Author's Notes: Thank you for keeping up with the story! I hope you'll like the next chapter!

Warning + Sort of spoiler alert for this chapter: Things get graphic in this chapter so for anyone who doesn't want to read anything sexual, I've section it off like this: At the beginning I will put "xxx" and at the end you're see a line across the page. I know not everyone wants to read the graphic parts so I've made it a little easier to skip.

Also beware as this chapter will touch on sensitive themes.

Sibling Rivalry Meets The Runaways (Sora, Kairi, Riku, Namine, Roxas & Xion Side of the Story)

Chapter 45: Working Things Out:

Later that night, everyone headed back to the hotel rooms. Sora unlocked the door to their room as Kairi stepped in first. After he closed the door and turned around, he suddenly felt a pair of lips planted on his own. The move surprised him. The grin never left Kairi's face. She was still excited over the proposal. She held onto her hand as she stared at her new ring. "I still can't believe it..." A giggle slipped out her lips. Sora sat down on the edge of the bed. Seeing her so happy had made him happy. "It's beautiful." She turned toward him. "Who knew you had good taste?" she joked.

Sora scratched the side of his cheek. "Well…I can't take all the credit."

A curious look came on her face. "What do you mean?"

"The girls helped me out," he explained.

Confused, her eyes searched his. "I don't understand..."

He smiled a little. "They told me which ring you liked the best. Then, all I had to do was get it."

Her eyes searched along the ground. "But when…? I've never looked for…" Then, her eyes widened. A memory came to mind of when she was with her friends shopping. At the time, they did stop by a jewelry store in the mall where they asked her about what kind of ring she would be interested in. It seemed so casual that she didn't suspect anything. "Oh!" Surprised, she turned her head to him. "I think I know when, but that was a while back."

"I wanted to ask you for a long time ever since…" His eyes traveled down toward the side, uneasy. "…the day you told me about the boat trip." Kairi pressed her fist against her chest as she looked worried. His expression grew determined. "After that, I wanted to prove that I was serious about us being together."

Kairi kneeled down on the bed in front of him, concerned. "Sora…" She grabbed onto his hands and placed them in front of her as she gave him a gentle smile. "No matter what, the only person I would've said yes to is you."

His eyes lifted up to hers to see her sincerity. He smiled and leaned back on his hands, pressed against the bed. "You have no idea how many times I wanted to ask you before this."

An interested smirk crossed her lips. "Oh yeah…? How many times?"

Sora chuckled a little. "Maybe every time I saw you."

Kairi put her hand up to her lips as she let out a laugh. "That sounds like a lot of times…" She gave him a loving look. "…and every time I would say yes."

Her answer made him smile. "That's why I couldn't tell you what was going on and why I've been distant these last few months. I was afraid that you would find out and I wanted it to be a surprise. I might have told you myself."

As she closed her eyes, she was relieved to hear that. This night had truly explained a lot. "I can understand that." She gazed down at her ring one more time. "You must've worked a lot to pay for this. How did you…?"

Sora let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. "It wasn't easy… Vanitas helped me. That's why I went to go see him." Afterwards, he thought back to a few months ago when he asked for the favor.

Roxas and Vanitas followed Sora into the store. Now that Vanitas was on board, his plan had come together. Once they stopped, the three glanced down through the ring case. Sora pointed toward one of the rings. A smirk crossed Vanitas's lips. "So? This is it?"

Sora nodded nervous, but excited. "Yeah!"

Vanitas glanced at Sora as he looked serious. "There's no turning back."

Sora's fists baled at his sides as he looked determined, but uneasy about asking his favor. "I want to use the money to get a ring for Kairi! I plan…" His eyes traveled down. There was no doubt in his mind. "I plan on asking her to marry me."

Vanitas stared back down at the ring. This really was interesting. "This better be worth it."

Kairi was surprised that Vanitas agreed to help. "I'm sure that was nice of him."

Sora sighed again as he rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes. "Well…let's just say now that I'm in his debt..."

As she smiled at him lovingly, she leaned in closer toward him. "Awe…! You did that just for me?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "I would do anything for you."

As Kairi stared into his eyes, she leaned forward as her hands went passed his waist. His eyes widened, surprised. "You sound pretty down about it. I'm sure there's some way that I cheer you up…" Red came to his cheek at how close she was to him and how soft and soothing her voice was. Even after years of being together, she still knew how to make him nervous. Playfully, she brushed her nose against his. Then, he felt her lips against his neck. Slowly, he breathed out as he closed his eyes. She smiled toward him before she pressed her lips to his.

Surprised, he turned his head to her. "What about the others? Won't they be here soon?"

Her lips curved a little. "I think we could come with an excuse unless…"

"Whoa!" With the push of her hand, his back fell against the bed.

A giggle escaped her lips as she began to tease him. She crawled over him, never taking her eyes away from his. "…you rather go celebrate with the guys?" Slowly, her hand slid against his stomach and caused his shirt to rise upwards. The surprise never left his face. Then, she let out a defeated smirk. Maybe now wasn't the time. "I guess I'll take that as you want to go… Go have fun."

"Thanks Kairi." Kairi was about to get up, but then felt his hand lightly hook the back of her neck, against her hair. A smirk appeared on his lips as he sat up and caused her to sit up as well. Sora grinned toward her. "Don't mind if I do." He pulled her in and the two met in an intense kiss.

XXX

She moved his jacket further along his muscular arms to the side of the bed. The two parted for a second as she took off his shirt and tossed it off to the side. Anxious, their lips met again. Her hands rubbed along his hard stomach and latched onto his belt. She loosened it from around his waist and let it slide to the floor. His fingers teased along the thin straps of her dress. Her eyes followed his hand as he rolled them off of her shoulders. He leaned in and marked a few kisses against her collarbone up to her neck. Gently, he squeezed her breasts over her dress. A small sigh let her lips as her eyes lowered to a close. He loosened her dress and slipped it further down.

"Hm." His hand cupped her breast and caressed her soft skin with his thumb. He could feel her warm breath on his earlobe and hear the sweet sound of her voice. She felt an unbearable ache began to grow. A deep sigh left his lips as he could feel between her inner thighs rub against him. Anxiously, they scrambled to remove the rest of their clothes and tossed them onto the ground.

Their eyes met as they both sat up. She placed her hands on his shoulders as she adjusted herself on his lap. As she closed her eyes, she breathed out as she felt him push inside. Curious, he looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded several times. "Yeah," she whispered. Her lips met his as her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands pressed against her back as he could feel her move on top on him. Their eyes lowered to a close as she pressed her forehead against his. She could feel his breath getting heavier as he could hear her soft moans. Anxious, he leaned back against the bed as she came over him. Faster, he thrusted inside of her. Pleasure built inside of her until it had overwhelmed her body. Cries escaped from her lips. Her insides tightened. He breathed out as he reached down and grabbed on tighter to the sides of her hips. She closed her eyes tight as his name slipped from her lips. She breathed out as she had felt her release. Soon after, he slowed to a stop as he felt his as well. The two breathed out heavily. Tired, she lied down against him as she kept her eyes closed. Her scarlet hair spread over her face and across his skin. She could feel her head rise and fall against his chest.

After they rested, he placed his hands behind his head. "That's one way to celebrate. I would pick this over going out any day."

She giggled as her hand moved closer to her lips. "I'm sure you would."

Kairi lifted up from him to see his smile. "Thank you."

A surprised look came on her face. "For what?"

His lips curved up more. "For agreeing to marry me."

Kairi couldn't help but smile. "It was an easy choice." She got off of him and stood up from the bed. "Be right back." After things became quiet, his eyes closed to a close. From the bathroom, he could hear the water run. For minutes, he felt relaxed. This really had been a perfect night. Suddenly, he felt a soft sensation on his lips that felt familiar. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes. Above, he saw a smile mirroring his own. "You're not falling asleep, are you?"

"No way!" His leaned in and kissed her again.

Through their kisses, Kairi giggled on and off as he grinned. "It feels weird…to kiss like this…"

His hands reached up and wrapped behind her waist. "Then you should the other way."

She sat on her elbow as she lied on the bed beside him. Playful their lips met. Sora moved over her as he still connected his lips to hers. His body leaned on top of her as her legs were bent on both sides of his waist. His hips pushed further into hers. Surprised by the move, she looked up at him. "Again?" He responded with a hopeful grin. Her eyes traveled toward the side. "Well…"

XXX

While she debated, he placed kisses along her chest. Her eyes lowered to a close. It wasn't long before she decided to give into him again. Sora moved in closed and moved into her. Her legs wrapped partly around his waist. His hands pinned her wrists against the bed. As he reached his peak, his fingers grabbed on tighter to her hand. Below him, he could hear her reach hers as well. Soon, he slowed to a stop. Tired, his body leaned against hers as he breathed hard. She let out a deep sigh as her body relaxed against his. The sound in the room became quiet.

Suddenly they heard a knock at the door which caused them to jump. "Hey! Are you guys in there?" Pence shouted.

Quickly, Sora sat up along with Kairi afterwards. "Be right there!"

"Are you ready?" Olette asked.

Kairi went closer toward the door. "Sorry! Just give me a few more minutes and I'll meet you guys!"

Selphie smiled. "All right! See you soon!"

Outside, she could hear the sound of their footsteps fade. Kairi breathed out a sigh of relief. Then, she headed toward the bathroom. "I'm going to go ahead and take a shower."

Sora watched as she walked across the room. "Mind if I come with?"

Kairi stopped with her hand in the doorway as she grinned. "As long as you don't try to seduce me again."

To him, it would be a challenge not to. "No promises."

"To Sora and Kairi! Congratulations!" Hayner announced. The boys held up their glasses in the air as there were grins all around. Everyone put their arms down as they looked at each other at the table.

Roxas and Sora smiled toward each other. "Looks like everything worked out."

Sora nodded in response. "Yup!"

Pence smiled along with Hayner. "So? How does it feel to be getting married?"

Sora glanced down as he smiled. Every time he thought of the moment he asked, it filled him with warmth and happiness. "It feels good… I got what I wanted more than anything…"

Giggles filled the air. All of the girls sat around in a circle in Selphie's and Olette's hotel room. Selphie held onto Kairi's hand as she gazed at her ring. "It's so pretty!"

Kairi smirked toward them. "I can't believe you guys were in on this the whole time. Sora told me you helped him pick out which ring I liked."

Selphie held up her finger as she grinned. "It can't be helped if we just so happened to stop by a jewelry store and look down at the rings. Then, we just so happened to ask which one you like the best and afterwards told Sora. Casually, she shrugged. "…and he just took it from there."

Olette bounce a little, excited. "It was really hard! We tried not to tell you!"

Kairi looked around at the three of them. "You guys kept this from me for months."

Xion smiled toward her. "So? How does it feel to be getting married?"

Kairi grinned. "I really am happy! I can't wait!"

Later that night, Sora lied in bed as Kairi lied on his chest in their room. Moonlight was the only light that lit the room. A grin came to her lips as she closed her eyes. "I can't wait!"

Sora turned his head toward her. "It's gonna be a while, plus we have to plan. You want to have a dream wedding."

A little impatient, her eyes traveled toward the bed. "I know..." Then, she hugged onto him tighter. "But no matter when we do, as long as we're together, it will be perfect."

Sora nodded. "Right-!" Suddenly, he heard his phone ring on the side of the bed. He looked over surprised and then answered. "Hello?"

In his bedroom, Riku pulled his off his shoe as he sat on the edge of his bed and placed it on the floor. "So? How did it go? Did she say yes?"

Sora let out a grin and placed his phone on speaker. "I guess it went okay… I asked her…"

Kairi grinned. "And I guess… I said yes…"

Riku laughed along with the two of them. "Congratulations!"

Kairi leaned closer toward the phone. "We wished that you could've been here!"

Riku gave a disappointed smile. "I know… but I had to leave the island today."

"There's still time!" Sora said. "You could come where we are. We're staying here a few days."

"I'll have to see. I have to leave again tomorrow," Riku replied with uncertainty.

"Okay…" Sora sounded disappointed.

"Don't worry. I'll see you guys soon and then we can celebrate," Riku assured them.

Sora smiled along with Kairi. "All right! Good night!" Afterwards, both of them hung up.

"So? Kairi did say yes. That's not a surprise," a voice behind Riku spoke.

Riku looked back. "Looks like it. You disappointed?"

Namine turned on her side as she leaned her head against her elbow. The covers were wrapped around her body. "Hmm…" Her eyes traveled along the bed before she lifted them up to him. "No." She let out a sincere smile. "I'm happy for them." Riku was glad to hear that. He crawled into bed alongside her. "Don't you miss being there?"

"Of course, but I'll have to travel again tomorrow."

Namine looked concerned. "You better get some rest. You got to get up early in the morning again."

He slipped in closer and hovered his body over hers. "I don't have to go to bed right away."

She searched his eyes, curious. "I'm still surprised at you, you know."

Riku mirrored her same curious stare. "About what?"

Namine's eyes traveled toward the side as she thought back. "The last time we were together, you said that you didn't want to do this again, but now…when you approached me at school that day…"

A few days earlier…

Namine couldn't believe it. The last day of school was already upon them. As she stood in the art room, where she drew so many times, this would be the last time that she would stand inside it. The feeling was almost bittersweet. She walked over and sat on the windowsill where she drew sometimes and gazed out of the window. Below her, she could see some of the other students playing soccer on the field. A small smile crossed her lips. The sight would be different now once she left.

"Namine." When she turned her head, she saw Riku walk into the room.

She greeted him with a warm smile. "Riku..."

He walked over toward her. "What are you doing here? School is already out."

Namine glanced toward the window. "I wanted to stop by here one more time before I left." Her eyes lowered toward the floor. "I would come here when I felt down and I wanted to focus on my drawings. Now…things will be different." She smiled to assure him. "Don't get me wrong. There are happy memories too, but sometimes…I wish there were more or…maybe…" She stared out toward the window. "…maybe I wanted to do something more that I could remember. A memory I could carry with me always." Afterwards, things turned quiet between them. As she stared at him, she wondered what he was thinking. Then, he walked toward her. She still couldn't read him. "Riku?" He placed his hand against her shoulder. Surprised, she lifted her head toward him. "What…?" Then, her eyes widened at what she felt next. She didn't expect to feel his lips against hers again. When he parted from her, she stared at him stunned. "Why did you…?"

Afterwards, he stood up straight. "You wanted something else to remember this place for, right?"

Nervously, her eyes traveled toward the side. "This isn't the first time you've kissed me here, but why now? You said... that we shouldn't…" He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers again. Her eyes lowered to a close as she embraced his kiss. Her arms wrapped around his back as her body became pressed against the window. The kiss between them continued to intense. His hips became pressed against hers as her legs hung at his sides. He grabbed onto her wrist and pressed it against the glass. After they parted, she panted, out of breath. "W-Wait…" She took a moment to catch her breath before she glanced toward the door. "Someone could walk in." He parted from her and went over to the door. He turned the lock and then turned back to her. Namine remained quiet on the windowsill as he approached her. He placed her hand against her shoulder and leaned in once more. His hand slid along the side of her neck and pushed her white collared shirt further down her shoulder.

XXX

Red flushed her cheeks as she felt his hand slip inside the cup of her bra. "Do want me to keep going?" Still overwhelmed by his touch, Namine managed to open her eyes to him and nodded. His other hand slid toward her hips. She placed her hand on top of his and helped slipped her underwear further down her legs. She watched his hands as they unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. As he pressed in close, her legs wrapped around his hips as her body became pressed further against the thick glass. She breathed out as she felt him press himself inside of her. Her eyes lowered to a close as he pressed the back of his hand near her head. Everything else left her mind and began to fade into the background. Breath escaped her lips. Nearby, she could hear his pick up as well. The overwhelming feeling of pleasure made her eyes close tight and press down on her teeth so that no one could hear her outside. Near her ear, he let out a deep sigh. His body slowed to a stop. She could feel her insides warmer and wetter. After he took a moment to catch his breath, he kneeled down toward her feet and slid her underwear further up her legs. She shifted her hips and then lifted her head once he stood up straight. Surprised, she stared up at him. She never expected that to happen much less with him again. Yet, her body was still filled with exhilaration being with him.

Nervously, her knees buckled as she glanced toward the side. "So what…what does this mean now…?"

He placed his fingers on the edge of his pant pockets. "I should…walk you back home. We can discuss it on the way."

She let out a smile as she nodded. "Sure…"

Riku breathed out slightly. "I know…" His eyes traveled back to hers as he thought ahead. "We won't see each other for a while so this might be the last time."

Namine smiled to assure him. "We can still visit each other as long as we try."

He crawled into bed beside her. "Still…we're going to be busy."

"Then we'll just have to make the time." Seeing her confidence, he mirrored her smile. He would have to trust her words.

In bed, Xion woke out of her sleep as she let out a small groan. When she glanced at the clock, she realized that she had only been asleep for almost an hour. She didn't understand why she woke up now when there was still the rest of the night to go. When she looked over on the other side of her, she noticed that Roxas was still awake. His hands were behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He seemed lost in thought. Curious, she sat up on her elbow. "Roxas…?"

Roxas snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head toward the side. When he saw that Xion was still awake, he became surprised. "Xion? What are you still doing up?"

"I could ask you that," she replied curious.

His eyes traveled toward to the side. "Hmm…"

At that moment, Xion could tell that something was on his mind that weighed on him heavily. "What is it?"

He stared back up at the ceiling as he looked serious. "I'm sorry… if I've been distant lately. I've…just been thinking a lot."

Uneasy, Xion's eyes traveled along the bed. It was something that weighed on her too. She couldn't understand what was going on with him. "You've been distant for a while now even when I told you…" Her eyes lifted up to him. "…I love you."

Roxas gave a look of disappointment. "I'm sorry…"

She leaned forward toward him. "Whatever is on your mind, I want to know." As he sat up, he held his head down. There was a lot that he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't leave him. Xion gave him a smile of comfort. "Here." He looked over to see her arms opened toward him.

Roxas leaned his back against her chest as he tilted his head down. "I don't know… After everything we've been through, I thought that I messed things up for you. That maybe we shouldn't be…"

She leaned her head on top of his. "That's not true. Everything that we've been through has only made us stronger," she assured him.

Roxas's eyes traveled toward the side unsure. "I wonder sometimes…"

Xion looked curious. "Is that what you were thinking about tonight when you left the pool?"

"That…and…" He lifted his head as he thought about tonight. "I'm really happy for Sora. He's loved Kairi for as long as I've known him. I'm just glad that I was able to help him tonight." His eyes lowered. "I owed him that much."

Xion felt that he was being too hard on himself. "He's your brother. I'm sure he doesn't feel that way."

He looked back toward her. "He might not, but I do." Then, he remembered when Sora and him first met. He didn't exactly give him the warmest welcome. "When I first came to the island, he's been trying to get close to me, but I wouldn't let him. I didn't even know I had a brother. It wasn't until…"

She became very curious. "Until what…?"

"Hmm…" He debated about telling her the past. Something he never told anyone else. "In the past, I…"

Xion noticed that it was difficult for him to talk about what was on his mind. She reflected on her past and thought of what to say to help him. "It was hard for me…moving to the island."

Interested, he turned his head toward her. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes lowered. The memories were bittersweet. "Before I came to the island, it was just me and my mom."

A surprised look came on his face. He hadn't heard her talk about her mom before. "Your mom?"

Xion nodded a few times. "Yeah…I never knew my dad. I couldn't remember what he looked like, but he died when I was really young."

He gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry…"

Xion shook her head and smiled toward him. "Even though it was just me and my mom, I was happy. All we had was each other." Then, a sad look came to her face as she stared toward the blankets. "One day, she was ill… and she ended up in the hospital. Every day, she just kept getting worse. Eventually, she…" Her eyes lowered to a close. "She didn't get any better and I was left all alone..." Roxas was stunned to hear that. Ever since they met, she was alone, but he never knew the reason why. "After that, I was sent to home after home. Eventually, I got tired of it. When I was supposed to go to a family on the island, I ran away. On the streets, I didn't know what I would do. That was when I ran into the organization." Gently, she smiled toward him. "And I met you and then I met Kairi and everything just came together." Her arms wrapped around him. "I'm happy that I'm with you guys. That won't ever change." Xion leaned her head against the back of his head as she closed her eyes. "So I don't want you to ever doubt that." Afterwards, she sat up straight. "Let's sleep. We're meeting the others early tomorrow."

Before she moved, she heard him speak, "The same thing happened to me..." Surprised, she froze. She turned her attention toward him. He didn't lift his eyes to look up at her. "Before I moved to the islands…it was just me and my mom too."

Maybe now he would open up to her. "Your mother…?"

Uneasy, he nodded. "Yeah…"

A curious look appeared on her face. "What was she like…your mother?"

He stared down as he thought back. Instantly, a faint smile appeared. "She was really…kind, caring, and…beautiful…"

It sounded as if he remembered his mother fondly. She let out a smile as well. "I wished that I could've met her."

His lips curved up more. "I wish you could have met her too." Then, his eyes widened as he remembered something. "Oh!" He reached over to his wallet on the nightstand and opened it. "I still have a picture of her."

Xion leaned more toward him. She really wanted to know what she looked like. She stared at the small picture that he held in his hand. There, she saw a woman with blonde, shoulder length hair and big blue eyes. Afterwards, she turned her head to him. It was difficult to ask, but she had to know. "Why don't you…ever talk about her?" Uncomfortable, his eyes traveled toward the side. He sat up from her as his eyes stayed glued to the bed. Xion was worried that he would shut her out again. "Roxas… you can talk to me. What is it?" She pressed her fist against her chest. "You've been distant for so long… even…when we first met. Whatever is bothering you, I want to know."

Slightly, he shook his head. "You can't…undo the past…"

It was hard. Maybe he would never let her in completely. "…I know I can't, but…I'm here now and I want to be there for you and for whatever you want to say…" Xion turned her body to lie down on the bed.

Before she did, her eyes widened when she heard him speak, "Back then…, I was happy with just her, but maybe…maybe I wasn't enough to make her happy." Roxas bent his leg as he put his arm on top of his knee. He glanced back to see Xion intently listening. He breathed out as he put his head down. It was too much...

Xion placed her hand on top of his shoulder. "It's okay." She sat in front of him as she looked concerned. "I'm sure that's not true." His eyes lifted up to her and then lowered as he sighed. She tilted her head a little so that their eyes could meet. "Please... Tell me." He looked toward the side as he debated. "I understand…Whatever it is, it sounds painful."

Roxas closed his eyes. As he looked down, he thought back. "It was. It still is… Back then, I didn't know who my dad was. My mom said I met him before, but I couldn't remember what he looked like. To me, it didn't matter because I was happy when it was just me and her." A smile appeared on his lips as he thought back. "I still remember what our old house used to smell like. My mom always liked to bake. The main thing she liked to was make cookies. It seemed like we never ran out." Xion let out a grin. "Back when I was little, she was with me all the time. Even when she had to work, she still made time."

The smile soon disappeared. "It wasn't until a few years later that…my dad showed up." He could still remember the day he opened the door and saw the face of his father. "One day, he just showed up. My mother was so happy to see him, but I wasn't sure if I was. This was the first time I met him. After he came, I saw the change in my mom. She seemed really happy that he was there. I didn't want to stand in the way of that. Eventually, he convinced me too." He could still remember the way his father rubbed his hair and how he found a way to get along with him. His face grew serious. "He stayed for a while, but suddenly, he left without saying anything." Xion noticed his fingers curl and tense in his lap. "That devasted my mom. After that, she wasn't the same. She was sad all of the time. I tried my best to cheer her up. Eventually, she did and she was herself again. A few years after, he showed up again. I was angry that he left her the first time. Of course, he apologized and she believed him. I tried to tell her not to, but she couldn't help it. She listened to everything he told her. He pretended to be my dad too." He put his hand to his head as he breathed out and closed his eyes. "And I fell for it again… I was such an idiot!"

Xion looked sympathetic. "No you weren't! You wanted your mom to be happy. Anyone would."

"I thought it was the best thing for her, but…" He shook his head. "I was wrong. He just ended up leaving her again."

She looked down concerned. "It must've really hurt her."

He could still remember the depressing look in her eyes clearly. "Yeah…it did. It was a sadness that she couldn't come out of…"

Xion was afraid to ask, but she had to know. "What…happened to her after that…?"

Grief filled his expression. "I tried what I could to make her happy again and for a short time, I thought she snapped out of it." He could still remember the smile she gave and how she told him that she was fine. He shook his head. "But I was wrong! She…"

Anxious, Xion leaned closer toward him. "What? What happened to her?" She could see it in his eyes that he was zoned out into his memories. "Roxas…?"

He lifted his eyes to her. "I came home one day and…I found her…on the floor. There was…blood…" his voice faded into a whisper. Her eyes widened worried. It scared her to ask. "She felt…cold. I thought that…maybe someone had hurt her until…I found a note." He closed his eyes tight and pressed down on his teeth as the memory overwhelmed him emotionally. "She…"

Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Xion embraced him as tight as she could. "You don't have to say it. It's all right."

His head leaned against her shoulder. A tear slipped from his closed eye. "If only I stayed with her…I…couldn't stop it. I couldn't save her…"

Xion placed her hand on the back of head and buried his face further into her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"But I wasn't enough for her to stay…" he whispered.

"She loved you. Don't ever forget that. I'm sure it was hard for her, but I'm sure she knew you had other family that could care of for you. She didn't leave you alone before so she wouldn't after." It wasn't long before Xion could feel her shoulder getting wet. She was relieved that he was letting his emotions free. Her hand rubbed against the back of his hair.

Within a few minutes, he was able to calm down. "After that… he showed up again…" Xion looked surprised. Roxas parted from her as he stared down. "After she was taken away, they had me go with him. I hated him for what he done. Soon, he took me to the island. That night was when I first met Sora. My dad had taken me to where Sora and his mother lived. Of course when we showed up on her doorstep, she wasn't happy to see either one of us. Turns out, she didn't know about me at all. Most of the night, the two of them were constantly arguing, but Sora, he was a different story. Without question, he just accepted me." He could still remember Sora coming up to him that night and introducing himself. "He was nice to me, but after losing my mom, I just wasn't in the mood to be a family. Dad ended up staying a few days and my new stepmom reluctantly decided to let me stay. After he saw that, he disappeared once again. I was angry and so was my stepmom. After that, I just left. I didn't expect anyone to come after me, but he did..."

Roxas stopped by the edge of town near the ocean. Anger raged within him. He didn't want to be there, but what choice did he have now? His mother was gone. He had nothing else left. He stared out at the island in the distance. "Roxas!" Roxas looked back as he watched Sora catch up with him. "Hey!"

Roxas glared toward him. "What do you want?" he replied coldly.

Sora looked a little uneasy, but then let out another smile. He turned toward the ocean. "I think you'll like it here."

Roxas gave a skeptical look. "Yeah right..."

Sora looked more excited. "There are a lot of people that you can meet here like Riku! He's my best friend and then there's Kairi! She's my best friend too! There's also Namine, Selphie, Wakka, Tidus…"

"He just kept going. He just wanted me to feel welcome, but all I wanted to do was go home and get as far away from them as possible. It wasn't long before I joined the organization." With a sincere look, his eyes met her. "And that's when I met you."

"I'm glad…" she replied with a gentle smile.

"Sora and Ventus welcomed me with open arms, but Vanitas wasn't happy. He called me another one of dad's bastards and said there were probably more of us. I guess he doesn't hate me as much now…"

Xion grinned. "See… No matter who you were, your brothers care about you."

"Still…" He closed his eyes. "No matter what, I couldn't save my mom. I almost couldn't save you."

"I think I…understand now." Roxas looked at her a little surprised. She looked toward the side, thinking. "Back when we were first in the organization, you didn't talk much about yourself. Also, you seemed pretty hard on yourself over what happened to me." She turned her head back to him. "I'm glad you told me." Roxas's eyes traveled down. He was unsure about telling her since it wouldn't change the past. It was something he would carry with him the rest of his life.

Xion let out a gentle smile. She felt she knew what to say to him now. Her fingers grabbed onto his. "It's time to forgive yourself." Roxas's eyes widened. "You really shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You never know what will happen next and you can't always be there, but you can try your best. That's all anyone can ask for." He held his head down. It still felt like he should so that he could protect the ones he cared for most. "Your mom wouldn't want you to blame yourself and I was never upset with you when Larxene attacked because you didn't know. It's time to let it go. Also…I think that you should tell Sora about what happened." He looked at her surprised. "He's your brother and I'm sure he'll understand. He just wants to get to know you like I do." She smiled more. "If you think you're alone, you're not. Sora and Ventus are your brothers and they love you and I'm sure that, in his own way, Vanitas loves you too, even if he never shows it. Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Axel are your best friends and they care about you too. Kairi cares about you too. She's going to be your sister soon. Most of all, I care about you too. No matter what happens in the future, I'm glad I met you." She gave a heartful smile. "I love you." Hearing those words made his breath shortened. She grabbed on tighter to his hands. "It's time that we both let go of the past and move on."

Roxas's eyes traveled down as he thought about her words. Then, he leaned forward as he closed his eyes tight. He could feel water roll down his cheek once more. "Xion…thank you…" he whispered. She embraced him tighter. She believed that he had taken her advice. The smile increased on her lips as a tear slipped from her eyes.

Later that night, Xion brushed the back of his hair as his head rested against her chest, asleep. He breathed softly against her. A smile appeared one more time. He had finally opened up to her and it seemed that they were moving on toward the future instead of dwelling on the past...

Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon! As the last part was a sensitive subject as throughout the story, if you are ever feeling down, please reach out to someone. Please... There will always be someone there to listen. Always.