Ok. This chapter will be my attempt to top my previous chapter. Though… I don't think I can do it. Well, you reviewers be the judge. By the way, all of you guys who have favorite me, I thank you. Please don't be afraid to review though. I don't bite : )
I do not own these characters, except in the limited capacity of being a shareholder in Disney. Well, on to the chapter then.
Chapter22: Complicated
Zexion was sitting in a rather uncomfortable metal folding chair in the medical ward of the frigate Raimon. Behind him was a generic pair of metallic night tables that could be found in any hospital if one looked hard enough. In the hospital bed to his left lay Kairi, peacefully sleeping despite the heavy injuries she had sustained. The left side of her face contained a wicked looking scar that she had picked up just two days ago. Her left side, from her right underneath her arm pit to her waist, was also marred with a long and ragged scar, the child of a wound she had also picked up two days ago while saving Sora's life. The wound had turned into a scar that quickly due to a shitload of healing magic. Being a keyblade wielder has its perks when it comes to medical treatment.
To his right, in a bed similar to Kairi's, lay Sora. He was heavily sedated by morphine. He had just returned a little while ago from a surgery to repair the damage to his right leg, which had been grievously injured in the fighting two days ago. He had a scar on the right side of his face that, in a strange coincidence, mirrored the one Kairi had perfectly. It was slightly unsettling, how closely linked the destinies of these two were.
On a small couch near the door of the room, Xion and Riku were… not quite snuggled, but within spitting distance of it. Whatever the case, they were lying very close to one another with their arms wrapped around each other. Now, yes that would be considered snuggling, except they were lying in opposite directions of each other. Thus Xion was resting her head on Riku's rather odorous feet, and Riku was holding Xion's feet against his upper chest. … it was cute in a funny sort of way, kind of how a Pug dog is so ugly its cute.
It was around one in the morning, so it surprised Zexion when he heard the slight clanging of footsteps coming down the corridor outside the room. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was Naminé, though his stomach twisted into a nervous, painful knot. She turned and walked into the room.
"… hey." Said Zexion in a controlled, even voice.
"Hey." Said Naminé as she grabbed a folding chair from a small pile that was leaning against the wall to the left of the door. She unfolded it and placed it next to Zexion, then sat down.
"How are they doing?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"Well, Kairi is doing better than before. They've managed to stop the internal bleeding, though she has lost a lot of blood. However, she will be fine physically. Emotionally… well, that's another story. That will depend on Sora more than anything else. Speaking of Sora, they won't know if the surgery was successful or not till tomorrow. Other than that, he will be fine." Zexion said in a tired voice.
"Well… that's good to know. " Said Naminé, the false cheer present in her voice not matching the sorrow that lay in her eyes.
After that, they sat in an awkward sort of silence for a few minutes. Then, Zexion shattered it to pieces with a rather surprising question.
"If you liked Roxas from the first time you met him, then why did you go out with me before you, well, died?" he asked in a tone more appropriate for discussing the weather than asking such a serious question.
Naminé looked stunned for a moment, her eyes widening in shock. Slowly, she began to respond, picking up speed as she went on.
"… well, … you were my best friend. You were always there for me no matter what. You were the only one who truly understood me. And you were always so nice to me. I mean, you were always polite to everybody, but to me you were genuinely nice. You cared. And you were a self imposed loner, yet you let me in for some reason. I saw the you that almost nobody else saw. And I always suspected you had feelings for me so I thought if I asked you out you would become happier cause you were always so depressed and lonely and I couldn't help but falling in love with you." At this point, Naminé was becoming a bit hysterical, tears streaming from her beautiful blue eyes. They blurred her vision. The creak of a chair sounded in the distance. I don't blame him for leaving. Not after what I've done to him… im such an asshole. I don't blame him if he hates me for playing with his heart like that.
Suddenly, she felt Zexion's arms wrap around her, giving her a tight hug. She had forgotten how good it felt to be in his arms. For a lonely, depressed person, he could be rather comforting.
"I had no idea. I thought you were just… playing games with me. I've always known that you liked Roxas. Everybody did. Yet… you chose to be with me. Everybody, myself included, thought you did that just to make Roxas jealous. I had no idea that you actually… well, loved me…." He said as he hugged her, her hot tears staining his shirt as she cried into his shoulder.
"Do you hate me now? Do you hate me for lying to you?" she asked, her emotion filled voice muffled by his shirt and body.
"No. I could never hate you." He said, chuckling despite the situation.
"Why? Why don't you hate me?" she asked, confused.
"… Because I do have feelings for you. Because I do love you." He said in a tender, caring voice. A shiver ran down her body.
"… Really?" she asked, her voice tense, struggling to dam the flood of emotions that wanted, needed to be expressed right now.
"Yes. … Though not romantically. I love you platonically, as a friend." He said, his voice sorrowful and apologetic.
"… I'm not sure whether to be relieved or sad at that." Said Naminé, her voice filled with plain emotion that could be joy or sorrow or anger.
"… I'm sorry. But I saw long ago that we were not meant to be anything more than best friends. I saw the way you looked at Roxas, the longing in your eyes. And I knew that you would never feel that way about me. That even though you may love me, your heart will always be with Roxas, even if you don't realize it." Said Zexion in a sad, understanding tone.
"… You're right. I could never what I feel for Roxas for you. … I guess I love you platonically too, then. I guess my heart tricked my head." She said, chuckling and crying.
"… say, did Roxas get jealous?" Zexion asked, curious. Namine chuckled again.
"… yes. He was very jealous. … He has always loved me as well." She said. Suddenly, she gasped, her face turning even paler than usual.
"What's wrong? Are you all right?" Asked Zexion, concern evident on his face and in his voice.
"I just realized something. Obviously, Sora and my sister are head over heels for each other. I wouldn't be surprised if they are married by the end of the month." Said Namine in an odd voice that was a cross between anger, sorrow, and joy.
"I don't see the problem there. I thought you would be happy for Kairi. Beside's you Sora is the only thing she has left in the world. " Said Zexion in a confused voice.
"Roxas is Sora's brother." Said Namine in an exasperated voice.
"I know what you're thinking. … That wouldn't be incest. It happens all the time. Actually, in China around September, one set of identical twins married another set." Said Zexion, grinning.
"… so its really ok? Its not taboo or anything?" she asked, embarrassed and hopeful.
"… my job in life is to be the know it all. I am sure." said Zexion in a confident tone.
"Ok… if you say so." Namine kissed Zexion right on the lips, stunning him.
"… ok, what was that Namine?" asked Zexion, confused.
"We can be best friends… with benefits." Namine said, smiling as she blushed.
"… ok. If you wish." Said Zexion, still recovering from that rather shocking action while silently thanking Seinfeld for creating such a wonderful social convention.
The beeping of an alarm on a watch filled the air. Namine glanced down at her watch and cursed.
"…I've got to go. … I'll see you around, Zexion." She said, then kissed him again.
"… ok. I guess I'll see you around then, Namine." He said once they were disconnected. She jogged out into the corridor. Zexion listened to her footsteps disappear into the distance, then collapsed into the folding chair. Why did his life have to be so wonderfully, horribly complicated? Huh? He fell asleep smiling at the complicated enigma that is life. This enigma also happened to include how he fell asleep in a metal folding chair in the first place. Nobody could figure that one out.
Well, that's it for this chapter. … Yes, I know I just fucked up the entire romance thing at the end. But there is a reason that what happened happened. And it isn't because I say so. … you will see later on.
Do your worst flamers! You will never take me alive! ... yah, flaming is allowed. So please review and tell me how badly I fucked up. Till then, adios.