.
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Gravity
—And out of all the stars, he chose you.
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Twilight steeped the windowsill in sunlit gold, its quiet afterglow, and the sea breeze was warm with the faint scent of flowers. Humming, Roxas snuggled firmer against Naminé. Her breath was tranquil, comfortable. Pleasantly cool. Naminé merely smiled, curtains flowing around her like a veil of sea spray as she charted out the stars with flawless ease.
Their humble little beach cottage was brimming with sparkling wood and baskets of vined flowers now. The festive Mickey Mouse wall clock had been a housewarming gift, as was the seashell picture frame that commemorated a Disneyland trip with all their friends. The library shelf was packed with even more memories in leather-bound albums, arranged neatly by a collection of music records and ancient fairytales—and it was far too easy to unwind in the sofa or armchair cushions, especially with the coconut-scented candles that decorated the coffee table. Basking in the sunlight or hearing the lulling sound of the waves together in these lazy afternoons was ordinary now. It was familiar.
It was home.
The humidity and island balm engulfed them the moment they stepped out to the veranda. A handful of silver stars were already winking in the dusk, diffused with the dim of the porch light. Roxas studied her as they walked past their simple garden of flowers, steps clapping against the stone path, and his heart squeezed. Naminé always regarded the world so curiously, as if it were all a precious gift—the trees in the forest, the wind on her face; the palm trees that swayed heavily with their green, purple-frayed leaves, or the wildflowers that permeated the air with their sweet fragrance—she breathed in the universe as if every little thing was a treasure in life for her to cherish. Even at the beach, she beamed at the glass-like ocean before taking his hand and leading him straight to the water.
"Naminé?" he began, hesitant. But in the twilight, her lavender eyes glinted and spun wisps of gold. Roxas paused, caught by a question he didn't quite yet understand.
She tilted her head, puzzled. Her smile was gentle. "Yes?"
The waves crashed against the shore, rising and falling like castles in the sand. Blushing, he looked away. Naminé just smiled again, tugging him into a warm, affectionate hug. It didn't take long for him then to wrap his arms around her, to also crack a small grin. A calm breeze mingled with the brine, and the sea glistened in the sunset. Roxas had always resented his own darkness—the scathing rage, the deep sorrow that used to consume him. But Naminé accepted all that. She would always soothe those wounds with a kind, healing smile; comfort him until all the fears and lies melted away to mere scars.
She was a sanctuary, this girl in her summer dress. This girl with her heart of pure light. And if only he could skim the depths of her soul, touch just a shard of her light and beauty for himself, then he could be saved.
Roxas tightened the embrace, drinking in her warmth like sweet wine.
"I always wish there was more to give you," he murmured, kissing the crown of her hair. Naminé nuzzled against his chest, sighing. His heartbeat was warm, strong, a steady rhythm like a beating drum.
"You've given me enough happiness to last a lifetime," she whispered.
Because it was the truth, and Roxas was all that she'd ever dreamed of. The universe was so big in the grand scheme of things, and she was just one star in all the worlds. Yet he was always giving her so much affection, so many memories to treasure—each time he treated her to sea salt ice cream, or picked her a colorful, silky flower. After waking to a nightmare from the past, he would sing her lullabies, and hold her till morning with a graciously peaceful smile. She was so quiet, so eager to safeguard everyone else's happiness that she might've been just fine all alone. But he invited her into his life, and shared a paopu fruit with her—she stepped into his world, and didn't even realize her own loneliness was missing.
She missed his warmth the moment she let go, but then Roxas grinned and interlocked their hands. Naminé looked up. His blue eyes twinkled with just a sliver of her reflection; the sunset washed him in stained gold, and his smile was a gleam of twilight piercing the shadows.
He smiled at her like she was the most beautiful thing in his world.
"I'm just selfish."
Naminé only had time to blink once in her daze before he whisked her into a dizzyingly clumsy dance. "Roxas!" she gasped, laughing as he laughed, triumphant, as if he'd already conquered the entire island. The ocean shimmered like diamonds behind their silhouettes as their heartbeats soared. And so they waltzed about the surf, hand in hand, and it was like falling to earth again only to yearn once more for the sun—to obey his law of gravity.
Because his heart was passion incarnate to her. He was a warrior with invincible courage, and deep inside there was a flame that burned fierce with a desire to know the truth, to fight for his own existence. He illuminated the darkness; he was light. This boy with his sun-kissed hair, and eyes that reminded her of a clear blue sky. Naminé still wonders at how bright he shines, sometimes, a blazing sun in all his glory.
And out of all the stars, he chose you.
By the shoreline, the waves scattered sea foam across the sand. The sun was nearly submerged underwater now, and a stream of silver lights was quickly becoming clearer and clearer. So like ancient stars in their waking hour, they unwound.
Naminé inhaled, admiring the way the last golden rays of dusk fell on him like a cloak as he gazed up at the sky, the stars bright in his eyes, and his smile was a treasure she had still yet to discover. It was like gravity pulling the ebb and flow of the tide, a wingless fall from breath, and she never dreamed that he would be so close, so within her reach. All she had to do was will for it, and his warmth would be hers to hold for an eternity.
The soothing cool of her skin against his cheek surprised him; he turned in revolution, and stopped.
His breath hitched.
Because there was so much hope, so much light that was pouring out from her soul as if the heavens were always this beautiful. He drunk in her featherlight smile, the waterfall of shooting stars in her eyes.
—And just as the night sky was falling so was he.
"Roxas," she whispered. "I love you."
Because it crashed into him right then, the gravity in wanting to spend the rest of his life with this girl. Every morning waking up and every night falling asleep, and even in the idle daydreams without her. Because promises just weren't enough to satisfy this burning desire inside anymore. It was an oath. An eternal vow to share whatever destiny awaits them in this life and the next one over, to be reincarnated and find each other again for as many times as it takes.
Roxas turned once more to the stars, searching the edge of the universe for some way to carve that fate into words.
But maybe he didn't need to think twice.
All he really needed to do—even as his heart raced, and time slowed to a stop—was to intertwine, to weave their hands together. A silly grin threatened to spill over his face, and warm tears gathered embarrassingly in the corners of his eyes. But bathed in the moonlight, she was ethereal. He believed in that radiance now. He believed in her warmth, her faith. Her beautiful smile.
He trusted her.
(don't think twice)
"Naminé, will you marry me?"
Her laughter reminded him of silver bells at dawn; she leaned in slowly, serenely to rest her forehead against his.
Her eyes sparkled like crystals.
"Yes."
There was a lifetime of happiness waiting for them, these two stars bound by gravity. Because it's like awakening to a dream—awakening from a gentle kiss just to dance in the sunrise, heartbeats racing, and celebrate being alive. The universe is brimming with those gifts. You might find it in the bud of a blooming flower; maybe it's in a shining wave, each little grain of sand. A simple welcome home, perhaps, or a genuine thank you.
Just remember what it's like to meet someone new in the world, to grant them possibility. Remember what it's like not really knowing what to expect for the future, but hoping it'll be something good. Fall in love with that feeling—
Fall in love with your star.
(and whatever lies beyond the morning, love, is just a little later on)
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Hey, Melisa here! This is actually my fic for the Two Sides fanzine. I never published this story because I felt it was more rushed than intended, and I wanted to take time to rewrite it and make it stronger... but irl has just been way too busy, haha. Since it's RokuNami Day and I don't have anything else ready, I decided to just publish it. Perhaps I'll return to this story again someday.
But anyhow, this fic is really a love letter to Roxas and Naminé, as well as my attempt to capture how it feels to fall in love. I identify as aroace, so I struggled greatly in trying to navigate those emotions. But writing has always been the best way for me to understand love... and what better way to understand love than with my OTP of OTPs. ^_^
Happy RokuNami Day!
Music inspiration for this fic draws mainly from the lovely "Gravity" by Vienna Teng and Utada Hikaru's "Chikai."