.02.

The New Employee

Riku was a stubborn bastard.

He didn't do anything he didn't want to do, and if he was forced to he would refuse untill the person forcing him would stop.

Although this didn't seem to work with Axel, the flame red haired joker was so persistent.

It annoyed the hell out of him.

But, aside from Riku's thoughts towards Axel, we should get on with the story, right?

Like we already know, Riku is the son of Sephiroth.

Riku works at 'The Food Place' rotating between being a cashier and being a waiter.

He goes to Twilight Uni, taking a Major in History, and during the hours of nine to eleven, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays Riku had class.

This mean that Axel was left alone with only Larxene as company during those hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, sorry, Fridays. It was a wonder how Axel managed to keep the place under control for two long hours, but he just about got through it.

So when Sephiroth appeared on Wednesday morning at 8:30am saying he was hiring a new employee Axel felt offended.

"But, Sephy! I'm fine on my own! Axel said (or whined) he waved the checked dishcloth he was holding in the air like a flag waver would wave, a, uhh. Flag.

Sephiroth looked at Axel with an all too familiar look. (Riku?)

"Hizzari, we are severely understaffed. If you haven't noticed we have been getting busier everyday, that Highwind mechanic had to come in last week to install new tables,"

"No, I am not insulting your worth ethic, even if you are frequently late. I am just making things easier for you. The new employee will also stay here even after Riku gets back, so it will be easier for both of you,"

Axel chewed loudly on the piece of gum in his mouth and pretended to look thoughtful.

A new employee did mean less work...

"Alright," he said, shrugging. "You got one yet?"

Sephiroth un-tucked his long silver hair from his jacket and slowly nodded his head. "Yes, I think so. Infact," he looked at his watch. Axel was disqusted to see that it was a rolex. "He should be coming around nine, gooday,"

"Bye, Dad," said Riku as cheerfully as he could manage, (for some Reason Riku still came to work the hour before his class). When he heard the door shut he watched Axel light a cigarettes and take a very long drag.

"There's no way this place is going to smell of smoke," growled Riku as he eyed the smoking stick of death[4]. Axel smiled around the tip and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, what ya gonna do about it?"

"Axel, please," said Riku tiredly. He rolled his eyes and heavily shook his head. "I'll tell Larxene,"

Axel's eyes flashed for a second.

Riku could hear his brain working.

"You wouldn't," he said slowly.

The corners of Riku's mouth twitched.

"Might do,"

Axel narrowed his eyes. He took three more purposely large drags before stubbing it out in the unused ashtray under the counter.

"There we go, both happy," he said quietly.

"Exactly," replied Riku. The two looked at each other for a second, before Riku spoke. "You're actually on time today then?"

"I got a new alarm clock,"

"How charming,"
"That sounded really gay,"

"Fuck of-" Riku had to swallow his words when he realised there was a small, silver haired boy watching them from behind the counter with blatent interest storming in his eyes (or eye). They say you get your first impression on people within three seconds of meeting them. Riku could see that this kid was a senior in highschool as he was wearing a compulsory green badge[5] over his black t-shirt. He could also see that he was a reader, as there were two leather bound books sticking out from his checked 'man bag'. He could also see that this kid was very, very emo.

"Hi," Riku welcomed (which wasn't very much like a welcome at all. In case you're forgetting Riku is half emo-this came on during Kingdom Hearts two after significant emotional trauma). The emo kid (note, I know emo isn't actually real. It is a pathetic stereotype, but ehh. Square Enix made Zexion this stereotype, yay for stereotypes!) scanned his eyes over Riku, and then Axel, who suddenly disappeared. (He was trying to relight his ciggarette under the counter.)

"Umm. Do you serve breakfast here?"

Riku was surprised that this kid actually ate considering how skinny he was, but then again, Axel seemed to eat like a pig (away from the eyes of Larxene)
"Yeah, we do. But if you want a cooked breakfast it's going to take atleast twenty minutes,"

The emo kid looked at the Food Place's large clock on the wall. It was 8:40.

"Umm. I don't think I'm going to have enough time to eat it. School starts at nine," he took an unnoticeable yet large breath. He had never talked for that long before.

"How about a breakfast bar? Cereal?" Came Axel's voice from under the counter. No one seemed to have noticed that there was a cloud of smoke now suspiciously making it's way past the cash register. The emo kid didn't seem to know where this voice was coming from, as the only things behind the counter was a buffed up girl and a weird bit of bright flame red mould sticking up from the counter.

"I'll have a breakfast bar,"
"Nutri-grain, coco pop or granola?" Came the voice again. The kid frowned and spoke the the silver haired girl.
"I'll have the-"
"You could always have a muffin?"

The kid changed his mind and nodded. This voice seemed to be leading him in the right direction.

"Yeah, I'll have a muffin,"
"Blueberry, chocolate chip or banana?"

"Umm, blueberry,"

At this, the silver haired girl stepped over to the refrigerated shelf that held various cakes and other fatty things, (not the one holding sandwhiches). The emo kid watched one muscled bicep reach into the shelf and wondered if this girl took steroids.

"Thanks," he said as he took it.

"Can you smell smoke?"

The kid shook his head.

At the same time, the very tall guy with red hair suddenly appeared out of nowhere, discreetly waving his arms through the air and clearing his throat.

The redhead's green eyes scanned over Zexion's badge for a second.

"Hey, kid," he said suddenly, pointing to one of the stools infront of the counter while looking at the clock. "Why not take a seat, you've still got ten minutes and the school's only down the road,"

The kid took the seat, even if he didn't actually want to. He just didn't like to disagree with people because he was emo.

"So, what's ya name?"
"Zexion," said the kid, slightly muffled because he mouth was full of blueberry muffin.

The red haired man smiled widely.

"Cool. Hey, do you happen to know Roxas?"

Riku rolled his eyes. He knew Axel wasn't actually talking to this emo kid to be nice.

Zexion nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I do. He's my only friend because all my other friends are in college,"

...........................................

Sora told me about that.

Thought Riku.

He said that "Roxas is a complete loner because all his friends are in college and he walks around with some emo kid all day.

But the emo kid is even more of a loner because Roxas occasionally hangs around with Hayner, Olette and the fat one, I can't remember his name..."

Riku blinked.

"Do you happen to have his phone number?" Asked Axel casually. Zexion frowned and hesitated while reaching for his cell phone.

"Are you the guy that he choked infront of yesterday?"

Riku snorted and at the look on Axel's face had to pretend that he coughing.

"Oh, he told you about that, did he?"

Zexion nodded.

"Do you have his number or not?" Asked Axel, a little too aggressively for young Zexion's liking. He shoved the phone into Axel's hand and watched behind his hair as Axel manically scanned his phone book.

"Demyx.....Marluxia...hey, you know Dem and Marly?" Zexion slowly nodded. "I know Dem and Marly!" Said Axel happily. Zexion frowned, wondering why they'd never mentioned this strange man before. As Axel went back to looking for Roxas' number, he knewwhy Demyx and the pink haired one had never told him about this emo kid before. It was embarrassing to be friends with him.

"ah, there we go. R-OX-A-S," he typed the number into his own phone and then handed Zexion's back very gracefully.

"Oh, look. It's five to nine, better be going, right?"

Zexiongave Axel a blank look and then jumped down from the stool and walked out of the shop like a slightly pissed off emo.

Riku shook his head at Axel while untying his apron.

Axel raised his eyebrows 'innocently' and was going to ask if Riku needed help untying his apron, but was stopped by the door opening.

It was a man. With a small scar on his face (although Axel didn't think this ruined his appearance in anyway) and to Axel's great disappointment, he looked extremely straight, even with his fur lined jacket.

Riku shoved his bundled up apron under the counter and waited for the man to reach them, silently.

"You must be the new worker, right?" Asked Axel. The man nodded. Axel glanced at Riku. This couldn't be another Genesis, could it?

"Yes, I'm Leon,"

Thank god.

"Axel will show you what to do, I have to go now," said Riku as he pulled on his jacket. He didn't say bye as he left, and as he walked out of the door his immaculate hair suddenly go messed up from the wind. Axel snorted and Leon looked at him like he was insane.

"Sorry," laughed Axel. "So, I'll show you around, right?"

Leon nodded. Silently wishing that he'd chosen Seventh Heaven over this loony bin.

Axel showed Leon the cash register, and when told he was going to be shown how to work it by a skinny punk wearing a well known gay cologne, he quickly said that he already knew how to work a cash register.

Leon then got taken to the kitchen, where a slightly evil looking blond woman was just stood there, doing nothing. (Yes, Larxene must get very bored but she chooses to not talk to any of her co-workers) She looked him up and down and then said.

"I like your scar,"

Leon didn't know how tor react to this and just nodded stoically. Axel (slightly scare from Larxene's pathetic attempt at flirting) then quickly steered him away from the kitchen and showed him to the back alley outside where you went to smoke etc. Leon didn't know why Axel said etc, because what else could you do in a back alley?

Actually....

Ew.

He was then showed how to clean a table and collect plates and glasses so that they didn't topple over and fall to the floor. (Axel actually dropped three glasses when he was showing Leon how to do this)

All this took a grand total of eleven minutes.

"Well, that's it," said Axel, going back to his position of leaning on the counter. "Anything else you want to know?"

"No, not really."
"Good. I kind of take charge of this place when the boss's out, so-"
"No he doesn't," said Larxene sharply as she appeared from the kitchen, carrying a large plate of lasagne and chips. Axel coughed and then occupied himself by cleaning a glass. Larxene fluttered her eyelashes at Leon and then went to place the food infront of customer. (Don't ask me why the chef is also a waitress)

Leon didn't look at her as she came back. She reminded him very much of Seifer Almasy, for some odd, odd reason. He believed that if Seifer was ever shown a girl version of himself, it would be Larxene. Larxene believed that Leon was very much like Marluxia, if you made Marluxia straight, took away the camp voice, took away the pink hair, the eye colour, the habit of shedding petals, made him a few inches shorter, made him more emo, and put a scar on his face. She believed that Leon and Marluxia were almost like twins separated at birth.

--

Riku came back at quarter past eleven and told Axel that Demyx had told him that Zexion had told him that Roxas thought Axel was a creepy pedophile.

Axel wasn't very happy.

--

At 4pm Sora and Kairi entered the Food Place and sat down at one of the few unoccupied tables.

"I see your little pal is on a date,"

Riku looked at Sora's table again. They were comparing nails.

"Uhh, Axel. I don't think they are,"

Axel shook his head vigorously.

"No, no. They obviously are. Why else isn't that blond girl with them?"

"And Roxas?"

Axel shrugged very fakely.

"Well?" Riku rolled his eyes and placed a few more newly made sandwiches into the sandwich shelf.

"Roxas and Namine have art club on Wednesdays,"

Axel then continued to sulkily count the tip jar.

--

Leon left at eight, he said Sephiroth had said he could leave two hours early because they didn't need three people to serve the night crowd, and they didn't need four people to clear up.

"He seemed nice," said Riku as he came back from collecting a large bill from a table. Axel watched him place it in the cash register and then answered in a mumble (he was still sulking).

"Oh, I dunno. His name reminds me of a lion,"

"Leon,"

Axel nodded. Riku shut the cash register and rolled his eyes.

"You're just picking out faults with him for no reason,"

"I am not,"

"His name?"

"What? It's annoying,"

"It could be worse,"

"How?"

"It could remind you of a different animal, like a squirrel," said Riku knowingly. Axel seemed to have forgotten about his relentless sulking and was laughing.

"A squirrel. What kind of name sounds like a squirrel?"

Riku shrugged.

"I dunno. I'm just saying, maybe he could have a name like a squirrel or something,"

Axel raised his eyebrow.

Riku carried on.

"For instance, if his name was a weird name," he paused. "Just one from the top of my head, Squall, see? It's squirrel like. It could be worse, he could be called Squall,"

Axel paused.

And

then,

laughed manically.

"SQUALL? What kind of name is THAT?"

Axel (and Riku) was obviously oblivious to the fact that Leon used to be called Squall, he was teased and called 'squirrel face' so he changed his name when he was eighteen.

But, like I said, Axel didn't know this so he was still laughing stupidly to himself while Riku sighed and cleaned the counter tops.

"Ax man!"

Axel suddenly stopped laughing amazingly quickly and looked over the counter. A tanned kid with a mullet and various silver necklaces around his neck was staring at him like a mad man, occupied by a very effeminate looking pink haired man.

"Guys!" He yelled, pushing Riku out of the way to stand in front of them. "You never show up here!"

"Well, we decided to today," said Marluxia dreamily.

"So, uh, what do you want?"

"A mocha!" Said Demyx, grinning. Marluxia lightly picked up a menu and ran his pink nailed index finger down it for about half an hour.

"I'll have a strawberry milkshake,"

"Sure, be right up!" Said Axel, idiotically giving them a thumbs up sign. He turned to Riku and smiled at the silver haired god.

"Hey, Rikukins," he said quietly. This was of course met by a very harsh glare made by Riku. "Could you get these, please? I need to talk to them and-"

Riku seemed to have evaporated into the kitchen. What a good little waiter he was.

Ten minutes later and Axel had decided to sit at Demyx and Marluxia's table.

"Oh, yeah," he said suddenly, lowering his own cappuccino (which he had also made Riku get) to the table. "You never told me about that Zexion kid,"

Demyx suddenly started blushing insanly. Marluxia rolled his eyes.

"That's because we've only known him for a while, he's Demyx's boyfriend,"

"What?" Yelled Axel (he had been yelling a lot lately). He was going to ask Demyx why he found the short litle emo boy attractive, but then remember he wanted to sleep with Roxas.

"You know Roxas, too, right?"

Demyx nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. We know Roxas,"

Axel waited for a second.

"So no one's going out with him then?"

The both shook there heads.

"No, we've known Roxas for a while. Demyx actually met Zexion through Roxas,"

Axel blinked.

"So, why hadn't I met this Roxas kid before yesterday?" Axel said blankly.

"Because you were never there when he came out with us. You were either working here, or if we were in a club you were always making out with some guy in the corner,"

Axel sipped his cappuccino again. If you thought about it, he really needed to get a life.

--

At 10:00pm Axel, Riku and Larxene were all in the kitchen. Larxene, like always was doing nothing apart from very slowly washing a plate. Axel glared at her as he threw several glasses into the dish washer.

"Why does she think she doesn't have to do anything?" He said darkly to Riku. Riku handed him a large stack of plates.

"Just ignore her," he said quietly. "I'm not listening to you two argue again,"

Axel resulted in pretending that the plates were Larxene's head. It was a wonder how they didn't all smash into tiny little pieces.

At 10:20, after locking the place up (Sephiroth still hadn't been seen all day. Riku said he would turn up at the house at around 11,) Larxene said bye to Riku and walked down the street at amazing speed. Axel watched her disappear around the corner and then snorted.

"I'm going to tell her tomorrow that her beloved Marluxia, who she can never have, came in today and she didn't see him, bitch,"

Riku sighed.

"You are just evil,"

Axel smiled menacingly.

"I knwo I am,"

Riku rolled his eyes, but at the same time smiled slightly. If he thought about it, Axel may have been annoying but he was really the only person he talked to throughout his working days. He was like his 'The Food Place' companion. He said goodbye and walked up the street. Would he go as far as to say that he and Axel were friends? Hmm, no. Good acquaintances maybe.

A few seconds later he heard a loud, egoistical voice yell something at him from a few meters away.

"Damn, Riku! You've got a nice ass!"

He gave Axel the finger without looking back. Bloody bastard.

[4]Smoking stick of death-Something that Yazoo used to call cigarettes when Riku was very young

[5] The green badge that Zexion wears is the same badge that Roxas, Sora, Namine and Karir wear. Green means Senior, Blue means Junior, Orange means Sophomore and Yellow means freshman. (This only applies to the students of Twilight Town Highschool. Elementary schools don't exist and the University students almost killed the man that suggested they wear 'colored badges'.

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