nichi (
oath_breaker) wrote in
writetomyheart2020-09-27 10:20 pm
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Entry tags:
[TEAM ONE]
kingdom hearts, 600 words, Aqua & Axel, cw// alcohol
"Night, kiddo."
Aqua paused in the doorway, throwing Axel a funny look over her shoulder. “Kiddo?” She repeated in disbelief. Axel’s lips twisted in amusement, and he held his glass of whiskey up in salute. She scoffed. “Just because I won’t drink doesn’t make me a kid.”
“Didn’t say that,” Axel murmured as he took a measured sip, free hand coming up to crook two fingers, “it was in response to having a ‘bedtime.’” He lounged in the armchair, one ankle resting on his knee as he slouched. The fire in the lounge was bright and well-stocked, making his hair look closer to blood than its usual red.
She held back the impulse to roll her eyes. It’d only make her seem immature. “Going to sleep at set times ensures a restful night in preparation for the next day.” And because that sounded stiff even to her, she added, “I have enough trouble sleeping without staying up.”
Axel shrugged. “To each their own.”
But the way he nursed his drink, and the emptiness in the room outside him and her, with the warmth of the fire and the dark of night… she licked her lips, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Noting her hesitation, Axel fixed his cat-like eyes on her, brow cocking in query.
It was stupid to find something as banal as drinking liquor so intimidating. Everyone did it. Aqua could do it, if she wanted to. It’s not like Eraqus was there to say anything anyways.
At that thought, her heart twanged, and she bit back her grimace.
She took a step towards the fire.
“Curious?” Axel asked, resting his cup on his chest in a mostly horizontal manner since he was slouched so low in the seat. “I mean, help yourself kid. Not like this is my stash.”
The lack of pushback startled her. She was used to adults always minding her step. Of course Axel didn’t care — her initial comment wasn’t untrue anyways. She was an adult. Wondering curiously over to the bar Eraqus had kept well-stocked, Aqua considered the options. There were tall bottles of clear liquid, stout bottles of varying degrees of amber color, and the usual wine bottles she was a little more familiar with. They had various names, some of them a little more local from whatever world Eraqus had fetched it from.
She picked the one closest to Axel’s in appearance, taking a page from his book in how much she poured into the surprisingly heavy cup. Again she peeked at Axel, but he seemed mesmerized by the fire and not paying her any mind. She sniffed it.
Sharp, strong. Something else too, similar to warm spices. Unwilling to take her first sip facing Axel, she tried a brief taste where she stood, touching the cold cut glass to her lips. It was stronger than she expected even though the scent should’ve warned her. Warm going down, which was surprising given the drink wasn’t actually warm to touch.
After a moment of consideration, she tried a smaller sip, and than a longer one, slow. It wasn’t something she enjoyed, Aqua thought, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought.
“You gonna stand there all night?” Axel murmured into his chest, not incoherent or the babbles of a drunk, just too lazy to lift his chin up enough to address. Maybe normally Aqua would’ve been inclined to offense, but it was a sensible question that she shrugged at.
Instead of answering she took the armchair across from him, bare feet digging luxuriously in the plush rug of her youth. They used to sit there, her and Terra, cross-legged and poking each other with elbows and childish taunts as Eraqus scolded them into quiet so he can finish the myth of one of the old heroes, the keyblade masters they adored.
It felt odd, sitting in Eraqus’ chair, drinking the amber liquid of his late nights, and with Axel of all people across from Aqua, still enchanted by the fire.
She took another sip, and considered that maybe there would never be anyone to stop her from taking those steps into adulthood anymore.
"Night, kiddo."
Aqua paused in the doorway, throwing Axel a funny look over her shoulder. “Kiddo?” She repeated in disbelief. Axel’s lips twisted in amusement, and he held his glass of whiskey up in salute. She scoffed. “Just because I won’t drink doesn’t make me a kid.”
“Didn’t say that,” Axel murmured as he took a measured sip, free hand coming up to crook two fingers, “it was in response to having a ‘bedtime.’” He lounged in the armchair, one ankle resting on his knee as he slouched. The fire in the lounge was bright and well-stocked, making his hair look closer to blood than its usual red.
She held back the impulse to roll her eyes. It’d only make her seem immature. “Going to sleep at set times ensures a restful night in preparation for the next day.” And because that sounded stiff even to her, she added, “I have enough trouble sleeping without staying up.”
Axel shrugged. “To each their own.”
But the way he nursed his drink, and the emptiness in the room outside him and her, with the warmth of the fire and the dark of night… she licked her lips, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Noting her hesitation, Axel fixed his cat-like eyes on her, brow cocking in query.
It was stupid to find something as banal as drinking liquor so intimidating. Everyone did it. Aqua could do it, if she wanted to. It’s not like Eraqus was there to say anything anyways.
At that thought, her heart twanged, and she bit back her grimace.
She took a step towards the fire.
“Curious?” Axel asked, resting his cup on his chest in a mostly horizontal manner since he was slouched so low in the seat. “I mean, help yourself kid. Not like this is my stash.”
The lack of pushback startled her. She was used to adults always minding her step. Of course Axel didn’t care — her initial comment wasn’t untrue anyways. She was an adult. Wondering curiously over to the bar Eraqus had kept well-stocked, Aqua considered the options. There were tall bottles of clear liquid, stout bottles of varying degrees of amber color, and the usual wine bottles she was a little more familiar with. They had various names, some of them a little more local from whatever world Eraqus had fetched it from.
She picked the one closest to Axel’s in appearance, taking a page from his book in how much she poured into the surprisingly heavy cup. Again she peeked at Axel, but he seemed mesmerized by the fire and not paying her any mind. She sniffed it.
Sharp, strong. Something else too, similar to warm spices. Unwilling to take her first sip facing Axel, she tried a brief taste where she stood, touching the cold cut glass to her lips. It was stronger than she expected even though the scent should’ve warned her. Warm going down, which was surprising given the drink wasn’t actually warm to touch.
After a moment of consideration, she tried a smaller sip, and than a longer one, slow. It wasn’t something she enjoyed, Aqua thought, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought.
“You gonna stand there all night?” Axel murmured into his chest, not incoherent or the babbles of a drunk, just too lazy to lift his chin up enough to address. Maybe normally Aqua would’ve been inclined to offense, but it was a sensible question that she shrugged at.
Instead of answering she took the armchair across from him, bare feet digging luxuriously in the plush rug of her youth. They used to sit there, her and Terra, cross-legged and poking each other with elbows and childish taunts as Eraqus scolded them into quiet so he can finish the myth of one of the old heroes, the keyblade masters they adored.
It felt odd, sitting in Eraqus’ chair, drinking the amber liquid of his late nights, and with Axel of all people across from Aqua, still enchanted by the fire.
She took another sip, and considered that maybe there would never be anyone to stop her from taking those steps into adulthood anymore.