front of the B Doors.
"You ready for this Tilmitt?" Tidus asked her as they watched the clock tick down to the beginning of the round. She just smirked and held her gun up.
"Oh, I'm totally ready. Are you ready superstar?" She teased. He just grinned and the buzzer went off. The doors opened and Selphie was quick to duck to the right, getting behind the wall just in time to miss Hayner's shot. She made sure her gun was loaded up and looked over at Tidus who had hid on the left.
"Let's go get em'." She said before rolling out from behind the wall and taking off in a dead sprint. She saw Hayner stand up to take a shot but her trigger finger was quicker. She shot and he ducked just in time. She ducked behind a small wall, looking to her left. Tidus was just staring at her shaking his head and a smile spread wide across her face. Selphie felt her own lips break into a grin.
This was gonna be great.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - (MINI LINE BREAK) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After two rounds, it was a dead tie. Tidus and Selphie had dominated the first round. They had each gotten killed once, both by Hayner, but Tidus had gotten Olette twice and Selphie had gotten both Hayner and Olette once.
By the second round, Tidus and Selphie had gotten a little tired and had lost by one kill.
So there they were, more than half way through the third round and it was still 0 - 0. Selphie and Tidus were camped out behind a larger wall, trying to come up with a plan.
"Okay Keystone, we've got five minutes left in this round and we can't afford any mistakes. We need a killer plan. You got any tricks up your sleeve?" Her breathing was labored from all the running but the adrenaline pumping through her veins was enough to keep her energy up.
"Well Olette is pretty winded, and she has a weak aim so she's not a major threat. Hayner's a different story. I think I have a plan though. If you can cover me, I think I can pick her off. She's useless while she's getting recharged. I say we wait for the clock to hit two and a half and go. That's Phase One."
"What's Phase Two?" She asked, keeping her eyes focused out on the arena. She saw Hayner's blond hair peeking up from a blockade. He didn't seem to be on the move. He seemed to be waiting for one of them to make the first move
"Phase Two is taking Hayner out. We'll double team him, we just gotta keep an eye out for Olette and make sure she doesn't take one of us out, which is why we should wait to start."
"Okay, sounds like a plan but how exactly are we gonna take Hayner out?" She asked, looking up at the clock. It read 3:10. Tidus looked up too and they locked eyes. They were both breathing heavily, but they each couldn't help but smile as they looked at their partner.
"Just follow my lead." Tidus said. Selphie kept her eyes focused on Olette, who walked out from the wall Hayner was hiding behind and quickly dodged to the one two down from it. Selphie turned back around and made eye contact with Tidus. He just nodded, letting her know he saw. Selphie looked up at the countdown and it had moved to 2:30. She looked over at Tidus and nodded, aiming her gun over the blockade to cover.
Tidus quickly and stealthily dodged between the blockade's unnoticed, hiding behind the one closest to Olette. Before Hayner could ready his gun, Tidus had jumped up and gotten an overhead shot. The buzz that went off told Selphie that Tidus's shot was successful. She watched him dive back behind a blockade and glanced up at the clock. 1:50.
Tidus made eye contact with her and waved her towards him. Slowly and sneakily, she made her way to the blockade besides his.
Tidus crawled close and peeked out, making sure Hayner wasn't on the move. He appeared to have stopped Olette and the two were probably strategizing.
"Listen, we can't both run for him, he could take us both down. After it hits 1:00, I'm gonna run out. Wait three seconds, no more and no less. Cover me and when I get close enough for Hayner to see me, he'll get ready to shoot, I'll drop down and you jump off me and get an air shot on him."
"What? You want me to do an airshot?" Selphie could roll and cartwheel he way out of close calls but an air shot? She'd never done one. It would hurt, but the badass factor of getting the last kill, and with a trick like that? Absolutely killer.
"Come on Selph, I believe in you." The clock read 1:05. "Get ready." He gave her one last reassuring glance before peeking out. Hayner had moved over one blockade closer to us. The clock was already at :50. He nodded and got out, running quietly closer to Hayner. Hayner didn't seem to notice the invasion. He was looking over at the blockade Tidus had just left, getting ready to sneak in on an attack. After three seconds, Selphie took off in a sprint. Hayner looked up to see Tidus and got his gun ready to fire but it was one second too late. Tidus dropped to his knees and Selphie had launched off of him before Hayner could realize and Hayner shot straight ahead, missing anybody. Selphie flew over the barricade and shot Hayner right where his heart would be before tucking into a ball and rolling out of the dive. The buzzer went off and she shot up, pumping her arms in victory. Tidus stood up as the lights flashed on and the final score of 2-1 came up on the clock.
"Yes! We did it!" Selphie yelled, running over to Tidus. Her partner hugged her and picked her up.
"Wow, that was amazing." He said before setting her down. The four of them walked out the doors to the first area where they returned their gear.
"I can't believe we lost!" Hayner pouted, hanging up his gear as he sulked. Olette just laughed and smiled over at the winning team.
"That last play was genius." She complimented as the four of them hung up their gear and walked out of the area. The arcade had filled up in the hour they had spent playing the game.
"Tidus thought of it, actually." Selphie said, looking at her partner.
"But Selphie made it possible. When I said an air kill I thought she was gonna jump over the barricade but she practically dove over it." Tidus said as they walked out the arcade doors.
"Hey, if you're gonna do something, do it with style." She joked. The four of them laughed and stood outside the entrance.
"You guys were worthy competitors." Hayner said, smiling over at the two of them before pointing down the street. "Well, we parked down this way so we'll catch up with you guys later!" He said. Olette waved and the two of them joined hands as they walked down the sidewalk. Tidus and Selphie turned and walked towards were they she had parked.
"I honestly haven't had that much fun in a while." Tidus said as they climbed into the car.
"I know, right? I just think the others have some things to sort out lately, but it was nice to just hang out with friends and do something like that." Selphie said as she pulled out and sped back towards the coast.
"You know what? I kind of don't want it to end. Have you ever had those days?" Tidus asked, glancing over at her. She nodded and kept her eyes focused on the road.
"It doesn't have to. We can get pizza if you want?" Her eyes flickered to the right for a second and she saw Tidus nodding.
"Actually that sounds great. Oh, and especially because I have something to tell you. I meant to tell you last night but I forgot." He said absent-mindedly.
"It's not bad or anything, right?" She asked, laughing lightly as she pulled into Pluto's Pizzeria.
"Nah, it's nothing like that. I just have this athletic training camp. I leave tomorrow and I'm not sure when I'll be back. Coach Herc is going too, he works as an athletic trainer for stuff like this during the summer. He said we should be back by Wednesday but if we get delayed or hit traffic, we might get back Thursday night."
"Ah, and Thursday's are our tutoring sessions." Selphie said.
"Yeah, but I was gonna get your number so I could text you while I'm there." Tidus explained as they walked in and sat at one of the booths closest to the door.
"Like you mean to let me know if you'll be back for it or not?"
"Well, that and because I like talking to you." Tidus shrugged and looked up at her
"Really?"
Tidus smiled and laughed. "I'd like to think we're kind of friends now, of course I like talking to you." He said. Selphie smiled over at the blonde boy and she was happier than she'd been in a long time.
"I guess you're right because people don't typically let just anyone jump off their back and do a badass kill shot." Selphie teased as the waiter came up. The two of them laughed and Selphie just knew that this wasn't just a temporary thing. Tidus was officially her friend now, and she had a feeling it was going to stay that way.
I got absolutely nothing done that Saturday. In my defense, I had a lot on my mind with everything that happened the night before. It was literally all I could think about. And by the time it was ten o'clock at night, my head was just about ready to explode. I was just so confused about everything.
I should've known Sora wouldn't lie to me about Yuna. It made a ton of sense that he was simply letting her down gently in private, but it's not like I was in a fully capable mental state. Alcohol had started affecting me, so I was a bit less logical. Needless to say I felt unbelievably stupid for jumping to conclusions and getting jealous, which in turn had led to my drunkenness.
Then there was what Yuna said, of course. 'I'd do anything to be the girl that he wants'. I know what she meant by that. Sora had feelings for someone, and they obviously weren't for her. I wanted more than anything to believe that Sora had told her he had some sort of feelings for me, but I knew that was just dreaming. I couldn't afford to get my hopes up like that. If I let myself think that's what Yuna meant and it turned out to be wrong, I'd be devastated. So I tried to ignore it the best I could.
Then there was what Cloud had said. I really didn't understand why Cloud felt the need to push Sora. Everyone can see how much Sora dislikes him, it's pretty obvious yet that dumbass just gets something out of making Sora him angry. And he just had to resort to the one thing he knew would set Sora off.
And then there was the way Sora had just exploded. It was so out of character for him. Lately, Sora wasn't really himself. He's been way more serious and short tempered than I could remember him ever being. And I had known him for a long time... it really wasn't like him. I knew Cloud was a touchy subject and the the douchebag himself really got under Sora's skin, but Sora had always been the clear minded one. He'd always been the one to think before acting, and last night was clearly not his shining moment. My mind flashed back to what had happened after the little incident...
*FLASHBACK*
I watched as Sora's fist connected with Cloud's nose, sending his face sideways. Cloud cursed loudly and his fands flew to his nose. Rikku happened to run up at that time, bending over him and asking him if he was okay (he obviously wasn't). I stood there, frozen, trying to comprehend what just happened when Sora turned around and walked out, slamming the door behind him. I looked up and locked eyes with Tidus. Him and Selphie gave me worried looks but I nodded and ran after Sora, making a mental note to text them later.
By the time I was outside, Sora was halfway to the lot of cars in the yard and I had to jog to catch up with him.
"Hey, Sora, wait up! Okay?" I yelled. He stopped walking, giving me the chance to catch up to him. I put a hand on his shoulder as I walked in front of him. His eyes were closed and he was looking at the ground. I looked down to see his hands weren't in fists, which could only mean one thing.
"I fucked up, didn't I?" He felt guilty. It was just confirmed when he looked up at me and I saw his eyes, regret written across his face.
"Hey, he had it coming okay? Don't worry Sora, I'm sure nobody thinks any differently of you. Now hos about you drive us home and I'll try and get your mind off it. I may have had one too many, and it'll help distract you." I said, smiling up at him. I tossed him my keys and climbed into the passenger side, watching as he sat in the driver's seat and he sped off towards our street.
"I'm sorry Kai. It's just I'm usually so..."
"Calm, cool, collected?" I teased, watching as we drove past palm trees and power lines. He chuckled and I noticed his voice was deep and soothing. I also noticed my eyelids felt really heavy.
"Yeah, something like that." He sounded like his mind was far off and he was thinking. I wanted to talk to him, keep his mind off everything, but I just couldn't keep my eyes open. I yawned and leaned my head against the window, resting my eyes a little.
"What made you go off anyways?" My voice was slow and quiet but I was awake, right? I thought I was, but I really don't remember what he said afterwards. I drifted off and I couldn't tell if I heard it right since I was a bit tipsy and half asleep, but I could've swore I heard him say:
"You should know Kai."
*FLASHBACK*
There was only one thing that could clear my mind. I sighed and threw on one of the many hoodies Sora had left at my house and made my way out to the back deck, sprawling myself out on one of the lounge chairs. I played the playlist I had made specifically for these occasions (the volume was low so I wouldn't wake the neighbors) and laid back, looking up at the vast expanse of stars that scattered the night sky.
I spent a lot of nights stargazing. It was just relaxing to look at the stars and it really got my mind off of almost anything that was bothering me. Sometimes I'd even fall asleep, my eyes wandering the darkness and I'd wake up to the sun rising. When I looked at the stars, it reminded me that the universe is huge and I am just one person in the middle of it. If I am just one microscopic piece of the big picture, then my problems can't be nearly as big and bad as they seem.
"I knew I'd find you out here." I heard his voice and I sat up, trying my best to ignore when my stomach jumped and my heart sped up. I smiled as I saw him leaning against the rail, his arms crossed against his chest and wearing that stupid smile.
"Hey Sora." I said, patting the seat next to me. He walked over, plopping down next to me. He kept his head turned to me and I felt my cheeks heat up as I glanced back up at the sky. "What's up?" I asked, trying my best to ignore the jittery feeling that was spreading through my body.
"Have you ever had a day where you just couldn't stop thinking about something? Something that you really want to stop thinking about more than anything but you just-"
"Can't?" I cut him off, looking over at him. I met his eyes and I almost laughed because how ironic. He nodded and I sighed, sitting up and as I brought my feet on the chair, hugging my knees to my chest. "Trust me, I know exactly what you mean." There was a moment of silence as we both glanced up at the stars again. The music played softly in the background and I thought back to all the nights Sora had laid out here with me.
"Hey Kai... I can tell you anything, right?" I tore my eyes away from the sky to look over at him. He kept his eyes trained on the stars, but I could tell he was nervous by the way his fingers were tapping and twitching against each other. I ignored the thought in the back of my hed that noted how cute his habit was and answered his question.
"Of course Sora. What kind of question is that?" I teased. His eyes met mine and there was just... something different about them. They were the same shade of blue they'd always been, but something had changed.
"Can you promise that no matter what, you'd never let anything change our friendship?" He asked, his eyes staring right back into mine. Sora wasn't one to be serious, so when he was I knew he really meant it. The thing was, lately he was always serious.
"I'd never let anything come between us." I said truthfully. I was worried about where this was going. The way he was acting really wasn't his usual self, so there was definitely something on his mind. His face was still twisted in doubt though. "Sora," I said, turning my body fully in his direction. "You're my best friend." I said quietly. I resisted every urge to look down at the ground. It was true, we were best friends. But you're not supposed to fall in love with your best friend.
Sora looked down at the ground, and I knew I must have somehow said the wrong thing. "I know Kai... I should go though. It's late." He said, standing up and walking towards the steps. So that was it? Just get all deep and personal and then just leave?
"Wait!" I yelled, jumping out of my seat and grabbing his arm. "What's up with you lately?" I asked, turning him to face me.
"What are you talking about?" He knew I wasn't buying it.
"Come on, really? You just asked me if you can tell me anything, and you just asked me if I'd ever let anything jeopardize our friendship, and now you're gonna leave? Just like that?" I asked, crossing my arms. I had been patient with this boy and given him one too many chances. "You obviously wanted to tell me something that you thought I would take badly."
"Kairi, can you just drop it?" He asked, looking anywhere but at me directly.
"No, I can't. I've let it go for the past few weeks but I've had enough. If this has anything to do with what Yuna told me yesterday the-"
"What did she say to you?" He asked, cutting me off and his voice jumping up quickly. I raised an eyebrow at him and uncrossed my arms, putting my hands on my hips.
"Does that really matter?" I asked.
"Please, just tell me."
"She said 'I'd do anything to be the girl he wants'. I have no clue what that means, but I'm guessing you have feelings for someone." I said, looking down at the floor. "Look, Sora..." I said, trying to find the will to actually say the bullshit lie I had formed in my thoughts. "It's great. I don't need to know who. Okay? I just wish you would've told me. As long as she makes you happy... I don't care." It sounded so fake and I knew the smile looked forced but it was the best I could do. And he bought it. He gave me a sad smile and ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry Kai. I gotta go." And with that he left. And I watched him. And the whole time I just kept telling myself 'You can cry when you get inside'.
A.N. - Just a quick heads up, I'll probably revise some of the earlier chapters. I didn't mean for Xion to come off the way she has, and I have tried to fix it the past two chapters, but mostly in this one. And I kind of want to put in a Riku X Kairi X Sora friendship. I know it's an AU and technically I can do whatever, but it's such a key part to the whole thing you know? So I might write the sixth chapter then revise, I might finish the arc and revise, or I might just revise then continue on. We shall see. Anyways, next chapter is gonna be HUGE so stay tuned! Any feedback would be lovely, thanks for reading!