RokuNami Week 2020: Day 1 - Home/Twilight Town
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"How are you feeling?"
There was only one possible response to a question like that. Roxas stretched and yawned. "I feel… like I need some ice cream."
Naminé let out a sigh, rolling her eyes in both exasperation and amusement. "I should have known," she replied, smiling. "But I wanted to make sure, that's all. Everything okay? No headaches or missing memories?"
He shook his head. Following Kairi's lead, he and Xion had been working with Naminé to search for clues about Sora in their memories. Except the only thing he's really been doing was sleep. Naminé was the one doing all the actual work. It was slow, slower than the progress made with Kairi. Naminé was only one person and there were two hearts in need of searching. Letting Ansem and his apprentices analyze him in Radiant Garden was an option, but Roxas had refused the offer point-blank. Sure, the old man was repentant and apologetic, but Roxas didn't trust him.
So his distrust meant more trouble for Naminé. For that, Roxas was sorry. As he and Xion could take turns sleeping, they had time to spend for themselves while Naminé was more or less constantly shut inside the Old Mansion working away. Knowing her history with DiZ—and suspecting she may just be a workaholic by nature—Roxas decided to make it his personal mission to make sure she was also able to rest and have a little fun every so often.
It worked in his favor, Roxas thought to himself as the two of them stepped out into Market Street, not quite hand-in-hand, but close enough. He liked spending time with Naminé, getting to know her without the Organization or DiZ hovering in the background.
They were usually accompanied by their friends during these little mid-break outings, but today, it was only the two of them. Any onlooker would think that they were on a date, but he didn't mind if they do. Naminé didn't seem to either, looking quite content as she walked beside him.
Roxas paid for the ice cream again, despite her protests that she had munny of her own now. It was his pleasure to treat her to ice cream over and over again. Roxas remembered watching her take her first bite, the expression she made when she first tasted the sea-salt and the smile that followed.
When did the desire to have ice cream with her first come to pass? He did not remember. Certainly not during those seven days—he had more important things to worry about back then. Maybe when he briefly stirred in his sleep during Sora's own visit to Twilight Town during his last adventure?
Either way, Roxas supposed it didn't matter so much now.
"Not much has changed, has it?" she asked, looking thoughtful.
He looked around. Despite the closing of some businesses and the opening of others, new faces in the crowd and the absence of others… "Nothing has all that much," he agreed, "It's nice to know this place still feels like home." He frowned, realizing too late the implications in what he was saying. She was here now because he and Xion were here, so he didn't want to assume she felt the same way about Twilight Town that he did. "At least, it feels that way for me."
But she always did have a knack for understanding him without words. "It feels like home to me too," she said. "True, Sora is still missing. I would like to find him as soon as possible, but it doesn't feel like I'm… being rushed. Like I can take my time and be sure that I could do a good job instead of having to work as quickly as possible."
"There is no deadline," Roxas agreed. Xehanort was gone and there were no other incoming threats that he was aware of. "I think Sora would understand if we tried to live a little in-between our search for him."
Naminé looked down at her ice cream stick. WINNER. Roxas was not as lucky today. "Yes," she said. "I'm sure he would. He went through so much to save us, after all." Then, she smiled. "But that also means I want to do everything I can to save him in return. It's just nice I can do this with friends this time."
Roxas nodded. "Yup. You're not doing this alone anymore." And I am doing this of my own volition this time. He came to accept his fate the first time, but in hindsight, he still felt a degree of resentment towards those who pushed him into that situation without his knowledge in the first place. Even when Naminé tried to tell him what was going on, by then there really wasn't anything he could do if he refused to comply.
That definitely had something to do with his refusal to work (directly) with DiZ this time, but he wasn't particularly sorry about it.
Naminé sighed once before holding up her stick so they could both see the words printed on the wood.
"Are you gloating?" Roxas joked. "I swear this is like the seventh time you are a WINNER. Somebody upstairs must really like you."
"Actually Roxas," she replied, crossing her arms and putting on an expression of mock snobbery that, in his opinion, only made her look cuter. "I was going to let you have it, but if you're going to be that way, I guess I will keep it for myself after all."
"What? Oh, come on!" He pouted. "You know I didn't mean it like that…"
"Your weakness for ice cream will be the end of you one day. Mark my words." Her words were grave, but they were both trying their hardest not to laugh. Roxas had to admit he harbored a special fondness for this Naminé. The playful, lively girl she could be when she was in the company of those she was fully comfortable around.
They left their bench and returned to the ice cream store where Naminé presented the saleslady with her WINNER stick and was given two ice creams in return.
Seeing her confusion, the woman smiled and explained. "The second one is on the house."
"But—"
"I insist." She smiled, looking between them with twinkling eyes. "You kids are some of my best customers. I won't be losing any business if I give away one extra."
"Thank you, Ma'am!" Naminé bowed in thanks, but there was a very happy flush to her cheeks. Sora wouldn't mind if they dawdled a little to have another bar of ice cream, right? They began to make their way back to the underground conduit, unwrapping their treats as they walked.
Unlike with the first, Naminé took a big bite out of her second, shivering and raising a hand to her temple from the resulting brain freeze.
"Careful," Roxas teased, tossing his wrapper into a nearby wastebasket. "The ice cream isn't going anywhere."
She nudged him once in response. "I can't help it," she said "Salty, but sweet. The taste of home."