To Come Home
--
There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.
--
The gallery was brightly lit and very spacious; each work of art would have a large area for people to occupy while looking at the same piece. She looked over the rest of the building from the second floor and heaved a sigh of admiration. Her boyfriend came up behind, his arms firmly around her waist, and whispered into her ears, "Do you like it?" Naminé could feel her beau's long silvery hair tickle her cheek.
"I love it, Riku. It's perfect." she decided as they both descended down the staircase. Like most art galleries, the walls were a pure white and had a contemporary style to it. As Riku continued to embellish on how wonderful the gallery he chose for her was, Naminé allowed herself one moment of pure female appreciation. Her boyfriend's bulging muscles, his well-sculpted face, his silvery long hair, and how his clothes seem to fit so perfectly on his attractive physique. She had known the man since childhood, but they started dating in high school, and when he had moved to Traverse Town, she had dutifully followed.
When they reached the entrance/exit, Riku gave her a deep kiss and departed in his sleek black car. "Sorry, babe, I have to go to a meeting. See you at dinner." Naminé nodded, continuing to wave until the car was out of sight. She had spent her entire life chasing after him; she should have been used to being alone and left behind.
Making the executive decision to walk around the district, she began to wander the busy street. There were stores of all sorts: clothes, electronics, photography, and several restaurants. Her distracted blue eyes failed to notice the telephone pole in front of her until a sharp pull on her arm forced her back to see a blur of gray. A gasp has escaped from her lips, but not at the sudden tug, but at whom the hand belonged to. Goldenrod hair, cerulean eyes, and a boyishly handsome face.
"Ms. Miyazaki?" he addressed her uncertainly.
Her mind cleared for a second to process what was happening.
"Ms. Naminé Miyazaki?" What polite speech, she thought to herself. She looked him directly in the eye, blue waves crashing with each other. His warm, gentle smile shattered their confrontation as he slowly loosened his grasp until his hand rested at his side. "It's good to see you're doing well."
"Y-yeah," she stuttered. "You too." He was just as she remembered. That warm, calm composure and polite speech along with his appearance made her feel like she was 15 again. "Uh, what are you doing here?"
Roxas looked at her strangely. "I work here, or rather there, down at that pastry shop, third store down on the left." He indicated to her with his index finger. "I was just delivering something to Rikku in DresSpheres, the clothing shop," he added. There was an awkward pause before he continued, "It's lunch time, you know. Want to grab a bite to eat over at my shop?"
It took a second before she realized what he was asking of her. The shock of seeing him was starting to wear off and she was finally able to give him a proper answer. "I would love to."
--
Her heels hit the cobblestone with a resounding clack compared to the airy footsteps Roxas always possessed. He was patient with answering her questions about each shop before stopping in front of his own. The building resembled a house more than a store with a well-tended garden and a sign that said "welcome" on an oak door. There were large windows surrounding by white brick that allowed you to see the pastries sitting on shelves and the display. Roxas pulled the entrance open with a smile. "Welcome to HOME," he said.
The smell of fresh bread and sweets wafted in her nostrils. There was a warmth that surrounded her and made her feel safe. People sat comfortably drinking coffee and tea, eating pastries and French bread. "Welcome home!" a female voice called from the counter. Her brunette hair was tied neatly into pigtails, her green eyes lively, and her smile bright as she handed another customer her order. "Have a safe trip!" she said to her as the woman walked past Roxas and Naminé and out the door.
"Ms. Miyazaki, this is Olette Kobayashi. She works here at HOME as another pastry chef and at the counter. Olette, this is Ms. Naminé Miyazaki." Olette extended a hand with a smile. Naminé mimicked her actions before letting go quickly.
"It's nice to meet you, Naminé."
"Likewise." Naminé responded shortly. Olette had a puzzled expression on her face before the tension disappeared. "Um, anyways," her voice trailed off. This felt like high school with the awkward introductions and lost words in conversations. It had only gotten worse when she moved to follow her boyfriend; after all, she had never been good at meeting new people and changing schools made her cling to Riku like a lifeline.
Olette could sense the need to step in and asked, "What would you like? We have a really nice strawberry shortcake or delicious sourdough baguettes made by Hayner Fournier; his family's renowned for their world-class bread."
"Hey, Olette! No one needs to know my last name. No one cares. And quite frankly, I care about you saying it. In short, don't." grumbled a rough voice. A light haired young man pushed open the kitchen door carrying a pan of freshly baked bagels that smelled wonderful. Naminé recognized the young man immediately; Hayner Fournier, the only heir to a famous bakery where her family always used to import bread. She and Hayner never got along due to their contrasting personalities. It had taken Hayner a second as well for his scanning brown eyes to land on the petite figure of Naminé Miyazaki.
His eyes focused on her intently. "If it isn't the little princess," he began, "What are you doing here?"
"I have a show to do over at the nearby gallery. Rather—I should be asking you that same question."
If he wasn't glaring already, he was now. "Hey! Watch—!" A palm was held up in front of his face. Hayner immediately shushed before glancing over at Roxas, who wore an amused expression. "Whatever. Here's the bread, Olette." Despite his earlier aggressive attitude, Hayner handed Olette the pan carefully before turning around and returning to the kitchen.
Olette set the pan into its proper slot, before looking at Naminé. "I'm sorry about Hayner. He means well. I mean, he's a good person." She pulled out a piece of the fresh batch of bread before shutting the back of the display case. "Here," Olette handed Naminé the baguette.
Naminé took the loaf hesitantly before looking at Roxas who wore an approving smile at Olette. "C'mon, Ms. Miyazaki, let's take some time to catch up." Roxas led her to a table next to the window that provided a clear view of the street outside, and pulled out her chair before sitting down. "How have you been?"
As a twenty-two-year-old woman, it was hard to deny Roxas' innate charms: he was gentle, never pushy, extremely handsome, and always felt warm. She looked away from his sapphire eyes to stare into the bread's golden crusts. "I've been good. After all, I have that show coming up soon and my art fetches a high price."
"Is money really all that important?"
She turned to look at him directly. "Do you think it's not?" she asked curiously.
"It isn't everything though, right? There is joy in the smallest things, isn't there? There's no need for such extravagant actions every time." With such a casual smile on his face, very few people would have been able to pick up the small hints of malice in Roxas' tone.
"I s-suppose so." To relieve some of the tension, Naminé took a bite of the baguette and was completely mesmerized by the mix of flavors that she would not have originally thought of was in bread. "This is delicious!" she said with a big smile. Almost as if the last two minutes had never happened, the man in front of her smiled kindly. He complete caught her off guard, making her flush.
Moments can only last so long, however, and Roxas stood up from his seat. "I'm sorry, but I have to get back to baking. I can't leave Hayner doing all the work." He paused to let Naminé stand up and shook hands with her. "It was nice seeing you again, Ms. Miyazaki."
"Wait!" she cried out. Her hands resisted the urge to fly to her mouth. What was she doing? "I'm going to be here for the next two weeks. Can I come by here again?"
There it was again. His smile was directed at her as he replied, "Have a safe trip."
--
Whenever the door jingled, any of the workers in the front must greet you "Welcome home". When Roxas had come to France to take him and Olette (who was interning at the time) from the famous Fournier Bakery, he finally learned what "home" really meant. That was why, despite the fact that greeting people "welcome home" was a little too cheesy for his taste, Hayner did not mind. Hayner understood what Roxas was trying to give to his customers, that sense of warmth that comes from being in a home with your loved ones.
The door jingled and today was one of the few days he was working up front. However, he was spared from too much embarrassment thanks to the fact today was raining on a Saturday and business was slow. "Welcome home!" he greeted.
In came a person he did not expect, the little princess, Naminé Miyazaki. Her mother was the daughter of an old French family the Fournier family served for more than a century. Hayner personally met the little princess as a child in France, but always held animosity towards her, and relished the fact she moved to Destiny Islands three years later. "Hayner," she said politely, "You're working the register?"
"Yeah, Princess, I am." he sneered.
"Well, is Roxas busy?" Ha, he knew Naminé was interested in Roxas. He and Olette even made a bet when she would dump that sorry playboy, Riku Sasaki, for their kind and gentle boss, Roxas Yamizaki.
Hayner nodded. "Yeah, he and Olette are preparing for the Twilight Town Cake Competition. The winners get to take part in the Radiant Garden International Pastry Festival so they've been working hard since 5. They might come out for lunch or just steal a loaf of bread from the oven." Even when speaking to a person he truly disliked, he was able to speak respectfully concerning Roxas and Olette. He cleared his throat before beginning, "Anyways, they're too busy to see the likes of you. If you want to be useful, how about you help me run some deliveries?"
Expecting her to turn on her heel and leave, he was caught off guard when she replied, "Alright. Where to?" Her blue eyes were determined; it looked like Roxas' when he had graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and requested him and Olette to join him on his endeavors of making a successful bakery/pastry shop.
"I know you don't feel at home here, so why don't you build one for yourself?"
His entire life turned around that day. Hayner applied himself to the art of breadmaking all in the efforts of making HOME more successful so more people could experience the feeling of being home.
"Here are the addresses, directions, and the keys to the van. All of the orders are already loaded in the back."
Naminé nodded her head, making her way to the exit. "And Naminé," he called out. Her expression was a little surprised as she turned her head to look at him. "Thanks. And, uh, have a safe trip." he added awkwardly.
"I'm off!" she replied with a smile, jingling the keys behind her and walking out the door.
--
Not many people were aware of this, but Olette was in love with Roxas before she was in love with Hayner. It had been love at first sight when Roxas Yamizaki transferred to Twilight Town High, even though Roxas already had the look of someone in love; she knew it was the look because Hayner gave her that look all the time.
But her failed love with Roxas was the reason why she knew she was truly in love with Hayner. After graduation, she joined Hayner on his internship at Fournier Bakery, an internship he offered so he could spend more time with her. When Roxas had arrived at the bakery's backdoor requesting their help, Olette knew she wasn't in love with him. Her hopes didn't rise because Roxas, who she hadn't seen for two years, had come to a place where she happened to work for asking for her (and Hayner's) help. In fact, she only agreed because Hayner said yes first.
However, her reverie was short lived as the door jingled and out of reflex she shouted, "Welcome home!"
Her smile lit when she realized the customer that had walked in was Naminé Miyazaki, a sweet girl that Olette knew was Roxas' first love. "Hey, Naminé, how are you?" she asked enthusiastically. Naminé gave her a small smile. While Olette wasn't used to such a formal and reserved person, the small smile was much better than the prim introduction a week ago ago.
"I've been well. And you, Ms. Kobayashi?"
"Olette." Naminé looked up from peering at the display. "Just call me Olette, Naminé. And here, we're done with all the baking for now. Hayner can cover for me while I join you for lunch!"
A light giggle elicited from the blonde-haired woman. "That sounds wonderful."
It had only taken a twenty second kiss and a promise to eat dinner with him Friday night, and Hayner was more than obliging to cover the counter while she had lunch. "With the little princess?" Hayner asked. "I don't know how much fun she'll be as a lunch date, but don't forget, I get you for dinner."
"Sorry to make you wait, Naminé." Olette breathed out when she took a seat in front of her. "So, tell me about yourself? You know Roxas pretty well, huh?"
Naminé looked down at the hands in her lap. "Yes, we were friends."
"You mean, are, right?" There it was again, that curious, unsure expression. "You two are friends. Not past tense."
The gentle, almost fragile smile returned to her face as she nodded. "In high school we were inseparable. He was my best friend." Naminé turned to stare out the window, only to freeze and sharply turn, and duck her head behind a menu. "Please excuse me!" she said hurriedly as she ran past Olette.
Olette's eyes trailed curiously to the door when it suddenly burst open, two familiar figures standing there with smiles. "Welcome home!"
--
"We're back!" Sora Hikarizono said cheerfully. His girlfriend followed suit as she immediately spotted Olette and rushed to give her a hug. Sora followed behind her with an easygoing smile when Hayner had come to join the three.
"Sora Hikarizono and Kairi Kamiya, long time no see! How have you two been?" Hayner asked enthusiastically, slapping Sora on the back and placing a chaste kiss on Kairi's cheek. "Roxas will be happy to know you two are in town."
Right on cue, the blonde-haired store manager reappeared holding a freshly baked strawberry cake. "Who will be happy to know what?"
"Is that strawberry cake?" Sora inquired eagerly. Roxas had a bemused smile, nodding. "Yes! Roxas' strawberry cake is the best!"
Everyone laughed and took a seat while Roxas cut the cake and patiently waited for all of the remaining customers to depart. As a special service, all three workers plus two honorary members of their family shouted in unison with bright smiles, "Have a safe trip!" Afterwards, Hayner and Sora worked to push two tables together and grab extra chairs while Roxas worked on cutting the cake.
As everyone was enjoying the cake, Olette whispered to Roxas, "Where's Naminé?"
"She's in the back. I'll go grab her, you wait here." Roxas stood up and excused himself. He darted past the kitchen doors quietly, observing Naminé for a few seconds before finally approaching her. The young woman was sitting on the silver counter top examining pictures Roxas had hung on the walls of the kitchen. There were only two: one from high school in freshman year, and the second one at the grand opening of HOME.
When she noticed his presence, she gave him a sad smile. "You kept it?"
Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Of course. It was a gift. A parting gift from you," he added, joining her on the countertop. "Sora and Kairi are out there. I bet they would love to see you, Ms. Miyazaki." As Naminé stared into Roxas' cerulean eyes, she wondered what could she have ever done to deserve such a good friend. Maybe more, she wondered.
A final smile and he extended his hand from the floor. Naminé would trust him; she took his hand and followed him outside the kitchen.
--
"Welcome back, Naminé!" a medley of voices exclaimed. The girl's blue eyes widened in shock; she was stunned.
Kairi stepped from the rest of the group with a piece of cake in her hand. "Welcome back, Naminé." she said more softly. Naminé looked back apologetically, but Kairi shook her head, looking down to hide the mischievous smile that was growing every second, "Here's what you get for not calling." Smack. Strawberry cake clung to Naminé's porcelain face.
Knowing she was forgiven, Naminé wiped her eyes clean of icing and smeared the white cream onto Kairi's cheek. "Thanks. You should try the cake too." Kairi paused for a second before the two of them burst into laughter. Sora, Hayner, and Olette joined in while Roxas had his eyes on Naminé the entire time. With icing smears on her eyelids, Naminé looked back at Roxas with the most refreshing, bright grin that he had seen since they reunited. Roxas grinned back and gave her a thumbs-up sign.
When Kairi and Naminé went to the bathrooms to clean up, Olette joined them, while Hayner rushed to pick up dinner at Seventh Heaven, Roxas and Sora were left alone to catch up. "Naminé, huh?" Sora said to Roxas.
"Yeah. But you've known forever, so it shouldn't be a surprise, should it, Sora?"
Sora laughed to himself. "Well, I'm slow. I thought you would give up on her. But you really are the loyal puppy dog type." This time it was Roxas' turn to chuckle. "Well, do your best, Roxas."
Roxas smiled back at his friend and replied, "Thanks."
--
After catching up with her old friends and exchanging contact info, Naminé returned home to the apartment she and Riku shared. However, instead of her expectation of coming home to a sleeping boyfriend, she saw Riku, shirtless, on top of a woman who was already stripped to her racy lingerie. Apparently, this was prearranged, she thought, taking note of the candles and wine.
"Naminé!" Riku shouted in surprise. He pushed away the girl that was currently on top of him. The blonde woman was already storming out of her apartment. Riku, half-naked, ran out to explain, but Naminé had already hopped into a taxi with only one destination in mind.
She knew Roxas worked late at the bakery. He took care of the finances while juggling the pastries that needed to be made every day. Whether or not today was the day he does taxes was a gamble that paid off when the taxi driver pulled over and one light was still on. As if she was dreaming, she handed the driver the appropriate amount of bills and stepped outside. The air was chillier than she expected as she remained frozen in her spot.
When she knocked on the door, what would happen? Wasn't she relying on Roxas' kindness too much? He had already taken care of her and was kind enough to organize a small party for her homecoming. Would it be appropriate to ask for more?
"Ms. Miyazaki!" she heard someone cry out. She turned in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar messy-haired blonde man. "What's wrong, Naminé?" he asked tenderly. Roxas slowly took a few steps forward and cupped her cheeks. Naminé couldn't feel the tears running down her cheeks; she felt so numb right now. Knowing Naminé would not talk anytime soon, Roxas swept the now sobbing Naminé into his arms. "You loved him for a long time," he whispered to himself more than anyone.
He set her gently onto his bed and tossed a blanket over her. He lay down next to her, on top of the blankets to ensure there were no misconceptions if she was groggy in the morning, and began to stroke her blonde hair. Naminé could hear Roxas' sweet voice as he sang a song that she was unfamiliar with but the lyrics as gentle as the person singing them. The last thing she remembered was Roxas' velvety voice when she fell asleep, her tears finally stopped by his compassion.
The next morning, Naminé opened her sapphire eyes to Roxas sleeping peacefully next to her. While she considered herself more immune to his charms than other women, the kindness he had shown her was hard to resist. No, it was impossible to resist. After all, nice was never out of style; but, apparently, Riku never got that memo.
When he began to stir, she wondered if her intense staring was the cause of it. "Roxas?" she whispered. However, Roxas continued to doze, enacting a giggle from the other blonde. "I'm not sure… but I might love you?" she whispered to his sleeping figure. Looking at the clock, she knew it was her cue to leave. She had one more meeting to attend and then her gallery would be ready for the public. "Bye, Roxas." she spoke more clearly, closing the door behind her.
--
The night of her gallery opening was in full swing. People were standing in front of every artwork, admiring the detail and style. Even in high school, at the time when she felt most vulnerable, she had always been confident in her art skills. She naturally had the aptitude for it. Pence, a friend of Roxas, Olette, and Hayner, had become the official photographer of the opening. He had also been instructed to keep an eye out for a certain silver-haired man.
Olette, Hayner, Sora, and Kairi had already congratulated her on a successful night. They were still around the gallery, Naminé knew, but where exactly was hard to say. People were flocking to her to speak about some of her pieces and whether or not she would sell them. The centerpiece in particular had been a popular item that fetched the highest sum she had ever seen. The painting was of a man staring out on a dock that burst into a fantasy-type sunrise of blues, greens, and purples during winter.
"Naminé Miyazaki, this is amazing." That deep voice. She recognized it to be her ex-boyfriend's. Riku stood in front of her dressed in, what she recognized to be, his best suit. He had in his hands a bouquet of red roses. "I love you, Naminé. Please, please find it in your heart to forgive my mistake."
He looked so sincere. When she stared into his aquamarine eyes, her heart began to ache. If she rejected him… he would be devastated, wouldn't he? "I—"
"Naminé?" Naminé turned and saw Roxas standing with Casablanca lilies in one hand (her favorite flower), his other hand clenched into a fist. The storm in his ocean eyes was painful to see, even more so than the thought of Riku being hurt by rejection, a rejection that might not even matter to him. He looked as if he was struggling as to what to say before deciding to do an about face and make his way out of the studio. "Excuse me," he muttered to the people in his way.
"Wait, Roxas!" she cried out. Naminé looked back at Riku and shook her head. "I'm sorry." She ran out, pushing her way through the guests in order to catch up to the person who had taken care of her this entire time. "Roxas!" These heels were beginning to kill her and she already knew the back of her heel was beginning to peel off. "Ow…" she grimaced as she continued onward.
Finally, she saw him, standing on the ledge of the clock tower. As fast as her legs could go, she met him there, the pain in his foot now turning into a constant throb and sting. "Roxas!"
"Don't!" he yelled angrily, his face off to the side, refusing to look at her. When his eyes found hers, Naminé could see his expression soften as he said more softly, "Go back, Naminé. This is your career on the line."
"But money isn't important, right?" she shouted back to him. "It's the little things that matter, isn't it?" She was repeating the lessons she had learned from him. "I was never in love with Riku. I chased after him to feel as if there was someone that wanted me. The money and the job, my career, was never important. As long as I can draw and be with you, then I'm home. That's all I need!" She took a wobbly step forward and nearly slipped off. "Whoa!"
Roxas' face snapped to look at her directly. "Stay still, Naminé." he said, his voice returning to the usual gentle tone. Roxas, not fearing staining his white suit, knelt down on the ground and allowed Naminé to hobble herself up onto his back. She wrapped her slender arms around his next and held on tightly. "Let's go home."
"I am home." she whispered into his back.
Roxas chuckled.
"Welcome home."
--
"My home is not a place, it is people."
I didn't discover this until today, but the song, "Friend Like You" by Joshua Radin, describes this story really well.
Also, the first quote is by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster, and the second is from Lois Moncur.
Quick disclaimer: I own nothing except the story.
Happy Namixas Day! I'm glad I made it in time! :)
May you all find happiness in your life and a home for your heart.