Chapter 10: Catalysts and Stimuli
Kairi called it a development.
Sora called it regression.
Naminé and Roxas called it a return to normalcy.
A few days passed since that night, and Sora and Kairi spent much of that time in each other's presence. As it would follow, Roxas and Naminé spent that time together too, not including the hours Roxas was at work.
Roxas— though he would never admit it— actually liked the fact that he had an excuse to hang out with Naminé. What started out as an inconvenience for him turned into something that worked in his favor. He wouldn't say that they were growing closer, or developing an understanding between them. Rather, he just liked how he could tell her anything without punishment. If he thought her driving sucked, he said so. If he thought her room was messy, he called her out on it. If he thought she was being lazy, he'd tell her to get up and make him a sandwich.
She'd always kick him out for that last one, which was fair. They always got a reaction out of her.
Naminé, on the other hand, actually came to expect Roxas to come by anytime Sora was around. Though, she would never ask Sora why Roxas wasn't present with him— that would make it look like she wanted him there— and she had a feeling that he was only gone because of work. She'd never admit it, but being able to talk to someone without holding back was refreshing. If she wanted to judge Roxas, she could. If she thought he was being mean, she'd call him a name. If she thought he laughed like a girl, she made fun of him for it. If she thought he was overcompensating, she'd tell him— in a tone suited for a reminder— that it's okay to be below average.
That one was usually her trump card. He took it rather personally.
They never had a boring moment either, something that intrigued them both. It was rather noticeable; when a conversation died, they'd find a way to talk again. It was usually connected by an insult, but what did that matter when they were having fun?
"Hey! Naminé!" Roxas called as he entered the house. He didn't bother to greet his brother and Kairi sitting on the couch. They didn't seem to mind: both of them were looking at pictures on Kairi's laptop, too engrossed to care.
"I'm not in my room! I'm outside!"
"Your logic is as sharp as always." Roxas pushed the bedroom door open and crossed his arms with a smirk. He leaned against the door frame.
"It was worth a try. Maybe I'd get lucky and actually get rid of you." Naminé closed her laptop, unable to resist the smile that came to her face. "What do you want?"
"Oh, right. I forgot to bow and respectfully state my desires." He pushed off the wall and stood at the end of her bed. "Do you remember a couple days ago when you offered me dinner? I'm taking you up on the offer, but replacing it with lunch. I'll even carry you to your throne room. Or kitchen, whatever you want to call it."
"Do you really not learn anything?" Naminé got out of her bed and walked up to Roxas, attempting to shove him out of her room. "I swear, you're like some stupid creature who doesn't understand the concept of consequence or punishment. Even the simplest of animals have demonstrated the capacity to learn."
"That's rather haughty of you. A moment out of your presence is a blessing, not a punishment." Roxas didn't budge as Naminé pressed her hands to his shoulders and shoved.
"I'm about to kick you where it should hurt. You know, where something should be."
"Well if there's nothing there, why don't you do it?" Roxas smirked cockily.
"Okay." Naminé lifted her knee, but Roxas's hands came down faster, blocking it from making contact. She looked up at his shocked face. "You don't look as smug as before."
"You actually tried to knee me!"
"You just said I could!" This time, when Naminé put her hands on Roxas's shoulders and pushed, he moved back. "Now, out of my room."
"Wait." Roxas gripped Naminé's wrists. "Now that you're up, you're coming with me."
"I'm not going anywhere. You can't make me either."
"But I can. Watch." Roxas pulled on Naminé's arms, effortlessly dragging her along. She instantly regretted putting socks on. Apparently this meant that she would have to change her habit of wearing them when she thought she wasn't going out. "See? Easy."
"You're going to drag me out of my own home? And then what, Roxas? Are you gonna throw me in the car too?"
"Yeah, and then take you with me to lunch."
Naminé blinked. "What?"
"D-Did I s-stutter?" Roxas smirked again. He didn't bother repeating himself. "Think of this as me making up for that rain-check a couple days ago."
"We were trying to be nice to each other. They don't count." Naminé attempted to free her arms, but failed. She stared at Roxas, wondering if he was actually telling the truth.
"Of course they count! You think I'm going to let you off the hook that easily? You will make me a sandwich one day—"
This time, Roxas wasn't quick enough to block the attack. Naminé's knee connected with its target. Roxas doubled over, choking down gasps of pain.
"Well," Naminé wiped her hands together and turned to walk back into her room. "If you're actually telling the truth, then don't drag me out of my room without letting me get ready."
"I… changed my mind. I'm dumping your body off in a river somewhere."
"Is that after you've successfully suffocated me with a plastic bag?" Naminé smiled gleefully.
"Yeah. That's also after I've punched you in the ovaries," Roxas wheezed.
"Hmm." Before Naminé closed the door, she looked out to get the last word. "I'd like to see you try."
As it turned out, Naminé was still breathing twenty minutes later. Sure, she was in a car with Roxas, but her life wasn't in any real danger. Her ovaries were still intact, after all.
"So where are we going?"
"We're meeting my friends at a Japanese restaurant," Roxas answered.
"Why do I have to meet your friends?"
"So I can embarrass you in front of them. They'll even side with me," Roxas joked.
"Imaginary friends are usually on the side of those who allow them to exist," Naminé said. "Have I met any of them before?"
"You met Xion. Why, are you nervous already?"
"Hardly. It's a lunch with you and Xion. Don't pretend you have more friends." Naminé stuck her tongue out at Roxas.
"Zexion will be there too. I'm pretty sure you met him. Axel and Demyx said they'd show up as well. They were the DJs from Club Spades."
"I see." Naminé nodded. She still had no idea why he dragged her along. "So how do I fit into the picture?"
"Like I said, I'm going to embarrass you. I like to call them my smart friends. Every time I meet up with these guys, we have a lovely table discussion on anything relevant to us."
"So you guys debate over video games, music, and what… ice cream flavors?" Naminé teased. "Doesn't sound too stimulating."
"We have talked about all those topics before, but who knows what it'll be this time?" Roxas shrugged. "I wonder if you'll be able to keep up. Everyone is expected to participate, with the exception of Demyx."
"Why does he get to sit and watch?"
"Because he never has anything worthwhile to say. Trust me, we look down upon that." Roxas pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. "We're here. For your sake, I hope we talk about rich people problems. Maybe we'll discuss table manners and dress codes."
"Ha. Very funny."
The pair of blondes entered the restaurant, the smell of Japanese cooking immediately invading their senses. Roxas craned his neck until he found his friends.
"There they are." Naminé just followed him deeper into the restaurant until she recognized Xion and Zexion. The other two guys at the table looked older than the rest: Naminé assumed they were Axel and Demyx.
"Ah, so this must be Naminé!" The redhead stood up, stretching his hand to her. "The name's Axel."
"Naminé." She took his hand and shook it tentatively.
"I know. Roxas told me a lot about you. You're a lot prettier than he described."
Roxas broke up the handshake, swatting Axel's hand away. "Let's not, Axel."
"How did he describe me?" Naminé asked curiously.
"He said you had the personality of a troll, but your looks—"
"Match it." Roxas finished, silencing his best friend. "I know you find Axel enchanting, but he's taken."
Naminé glared at Roxas. "I wasn't interested."
"Of course not." Roxas rolled his eyes. "That's Demyx." He pointed to the one sitting next to Axel. Demyx mirrored Axel's actions, minus the conversation. He seemed all too interested in the menu.
"Hello, Xion. And Zexion, right?" Naminé asked the boy to the left of Xion as she sat down at the round table. He nodded.
"Naminé, it's a pleasure to see you again."
"Hey! Took you guys long enough." Xion smiled. Naminé took the vacant seat next to her, with Roxas sitting to her right. "I already got you guys your drinks. The waiter should be back in a bit for your orders."
"Perfect." Roxas immediately started on his soda. "So before we have a discussion, I have a few announcements."
"Are they good announcements?"
Roxas shook his head. "Depends on how you look at it, Axel. Good news or bad news first?"
"Bad," everyone said at the same time.
"The bad news is that paintballing next week is canceled and rescheduled for a later date. Sorry guys," Roxas apologized to Zexion and Demyx, who didn't even react to the news. "It has something to do with Xion and Axel."
"What's the good news?"
"The good news is that everyone is now invited to paintball." When Axel and Xion didn't really cheer, Roxas added, "And our three-on-three match against Sora, Riku and Kairi is being replaced with a laser tag match tomorrow."
"Yes!" Xion cheered. "I still get to shoot people!"
"I'll take that." Axel shrugged. "As long as we get our rematch, I'm fine with it."
"Can I ask why paintball was canceled?" Xion raised her hand.
"Sora, Kairi and Riku have an island to clean up. Selphie wants to throw a huge party on Play Island. All of you are invited. It's in two days."
Naminé was surprised by the news. Her sister didn't mention anything about this.
"The last thing I want to do is see all of your… weird friends," Zexion commented dryly. "I'll be skipping."
"Demyx and I actually have to work that night." Axel shrugged apologetically. "Wish we could go."
"Yeah, how are you guys going to get your alcohol now?" Demyx teased.
"You're asking the wrong guy." Roxas shook his head.
"Knowing Riku and Selphie," Xion chimed, "I don't think that will be a problem."
The waiter returned to the table to take everyone's orders. With the menus out of the way, the small group was left to sit and stare at their drinks while no one spoke. It was Demyx who broke the silence.
"Whose turn is it this week? I think I picked the last topic, so it's definitely not me."
"It's Xion's." Zexion mumbled as he placed his napkin over his lap. "So what's the topic for today?"
"How about relationships?" Xion offered. Everyone stared at her blankly. "The topic of today's discussion is relationships, with a focus on dating, long distance, and commitment."
"Wow. This is going to get really rough…" Axel chuckled. "I hope we're all still friends after this."
"Didn't we discuss this before?" Roxas looked around the table.
"The last time we did, we had to cut it short," Xion answered. "So I'm bringing it back."
"Well Naminé hasn't spoken up in a while." Axel smiled shrewdly. "and we don't know her opinion either. Wanna start with her?"
Naminé opened her mouth to reply, but someone cut her off.
"I think it'd be better if one of us started." Roxas leaned forward in his seat, staring at his best friend. "I think that it'd be fairer if we showed her the ropes."
"Roxas, I think she knows how to debate a topic."
"Still—"
"Why don't I go first since I have one opinion on anything and everything about relationships?" Zexion interrupted the two. Everyone at the table turned to him. "Thank you."
"Your opinion, Zexion?" Xion sipped her drink, waiting for his answer.
"Relationships are useless. If you need another person to be happy, then you've obviously got problems. Dating therefore, whether seriously or for fun, is a waste of time. Time is better spent pursuing what you desire most."
"What if you desire the opposite—or same—sex the most? What if your biggest endeavor was to find love?" Axel smirked.
"Then it goes back to what I said before this: if you need another person to be happy, you have problems." Zexion crossed his arms. "Long distance dating? Don't make me laugh. How could you possibly say you're in a relationship with someone if you see them once in a while? Are you really dating someone you see only twelve times a year? Most of the time it's less. It's stupid and delusional. As for commitment… perhaps you should commit yourself to more important things. I do think, however, that commitment is underrated."
"That's probably the only non-offensive thing you said in your whole tirade." Axel shook his head, chuckling to himself.
"We're all entitled to our opinions, and we don't have to agree with each other. If anything, I think it's great that we don't see the same way in every subject. We're still friends despite that." Xion defended Zexion.
Naminé was a little taken aback. Not only was Zexion's opinion well-thought and articulate, but it was rather… belittling and forward. Nobody seemed to be affected by how spiteful Zexion seemed though; Axel even seemed to find it entertaining. She stole a glance at Roxas. He merely stared at Zexion, his head resting on his propped fist.
"So who wants to go next?" Xion looked around the table excitedly. When nobody responded, she looked to her best friend. "Roxas, your turn."
He sighed, sitting up straight and folding his hands on the table. He took a deep breath before beginning. "Well for starters, I don't think relationships are useless." He looked at Zexion, who merely raised his shoulders in indifference. Roxas continued, "I think it's part of our nature to want to belong somewhere and to be accepted by a person. I know there are people who have learned to ignore that desire to be wanted, like Zexion here, but I think most of us want to find someone."
"Boring! I didn't know you were going to read us your latest romance novel," Axel teased Roxas, throwing his straw wrapper in his direction. Roxas merely laughed and threw it back.
"On that note, however, I have to agree with Zexion to some extent. I think it's bad to depend on someone else for your happiness, but at the same time I think there's a partner for everyone that can bring out the best of you." Roxas continued to stare at his hands as he articulated his opinions. "I don't mean to sound corny or anything, but I really do think that you can find your 'other half' in someone else."
"So overall, you think relationships can be worthwhile?" Xion prodded.
"Yeah, but under certain circumstances. I don't think dating for fun or 'just because' is worthwhile. I think that's going back to where I agree with Zexion. People who do that are exactly as Zexion described."
"Man, you guys are vicious." Axel smiled at everyone. "So what about long distance relationships, Roxas? Yay or nay?"
"I think that depends on the couple. I'd go so far as to say that depends on the person, actually. My understanding, though, is that long distance doesn't work. But don't attack me now. I don't really have an opinion on it. If you think you can handle it, by all means try it."
"Would you try it?" Zexion asked.
"Depends on the person." Roxas smirked.
"And what about commitment?" Xion brought up the last topic.
"I think it's underrated."
"Of course you do. You're a guy." Xion rolled her eyes.
"That's an unfair judgment." Roxas looked down at his hands again. "How many people cheat? How many people get divorced? I mean, at least two of us at this table have divorced parents."
"Your parents are divorced?" Xion asked Naminé. The blonde blinked, realizing that she had a question to answer. "Oh, wait. That was rude of me. Sorry."
"Y-Yeah. It's why we moved. My parents are still on good terms though, it... it just didn't work out." Naminé shut her mouth as soon as she was finished.
"Well that's good. You don't seem to be a screw-up like me. Your parents must've handled that well." Axel leaned back in his chair with a smile.
"Let's get back to the topic before Axel starts asking for 'divorce-survivor' high-fives." Xion rubbed her forehead.
"Well I'm pretty much done." Roxas shrugged. "All I had left to say was that so many people cheat and girls don't realize they have a committed guy until they kick 'em to the curb."
"Oh yeah, because all is fine and dandy as long as the guy is committed right? That's all it takes."
"I didn't say that, Xion. I'm just saying that some people don't know how to be happy with a partner who's completely devoted. There's always a point in the relationship where love isn't enough anymore."
"Amen, brother!" Axel shouted loudly. Everyone at the table looked at him. "Oh, sorry. Personal experience has proven Roxas's words true. Carry on."
"Well, I think it's finally Naminé's turn!" Xion turned excitedly to the blonde. "Or do you need more time to get your thoughts together? We've talked about this before, so we've had our opinions formulated for a while. You can pass if you'd like."
"I think I can go." Naminé looked around the table timidly. Roxas stared at her, his expression unreadable.
"Great! I'll break it up into a few questions to make it a little more specific. Let's see…" Xion pressed a finger to her cheek as she thought. "What's your opinion on relationships? Don't be afraid to offend anyone. We live off that here."
"I promise on behalf of all of us that we will not attempt to cut you at any point in this conversation, nor will we try after it." Axel raised his right hand in the air as he pledged. "Besides, I'm sure we'll have to get through Roxas if we want anything to do with you," The redhead added quickly.
The younger boy glared at his best friend. "Axel…"
"Problem?"
"Enough, boys. It's Naminé's turn." Xion looked at the blonde. "The floor is yours."
Naminé cleared her throat as she looked at the five pairs of eyes trained on her. She hated the attention. "Um… relationships, right?"
"Yup."
"Okay…" The blonde sighed slowly, trying to compose her thoughts. "I think that… I think that relationships are actually important, even failed ones. While I do think it's unhealthy to depend on others for happiness, at the same time I see happiness in like this… this measurable threshold, I guess. Like we can achieve a certain happiness on our own, but I guess that level goes up when you let another person enter your life." Naminé demonstrated her thoughts with her hands, holding one hand at a higher height than the other.
"Do you think that extra happiness is necessary though? It's all the same to me," Zexion queried.
"I don't think it's necessary, but I think it's great if someone is capable of achieving that highest level of happiness on their own. But I also think that sharing it with someone else has more potential. I consider myself a happy person, for example. But when I see a couple— like my sister and Sora—"
"Wait, are they going out now?" Axel interrupted.
"Totally. They've never said it outright nor made it online official, but they are," Xion answered.
"I feel left out of the loop. Someone congratulate them for me. Good for them!"
Naminé giggled. "I'll let them know they have your blessing."
"Awesome."
"Naminé was saying something before you interrupted her." Zexion brought the topic back up.
"Right. I was going to say that when I see my sister, I can't help but wonder what it'd be like to feel what she feels. I'm happy and satisfied right now, but I think my sister is happier than she's ever been. I hear that from a lot of people who are dating too. It's not that they were unhappy without someone; rather, they were happy and became happier when they found someone."
"With that potential happiness, though, comes the same potential for pain," Roxas added. "Is it really worth the chance?"
"I think so. You can't possibly let someone completely in without subjecting yourself to potential sadness. Would you put your feelings on the line just for the chance that they might be returned?" She looked Roxas right in the eye.
"Probably." He shrugged. They quickly looked away from each other.
"So yeah… that's about it for me." Naminé shrugged, finding her lap very interesting.
"What about long distance relationships? Good, bad?"
"I probably have to agree with Zexion on that one."
"So are Sora and Kairi doomed to fail?" Xion asked. "They're bound to be separated at the end of this summer."
"Oh…" Naminé felt like she fell into a trap. "I think their circumstances are different. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but they seemed to handle separation rather well. It's not like they ever grew apart with the distance."
"Good point." Xion nodded. "So not all long distance relationships are a joke?"
"I guess not. I'm not about to call my sister's relationship a joke, so… yeah. I guess I agree with Roxas in that it completely depends on the people involved."
"Excluding your sister, do you otherwise agree with Zexion?" Axel piped in.
"Probably."
"And would you ever enter a long distance relationship?" Zexion followed up.
"Probably not," Naminé replied quickly. "I don't think I could handle one."
"So what about dating for fun?" Roxas asked.
"I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. I assume all dating is fun."
"He's basically asking you if you think people who don't really know if they like each other should date," Xion clarified. "You know, dating to figure out if you're compatible."
"Oh!" Naminé shifted in her seat a bit. "This is actually something I talked about before then!"
"Well that's good. Now we'll know whether or not you've just been spouting our opinions back to us or if you actually have them." Despite the harshness, Zexion smiled at their newest participant. She smiled back.
"I think that dating 'just for fun' is a waste of time. I think that it's important to confirm your own feelings before ever asking someone out, since you never know if it's a passing crush or if it's actually a genuine interest."
"Good! We're getting some new material to work with now!" Xion said excitedly. "I have an example for you. Let's say this guy is super interested in you, but you don't really feel anything for him; at least, not yet. He asks you out: do you agree to go out with him?"
Naminé thought about it for a while before shaking her head. "So he likes me, but I don't like him?"
"Yup."
"Why so shifty, Roxas?" Axel called his friend out. "Getting a little uncomfortable there?"
"Xion's question seems awfully familiar, is all."
"This is a question for Naminé, Roxas. Not you."
"Just continue." Xion urged the blonde.
"I probably wouldn't go out with him."
"Really? Even though he's made it obvious that he likes you and everything?"
"I don't think I could earnestly date anyone I didn't like back."
"So you wouldn't give him a chance to see if you'd eventually come to like him?" Axel asked, just as surprised as Xion.
"That's just me though!" Naminé defended. "I just think that I have to be friends with this person first—"
"Well what if you are friends?" Xion added the detail into the situation.
"And I didn't like this friend romantically? Then I definitely wouldn't go out with him."
"Whoa!"
"Wow, somebody has high standards," Xion and Axel teased.
"I just think that if I don't develop feelings for this guy while he's my friend, then I probably won't ever. I think it's very important to start off as friends first. I don't think I would ever date a guy who I didn't consider my best friend."
"Wow. Bless the boy who goes after Naminé's heart." Axel tried to quell his own laughter, covering his mouth with his hands.
"I used to tell Kairi all the time that she shouldn't go out with guys who she wasn't already good friends with. She dated these two guys in the past 'to give them a chance' and look how that turned out." Naminé looked around the table, noticing that everyone was listening again. "Now she's dating her best friend."
Everyone at the table looked at each other, wordlessly communicating. Naminé felt like they were sending telepathic messages to each other about her recently expressed opinion.
"Okay, I'll ask it," Xion said with finality. "Naminé, how many guys have you denied?"
"I'm sorry?"
"How many guys have asked you out, only to be turned down?"
Naminé's face grew hot. "How is this important?"
"Because it'll give us some insight." Zexion said with a mysterious smile.
"I don't see how…"
"Then just answer and we'll tell you after!" Xion suggested.
Naminé stared at her lap, suddenly feeling ashamed. "I-I don't know. Five? Six? Something like that…"
Most of the table occupants roared in laughter. Naminé felt even more out of place, suddenly feeling like she said something wrong.
"Six?" Axel asked, more shocked than anyone.
"That's half a dozen guys!"
"Thank you, Demyx. It's always nice to see you're able to associate words with numbers."
"Don't be mean, Zexion." Xion turned to Naminé, fighting down a smile. "You've rejected six guys? Is this just in high school?"
"Y-Yeah… but they were all these random guys that I didn't really know. They probably just thought I was easy."
"Naminé, that is not the reason why they asked you out." Axel pointed at her with his unbroken chopsticks.
"If it was, they would have stopped at two or three. They would've gotten the message that you weren't going to have any of that stuff."
"Well why did so many people approach me if they knew I wasn't easy?"
Axel, Xion, and Zexion all traded looks. The last boy sighed when his two friends teamed up on him. "Fine, I'll say it."
"Say what?" Naminé was again left confused by the wordless conversations.
"What everyone at this table is thinking. Unfortunately, I'm the only one who can say it without sounding like a pedophile, or like I'm trying to come onto you."
"Well, what is it?"
"I don't wanna say. It's a little hurtful."
"I'd like to know what everyone is thinking."
Zexion sighed. "Fine. The reason why so many guys asked you out is not because they thought you were easy. They— like everyone at this table— thought you were gorgeous."
Naminé blinked. What?
"And I think that might've shaped your opinions… just saying…" Xion shrugged awkwardly.
Naminé let out an uncomfortable laugh. Why would they even say that? "Are you guys being serious?"
"We are. Whether you recognize it or not, you're rather attractive." Zexion said informatively. Naminé understood why they cornered their gay friend to say it. Coming from anyone else, that line would have made her infinitely more uncomfortable.
"Does everyone think that? I'm sure—" Naminé paused when she saw Roxas staring at her. "Do you—"
To her embarrassment, Roxas blushed and looked away.
He blushed.
Oh. Naminé quickly looked away too. Oh.
So Roxas apparently was thinking that too. The grand revelation made Naminé feel funny. Roxas thought she was… attractive?
"I wish I had the luxury of turning down six guys."
"Same here, and I'm not even gay!" Axel joked with Xion.
"Okay, we can stop teasing her about this now!" Roxas stepped in, ending the jokes being traded among the group. "Besides, I could just as easily say that all of your opinions are shaped by your experiences too."
"Aww, we know!" Xion placed her hand on Naminé's shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Sorry, Naminé. That was rude of us. I just… I just had to ask because you made it seem like dating is some sort of sacred thing."
Naminé shifted in her seat. "I wouldn't go so far as to call it sacred, but I think it needs to be held in high regard. I'm not going to just waste my feelings on someone."
"I understand what you mean! I just have a completely different view on it all," Xion said.
"Damn Naminé, you must be the only hot girl in your school if you had the chance to deny six guys…"
"Axel, we're done with that," Roxas said sternly.
"Just saying…"
"So does everyone think I'm never going to get a boyfriend or something?"
"Not exactly," Zexion answered.
Naminé stared him down. "If that's what everyone's thinking, then just tell me. I'm used to Roxas putting me down, so I can certainly take his friends. Besides, I'm perfectly fine by myself—"
"We're not saying you'll never have a boyfriend, Naminé," Axel stated calmly. "We're saying that when you do have one, he'll be a really good one. A genuine guy."
"Surely that's the case, if he's willing to jump through so many loops to be with you. I think it's great that you have such standards and expectations. You're not going to settle, and you'll only date a guy who genuinely likes you."
Naminé sat back. She realized that she was starting to get defensive and immediately blushed. It appeared that she actually wasn't ready for them to tease her like that, even though everyone who had spoken had been put in the hot seat.
"It's just the way we are." She heard Roxas say from her right. She met his eyes. "The person who has the floor is subject to torture. I knew it was going to be too much for you…"
Naminé didn't recognize any spite or teasing in his voice. In fact, it almost seemed regretful. A desire to appear strong and unaffected washed over her; she leaned closer to him. "Whatever you think I'm going through, I'm fine." She allowed herself to smile. "I've put up with you for years. Do you think a couple comments from your cronies are enough to put me down?"
Roxas smirked back.
"What are you two whispering about?" Xion drew attention to the blond pair. "It's my turn to go, so I'd appreciate the attention."
"Well I had to wait for you and Axel to stop arguing over Naminé's opinions." Roxas held his hand out for Xion to continue. "Let's hear it."
"Well first off, I think dating for fun is a great idea. I don't know if any of you guys noticed, but I'm sixteen. I'm not looking for a husband right now. I just want to have fun."
"Maybe that's what attracts Riku," Roxas mumbled. Naminé was the only one who heard.
"That being said, I still think that anyone can date for fun. Roxas, do you know what your type is?"
"I wouldn't say so."
"What about you, Naminé? Do you have a 'type' that you're aware of?"
"I have an idea, but nothing's set in stone," she answered cautiously.
"That's the point I'm making here: I think dating around is healthy for your ultimate relationship. How are you supposed to know what you like if you only date one person all your life?"
"So you're saying that people should date as many people as possible like there's no tomorrow?" Axel suggested.
"Absolutely not. What I am saying, though, is that you shouldn't limit yourself so early. I don't mean to call you out, Naminé, but I need to use you as an example." Xion looked at the blonde apologetically before continuing, "Unlike you, I think that giving others chances is something we should do. People go on and on all day about how they can't find a decent partner. Obviously they're dating assholes that they're attracted to. But what about the person who's not as physically attractive, but is willing to— dare I say it— commit to an exclusive relationship?"
"Well maybe they should work on not being ugly." Axel raised his hand for a high five, but nobody gave him one. "Aww, c'mon. It wasn't that inappropriate."
"As I was saying," Xion recovered their attention, "limiting yourself to only dating guys you are completely sure you like and guys that you know like you back really limits your horizons."
"I wasn't saying that you should completely limit yourself off," Naminé interjected, "I was saying that it's better to date someone after you've gotten to know them better and you've decided that you're willing to put your feelings on the line for them."
"I know, and I respect that!" Xion said quickly. "But you said that it's better to date after becoming best friends. How can you be so sure that this guy is going to be your type? What if the jump from best friend to boyfriend shows you that he's not the kind of guy you're looking for?"
"It's never a sure thing, but I can make the same argument in that if the guy is your best friend, you'll have an idea on the type of guy he is," Naminé returned. "And I hate to use you an example, but don't you have an idea of what kind of guy Roxas is? I know you don't know what it's like to date him, but you know him well enough to make what you believe are safe assumptions, right?"
Xion's eyes flashed. "Good point."
"That is a good point. I like it," Axel conceded. Naminé smiled weakly.
"I still think it's a good idea to date around. You won't find out what's best for you until you discover what you like. You're also missing out on a lot of potential fun."
"That may be the case, but I'm willing to wait for the right guy to come along. From what I can tell, all I'm missing out on is learning how to deal with a break-up," Naminé spoke again.
"Again, good point. But let's be realistic here: there are nearly seven billion people in the world. Let's say three billion are potential guys for you. Are you telling me that you'll find the guy that's perfect for you on your first try, without looking? Are you really going to bet on the chance that this guy— this one-in-billions guy— just happens to walk by within the first sixteen years of your life, happens to be in some accessible place, and happens to be perfect for you all at once?"
"I'm going to speak up and say that I'm with Xion on this one," Axel added. "That's why I keep telling you guys not to lock yourself down so early."
Naminé shook her head. "It's highly improbable, and I recognize that. But I also think that no one is really 'perfect' for me. I do think, though, that the guy I do decide to go out with would be the closest thing to it."
Before anyone could add to the conversation, the food arrived. Naminé realized that the waiting time felt significantly shorter thanks to a topic that had everyone conversing the whole time. She'd have to adopt the time-passing method and apply it to her own friend groups. It was too much fun.
"Did you seriously order a burger at a Japanese restaurant?" Roxas stared at Axel's plate in disgust. "Out of everything you could've have ordered, you got a hamburger?"
"Hey, this isn't just a hamburger. This is kobe beef. This stuff is legit." Axel said, slightly insulted. His eyes widened considerably. "Guys! Guys, I got something!"
Everyone paused, taken aback by Axel's sudden burst of enthusiasm. "Something wrong?" Demyx asked.
"Commitment is like eating a huge hamburger when you're full!"
Xion, Zexion, and Roxas groaned at the same time.
"Here we go…"
"Not this shit again…"
"Did he seriously just say that?"
Naminé looked confused, but remained quiet. Demyx, on the other hand, stared at Axel like he said the quote of the century.
"How so?" The older male sitting next to Axel was completely intrigued.
"Well, think of it this way. Let's say I'm full, but I still have this burger in front of me," Axel began. "Don't I look like a complete tool if I cut the burger in half?"
Roxas rolled his eyes. "Yes. But how does this relate to commitment?"
"But that's it! Cutting this burger in half is like going back on a commitment, but eating all of it— despite the fact that I may be full— is like anyone who seriously knows how to stick it. Any man who dares to cut a burger in half is a guy who's always looking for that back door escape. There is no back-up plan or 'let's save this burger for later.' You either eat the burger entirely, or you sit in shame for being unable to finish it."
"I do not understand this analogy," Xion continued eating her food.
"This is beyond relationship commitment, guys. This is commitment in general. Cutting the burger in half is like half-committing to someone or something. When you don't fully devote yourself, you would have done just as well if you didn't give a damn." Axel explained further, "Think about it. You better finish this burger even if it gives you explosive diarrhea later. Why? Because you are a man and you ordered it! That's like taking the commitment!"
"I think I'm following you now." Xion nodded slowly.
"No matter what, you better eat the whole thing. If you go one way and you can't go back, you have to see it through. If you have to jump over a pit of spikes— let's equate that to a relationship— and you half-commit to the jump, are you going to make it? Hell no! You're going to fall and puncture your organs! It's the same way with tackling a problem in a relationship! If you're dating someone and you want to back out any time you reach a roadblock, not only do you look like a total douche for wanting to avoid it, but you also won't get past it without working through it!"
"I think he's actually onto something…" Roxas mumbled through a full mouth.
"I thought we were talking about food, but apparently spike pits are all the rage now." Zexion rolled his eyes.
"There won't be a problem-free relationship. Ever. It's a given. But you wanna know what sets apart the couples that stay together and the ones who don't? The ability to work through any problem— if we were still running with the spikes, then it's the ability to jump over every pit— and the commitment to work things out. I know that's debatable, since sometimes splitting and divorce are the better choices, but just think about it. I wouldn't be dating Larxene right now if I didn't look for ways to work around our problems. Even when it was really shitty, I stuck to my guns."
"You were full, but you still ate the hamburger!" Demyx said excitedly.
"Exactly! And that's why I think the best relationships are built on a strong foundation of commitment from both parties. Xion, I already know you think commitment is overrated and guys are just looking for an excuse to stop trying—"
"I don't see why the wooing has to stop when the guy gets his girl," Xion said. Naminé quietly agreed with her, signaled by a meeting of eyes.
"— but at the same time, isn't it amazing? I think it's hard to find that person. I don't think finding a person who will commit is hard— there are tons of guys and girls who do— but there are only a handful that will devote themselves entirely to you, the individual. That guy or girl is probably the one-in-millions person we were discussing earlier. He who is willing to commit wholly to you is the 'it' guy."
The table was silent for a moment as everyone processed Axel's word. The redhead smiled in satisfaction before digging into his burger. He was confident he got his view across.
"You know, that was actually… that was actually admirable." Roxas shrugged. "I'm actually impressed."
"Same here. I thought it was going to be another fail, but that actually came through in the end," Xion agreed.
Zexion nodded. "You're obviously capable of higher thought, and you apparently have a very thought-out view on this subject. Why you choose to dress it up with awful analogies is beyond me. You have so much potential… "
"Yet you sound like an idiot half the time," Xion finished.
"Hey, as long as you guys understand what I'm trying to say."
"I think we do," Demyx said happily. "Though that was a really weird way of expressing how hungry you were."
"What the hell is he talking about?" Zexion covered his face in shame.
Naminé could only giggle at the group's antics. Looks like Roxas had an intelligent group of friends after all. "As unnecessary as that analogy was, I think I'm right in saying that most of us understood what you were saying, Axel."
Naminé actually wanted to talk with everyone more by the time lunch ended. She didn't think Roxas was being serious when he said that they talked about relevant topics; she was delightfully mistaken. And even though she had to pay for herself at the end— therefore the meal, she argued, did not make up for the dinner offer Roxas made when he was trying to be nice— she had a lot of fun.
"You know, you didn't do half bad. I expected you to cower and sit there silently, but you surprised me."
Naminé looked over at Roxas, surprised over what he had just admitted. "It involved topics I had strong feelings about."
"I think what was more surprising was that I agreed with most of what you had to say." The two walked to Naminé's car, already separated from Roxas's friends. "You sure have some strange views."
"I think the best part of it is that I still like all your friends, despite how differently they seem to view things." Naminé got into the hot car, immediately rolling the windows down. "It's weird. I used to think that only I had the right idea, but I see their points. I never really thought the same way as Xion explained— and she didn't change my mind or anything— but it was pretty enlightening. To each her own, I guess."
"Yeah, but you seemed to agree very strongly with her on a particular topic."
Naminé laughed. "You're a typical guy if you think you can stop trying after you get a girl. And don't you dare say 'at least the guy doesn't cheat.' That is such a double-standard and I don't even wanna go there."
"I don't want you to go there either. I'll never hear the end of it from you." Roxas chuckled as he drove out of the parking lot. "You're so freaking opinionated it's unbelievable."
"I don't express these opinions until I'm asked."
"Well you were about to go off when I never really asked."
"Maybe I want to annoy you. Ever think of that?"
"Contrary to what you believe, I don't like thinking about you. It's nauseating."
Roxas froze. That could've been interpreted in multiple ways. Luckily, Naminé didn't seem to notice.
"Where are we going? This isn't the route we took from the house." The blonde looked at their passing surroundings.
"We're getting ice cream. Don't worry, I'm paying."
Naminé narrowed her eyes. "You know, you don't have to go through with making up for the dinner you offered. For starters, I sure as hell don't want to make you dinner. Second, buying me a cup of ice cream is nowhere near the amount of food I would have eaten."
"I always knew you were spoiled. So she finally bares her teeth, eh?"
The blond girl next to him rolled her eyes. "Not even ice cream will make me enjoy this time with you."
"Well, I hope the taste of sea-salt ice cream is enough to keep me sane for the next twenty minutes." Roxas smiled back as he parked the car.
The pair made their way to the ice cream shop. They were delighted to see that the line was empty, so they quickly ordered. After ordering his ice cream, he took a step back so Naminé could go.
"I'll have cookie dough in a waffle cone, please."
"How many scoops?"
"Just one."
Roxas rolled his eyes and stepped forward. "No. Give her two scoops, please. I'm paying anyway, don't worry," he told the teen behind the counter. Naminé glared at him.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"You're like, ninety pounds. I think you can afford an extra scoop."
"I am not that light! And I just ate a whole lunch. I'm full."
"No you're not. You're still hungry. Otherwise, you wouldn't have finished your meal."
Naminé didn't get to say anything else and was forced to take her ice cream with a smile. Roxas paid like he said, leaving some change in the tip jar. The pair walked outside, walking over to a picnic table in the shade. While Naminé slid onto the bench like a normal person, Roxas chose to sit on the table.
"Great. It'll probably melt before I can finish it," Naminé grumbled. The ice cream was already beginning to liquefy.
"Better eat fast!" Roxas ate a huge chunk off his sea-salt ice cream bar. Naminé grimaced.
"What kind of ice cream is that?"
"Only the best in the world," Roxas said casually. "Why? You jealous now?"
"If I wanted your ice cream, I'd collect some water from the ocean and freeze it for later."
"It's not actually frozen seawater, you know."
"Really? I didn't know that."
"You can be a bitch about it if you'd like." Roxas chuckled at Naminé's reaction. "You don't have the right to bash it until you try it."
"That's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say. Does that mean I can't say running people over is bad until I've tried it? Don't be ridiculous."
"Way to twist my words."
"I exist to make you look stupid." Naminé smiled charmingly as she quickly licked her melting ice cream. "So do you have something against table benches, or do you always sit on the table like you're the only one here?"
"Don't you get it? To me, you don't fall under the category of 'person' at the table."
"Forget I asked." The two sat quietly for a while, both of them focused on finishing their ice cream. "Hey, Roxas."
"What?"
"In the car, you said we agreed on a lot of things. What exactly did you mean?"
Roxas shifted his weight for a second. After taking another bite of his ice cream, he answered. "I think it's a good idea to get to know a person before dating them, even though that's pretty much what dating is for. I would never randomly ask a girl for a date. And I don't know if I meant that I actually agreed with you: I might have just meant that I disagree with Xion on a lot of issues. I respect her opinions though. She has her reasons-good ones-for thinking what she does."
"What reasons would those be?"
"It's not my place to say. Just hang out with Xion more. You'll start to discover that she thinks about the near future a lot. She's spent a lot of time thinking about life too." Roxas didn't say anything more on the topic. Naminé got the feeling that she asked something personal, so she immediately dropped it.
Instead, she chose to pursue a different topic. "Before we left the restaurant— and after the talk about how overrated commitment is— Xion said something about you and Axel always teaming up on her. Are you closer to Axel than you are with Xion?"
Roxas laughed, shaking his head. "It's not like that at all. She was just referring to something in the past. But if you must know, I think I'm closer to Xion now since Axel has been away for a while. I was definitely closer to him before I met her though."
"What was Xion referring to then?"
Roxas raised a brow at Naminé. "I didn't know it was time to interview me."
"Well you can ask me anything you want later then. Or don't answer these, I don't care. We can sit here and talk about nothing if you'd like."
"You mean you'll shut up if I just ignore you?" Roxas smirked at her before continuing. "Xion thinks Axel and I have some sort of bromance. In reality, she's basing this off her own jealousy and a texting typo."
"A texting typo?" Naminé became interested when Roxas seemed to shy away from the topic. "Aren't you going to tell me?"
"Nope."
"Roxas!" The blonde glared at the boy. "You can't just not tell me."
"I'm doing that right now, in case you haven't noticed. Today I proved that I can defy your orders if I pleased. Sorry, princess."
"Seriously, Roxas."
The boy pressed his lips together. He was going to regret telling her. "Everyone already knows about it. It's nothing new."
"So tell me!"
He sighed. The reason as to why he was about to tell her escaped him. "All you need to know is that I played a prank on Axel. I got him all excited over something just to let him know it was a joke. Naturally, I found it hilarious, so the first thing I did was tell Xion. I told her what happened, she thought it was funny too, and as the conversation ended, I wanted to say 'God, I love fucking with Axel.' Unfortunately, I missed a word."
"No way…" Naminé smiled in anticipation. She had an idea of what the text might have said.
"Yes way. I sent my best friend a text that said 'God, I love fucking Axel.'"
Naminé burst out into a fit of laughter, nearly dropping her ice cream in the process. Roxas blushed, ignoring the girl that sat beside him. She clutched her sides, repeating the text every now and then, only to succumb to more laughing. Roxas couldn't do anything but wait it out.
"It's not that funny…" Roxas crossed his arms, tossing the wooden stick of his ice cream away. "It was a typo. Big deal."
"A typo? More like a Freudian slip! Ha!" Naminé suppressed another round of giggles with her mouth. "You and Axel… bahaha!"
"Oh for crying out loud…" Roxas had to sit through yet another minute of laughing. He knew he was going to regret telling her. Why did he even say anything in the first place?
"I… oh gosh, Roxas. That is way too funny!" Naminé finally seemed to calm down from her fit. "Please tell me that Xion still has that saved on her phone."
"It's already been deleted," Roxas said proudly.
"Why would you delete that?"
"Oh please, like you wouldn't? Get real." Despite himself, Roxas smiled. Naminé had never laughed like that because of him ever before. "So now that you know something embarrassing about me, it's your turn."
"I don't think I have a single event in my repertoire to match that." Naminé giggled.
"Think of something! And don't play that card. You would be the first person to have a ton of embarrassing stories."
"Why do you say that?"
"You strike me as the kind of person susceptible to those kinds of situations," Roxas explained. An idea suddenly hit him when his eyes found the parking lot. "Why don't you tell me how you barely passed your driver's license test?"
Naminé's eyes widened. "Oh."
The boy grinned devilishly, dropping onto the opposite table bench. "That's right. There has to be a story behind your awful driving."
"There is no story. Well, unless you count the fact that I…" Naminé trailed off, her words dropping in volume and turning into a jumbled mess.
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."
"You missed it? That's unfortunate."
"Naminé, I'm not taking no for an answer."
"Well you're going to have to, since I don't have a story about how I barely passed my driving test," Naminé said cryptically.
Roxas narrowed his eyes. "I hardly believe you passed with flying colors."
"You'd be correct to assume that. See? No story after all."
"Well how did you get your license then?"
"Kairi did."
"Well of course Kairi did— wait." Roxas paused. "There's a story behind this."
"Not really…" Naminé finished the last of her ice cream, wiping her hands casually with a napkin. "No story here."
"Just tell me already!"
The blonde huffed. "Fine. Kairi took my test for me and passed. Happy?"
Roxas gaped before a slow laugh took over "No way. You're being serious right now?"
"Nope. I actually just lied to you so you'd get off my case." Naminé looked away. "Can we talk about something else now?"
"Holy crap! You actually cheated on your driving test! How in the world do you pull that off?"
"With a little hair dye and a twin to do the driving for you. And I guess poor regulation on their part…"
"Don't you have to have a teacher drive with you at all times?"
"In Radiant Garden, all you have to do is have your permit for a year. They assume you get driving experience in that time frame. Then you go in for your driving test, which is basically fifteen minutes with a tester."
"So are you even on your driver's license picture?" Roxas asked curiously.
"Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot to include that you also need the willpower to hide out in a bathroom for a good half-hour until your sister gets back with the good news." Naminé shrugged.
"Wow." Roxas blinked slowly, still digesting the information. Wow. I can't wrap my mind around that. That is so… so…"
"Evil? Dangerous? Illegal? Deadly?"
"I was going to say badass, but all of those apply too." Roxas shrugged. "I can't believe you got away with that! I always knew you were a villain deep down!"
"Like you've never done something illegal before!" Naminé walked away from the table to throw away her napkins. Roxas followed her back to the car.
"I've never done anything that illegal! And I can't believe you got away with that! Where was the tester the whole time?"
"You've been to the DMV before. When are they not busy? Switching was the easy part."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have mad respect for you now. You're such a thug." Roxas joked as he ran away from a smack. "I knew you had the capacity, but I never knew you would actually do something like that."
"Aww, thanks. I always kind of knew you liked guys too. It doesn't surprise me that you'd come out to your best friend first either." Naminé smirked victoriously.
"Nothing's wrong with being gay. But you wanna know what is wrong? Illegally obtaining your license."
"I already regret telling you any of this."
A normal and casual banter filled the rest of the car ride home. Neither party imparted embarrassing information, even though both had eventually moved on from the topic and the traumatizing memories that came along with discussing it. They reached Naminé's house in twenty minutes, noticing Sora's car parked in the driveway. Roxas parked along the road.
"Hey, wait a second." Roxas locked the doors of the car before Naminé could get out. She turned to face him. "I was thinking about this a lot, and being the good person I am, I can't allow you to get on the road or get behind a wheel for now."
Naminé rolled her eyes and unlocked her door. "Boring! You already used all your jokes about it."
"Well I'm not done!" Roxas locked the doors again. Naminé huffed and crossed her arms. "Good. Since I love the world, I'm not allowing you to drive… at least, not until you allow me to teach you."
Naminé sat still, stunned into silence. Roxas unlocked the doors of the car and turned off the car like nothing unusual happened. "What did you just say?"
"I said that I'll teach you how to drive properly. That way, you won't be a hazard on the road anymore."
"Yeah, but what's the catch?"
"I already told you: I'm a good person and I care about the well-being of others." Naminé tilted her head, obviously unconvinced. "Fine, I'm looking for another opportunity to make fun of you. Happy?"
Naminé smiled. "Better." She exited the car.
"Is that a yes or a no?" Roxas called from the driver's side. Naminé turned around and flashed him a smile.
"I think I'll take you up on it. Heck, I think I'll do anything to make you scream like the little girl you are!" Roxas smiled back, tossing the car keys to her. He bit his lip to keep from laughing when Naminé failed to catch it.
"We'll start tomorrow then!" he said resolutely. "When you get inside, tell my brother that I'm ready to go."
"You're not going to stay a while?"
"Are you kidding me?" He slowly walked around the car until he was in front of Naminé. Looking down at her, he smirked confidently. "I've had enough of you for one day."
She gave him a hard shove, forcing him to step back to maintain his balance. "I get it: I'm too much for you to handle."
"You are high maintenance," Roxas admitted with a shrug. Naminé paused at the door, turning around one last time to get the final word.
"Don't think ice cream gets you off the hook. You still owe me dinner!"
She entered her house, closing the door behind her. Roxas could only shake his head and smile.
Maybe she was too much for him to handle.
Redeeming Endeavor: Thanks to anyone who added LPA or myself to their alerts/favorites list! I'm about to break 100 alerts. Knowing that so many people get a message that LPA is updated is awesome.
So, which third am I talking about? None other than Shire Folk, Ash09, Gear001, Sparkly Faerie, TwinToshiro, ResoluteResolve, Spellbound a.k.a soragirl4ever, Lupus7, Zoe the Hunter, YAYAY317, Handwritten, PEANUT v1.2, BlackKingdomKey2013, Draco Oblivion, Draconic, xFlows, Shan, the ultimate kh fan, dramamamapwnsall, SavedForever, elspoek1, LightSky, typewrite, roxasXnamine-ftw, Alecdot, mystery person , ChocoIsu, sora93kairi, maskedgirl3, Topaz Tsubasa, and shadowwulfx! Thank you so much for your feedback.
Chapter Data- Word Count: 9,957. Total Editing Time: 515 minutes.
Take care, and I'll see you around!