Chapter 7 - Halfheart

Keiko and Axel were walking together through the empty parts of town. He was carrying her heels in his hand as she declared she 'couldn't be bothered'. He still had his hood up and it made Keiko seem uncomfrortable, what also made her feel uncomfortable is that she didn't have her bag. She liked her bag because she could swing it at pervy men who tried it on with her. Axel was quite a bit taller than her, but she was only short anyway. The fact that he still had his hood up made her wonder what he looked like. She liked imagining what people looked like, but didn't like it when she was disappointed.
"Uh my legs hurt." she whined.
"You complain a lot don't you?" he chuckled.
She looked at him and rolled his eyes, she slouched as she walked and stared at her feet as they walked on the cobbled stone. It felt cold on her feet and she didn't like it.
"Let's go this way..." she said and Axel followed.
After about 15 minutes of walking and discussing their favourite meals and candy, they reached the back gates of Keiko's garden.
"Uh... Your house?"
"My garden. Actually. Don't think you'll ever be lucky enough to get into my house." she giggled.
Keiko's garden was small, it contained a few plant pots which her boss has given to her. And a few ones Miya had given her for past birthdays that had become a little overgrown. There were some steps in Keiko's garden which led to the top of her little house, there was a small flat part of the roof where you could lay and watch the sky. Keiko opened the creaky gate, walked across the cold grass and up the stone steps. Axel followed. Keiko slumped down onto the pillows which she'd left from the last time she'd been up there.
"Ahhhh... My feet finally get a rest." she sighed.
It was weird, Keiko didn't know this Axel at all but she seemed to get along with him. He had a presence about him which seemed more friendly than the previous men in black coats she'd met. He slumped down next to her on some pillows.
"Hey! Don't put your ass on my favourite pillow!" she said as she prised a pillow from underneath him. She loved this pillow, she made it from some material from her brothers old t-shirt when she was little and he was really angry as it was his 'dating' shirt. She laughed to herself at this thought.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." she said and hugged the pillow.
"I want you to come with me. To join the Organization XIII."
"The what?"
"The Organization. It's really important for you to join us. That way you can feel whole again and have a whole heart."
"I do have a whole heart!"
Axel stared at her in a concerned way after she said this.
'What? What's wrong with me?! Am I dying?!" she started to panic.
"No! No... Umm I don't know how to ..."
"I'M DYING!" She squawked. She suddenly felt all hot and sweaty and panicked more."
Axel grabbed her and shook her.
"You, are not dying Keiko!"
I need to get outta here...
She looked at Axel. For some reason she didn't want to hit him again, she'd feel bad if she did. She decided to give him a chance to explain.
"We, the Organizarion, don't have hearts we..."
"Then how are you alive?"
"Shhh, let me finish! We are sort of empty. We are Nobodies. We don't feel love or anything. We are on a mission to regain our hearts. And we need you to join us to make the mission easier. The more the merrier!"
"But... I feel pain and love and everything like that!"
"Yeah well you're a weird one!" at this comment she pulled a face at him. "You're lucky, you've got half a heart. Which means some days, you feel fine, but others you feel strangely empty. Am I right?"
"Yeah..." she reluctantly agreed.
"I'm always right. Got it..."
"Memorized? I sure have!" she interuppted him and giggled.
I'm so screwed...