Chapter Text
Xion knew. She’d known it from the time it first flickered in her beloved’s chest, a newborn spark, a murmur of a greater understanding. A tentative question.
She’d felt it grow, felt it wax and wane with the tide, felt it shrink and rattle and even back out. Felt it grow and swell and linger.
It was there, sitting steady yet heavy in her dearest’s heart, cautious, waiting, wondering. It bounced and ricocheted off of the corners of awareness, melted to fluid and swirled with the flow of instinct, but no matter what tick in the spectrum it settled at, it stayed. It was there.
Xion knew there was a buoyant, malleable piece of Roxas’s heart that was undeniably feminine, she felt its sweet caress when her sweetheart’s eyes softened at the sight of her, both with love and what she was realizing was admiration, longing in more ways than one.
She knew the pull of femininity, she probably knew it better than anyone. She knew its liberation and its scorn, she knew the rejuvenating power it held once she opened her heart to claim it, poetically spurred towards it by the love of her life, the person who had given her courage to form an identity, who had made her feel safe enough to be seen.
She wanted to be that for Roxas as well.
Identity was a stubborn, fickle thing, yet endlessly forgiving all at once. She knew words could be hard to find, labels suffocating or confusing just as well as they could be relieving and empowering. Though she had a feeling she knew where her darling’s heart may lie, she wanted Roxas to know that their bond spanned the entire spectrum of human existence. There was no place where her beloved could land that she wouldn’t dare to follow with her love.
So now, she was going to do something about it.
That crackle in her dearest’s chest was especially warm today, sparkling and antsy, though with nowhere to go. Xion would never force Roxas into telling her anything, she only aimed to indulge what she knew was looking for an in, a signal, a sign of safety to be seen.
She knew that feeling all too well.
Roxas was reclined in his beanbag chair, messing with his guitar. His chipped black painted nails plucked lazily at the strings.
Xion approached him carefully, like she was taking great care not to frighten him. He smiled at her as she lowered herself to his level on the floor, humming happily as she leaned forward to press her lips to his forehead, sweetly stroking his hair.
“Gettin’ real good, huh?” She said softly, pulling a small snort from her beloved.
“Hardly.” Roxas rolled his eyes. Xion kissed his forehead again.
“Don’t be modest. You play beautifully.” She chuckled, ruffling his hair lightly.
“Thanks, Xi.” He laughed as well, setting the guitar aside to make room for her on the beanbag.
Xion settled beside her sweetheart, pressing sweet kisses to his cheek and nose as she kept stroking her fingers through golden blonde strands.
Roxas wrapped both arms around her waist, eyes holding their usual pillow soft fondness, heart sighing peacefully from her affection.
Xion brushed a lock of unruly blonde out of his eyes, head craning back to look at him. She loved this beautiful sunset of a person more than anything. She wanted every color of his light beams, every speck of his stardust. He needed to know that. She’d do anything to make sure he did.
“Mm, I love when your hair gets long in the front, you look so pretty.” Her voice dropped to a gentle murmur as she brushed through his hair, a tone fueled purely by love.
She felt Roxas’s heart flutter from the words, the campfire crackling louder, eager, craning its head to peek up just a bit.
“Yeah?” Roxas tried to play it off with a laugh, but Xion felt the flattery, the joy. She cupped his cheek, thumb stroking tenderly.
“Mhm. You’ve always been so pretty. It was the first thing I noticed about you.” She said sweetly, sincerely. She meant it with her whole heart.
Had Xion been anyone else, she might’ve missed the brief, fleeting pause of his shoulders, the jolt of his heart. But Xion felt it. She knew.
“Really?” Roxas’s voice softened, less humor in it now. Xion’s smile only widened as she nodded.
“Of course, baby.” Her tone was woefully fond, she knew. She wouldn’t want anything less right now. Her eyes met his with a steady gaze, unwavering and proud, the mirror of how he always looked at her.
Roxas’s heart skittered with bashfulness as he tucked his head to her shoulder, sheepish but happy.
“You’re sweet.” Was his simple reply. Xion placed a kiss to the top of his head.
“You’re sweeter.” She giggled.
A comfortable beat of silence passed before Xion spoke again.
“Hey, love?” She called softly. Roxas gave a hum of acknowledgement. “Can I grab something for your hair? I think it would look nice.”
He raised his head to look at her, searching her eyes for a moment.
“For my hair?” He echoed, taken aback. Xion pressed a comforting kiss to the tip of his nose.
“Mhm. Something pretty.” She brushed the same lock of hair out of his eyes as before. “You trust me?”
Any doubt left Roxas’s face with those words. His brow unfurrowed and his lips twitched into a smile.
“Okay.” He agreed quietly. Xion kissed him excitedly before fluttering away to her room. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for and return to her beloved’s side.
She held the small star barrette in her fingertips, smiling brightly as she showed him.
Roxas eyed the small accessory, face mostly unchanged, save for the small flicker of interest in his eyes. His heart stirred just a whisper.
“May I?” Xion asked sweetly. He nodded silently.
She delicately combed through a longer chunk of hair towards the front before pinning it down carefully with the barrette.
“Beautiful.” She murmured as she pulled back to admire him, her fingers dancing down to brush his cheek.
Roxas swallowed, staring back at her silently. There was a question on his lips, one that echoed throughout his heart, one that wouldn’t escape his mouth, but shined inquiringly in his eyes. Xion answered it with all of the love and acceptance she could muster into her gaze.
“X-Xion..?” He whispered, voice tentative, curious. Hopeful.
She drew him closer, her touch singing with love, her smile resolute.
“C’mere, pretty girl.” She whispered. “It’s okay.”
Roxas let out a quiet, winded gasp, eyes widening. His lips parted with surprise before they pressed against hers, emotional and relieved.
Xion kissed back, holding her darling as close as she possibly could, cupping his face and wiping the tears that streaked his cheeks.
“H-how..how did you..?” Roxas’s bewildered sputtering broke the kiss, heart racing and twirling with nerves of all kinds.
“I just knew.” Xion answered, brushing through golden blonde again. “I can feel it.”
He sniffled, burying himself in her embrace again.
“I-I don’t know what to say..” His muffled voice admitted. She hugged him tighter.
“You don’t have to say anything right now, beloved.” Xion soothed, kissing his hair. “I’m here whenever you find the words.”
“You’re- you still want-“
“Always.” She gently cut off Roxas’s worried stammering. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, my beautiful girl. I love you all the same.”
Roxas’s chest shook from the force of his cries, arms wrapping tightly, almost desperately around her.
“I love you so much.” She choked. “I-I l-love you, Xion.”
Xion kissed her wherever she could reach, hoping the press of her lips would reach every corner of her girlfriend’s heart and cover every beautiful, wonderful part of her with pure, unbridled, unconditional love.
“I love you, too, gorgeous. I’m here. Always.” She said back, and between the beaming smile and twinkling eyes Roxas gave her in response, she was sure there had never been a more beautiful girl in the worlds.