Tily: This one's late! Kit's sorry but she's busy with work and she's not well.
Kit: I'm here! *wobbles* though I'm not sure for how long.
Tily: Get back to bed! We have a replacment while Kit's gone.
Demyx: Hey!
Kit: Demyx is here and you want me to leave? No way!
Demyx: Uh.. I'm here for the introduction *worried about Kit and Tily's bickering in the background.* Enjoy, and Square owns the characters but Kit's the one who wrote the story. Now I have to get Kit back to bed. ^^;
Roxas awoke the next day to the depressing sound of his alarm clock and the realisation that it was actually Saturday. Not that it mattered much, he still had to get out of bed, he had things to do today and the best time to get where he needed was to get there early.
"Did I miss something?" Cloud questioned as his younger brother entered the kitchen with a yawn. "It is Saturday right? I didn't sleep for three days did I? Shit, if I did I'm so fired."
Roxas rolled his eyes at Cloud but couldn't help the laugh that escaped him, "it can't be that surprising," he claimed but Cloud only raised an eyebrow at him, of course it was, Roxas never ever got out of bed before noon willingly on a weekend. "Ok fine, it is, but it has been nine months since you've seen me, I might have miraculously changed," he received a scoff in return. Cloud knew Roxas' sleeping habits would never change.
"Any plans for today?" Cloud changed the subject, Roxas' sleeping pattern could be an argument that went on forever.
"Yeah, I'm going to see Sephiroth," he admitted and the older Strife understood that must be why he was up so early.
"Well, good luck with that, he wasn't very happy about you leaving so you're going to have to suck up real good," Cloud admitted as he took his things to the dish washer and Roxas' stomach dropped.
"Gee thanks for the boost of confidence there bro," Roxas mumbled sarcastically and Cloud laughed.
"Don't worry, you've got Riku if all else fails," Cloud said with a smile before announcing he had to get to work and leaving.
Roxas sat on his own for a while listening to the clock tick while his stomach churned with nerves. He really hoped this would go well.
It was just after nine when Roxas arrived at the shop that hadn't changed since he'd gone, he was glad though, he wouldn't want it to be any different.
Entering he found it filled with a few familiar faces from the days he used to work here, the regular morning business men were reading the paper and the teenagers were ready to drop their heads on the tables and sleep for an extra few hours if they could. "That you Rox?" the familiar voice gained the blonde's attention and he smiled at Xigbar.
"Long time no see Xigbar," he said as he approached the man who returned the greeting with his usual creepy smile.
"Never thought you were coming back dude, it's good to see you, though I thought you might have grown a little," the man howled with laughter, startling the occupants of the coffee shop and Roxas had to stop his own laugh escaping.
"Sod off," he quipped at the man who grasped at his chest dramatically.
"Your words hurt my Roxy."
"Zip it Xiggy," Roxas smirked.
"Touché. So, are you here for some coffee? Usual protocol you know I come to you not the other way around."
"Actually I was hoping to see Sephiroth," the blond admitted and Xigbar grinned.
"I knew you couldn't resist this place, he's upstairs why don't you go see him? We could do with having you back." Roxas nodded at the offer and walked towards a door at the end of the room, his heart pounding as his nerves kicked in again, Sephiroth had always been intimidating, and what Cloud had told him this morning hadn't helped the situation.
"Yes?" The man's low voice spoke as Roxas knocked on the door and he took a shaky breath before opening it. Sephiroth looked up and hummed as the boy entered, "I wondered when I'd be seeing you," the man said, taking his attention completely away from his work. "Riku told me you were back." Roxas nodded, unable to speak, now he was even more worried. "When can you start?" Sephiroth asked with a smirk and the blonde's stomach flipped with relief.
"You're giving me my job back? I thought you'd be too mad at me," Roxas admitted.
"Well I wasn't very impressed that there was no advanced warning. But Riku told me what happened and there's no reason for me to neglect you a job that is rightfully yours."
"Thank you Sephiroth," Roxas grinned, he'd missed working here, even if the shift hours were far too early for him sometimes.
"Your things are where you left them. Welcome back." With a grin Roxas thanked the man again and left, walking back down to see Xigbar.
"Yeah, I knew he wouldn't say no. By the way you just missed that redhead of yours," the man informed Roxas' whose heart started hammering against his chest and he wasn't sure whether he was glad or devastated, At least he was around though, Riku and Sora had said he wasn't going home, but it sounded like he was doing ok.
"Really?"
"Yeah, he was with some dark haired poppet," Xigbar went on and Roxas felt his heartbreak. Who was that? Was Axel actually with someone now? What if that's where he'd been going? "You alright Rox?" Xigbar's look was of concern and the blond tried his best to steel himself, sending the man one of his well practised fake smiles.
"I'm fine, Sephiroth said I can start whenever, what's the shift timetable like?" he asked and Xigbar shrugged.
"Your old one's still in your locker with your things if you want to check it, since we haven't had any new staff it hasn't changed much," Roxas nodded and walked back into the staff room to open his locker. According to the paper his shift started in an hour, so Roxas changed and walked back out to the counter with a frown. "What's with that face?"
"I can't believe this stuff still fits me," the blond sighed, "you'd think I'd grow a little."
"Well technically, those pants were too long for you last time, and now they fit so you must have grown at least a couple of inches," Xigbar admitted trying to cheer the boy up a little who smiled. "That's better, now keep that smile, I'm the only person in here who's allowed to scare away customers apart from Sephiroth."
"Roxas," Fuu nodded to the boy as she passed him to enter the staffroom later that day and he smiled as he walked to a new table with a tray of coffee.
"I forgot how busy it got here on a Saturday," Roxas admitted as he stood back behind the counter and Xigbar laughed.
"Yep, nothing's changed, trust me."
"Hey Roxas!" said blond looked around confused. Why was a muffled voice calling his name? And where was it coming from? Roxas finally noticed a boy pressing himself against the café window and the blond laughed.
"Why doesn't he just come in?" Roxas asked and Xigbar sighed.
"Sephiroth kicked him out for throwing a coffee mug at Larxene," now that was a name Roxas hadn't missed. "It didn't hit her -unfortunately- but coffee went everywhere."
"I'm glad I wasn't here to see that," Roxas admitted.
"She deserved it, and if you were here I'm sure you would have done worse. She was talking about you and Axel." Xigbar admitted and Roxas' anger flared. Once a bitch always a bitch he guessed. "Why don't you go say hi, you started your shift an hour early and you start your break soon anyway, I can handle it for five."
Roxas made his way to the front of the shop to see his old friend smiling at him. "Dude when did you get back?" he asked, hugging the boy as Seifer frowned. "Thought I might have seen you around school or something, then again I've been studying when I'm not in class so I'm not surprised I didn't see you around."
"You've been studying? Are you sure you're Hayner?"
"The comedian's back," the other blond said with a roll of his eyes and Roxas laughed.
"Hey Seifer."
"Shorty," the beanie blond greeted with a nod and Roxas sighed.
"So who knows that you're back?" Hayner questioned.
"Pretty much everyone, I haven't seen Pence or Olette but other than that there aren't many others."
"Cool, I'm surprised Axel's not with you then," Hayner admitted and Roxas' chest began stinging again.
"No uh.. I.. haven't told him yet," the smaller blond said and his friend frowned. "I gotta get back, I'll see you at school though right?"
"Sure thing, I'll be in the library wasting my life away probably, just come and find me," Hayner said and he waved as the pair left and Roxas walked back into the shop.
"See you tomorrow?" Xigbar asked as the pair finally left the shop at the end of the day and Roxas shook his head no.
"My day off," he said, happy that he'll get some more sleep
"Have a good one then, I'll see you later."
Roxas' thoughts flittered over the day as he drove home, he'd had fun despite the busy work and he was happy to finally see Hayner, but there was one thing he hadn't been about to get out of his head and his heart throbbed every time he thought about it. Who had Axel been with? Did this mean it was really over for them? Roxas wasn't sure what to do, he'd spent all of his time in England worrying that Axel might forget, might hate him for what happened but he'd always pushed away the idea that Axel might get together with someone else, it scared him more than anything and now… it might really be happening.
He had one last person he had to see, the one person who might just know what was going on and would help Roxas.
It was time to visit Reno.
A/N: Reno's next!
Tily: For the last time go to bed!
Demyx: They're at it again, anyway, reviews might make Kit feel better, so leave some to make her happy. :)
Kit: Thanks guys! *wobbles back to bed*