A/N: Thank you for all the reviews - I can't express how thankful I am to all of you who have stuck with this story!
And to Naivette: yes, the quote is something I made up on my own...or at least I think I did. I thought of it while writing the story, but I don't know if it's a quote that's already been coined by someone else. You can use it if you like.
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Chicken Soup For The Artist's Soul.
"H-how are you so sure dis id-" Naminé sneezed violently into the crook of her arm, "-g-going do work?"
The arm that was wrapped around her waist squeezed her affectionately, and she looked upwards to see Roxas smirking down at her with that smugness she was all too familiar with. "Trust me - I know what I'm doing." He opened the door to the admissions office and addressed the secretary sitting at the front desk. "Excuse me, but I think my friend and I need to be signed out for the day."
The middle-aged woman glanced upwards from her paperwork and adjusted her glasses; when she eyed the two soaked teens with their arms around each other grinning at her innocently from behind her desk she shook her head and reached for her keyboard. "Only on Valentines…" She muttered under her breath as she printed out their slips. She handed them over with a raised eyebrow.
"D-danks," Naminé's air passageways were almost completely blocked up; she waved cheerily at the secretary before Roxas gently pushed her out of the small office. "How come I-I'm da one sneezing ad sh-shivering, ad you're a-all dice ad healthy?"
He shrugged and rumpled the back of his damp hair, making it stick upwards. "I've been through worse." He guided her out of the student centre and led her to her locker in the SS Wing so she could get her things. When they reached the parking lot he worried over her driving back home, but she stubbornly refused to let him abandon his car just so he could take her.
"W-why don't y-you just head h-home first and c-change oud of your cl-clodes, and den-n you can come o-over?" She suggested as her eyes glanced upwards; the rain had died down a bit, but it was still freezing cold.
He sighed in defeat as he opened her door for her. "Fine - I'll see you in a bit, then." He leaned in to kiss her tenderly, and the horrible weather surrounding them was temporarily forgotten. When he pulled apart from her he had to snap his fingers in her face to bring her back to reality. "Naminé," He scorned, though at the same time he was chuckling.
She blinked a few times. "Er, s-sorry." She stepped into the driver's seat and waved at him before closing her door. She sneezed again as she started the engine, cursing her feeble immune system. When she reached the Hinomoto manor she stumbled up the stairs, tripping over her feet four times and even banging her shins painfully against the steps. She blinked the tears out of her eyes as she hopped and hobbled like the fool that she was down the hallway, and when she finally reached her bedroom she nearly collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.
She figured that a hot shower would do her good, so she limped over to the bathroom. The warm water poring over her numb skin helped the blood to flow, and by the time she stepped out of the shower she thought her sickness had disappeared, but then she sneezed again and she groaned. She wrung her hair with a towel as much as she could as she tottered into her closet to find some dry clothes.
She changed into her usual spaghetti strap top and short shorts and climbed into bed, sighing in relief as the warmth and comfort of her mattress enveloped her. Her temperature was fluctuating - her body was wrought with convulsions but she felt like she was caught in the middle of a burning room. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls and though the shower helped to clear some of the congestion in her chest she still found it difficult to breathe. The dull throbbing in her shins was not helping much either; she was expecting a couple of bruises later today.
However, even with all of the aches and pains she still felt like she was the happiest person on the planet - no, the universe.
She sighed into her pillow and closed her eyes, thinking back to the events that just occurred not even an hour ago. Finally, everything was as it should be - no more running after each other, no more pointless fights, no more confusion, no more hurt, no more-
Her phone began to vibrate and she immediately bolted out of bed, ignoring the painful protests in her joints as she scrambled towards the end to grab her bag. She plucked her phone out of the small outside pocket and held it up to her ear.
"Hello…?" She mumbled thickly, sniffling and rubbing the underside of her nose.
"You sound lovely." Roxas' answering croon nearly sent her into cardiac arrest. "You're getting worse - should I still head over?"
"O-of course you should!" She answered immediately before turning her head away to sneeze, "Actually, you have do - I'm dot gibbing you a choice." She grinned into her phone when she heard him sigh.
"Alright, alright. Give me a few minutes, okay?" There was a strange clanking noise in the background, like he was hitting something made out of metal. "Oh, and maybe you should give your cousin a call - I don't think she'd be very happy if she finds out you left without telling her anything. She can get a ride from Sora."
He was implying something, she could tell by the way his voice sounded. "Are you sure dat's all you wad me do dell her?"
Roxas only laughed before hanging up on her. She glared down at her phone as she scanned her contact list for her cousin's name.
Kairi picked up on the second ring; judging by the sound of conversation buzzing around on the other end she was still in the cafeteria. "Nami? Don't you have Art or something?"
The blonde blushed and tugged on her hair. "Er, yeah...bud I god sick, so I wed hobe early."
"Sick? How the heck did you get sick?"
"Um, de wedder?" Naminé turned towards her wide window and noticed that it was still raining outside. "De freezing rain and da snow...id's nod doing wonders do my ibbune system."
"I can plainly hear that," Kairi giggled, "Well, Sora was planning to head over after school anyways so I'll hitch a ride with him. Feel better - we'll see you soon!"
She sighed before snapping her phone shut, and then she crawled back towards her pillows and placed the small white device on her bedside table, next to the crystal vase. She sneezed again and groaned as she fell face-first into her pillow; she hated getting sick. The worst part was that since her immune system was so frail recovery time was going to take forever, which meant that she was going to be out of school for at least a week, which also meant that she was not going to spend enough time with Roxas.
A soft knocking on her door scared her out of her thoughts. She stared at it questionably, a soft pink smeared across her cheeks. "Erm, c-cubbin." When Roxas' tousled head poked in through the doorway she giggled. "How did you doe where my room was?"
He walked in hesitantly with a somewhat nervous expression on his face; he was wearing ratty blue jeans with holes and frayed edges and a plain white t-shirt. There was a new bouquet of roses in one hand and a silver thermos and a spoon in the other. He approached her bedside and removed the newspaper from the bouquet to drop the flowers into the vase, and then he set the thermos on the table. She scooted over to make room for him, and he sat on the edge of her bed. He rubbed the back of his head and threw her a shy smile. "Geoffery told me, though I don't think he approves of me coming up here." He chuckled and shook his head. "He's going to have to get used to it, I suppose."
His implication only worsened her blush, and she stared down at her lap. She heard him laugh again as he leaned closer towards her, cradling her face in his hands and tilting her head upwards so she could look into his eyes. "You don't know how much I've missed this." His thumb brushed the skin under her eye, where the worst of her blush was, and he chuckled when he felt her temperature rise even higher. "Actually, I don't know whether it's from your fever or from your embarrassment."
"To be honest wid you, I hab no idea eider." She mumbled, and he laughed again. He leaned in even closer, but he stopped when she pressed her palm against his mouth. She frowned at his confused expression. "I don't wad you do ged sick too."
He pried her hand away and rolled his eyes before moving in to kiss her fully on the mouth. She resisted at first, pushing her hands against his chest in a feeble attempt to break away from him, but after a few seconds she gave in and her hands slid upwards towards his hair. He leaned into her, forcing her to lie down onto the mattress, and she groaned as his tongue slowly pushed into her mouth. After a few minutes of tongue-wrestling he broke away from her, but he did not completely pull away; he trailed kisses from the corner of her mouth to her jawline and down her neck, stopping at her collarbone. She moaned and clamped her eyes shut at the sensation of his lips gently sucking on the sensitive skin of her neck, and she turned slightly to kiss his spiky hair. Her fever coupled with the heat exchanged between their bodies made her delirious; there were stars flickering in and out of her eyes and her head felt like it was no longer attached to her body.
"Naminé," Roxas finally pulled away from her, breathing as hard as she was; he peered down at her with worry etched on his perfect face, "You're getting very warm." He pressed the back of his hand against her forehead. "It's only been an hour and you already have a high fever." His tone was disbelieving, almost awestruck, like she had accomplished something incredible.
She blinked furiously, trying to make the stars disappear. "I-I doe." She answered weakly; she tried to reach for him but her limbs felt like they were made out of lead.
He gently took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "I'm going to get you a wet cloth and some medicine, okay? In the meantime," He helped her up into a sitting position, stuffing a couple pillows behind her to support her back. He reached for the thermos and unscrewed the cap, revealing steaming hot chicken noodle soup, "You're going to be eating this." He handed her the spoon before heading to the bathroom.
She scooped a spoonful of soup into her mouth and blinked incredulously when she realized how amazing it tasted. She downed the soup in minutes, licking her lips as she leaned to the side to place the thermos and spoon back on the bedside table.
Roxas emerged from the bathroom soon afterward carrying a wet washcloth, a glass of water, a bottle of cold medicine and a small pill. He handed her the glass and the pill. "That's for your fever." He informed her as she popped the tiny pill into her mouth and gulped the water down. He then poured some of the cold medicine into the spoon and motioned for her to open her mouth.
She made a face. "Ugh, I hade dis stuff-"
"I don't care if you do," He cut her off sternly, "You're taking it and that's final."
Naminé rolled her eyes. "Fine, Mom." She parted her lips and he gently eased the spoon in her mouth, dumping its contents onto her tongue. She forced the repulsive, thick liquid down; her eyes watered and she coughed into her fist. "Ugh - disgustding." She grimaced.
He smirked triumphantly as he removed the pillows from behind her. "But it'll make you feel better sooner. It's supposed to act fast too, so you'll be speaking proper words in no time." He helped her lie down onto the mattress before placing the cold washcloth on her forehead. Its chilly temperature helped take away the stuffiness in her head, and she sighed in comfort. Roxas smiled down at her and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "See - you're feeling better already, aren't you?"
"Id's da washclod, dot da medicine." She sniffled and scooted towards the centre of the mattress, patting the empty space she previously occupied. He kicked off his shoes and climbed in beside her, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close against his side. She rolled over so that her head fit into the crook of his neck, and she raised one arm to weave her fingers through his hair; the other was pressed in between her chest and his. His other arm moved around her waist and he nuzzled his head against hers, breathing in deep. His body temperature helped even hers out a little and her convulsions began to die down. His breath felt cool against her burning skin and she sighed. "You're still habbing sleeping problems, aren't you?"
He chuckled ruefully. "Kind of a random thing to say, but is it that obvious?"
"Dode think you can ged away widdit," She grumbled, her voice slightly muffled against his neck, "Why habben't you been sleeping?"
He sighed. "There's different answers to that question - it depends on what you're talking about."
"Led's stard wid New Years."
He leaned back a bit to stare at her. "How did you know-"
Her face went red for a split second, but then she thought up of a good enough excuse that was partially true. "Axel ad your brudder told be."
Roxas 'ah-ed' before touching her forehead with his cheek. "Well, it's not hard to see why I wasn't sleeping properly then. Seifer…" His voice began to falter, and he trailed off. After a few seconds he shook his head, his spikes tickling her skin, and continued. "I couldn't stop thinking about what could've happened if I never came to you in time, or if nobody came for you at all. It was a horrible few weeks for me."
She massaged the back of his head comfortingly, reveling in the sensation of his hair sticking out in between her fingers. "Whad made you decide do come back in da last few weeks of school?"
"I wanted to be there for you in case something like that happened again," He explained, "But keep in mind that I never expected that, er, thing in the library to happen. It worked for a bit, didn't it?"
She shrugged. "I guess, ib you count our stupid fights as a second chance." She breathed in deep and gasped. "Hey, my dose isn't so stuffy anymore!" She could smell a bit of his cologne and the shampoo in his hair, and she sighed dazedly.
He laughed and kissed her temple. "See, I told you." When she huffed stubbornly he laughed again.
"Ha-ha." She paused for a minute, and then glanced up at him with curious eyes. "Why did you say that Riku was better for me?"
"Didn't I explain my reasons?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Yeah, but most of the reasons you gave me could've been yours too. You're responsible, and when you're actually around you're always there for me." She sniffled as her fingers fumbled with his shirt collar. "I don't see how you can't compare to him."
"It's not very hard, Naminé," Roxas replied as a matter-of-factly, "He's a complete opposite of who I am - he has a good sense of judgement-"
"You do too, you know."
"-he doesn't associate himself with criminals-"
"I'm very fond of Axel and Demyx - in fact I consider Axel one of my closest friends!"
"-he's not a criminal himself-"
"As long as you're not a deranged serial killer slash rapist slash underground terrorist I think I can live with it."
"-Naminé, you don't get it," He groaned, "I can be risking your life, exposing you to people who aren't afraid to hurt you, or worse! That fight on the boardwalk is plain proof of that, and New Years...I don't even have to get into detail."
"Nothing you say will convince me that Riku's better than you, so you better quit while you're ahead." She glared fiercely at him, "I only like Riku as a friend, and to be honest with you I never really saw you as one...I...I always thought of you as something more," Her cheeks reddened and she pressed her face against his neck, "So no matter what, even if things were different, I'd still end up choosing you in the end."
She felt his chest depress as he sighed. "Your taste in the opposite sex is astounding."
She leaned back to stick her tongue out at him. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not." She giggled as he leaned in to kiss her, and she kissed him back with enthusiasm. His tongue ran over her bottom lip, causing her to moan and arch her back, pressing her body against his. The world faded away as she closed her eyes, delving in his embrace. Her heart pumped spasmodically and her face was so flushed it was almost violet.
Roxas chuckled against her lips and he pulled away from her; her face was doused in colour and she was staring back at him in a daze, her eyes half-open and her mouth slightly parted. "Breathe, Naminé," He murmured; when she did not answer he sighed, "Do I have to do everything for you?" And he moved to kiss her neck.
She finally gasped for air and shook out of her trance. Her cheeks were tinged pink in embarrassment and she buried her face into the crook of his neck. The cold medicine was beginning to kick in now; she yawned and her hold on him slackened just a little. "I hate you." She mumbled sleepily as her eyes began to flutter to a close.
He laughed and rubbed her back soothingly. He removed the washcloth from her forehead and tossed it onto the bedside table. "I love you too," He whispered into her ear; he kissed the sensitive spot behind it before nuzzling his head against hers once more.
His words caused her eyes to snap back open, but since her face was fortunately pressed against his neck he could not see her flabbergasted expression. She shook off her shock and nestled in his arms, snuggling closer to him and closing her eyes again. She could tell he was getting sleepy too; his hands were moving more slowly against her back and his breathing was evening out. She yawned against him before slipping into unconsciousness.
When she woke up a couple of hours later she realized two things:
One: Her fever had died down considerably.
Two: Roxas was gone.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes, ridding herself of the little fatigue that was left in her. Her arms and legs still felt a little heavy and sore but it was tolerable, and like she expected her shins were shiny with ugly bruises. She glanced down at the floor and noticed that his shoes were still there, which confused her.
Suddenly the door to her bathroom swung open and Roxas appeared with a thermometer in his hands. "Oh, you're awake already?" He sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on her forehead. "Hm, you've cooled down somewhat but you're still pretty warm." He held the thermometer in between his thumb and forefinger. "Open up."
She did was she was told, and he stuck the thermometer under her tongue. After a few seconds he pulled it out and squinted at it. "Yep, just as I thought - you've got a high fever, Naminé."
She cursed under her breath and glared down at her lap. "Dammit."
He laughed as he set the thermometer on her bedside table; he threw one arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "Don't worry, as long as I'm around you'll be better in no time."
She glanced upwards to stare contemptuously at him. "Y'know, for a second there I thought you left again."
His expression softened as he pulled his other arm around her waist; he gave her a loving squeeze and leaned in closer. "I'm never going to leave you again," He whispered against her hair, "I promise." He pecked her lips and pressed his forehead against hers. "I was stupid for doing it the first time around."
"Don't forget the second and third times." She reminded him with a smirk, and he cringed.
"I know, I know," He groaned, "Ugh, just thinking about all that time I wasted...I have to make it up to you somehow. All that lost time...all those months we could've been together-"
She kissed his lips to silence his laments. "Hush," Her fingers pulled gently through his hair as she pressed her cheek against his collarbone, "You don't have to make up for anything, Roxas. You had your reasons, and despite everything that's happened you can't put all of the blame on yourself. Sometimes things just happen, and there's nothing you can do about it." She lifted her head off his shoulder to smile up at him. "Besides, we're together now, aren't we? Isn't that what matters?"
He cracked a small smile and nodded against her hair. "Yeah, as long as we're together I'm happy." He chuckled softly. "I don't deserve you, Naminé."
She rolled her eyes. "Here it comes…"
He gaped at her. "No, serious - how can you forgive me after all that's happened, after everything I've done to you, after everything I've put you through?"
She grasped his head in her hands and forced him to stare straight into her eyes. "Can you stop putting yourself down? You're so depressing!" She shook her head at the bashful expression on his face. "Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm here to stay?"
"Because it's far too good to be true," He muttered and shifted his eyes to the side, trying to avoid her gaze, "I didn't think I'd ever come across someone like you, someone who can actually make me feel like I belong somewhere. I was so afraid, so afraid that my wayward lifestyle would turn you away from me, or I'd do something stupid and end up losing you," He sighed and leaned in to rest his head on her shoulder, "I was so lost...the only thing that seemed reasonable to me at the moment was to just run away when it got overbearing."
"Well, what about that time in the library, where we...er..." Naminé flushed and trailed off, but he understood what she was trying to say.
He hesitated for a moment, as if he was trying to pick out words to say. "I couldn't stop thinking about all the failed relationships I've come across in the past. I didn't want to see you hurt like my mother and Olette."
She spoke as patiently and soothingly as she could, like she was trying to pacify a troubled child. "But about your parents...there was nothing you could do about that, Roxas. You were so little when it happened, it couldn't have been your fault."
He sighed against her, and his breath tickled her skin. "I know, but…" He shook his head, "It's hard to explain."
She did not want to pry for information he did not feel comfortable sharing, so instead she smiled and continued to comb her fingers through his disheveled locks. "Well, sorry to break it to you but your wayward lifestyle isn't a turnoff, and though you did do a few stupid things I'm still here."
She felt him sigh again, but he did not say anything else. Seconds later she felt his fingers brush against the shiny chain around her neck; his attention was drawn to the key-shaped pendants. "I never thought you'd actually wear these," He chuckled, "I thought you'd be too angry at me."
"I was, to be honest with you," She frowned, "But at the same time I felt like I had to wear them...I'm not sure why. Er, they are keys though, right? Just making sure I got that…"
Roxas chuckled and nodded against her. "Yes, you're right." His fingers skimmed the pendants and her skin tingled under his touch.
She raised an eyebrow. "They don't look like ordinary keys."
He laughed again and squeezed her waist. "Of course they're not - why would anybody in their right mind let anyone else into their heart with ordinary keys? It'll be too easy that way, Naminé."
Her body temperature had suddenly skyrocketed at least ten degrees warmer than it was before. "Er, so wait...are you trying to say that these are-" She stopped herself, too speechless and embarrassed to continue.
"Yes," His voice was low and it tickled her skin, "That's exactly what I'm trying to say." He swooped in again to capture her lips with his own, and she happily complied as she lowered both of their bodies onto the mattress. Her fingers snaked through his hair and she smirked against his lips when he let out a pleasured grunt, and she teased him further when she arched against him.
The sound of a door opening from the floor below caused Naminé's eyes to fly open; she pushed Roxas off of her and sat up, her head immediately turning towards her door. He rumpled the back of his hair and stared at her questionably. "What is it?"
"Kairi and Sora are here," She bit her bottom lip, "And I forgot to tell them that, er, you were taking care of me."
When he heard his brother's name he groaned and threw himself against the backboard of her bed. "Great, Sora's going to kill me - I haven't seen him in days."
"Erm, I don't think your brother's the one you should be worrying about." She mumbled, tugging anxiously on her hair.
The blond was about to inquire as to why he should not be afraid of Sora when the door swung open. Naminé's cousin and Roxas' brother walked in, their arms laden with various items.
"Hey Nami," Kairi grinned cheerily; her eyes were trained on the small pile cradled in her arms, "We got you some stuff that'll help you feel better."
"Yeah," Her boyfriend added; his eyes were also concentrated on the things gathered in his arms, "We got some cup noodles, cough medicine, one of those hot water bottle thingies-"
"She already has cough medicine," Roxas interrupted with a smirk, "And I don't think she'll need that many cups of instant noodles."
The moment they heard his voice Kairi and Sora glanced upwards to gape at the blond sitting beside the other blonde with his arm around her waist. The redhead and the brunet were so shocked they dropped their things; the cup noodles rolled out of their arms and thudded against the soft white carpet.
"YOU!" Kairi pointed vehemently; Roxas raised an eyebrow and Naminé shrunk into his embrace in fear, "You've got a hell of a lot of nerve to be showing your face around here, buddy, and in my cousin's room, in her bed out of all places!" She approached the bed slowly, intimidatingly, her eyes narrowing with every step. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't strangle you right here, right now…"
"Oh, so you were the one who was giving her those flowers all along," Sora's attention was veering towards the crystal vase, now full with flowers, "I should've known." He shook his head and chuckled.
"Kairi," Naminé tried to reason with her cousin but she was too scared to even look her in the eyes; her face was half-buried in Roxas' shirt, "There's a lot to explain-"
"You're damn right there's a lot to explain," The redhead hissed, "What the hell is going on here? I thought you were hiding somewhere with your gang friends because you were too pathetic to 'fess up to my cousin-" Roxas rolled his eyes, "-and I thought you-" Kairi jabbed a finger in her blonde cousin's direction, "-were sick!"
"I am sick," The artist nodded towards the thermos, cold medicine and washcloth sitting on her bedside table, "But I took medicine earlier so I'm not as bad as before."
"She looks kinda sick," Sora pointed out, "She's all red and sweaty-looking."
The blonde's eyes widened and Roxas chuckled and shook his head. Bless Sora and his obliviousness.
"I understand why you're angry," Roxas spoke in a patient, even tone, "And I really can't blame you. Just let me explain everything, and if nothing makes sense to you in the end you can strangle me until I'm blue in the face. Deal?"
Kairi huffed, but she sat on the foot of the bed and gestured for him to begin his explanation; Sora nervously sat beside her and distractedly fiddled with his hands. The both of them listened to Roxas' retelling of the events that happened during their lunch period; the deeper the blond dove into his story the softer Kairi's expression became, and the redder Naminé's cheeks grew. When Roxas was finished Kairi's eyes were rimmed with tears and her bottom lip was trembling.
Touched, the redhead sighed dreamily and clapped her hands together in glee. "How romantic," She rhapsodized, her eyes drifting towards the bed overhang, "Such a perfect Valentines story…"
"So does that mean everything's okay between you two now?" The brunet eyed his brother carefully, "No more fighting, no more disappearing, no more climbing out of your window without letting your relatives know where you're going?"
Roxas chuckled sheepishly and nodded. "I'm through with all of that now." He tightened his hold around Naminé and she smiled into his shoulder. "I finally realized that it's worth it to stick around."
"See," Kairi teasingly leaned forward to stare into her cousin's flushed face, "I told you - you were meant to be together!" She whirled around to glare at her boyfriend, who was staring back with confused eyes. "Why can't you be romantic like your brother?"
"W-what are you talking about?" Sora was frantically flailing his arms, "I made you that box of chocolates, didn't I? And that poem-"
"He worked very hard on those," His twin brother grinned, "He stayed up two nights in a row making that box for you, and it took him hours to write that poem."
The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Aw," Naminé giggled into the soft fabric of Roxas' t-shirt, "That's really cute."
"Granted, it's only six or so lines but I assure you they're the most profound lines Sora has ever come up with," The blond laughed as his brother flushed a light pink, "Read them and you're guaranteed to fall in love with him within the hour."
Naminé laughed again, and her cousin shook her head amusedly at Roxas' words. Sora rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his head. "Shut up, man."
The foursome passed the rest of the afternoon in Naminé's room with light conversation, instant noodles and endless bouts of making fun of the poor brunet. Kairi even read Sora's poem aloud, much to his chagrin.
"I think about you every day," Kairi suppressed a snort as she read the few lines scrawled on the pink sheet of paper; Sora groaned and buried his face in his hands as his brother and Naminé teasingly 'aw-ed' and cooed, "I never thought I'd feel this way. I can't help but stutter when I see you smile; I'd stay up to watch you sleep 'cause it's all worthwhile." She paused for a minute and smiled at the last two lines. "When you say you love me it's a little hard to believe; 'Cause how can someone like you fall for somebody like me?"
Naminé's chest was swelling with a warm, pleasant feeling - it was almost like she was sitting in front of the fireplace after a day out in the snow. "That's the greatest poem I've ever heard."
Sora peered at her from the spaces between his fingers. "You're being sarcastic."
"No," The blonde lifted herself off of Roxas' shoulder to shake her head, "I really mean it, Sora. That was very sweet and heartfelt."
Unable to help himself Roxas smirked and brushed his fingers through his hair. "Not to mention the fact that it sounds like something a kid from second grade would write."
"Shut up," Naminé jabbed him sharply in the ribs with her elbow and smiled apologetically at the brunet, "Don't listen to your brother - I thought it was nice."
Kairi laughed and leaned in to peck her boyfriend on the lips. "She's right, you know - it was very sweet."
The brunet grinned sheepishly as he pulled her in for a hug. He turned towards his brother and made a face. "See, at least they agree with me." He eyed the clock radio on Naminé's nightstand and frowned. "Hm, it's getting pretty late - I think it's time for us to go."
Roxas nodded and released his hold on Naminé to stand up. Sora kissed Kairi daintily on the cheek before doing the same. The redhead bounced onto her feet, taking the brunet's hand. "I'll walk you guys out."
Roxas leaned forward and nuzzled his head against Naminé's, kissing her temple. "I'll be back tomorrow." He placed a hand on her cheek and slowly turned her head so he could meet his lips with hers. She reached for his hair and pulled him closer, forcing him to sit back on the bed. She closed her eyes and smiled against his mouth, and she could feel him smiling back.
The sound of Kairi awkwardly clearing her throat scared them apart. "You have more than enough time to do that tomorrow." She chided with a grin.
"And the day after that," Sora chuckled, "And the days after that…"
The brunet's words caused a hoard of butterflies to flutter excitedly in the blonde's stomach, and she smiled at the thought of spending the rest of her days with the one person who finally made all her months of waiting worthwhile. Roxas shook his head at her childish expression and leaned in once more to kiss her forehead. "Happy Valentines, Naminé." He threw her one last smirk before pulling on his shoes and following his brother and Kairi out of the room.
--
A/N: It was a mission and a half to think up of Sora's poem...I'm as bad as he is.
I hope all the fluff I've stuffed into this chapter makes up for all those months Roxas has been away - Naminé seems to think it has!
Oh, and don't worry, folks - the story's not over yet! There's at least two or three...maybe even four more chapters to go, and plus there's the rewrite in Roxas' POV and a short-ish, Axel-centric midquel I've concocted in my head! Hang tight!