[AU: Slumber Party Bonding]
[Aqua X Kairi X Naminé X Xion, hinted Axel X Roxas]
Xion casually slips her arms around Naminé's neck, peering over the blond's shoulder to see what she's drawing this time.
The black-haired girl tilts her head. "Looks a lot like Roxas, or Ventus. Is it one of them?"
"Yes; how'd you know? He's only a floating head and shoulder set without hair," Naminé remarks, lifting her pencil off of the paper. There's a face on the floating, bald head, but that's about it. How could she tell?
Xion smiles and shrugs. "I just know your drawing style, Naminé. And it's not like you haven't drawn one of the twins before." She tickles the blond's ear with her breath, causing the artist to shiver pleasantly. Xion doesn't notice. "So which twin is it?"
"Roxas," Naminé says with a gentle smile. "And after I finish drawing him, I'll add Axel behind him with his hand on Roxas's shoulder."
"Cute," Xion giggles. "They'd love to see it."
Naminé shrugs. "I hope so."
"You never have enough confident in your art, Naminé! It's such a shame, too, since I love it so much. You're amazing," Xion says, encouraging the blonde. She looks up and waves to Kairi across the room. "Right, Kairi? Naminé is an amazing artist, right?"
Straddling a chair backwards, Kairi sits erect while Aqua sits in another chair behind her, braiding her hair into nearly two-dozen miniature braids to ensure that the crimson-haired girl will have perfectly crimped hair come morning.
Kairi tries her hardest to resist the urge to nod. "Mm-hmm," she hums in agreement. "Nami-chan is the best. I love her art."
"See?" Xion winks, turning back to the mousy girl. "I told you Roxas and Axel would like it. When you're finished, you can show it to them at school. It'll embarrass Roxas, but Axel will boast and brag. It'll be great." And she touches Naminé's shoulder before heading over to the mini-fridge in the dorm for an ice cream bar. "Does anyone else want one?"
"I'll take one," Aqua calls while she finishes the last braid. "I've earned it. Look at all my hard work!" and the senior laughs a little, gesturing to Kairi's head. "You look weird now, though. Like you have cornrows or dreadlocks or something."
Kairi glances in the mirror. She shrugs carelessly. "Meh, it's not so bad. Besides, it's not like I have a hot date to run off to looking like this. I'm just with you guys." She giggles, and then turns to get off her chair and face the older girl behind her. "Thanks for the help, Aqua!" And she leans over to hug the blunette, squeezing her tightly.
The older girl laughs and returns the hug. "No problem. And if you'll excuse me," she adds, pulling out of the embrace, "I have a sea-salt ice cream bar with my name on it waiting for me." And she stands and paces over to Xion, who is happily sucking on the tip of her bar as she holds out Aqua's to her.
Taking the wooden stick into her grasp, Aqua spins on her heel and points at Naminé. With the ice cream at her lips, she says into the frozen treat, "You, missy, are the only one not in your pajamas. I feel uncomfortable just looking at you! Why won't you change?"
Naminé blushes and looking down at her sketchbook as she closes its cover. "I… I don't like changing in front of others. I… well, in gym class, I always changed in one of the bathroom stalls."
"Oh, come on, Nami-chan," Kairi says with a roll of her indigo eyes. "This may be a boarding high school, but it's an all-girls boarding high school. Why are you so self-conscious? I mean, we're all friends here!"
"Yeah, but…" Naminé protests softly, curling in on herself, "It's just…"
"Don't tell me you're ashamed of something?" Kairi says, concerned. She steps over and leans forward, hands on her knees, as she peers into her friend's face. Her braids fall from behind her shoulders and dangle between the two. "You shouldn't be; your body is beautiful, Naminé. You don't have an inch of fat on your frame, and you're totally in-shape for an artist that does nothing but walk around campus. So what gives? Do you have a secret tattoo or a huge birthmark or something?" she playfully teases.
Xion flushes and looks down at herself. "That might not be it, Kairi. Maybe… Naminé is ashamed of… her breast size," she offers quietly. She looks around the room, avoiding the others' eyes. "I know I am. I'm as flat as a boy! And Naminé, well… she's not as developed as you and Aqua, Kairi. So if that's what she's embarrassed about, I can understand why completely."
The redhead frowns. Placing her hands on her hips, she straightens up to full height. "Naminé Strife! If that's what's bothering you, then you're being absolutely ridiculous! Boobs aren't everything."
Naminé turns as red as a fire engine. "I… guess you're right, Kairi." She pauses. "And… thanks, Xion; that is what was bothering me," she adds in a whisper, quickly sending Xion a grateful look. "I just don't feel comfortable changing in front of people, no matter how much I try to convince myself that it's fine."
Aqua finishes up her ice cream and steps over to hand Naminé her bag. "Here, hun. You don't have to change in gym in front of people, but walking through the dorm hallways in your PJs after changing in the bathroom might be just as embarrassing as changing in front of us right here, right now, so I say you just go with the less public embarrassment." She offers a reassuring smile. "And remember: there's always your bra protecting you."
"True," Naminé replies with a slightly nervous giggle. "Alright, you guys win. I'll change now. Only, don't stare, okay?"
"I dunno if I'll be able to help myself," Kairi teases. "You're just too cute, Nami-chan."
The blonde pretends not to hear this remark, but her flushing cheeks tell all. She quickly tosses her long, lavender shirt over her head, slips out of her leggings, and proceeds to slink into the silky-soft fabric of her white nightgown decorated in embroidered rosebuds at the neckline and bottom rim.
"That's adorable," Aqua comments as Naminé stuffs her dirty clothes into her bag. "Where'd you get that?"
"Th-this?" the blond stutters, figuring out that Aqua is talking to her about her nightgown. She clutches the sides of the dress. "It was my grandmother's. She left me all of her nightgowns when she died, since I loved wearing them so much as a kid. They finally fit me properly, now. My grandmother was a very small woman." She smiles fondly and does a small twirl before plopping down onto Aqua's bed; they're in her dorm, since seniors get the privilege to room by themselves if they so choose.
"That is so sweet," Xion remarks as she sits down next to Naminé. Kairi joins the two on Naminé's other side, and Aqua sits beside Kairi. The four dangle their feet off the edge of the mattress and ponder what to do next. It's not very late yet; only eight thirty.
Xion finishes her ice cream and tosses the stick toward the garbage can, miraculously making it in. Kairi turns to the other three and gives a devious smirk. "We should play truth or dare."
Aqua rolls her eyes. "Kairi, why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
"Because, Aqua-oneechan," she answers as she stands up to face them directly, "I am the master of dares and you know it."
"Here we go," Xion laughs, flopping backward, her knuckles brushing the other side of the bed. "Leave it to Kairi to come up with dirty slumber party games."
"Not dirty," Kairi sniffs, offended. "I'm no perv, thank you. And besides, it's all in good fun! You get to chicken out up to five times, since I'm nice. And it'll be a good way for all of us to get to know each other even better."
"Okay, then let's play." And surprisingly, it's Naminé who says this. She stands and sends Kairi a grin unbefitting her innocent face. "You're up first, Kairi: truth, or dare?"