Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from the Kingdom Hearts series...
Recap:
"Kinda. I think we should team up."
"What do you mean?" asked Namine, mystified. "Swap ideas or something?"
"God, Namine, you're slow tonight… We should pair up to do the kisses," Roxas explains.
!
Casual?
!
Chapter 3: Casual Arrangements Are Sealed with a Kiss
"You want to pair up with me to kiss?" asked Namine, skeptical.
This had to be a joke; it had to be! Roxas was like her brother. When they were little, they used to play pranks on each other; they used to share their lunches; they used to push each other down the monkey bars when they were mad with each other. Namine wasn't even aware that Roxas saw her as the opposite sex…
"Well, yeah. Think about it, if we team up, we're sure to win since we both know about the bet. I know you're allowed to talk about it, but how do you explain that you have to do different types of kisses to a complete stranger? Sora has it easy since he has a girlfriend and Riku… well, he's Riku. Don't tell him I said that, by the way…" Roxas tried to reason.
"No problem… but, why me? I thought you'd use that to your advantage or something," said Namine, knowing about his competiveness.
"Nami, I still care! You make me seem heartless."
Namine laughed at this.
"Wouldn't it be better kissing me than a total stranger?" asked Roxas, smirking on the other end. "At least I'd tell you if you were doing something wrong…"
She almost hung up on the jerk, but she knew he was right. Namine wasn't close to finding someone that would kiss her in different ways mostly because she wasn't comfortable with anyone like that. At least it was Roxas… if it was Riku calling her… ugh…that would make things 10 times more awkward.
"You have another motive," said Namine, sensing he was pushing this too much.
"Ugh, I forget who I'm talking to… Fine, I can't lose this year. I can't give anymore free ice cream to you guys or I'll have to find a new job. You eat too much!" laughed Roxas. "I figure working together; we'll double our chances of winning."
Namine thought about this. Any other dare, she'd say yes in a heartbeat. She may be tough, but these were her friends and she'd always help them out when she could. However, this was so different… How could she kiss her best friend? Multiple times?
"Would this… make things awkward between us?" asked Namine, thinking everything thru.
"Nah, it's an agreement… like a business arrangement," he said.
"Roxas, business agreements aren't sealed with a kiss…" Namine said exasperated, lying back on her bed.
"Fine, a casual… friendship? Kissing doesn't have to involve feelings. It's more of a physical thing anyways…" Roxas added. "I don't think we should do PDA though. Riku and Sora would be pissed if they found out that we teamed up."
"I didn't say yes…"
"C'mon! Please?"
Namine sighed. A casual friendship? That sounded so scandalous … yet she already knew she was going to say. She knew when he said she was going to have to kiss a total stranger and that she was more comfortable with him. She knew when she realized that Sora and Riku were probably going to win. To tell the truth, she knew when he first told her, although she didn't understand why.
"Okay, it's a deal," she said, sighing at what she just did. No going back now…
"Great! We're so gonna win! So, ground rules… we can still date outside of this but I think we shouldn't have a girlfriend or boyfriend… It would be hard to explain what we're doing. We can't kiss anyone else while the bet is going. And it's a secret, Nami!"
"I know. I know… and since this is casual, there's no sex, so don't try," said Namine, glaring into the phone.
"Ew… sex with you? Namine, I'm trying to keep my dinner down," joked Roxas.
"Glad we're on the same page!" laughed Namine. "Are you still picking me up after dance class tomorrow?"
"I forgot about that… Yeah, it's no problem."
Namine smiled, feeling like this probably wouldn't change their friendship. Roxas was about to say his goodbye when Namine grinned at her new question.
"Hey, Rox. You just wanted to kiss me, didn't you?" she asked, mockingly suggestive.
She heard Roxas laugh on the other end. "Maybe…" he said equally suggestively before he hung up.
Namine walked into the dance class and met up with her friend, Xion. She still had a few minutes before class started, so she put her stuff in her locker and slipped on her jazz shoes.
"Hey, Xio!" greeted Namine walking back to the floor to stretch.
"Hi, Nam. How are you?" asked Xion.
They paired up to stretch as the teacher walked in and started taking roll.
"Nothing much… Me and the guys finally came up with this year's dare," said Namine, smiling as her muscles loosened and relaxed.
"Really? Is it like freshman year?" Xion asked, referring when Namine dared the boys to learn tap dance while Namine was dared to learn football.
"Nah… That was a fun one though, remember how Sora danced?" laughed Namine, reminiscing how Sora fell off the stage.
"Yeah, but who knew that Riku was so graceful?" giggled Xion.
Namine and Xion snorted in laughter until their teacher looked in their direction.
"This year, we have to do as many different types of kisses as we can think with someone," Namine said, trying to calm down. "The most types wins."
Xion's eyes widened at her statement. "Are you serious? Who came up with that one?"
"Sora… They found out that I'd never kissed anyone…" Namine tried to explain.
"Wow… Isn't that gonna be hard?" asked Xion.
"Well, Sora already got started last night with Kairi…" she said bitterly. She wished she could tell someone about the arrangement Roxas and her made, but she didn't want to seem like a slut.
"Well, let me know if you need any ideas!" offered Xion. "I'll be glad to help you. Better you win than Roxas or Riku."
Namine nervously chuckled, but was saved from explaining when their teacher got them started…
After class was over, Namine and Xion grabbed their things and went out to the room behind the one-way mirror. This room was for the parents and audience who choose to stay and watch their practice. While practice was in session, it was also the waiting room for people who came to give rides to the dancers. Namine grinned at her friend, Roxas who was lying on a bench, looking bored.
"See anything you like?" Xion teased, when they walked over.
"The dance moves or the girls?" asked Roxas, sticking out his tongue as he stood up.
They all decided to grab some ice cream first before Roxas graciously gave Xion a ride home also. Namine sat shotgun while Xion sat in the back, licking her sea-salt ice cream. Namine smiled at the bitter, but sweet taste and grinned in Roxas' direction in thanks. He snickered back at her.
When Xion was safely in her house, Roxas turned to Namine.
"So, your house or mine?" he asked.
"For?" she asked back, raising an eyebrow.
"Planning and our weekly video game brawl, of course!" he said, grinning. Namine beamed at him.
"My place… if you're ready to get your ass kicked again."
When they got to Namine's house, they instantly went downstairs where Namine's impressive game room was located. She just about had all the new game systems and she had her favorite games all in a row, alphabetical and by year.
While Namine bent over to fire up the game and put in the newest Mortal Kombat, Roxas sat on the couch, completely at ease. Then he looked over at her, tilting his head as his eyes roamed over her body uncontrollably. He wasn't sure if she was doing it on purpose, but her dance shorts were a little too short for his liking. In addition, her slender legs were making him uncomfortable. He glared.
"Namine, you're a tease…," he said, looking away.
"I'm what?" she asked, completely confused as she stood up and walked over. She handed him his controller and sat down next to him, crossing her legs, and staring at the screen.
"Like yesterday, you were teasing that poor guy at the movies," he explained. "You do that a lot, don't you?"
"Only when I want something…," she said slowly, not understanding.
Roxas shrugged and changed the subject. "So, when do you wanna get started? Sora already is ahead of us."
Namine blushed, but kept collected. "I don't care; as long as I don't lose…You do whatever you think we should do."
"Loser, it stays two to tango… it's the same to kiss," joked Roxas.
Namine glared, starting to feel inferior. "Well, I wouldn't know, would I?" she snapped back, pressing pause on her game and looking at him.
Her eyes widened as she saw Roxas slowly lean over into her personal bubble. He dropped his controller and tenderly slid his hand to the side of her face so she wouldn't turn away. Namine didn't know what to do, her brain stunned at the intimate proximity. Roxas put his other arm on the couch, by her waist, as he turned his whole body on her. It seemed to go so slow, with Roxas making sure that Namine was comfortable and wouldn't freak out. However, she did anyways as his soft lips met her nervous ones.
Namine couldn't explain what happened to her body after that. All she felt was his gentle lips on hers, all her breath leaving her lungs, and the bubbling butterfly feeling at the bottom of her stomach. Instinct took over as her arm wrapped around his neck, her fingers softly grazing his smooth hair and pulling him closer. Roxas sighed in their kiss when their bodies made contact, Namine uncrossing her legs so they could get closer. Roxas leaned over her as their lips melted into each other. He could faintly taste the sea-salt ice cream on her lips from before. He smirked as he gently pulled away, trying to restrain himself so they didn't go too fast.
"Now you know, it takes two people to kiss," Roxas said, grinning like an idiot.
Namine turned her glaze, trying to hide her blush. She didn't feel what the songs said she would, but she did feel something. It was like when you run a marathon and the last few steps to the finish line are in site. It was like getting on a roller coaster, even though you were so scared, and the adrenaline kicks in. It was like ice cream on a blazing hot summer day…
However, it wasn't the slice of heaven she had been promised.
It was more of a friend, in Namine's opinion. She wasn't too disappointed to have shared that with Roxas, but she didn't feel any different.
'I guess he was right… First kisses are overrated,' she thought, smiling when she realized that she didn't miss too much.
"So, what do you think?"
Namine looked back at her friend, who had already picked up his controller and getting ready to win the match between them. She smiled as she thought, touching her lips with her fingertips. Then she beamed and picked up her controller.
"I think we're gonna win this."
A/N- So, I'm overwelmed by the response this story is getting! Seriously, there were people who reviewed, alerted, and favored this story that I didn't even think would even click it! :D Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! (Well, actually, it would be from the middle, since the bottom is... well, the bottom)
In other news: I'm sick again. But this is kinda good news since I actually do my homework when I'm sick in bed, write my stories(yes, I'm working on Road Trip as I type), and I browse the internet like crazy...
AND I found this awesome site that was MADE of awesome! (literally). Its called Nerdfighters (anyone heard of this?) And after watching a couple of there vids (and staying up the all whole night and still not done...) I decided that I'm a nerdfighter! :D So, as a baby nerdfighter, I think you should tell me what you think about this? Or if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you should check them out. The two brothers are highly admirable (like there my heros!) and they're extremely funny! :D
So is Team Starkid!
Anyways, Fridays are the new update day for this story, so reviews are welcomed and hope to hear from you! Until next Friday!
~Nami
