Sunset Sorrow, Midnight Magic
By AnimeDutchess
A/N: I wanted to write something…different. Or…something. I dunno. I had one idea in mind and it morphed into this. Strange how that works, huh?
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Disclaimer: I don't own squat. Ain't it wonderful?
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Namine signed her name with a flourish as she finished yet another drawing in her sketchbook. She sighed in relief; this particular picture had taken her forever to finish. It was her best yet; a pale girl standing in the middle of a forest clearing, a trail of footsteps in the snow behind her, and a full, heart-shaped moon appearing from the breaking clouds. She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to make the moon into a heart. The snow on the trees had taken ages, however, and she decided to leave the inking for another day. She gently closed her sketchbook and stuck her pencil in the spiral spine, a small smile making its way onto her features, and took a deep breath of fresh air. She was out on the balcony, her favorite place to draw, and the sun was just setting, giving the sky and clouds a pink glow.
"Namine?"
Namine jumped and turned around in her chair to see her twin sister Kairi poking her head through the glass double doors that lead to the balcony. Kairi's auburn hair almost seemed fiery red in the setting sun.
"Hey, Kairi. What's up?" Kairi smiled and stepped onto the balcony, taking the empty chair next to Namine.
"Not much, just wanted to see you."
"Hm."
"…Whatcha doing out here?"
"Oh…drawing, and stuff."
"That's nice."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, each enjoying the other's company. Namine fiddled with the sleeve of her white shirt out of habit, while Kairi propped her head in her hands and stared out into the sunset.
"Are you…upset?"
"Hm?" Namine turned to Kairi, her eyebrow raised. "What're you talking about?"
"Yesterday. You asked Roxas out and he turned you down."
"…Oh. Right." How could she have forgotten? She'd been crushing on Roxas ever since the second grade, and right when she finally had the confidence to ask him out, he says no. What kind of guy does that to a girl? Namine bit her lip, trying not to cry.
"He felt really bad about it, Nami. When he found out you didn't come to school today, he sulked. All day." Namine said nothing, her lip starting to get sore. "He knows he hurt you, Namine. You've still got his friendship, though…Maybe someday-"
"No." Kairi was startled by her twin's blatant answer.
"No? Why no? You haven't lost hope, have you?"
"…He's gay, Kairi. He won't date me because he's dating that new guy; he told me so." Kairi blinked, and then raised an eyebrow.
"What? That Axel guy? Namine, you're really not good at jokes, you know that?"
"But he told me!" Namine's hands balled up into fists, and a stray tear rolled down her cheek. "He…he told me himself that he likes guys, has for a long time. He sounded sorry, but…that doesn't mean it didn't hurt!" The blonde girl choked down a sob and rubbed her eyes with a hand. "It…doesn't matter anyway. He's happy with him, right? That's all that should matter." Namine smiled, if not for her sake, for her sister's. The auburn-haired girl looked concerned, but didn't say anything as she got up and hugged her sister. Namine's eyes widened in surprise.
"Kairi, what-"
"You're a lot more understanding that I am, Namine." She giggled. "If Roxas really is seeing Axel, I'd prefer that he drop him like a bad habit and start worshiping the ground you spit on." That got Namine to smile, the mental image of a guy praising god that she spat on the ground.
"Aw, but Kairi, that's not nice."
"I know. But still, I wish nice guys would line up to date you." Kairi then blinked, and she let Namine go quickly, slapping her forehead.
"Arg, so stupid! I forgot I'm supposed to meet Sora and Riku at the docks in a half hour!" She looked to Namine. "Wanna come? We're going to that new dance club on the mainland." Namine shook her head.
"Nah, no thanks. I'm not a dancer, Kairi." She smiled playfully. Kairi sighed.
"It's your loss," She said, walking over to the doors leading back inside with a spring in her step, "I don't think we'll be back 'till late, and Mom 'n' Dad are on that business trip…you sure you'll be okay alone?" Namine pouted.
"I'll be fine, you mother hen. Now go, have fun." Kairi laughed, and then went inside. Namine sighed, and tuned back to the sunset, which was almost over by now. Little did she know, Kairi was plotting a tiny surprise for her artistic sister.
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It was around midnight when someone knocked on the door. Namine, already half asleep and clad in her cream-colored pajamas, opened the door, expecting Kairi to be at the front door.
"You're home early-" she started, but she was face to face with Roxas.
"Uhm…Hey, Nami," He said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Namine turned red when she saw him, but she quickly remembered that he was in fact NOT interested in her, and she turned away.
"What is it, Roxas?" She asked, her voice soft and sad. She didn't see the blonde boy flinch at her tone, but she was sure surprised when he hugged her.
"I'm sorry."
"…I know you are."
"You know that if I was straight, I'd date you in a heartbeat, right?"
"Yeah. But why are you here?"
"You weren't at school today. I felt bad. Kairi threatened me to come and cheer you up." Namine let out a laugh at that last reason. "Seriously, though…I'm sorry."
"…Okay." Namine hugged Roxas back. She smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Tell Axel that if he isn't nice to you, I'll castrate him." Roxas laughed.
"Gotcha." They parted, and Roxas smiled.
"Hey, Namine? Don't give up hope."
"Hm?"
"I met this one friend of Axel's today, from his old school. He's nice, funny, kind of a goof. He really likes music. I think you'd like him, too." Roxas's grin matched his brother Sora's infamous smirk. "We're all gonna hang out tomorrow, with a bunch of his other friends. Wanna come? I'll come pick you up." Namine blinked; was he setting her up? She couldn't help but smile.
"Sure, Roxas. Just call before you come."
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A/N: Aw, kinda sweet, I thought. You like it? I thought it was nice. Hey, you guys think I should write a sequel, where Namine has her day with Roxas, Axel, and Axel's friends? Anyway, thanks for reading, please review! Ja Ne! -AnimeDutchess