There were skies that burst open

[whereibelong]

Who: Xion and Lea travelsthefarthest
Where: Kitchen area of Lea's apartment, then Xion's apartment so as to avoid waking the bitty
Summary: Xion and Lea have a lot of things to talk about still, things they couldn't talk about while a certain too-young-to-understand someone was awake.
Warnings: Standard Kingdom Hearts is Suffering disclaimer - possible mentions of being speared by Heartless and nearly self-sacrificial tendencies

There'd been several clues that not all was as it seemed. In addition to all the things they hadn't talked about simply because Roxas was too young and knew too little to understand - her not being a Nobody least among them, there was also the factor of the name change Ax- Lea had requested. Xion knew as well as he did that the "because I left the Organization" reasoning was more for Roxas' benefit than either of theirs. It made for a good excuse, but something else was going on here. He hadn't changed his name in all the time they'd been fugitives. Why start now?

Had something happened when they'd found Aqua?

There was also the matter of certain things they just... hadn't been able to discuss with Roxas there. Things that... would really be too much for him right now, having just arrived in Hinoto-Ri, having just found out Ax- Lea was still alive... She didn't want to burden him with all the knowledge of things that were going to happen - of what she was, what might happen... especially with what Riku remembered.

She hadn't found a chance to bring it up though, even though she was thinking about it. They were jammed all together in Lea's room, her and Roxas curled up on the bed and Lea taking a corner of the bedroom - maybe not the smartest of ideas, but... they'd figure something out soon. She could sleep in her room if they really needed to work something out. For now though, they were sleeping, or at least trying to in her's and Lea's case. Roxas had already clearly dropped off a while ago, if his slow, steady breathing was anything to go by.

Lea had gone to do... something out in the kitchen area, and he wasn't back yet. Hm...

Careful not to disturb Roxas, Xion slipped out from under the covers and tiptoed to the door out into the kitchen area, slipping out and shutting it behind her. That done, she turned around, looking for her friend.

"Ax- Lea?" she called out quietly, silently berating herself for the slip-up. This was going to take some getting used to...

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[travelsthefarthest]

With a gusty sigh, Lea let go of her and sat down heavily on the bed next to her again. Well, he hadn't really meant to be stern with her, and the last thing he'd wanted to do was make her cry... but he needed her to understand that there had been very little actual thought to his actions. It had been almost pure reflex, now that he thought back on it, and while he wasn't exactly surprised, given all they had gone through together. They had all made a promise to look out for one another, hadn't they? Maybe he'd never been the hero type, but that didn't mean he let his friends die when he could do anything about it. He'd already lost Isa long ago, and that hurt him still... the thought of losing Xion and Roxas was frankly unbearable.

He was quiet for a moment as she fought to keep her sobs quiet, and then he just reached over and silently draped an arm around her shoulders. Tugging her gently against his side, he shook his head.

"Xion, come on, don't cry," he said, "you know I never know what to do you when you cry, right?" He ruffled her head with his free hand and smiled faintly, though her head was still bowed so she didn't see it. "Really, I should be thanking you. Now... now we've all got hearts, right?"

Lea would never be convinced that Roxas hadn't had a heart all along. And Xion, as a replica and not a Nobody at all, had always been exempt. They were complete now, weren't they? This was a good thing! And though he hadn't known it would turn out this way when he'd made his decision, the risk had been more than worth it.

"Xion, listen to me," he said, ducking his head and waiting for her to look up at him. "If you'd been hit... if you'd been the one to die, we'd have lost you for good," he said. "Maybe even memories and all. You know that, right?" His face was pinched with discomfort, but not of a physical nature. "Me, I wound up better off than I was when we started this whole mess, and really I have you to thank for it. I mean, if you hadn't been such a darn great friend, I never would have put my life on the line tryin' to keep you safe, and if I hadn't done that, well, I never would'a gotten my heart back."

Leaning down a bit and knocking his forehead against her crown, he gave her a serious look.

"I don't gamble with my life unless the stakes are too high not to, kiddo," he said, "and the sooner you commit that to memory the better."