Author's Note: This one is long lol. That's all I'm gonna say.

Reno slid his trademark silver goggles into his jacket pocket and pushed back his wild red hair. Peering up at the sky, he took a deep breath and inhaled the cool, fall air. Just as Reno exhaled, a cup of coffee appeared before him, which he eagerly took as he and his brother did some people watching on the boardwalk of Radiant Garden.

"I knew it was gonna be trouble when you called me, little bro," Reno said to Axel, who was right next to him leaning against a wooden railing.

"Oh, don't be that way," he teased. "I bought you coffee. I can't be all bad."

Reno cackled. "My little SHINRA-turned-SOLDIER brother," he commented, thinking back on where they both were ten years ago. "Mom always said you'd be the convict. At least you came to your senses and joined the right team in the end."

Axel took a sip of his coffee and recalled his brief stint in SHINRA. "Yeah, I'd say I turned out alright."

"You're not completely terrible. Now…" Reno drew out. "I have to meet up with Rude and Elena in an hour. What's up?"

"You see," Axel began slowly, staring aimlessly at the beachgoers, "I had a few questions for you about Jasmine."

"How is she, by the way?"

"She's doing a hell of a lot better than she was a few weeks ago," he replied. "She says she's gonna call you, so look out for that."

Reno's expression darkened, remembering the day he heard about how Jasmine nearly lost her life on Traverse Town. "You know her mom never wanted her in SOLDIER, right?"

"That's what I heard. Sophia saw how they treated Vincent, and she ran for the hills. Frankly? I can't blame her. Though, one thing I never got that I'm sure you could answer for me…."

Reno lifted an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"What did a bunch of average Joes like the Silvas do to need SOLDIER bodyguards? It's weird people like that needed protection from people like you and Rude."

"About 14 years ago when Jasmine was five, we got a call saying we needed to guard the Silva family – something about them being threatened by someone in SHINRA."

Axel's ears perked up. "Who threatened them?"

"As to who, we're not sure. Someone from SHINRA came into their home, so Sophia asked Vincent for help. That's when they hired us out, and we'd been with them until after Jasmine joined SOLDIER. There was another incident before that, but they didn't get help until the break-in."

The wheels in Axel's head began to turn. Who would've wanted to harm that family? They seemed like an uncomplicated bunch for the most part, so to have someone from SHINRA pop in on them was more than alarming.

"And the first incident?"

Reno took in a deep breath. "Mr. Silva got into an argument with someone at a funeral."

"Whose funeral was it for?"

"Vanitas' parents," Reno deadpanned.

Axel whipped around and stared at his brother in shock. "Wait, what?"

Reno finished the rest of his coffee and tossed the cardboard cup into a nearby trashcan. "Yup. Rude would know more about that, though. From what I recall, the same person Mr. Silva got into it with was the same person who came into their home."

"I thought Vanitas' parents weren't involved with SHINRA and that it was Xehanort, the other brother."

"Yeah, they were clean," Reno clarified. "Master Xehanort was the only one involved, and his brothers wanted nothing to do with it. But Vanitas' parents are gone, so we can't exactly ask them anything."

Axel's brain was spinning. He remembered Jasmine telling him about the photo she found of her, Vanitas, and Sora the day of the Irino's funeral. And given that Reno and his team were hired out by Jasmine's family shortly after they died, he knew that he needed to investigate that day.

"Well, getting to Vanitas is out," Axel said blandly.

"I could still kill that kid," Reno spat, remembering what he'd done to Jasmine back then. "I always knew he was bad news, but I didn't think he was in SHINRA."

"Xehanort brought him in," Axel recalled. "I'm amazed the Silvas allowed Vanitas back into their lives. I'm sure they had an inkling that Master Xehanort was into some dark shit. That never made sense to me."

"Because Jasmine's family and his parents were friends, remember? Sophia told me," Reno explained. "I'm sure the kid came up with some sort of story and tried to make it out that he had no dealings with his uncle. Otherwise, I don't think he could've got as far as he did."

Axel folded his arms over his chest. "Well, at least I have a lead now. It looks like I need to reach out to Sora's parents and see what they know. Even though I know they probably weren't close to Jasmine's family, they know Xehanort. Maybe they can shed a little light on what the hell is going on here."

"Good call. I can do some digging and ask Rude and Elena. There's probably some stuff I don't remember."

The younger redhead scoffed. "Of course, you would. How are you the older brother?"

Reno brushed off Axel's teasing and smiled. "I'm sure Rude would agree with you on that one. Still, it's sad."

Axel's laughter ceased. "What's sad?"

"The Silvas weren't perfect," Reno stated clearly. "We all knew it. But they didn't deserve what happened to them."

Axel sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Can't argue with that."

"You know, Sophia was heartbroken when she heard Jasmine was in SOLDIER."

"She's been through the wringer, but Jasmine is doing just fine," Axel reassured him. "She's smart, and she takes after Vincent. I wouldn't worry too much."

"Still, they did all this in theory to protect her, and she still ended up with them," Reno added.

"Wasn't Sophia the first Valentine to not end up in SOLDIER?"

"Yep," Reno sighed. "I think that was a mistake."

Just then, Axel broke out into a smile and chuckled, much to the confusion of his older brother.

"What's so funny?"

Axel composed himself and ran a hand through his hair. "I just think it's funny that you and I both ended up taking care of the same kid. We haven't always been on the same side with me being with SHINRA for a bit and you being in SOLDIER, but this is one thing we have in common."

Reno smiled, wrapped an arm around Axel's shoulder, and squeezed his brother tight. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

As soon as Naminé and Roxas blew out the candles on their enormous Halloween-themed birthday cake, the entire party broke out into a roar of cheers and well wishes. The twins, dressed for the occasion as two gothic siblings head-to-toe in black with makeup to match, hugged each other before they started cutting into the cake. At their respective sides were Jasmine and Olette, who dressed like the blonds in similar attire.

Olette took the first slice and fed a piece to Roxas, who happily obliged before kissing the boy on his cheek.

Jasmine grinned from ear to ear. She loved seeing Roxas happy, and she adored Olette. They indeed were a good match for each other, and she was genuinely happy for them.

"I know," Naminé commented as she handed Jasmine a piece of cake, "they're so cute it's sickening," she joked.

Jasmine elbowed Naminé in the shoulder. "What? You want me to feed you cake too?"

Naminé's cheeks turned bright red, and she led Jasmine away by her free hand. "I'm good on that one. People already think you're my girlfriend, and you'd just be making it worse!"

The raven-haired teen's eyes widened with feigned shock as the two of them made their way through the crowds of people in the bustling party hall. "I'm offended; I'd be a great girlfriend!"

Naminé laughed and watched as Jasmine picked up her second glass of champagne. She was glad that Jasmine was having a good time. After everything that had been going on, it was nice to see Jasmine let her hair down and enjoy herself.

Before Naminé could say anything else, Sora (dressed as a vampire) snuck up on the two and joined their conversation.

"Great party, Naminé! I think this might be your best party yet!" Sora beamed, showing off his realistic vampire fangs.

"Thanks, Sora," Naminé replied with a smile. "Are you having fun?"

"Duh. You guys always throw the best Halloween parties."

Naminé opened her mouth to say "thank you" when Roxas called out for her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Roxas waving out to her in the distance. Naminé promised Sora and Jasmine that she would be back and quickly disappeared to meet her brother.

"I'm glad you were able to make it," Sora said as he leaned in closer so that Jasmine could hear him over the music.

"I had to! I can't miss another birthday party."

Finding it useless to keep shouting, Sora gently grabbed Jasmine's hand and led her to one of the balconies. He opened the giant French doors overlooking the busy Radiant Garden downtown area below and let Jasmine in first. Once she was in, he shut the doors behind him to give them more privacy.

"How are you feeling, Jaz?" Sora asked, lowering his voice to a more normal volume.

Jasmine took another steady sip from her champagne glass. "I'm doing better, Sora. Next week is my last week before I go back to work."

Sora led Jasmine to the chairs near the ledge, and the two of them sat down across from each other. "You ready?"

Jasmine crossed one leg over the other and gazed out over the city below them. "I have to be. But I think I needed the break."

"Is your partner back yet? I know Tifa was with you for the first week and that it's been on and off since."

Keeping her facial expression neutral, Jasmine recalled her conversation earlier with Noctis.

Flashback

"Noctis, you can't be serious," Jasmine said with a hint of frustration in her voice. She paced around the living room with her phone pressed to her ear. This was the third time Noctis extended his stay since their mission started. And while she understood that he hadn't been home in years, they were supposed to all be back by now WITH the king.

"I know, I know," Noctis replied apologetically. "We had to take care of business. None of us has been here for years, and there was a lot we had to sort out."

"I thought you guys left people from your side in power." Jasmine sat at the piano and stared at the fresh bouquet that Noctis had delivered to the apartment earlier in the morning. Absently, she traced her hand over the petals of the nearest blood-red rose and waited for Noctis' reply.

"True, but a lot has changed," Noctis explained. "I know I keep saying this, but this time I mean it: we'll be back soon."

"WITH the king?" Jasmine stressed as she continued to admire the roses.

Noctis hesitated. "We're working on it. I've already spoken to SOLDIER, and they've agreed to send a few teams nearby to help protect the king if he chooses to stay. That way, he has extra protection while I'm gone."

While it made sense, this plan didn't wholly ease Jasmine's worry.

"We can talk more about it later," Noctis said after a brief pause. "I know you're concerned, but I promise it'll be fine."

Sighing in defeat, Jasmine agreed to let it go for now. "Okay, I trust you."

Switching gears, Noctis moved onto another topic. "Did you get the flowers?"

Jasmine's eyes scanned over the immediate area. The first time Noctis delivered flowers to the apartment, it was just one arrangement. When Jasmine woke up and went into the kitchen for breakfast (Tifa had come by to cook for her before heading out to work), she was shocked to find flowers in every room in the apartment.

"Oh yeah," Jasmine said quietly. 'You can't miss them…' she thought.

There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line. "…do you like them?"

"They're beautiful. You didn't have to go the trouble."

"It was no trouble at all," he insisted.

Jasmine's eyes fell back to the top of the piano where the gift Noctis had asked her not to open sat, still untouched as requested. He still hadn't told her what was in the box and promised to explain it once he got back. Still, there was a tiny part of Jasmine that wanted to peak.

End of Flashback

"Soon. Honestly, I'm not a fan of being in that big apartment by myself," she admitted.

"I get that…." Sora turned his head to the left and spotted Riku talking to Tidus and Wakka. "So…how's it been with you and Riku?"

Jasmine seemed genuinely surprised Sora was asking about her and Riku. "We've been fine. Why?"

Sora's face turned red, embarrassed for prying into a touchy subject. "I'm sorry. You guys haven't always been in the best place," he explained. "But he seems to be happier with you being around more."

Jasmine offered Sora an apologetic smile. As usual, Sora was just checking in on her.

"I'm glad I get to spend time with you guys," Jasmine began. "To tell you the truth, I've missed this."

"Missed what?"

"Feeling normal," Jasmine replied, trying her best to find a word to describe everything. "I live two different lives. If I'm being honest, if it weren't for Riku, I'm not sure I would've been out as much as I have."

Sora smiled. "It's weird seeing you two get along. I remember when you guys hated each other."

Jasmine reminisced on her high school days on the Destiny Islands at the very beginning. "Yeah, it's different. But we're fine, Sora. I don't want you guys feeling uncomfortable around us – which is part of why I backed off. It's awkward, and you guys shouldn't have to deal with it."

'I wonder if she knows anything,' Sora thought curiously.

It was no secret that Riku had been "seeing" other girls. And he knew Riku hadn't shared this information with Jasmine yet. Would she be mad that he saw other people while trying to repair their relationship?

Before Sora could say anything else, the patio door creaked open. Riku appeared before them, who, like Sora, was dressed in a toned-down vampire costume.

"What are you guys doing sneaking off?" Riku teased playfully.

"Catching up," Sora replied cheerfully. "Come join us!"

"Actually," Riku turned his attention to Jasmine, "I was hoping I could talk to Jaz inside for a bit if that's okay with you."

Sora and Jasmine exchanged curious glances.

"Sure thing," Sora said as he leaped to his feet. He made his way to the door and gripped the handle, shooting Riku a confused look before quickly changing up to a smile. "I'll see you guys inside. Don't take too long!"

Tifa walked through SOLDIER's Radiant Garden base halls, searching for the conference room. Earlier in the day, she'd received a strange call from Tseng requesting that her, Cloud, Zack, and the others meet on site. While she had been a bit more involved with SOLDIER since she and the others became active again, this was the first time she'd been called back to base formally.

Once she reached the conference room, she pulled out her keycard and swiped it against the scanner. The door clicked, and Tifa let herself inside. Once there, she saw Cloud, Zack, Aerith, Yuffie, and even Vincent standing around a conference table. Next to a giant flat-screen monitor at the front of the room was Tseng, who had a less than enthused look on his face.

"Glad you could make it, Tifa," Tseng greeted blandly.

Eyeing the man, she walked over to Cloud, who had a severe expression on his face.

"Now," Cloud began in a calm tone, "why did you bring us down here?"

Tseng sighed and turned on the television, showing a blueprint of what appeared to be Traverse Town.

"I needn't remind you all of the Traverse Town incident," Tseng walked over to the screen and pointed to the area where the Third District was. "This was the biggest mass casualty event of the last twenty years on the islands."

The entire room filled with a heavy, tense silence.

While they knew (from Jasmine's account) that the Traverse Town incident was terrible, they had no idea just how colossal the damage was.

"I brought you here because we had another situation." Tseng clicked a button on the tiny remote he held and brought up a blueprint of Daybreak Town, another nearby "world" like Traverse Town. "Last night, Daybreak Town was hit by the same type of attack on Traverse Town. However, given its size, approximately 70 – 80 percent of the town was destroyed."

Yuffie's face paled. "How many survivors were there?"

Tseng sighed heavily. "We estimate that about 40 percent."

"That's worse than Traverse Town," Zack said, a deep frown etched into his face.

"We had two members of SOLDIER placed on Daybreak Town; their bodies were recovered this morning."

Zack swore under his breath, and Aerith placed a hand on his shoulder to console him.

"What's the plan now?" The brunette asked.

"We're stationing more SOLDIER personnel on the various worlds. There's been more SHINRA activity, so it's apparent that all these events are NOT isolated. Be prepared to be dispatched at a moment's notice," Tseng instructed them.

"Do you think that what happened to Daybreak Town and Traverse Town could happen here?" Tifa asked.

Tseng's expression was grim. "I'd like to say no, considering that SHINRA has only been targeting further away worlds, but we can't say for sure. Seeing as Axel and Jasmine are the only two people who've seen this and survived, we're having them run point and lead the next all-call. Once Aqua makes a full recovery, we'll also utilize her."

"Any word on Ventus and Terra?" This question came from Tifa.

Tseng shook his head. "No. We're dispatching an additional team for the search and rescue mission. According to Jasmine, it would seem that SHINRA has no intention of killing them, which means both Terra and Ventus are probably still alive. Still, it would be best for us to find them sooner rather than later."

"What are the orders?" Tifa asked finally after a brief period of silence.

"Remain on standby until the next all-call," Tseng instructed the group. "Limit your travel between here and the Destiny Islands, and then, we'll start deploying teams. You'll get more information in the next two weeks. Dismissed."

The group nodded and watched as Tseng was the first to take his leave. Once he was gone, the group let out a collective sigh and discussed the meeting.

"Daybreak Town was always such a peaceful little place," Yuffie lamented. "I can't believe SHINRA would do this."

Zack scoffed. "Really? I can."

"Be that as it may, now we'll see for ourselves just what we're up against," Vincent said as he leaned against a wall and folded his arms over his chest.

"Although," Tifa began slowly, "It's strange. Daybreak Town had a fairly strong SOLDIER presence. I wonder what happened to the other teams stationed there."

"If they got caught in the crossfire, I'd imagine they didn't make it," Cloud replied.

Just then, Tifa remembered something. "Aerith," she looked to her friend. "Have you heard anything about Aqua?"

"Actually, yes," the green-eyed woman replied. "I heard she woke up this morning, and she should be released the day after tomorrow. I'm sure Tseng wants to keep her a bit longer for questioning."

"Bottom line, we need to be proactive," Zack told the group. "I have a feeling that SHINRA won't stop at Daybreak Town."

"Me neither," Cloud agreed.

"Even then, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me," Yuffie mused as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her shorts.

Aerith looked over at Yuffie. "What do you mean?"

"This doesn't feel like typical SHINRA behavior to me," she told the group. "The SHINRA we used to deal with were crooks and generally pretty terrible. But wiping out hundreds of people? This is way worse."

The group remained silent as they took in Yuffie's observation.

"She's right," Tifa said finally. "Isn't Master Xehanort the head of SHINRA?"

"For the past twenty years, yes," Cloud told her.

"And that's when SHINRA fell back," Tifa realized. "You know who we need to talk to now? Axel. He's ex-SHINRA, and he can give us more information on Master Xehanort. He's stopping by later this evening. I'll try and talk to him then."

"Good idea." Aerith then sighed and stared back at the map of Daybreak Town. "Maybe he can tell us something so that whatever happened to Traverse Town and Daybreak Town won't happen to anyone else."

Jasmine, who was most definitely buzzed by this point, still had no idea why Riku was leading her back into the party. If they were supposed to be having a conversation, then a crowded room seemed like the last place to do it. But she didn't think too hard about it. When a waiter came by and passed her another glass of champagne near the lounge area where they stood, she figured it would be best to go with the flow.

"What's going on?" she asked casually.

Riku leaned against the back of one of the nearby sofas. "Just wanted to talk. Having fun?"

"So far, so good," Jasmine said as she took another sip. She eyed Riku suspiciously; something was definitely on his mind. "What's up?"

"I meant," he began with a chuckle, raising the volume of his voice against the music, "in general. It's been nice spending time with you again, Faye."

Jasmine paused when she heard Riku say her first name. It almost felt like old times. "It's been nice hanging out with everyone and getting a break from work."

"When do you go back?"

"The Monday after the next," she replied, hoping that Riku would stop skirting around what it was he wanted to talk to her about.

"Well," Riku paused and took a deep breath, "there's something I wanted to ask you."

Jasmine continued to drink. "Ask," she said simply.

Riku tried to quiet his nerves.

He hated how nervous he felt around Jasmine, even after all this time.

"If you were free," Riku said slowly, "I was wondering if you and I could go to dinner before you start back at work."

Jasmine's eyes widened.

She hadn't expected this.

"Dinner?" She repeated, eyeing Riku carefully.

"Yes."

Jasmine folded her arms over her chest, being mindful of the glass of champagne in her hand. "Are you asking if we could go to dinner as friends or…?"

Riku smiled apologetically, trying to fight his nerves as well as his pounding heartbeat that rang in his ears. "I'm asking you on a date, Faye. Not as friends."

Jasmine's jaw fell open.

She hadn't expected that.

And then, once the reality of her situation set it, she felt torn.

Apart from Naminé, she hadn't told anyone that she agreed to go out with Noctis. Now Riku was attempting to repair their relationship, and he had no idea what was going on. She almost felt guilty.

Had she been leading him on this entire time?

Taking another sip, Jasmine thought of something to say. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she saw two girls dressed as devils (one redhead and one brunette) approaching her and Riku at rapid speed, with Selphie and Kairi hot on their trail.

Before Jasmine could say anything, one of the girls, the redhead with puffy eyes who appeared to have been crying, barged in on their conversation. The redhead pointed an accusing finger at Riku, whose face paled when he saw her.

"So you've been avoiding me?" The girl snapped.

"What are you doing?" Riku asked, putting some distance between himself and the two girls.

"I think it's pretty shitty that you ghosted me right after we hooked up!" The redhead shouted at the top of her lungs, causing several partygoers to stop their festivities to watch the scene unfold.

Kairi and Selphie, who appeared to have arrived too late, stood in front of Jasmine and put their backs to Riku and the other girls.

Kairi, who came to the party dressed as a rag doll, pulled Jasmine forward by her wrist.

"I think we should let them have some privacy," she urged. "I knew we should've stopped them," she told Selphie.

Selphie, dressed as an angel, threw her arms up in defeat. "How was I supposed to know that the girl from my class knew Naminé?" she hissed. "I had no idea she was coming!"

Jasmine, whose expression had turned blank, looked past both girls, took in the scene before her, and immediately connected the dots. She nodded in understanding and continued to enjoy her champagne.

"Let's leave them," Selphie suggested, only to find that Jasmine wouldn't budge.

"No, no," she insisted calmly, "I want to see this."

Even though there was a bit of distance between himself and Jasmine, he knew he was busted. After all, the girl was practically screaming at him. And, of course, she would barge in right as he was asking Jasmine out.

"Listen," Riku turned his attention to the crying girl in front of him. "We had an entire conversation about what happened, and I don't get why you're making a scene. We talked," he stressed, trying his best to be gentle. "And you agreed that it was a one-time thing."

"Then why is it that when I text you, you ignore me?" she wailed, trying to step forward but was stopped by her friend. "You've been blowing me off! What kind of asshole does that?"

Before saying anything else, Riku noticed a familiar scent on the girl's lips.

He could smell the alcohol on the girl a mile away.

She was drunk.

And Riku knew from personal experience just how volatile people were when they were upset AND intoxicated.

"Because you asked me out," he replied, quickly stealing a glance at Jasmine. "And I told you that I wasn't looking for anything beyond that. I was trying to be nice. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Angered and even more frustrated than before, the girl reached out her hand to slap Riku, only to be stopped dead in her tracks. Almost in a flash, Jasmine appeared before them and caught the girl's wrist in mid-air, preventing her from laying a hand on Riku.

"I think you should let it go," Jasmine said sympathetically. "If Riku told you what he wanted, you should listen to him and back off. It's not a good look."

The girl's face turned an even brighter shade of red.

As the reality of what almost happened set in, her eyes began to water again.

"I saw him talking to you," the girl said as she studied Jasmine's face. "I didn't want him to do the same thing to you that he did to me…I think I know you from somewhere."

"Doesn't matter," Jasmine said dismissively as she realized where the girl's thoughts were headed. She spotted several of their friends (Sora, Naminé, Roxas, Olette, and Tidus) surrounding them. "If Riku said he didn't want anything serious, listen to him. Maybe you wanted something more, but this isn't the way to go about it."

Jasmine released the girl's hand, and the rejected girl retreated into her friend's arms where she broke down crying. The brunette held her friend and glared at Riku before turning her attention to Jasmine.

"I tried to tell her," The brunette told Jasmine. "But she lost her mind when she saw you two talking. I tried to tell her, but she didn't listen." Her heated gaze shifted to Riku. "I know you've slept with a few girls on campus this year, and it's not right for you to get people's hopes up and then kick them to the curb when you're through with them."

The entire group around them went into shock while Riku swore out loud.

'This can't get any worse,' he lamented.

"Listen," Jasmine tried to reason with the girl (who was also drunk herself), "I hear what you're saying. But unless he truly led you on, you're just assuming the worst. I think you and your friend should sober up and get back to campus." She looked over her shoulder at both Naminé and Roxas. "It's a birthday party, and you guys are making a scene. Like I said earlier, not a good look."

"Why are you defending him?" The redhead cried angrily.

Jasmine remained unfazed. "I'm not," she replied simply. This situation reminded her vaguely of her own with Ven, and she immediately felt pity for the girl. "But right is right. You can't put your feelings on him and be mad when he doesn't feel the same. Imagine if it was the other way around."

The redhead's eyes widened once she took in Jasmine's words.

The strange, vaguely familiar raven-haired girl was right.

"Listen," Jasmine instructed sternly, "sober up, go home, and don't give it any more thought. It was just a hook-up. Besides, you're pretty. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding someone who wants the same thing as you."

The redhead broke into a fresh set of tears yet again and nodded as her friend led her away. But before the two left the scene, the brunette stared at Jasmine curiously.

"Aren't you that singer?" She asked, squinting her eyes at Jasmine.

"I am," Jasmine shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "But it doesn't matter."

Taking that as their cue to leave, the girls disappeared into the crowd, and soon, the party resumed as if nothing had happened.

However, Riku and Jasmine's group became tenser than ever, save for Selphie, who was in awe of her friend.

"You handled that so well!" Selphie said as she threw her arms around Jasmine. "I thought for sure she was gonna slap the taste out of Riku's mouth!"

Jasmine still seemed relatively unfazed by the events, much to everyone's shock.

"They were wrong for how they handled that," Jasmine stated plainly. "At least they didn't ruin the party."

Riku, who was beyond embarrassed, didn't know what to say.

He planned on telling Jasmine about what had been going on, but he didn't expect it to happen this way.

Now he looked like an idiot.

"Faye," he said sadly. "I'm…"

To the shock of everyone in the group, Jasmine held up her free hand dismissively and laughed. In fact, she laughed so hard that tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. She finished off her glass of champagne and, when a waiter came by, handed him her empty glass, and swapped it out for a new one.

"No worries," she replied once her laughter settled down. Jasmine wiped away a tear and started walking towards Riku. "Bad timing, I guess. But…" she patted his shoulder before she walked past him. "You should probably handle your affairs better and watch who you sleep with."

Riku's fell silent, the sting of embarrassment being too great for him.

He made eye contact with Naminé, who nodded as if she understood him, and she immediately trailed Jasmine while the others crowded around him.

'Did I blow it?' he asked himself as he took one final look at Jasmine, who seemed more distant now than ever before.

Naminé plopped down on one of the sofas while the venue staff cleaned up the hall. The party (overall) was a success. People enjoyed the food, her and Roxas got to dance and be with their friends, and, for the most part, everyone had a good time.

'Well,' Naminé's eyes drifted to Jasmine, who sat opposite of her on another sofa. 'Almost everyone.'

The blonde recalled the incident earlier with Riku and cringed. She'd knew Riku slept with a few girls, but he had never disclosed who those girls were. The redhead from earlier (who she was friends with from one of her classes) never mentioned that she had dealings with Riku. If she thought for one second that the girl would've made a scene like that, she never would have invited her.

And now that everyone had left (save for Roxas, who was talking to Olette out in front), she could finally talk about what happened without so many prying eyes.

Jasmine crossed her legs and leaned back. She was still buzzed and thankful that Naminé allowed her to crash at her dorm room tonight so she wouldn't have to bother with a cab.

"That was so sloppy," Jasmine said with a chuckle.

Naminé sighed heavily. "I'll say," she agreed. "Though, I'm kinda surprised."

"Surprised about what?"

Naminé's eyes darted from left to right, confused as to how Jasmine couldn't see it. "You didn't react. The only thing you did was laugh after it was all said and done. Riku is mortified."

"Of course, he is," Jasmine stated matter of factly, "did you know he asked me out on a date right before those girls came over?"

Naminé's bright blue eyes widened in shock. When she initially caught up with Jasmine after everything went down, she was told they would discuss the situation later.

"I didn't know that part," the blonde breathed. "No wonder Riku was so upset."

Jasmine was once again in a strange place of displaced feelings. She didn't know what or how to feel at the moment. Part of her had an inkling that Riku might've had a few affairs since they broke up, but she had no clue he was still sleeping with girls while they were hanging out more. And while Jasmine knew full well that Riku was just acting on urges and impulses, the whole situation was a bit too sticky for her liking.

"Before he left, he texted me and asked if we could talk later," Jasmine revealed as she stared at the ceiling.

"And what did you say?" Naminé asked curiously.

Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't text him back. I'll probably reply when I get back to your room."

Naminé sighed heavily and instead circled back to her earlier question. "But why?"

"Why what?"

"Why weren't you mad?" Naminé asked.

Jasmine lifted an eyebrow, and her lips pulled into a frown. "Because I shouldn't be?"

Naminé was a bit struck by Jasmine's lack of concern over what went down. Even though she knew Jasmine was somewhat involved with the prince, for her to be completely unfazed seemed a bit out of character, even for her. So, she tried a different angle.

"Riku was trying to get back with you, and yet you find out he's been with other girls," Naminé explained. "I know you have other stuff going on, but you said nothing. That's not like you."

Jasmine understood Naminé's explanation. "It's weird, and I'll give you that," she conceded. "But how could I be mad at Riku when you know what my situation looks like. I can't say anything. The only thing I can judge, though, is how messy he is about it."

"I guess you're right," Naminé said finally. "You know Riku's still crazy about you, right?"

Jasmine was silent.

She didn't want to allow whatever feelings she may have had left for Riku to surface, so she squashed it immediately. "Maybe. But it doesn't change what's been going on. Besides," Jasmine lowered her voice, "you know I haven't been completely innocent either."

Naminé's eyes lit up as she finished off what was left of her glass of white wine.

"Very true. Can you imagine how bad Riku would freak out if he knew you slept with Ven?"

"Wait...you slept with Ven?" a familiar male voice rang out of nowhere.

Naminé's hands flew to her mouth, and she hesitantly turned to the right to see Roxas standing next to both her and Jasmine.

Jasmine took a deep breath and gave a heavy, exasperated sigh.

'I guess everyone's nonsense is getting aired out tonight,' she thought, the dark humor of it all practically cracking her in the face.

"I thought you were with Olette," Naminé managed, feeling terrible for blurting out Jasmine's secret.

Roxas, who was still shocked by the revelation, took a spot on the sofa next to his sister.

"She and Selphie decided to go back to the dorms," he replied. "Selphie is drunk, so Olette is gonna take care of her."

Naminé nodded weakly and turned to face Jasmine, who had an emotionless expression on her face.

"You know," Roxas cracked a smile and looked Jasmine right in the eye, "I kinda had a feeling something was going on between you two."

"How so?" Jasmine asked flatly.

Roxas grinned and laughed. "To be fair, it wasn't you. Ven just always seemed to be too into you, if you know what I mean."

Jasmine's heart began to tighten at the mention of Ven. She didn't feel like talking about this right now, especially not with Roxas, of all people.

"No wonder you didn't tear Riku's head off," Roxas said as he continued to laugh at the irony of it all.

Jasmine gave another exasperated sigh. "Even if I didn't sleep with Ven, I'd still feel the same way."

Naminé turned to Jasmine and apologized profusely. "I am so sorry. I didn't know Roxas was behind us. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said anything."

"It's okay, Nam," Jasmine said gently, trying to reassure her friend that everything was fine. "It was an accident. I know you didn't mean it."

"How long did you know?" Roxas asked his sister curiously.

"…for a while," she replied meekly.

"To be fair," Jasmine began, "Naminé was the only one from the group I told. Ven and I didn't want it getting around."

Roxas shrugged his shoulders. "It's not a big deal, Jaz. So you guys hooked up once. That's nothing."

Naminé cringed, and Roxas quickly realized there was more to the story.

"Wait…was it one time?"

Huffing, Jasmine realized there was no way out of this. "Ven and I have been sleeping together for months ever since I went on that solo mission," she told him, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"MONTHS?" Roxas shouted, shocked beyond belief. "No wonder he moved into the same building as you," he joked. "I knew he liked you."

"Axel found out first," Jasmine explained. "Though that was an accident. To be honest, Axel said the same thing you said."

"Because that's what's going on," Roxas said as he rolled his eyes. "I know Ven."

Jasmine didn't want to talk about this anymore. But with a secret like this getting out, she knew she had to come clean, at least about some of it. "It doesn't matter because I broke it off with him before our last assignment."

Roxas' smile completely vanished.

"But…but why?" He asked, confused about how things could've taken such a left turn. If there was anyone Roxas could see Jasmine with other than Riku, it was Ven. On paper, they seemed like they were the perfect match.

Jasmine's fists tightened. She'd done so well when it came to not focusing on Ven. But now, it was like the whole tragic event was being forced right back down her throat.

"Ven never wanted anything serious with me," Jasmine explained as she turned away from Roxas' piercing blue eyes. "We had an argument, and I told him I didn't want to keep sleeping with him. We were just friends with benefits, Roxas. That's it."

Something in the pit of his stomach told Roxas that something was amiss. But upon seeing how uncomfortable Jasmine looked in the moment, he decided to drop it. Instead, Roxas chose to support her and ease this awkward situation.

Roxas switched sofas and sat right next to Jasmine.

"You don't have to go into it," he said as he wrapped an arm around Jasmine's shoulders to comfort her. "But for what it's worth, that's his loss, Jasmine. I don't know if you had feelings for him, but if you did and he just wanted to be friends with benefits, then you were right for leaving. You need to take care of yourself, and if that means cutting off Ven, then so be it."

After what felt like eons, Jasmine finally looked up and met Roxas' gaze.

It was odd.

Even though Roxas and Ventus were two completely different people, they had the same soothing energy about them. And for the briefest moment when she looked into Roxas' clear blue eyes, she could've sworn she was looking at Ven. It was no wonder why she'd always been so drawn to both boys. Even with the occasional flair-ups in their relationships, they had a light about them despite it being slightly different between the two blond boys.

Naminé smiled.

This was what she missed.

The relationship between Roxas and Jasmine.

Despite their ups and downs, they truly cared about each other.

Perhaps now they could finally put the past behind them and move forward as friends for real this time.

"He's right, Jaz," Naminé agreed. "As much as I would love to root for Ven, if you're not getting what you want, there's no point."

"I know," Jasmine said. "Thanks, guys."

Roxas ushered Naminé over, and the two of them squeezed their friend in a tight embrace.

"You don't have to thank us, Jaz," Roxas said as he ruffled her hair.

"Exactly," Naminé agreed. "That's what friends are for."

Feeling a bit better, Jasmine let out a sigh of relief.

"I won't tell Riku about Ven," Roxas reassured her. "I feel that kinda goes without saying."

Jasmine continued to lean against Roxas even when the trio broke the hug. "I appreciate that. I'll talk to him about it soon, though."

"I'd give him some time," Roxas advised rolling his eyes at the memory of the event at the party, "I'm sure he has his head buried in the sand somewhere."

"Did you guys know he'd been sleeping with other girls?" Jasmine asked.

Roxas and Naminé looked at each other and gave her rueful smiles.

"Yeah," they admitted in unison.

"To be fair though," Naminé began, "I thought he was going to tell you. But I also didn't think he would ask you out tonight. Bad timing all around."

Roxas grimaced. "I knew," he revealed, earning a look of shock from Naminé, whose eyes demanded answers. "I overheard Riku and Sora talking yesterday, so I saw it coming."

Jasmine scoffed. "Looks like we're all bad at keeping secrets."

"Not you," Roxas argued. "If it weren't for Ven being all over you, I would've never known. What other secrets are you keeping from me?" he teased.

Jasmine quickly glanced down at her wrist and stared at the bracelet Noctis had given her. She stole a glance from Naminé shook her head.

"You don't even wanna know," Jasmine sighed.