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13's company, 14's a crowd 2

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13's Company, 14's a Crowd.
Chapter Two.

“We’re having a Happy un-Valentines Day ball next week, didn’t you hear?”

Roxas shook his head lightly, a no, as he stared up at the white, pink and yellow disaster that was hanging from a dangerous point on the staircase, with the most confused expression on his cute little pudgy face.

“Are you… okay, Naminé?” He asked, wincing, for the tiny blonde was ever so tangled up in ribbon and confetti and an illegible banner of some sort, and she was sure to break something if she fell, and he couldn’t help but wonder how she’d come to be in that position in the first place.

“Um, well, I suppose not,” she replied, in such a soft voice, and she wiggled about a fair bit to emphasise the situation. “Can you help me down, Roxas?”

Laughing, and nodding, he used his skilful expertise in order to cut the ribbons with his trusty keyblades, and to catch the poor artist at the exact same time, because he was just heroic that way. “So, what were you doing up there, all tangled up?”

“Well… I applied myself to be the creative director of the ball, and I’ve been making banners and posters and decorations and all sorts of things. And I’ve been trying to put them up.” She blushed, embarrassed, nudging at the white tile with her equally white shoe in an awkward manner.

Of course, she had failed to mention, to her one true love, that this was all an elaborate rouse used to make Roxas notice her. Aided by Xigbar, who was always happy to help in an irresponsible, gravity-defying situation, she’d put herself on as a damsel in distress, and he would hold her in his arms and look into her eyes and it would be just so wonderful…

“You alive, Naminé?”

“Oh, oh yes!” (After all, this was her chance!) “I was just wondering, Roxas…” she giggled nervously. “Did you want to-?”

“DUDE! Did it work?” And why was everything ruined by Xigbar’s curious shrieking? Naminé could only pout, and wonder why nothing ever went well for her.

“What are you talking about, Xigbar?” Asked Roxas.

The Freeshooter was then faced with some sort of moral dilemma, and he turned to Naminé and then to Roxas, and back again, several times, before shrugging: “Nothing. Just came to pass you a message from Axel.”

“What is it?”

“Something like: ‘Me. Roxas. ABBA Singstar. Now.’”

The blonde turned to Naminé apologetically, “I’m so sorry, Nam. I have to go; you know how Axel is with his ABBA…”

“Aw, it’s fine, don’t worry about it,” she replied, effectively masking her disappointment, and making a mental note to destroy Xigbar’s memories in some way or another in the meantime.

It would be okay, after all, Xion was no match for her.

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That morning, Xion had found, at the foot of her bed, an adorable fawn with fur the colour of the sweetest caramel (dead, unfortunately) and attached, another pseudo-angry but very much appreciated poem. This time, it was a haiku.

Yet, she couldn’t help but feel rather disappointed. It was only a few days until the night of the un-Valentines Day ball, and although she had been given plenty of gifts and the most romantic poems, there had been no mention of it from him, and thus no invitation.

And so, being the confident, modern woman that she was, she was going to ask him herself. How could he say no? When she was just so feminist and twenty-first century and so extremely self-assured?

Giggling, she skipped down the hallway as her lovesick mind plotted and schemed of how she’d ask him, and how he would react, and what gift she could give him, and what she should wear and how wonderful the ball would be.

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“Damn it Demyx! Why do you always win?” There was a childish throwing down of the Singstar microphone as Axel yelled this, followed by a hurt response of: “Don’t break it!” from everyone’s favourite water-loving blonde. “I miss the duet days! Working as a team, Lay all your love on me!”

“Sorry Ax, but you know we can’t go on co-op together anymore, since, yanno, you shave off all my points,” Demyx replied, looking coolly at his nails. “Truth be told, you’re just not that good.”

B-b-b-bu- ROXAS!” The redhead turned to his best friend slash toy boy with such a great look of exasperation (and was that distress?) that the key bearer could not help but feel some sort of pity for him.

“I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Axel.”

“Tell Demyx he can’t play anymore! That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
“I think you’re forgetting who paid for it in the first place,” muttered Demyx darkly, and reaching for both microphones to emphasise the point.

“Oh come on!” The redhead yelled, smacking the floor. “It was a gift, you said. You, Demyx, you are a sleaze. I didn’t think that when you offered to buy me it that time, when I was broke, that you were going to use it against me for the rest of my life. You said it was mine. A gift between buddies. You sneaky little washed up slag.”

“I said I would buy it for you, if you promised to pay me back when you could, Mr Selective Hearing,” the blonde replied, looking hurt. “And I know you have the money, so don’t give me that look, ‘cause I saw you treating everyone to Dry Martinis the other day, and you didn’t offer me one!”

“Well, that’s because you’re a-!”

“Hey look who’s here guys!” Roxas interrupted nervously, as Xion had rather appropriately appeared in the doorway, and the two older, more responsible nobodies were up in each other’s face like madmen, almost at the point to exchanging blows and/or “Your mom” remarks. The young lady was keeping a distance, pursing her lips, as she observed the fight with great interest.
Luckily the outburst was enough to withdraw the pair from their bubble of conflict, and turn to the new arrival with an embarrassed nodding of the head, and from the redhead, a grunt of vague acknowledgment.

“Hi Xion,” said Demyx, with a little smile out of politeness, but making for the door, arms loaded with his Singstar gear. “I was just leaving.”

The Blunette bowed as he passed her, muttering humbling sentiments to him, as she was so not worthy of his presence, whilst Axel gave a snort of disgust.

“How are you doing, Xi-Xi?” The blonde asked, having approached her, and taking a hand, swinging it to and fro, and to and fro, as they had become fast friends over the past few days.

“Well, um, I don’t know how to say this, Roxypie… I think I saw someone in your room just now.”

“Oh God, who was it this time?”

“It could have been Larxene…”

“Oh crap, I’ve gotta get out of here and find her!” Roxas panicked, running away for what seemed like the billionth time that day.

This just left Xion and Axel. The latter coughed and made to leave.

“No wait!” Xion cried. She grabbed his hand. Shocked, he span around to face her. A million different emotions passed between them as their eyes locked, as blue met green. If only their non-existent hearts would pound until the point of sickness, for their stomachs to fill with sugar-happy butterflies that flapped and flapped with rhapsodic stimulation, for the rest of the world to be invisible and forgotten, (and it didn’t seem to matter, when all she could see was him and all he could see was her), to be frozen forever in this moment, which was the ultimate effect of cupid, when there was the treasure of love at first sight happening before him. Axel snatched his hand away.

“The hell?”

“DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE UN-VALENTINES DAY BALL WITH ME?” Okay, so she hadn’t meant to shriek, but she just felt so nervous. A little bit embarrassed, she turned her large blue eyes up to him with child-like innocence, and batted her eyelashes slightly.

She had not expected hysterical laughter. It went on for about ten minutes, him cackling and then clutching his side, eyes filling with tears, falling on the ground, doubled-up and pounding and pounding at the floor.  

Xion wasn’t sure whether she should join in or just stand there looking hurt. Either way, she felt somewhat awkward as she waited for him to finish. Axel stood up slowly, flicked a tear of mirth from his pretty left eye, and regarded her sternly, hands on hips.

“Okay Xion, let’s get this straight. You’re on crack. Sorry, but you’re lacking in several departments that I need. It’s not me, it’s you. I hope you understand. You are the weakest link, goodbye.”

And so he disappeared into a portal of darkness. The poor girl was left standing in this white void with something like heartbreak ripping her chest apart, and she wondered and wondered of what it was that Axel ‘needed’. If she had any chance of getting his affections, she would have to find out.

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“I think I’m going to do it, Lexaeus, I’m going to ask her to the un-Valentines day ball,” said Xaldin, that afternoon, as he and the Silent Hero sat in the kitchen indulging in hot coffee and rock buns, accompanied with a pot of chocolate dipping sauce. The sugar had given him the courage that he hadn’t had before, and now his eyebrows were almost quivering with adrenaline, like very eager caterpillars.

“I feel your courage Xaldin,” Lexaeus replied, and made a fist, determined. “I too, will confess my true feelings. I will ask him to the dance.”

“Well, that’s good. I wish you well.”

Cups of coffee were lifted to two pairs of lips, and drank from, deeply, until all that remained was the dregs, and then simultaneously slammed down on to the tabletop.  

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Lexaeus was on his way to the library, inwardly practising pretty little sentiments that he would say to his beloved, when he bumped into Demyx. Literally. The poor musician ended up halfway down the hall, lying on his back and howling in a totally inappropriate way, from the impact.

“I apologise, Demyx,” he said, watching him slowly get to his feet. The Melodius Nocturne pulled a face, but said nothing, as he couldn’t imagine how he would be punished for his cheek. Just look at what Lexaeus could do by accident, never mind on purpose!

“It’s okay, as long as you didn’t mean it,” and then he brightened. “Anyway, I’m just way too happy right now to let an E-minor tumble spoil my day.”

The Silent Hero feared the worst. “Why is that?”

“Don’t tell anyone,” said Demyx, and his grin was so wide it could peel an orange. “But I managed to get that prudish little bookworm to go to the dance with me.”

“Oh.”

“I heard him talking to Vexen, and he said, ‘There isn’t a Xigbar’s chance of playing a successful game of Operation of me going to that ridiculous un-Valentines Day ball.’ But he said yes to me, in his stubborn little way of things, yanno.”

“You certainly have a way with him.” By this point, Lexaeus was physically shaking; causing the floor of the castle to tremor and tremble beneath them, yet Demyx was far too elated to notice.

“Haha, I guess I do, don’t I? Are you taking anyone, Lex?”

“No.”

“Aw, well maybe next time, ay buddy?” He punched Lexaeus on the arm as an act of jovial companionship. “Anyhoo, I’d better get going, I have to feed Triton or else he’ll eat the glass of his tank. Again. See ya later!” It was then that Demyx carried on down the hallway, rhythmically bounding as he sung something like “Slam dunk”, and the Silent Hero watched him with such an unexplainable anger that it was spilling from his soul. The castle shook with the earthquake, and he wondered whether it would matter, if the ground just split in two and swallowed that stupid, dirty, little musician whole. He was useless baggage that served no purpose whatsoever. No one would miss him. Yet, by the time he had come to his decision, Demyx had turned the corner, and it was just too late.    

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Xion was brooding in her room, and reading through her poems with a heavy feeling weighing down her chest. Tears should have fallen down her eyes, but her lack of emotions foiled this idea entirely. She was depressed, and so completely confused, on whom it was that was sending her all these gifts and poetry. She had been so sure it was Axel, but now she wasn’t convinced. Perhaps he was just too embarrassed to tell her, or maybe he wanted to love her from afar? It was too painful to believe it wasn’t him.

“I’m not giving up on you, my sweet, sweet, Axel,” she murmured into her mattress, which sort of smelt like Febreze and a lot like dead animals. There was a loud, deep knocking on the door. “Please come in.”

Of course, Xion had been hoping that her beloved was to be her visitor. But she was very much surprised. Xaldin, she remembered, but only just, for she had rarely seen him, let alone spoke with him. They hadn’t even been properly acquainted.   

“Hello Xion, there is something urgent that I must discuss with you,” he began. He looked so agitated, and he fidgeted and paced around the room like a dog with fleas, until he stopped, and he swallowed, facing her. "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."  

Xion almost fell off her bed in shock. Her throat was filled with too many obstructive lumps that she had no way to reply. This… This thing was her secret admirer?

“I want you to go the un-Valentines Day ball with me, as my partner,” he continued. And then he spotted his letters left sprawled on the bed. “I wanted to ask in person.”

“I-I’m sorry, Xaldin, but you s-see, I like so…” She broke off, because, from the corner of her eye, she saw something long, thin and dangerous emerging from behind Xaldin, a bloodthirsty tip of one of his lances peeking up above his shoulder. “Of course I’ll go with you!” She corrected herself loudly.

“Good, I’ll pick you up at seven thirty,” the Whirlwind Lancer smiled, so pleasantly, and then left. Xion returned to her bed. It just wasn’t fair, was it?

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Yayayayay. I finished something! -confetti-
I don't like it as much as chapter one, but it'll do. Originally, on my other laptop, it started with Marluxia in his greenhouse ripping Xion off with Valentines gifts, but obviously I missed V-Day, so I changed it alot. Like everything else I'm doing. ^^;

Hmm, Xaldin's confession was taken from a famous [kind of overrated] novel. Any guesses?

I got the phrase washed up slag from my bff, :iconprincesskatana: It's hilarious. First used against our OC, Irvine. xD

That's all.

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SayaxSasuke's avatar
are you gonna post part 3 up? it's really good i like it