Declaimer: "I do now own Kingdom Hearts…"

Kiome-Yasha: "Haha, I just had an urge to update this. I like to thank all who reviewed, I blame you guys for getting me back into this story :P."

Chapter 12 A Piece of Peace

It had already been about a month since Namine and Sora had started dating, committing their relationship to the fullest. Each day the brunette would shower the artist with legitimate affection, finding the feeling to be returned with mutual devotion. She cherished him, blushing each time she thought of them actually being a couple. When they were out in public, he would freely announce that she was his girlfriend. Of course, Namine would be embarrassed each time he did it, but found his elation to be somehow comforting, relishing the warmth he presented inside her heart. She didn't even want to begin to explain how amazing his kisses were, feeling her lips quiver over his each time they exchanged the intimate touch.

She couldn't be any happier, still, she felt like something was missing and out of place; and she couldn't help feeling this way each time she looked at Roxas. He was very detached when he found out she and Sora were dating, accepting their relationship but never really improving it; of course he kept that fact to himself.

Namine splashed another dose of blue paint on the overly large canvas, rubbing a roll over the ink as she spread it across the white spaces. She was printing her first oversized painting, preparing it for the annual art exhibition of Alantica that was opening tonight; officially declaring the day to be Halloween. She had received many calls in the morning, all wishing her the best, seeing as no one was able to attend. For some horrid reason, everyone seemed to be busy; Aqua and Terra had office work and the baby, Hayner and Olette were too focused on setting a date for their wedding, and whoever else she had invited were just too caught up with their own thing to even make it to her special day. In the end, she prayed that Sora would be able to come, knowing all too well that Roxas had a date with Xion tonight.

Speaking of the twins, they've been receiving more trouble than usual at the studio lately. It seemed like the man who's trying to buy off Destiny Studio from Hikaru was being more persistent than ever. She didn't know what the boys were going to do, finding their music career to possibly be in jeopardy. This man named Xemnas was becoming a hindrance towards Kingdom Hearts, and Namine just hoped everything would be resolved soon. She shortly coated another bucket of blue paint over the canvas, picking a lighter acrylic from the aquatic hue.

She wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her white coat, smudging sweat and paint onto the fabric. She's been working since eight in the morning and it was now nearly noon, feeling exhausted from the rigorous labor she's been performing on the piece. She gave a weary sigh, feeling her arms begin to cramp up, but she knew she had to keep working.

"I can't stop now, I need to get this ready for tonight." She sucked in some air, picking up a long paint roller with determination.

She scrubbed the brush all over the canvas, being sure to get every empty spot before painting the next layer to her illustration. She didn't have to worry about making a mess, since she was actually working in her own personal studio inside Alantica. They had given her the honor in using the room, covering the place in plastic so there wouldn't be any spill of paint on the cement surroundings.

Just as she finished covering the whole white and woven paper, she heard someone knock on the door, "Namine…" She recognized the deadpan voice, indicating it to be Fuu.

She gave a nervous smile, fearing what the girl wanted, "Yes? What is it?"

"Visitor…" She simply replied, carefully pushing the door open to reveal the artist's guest.

Namine gasped in astonishment, a smile slowly blooming on her flushed face, "Sora!" She then noticed his weird costume, "Vampire…?"

He laughed aloud with merriment, speaking an a fake Dracula accent, "I've come to suck your blood…" He opened his mouth, showing her his forged fangs before dramatically flicking the black robe to his outfit aside. She could only giggle from his performance though, finding him to be too adorable sometimes.

Fuu sighed from the sight, becoming annoyed, "Bye." She stated with a bored expression, closing the door behind her as she left the two alone.

Sora gave an uneasy chuckle, rubbing the back of his hair clumsily, "You think I upset her?" Namine shook her head, giving him a gentle smile, "Don't mind Fuu, she's always like that."

He nodded with acceptance, walking up to the girl before slipping his fangs off to kiss her. Namine wanted to remark how she was covered in paint, but she became too distracted to even care. She gave a pleasant moan, bringing her arms around his neck as he stroked his tongue along hers. She felt her body go ablaze, affecting her legs to buckle into his, stumbling forward that he could actually feel the outline of her breasts. They both backed away admittedly from the contact, mumbling apologies to each other, despite the fact they were a couple.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "Why are you here?"

"Can't a guy see his girlfriend?" He asked innocently, teasing her a bit.

She tried to explain, "No! That's not what I meant…" She gave a light giggle, "I was just curious and surprised was all …"

He smiled lovingly, "Well, I came to bring you something…" He reached over behind his back, which she just noticed was kept hidden.

He brought his hand forward, relishing the way her eyes lit up as she took hold of the arranged garland of lilies and lavenders. She sniffed into the flowers, enlightening her senses from their essence of purity, "Sora, you didn't have to come and bring me this…"

He chuckled sweetly, "Consider it a congratulations gift for the show tonight." He gave her a quick peck, erupting her cheeks to turn pink.

She tenderly held the bouquet close to her, "How was the recording today?"

He entered the plastic fangs back into his mouth, adjusting them before speaking, "It went great! We got to record the last song to our first album without any hassle from that guy named Xemnas."

She nodded amiably, "That's good to hear, so I'm guessing you guys will be having your concert soon, right?"

"Yeah, which reminds me…" He snuck his hands inside his pockets, taking out a white slip of paper, "Someone~ has front row seats to see us perform in Twilight Central Park next month." He gave a wide grin, handing the ticket over to his girlfriend.

"Really?" She asked excitedly, trying to keep her voice down as she hugged him tightly, "I can't wait to see guys in concert." She pulled away, "And I also can't wait to have you with me tonight."

That's when the smile on his face wiped away, "Um, yeah, about that…" He securely left his hands around her waist, "Namine, I don't think I can make it tonight…"

"What…?" She pulled away from him, "Why not?" She sounded disappointed and hurt.

He guilty scratched the back of his hair, sighing apologetically, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. There's just something really important I have to do…I swear I'll make it up to you…"

"But…today's important to me…" She persisted lightly, her voice cracking as she did her best to block the tears.

He quickly tried to sooth her tears from spilling over, cupping her soft cheeks with his large hands, "Please, don't cry…it's not like I don't want to go…" She quickly wiped away any unnecessary waterworks, feeling foolish from getting so upset.

"Sorry…I was just looking forward that you would come…" She mournfully stated, sniffing lightly.

"I know…" He solemnly replied, bringing his head down in shame.

She tried to brighten the mood though, "Well, I suppose if you make it up to me…then there should be no problem…right?" She tilted her head to the side genially.

A smiled bloomed on his face, "Oh don't worry, I plan to! I could take you to that Tim Burton museum you've been begging me to see! We can also catch dinner and a late night movie; all my treat of course." He explained with an ecstatic smile, hoping the news would please her.

She nodded in agreement, finding his plans to be acceptable, "Okay, though I don't want you to overdue it." She replied mindfully, feeling concern of him overpaying.

He shook his head to reassure her though, "It's not a problem at all, Namine. I…" His voice got caught in his throat, becoming nervous in expressing those three small but meaningful words. He wanted to, he wanted to say it so badly; but maybe it was too soon? He didn't want to make the same mistakes like he did with Kairi to Namine; he refused to.

The islander could only laugh gently though, "Thank you, Sora." He didn't know why she was thanking him, but he felt at ease by her words.

"Oh, by the way!" Sora informed cheerfully, "I bought you your Halloween costume today."

She became nervous, though in a comical way, "Oh…you did?"

He briskly nodded, "Yup, it's a surprise though." He winked at her mischievously, "You'll see when you get home. It's on your bed." She began to get curious of what it could be, going into deep thought over the type of taste Sora had to his childlike imagination.

Even though she wanted to talk some more, Namine had to say goodbye to the brunette. She had to finish her painting, and couldn't afford any distractions, not with Master Xehanort relying on her, "I wish you could stay, Sora; but I really need to get back to work." She embraced the floral gift he had given her, "Thank you again for the flowers."

"Namine, you don't have to thank me you know." He notified the girl kindly, "But I understand. You go break a leg tonight, you hear?" She nodded humbly, sharing a kiss with him once more before he left. She swooned affectionately to herself when the door closed behind him, enjoying the fragrance from the bouquet of flowers. She then went back to work, proposing on what she should cook for the premiere; somehow, she couldn't help but to think of Roxas for the idea.

She admittedly blushed as she tried to rethink her thoughts from sounding so…distorted.

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After placing the last finishing touches to her work of art, Namine handed the painting over to Fuu's care. The impassive female shrugged from the completion, hiring in some workers to transfer the large canvas to the gallery where the exhibition was being held. When Namine was sure that her painting was in good hands she wished Fuu farewell, rushing back to her apartment in order to get ready.

When she gently opened the door to the apartment, a shirtless Roxas in the middle of the living room welcomed her. She gasped in shock, beginning to hyperventilate from his half exposed body. She never saw a man naked before, not even from just the upper area! This was all new anatomy for her, finding her situation to be an awkward but satisfying one.

The hue to his skin was a nice tan of peach, his muscles well sculpted and nurtured. She could see the faint outlines of his six-pack, rippling across his torso as he bent over to put on a t-shirt. However, she refused to drool over the sight! It was inappropriate and improper of her to do so! Although, she did have a tendency to lose against her mental battles, letting out a little drip between her lips. She quickly wiped it away though, her face flourishing to a brilliant shade of red.

She tried to speak, stuttering timidly, "Um…um…Ro—xas…?"

The boy finally took notice of her lingering presence, catching his breath to freeze up in his lungs. He hastily folded his shirt over his body, leaving the girl to turn around bashfully in humiliation. Seriously, they've been living together for almost two months now, why should they be embarrassed? You would think Namine would have seen something by now when living with the two brothers, one being her own boyfriend! Still, it would seem like the odds decided to play a trick on the situation today, leaving no mercy.

"Sorry…" He mumbled under his breath, "I didn't see you there…"

She shook her head, "No…it's…it's alright." She blushed even more, trying her best to erase the image of his chest, but failing miserably.

After awhile, Namine found the courage to speak properly, "Are you getting ready for your date with Xion tonight?"

He gave a submissive nod, "Um, yeah…she wanted to do something since it's Halloween."

She whined stressfully, finding her plans for tonight to be ruined so far; in the end, she was going to be celebrating tonight on her own. Roxas took notice of her fragile form, becoming concern, "Namine, what's wrong?"

She tried not to seem upset, "It's nothing…" He gave her a fierce stare, submitting her to answer the truth, "Okay, it's just that…I know everyone had their reasons, but…it turns out, Sora can't even make it himself to my show tonight…" She frowned forlornly, gripping her hands together in order to sooth the tempest that threatened to fall from her eyes.

He gave her a sympathetic look, knowing all too well the reason why his brother couldn't make it. He had spoken to the brunette earlier that afternoon, explaining how he wanted to investigate the identity of Xemnas on his own. They had both decided not to mention the man's visit that day to Namine, knowing it will only cause her to worry. This was her day, and they wanted her to be happy, though at a terrible price on Sora's part. Roxas had argued with the older twin over the situation, insisting he go to Namine's party than on some manhunt. Still, Sora was left determined in discovering some information about the gentlemen, discussing how he would visit the young artist to explain. And judging from her mood, she didn't seem overjoyed about the brunette's personal verdict.

Roxas gave a formal sigh, reaching into his pocket in order to retrieve his cell. He dialed in some numbers, hearing the phone ring as he caught Namine's attention. She heard a feminine voice pick up from the other line, causing Roxas to speak, "Hello, Xion?" She remained quiet, allowing him to speak through the phone, "I don't think I can make it tonight…something came up that needs my attention." Namine's eyes widened, realizing what he was doing.

She tried to stop him, but he prevented her in doing so by lifting a firm hand, "I know, but I'm sorry…" She could hear the raven-haired girl argue on the other line, obviously sounding upset, "Look, we can make plans another night…" Xion's voice seemed to settle, her voice low on the phone. Namine swore she could have heard the female say 'I love you', but it didn't seem like Roxas took any truth by it, "Yeah…I'll talk to you later." And with that, he ended his call, releasing a sigh of liberation.

Namine found her voice, feeling a little stunned by Roxas's action, "Why…why did you do that? Xion's been looking forward in going out with you tonight."

"And you've been looking forward to this exhibition; she can wait for another night." He sternly explained to her, "You should have someone there to support you, and seeing since Sora can't do it…I will." The blonde female blushed madly from his last couple of words, not wanting to read too much into it; Roxas was just doing this because know one else would, if anything, he just pitied her.

She shuffled a little where she stood, "Thank you, but…"

"You should get ready…" He looked over at the kitchen, "I'll make some food that we can bring to the gallery opening."

"What…? You will?" She asked hopefully, "But…I really should be the one to do it." She insisted humbly, even though she wasn't good at it; she was still learning from the chef in front of her.

"Don't worry about it, I got the perfect thing; you just focus on getting ready. I think Sora got you something to wear right?" She nodded to confirm his question, "Then go get ready, I'll handle the cooking."

He shooed her out of the kitchen, allowing her to enter her room and get prepared for the party tonight. Namine closed the door behind her, already hearing the water run from the kitchen as Roxas started to cook. She couldn't believe how much he changed since she first met him. Sure he had a habit of grabbing a smoke or two during the week, but he definitely seemed better than he was before. The fact that he canceled his date with Xion surprised her. It seemed like all Roxas did was try to avoid her; if that was the case, was Namine some type of scapegoat? She sighed and shook her head; Roxas wasn't like that. Sure he could be rough around the edges, but he was considerate and kind to her. She wondered about him sometimes, feeling her heart exhilarate when he came into her thoughts. The same effect happened when she was with Sora, but for some reason, Roxas seemed different. She decided to close the subject from her mind though, feeling too paranoid to even ponder on the idea.

She looked over at her bed and couldn't help but to laugh from the costume Sora got for her. She walked over, inspecting the red, yellow, and blue design with amusement, finding a pair of red and gold boots by the bed. It was a Supergirl outfit, containing the same traditional cape and skirt inside the plastic. She blushed as she noticed how...divulging it was; surely Sora knew how cold it was outside, didn't he?

Either way, she grabbed the material, slipping it out of the bag before stepping out of her room. She went into the hallway, entering inside the bathroom in order to take a quick shower. She discarded her clothing from work, letting it all drop to the floor before placing them inside the laundry basket. She looked over her body in the mirror for a quick second, tweaking her breasts in order to make sure they were in perfectly round. She then turned the valve that was inside the shower, switching it to a warm temperature that was reasonable to her sensitive skin. She delicately entered inside the tiled cubicle, sighing as the running water that cascaded down her body settled her sore muscles. She took the clip from her hair off, letting the curls of blonde locks drip down over her shoulder and back gracefully.

She began to wash her body, rinsing off any suds that clung to her skin while wiping off the grime of paint she obtained during work. She soon started to smell the aroma from Roxas's cooking, seeping into the bathroom and alerting her senses with divine seduction. She couldn't help but to wonder what he was making, finding whatever it was to smell delicious. She hurried inside the shower, turning the water off before sliding the curtain to the side, slipping out into the cool air. She shivered from the cold breeze, feeling goosebumps appear over certain locations across her body.

She quickly dried herself up with a thick and white towel, putting on her costume soon afterwards. She exited out of the personal lavatory inside the apartment, dropping off whatever wasn't important inside her room before heading over to the kitchen. She followed the trail of smoke in the air, taking in the alluring scent of Italian gourmet. She went and looked over the counter; spotting the hunched lyrics writer as he checked on the cuisine that was baking inside the oven.

"What are you making?" She gently asked, breaking the silence.

Roxas jolted up from his position, turning around abruptly, "Oh, I'm making shrimp baked ziti. Just waiting for it to roast inside the oven now." He stared down at the stove, making sure everything was in proportion from the temperature.

"It smells delicious…" Namine hummed delightfully, taking a whiff of the air.

Roxas blushed tremendously from her comment, rubbing the back of his messy mane, "Uh, thanks…"

"You need to teach me how to make one some day!" Namine eagerly said with an adamant tone.

Roxas nodded towards her wishes, slipping off his apron while placing it on a hook. It's when he looked over her slim figure once more, that he noticed the outfit she was wearing, "Supergirl? Sora sure does have his weird taste in costumes."

She giggled softly, "Well, it's my costume tonight for the exhibition party. What are you going to wear?"

"Uh, no…I don't do costumes." Roxas heavily stated uncomfortably.

She frowned from his answer, "But you have to! It's a costume party!" She felt disappointed; gripping her arms up in determination as she hoped he would change his mind.

"Even if I do dress up, I have nothing to wear that's actually considered to be a costume." He confidently explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

That's when a wicked smile grew on Namine's lips; one he never thought could ever appear on her sweet features, "I'm sure there's something in Sora's closet. We're going to look while waiting for the ziti!" She took his hand, pulling him over the counter as they headed over to the young guitarist's room. Roxas could only smile as they shifted through the mountain of cloths inside his brother's closet, wondering when was the last time he got dressed for Halloween until Namine came into his life.

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"I feel ridiculous." Roxas stated monotonously, finding himself wearing a pirate costume with a fake parrot on his shoulder.

He even had an eye patch over his left eye, relying on his right to see where he was going. He placed the limonite tray of food over a stove that was handmade on the table, making it through traffic in order to reach the event in time.

Namine could only giggle, "It's a good thing you and Sora wear the same size in clothing." She tried to cheer him up, "I don't think it's that bad. I find it to be rather funny."

He sighed irritably, lifting off the silver foil as smoke rose from the batch of baked ziti.

The guests that were attending the gallery exposition came flocking in, gathering whatever looked appetizing onto their plates. Roxas's ziti recipe was nearly halfway gone before him and Namine could even serve themselves. They managed to get some left though, picking off from the other entrees that were also displayed around them. After they filled their plates, they decided to walk around the gallery, inspecting each piece with interest. There were so many people who were dressed up, making the room rather colorful from their different taste in costume. Music played serenely in the background, enticing the atmosphere to almost seem magical. They went over at Namine's station, finding a rather large group there as they viewed each different artwork she had made. They were all in awe, giving many praises and compliments over her talent, finding them all to be original and creative.

Roxas looked at the large painting that was considered to be the main attraction, all designed and colored by the young blonde beside him, "Wow, Namine. And you really did this in one day?" She gave a meek nod, blushing from his impressed tone of astonishment, "It's amazing! You really have a great gift."

He studied the painting, finding a large heart-shaped moon at the center, containing stars and different worlds he couldn't recognize orbiting around it. It was a capturing beauty of art, reading the strokes she had made around the canvas's surface with wonderment.

"I don't think it's all that great…I really tried my best…" The small islander notified shyly.

"Are you kidding?" He asked slightly appalled, "This is…beautiful…" He emphasized the word softly, gazing over her form tenderly.

Namine seemed to notice his stare, her mouth gently gaping open to speak; but she was soon interrupted by a voice, "Namine! I'm so glad to see you here!" Both adults turned to the side, finding the voice to be Zexion, the manager of Alantica, "Everyone here seems to enjoy your work!" He smiled pleasantly, taking pride in having her as part of their staff.

"Why, thank you sir." She lightly replied with respect.

"Ah~, and Mr. Hikari. Such a nice pleasant surprise to have you here as well."

Roxas smiled as he spoke, "Yeah, Namine sure has outdone herself, hasn't she?" Zexion nodded with agreement.

Their conversation was cut rudely though from a man with pink and flourishing layer of hair, "Hardly! They all just seemed like childish fantasy to me." They turned to the man, Zexion recognizing him right away.

The rather feminine looking male approached the three with mild disgust, "So, you're Namine…my suppose competitor in Alantica?" He looked her over, "You're just a mere child with a hopeless dream."

"Hey!" Roxas growled fiercely, "Who do you think you are?"

"Glad you ask…" He spoke with a deep tone, "I'm Marluxia Aldrich, a famous sculpture artist here in Alantica."

"If you're so famous, then why isn't anyone at your station?" Roxas avowed venomously.

Marluxia was left aghast from the comment, though Namine tried to reason, "Roxas, please…it's alright…I don't want to insult someone who's more skilled than I am…"

"But what he's saying is total bullshit, Namine! You have just as much talent as this asshole does!" The boy persisted heavily.

Zexion found it was time to interfere, "Marluxia, I suggest you go back to your own post. Why don't you go and deflate that ego of yours…" The man scoffed under his breath before doing as his supervisor recommended, leaving Namine's gallery without any further insults.

The young manager swiftly turned to the hurt blonde, "I'm sorry for the disgrace of his behavior, Miss Namine. Marluxia could be rather ego-centric over his work, as good as his sculptures are, he needs to learn the value of other's art more properly." The girl could only nod, bowing her head down somberly.

"Well, I'll shall take my leave; please enjoy the remainder of your time here." Zexion comfortably added, patting the young girl's shoulder.

When the man turned away and left, Namine muttered with a suffering tone, "He sounded just like him…" Roxas had no clue whom she was referring to, doing his best to calm down, after blowing up so irrationally.

"Hey…" He caught her attention, seeing the gloom that clouded her divine blue eyes, "We don't have to leave because of that loser…look at everyone else who likes your art…" He flicked his eyes over at the large crowd as they all admired the paintings that were on display.

Namine was left a bit stunned, staring at everyone with amazement. She then smiled over at blond beside her, "Thank you…. Roxas." He nodded lightly, allowing her to cleanse any depression that threatened to plague her heart. Before he could even react, she kissed his cheek, savoring the soft texture of her warm lips as it grazed over his skin.

Roxas's face erupted into a brilliant hue of red, impersonating the image of a tomato. He was left in shock, staring at the 'Supergirl' with awe. She bloomed happily at him before hearing her phone go off to the song 'Little Busters' from The Pillow. The phone call diverted her from Roxas, receiving a warm greeting by Sora. She soon became lost into the conversation, the both of them exchanging sweet words of affection.

Roxas frowned as he was left to the side like some decoration, but he was shocked to hear her ending the call so soon, "I'll see you when I get home, Sora. Don't worry we'll be back soon. Hehe, I know. I'll make sure to tell him that." She ended the call, shutting her phone, "I told Sora you came with me tonight; also he told me to tell you that I better not be home too late."

The blond male scoffed under his breath, "Like he can't trust me." He grinned soon afterwards, "So, want to stay a little bit longer before we go?"

She nodded merrily from the suggestion, linking her arms around his, "Whatever you say, Captain." She poked the fake parrot that was perched on his shoulder.

He could only laugh, whispering softly, "Happy Halloween, Namine."

She gladly replied in return, "Happy Halloween, Roxas. And, thank you for tonight."

"No problem." He added gently.

After that, he smiled for the rest of the night, something that was always rare to see; but when it came to Namine, it all just seemed right.

End Chapter

Kiome-Yasha: "See! I told you I promised Namixas fluff! And you all didn't believe me, lol. Anyway, the title to this chapter is based on a soundtrack from the first Kingdom Hearts game; if you don't remember it, may I suggest looking it up :)? Yes, Marluxia is an asshole, and hopefully I plan to make him return. A bit of background from Namine's past was revealed in this chapter, and I plan to unfold more about her life in the next two chapters ahead. Furthermore, there will be an equal amount of Namixas and Namora in the next chapter, so there won't be any real favored one; for next chapter is the concert! Yeah I know, it seems like a bit of a time jump, but there will be more chapters like those further on, just bare with me, okay? Anyway, I would like to thank ALL who reviewed! And like I promised, we shall be having special thanks for those who reviewed as well ;D. Hehe, Namine and the boys will take it from here :3."

Namine: "Kiome-Yasha will like to give special thanks to: Sara Crewe, Nami The Writer, Divine Wolfe, Rikku-rebeca, Tashlee, chibixbabe, Naminesweet, Caitlyn-4479, SaphireWaves, shadowofthenightxx, DamnBlackHeart, poohbearlover95, xLycheeRAiN, MonkeyGirlxoxo , Brightest Darkest Heart, Antiyaoifan, riku23, Rosekun25. Thank you all for the reviews! Here are your T-shirts of me! Hehe, the next prize shall be heart-shaped cookies of me! Please, leave reviews!"

Roxas and Sora: "No! Don't eat our lovely Namine's face! DX"

Kiome-Yasha: "Oh! And also! Check out this story called Saving Gravity if you like Namixas. It's a group collaboration fic where I work with other authors on a story; we're known as Together with the Sundown. So be sure to check us out! :D"