Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts officially belongs to Square Enix.

Sapphira-hime: Hey, I put a new poll in my profile. I just want to know the next story that I will write once I finish this fic. So if you have time and if it's not a bother, please vote. It will really help me to decide what to write next. Enjoy reading my dear readers!

Special Thanks to: My amazing beta-reader, ClanCrusher! Scarlet Temperament wouldn't be this successful without his help. I owe all of this to him.

Scarlet Temperament

Chapter 10: Desperate Protection

By: Sapphira-hime

Can you let go of the person most important to you?

The loud ringing of the school bell echoed around the vicinity, signaling the end of classes in Twilight Academy. I was relieved to finally get out of our chemistry laboratory. It seemed the glare of my classmates had just reached the limit. Their gazes never left my back the whole period. Goodness! What was so wrong with eating lunch with Sora? Was even that considered a sin?!

Calm yourself Namine, I told myself, taking a deep breath. You are used to this. There is no insult in existence that can affect you.

"I can't believe that geek had the guts to ask Sora to lunch," a female student with black hair whispered to her friend. I rolled my eyes, wondering what the use of murmuring was if I could hear it perfectly.

"She's desperate. She wants to reach the top of our status quo in one go," her blond friend commented, giving me a disgusting look. I ignored the insults they were giving me and just proceeded to my locker.

"If she dated Sora, then there's no doubt that that would happen," another brunette added, joining the pair who were offending me verbally. "I don't even know why Sora bothered giving his precious time to her. She didn't deserve his attention one bit."

They didn't know anything. It was not me who asked for Sora's attention. He willingly gave it to me. I corrected them in my mind as I continued arranging my books.

"Well, we all know that Sora is a very nice guy. He probably heard the tragic story of that nerd from others. Or maybe the geek told him herself," the black haired student added. "Maybe she really wanted to gain his sympathy."

My hands suddenly tightly grasped the book that I was holding. I already had an idea of where their conversation was heading to. I took a deep breath and prayed to every kami who was willing to listen to let it not be the case.

"Her parents died of a car accident, right?" the brunette asked, confirming the past that I wanted so to forget. "And her brother was traumatized after that. I heard he hasn't talked since then."

"Do you think she wanted Sora's money? I don't think that pest's family had enough money to pay for her brother's medical expenses," the blonde girl hissed, no longer caring if I heard her. "That will be useless though because I'm sure her good for nothing brother will never recover from that incident. He's already a nobody in our societ-"

The blonde girl was suddenly unable to continue as my hand was clenching her throat tightly, successfully sending her forcefully back into the lockers behind her.

"I dare you to say that again," I whispered menacingly, unable to control myself any longer. I never allow these rich brats to insult my family, especially not my brother. "Roxas is way better than the three of you combined."

"Naminei! Let go of her!" the black haired girl demanded, trying to pull me away. "You slut, who do you think you are?! You'll lose your scholarship if you caused any trouble!" she threatened.

"I don't give a damn," I mumbled, growling angrily at the blonde girl I was holding, my grip tightening further.

"Namine, I ca-can't breathe," the blonde girl uttered between breaths, almost choking.

"Roxas is not a nobody," I continued, growing more furious with her last statement. "If I hear you bad mouthing my family again, I swear that you'll regret ever meeting me."

"Namine!" My grasp on the blonde girl was broken by the massive strength of Squall's arms. He held me away from her, tightening his grip as I struggled to get my hold back at the student who dared insult Roxas. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Let me go! I can't forgive that rich brat!" I told him, striving to release myself from him. "I had enough of their insults!

"Calm yourself, you'll only get yourself in trouble for doing this," Leon admonished while motioning the students to leave them. I didn't listen and continued struggling. "Namine! I said enough!"

I abruptly stopped when I heard Squall call me with a stern voice. I slowly looked up to him, expecting his usual reprimanding look but saw something else. He had a soft expression on his face, telling me that there was nothing to worry about because…he understood my feelings.

"Do you think your brother will be happy if he learned that you got yourself into a fight because of him?" Leon asked, finally releasing me from his hold. "Those students are not worth your time, they don't know what you've been through."

I stared at Squall, wondering what he meant about "what I've been through." I don't remember ever telling him about my past. I shook the thought away, thinking that he must have heard the incident about my family from the harsh rumors circling through the institution.

"Follow me, I'll escort you to the exit," Leon informed before starting to walk through the now empty hallway.

"Sir Leon."

Squall stopped on his track and took a quick glance behind his back.

"What?"

"Thank you."

For the first time, I saw him release a small smile before continuing to walk. I could almost testify that he mumbled something else though I wasn't sure…

"No, thank…you."

"Hey Olette, isn't that…" Pence informed his friend, not removing his gaze from the figure who was waiting on the school gate.

Olette turned her attention away from the soccer practice where Hayner and Sora were playing at and followed Pence's gaze. She was astounded and immediately started walking to the school gate when she realized who the figure was.

"Roxas, what are you doing here?" Pence asked, the moment they reached Namine's little brother. "Does your sister know that you're here?"

Roxas just stared at them, immediately recognizing her sister's friends. He smiled a little while shaking his head.

"How about aunt Tifa, did you tell her that you were going to Namine's school?" Olette continued while taking his hand.

Roxas shook his head for the second time, indicating that none of his family knew that he was at Twilight Academy. He didn't pull away from Olette's hold and allowed her to bring him to the entrance. He curiously examined the magnificent fountain that was placed at the center of the campus, fascinated with the intricate forms of the falling water.

"Do you know where Namine is right now?" Pence asked Olette while taking Roxas's other hand, making sure that he wouldn't hurt himself. For some reason, he, Hayner, and Olette felt very protective of the boy. They couldn't help but feel attached to him, despite his young age. Almost as if there was a bond that connected them to each other.

A few years back, they were doing their usual summer routine when suddenly, Hayner had brought Roxas to them, a bit anxious to bring the boy back to his home. It was a hard task for the three of them, considering Roxas wasn't talking and yet none of them wanted to stop searching.

It was about midnight when they came across a young Namine who was almost in tears. That night was the start of their friendship. Namine was so grateful to them that she didn't mind them coming to her home to visit her and Roxas.

Roxas tugged Pence's shirt, trying to get his attention.

"Do you need something Roxas?" Pence asked, smiling.

Roxas showed them his three fingers with his left hand and then his two fingers with his right.

"Oh, you're asking where Hayner is, right?" Olette inquired knowingly, used to how Roxas addressed the three of them. He just nodded while waiting for her reply.

"He's playing soccer right now. Do you want to go to him after we find Namine?" Olette asked, sure that Hayner will be thrilled to show Roxas how he played soccer in their school. Her friend would definitely show off. She heard Pence chuckling lightly, having the same thought as hers.

"I can't really blame Hayner if he shows off," Pence uttered before taking Roxas's hand again. "I mean, this guy here was able to beat him at his most treasured sport."

"I know. It's a bit childish of Hayner, don't you think?" Olette agreed with a smile. "He has a sense of rivalry with Roxas."

"That's not surprising," Pence added, "Since they did use to have this rivalry even befo-" He cut off abruptly when he realized what he was about to say. Roxas curiously looked at the two, wondering what Pence was about to reveal about him and Hayner.

"Roxas! What are you doing here?" a stunned Namine abruptly asked when she saw her brother. "Where's aunt Tifa? Are you with her?"

Roxas didn't waste any time and ran to Namine to hug her.

"Did you want to tell me something that couldn't wait?" Namine asked gently, hugging him back. She stroked the golden strands of his spiky hand with her fingertips, remembering the incident she just had because of him.

Roxas shook his head and buried his head on Namine's arms.

"You just want to see me then," Namine uttered, smiling. "Am I right?"

Roxas smiled back and eagerly nodded his head in agreement.

"Hey Namine, I told Roxas that we'd bring him to Hayner once we find you," Pence informed.

"Sure," Namine agreed while allowing Roxas to wrap his arms around her waist. "Olette, can you call aunt Tifa? Tell her that Roxas is with me."

"No problem," said Olette, dialing her cell phone.

The four of them headed to the soccer field. Roxas strangely studied at his surroundings. He was aware of the odd looks the students were giving them, or rather him and Namine.

"Don't mind them," he heard his sister mutter. "They're just jealous because I have such a cute boy with me," Namine added with an assuring smile. Roxas smiled in return, feeling safe in her presence.

"Hey Hayner!" Pence called from afar. "Look who's with us today!"

Hayner instantly called a short break when he saw who was with his friends.

"Hey there buddy," Hayner greeted while ruffling Roxas's hair. "Nice of you to visit."

Roxas grinned while looking excitedly at the soccer ball Hayner was holding with his other hand.

"Oh? You want to play?" Hayner asked knowingly, a plan already forming in his head. "Guess what? I found another awesome player that we could play with. Do you want to meet him?"

Roxas nodded enthusiastically. He knew that if Hayner said the player was good, then he definitely was. He was about to let go of Namine when he saw the person walking behind Hayner.

"Roxas, I want you to meet Sora," Hayner introduced, unaware of the disapproving look Olette and Pence were giving him.

Roxas's hold on Namine's waist tightened as he stared at the brunette guy who, without a doubt resembled him.

"Are you alright?" Namine asked worriedly when she felt the firm hold of her brother around her. "Roxas, this is Sora, he's our new friend."

Sora didn't utter a word as he and Roxas locked their gazes. He wasn't expecting Hayner to be oblivious enough to actually introduce him to his other half. He could feel a strong surge of unwanted resentment while watching his nobody's arms wrap protectively around Namine.

"Hey, my name is Sora," he began, unsure as to how he would be able to pull this off. "Namine has told me a lot about you."

Roxas just continued staring intently at him, not allowing Sora to step closer to him and Namine.

"Do you want to play with me and Hayner?" Sora continued, not allowing his feelings to get the best of him. He knew that he owed Roxas his life. If he hadn't returned his other part to him, he would have still been in a deep slumber. He was certain that Diz and Riku couldn't force Roxas to give himself to him even if they used force.

Roxas turned away from him and motioned Namine that he wanted to go home.

Sora's heart ached when Namine smiled happily at Roxas and complied with his wish. She gave them a quick look before bidding them farewell.

"Roxas seems tired, we're going to go home now," Namine informed; unaware of the longing look Sora was giving her.

"I can walk you home," Sora volunteered, dismissing the disapproving stare Roxas was giving him. "I'm about to head home anyway."

"Eh? But your home is on the opposite direction as ours," Namine reminded. "Don't worry, I'm going home with Roxas, I'll be alright."

"Okay," Sora mumbled, letting them go.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Namine uttered before turning her back to them and heading off with Roxas.

"Hayner, you're an idiot," Olette pointed straight at her friend. "What in the world made you introduce Roxas to Sora?"

"Wh-what? I don't see anything wrong," Hayner defended himself. "There's no harm with what I did. After all, it's not only Namine who doesn't remember Sora."

Pence elbowed Hayner for his carelessness. He quickly gave Sora a concerned look who was still watching Namine and Roxas's retreating back.

"It's alright, you don't have to be mad at Hayner," Sora told them, forcing a smile. "One way or another, Roxas and I will meet again…

…it's inevitable after all."

"Hey, you alright?" Cloud asked Sora who was having a spar with him. "You don't look like you want to practice swords today."

"I'm fine," Sora answered while successfully blocking Cloud's strike with his wooden sword.

"I must say, the word fine doesn't suit your mood right now," Cloud commented while dodging Sora's right blow. "Just this morning, you look thrilled to go early to your school and then suddenly you come home with that gloomy look on your face."

"I met Roxas today," Sora informed before leaping in the air to give his opponent a strong overhand strike. That got his attention.

"Shouldn't you have been expecting that by now?" Cloud inquired, observing his reaction. He was glad that Sora's fighting skills hadn't rusted one bit despite all the emotional hardships he was facing. He allowed his left foot to rotate to the side, bringing his whole body to Sora's back. "You know that you can't avoid Roxas forever."

"I'm not avoiding him," Sora corrected, swiftly parrying the back strike Cloud gave him. "I just didn't expect that I would feel…"

"You're jealous," Cloud finished for him, adjusting his space for his next attack. "Am I wrong?"

"I'm not jealous," Sora answered defensively, advancing to Cloud before he could produce an attack. "I just don't like the way Roxas wrapped his arms around Namine."

"Like I said, you're jealous," Cloud repeated, smirking. He was not a bit surprised at the keyblade master's obliviousness. "And you can't help it."

Sora gripped his sword with his two hands, remembering the way Namine smiled at his other half. He'd already decided that as long as it made Namine happy, he wouldn't mind stepping back for Roxas. So why was he angry then?

"What am I suppose to do?" he asked Cloud, not liking the negative emotions he was feeling for Roxas. It wasn't right. He didn't want to have any hatred for the person Namine loved. "I don't want this. I felt like I was ready to explode when I saw them together."

"Fight for Namine," Cloud told him without a second thought.

"But…" Sora began.

"Sora." He slowly looked up at Cloud when he recognized the seriousness of his tone, his expression genuine.

"Don't allow yourself to lose your light again."

To be Continued…

Sapphira-hime: So, what do you think of the story so far? I made this chapter longer than my usual ones. I hope you like this chapter since I gave Roxas a good role here, hehehe.

saharalee- Hahaha, yep! I can speak Tagalog. How about you? Are you a Filipino? I heard good reviews about Soul Eater but I haven't watched or read it yet. I'm happy you like my story so far. I hope you'll continue supporting this fic until the end, thanks for reviewing! I hope to hear from you soon again.

Heiyzhel- Cliché daw, sweet kaya.

SoraxKairi7- So, did this chapter answer your question about Roxas? Well, basically, he doesn't remember Sora but despite that, he still feels a sense of protectiveness on Namine when it comes to our keyblade master. Thanks for giving me a feedback! I really appreciate it. Hope I can hear from you again.

Southern Hearts- Hehehe, knowing that readers like my story even though they are not a Sora and Namine fan is an honor! Thank you so much for reading this fic. I'll try my best to keep you entertained. So what do you think of Roxas's appearance in this chapter? Hope I can hear from you soon again!

Karin Ochibi-chan- Hey, did you have any idea how you made up my day when I read your review?! Grr, I love you so much Karin-chan! You never fail to inspire me to continue writing this fic!

Hehehe, you said that this is the best Somine fic you read but I'm sure your next story called Black Hearts will be amazing! I can't wait to read it! Namine a witch?! And she exists to end the keyblade master's path?! Awesome! I love the idea already! I am so going to read that over and over again! That's for sure! And the chapter for Sora and Namine on your Love at First Write, I'm dying to read it soon!

About the songs, thank you very much! I listened to some of them already and I like it! Once I get the chance, I'm going to add those songs to each of my chapters. Hopefully, I'll be able to begin writing my next story for Kingdom Hearts but this time it's a complete AU. Hahaha, I'm going to try humor for once.

Again, arigato for your unending support! I'm so happy to have someone like you in the fanfic community!

jugularpiercer- Hehehe, don't worry, I have no plans to be a horrible angst writer. Life is already full of disappointments so why add it on what makes us happy (the fanfic community), right? I guess this story just really requires a lot of drama but I'm working to reduce that. Anyways, you're so sweet! Even though if I turned out to be a horrible angst writer you'll still love me! Arigato!

SecretAgent99- Hey, I hope you like this chapter than the last. I made it especially longer for you!

Animelover09- Yeah, I'll change the ratings of this fic just to be safe. Thanks for reminding me. I kept forgetting that. Anyways, I am so going to email you about asking for evil ideas. I need that on my next story for Kingdom Hearts!

laugh-out-loud94- Hey, thank you so much for reading all nine chapters! You even reviewed them! That really inspired me to write this chapter sooner! Arigato! Here's chapter 10 now! Hope you'll like it. Hear from you soon!

NaminexSora lover- Hehehe, I'm sorry the last chapter was short. Hope this entry was able to compensate for it! I even added Roxas in this chapter! I'm glad you love the fluffs! I'll try adding more of that but this time, with longer chapter lengths. Thank you so much for your unending reviews and support!

Pikachu407- Hey, I'm so glad to hear from you again! Don't worry, I'm not angry or anything. I'm just happy to know that you're on to reading my fic again! This story became a complete success because of your unending support. Thank you so much! I hope this time though, I'll hear more from you. It really makes me happy! Arigato!