DISCLAIMER
I do NOT own any of the Kingdom Hearts I & II rights.
Warning: Shonen-ai, boys kiss & hugs below.
Chapter 2
-- At the entrance of Roxas' mother's workplace (a restaurant) --
He came to talk to me, he knows my name… Roxas giggled to himself. Then his cell phone suddenly rang.
"Hello."
"Hey Roxas, did you find your letter?" Sora's voice came through.
Roxas gasped, "Not yet…!"
"Still not yet…?" Sora asked with frustration, "Anyway, we'll keep looking tomorrow, okay? Bye." And he hung up.
"Oh God! Please let that letter be blown away by a tornado, until it goes to Argentina!" Roxas prayed, "But… it's not too bad… If it weren't for me to go look for the letter, I wouldn't have talked to Riku…" Roxas thought again and giggled to himself; then entered the restaurant.
"Hey aunty." Roxas greeted Minnie.
"Oh you've came, Roxas."
"Yeah, I'm here to pick Mom up."
"Aerith? She just went to deliver take-outs," Minnie noted, "To that company 'round the corner. I also told her that she can go after she's got them delivered."
"Oh ok. Then I'll just go find her. Thanks." Roxas turned to leave.
"Oh yeah, Roxas." Minnie said a last note, "Recently your mother seems to be bothered by something. You better care more about her…"
Roxas looked worried, "Okay I got it, bye-bye."
-- On the bridge to the company 'round the corner --
Aerith was strolling along, deep in thoughts. Roxas ran and ran around, looking for her. Aerith heaved a sigh; then carelessly slipped down a stair step, and screamed.
"Mom!" Roxas heard the scream and saw her; he headed towards her, "Mom! Are you okay?" Aerith was caressing the side of her own left hand's palm, "It hurts" She squealed.
-- Back at their apartment --
"Oww!!" Aerith squeaked.
"Ok, ok. It's ok…" Roxas tried to calm her down while dipping Lysol on the wound, "There you go."
"Use this." Aerith inquired with a cute voice; she was handing a pink bandage with Hello Kitties on it to Roxas. Roxas stared at it with an "Are you serious?" expression and looked at her. She giggled and nodded.
"Alright." Roxas sighed and took the bandage, applying it on Aerith's wound, "Why were you so careless just now?"
Aerith looked away, and pouted, "Those drumsticks take-outs were such a waste…"
"Mom… Are you troubled by something recently?" Roxas asked but he knew the answer is 'yes'. Aerith didn't reply, but hanged her head lower.
"Yes or no?" Roxas asked again. Aerith shook her head with denial, although it wasn't very convincing.
"Minnie said you were always daydreaming during work…" Roxas tried again. Aerith tensed, and turned to say something, "I-" But she hesitated, turning away.
"Didn't you say that we are to become a pair of mother and son that never have any secrets?" Roxas questioned with defiance, "Hm?"
Aerith couldn't have hanged her head any lower than this; Roxas took her wrist, "Come here." And pulled her down to the streets.
-- At a playground --
Aerith looked at Roxas with a confused face. Roxas sighed, and brought up the past, "I remember that when Dad just passed away, we were really poor. We couldn't even afford my classes. At that time, someone in my class had their wallet stolen; everybody spreads rumors that I was the culprit. They didn't have any evidence, but they wouldn't believe me either; so they teamed up to harass me, like tearing up my workbooks, or throwing my backpack into a trash can."
Aerith smiled, "But that time, you didn't say anything to me, because you were afraid that I'll be worried. So you ditched class and came to this playground alone. When I finally found you, you still took everything in and kept quiet."
"I remember back then, you said, 'Roxas, no matter what it is, I hope that we can become a pair of mother and son that never have any secrets.'" Roxas quoted, "and then I said, 'Mom, I will hide things from you and keep them in my heart, is because I'm afraid that you will worry about me.' You replied that we only have each other now; that I will worry about you, just like how you will worry about me. You said you wanted to be the closest person to me, that you can share all the deepest emotions in my heart forever, that we will never have any secrets. Since then, when we have something we want to tell, we'll just come here."
"Roxas, I'm sorry," Aerith apologized, "I didn't want to hide it from you."
"If anything happened, just tell me honestly. We'll solve the problem together…"
"I-" Aerith started, "…I've fallen in love with someone."
"What did you say?!" Roxas asked shocked, "Your secret is that you've fallen in love with someone?"
"I was dating somebody secretly…" Aerith said with guilt.
"Huh…. I didn't think that you're dating now!" Roxas exclaimed accusingly.
Aerith gasped, "Okay, I won't see him anymore!" Roxas interrupted, "That guy has a wife? Or are you the third party, intruding and destroying their marriage?"
"No no, he married before but they divorced!" Aerith tried to defend herself. Roxas questioned, "Are you sure?" Aerith nodded frantically, Roxas continued questioning, "How did you guys know each other? How long have you been together?"
"When…" Aerith recalled her memories while a sweet smiled grow on her face, "when he came to the restaurant to eat…"
Aerith was cleaning up a table, then she swung around and the tray she was holding hit a customer's head, shoving his face into the food he was eating…
Another day, the same customer was eating again. Aerith came with a tea pot and poured some tea into a cup, then she was going to put it onto the table for him, but somehow she used too much force and the entire cup of tea spilled on his hair…
One more time, the customer came and finished eating. When he was leaving, though, Aerith realized that he forgot his wallet. She hurried to it and picked it up, then she turned around to grab that man's arm, only to tear part of his sleeve off…
Finally, Aerith was running along doing her chores. And she slipped carelessly; thankfully, that customer caught her in his arms, whirled her around and they ended in a waltz final position…
Aerith chuckled to herself as she was remembering, not noticing that Roxas moved close to her face. "What is that thing I see on your face?" Roxas asked with a frightening tone,
Aerith stared at him timidly, "What? What is on my face?" She brushed her face rapidly, as if there's a piece of rice sticking on it.
"Ever since Dad passed away, you never have that expression anymore…" Roxas explained. "Sorry…" Aerith mumbled again.
"You should've found someone nice to fall in love with wayy long ago!" The blonde boy smiled.
Aerith's face brightened up as she looked at Roxas, "You really aren't mad at me? Can I really date him?"
"If that person is really as nice as you described him, why would I oppose? I'll support you 100 percent!!" Roxas replied.
Aerith screamed with joy, jumping up and dancing; then she slowed down and asked with curiosity, "Then…"
"What now?" Roxas half-groaned.
"… Can I go out tonight?"
"If I say no…" Roxas said, Aerith tensed. "Then ain't I a complete jerk?" He laughed.
Aerith cackled with joy, hugging the boy tightly. She then released him, and he said, "Mom, have a happy date! Wear something really hot and entice him!" He giggled devilishly. Aerith laughed and nodded happily, then returned home hurriedly.
I can't believe that Mom's dating someone, Roxas thought as he was looking at Aerith's back image, ever since Dad passed away, I've never seen her so happy like this…
Aerith was walking down the road blissfully, turning a circle occasionally, but she failed to notice a redhead staring at her a bit far away…
