Chapter 2: Just panic, why don't you?

In a loft on the east side of Twilight Town, Naminé could be seen passed out on her bed; sleeping soundly. After pouring over med-school applications and registering for college classes, Naminé bid the girls goodbye at the campus' favorite coffee hangout: 7th Heaven.

Even though she was yawning and her eyes itched, she still went home to try and get a good look at her new chemistry book to get a head start on her class next week.

However, sleep was inevitable.

Naminé sniffed before rolling over her new book and cuddling her blanket. Peace was written on her face, a first in a while…

That was until her phone gave a shriek.

"Wah!" Naminé started, her head bopping up and her body alert. She looked to her smart phone on the nightstand, charging. It kept going off. Going on auto-pilot, Naminé answered the annoying thing.

"Hmm?" she hummed into the phone, not fully awake to form words yet.

"Babies sleep, right? I mean, he's not sleeping and just crying and it's been over 6 hours…" said a voice that was exhausted.

Naminé looked at her clock. It glared back three in the morning…

"Hey! You there?" snapped Roxas.

"Roxas, Ven is human. So yes, he sleeps. He probably needs something… Did you feed him?" asked Naminé, tiredly. Her eyes slipped to a close as she talked, dozing.

"Yes! I fed him two bottles! And—"

"Did you change him?" she cut in.

There was silence on the phone. She wondered if he hung up on her. Fine with her, she'd go back to sleep.

"Thanks," he said hurriedly before actually hanging up.

Naminé looked at her phone a moment before flipping back on her bed. He'd be fine… Aqua wouldn't let Terra appoint a complete useless guardian. He'd be fine… right?

Naminé closed her eyes again but not a minute later did her phone go off again. She groaned, frustrated.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"I'm out of diapers!" he yelled over Ven's wails.

Naminé took three deep breaths. "No, you're not. They're probably in a drawer… knowing Aqua it'll be in the right bottom drawer of the changing table," she explained, rubbing her face. "Are they there?"

"Yeah…yeah, I got it," Roxas said, distractedly. "Hang on… Oh, shit!"

"What?" asked Naminé, exasperated.

"He just shit some more! It's on the table… Oh, god, it's on my hand! Ugh!" Roxas spazed out. "You're a new human! How can you smell so bad, dammit?"

Naminé just heard baby Ven laugh.

"Roxas, stop yelling at a baby. He doesn't understand a word you're saying," Naminé said calmly. The whole situation would be funny if it wasn't taking place at 3am. She sighed heavily. "Do you need me to come over?" she offered.

"No, I got it," Roxas growled grumpily before hanging up on her.

Naminé glared at her phone. "Well, suit yourself, ass. You're the one calling me at ungodly hours," she mumbled to herself.

Naminé settled again back in her warm blankets, trying to block out her hurt or worry. She was not going to go over there. He got it, he said so. She was going to go back to sleep…

Her phone went off again.

"Son of a bitch; what?!" she yelled into the phone.

"God, what the hell is your problem?" asked Roxas, taken back.

"Right now, it's you!" Naminé snapped. "The annoying asshole who keeps calling over idiotic things!"

"Ven just threw up, geez!" he huffed. "I don't know what to do about it…"

Naminé was suddenly awake, sitting up. "Did you drop him?"

"God you— No!" Roxas argued back. "I was just rocking him and he threw up this white stuff…"

Naminé sighed in relief. "Roxas, that's called 'spit up'. Its normal." Naminé put her head in her hand, rubbing her temples.

"Oh… So I don't need to keep him awake or take him to the doctor's?" asked Roxas.

"No… It'll happen every time he eats. It's like drool," Naminé sighed. "Are you sure you don't want me to come over?"

"Naminé," he said slowly. "I don't even want to be calling you, but I don't have a choice. So no, I don't want you to come over. Good night."

And he hung up.

Even though he said that with finality, Roxas called her again two more times that same night. Three days later and 28 calls later, Naminé felt like she was running purely on coffee since she hadn't been able to get more than a few hours of sleep. She rubbed her bloodshot eyes, wobbling in her walk as she headed to her first class of the new semester.

She was going to kill Roxas for doing this to her.

The only relief that she got was the fact that if she was this tired, it meant that Roxas was just as sleep deprived, since he was the one who kept her up with questions...

"Whoa, Naminé, are you alright?" asked Kairi, her best friend.

Naminé nodded slightly, feeling like any moment she was going to just collapse. She clutched her paper coffee cup like her life depended on it.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" she said bitterly.

"Ven keeping you up?" guessed Kairi as they headed to Chemistry together.

Naminé sighed. "If it was him, it wouldn't be a problem. But it's that bloody… Gah! See?!" growled Naminé, looking at her phone again to see- surprise, surprise- it was Roxas.

Kairi chuckled. "Maybe this is his way of flirting?" she snickered.

"Yeah? Well, its pissing me off," Naminé mumbled. She answered the call. "I don't have time for you right now. Stop calling, I'm about to go to class!" she half-shouted, half-begged into the phone before hanging up.

Kairi just stared at her, but choose not to say anything. She was Naminé's best friend for a reason, meaning she knew when not to comment.

The girls sat at the long bench. The class was shaped more like an auditorium, with benches for chairs and a long table, connecting everyone in a row. Naminé liked having her own space, but she got over that last year when all she had was lecture classes. People filed in, nearly 200 students. Naminé was just pulling out her notepad when a familiar face sat on her other side.

"Riku," Kairi greeted with mock enthusiasm from across Naminé and rolling her eyes.

"Kairi," Riku greeted back, saying her name more like a challenge.

"Hey, be nice," Naminé said to the two of them. "I already have to look after an infant. Don't make me babysit you two either."

Kairi made a face before turning back to the front of the class. Naminé sighed, sipping her coffee.

"How was your winter break?" he asked, taking out his stuff as well.

"You know what it was like," Naminé said, snorting.

"Hey, I'm trying to be considerate. We agreed to be friends, Nam," Riku sighed, looking at her.

Naminé gave him a knowing stare. "Riku, if you wanted to be considerate, you wouldn't have broken up with me on Christmas Eve," she said flatly.

Riku was unfazed. Why would he be; they've had this argument before. Often.

Even so, he leaned in close to her. "But the Christmas morning was so good…" he whispered, glazing his fingertips down her thigh suggestively.

Naminé jumped at the contact. He was right; it was good. He was good. Which is why she took him back every time he left her. She knew he was using her, but she couldn't stop herself. The physical contact made her logic disappear. But after waking up on Christmas morning, feeling shame and disgusted with herself again, she made a new year's resolution to change.

She started small. When Riku came back, she told him no. It was a small victory (an one that the girls openly celebrated), but it was hard. It had now been a month since she had physical contact with a man…

And Riku rubbing her knee was driving her mad.

Naminé pushed his hand off of her. "Riku, I said no," she said, turning back to the front.

He looked like he was about to argue (again) when the professor came in.

He was an older man, with gray sweeping hair and big round eyes. He came in with a lab coat on and his fingers looked like he was in the middle of an experiment since they were stained with black. He was creepy; but Naminé knew that he was brilliant. She and the girls spent a day researching the professors and she would only take Chemistry with Professor Vexen.

"I'm no fortune teller, but half of you won't be here for midterms and another half of that will drop by the end of the semester," he said in a brisk voice. That silenced the class up. "I know many of you are taking this class because I am the one teaching it. Excellent choice since I am the best. However, be warned, we will not be friends. I don't want to know your name. I will only know you by number."

Naminé knew that was half-bullshit. True, he was a hard man to talk to, but there were a select group of students that Vexen would write a recommendation letter for. You only had to impress him enough. Naminé intended to be one of those students.

With a letter from Vexen, you could get into any med school that you applied to.

"This semester will be the hardest you take here. But if you succeed, it'll be the most rewarding. I'm here to teach you, not babysit you. I'm not your mother, so respect me like an adult. That means, be on time. I lock the door after I come in, so if you're late, you don't get in. And trust me, you'll want to be here or you will not pass," Vexen continued, a sly smile on his face like he enjoyed the idea of a student failing.

A student raised their hand, but Vexen paid little attention. "You hold your questions until the class is over or when we have an open discussion. I will let you know when this is the case. Otherwise, I give my speech, and will. Not. Be. Interrupted," he said pointedly.

Naminé just gulped. This might be harder than she was ready for…

Suddenly her phone went off again.

Kairi's eyes got wide while Naminé rushed to shut it off. But it was too late, Vexen's eyes narrowed in her direction. At the middle seat, in the middle row.

"That means no phones as well," he said sternly. "You; leave now."

Naminé's heart dropped. How could this happen? Was this because she felt doubt? She didn't even get started, and she was already done? This couldn't be happening. Oh, she was going to kill Roxas.

Slowly, trying not to cry, she gathered her things. Kairi looked like she was going to pack up and leave too, but Naminé just shook her head. No use both of them dropping. Her face reddened as she ducked out of the room without a word, but she did give Vexen a look of defiance before she left.

She wasn't going down that easy. Not without a fight.

Naminé didn't call Roxas back. Instead, she turned her phone off and waited in the hallway of her class. She had been waiting there since Professor Vexen kicked her out. The class had just been dismissed and while she watched the class disburse, she saw some of her classmates faces. Most of them looked like they were planning on dropping that afternoon.

"Nam, I'm so sorry," Kairi said as soon as she saw her. "He's an ass. I think I'm gonna drop. No use if you aren't there to help me study."

"Don't be stupid, Kai," Naminé reasoned. "I plan on talking to him now. He can't get rid of me that easily."

Kairi recognized that look. She grinned at her. "Go get him. Show him your stubborn side!" she cheered, giving her a high five. "Shoot me a text to tell me what happened. I gotta get to Physics."

Naminé nodded before walking in. Riku walked past her as she walked up. She saw his eyes follow her hungrily, but she ignored him. She needed to concentrate.

"Professor, sir," she started when she reached him.

Vexen looked up. "Ah, yes. Student #118: Naminé. Haven't taken the prerequisite for my class, but challenged it," he said like he was reciting from a screen.

Naminé was taken back. "I thought you don't want to know our names," was all she said.

"I make a point to remember the ones that got a recommendation for my class. In your case, Sora, my brightest student, gave me your recommendation. Said you were determined to do great things," he explained. Naminé felt a rush of gratitude to her friend. "However, not the way to start the semester, Miss Naminé," he tsked.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I'm watching my infant nephew while my sister is gone. It won't happen again," Naminé said, bowing her head.

"See that it doesn't. I'll excuse it this once, but if you can't handle the responsibility and be completely focused in my class, perhaps you shouldn't take it," Vexen said, turning back to his papers. Feeling like the conversation ended, Naminé turned to leave.

"Oh, and Naminé," he called, without looking up. "I give everyone 3 excuses before they're dropped. See that your remaining two aren't used up for something silly like the baby being sick."

Naminé nodded before leaving.

Naminé wasn't sure how she got to Aqua and Terra's front door to their apartment. All she knew was that she was seeing red. She was happy that she wasn't kicked out of her class (dodged a bullet there. She needed to remember to thank Sora again…) but that didn't mean that Roxas was in the clear.

As he opened the door, Naminé just glared. She glared and glared, imagining that Roxas was being stabbed. In the back of her mind, she noted that he was only wearing sweat pants, his chest bare. She was glad Ven wasn't with him at least. She couldn't be mean when he was around…

"Um…Can you stop trying to fry my brain with your glare?" asked Roxas, raising an eyebrow. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms.

"I got kicked out of my class. Care to ask why?" she said, a scary calm rising in her.

"Why?" asked Roxas, clear that he was just humoring her.

Naminé huffed. "My phone went off! Again! Dammit, I told you not to call me while I was in class! I almost got dropped because you can't handle a few hours on your own!" she shouted. Her voice started to waver and crack. "And I haven't slept in days!"

Naminé ran her hands threw her hair, pulling at the ends, and took a couple of deep breaths. Roxas watched her have her little meltdown, not saying anything. Just watching as if she was out of her mind. Maybe she was…

"Look," Naminé sighed, letting go of her hair and looking at him. "Clearly, this isn't working… You have no idea what you're doing. Should I just call Aqua and tell her to get someone else?"

Roxas chewed at his bottom lip. He looked like he was battling with himself for a solution. Naminé noticed that he had huge bags under his eyes and his eyes were bloodshot as well. She wondered when the last time he had any sleep either was.

Roxas shook his head. "No, I've got a better idea."

"I'm all ears," Naminé sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Move in."

A/N- In honor of hitting 100 views, I'm uploading early. Yay views! But to be honest, the reviews lit up my day. Thank you Twenty-Twenty-One, kinmoku2, and troyboltonsgirl for taking time out of your day to write me your opinion! It makes the world of difference when looking for inspiration!

Oh, and did I mention that if you have any suggestions for baby Ven, let me know! I personally don't have any kids (thank god!) so I'm low in the baby department.

I really like working on this! I'm dealing with some of these issues myself and as you get older, writing about adult issues gets easier. Plus, this site as an abundance of high school fics... Anyway, let me know how you like it! :D I have the first 5 chapters done already so hopefully I can just get these out before writer's block happens.

~Ice

Next Time:

"How do I know you aren't going to do things to me when I go to sleep or lock me in the bathroom?"

"Your ugly face scared me!"

"Ugh… one bathroom? Really?"