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When Roxas was the tender age of fourteen, he and his friends made a band.
They’d called it Summer Vacay, like the immature children they were, but it stuck-- Because it’s catchy , Olette had said--and they posted their first video. It had taken the video two years to go viral, and suddenly the then sixteen-year-olds dedicated a nice portion of their time to become an actual band, creating their own songs and online albums. They didn’t expect to become big stars, they were satisfied with the little attention (and occasional revenue that came from they’re few and far in between appearances), so even when their music started to become more popular, they didn’t want to change the name. It had stuck with them so long that they felt as if changing it would tarnish any new name they came up with.
And so, Summer Vacay became an upcoming indie band. They posted videos every so often, and by the time they were nineteen, they’d even had a few of their songs played on the radio, which happily surprised them. And then came the invitation from Org.XIII, an “underground” venue that allowed almost any and everyone to play as long as they were invited. To be able to participate, or to even know about it, you’d need an invitation, or hear about it word of mouth and get a password.
So to say it was a big deal was a bit of an understatement to the group.
Stepping into the venue from the stone alleyway had almost been like stepping into a different world to Roxas, and from the gasp coming from his band members, he knew they felt the same. They’d gotten there a little early, having left home early in case their navigator got them lost again, so the area was almost empty, save for a few stragglers. The red lighting gave the place an almost grunge look but mixed with the bright orange and blue lights on the stage, it gave Roxas a scent of excitement. The overhead lights glided across the smooth floor, bathing it in fuchsia and a washed-out yellow. Most of the seats were on the sides and farther back, closer to the bar, and there were a few square tables in the back for people to sit and chat.
Basically, it was a nice medium-sized venue, but it felt like so much more than that.
“Hey, you here to play?” a voice called from behind the group. They turned to see a tall, lanky man with hair as red as hell itself. He looked as if he was wearing eyeliner, but the lighting made it hard to say for sure. He had a clipboard and a headset, so he was probably one of the event planners.
“Oh, yeah,” Hayner said, adjusting his guitar over his shoulder. “We’re Summer Vacay.”
The man nodded his head, checking his clipboard and looking at his watch. “Alright, you guys are here early.” he handed the clipboard to Hayner. “Just sign you guys in, and I’ll let you go. I’m Lea, by the way. Feel free to call me Axel though.”
They all exchanged names while Hayner signed them in.
“Cool,” he took the clipboard back from Hayner, “there’s a room in the back where you can put your stuff, y’all are playing the third set.”
“What?” Roxas asked before his brain could stop him. “I thought we were playing fourth? It won’t take us that long, right?”
Axel shrugged. “That was the plan when we came up with the schedule, but it got changed pretty recently. I guess someone requested it last minute.”
Olette frowned, “No one told us about it.”
“If it means that much, I’ll ask if we can change it back.”
Roxas sighed, “It’s not that big a deal, it’s fine.” Hayner would probably complain about their lucky number being taken from them, but at the end of the day, what did it matter?
“If you’re sure. Follow me to the back, once all your stuff’s away, you can come back up here to socialize, but about fifteen-minute from your set, make your way backstage. I’ll show you how to get there before I feed you to the birds.”
The four tried not to roll their eyes as Axel started to chuckle, leading them behind the bar to a staircase.
When Roxas stepped on stage with his guitar in his hand, he made sure to give the crowd a charming smile as he stepped to the mic. He felt his heart start to pound with excitement before looking at Hayner, then at Pence, seeing them smile at him also. He took a deep breath before looking back at Olette as she sat at the drums, giving him a confident smile and a nod.
One of the party planners, a blonde man who told them to call him Demyx, walked on stage after him, grabbing the crowd's attention.
"And now, a band we couldn't wait to have on this stage: Summer Vacay!"
The introduction was customary, only so the ones listening would know who to look them up later, and to get the attention of those who would listen later if they found them interesting enough. Roxas hoped that there would be.
He heard the clink of her drumsticks as she counted them in, and soon they were making music.
As Roxas sang into the mic, watching as people walked towards the stage in amazement, wanting to hear more of their music, and their sound, he felt as if he was ascending.
This is what it was all about.
Roxas felt the adrenaline pumping in his veins as the crowd went wild. Their set was an absolute success. He felt pride swell in his chest as the audience waved back at them as they walked off the somewhat small stage.
Once back in their room, Hayner roughly patted his back as he put up his guitar, raving to the three of them as they put everything up, and Roxas couldn’t help that his excitement rubbed off on him. It wasn’t their first performance, and it definitely wouldn’t be their last, but the feeling of performing live, and the rush from getting the crowd swaying with their music would never grow old.
By the time they’d gotten back to the open area, wrestling their way through a group of people waiting to high five or congratulate them, the next group had just about finished setting up. Roxas let his eyes scan over them; they looked as if they were only there to have fun, not at all worried that there weren’t as many people gathering to listen to them as there was when Summer Vacay played. Roxas tried not to feel too offended, but he couldn’t understand how a group could request to go after them and half-ass anything? Were they mocking them?
The blonde drummer winked at the silver-haired bassist, who rolled his eyes as the brunette guitarist slapped him on the back. A redhead rushed to put another mic stand out before running over to push the guitarist away, seeming to scold him before smirking at him herself. The black-haired guitarist wasn't facing off-stage, instead, turning around to turn their instrument and talk to their band-mates.
Roxas tried not to think too hard about how his eyes were suddenly drawn to them.
Finally, another event planner lazily stepped on the stage, ready to introduce the next band.
"Alright, next playing, we have the Stray Hearts Club. Please give them a round of applause."
The redhead rolled her eyes, but stepped up to the mic anyways, giving her bandmates a smile, signaling them to get ready, and then the black-haired guitarist turned, and Roxas felt his heart skip a beat at the gentle look on her face. When their drummer signaled her in and she started playing her guitar, a look of absolute joy and freedom painted itself on her face, and when she stepped up to sing the harmonies, Roxas was sure the breath was stolen out of his lungs.
He watched her during their whole performance. Even though the lead’s vocals were amazing and certainly nothing to sneeze at, Roxas couldn’t find it in him to swoon for her as much as the raven-haired girl. Then she stepped around her mic stand for her guitar solo, rocking with the music, just enjoying the sound of the music she was making. Roxas felt the semblance of a smile forming on his lips when she flung her fringe out of her eyes, giving the audience a huge smile.
And then, their eyes met, but Roxas wasn't too sure for a moment, whether their eyes were locked or not, but before he could doubt it, she'd sent him a smile and a wink before looking over at the guitarist, vibing with each other and moving back behind the mic to harmonize with the lead.
She was bright in a way he didn’t think anyone else could pull off, but that was a given considering his eyes seemed to follow her wherever she moved on stage.
He really couldn't take his eyes off her.
Roxas leaned against the bar, getting a drink right after the Stray Hearts Club set. It’d almost embarrassed him when Hayner told him his mouth was almost wide open during the whole thing. But who could blame him? the black-haired guitarist was amazing after all. Too bad he didn’t get her name or anything. He honestly thought about waiting for her by the door, but who knows how she’d react to something like that.
He sighed against the rim of his drink, almost jolting when he felt a firm poke of a finger against his shoulder. Still sipping from his drink, he turned around, thinking it was Pence or Olette, ready to go. But imagine his surprise when he saw the raven-haired guitarist, a shy smile on her face. Roxas’ eyes widened, resisting the urge to spit out his drink in shock as her mouth started moving, and Roxas wasn’t sure whether the band planning was just a tad too loud or if his heart was just that determined to beat in his ear, but he couldn’t hear a word she was saying.
Taking down the large gulp of alcohol in his mouth, he said, “What?”
She tilted her head in confusion, mouthing that same back to him before stepping a little closer to him, shoulder pressed against his as she leaned against the bar with him. “I said, hey, you’re the lead for Summer Vacay, Roxas, right?” Her voice was almost drowned out by the music, but Roxas could just barely hear her.
He nodded, “That would be me. And you’re with the Stray Hearts Club.”
She gave him a large smile, “I am! It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve been a huge fan since I was fifteen.”
Roxas really hoped his cheeks weren’t getting red, and if they were, he hoped the lighting gave him a decent enough disguise that she didn’t see it.
“Thanks, I’ve been a huge fan of yours since about two minutes ago.”
“Thanks, we started about half a year ago, so we’re fairly new.” She giggled, giving him a smirk, “But you’re a fan already? Thank you for your support.”
Roxas rolled his eyes at her cheekiness but found it oddly endearing. “So, does our huge fan have a name?”
She nodded, leaning closer to him as if she didn’t want to risk the chance of him not hearing her. “Name’s Xion.” She breathed against his ear, leaning back and giving him another one of her smiles, eyes shining with excitement when she leaned back. “Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Roxas.”
He almost swooned at the sound of his name in her sweet voice, and he started to wonder if maybe it was wrong to want to kiss her just from that. He figured that maybe he shouldn’t have downed that glass of alcohol so quickly without eating. He hoped his mind wouldn’t choose to betray him.
Luckily for him, it didn’t, and they were able to talk without Roxas saying anything too off the wall, and Xion seemed to be just as happy to talk to him as he was to her, even ordering a drink herself, matching whatever Roxas ordered. And even with her cheek flushed from the alcohol, boldly leaning against him as she whispered to him with her sweet voice, Roxas couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
He watched as she laughed against the back of her hand, still laughing from some dumb joke he’d told her Pence had once said, her other hand grabbing at his wrist in her laughing fit. Roxas looked down at her hand before maneuvering his wrist so her hand fit prettily in his, looking up at her when her laughter stopped, looking at him with wide eyes instead. He worried he'd done something wrong. He suddenly missed the sound of her laughing.
Roxas leaned closer to her, close enough that her breath danced against his cheek, asking her if it was okay, hand moving without his permission to move a black tendril that had fallen in her face, and for the nth time that night, Roxas felt his breath catch in his chest.
Xion looked up at him, lips pressed together almost in a pucker, eyes practically begging him to kiss her, and he might not have hesitated if he didn’t have to wonder if it was just the alcohol in her system talking for her. When Roxas didn’t move, Xion’s eyes wandered everywhere except his face, but still hadn’t moved back.
“Um,” she mumbled, hand reaching up to cover his hand on her cheek, interlocking their fingers and slowly leaning her head forward and stopping, gauging his reactions.
Roxas blinked a couple of times before leaning his head against her, eyes almost awkwardly searching hers in case she actually did want to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her. He took a deep breath, tilting his head just the slightest, almost asking, and angling his head so their noses weren’t awkwardly pressed against each other, satisfaction boiling in his blood when her eyes fluttered close, and she tilted her head. Roxas felt just the hint of her lips against his--
“ There you are-- oh? ”
--and almost immediately she’d all but ripped herself out of his grasp at a moment's notice, focus entirely off of Roxas over to her red-haired lead, face burning brighter than the fuchsia lighting could hide.
“K-Kairi!” she stuttered, looking down at her hands which were still intertwined together, and she seemed to stiffen at the sight. “I--I was just--”
It didn’t seem that Kairi cared to hear about it, giving Xion a knowing smirk, crossing her arms across her chest, and saying, “No, no, I get it .”
And having known Olette most of his life, Roxas knew those words and that tone meant trouble and utter embarrassment. Even though by no means were they doing anything wrong (although, thinking back on it, kissing someone who you’ve just met that evening at a bar did seem a little too shameless) Roxas could feel his cheeks warm as well.
“As much as I’d hate to break this up, it’s time for us to go,” Kairi said, pointing back to the rest of their band, who were looking on with intrigued expressions on their face. Kairi’s smirk seemed to widen when Xion began to flush more. “I’ll give you time to say goodbye. We’ll be by the door.”
Finally, she walked back to the group, ushering them away even as the blonde and brunette began to whine. The room quieted as the band now playing decided to play a farewell ballad, seeming to read Roxas’ situation perfectly.
When Roxas looked back to Xion, she was looking away from him, a pout sitting on her pretty lips.
“I guess I have to go.”
Roxas nodded, “Yeah.” Wow, he really wanted to kick himself for his lack of response.
Xion gave him a small smile, hands slowly slipping him his as she got out of her stool, giving him a little way. “I’ll see you around then…?”
Roxas nodded again, eyes following her until she disappeared in the crowd. He took a deep breath through his nose, trying not to feel too disappointed and failing. His hand wrapped around his empty glass, and he briefly wondered where the gang was, and if they were ready to leave yet.
“Roxas!”
He turned quickly at the cry of his name, only just recognizing it as Xion’s before she cupped his face, pressing her lips against his in a hurry. He blinked for a moment, closing his eyes soon after and enjoying the almost bruising kiss, letting out a hum against her lips.
Xion ended the kiss, letting out a dreamy sigh as she looked at him with stars in her eyes. “Wow.”
“Uh, yeah.”
She let out a stuttery laugh, “Can I… give you my number, please.”
“Yes. Absolutely. Please.”
She smiled at him again, giving him a small peck on his lips before letting go of his face to get her phone out of her bag. They exchanged numbers, Xion immediately sending him a heart emoji so he could save her in his phone. She pressed the top of her phone against the bottom of her lip, giving him a shy yet hopeful expression.
“You’ll call me, right?”
“Of course I will.” Roxas wondered if his face looked as soft as his tone sounded, but didn’t worry about it too much, especially when Xion gave him another one of her dazzling smiles, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek again.
“Until next time.” And with that, she turned around, practically floating through the crowd.
Roxas wondered when next time would be, but he hoped she’d be able to kiss him more than she did now. He never really believed in love at first sight, but love at a first kiss? Now that was another story entirely.