Thank you thank you for all the love!! And special thanks to kai lun an who gave me my 50th review!!!! THANKS!

Anyways... this chapter is nonsense-ful and has near nothing to do with anything. Trouble on Namine's part with DUNDUNDUN!!! the evil dad-meister!!!! (GASP!) Okay, so yeah. Here you go. :)

Chapter 10:

I turned away and stepped on the back of my shoe, pulling my foot out, and then repeated the process with the other. I sighed. The second I turned around, a stream of water flew through the air and hit me dead in the face.

My mouth fell open once the water had been averted. "Roxas," I gushed. "First you attack me with pudding, and now with water?" Really, I felt stupid. I knew Roxas better than to assume he wouldn't do something like that. I loved it, though. One of his many adorable traits.

He smiled at me, still sticky with pudding, only some of it having been washed off with the water. He dropped the still pouring hose and walked over to me. "I'm sorry," He cooed sarcastically, hugging me. I knew already that Roxas would be a very physical boyfriend. Not that I minded, I felt a sort of tremor run through me every time we touched. It was nervous, and exciting all at the same time, and as uncomfortable as I would have thought it would make me, I loved it. I had never felt like this before. When I opened my eyes, my hands were resting on Roxas's forearms and my forehead on his chest. I focused on the sound of his breathing, so much so that I didn't notice the door of my house opening and closing. Or rather, I noticed without really grasping the meaning behind it.

And then BAM! Roxas and I instinctively split apart to move away from the gushing water, still moving between us to back us up. I squeaked a little, and turned to see my father, holding the hose, and literally red. Like, I'm not talking slight flush or that whole pink thing most people get going on. He was seriously the crimson color of the sour cherries that would be used in the pie I would soon bake to get on his good side again. But I had a feeling that this time, sweets wouldn't do the trick.

Suddenly, he threw the hose down to the grass, where it bounced just slightly, sending crystalline drops across the grass before drowning it in water. "I invite you into my home for a nice meal, and you ruin my kitchen," He bellowed. I glanced at Roxas. The words seemed to bounce right off of him. "My wife allows you to clean up in our front yard, and you ruin my lawn," He motioned to the hose we had left running, previously. "I try to be as gracious as possible about accepting the fact that you are now dating my daughter, and you ruin my child!"

"Daddy!" I yelled. He pulled me back a little and gently pushed me in the direction of the front porch. My shoulder ached where his fingers had dug into my flesh.

"Now." His tone spoke loud enough to make up for the words he had lacked. There would be No. Argument. It was over before it had even began. I took a deep breath and stiffened considerably. He had already set into Roxas about nothing in particular, and I swallowed down the lump in my throat that told me nearly audibly 'go now, calm him later'. And for the first time in my life, I ignored it.

"No." My voice was far from steady, but the point made its way through. For the first time since my father came out, Roxas showed a speck of fleeting emotion.

"Namine, don't. It's really my–"

"He didn't do anything." My father turned slowly to face me, shock and disapproval apparent on his face. His face was all scrunched up from his anger, the creases were many, and the lines, infinite, blending into one another. His mouth twitched.

"Excuse me?" Now that lump said 'run. For your life. This is not a drill. Not a joke. Just run. Roxas will be okay.' And going on time number two, I was headed straight for my own personal record.

"Roxas didn't do anything," I repeated again, slower. "I don't know how I could have made that any more obvious."

"Namine–" My father's hand stopped him from speaking.

"Namine, inside. Now."

"No." This whole defiance thing was getting easier, though I still didn't like it. Roxas clamped his mouth shut audibly and I moved past my angered father. "I'll be home tomorrow," It was the scariest thing I had ever done to walk past my father, take Roxas's hand, walk away from my house, still messy, still wet, and down the street, ignoring my father's glares and shouts.

Once we were around the corner, I sat down on the sidewalk and buried my face in my hands. Roxas didn't say anything at first, he just sat down next to me, legs crossed, and pulled me into his lap. It seemed as if he had expected this to happen, and was just waiting for the moment in which it did. He blew softly onto the side of my face as he spoke. He said nothing that I expected him to say. He didn't talk about how it was a stupid thing to do, he didn't talk about how I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it. He said simply, "So brave. I'm very proud of you." And then rocked me gently back and forth. Me and my goopy hair/clothes.

"That was the scariest thing I have ever done," I admitted quietly. His chest rumbled with soft laughter.

I expected something like 'and you shouldn't have done it', but instead received, "And none of it was your fault. It was all me. I'll try to talk to your dad, and if he thinks hugs and kisses are a problem, then we'll cut down. Really, I shouldn't have kissed you yet, anyway."

I didn't respond. Shouldn't have kissed you... I had many ways of interpreting that statement, but with which did he mean to imply it? I didn't know. And so I pondered it silently until his voice cut into my thoughts.

"Sorry if I came on too strong. It's just that... I've wanted you for so long, and know that I know I have you," He brushed a few chocolate caked strands of hair out of my face and smiled. "It's so much harder to control the way I feel. Not that I really want to,"

I waited for something more, but realized nothing else would come, and asked on a sudden thought, "How do we cut back on kissing?" After, I realized what it was that I had said. I flushed when he began laughing.

"Well, it's mostly an effort on my part. It's been all me for the whole half an hour we've been dating, if that long." I smiled. He had a way of relaxing me without really doing anything. I eased up in his arms, without knowing when I had tensed. "How about we start small?"

"Small?" He nodded, I prodded. "Show me?" I asked, trying not to smile when he did.

He leaned in a little, his face close to mine, and brushed his eyelashes against my cheek. "Butterfly kisses," He leaned in a little more and touched the tip of his nose to mine. "Eskimo kisses," he brushed his lips very softly against mine, and then moved away. "Sweet kisses."

"Oh my God," I breathed. I couldn't easily contain the emotions that were making me shiver just slightly.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, worried, and abruptly gave me more room.

"Yes." And there was no way I was telling him that I could hardly breathe with the way he made my heart jump around in my chest. "I... let's go." I stood up quickly, too quickly and got a rush headache. He stood up slower than I did, groaning as he hauled himself up off the concrete.

"Whatever you want," He said sweetly, taking my hand off of my forehead and pulling me along the sidewalk. "So where are you staying, tonight?"

Crap. I had said that, hadn't I? That I would be back tomorrow. Meaning I had nowhere to be... tonight. The things that this boy got me into. "I guess... Kairi's?"

"Mm, guess again." I looked up at him in confusion, but he wasn't even looking my way. I swung our hands back a little and he looked down. "Olette lives closer to me." Involuntarily, my lips curled into a smile that I wasn't able to stop, but had succeeded in partially suppressing, so that it was smaller than it would have been.

"Right. Olette's," He smiled, too, and we walked the rest of the way in silence, smiling and holding hands.

Roxas walked with me up to Olette's front door, releasing my hand when the doorbell sounded. Olette's mother answered. "Hello, kids. Olette isn't here right now, but she'll be home in a few hours. She went with her father to look at new cars." After getting her to promise that Olette would call us when she got in, Roxas and I walked a few houses down to his house. He opened the door and pulled me into his house; I shut the door behind us.

"Baby, is that you?" A lady called from the other room. I knew right away it must have been his mother from the– His mother. Although I had been to Roxas's house a few times before, I had never actually met his parents.

"Yeah. I have a friend here too," He called back, smiling at me.

"Well bring them in! I'm just sitting in here reading. It's nothing terribly exciting." He chuckled a bit.

"We'll be right there." Roxas took off his shoes before stepping onto the carpet, reminding me that I had none. I curled my toes, awkwardly in my socks, tugging at the bottom of the skirt that was hideously mismatched with my yellow shirt.

"Roxas, I look horrible." When really, disastrous would have been more fitting.

"You're beautiful," He disagreed lightly, poking my forehead like I was a child.

"What if your mom doesn't like me?" He shrugged.

"So?"

"So? So? Roxas, I could walk in there, she could hate me, and I might never be allowed in your house again!" I was only vaguely aware of how much of an idiot I was being, and I didn't bother paying attention to the fact.

He laughed. "Then we'll hang out in other places." He smiled at me. "Namine, look at your dad. He hates me, and he hasn't even known me for a day. My mom loves everyone, she'll adore you. Our parents aren't enough to keep me away from you, so if that's what you're looking for, look a little harder." He grabbed my hand, not willing to hear my protests and pulled me swiftly into the other room.

A very lovely brunette woman sat on the couch with her legs tucked up under her and her fingers wrapped around a coffee mug. She was the very epitome of radiance. Casual and beautiful all the same, she sported dark brown eyes, perfectly matching her dark brown hair (which was only a little lighter than the chocolate stains on my shirt). She was petite, with a slim frame, and probably wouldn't be very tall when she stood. Her face was gentle, even before she looked my way, and flawless, no signs of aging from the past fifteen years. She stood slowly. I was right. She wasn't very tall, barely standing over Roxas.

He hugged her warmly, she didn't bother to complain or even mention his filthy clothes, which couldn't hold a candle to mine, but still. When she pulled away, there were small smears of powder on her shirt, and she just smiled, brushing them to the floor. And then she turned to me.

"Hello, dear. You must be Namine." I nodded quietly, embarrassed for no reason. It shouldn't have been so important to me, meeting his mother. I think I was blowing it out of proportion, but it was still hard to get over. She held her hand out, and I held it gently in my own, shaking it quickly before I released it. I fiddled with my fingers behind my back. "Roxas had told me you were pretty, but I hadn't quite known what to expect." Her voice was soft, like a television grandmother, the kind that sits around all day smiling and knitting, but she sounded more authoritative. "You are even lovelier than I had pictured." I stammered like an idiot, unable to work up a thank you of any sort, but she kept on. "It is wondrous to be able to finally meet you. Your mother is an absolute angel."

I blushed. "My mother?" Of course she would know my mother. Her child did. And that was the way my mother worked. I should have known.

"Oh yes. Pretty, just like you, and very sweet. She makes the most interesting cookies," She cocked her head to one side for a moment, and Roxas snickered under his breath. Cookies? She actually ate my mother's cookies?? My mother brought her cookies??? I could have just flavored a rock chili and shoved it down her throat and she would have had more of a fine dining experience than my mother's cookies. "But a wonderful person."

"Thank you," I returned, quietly.

She smiled at me. I felt like a better person just being near her. She had a sort of glow that seemed to radiate from her, not only beauty, but kindness and love as well. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Namine? Roxas's father will be home from work in just about ten minutes, and once my husband's sister and her family get here, we can begin eating."

"Um, I would love to, but I couldn't. I–"

"She'll stay," Roxas cut in. I glanced at him, surprised.

"Oh how enchanting. You kids can head upstairs if you'd like, and wait for the others to arrive." Roxas nodded and began to pull me off toward his staircase when the doorbell rang. "I'll send your cousin up, dear." He waited no longer to drag me up the rest of the way.

"Roxas!" I scolded quietly once we were upstairs. "I can't have dinner with your family! Even your cousins? What were you thinking?"

"Relax," He smiled. "It's just Sora and his mom, then me and my parents. Don't worry," He said, throwing at shirt at me once we were in his room. The shirt smacked me in the face and I pulled it off, aggravated.

"Roxas," I groaned.

"Hey Roxas! What's... oh. Hey, Namine. What happened to you guys?" I turned to face Sora, who stood at the doorway holding a little girl's hand. I felt something hit the back of my head and I stumbled forward a bit. I wheeled around and pulled the shorts from the back of my neck.

"Put those on," Roxas commanded, already taking off his shirt.

"Roxas!" I yelled, and averted my eyes.

Sora laughed. He turned back toward the door and motioned with his head for me to follow. "Come on. The bathroom is this way." Still blushing I followed my friend.

"Thanks," I said, mulling over the clothes Roxas had thrown at me.

"So um, what... did happen to you?" He repeated his earlier question, regripping on the small girl's hand. I hadn't seen her before, and I knew Sora was an only child, but She looked just like him. The same shade of chocolate hair, only hers was shoulder length, and hidden beneath a hat that she kept fixing after it fell over her eyes. The hat was black, and had little antennas coming off of it, and two big yellow eye-like circles. She was in a little black dress, as well. "Namine?" He asked, seeing as how I had spaced out. "What happened?"

A gift from God, the very best thing ever, my own personal miracle in the making. "Your cousin."

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okay so, that was it for this chapter, hope you liked (because I didn't) and since I don't have ANY ideas AT ALL for the luverly dinner that shall take place, if you have any, id be more than happy to incorporate them. :) and of course, your name will be mentioned if you give me ideas. So then... I guess... that's it for now?

AND!!!! once I gather up the list, I'm going to make a recommended stories thing on my profile, so ill let you all know when that happens. :)

many loves till next time!!