[Genderbent AU: Camping Trip]

[Aqus X Terra, one-sided Replica X Namino, hinted Sora X Kai]

Terra lay with her legs crossed at the ankles, her hands laced behind her head. The grass is damp with dew beneath her, the sun a slow-rising orange orb peeking over the hills. Behind her, noises sprout from the tent on the campgrounds. The brunette stirs, her eyelids flutter open to reveal dark blue eyes.

"Terra, did you stay out here all night again?" Venta sleepily murmurs as she stumbles out of the tent, one hand rubbing her eye. "You're going to catch a cold one of these days."

"Sorry, Venta," Terra amends as she forces herself to sit up. She glances around the campsite at some of the other tents. "Are we the only ones awake this early?"

Venta shakes her head, her blonde pixie cut hanging limp. She inwardly winces, wishing she could wash out her hair. "No, I think Riku and Vanita are awake. Maybe Kai or Aqus, but I know Sora and my sister are still asleep."

"Yeah, Roxi does like to sleep in a lot," Terra lightly smiles. She points her thumb backward, toward the tent behind her. "What about Namino and Xion?" Terra asks. "Are they up yet? Or Replika, for that matter?"

"Replica's right there," Venta giggles, pointing behind Terra. She jerks backward, nearly losing her balance as she peers over her shoulder. She smiles at the silver-haired girl. "G'morning, Replica. Sleep alright?"

"No," Replica pouts. She slops down between the brunette and blonde to join in the early-morning conversation. "My cousin kept me up all right. She kept stealing the sheets," she remarks, complaining about Riku like always. "And you missed it last night around the fire, Venta: Riku started flirting with Namino again. Why does this always happen to me? She takes everything that I want!"

"Oh, I know. But I think Riku just likes teasing you, that's all." Venta replies sympathetically. She nods her head. "Roxi and I might be twins, but we're so different. But the one thing we have in common, the people we like... Well. It's the same as you and your cousin."

Replica grinds her teeth in agitation. She shakes her head and stands up. "I'm going to the bathroom. Pardon me," and she leaves, wandering into the trees of the forest around them.

Sora and Kai emerge from their tents at the same time, and Kai's older brother, Aqus, tags along not shortly afterward. "Good morning, everyone!" Sora chirps brightly; she's always been a morning person.

Next to her, Kai rakes a hand through his shaggy ruby red hair. He plops down near Sora, in front of the dead fire. "We should stoke this back up and get breakfast started," he says with a smile. "I could cook for everyone."

"I'll help you," Namino yawns as he emerges from his own tent, his sketchpad clutched in his hand. He carries it with him everywhere, in case inspiration for a drawing strikes him. "You don't have to cook all by yourself, Kai."

Kai laughs. "Yeah, okay. Thanks, Nami-kun."

Blushing a little, the blond brushes off the affectionate nickname and shrugs his shoulders. "It's no big deal," he mutters. He turns and goes to retrieve some of the firewood stacked up near one of the tents. Meanwhile, Kai fetches Lea's lighter; she used to smoke, and still carries her lighter with her to remind her not to go back to her bad habit. Also, she likes fire. Go figure.

Once the fire is started up again, the group – now complete with everyone up and wake, circled around the fire pit – gets out paper plates. They're served one at a time, and soon everybody is chatting and eating, slowly waking up their minds and bodies from their groggy states.

"I love camping," Xion smiles to himself as he tosses his empty paper plate into the fire. Watching it burn, he turns and grabs a kettle from his pack. "Does anybody want coffee or tea or cocoa? I brought some instant stuff and some foam cups with me."

"I'll take some," Riku says tiredly. "I need coffee in order to wake up most mornings." She pulls back her long silver hair into a low ponytail as she says this.

"Anyone else?" Xion asks, flipping his black hair out of his eyes.

"Terra, Aqus, and I want some tea, please," Venta answers. She turns to her twin sister. "Do you want something, Roxi? You're awfully quiet this morning."

Roxi fumbles with her shoelaces. Beside her, Lea leans forward and peers at her face. The redhead fingers one of her multiple ear piercings while she asks, "Roxi, is something wrong? We're all camping together; you should be having fun!"

The blond sighs. She looks between her twin and her girlfriend and feels torn. "I… I really don't know, guys," she answers softly. "I just woke up in a depressed mood this morning. I'm sure it'll pass," she adds, forcing a small smile.

Xion leans over and touches Roxi's arm. "Aw, cheer up, Roxi. We're going to have fun today; today's the day we hike down to the lake for a swim, remember?"

Roxi brightens enough to smile genuinely. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. That will be fun."

"And guess who brought sea-salt ice cream in a dry-ice cooler?" Lea remarks proudly. She smirks and stands, heading into her tent for a moment. She returns with a hand-cooler, something just big enough for a load of ice creams, one for each of them. Dangling the cooler in Roxi's face, she says, "But I brought an extra one for you, hun. Since I memorized the fact that you love sea-salt ice cream so much and don't get it often. Want the extra one now, to make you feel better?"

Roxi giggles. "Yeah, sure. Thanks, Lea."

Next to Venta, Vantia leans over to whisper in Venta's ear, "Someone's looking to get some on this trip, buttering up her girlfriend like that."

Venta blushes and turns to smack the gold-eyed girl. "Vanita, don't be so crude!" she hisses back, shocked. "I swear, you're horrible sometimes, nothing like your younger sister."

Vanita snorts. "No one can be like Sora. It's impossible. She's just too perfect." She shakes her head. "And besides, I like being crude. It makes you and everyone else react in such hilarious ways." And she grins broadly, flashing her teeth.

Venta frowns. "You're horrible, Vanita."

"I know~," the black-haired girl smirks. "It's just in my nature."

Aqus stands up suddenly, startling everyone. He smiles and yanks Terra to her feet, nearly causing the brunette to fall over. "Come on, people! It's time to get ready to go on a hike! Come on, hop-to, hop-to! We should all get our bathing suits on under our fresh clothes, and then go for a dip. It'll be refreshing and almost like bathing, since some of us feel a little grungy." He chuckles and glances over at his girlfriend. "Right?"

Terra scoffs and takes her arm out of her lover's grip. "Stop reading my mind, Aqus. It's creepy."

The blue-haired young man simply laughs. Soon, everyone is retreating to their tents to change, girls in two of them and boys in the remaining one. It's going to be a good day; Sora can tell. She smiles to herself while she changes, swapping smiles with Venta and Riku while she's at it.