For: Ana
Pairing: Kaiaxel
Disclaimer: Negative, chief
Prompt: Mistake
Mistake
(I keep on making so many mistakes)
The rain fell from the sky, each drop hitting the ground with a PLAT! PLAT! PLAT! sound. Kairi groaned and shifted her bag of groceries. What horrible timing! Couldn't the sky have waited until she was inside? She fumbled around in her purse, searching for her apartment keys. Come on, where are they? she thought as she frantically searched her purse with one hand, the other holding a now soggy bag of groceries. Suddenly, her gallon of milk fell out of the bag, splitting it in half. Half of its contents roll out into the soaking highway; the other half rests on the torn remains of the bag. She stared at the mess, watching a can of tuna rock back and forth until it finally came to a stop. "Well, this is just great. Just oh so wonderful!" she said in a bitter tone. "I mean, seriously, what could be better? Here I am, in the pouring rain, locked out of my own apartment, and my groceries are scattered all over the place. This is wonderful. I just love being so," she paused to kick the tuna can, "independent."
That last word was said with disgust. She hated it. Her first week on her own had been okay. She spent the first few days unpacking and getting things put in their proper places, registering for her college classes, and working. She had loved it then. "Man, it's amazing how much things change in a week," she muttered as she sat in front of her doorstep, her knees drawn up close to her chest and her head resting on her arms. She missed the good old days, back when she was a high school senior. Her days had been filled with homework (she always finished in study hall), trips to the island with Riku and Sora, and shopping trips with Naminé, Selphie, and Olette, double dates to blitz ball games, and she was never ever locked out of her own home and left to sit on the doorstep in the pouring rain. "Or at least, that's how it used to be," she mumbled. When did everything change? her mind wondered. Was it when Sora ended their three years together with a quick, "I don't love you anymore and I've started seeing Naminé?" or was it after that, when she would walk by and see Naminé and Sora hanging out with Riku and Olette, laughing and giggling as if she wasn't even there? Or was it when they began to exclude her from their group and forget little things like her birthday or phone number? She didn't know, and truth be told, tonight wasn't helping. She wanted to cry.
"So, Princess, you gonna pick that can of tuna up or wait until it's smashed to pieces by the next truck that passes?" asked a cocky voice.
She raised her head to retort and glare at whoever it was. Who on earth had the audacity to intrude on her misery? Wasn't it bad enough she was locked out with a snowball's chance of hell of getting in (without informing her building supervisor that she had locked herself out and getting humiliated) and her groceries were scattered to kingdom come? She stood up and faced the owner of the cocky voice, preparing to give him a "Why the hell can't you see I'm in misery here? Can't you go gloat and annoy some other poor girl?" lecture when her voice froze in her throat. She was staring right into emerald eyes. Those can't be his real eyes; they're too beautiful, and such a dark shade of green, her mind argued with itself. Part of her wanted to argue that those were contacts, and that his real eyes were just an icky shade of brown or green or some other boring color, while the other part of her wanted to tell him he had the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen.
"Well, Princess, you gonna answer me?" he asked as a curious look filled his face. "Hey you, are you wearing contacts?" He looked taken back. "Uh, what?" "You heard me. I asked if you're wearing contacts." she said. Okay, so that hadn't exactly been what she had wanted to say, but it just spilled out of her mouth. There was no taking it back now, anyway.
He stared at her like she had lost her mind and then laughed. "Why should I answer your question when you wouldn't even answer mine?" he answered. In spite of the rain, she found herself grinning. "Touché, but I guess you have a good point."
He stood in front of her, waiting for an answer, tapping his foot along to an imaginary tune. He reminded her of Sora, with his impatient questioning, blunt attitude, and laidback charm. In the poor lighting, she couldn't tell much about what he looked like, but she knew his eyes were vivid green, and his hair was spiked. He was also tall and lanky, and she hoped with all her might that he didn't have chocolate colored spikes. That would be too close to home for comfort. "Well?" his voice was patient, and he reminded her of a cat playing with a mouse, batting it around until it had had its fun. She muttered. "What was that? I didn't quite catch it," he said, a smirk spread wide across his face. "I said, we're standing out here, in the middle of a summer storm, and you're being an ass to me and are more worried about a can of tuna than you are about your health?" She watched as the smirk on his face turned into a look of concern. "Well, it's not just my health I'm worried about, Princess. You're out here, too. And, not to sound all oh, I don't know, high and mighty, we wouldn't still be standing out here if you had just answered my first question." She frowned. Why that arrogant jerk! He had some nerve to just barge in on her misery moment and…and…. and what was he doing? Was he picking up her things?
"Let me guess," he said when she didn't reply (or retort), "you're a freshman in college, and you wanted to be all independent of your parents and all that jazzamatazz, so you found a job, saved up the money, and got this apartment. You loved the first week, because you hadn't really been introduced to the real world yet, and everything went just fine. Then you end up locking yourself out of your apartment after a trip to the grocery store, and to make matters worse, you got caught in a summer rain, which leads us up to this point. Am I right?" he asked as he grabbed the can of tuna that started it all and placed it in the plastic bag he had brought along when he saw her bag split. "Only half way correct on the reason why I left my hometown. I didn't leave because of my parents; they've been dead for two years now. I left because I wanted change. My friends just kind of…moved on without me ever really realizing it, and I just didn't belong there anymore," was the softened reply as she helped him pick up her things. "How did you know?" she asked him, any sarcasm in her voice long gone. He grinned at her and took her armful of canned goods and put it in the bag. "Pretty much the same way I felt when I moved in. There was this initial thrill of being on my own, and I though everything was going to be just fine and dandy and run smoothly. Boy was I wrong, though. By the third week, I hated it here. And I got locked out of my apartment twice -- once in a snowstorm where half of my notes for philosophy class went scattering away in the wind, and the other time in a freaking hail storm. Imagine walking home from a day spent studying and then all of a sudden you're getting pelted with ice balls the size of coconuts. I carried bruises for about a month after that one." She laughed. "Sounds like you had it worse than me," she said as she extended her hand for him to shake. "Nah, I never had my groceries spill all over the sidewalk, road, and doorstep. I guess I'm lucky in that sense," he joked as he shook her hand. "Well Miss…" he trailed off, hoping she'd fill her name. "Kairi Amatsaki, but you can call me Kairi." "Well Kai, I'm well aware that we're standing out here getting soaked and having such a jolly good time, but would you like to come over and wait out the storm with me in my apartment?" He shook his keys. "I didn't lock myself out like you did," he teased. She stuck out her tongue. "Is that a no?" "It's a yes." "Didn't sound like one to me." "That's because I didn't say anything." "Oh, that's beside the point," he said with a wave of his hand as he opened the door and turned on the lights.
She was shocked when she saw him in the light. His eyes were emerald colored, but his hair was flaming red, not chocolate caramel. He was…exotic, and definitely looked different (and much better, she guiltily thought) than anyone from back on Destiny Islands. "Hey, you never did answer me," she reminded him as he handed her a towel. "Answer what?" came the muffled reply as he dried his hair. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Your eyes. Contacts or not?" "Oh that." "Yes that. Well?" "You know, most people ask for names first, not eyewear." "Are you avoiding my question?" "My name's Axel, A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" "You're avoiding me question, Ax." "Oh, so now we're on friendly nicknames? Wow! I do believe this is the quickest I've ever made a new friend." "Axel!" she cried in an exasperated tone. "Can't you just answer this one simple little question? And besides, you started it when you called me Kai." He grinned and headed for the kitchen. "I could probably answer that question, but I'm not going to yet." "Why not?" she pestered. "'Cause I want coffee. Want some?" She sighed. "You're impossible, you know?" "I'll take that as a yes," he called as he padded off to his coffeepot.
Kairi chuckled. He was definitely different from anyone back home. He was independent, annoying, kind, cruel, frustrating, and fascinating, all at the same time. "Here you go!" he said in a cheery tone as he sat the mug down on the table. He smiled apologetically. "I didn't know how you took it, so I guessed. You look like a sugar and cream kind of person, so that's what I added. Of course, if it's not how you like it, I can get you a different cup." She smiled. "What are you, some kind of stalker? First, you almost nail why I'm out in the middle of a storm, and then you manage to guess how I take my coffee. I do believe you're stalking me," she teased. He shrugged. "You call it stalking; I call it some severe admiration." Kairi paused in mid sip. "What?" "I was kidding, Kai. Man, don't take things so seriously." "Oh," was all she could say. She was kind of disappointed. Not that she wanted a stalker, but she wouldn't have minded if Axel had actually been stalking her. He was cute, and it would give her something to rub in Sora's face the next time she saw him and Naminé together.
What was she thinking? That would be ridiculous and insane and…and…and he still hadn't answered her question. She was determined to get an answer. "Axel? Are you going to ignore my question or answer it?" "I'm sorry, what question was that again?" "Axel!" "Oh, you mean the, would I take you to dinner question?" "No, I mean the—what? Wait, did you just ask me out?" "No, I just repeated back your question." "I asked you if you wear contacts, not if you would take me to dinner," she glanced out the window, "and the storm's letting up, so I better go and see the building supervisor and explain this whole mess to him. Oh, and Ax?" "What?" came a halfhearted reply. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Pick me up at seven tomorrow night," she called as she grabbed her bag of groceries and headed for the supervisor's office. I should lock myself out of my apartment more often, she thought.
(But baby, you're the only mistake I like)
-fini
Gah, so it didn't turn out the way I planned it, but yeah...
&& Axel is the master of avoiding questions! xD