Cheating Destiny

The Final Chapter

You see him chuckle to himself, clearly amused by your silent banter. It brings you back to high school, which automatically causes you to crack a grin.

"Glad to see you're smiling," the doctor speaks up, causing you to jump a bit in surprise before you look up at him. "Maybe you really are fine after all," he adds, giving you a quick bow as he walks towards the door. His hand hovers over the doorknob as he glances over his shoulder at you. "You're released from my care, Miss [Surname]. Take care, and thank you for what you've done."

You're left standing there numbly, nodding awkwardly in recognition as you watch him leave the room. Once the door shuts you rest your back against the edge of the table, feeling a little woozy. The constant praise and proclamations of what a hero you are is getting old, weird, and exhausting.

With a sigh you pull your arms through the sleeves of your jacket, tugging the hood over your head and shoving your hands in your pockets as you march out of the room and down the hall, not even looking Roxas' way.

You might as well get all of your brooding out now, because you won't be able to get away with it at the massive party occurring in one days' time.

[♥]

"What's on your mind, grumps?" Cloud asks, nudging your shoulder to earn your attention as you all sit strewn about the dining table to eat lunch.

"Hey, that's my nickname for you," you complain.

"Changing the subject~" Axel coos in a singsong voice.

"You look like someone just told you Santa isn't real," Kairi adds.

"Santa is real," Sora quickly interjects with a smug look at an eye-rolling Riku.

"Seriously?" Kairi asks him skeptically as you give a snort of laughter and turn your attention to the lunch soon growing cold on your plate.

"Anyway... children," Reno states with a look directed at the three islanders, "everything good?" he asks you.

"Yeah, it's fine. For the millionth time, it's fine," you reply with a loud sigh.

"I think someone's nervous about the party," Yuffie speaks up, giving you a knowing nod as you look over at her.

"You guys are looking forward to it?" you ask, gazing around the table.

To your surprise, almost everyone nods except for a few people who are only barely paying attention to this conversation (a.k.a. Genesis, Angeal, Vanitas, and Terra).

"It should be fun, having a night away from it all," Aqua points out with a smile.

"I can't wait. Imagine the food," Ven adds with a groan of approval.

"Pig," Vanitas mutters at him, never one to walk away from throwing an insult Ven's way.

"I'm with Ven. Free food? I'm there, I'm always there," Zack agrees.

"You guys don't feel weird though, getting so much attention all the time? We're lucky, not heroes. Yet there we are in the newspapers, every day," you complain as you hold up the newest paper with your faces plastered all over it, grinning like idiots.

"Should we get you some whining to go with that angst?" Axel asks, laughing as you shoot him a glare. "You sound like such a stereotypical little bratty teen right now."

"It's hot under the spotlight, but it's part of the process. We knew this would happen, once the war ends," Genesis points out, doing a much better job of consoling you than Axel.