A.N.- Okay, this chapter is very long to make up for the wait, about 9,500K. Thank you all so much for the reviews! I hope you guys like it so without further ado, I give you chapter 7 (I worked all day on this, like literally spent hours on it so I hope you guys like it)
All of Me (by John Legend)
"Selphie, we've got a code blue." I said into my phone as I took in the sight ahead of me. Namine stood in front of the oven, her long blonde hair tied up in a very messy ponytail. She wore what I think was a white tank top and pink shorts, but they were covered in flour and chocolate and who knows what else. She looked as if she had barely slept and I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't. She looked like a zombie and if she realized I was there, she didn't bother acknowledging it.
"Uh oh, how bad is it Kairi?" Selphie asked from the other end. "Is it worse than when Misty passed?" Selphie asked, referring to when Namine's pet Moogle died. There were endless piles of dishes in the sink and on the counter tops, it felt like the desert from the oven being on so long, and everything from cookies to cupcakes to brownies were all over the place. I had my answer
"Way worse. Get over here as soon as you can." I said before ending the call and walking over to where Namine was furiously whisking some cake batter. "Namine, what's wrong?" I asked cautiously, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise and turned to look at me, dropping the whisk in the giant bowl of what I could now tell was lemon cake batter.
"Oh, Kairi. I didn't know you were here." She said monotonously. Her eyes were bloodshot and she merely turned back to the bowl and muttered under her breath before digging for the whisk and going back to whisking. I sighed in frustration and took her by her shoulders, turning her around.
"NAMINE." I said calmly but firmly. "What's wrong?" I asked, shaking her slightly. She finally met my eyes and I watched as her face crumbled a bit.
"Roxas..." She whispered quietly, and that's all I needed to hear. I pulled her against me as she started quietly crying and I steered us to the couch.
"Oh Nam, what happened?" I asked, rubbing a hand on her back as she cried into her hands. She just shook her head, taking a deep shaky breath.
"I went over to his house last night for dinner. It was our six month anniversary and..." She trailed off and I was already dead set on kicking Roxas's ass. "I walked in on him kissing Xion." That's when she lost it and started crying even harder, slightly hysterical. Selphie burst through the door then, a gallon of ice cream and a package of chocolate in one hand, a whole bunch of chick flicks in the other. She had obviously just gotten up because she wore yoga pants, a Hollow Bastion T-shirt, and her glasses. Selphie would never be caught dead in public wearing her glasses unless it was an absolute emergency. I smiled as she rushed towards us and placed everything on the table.
"Okay, I brought my emergency package just in case." She said, sitting on the other side of Namine. I looked over at her and we each shared a sympathetic smile.
"I'm gonna go make a quick call, can you take care of her real quick?" I asked as I stood up, my cell phone in hand. Selphie nodded and directed her attention back to the hysterical Namine.
"It's okay Nam, just let it out." Selphie consoled quietly while I made my way back into the kitchen. I sighed, doing a once over of the place. As far as I could see, we had two batches of brownies, at least fifty cupcakes, one heavily decorated cake and too many cookies too count. And that was just what was on the available counter space. I sighed, walking onto the back porch.
I couldn't call Roxas, something told me he wouldn't pick up and I definitely had to get the whole story before I unleashed my fury upon him. Riku wasn't exactly informed of the former relationship status of Roxas and Namine, but with him being so close to Xion, he wouldn't be a good candidate anyway. Tidus was out of town, and as much as I wanted to call Sora, I had another person in mind, someone who Roxas trusted without a doubt. It had to be him. I quickly scrolled through the contacts and found the name, clicking call.
It rang five times before his voice filtered through the other line. "This better be good if you're waking me up at the crack of dawn Kairi." He said groggily.
"Oh please Axel, it's nine o'clock in the morning. Anyways, this is really important. It's about Roxas." I said quietly, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Namine was still with Selphie.
"I'm listening." Axel said, all evidence of sleep gone from his voice. I paused, thinking of how this could go.
"And it's about Namine." I said, hoping my tone gave away everything he needed to know. I heard him inhale sharply and there was a long pause.
"...What the hell did he do?"
Selphie knew that whatever happened must have been bad because she had never seen Namine like this. Namine was always the level-headed one out of all the girls. She was hardly ever hysterical, she was always so collected, and now seeing Namine a sobbing mess, Selphie knew it was as bad as it gets.
Kairi walked back into the room and sat beside Namine. At least she had calmed down a bit and the sobbing had decreased into small hiccuping and soft cries.
"Namine, are you feeling any better?" Kairi asked, patting her shoulder. The small blonde exhaled and nodded before looking up.
"Yeah. I think I should tell you guys the whole story." She said, taking a deep breath. She turned to Selphie with a bit of a smile on her face. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you, I only kept it a secret because I thought it was for the good of the group, and so did he. Kairi only knows because I told her last night. She needed a push in the right direction." She paused, shooting Kairi a knowing smile before turning back to Selphie. "Please don't be mad, but Roxas and I have been together for six months, yesterday was our anniversary." Selphie was shocked to say the least. She had figured there was some chemistry or something, but they were a couple and they managed to keep it hidden for six months.
"How can I be mad about that?" Selphie asked with a smile before remembering the emotional state of her friend when she had walked through the door. The smile turned into a grimace as it clicked. "Oh my gosh, what did that idiot do?"
"Well, we had a date planned out that night. I was supposed to go over to his house at about 7:30. He insisted on making it special and he wouldn't tell me anything about what he had planned. The anticipation was killing me so I invited Kairi over for a girl's day, you know, keep my mind off of it? Well, it turns out Kairi here had quite a bit on her mind too so she ended up leaving early. I took my time getting ready, I put on my favorite dress and did my hair. It was only 7 but I figured he wouldn't mind if I was a bit early..." She could see Namine was getting upset at the memory so she placed a hand on her knee. Namine smiled at her again before taking a breath and continuing.
"So, I got there at 7:15 and Mr. Hart let me in. I knew by the look on his face something was just... wrong. There was this knot in my stomach and it just didn't feel right. But I ignored it and went up to Roxas's room, where Mr. hart had said he was. The door was open, but I couldn't hear anything. It was dead silent, which was weird. So I walked up and I saw..."
Namine couldn't finish, but she didn't have to. Kairi wrapped an arm around her best friend as she looked over at Selphie. "She saw Xion kissing him."
If Selphie was shocked before, she was beyond shocked now. Xion? And Roxas? When did that even happen? The two of them barely talked! Selphie knew there had to be some sort of explanation for this. Then her mind flashed back to the night of the party, when she gave Xion a makeover. She remembered that flicker of hope in Xion's eye when Selphie had told her that she could get any guy she wanted. It made sense. Selphie knew they used to be close as children, and with Xion's aversion to every other guy around her...
"How could I not see it?" Selphie said aloud, her mind going through all the evidence. The longing looks, the shyness whenever Roxas was involved, it was obvious.
"See what?" Kairi asked, staring at Selphie with confusion. Namine had calmed down and was staring at her too.
"Xion likes Roxas! I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner. Haven't you guys always noticed that she's pretty outgoing in general, but the second Roxas is there she's all shy and quiet?" Selphie asked. Their minds pondered and Selphie watched as the idea sank in.
"Now that I think about it, you're right. I remember the first night of summer, and Riku asked Roxas if he was interested in any girls and he said he was interested in one. Xion got this look on her face but I never gave it a second thought. It makes sense." Kairi said. Selphie tried to remember, but everything after the Creamery that night was a drunken blur. "And, if I remember correctly, Namine was asked if she'd ever been kissed and she answered no." Kairi shot Namine a look and her friend laughed, shaking her head.
"Okay I lied to keep up the whole secret relationship thing, but getting back on track, you guys think Xion liked or likes Roxas?" Namine asked, looking between the two friends on either side of her. They both nodded and she sighed, leaning back into the couch. "Well then I guess it's over." She replied glumly.
"What are you talking about?" Kairi asked, confused by her friend.
"Well, Xion likes Roxas, and I saw them kissing last night, so he must like her too, right?" Namine said, her eyes focused on the ground. Selphie and Kairi exchanged a doubting glance.
"Namine, I know it makes sense, but there's gotta be more to it. We're just guessing with Xion. And even if we're right about her, who knows what really happened. As much as I hate to say this, we don;t know the whole story. We know your side of it. And only two other people know what really happened in that room." Kairi said quietly. Namine nodded but she didn't cry. She was all out of tears, she was exhausted. She just leaned her head on Kairi's shoulder.
"Okay. Thanks for being here guys, it means a lot." Namine said, smiling slightly as she spoke. She was incredibly thankful for her friends. She sighed before shoving herself up off the couch. "And as great as this was, I'll be fine. I should probably start cleaning up the kitchen, I've got work in a few hours so I want to be able to take a nap and shower before then."
"Are you sure? If you need me to, I can cover for you. Aerith wouldn't have a problem with it." Kairi offered. Namine just shook her head.
"No, it'll get my mind off of things anyway. Thanks though. Feel free to take anything you want though, there's no way I can eat all of this." She said, gesturing to the baked goods behind her.
"Geez how long have you been up baking?" Selphie asked, grabbing a few of everything in the kitchen.
"I haven't slept actually. I got home, cried my eyes out, then went into zombie baking mode." Namine confessed, laughing a bit.
"You sure you can clean this all up Nam?" Kairi asked one last time as her and Selphie got ready to leave. Namine just nodded.
"Yeah, you guys did all you could already. Thanks for being here for me." She said with a smile. Kairi and Selphie just nodded and said their goodbyes before walking out.
"I hate to say this, but we really need to get to the bottom of this. I know Roxas pretty well and he would never hurt Namine on purpose." Kairi said as her and Selphie walked to their respective cars.
"I think you're right. I'm gonna go talk to Xion and see what happened, if that's okay. I know what Namine's going through, but Xion's going through it too, you know?" Selphie said, throwing her emergency package in the backseat.
"Yeah, I get it. I'll go talk to Roxas. Text me!" Kairi said, waling to her car. Selphie nodded before climbing into her own car and driving off. She had a feeling that this was all one huge misunderstanding but before her knack for solving problems kicked in, she had another friend to comfort, so she sped off towards her own house.
She'd go to Xion's right after, but she had a feeling Riku would be there for Xion until she could at least get some contact lenses in and put on some decent clothing.
How could he let this happen? How could he be so stupid? Roxas hadn't left his room once that morning, he'd barely even gotten out of bed. He had slept an hour, if that because the guilt was eating him alive. He had messed up the best thing that had ever happened to him. He sighed, running his hands through his hair once again as his thoughts went around in circles.
He didn't even know why Xion had come over in the first place? Sure, they were friends but they weren't close by any stretch of the imagination. They had been best friends as kids but that had pretty much stopped when they grew up. And besides that, why the hell would she kiss him? It didn't make sense to him, he had no answers. One second he was looking for Namine's present and wondering why Xion was there and the next, she was kissing him.
It felt wrong. He felt guilt the second her lips touched his. He didn't respond to her at all, his mind was frozen as was his body. When he finally realized what was happening, he pushed her off of him and glared at her. He was about to tell her about Namine when he heard his name and his stomach completely dropped.
He remembered the look on her face. Completely heartbroken, and it rippled through his body too. She ran before he could say anything and he ran right after her, trying to explain. Of course he caught up to her when she was outside, trying to open her car. He tried to explain but she turned on him and slapped him as hard as she could. And for a girl so tiny, she slapped him pretty fricking hard.
'I hate you.' That was all she said before she got in her car and drove off into the night.
He sat up, tugging at his hair as he did so. How could he fix this? He knew it wouldn't be long before Kairi found out, if she hadn't already.
His inner turmoil was interrupted by his bedroom door flying open. He looked up to see Axel and Sora in the doorway, both of them about ready to punch him.
"I can explain." He said quickly, standing up and holding his hands out in front of him. "Just give me ten minutes and I will explain everything, I swear." He pleaded. He could see they were thinking about it.
"Fine, you've got five minutes. Now." Axel said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. Sora made himself comfortable and sat in the chair at his desk.
"Okay, you both know about me and Namine. And I gave you guys complete permission to kick my ass if I ever hurt her, but hear me out, I didn't mean to."
"That's what they always say!" Sora said accusingly.
"No, just listen okay? Last night I had something special planned for us, it was our six month anniversary." Roxas saw the look Axel was giving him and his eyes widened as he realized the double meaning of his words. "Shit, no, I didn't mean it like that. Look, I cooked dinner for her. My dad was here too, I didn't mean we were gonna sleep together, okay?" Roxas paused as Axel looked a little more relaxed and he continued. "But Xion showed up out of nowhere. One second she was talking about pictures and I was looking for Namine's present and the next she kissed me! I swear, I did not kiss her. And I didn't kiss her back. After I realized what was happening I pushed her off but... Namine got here early. And she saw the kiss and..." Roxas trailed off, plopping himself down on the bed and heaving a sigh, burying his face in his hands. "And now she hates me."
Silence settled in the room and he hoped he had convinced his friends because his five minutes were almost up.
"And as much as I deserve to have my ass kicked, I just want a chance to get her back." He sounded so desperate but he didn't give a shit because if you looked up desperate in the dictionary, he could proudly admit his face would be right there at the moment.
"I believe you Roxas." Sora said, breaking the tension. "I know you'd never hurt Namine on purpose."
"And as much as I agree that you deserve it, I'm not gonna kick your ass. I'm gonna help you get your girl back." Axel said, sitting next to his best friend. "So, what's the game plan?"
"I have no clue. I can't go to her house because there's no way in hell she'd let me in. I've tried calling her all night but it keeps going straight to voicemail. I don't know." He said miserably. Before either of his friends could say anything, he heard the front door slam and he heard footsteps coming up the stair case.
"Roxas Anthony Hart, you better have a damn good explanation!" He heard Kairi from down the hall and he groaned as he laid back on his bed, tugging at his hair again. God, what a mess he made.
Kairi stormed through the doorway but Sora intercepted her, blocking her path of destruction.
"Babe, calm down." Sora said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Roxas sat up as he heard his friend talk. Wait, babe?
"Wait, what?" Axel voiced Roxas's thoughts and they both looked at the pair. Sora immediately blanched as he realized his mistake and Kairi's face was flushed.
"Oh, yeah... about that." Sora said, taking his hand off of Kairi's shoulder and scratching the back of his neck. "Your girlfriend sort of got us together." Sora confessed, looking down at his girlfriend.
"Correction, your ex-girlfriend. And she's gonna stay that way too unless you can explain yourself." Kairi said fiercely, crossing her arms across her chest. Roxas sighed and launched himself into his recount of the previous night. However, she still didn't look as convinced as he needed her to be.
"Kairi, believe me, I hate myself for hurting her, especially like this. I just want to make things right." Roxas pleaded, looking up at one of his best friends. She sighed and Roxas watched her cave and she smiled.
"Fine, I'm in." She said, sitting on Sora's lap. Something struck Roxas's mind. If Namine's phone was off, how did Kairi find out?
"How is she?" He asked worriedly, looking at her. The smile was replaced by a frown.
"You want the truth?" He nodded and she sighed before continuing. "Bad. I've never seen her this bad. She's heartbroken Roxas." He felt another wave of guilt crash over him, but Kairi continued. "She stayed up the whole night baking. It was worse than Misty."
"God." He groaned, running his hands in hair and dropping his face down.
"But, if it helps, we came to a conclusion that might make this whole situation make more sense." Kairi said.
"We?" Roxas asked.
"Well, we needed Selphie too. It was a code blue! Anyway, we think Xion might... um, she might have feelings for you."
"Wait, Xion likes Roxas?" Sora asked, confused by the sudden revelation.
"She might." Kairi said. Roxas opened his mouth to reject the idea but Axel beat him to it.
"No, she does. I've seen it." Axel said nonchalantly. Roxas just stared in disbelief at his so-called best friend and he stood up and started pacing.
"You mean to tell me Xion, tom-boy, sporty, quiet Xion has a crush on me? And you knew and never told me?" Roxas questioned the redhead, frustration slowly mixing in with the guilt.
"Okay, first off Xion is far from quiet. That's a dead giveaway right there. The signs of a school girl crush are pretty obvious. When she's around anyone else, she's outgoing and talkative. But the second you come around, the switch is automatic." Axel said. His tone was so matter-of-factly that it bother Roxas.
"And secondly, I know a lot. It was obvious you and Namine had a thing for each other. I'll admit you got one over on me with the whole dating thing, but I was at college anyway. If I was actually around I doubt you could've hid it from me for as long as you did." Roxas's jaw dropped in disbelief at his fiery friend. "And don't even get me started on the couple over there. You guys might as well have tattooed each other's names across your foreheads because everyone on the island knew you'd hook up eventually. It was actually sickening watching you two dance around each other." Roxas took the time to glance at the mentioned couple, who looked just as surprised at Axel's rant. "And then there's something fishy with Riku, there's something there but I can't quite put my finger on it. Then again, the kid notices as much as I do so he's probably good at hiding it from me. Then there's Xion, which would bring us back to this whole debacle. I swear ever since you guys hit sixteen, the only normal ones are Selphie and Tidus." Axel finished and was met with silence. He merely shrugged at their expressions as if it was an every day occurrence. "What? I notice things. Getting back on track, how is Roxas gonna get his girl back?" Axel asked, glancing at Kairi. The other two boys in the room followed suit.
"Alright, I might have an idea."
"And the worst part is, they're all gonna hate me now." Xion said softly. She was sitting cross legged on her bed, and Riku sat in front of her. Her eyes were red and puffy, they hurt from all the crying she'd done. Riku placed a hand on her leg and she looked up to meet his eyes.
"They can't hate you for not knowing. That's their own fault Xi, not yours." Riku said softly. Xion smiled over at him and she couldn't help but be extremely grateful. Riku had been there, just like he said he'd be. He had walked to Roxas's in the rain and had driven her home in her own car. He stayed with her as long as she needed him, which happened to be all night, but he didn't seem to mind it.
"I just feel bad. I mean, I broke them up. But at the same time, I can't find it in myself to be mad because of how I felt about him, you know?" Xion tried to put her feelings into words but she just couldn't. She was so confused, she didn't know what she felt. Her worst fears had come true when Roxas pushed her away, but for some reason she could still breathe. She felt upset, yes, but broken? No. She had heard her mother say a thousand times that when you're heartbroken, you can't breathe because the person you loved meant so much to you. But here she was. No empty or hollow feelings, lungs functioning perfectly, there was just this sadness inside.
"Hey, I'm here for you no matter what, okay?" Riku said, scooting closer on the bed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her into his side. Xion felt warmth flood through her and she smiled lightly, embracing the warmth Riku radiated and she wrapped her arms around his torso. "I'm sure everything will work out." He said quietly. They stayed like that until there was a knock on the front door.
Xion groaned, but she got up anyway, shuffling into the hallway. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Riku was following in case it happened to be Roxas or Namine. He nodded in reassurance, two steps behind her before she turned back and opened the door.
"Selphie? What are you doing here?" Xion asked, confused.
"I heard about what happened and figured I'd check up on you. I'm Switzerland when it comes to this relationship stuff, but you're my friend and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Selphie explained. Riku walked up to them then and placed a hand on Xion's shoulder.
"Hey Xion, I'm gonna head out now. I have a few things to do, but text or call me if you need anything." He said with a smile. Xion just replied with a smile as Riku hugged her into him one more time and walked past Selphie.
"Bye Selphie!" He said over his shoulder as he walked down the sidewalk and back towards his house.
"Well, come on in." Xion said, opening the door wider as an invitation. Selphie stepped inside and slipped out of her sandals.
"So, how're you doing?" Selphie asked as they walked into the kitchen. Xion grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge as they sat down at the table, noting that Selphie already had a cup of coffee in hand.
"It's weird. I don't know why but I don't really feel anything I thought I would. I'm just kind of upset. I really hope the others aren't mad at me." Xion said quietly, glancing down at the bottle in her hands.
"Don't worry, I'm sure this is gonna work itself out. Can I ask you a question?" Selphie asked, a tone of hesitance in her voice. Xion felt cautious but she figured it couldn't get any worse, right?
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Why'd you kiss him? Roxas, I mean." There was a heavy silence as Xion mentally prepared herself to answer.
"I thought I loved him or something. I mean, I had a bit of a crush on him. I always have, since we were little. Maybe it was just an infatuation, I don't know. I knew that he liked someone from that night with the bonfire, and I was suspicious it was Namine. So I figured I had nothing to lose, I had to tell him how I felt. I couldn't give up on something I've felt for this long without trying. I went over to confess last night but he was just so distracted, so preoccupied. So I kissed him. I figured if he wouldn't listen, I'd make him listen, make him see. But if I had any idea that the two of them were something, I would have never done that. I wouldn't have kissed him, I promise. But I tore them apart now, and Roxas is so angry with me." Xion confessed quietly and she let Selphie take it all in.
"What if you knew they were something? Would you still tell him how you felt?" She asked thoughtfully. Xion hadn't really thought about that. She was going to tell him because she needed him to know how she felt before he got into anything.
"I think I would. I mean, it wouldn't hurt. He had a right to know, and I had a right to tell him. But I never wanted this, Selphie, I promise I didn't mean to do this."
"I understand. Don't worry, I'll be here for you too. I'm sure this will blow over and we can all be friends still." Selphie reassured her, shooting her a comforting smile. Xion was relieved for some reason and she felt compelled to continue.
"You know, I thought it'd be the end of the world if he didn't like me back but I think I always knew he didn't. I just didn't want to accept it."
"And now that you've confessed?" Selphie asked.
"I'm upset with the results, but I'm surprised. I'm not broken or empty. I just wish this whole thing never happened. I caused so many problems with it. And of course it hurts being rejected, but the pain isn't the black abyss I was convinced it would be."
"I think I know what it was Xion." Selphie said cautiously. "I think you were in love with the idea of love. You wanted something like that so much that you convinced yourself it was real. It makes sense too because you've known Roxas longer than anybody."
And it all made sense. She didn't feel heartbroken because she was never in love. She was merely infatuated with the idea of loving someone and being loved back. Of course she wasn't completely sold on the idea but it made better sense than her feelings ever did.
"Wow. I think you might be right." Xion said with a laugh.
"Well, it's been known to happen." Selpie joked.
"So, how are the others? Have you spoken to them?" Xion asked. She really was concerned for everyone. They were her friends. Granted, some people were closer than others but this was their group, and she'd regret it forever if she caused an irreparable rift.
"Well, Kairi's pretty pissed off at Roxas. We had a theory about your feelings, and I'm sure she won't hold it against you. Sora and Tidus are unaccounted for, but knowing Tidus he'll be Switzerland too. You know about Riku better than I do."
"And Roxas and Namine?" Xion asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer. Selphie's sigh confirmed her fears.
"I'm not entirely sure about Roxas. Kairi went to check on that situation. And I hope you don't mind but I stopped at Namine's before I came over here. It was urgent, a code blue." Selphie said. Xion nodded even though she wasn't completely unaware of what a code blue was. "She's heartbroken. She was a crying, floury mess when I got there. She's doing a bit better now, but she's just really broken up about it." Selphie explained quietly.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this."
"I know. If anything she's mad at Roxas. She can't hold it over you Xion, you didn't know they were together. Most of us didn't, and the ones who did just found in the past two days. She's just hurt because she thinks he kissed her or that it had been going on behind her back." Selphie explained.
"That's not true though! She shouldn't be mad at her boyfriend, I'm the one that messed things up. I kissed him! And he definitely was not cheating on her behind her back." Xion felt guilt flood her system as she realized the problems she had caused they were worse than she could've thought. Xion jumped out of her chair and started pacing, trying to think of a solution.
"Calm down Xion, don't worry. I'm sure we'll get time to explain this to her." Selphie said, standing up and trying to rationalize.
"No Selphie, if Namine really thinks any of that, I need to tell her the truth. I need to fix this." Xion said, grabbing her car keys. She glanced at the clock, seeing it was a little past noon. "Do you know where she is?" Xion asked, turning to Selphie. Xion could tell by the expression on Selphie's face that she knew exactly where Namine was. "Please, I'm begging you, help me make this right."
"I just want you to know, Namine may not be in the right state of mind and may lash out at you. Are you okay enough to handle that?" Selphie was genuinely worried. Despite Namine's lack of bitterness towards the girl in front of her, Selphie knew that Namine was heartbroken and probably didn't want to be anywhere near Xion or Roxas.
"I know, and I'll deal with it. She can call me a boyfriend stealing, back-stabbing bitch all she wants, I can handle it. I don't need forgiveness, I just need her to know the truth." Xion said sincerely. She watched as Selphie contemplated it before she huffed and Xion knew she won.
"She's got a shift at Destiny Dairy. I'll take you, come on." Selphie said, grabbing her keys and smiling at Xion as they ran out the door.
Namine was instantly relieved the second she stepped through the old fashioned restaurant/ice cream parlor. It was packed, and she welcomed the distraction. Anything that got her mind off of him was a gift. Without waiting another minute, she slipped behind the counter.
"Welcome to Destiny Dairy, how may I help you?"
After about thirty minutes, the morning rush had waned a bit but she knew the lunch crowd would be in soon. She busied herself with stupid things she normally wouldn't, like making sure the whipped cream on all the sundaes were perfectly sculpted and that every root beer float had an equal proportion of ice cream and soda.
She needed the distraction. Whenever her mind had time to wander, it went back to him every time. His face was etched into her mind, and she kept seeing it every time she closed her eyes. She remembered that day she was thinking of, it was the day after Christmas. Her mind flashed back to it like it was yesterday.
Her parents had both gone to her cousin's that day, but she had opted to stay behind. She loved her family but some days the four hour car ride was just not worth it, and today was one of those days. She was sitting in front of the fireplace with her sketchbook. The tree was up, lights on, and the fire was roaring. It was picturesque and she couldn't help but draw it down on paper.
She was startled by the doorbell ringing and she jumped up to open it. Her heart rate picked up as she opened it to see Roxas on the other side. Roxas and her had been best friends for a while, but she couldn't deny how she felt about him. He was just so complex and intense, and he trusted her and talked to her. He made her laugh and smile without fail everyday, and the things his crooked grin did to her were not the definition of friendship.
"Roxas? What are you doing here?" She asked, silently inviting him in as she stepped aside. He walked in but instead of taking his shoes off and sitting down like he normally did, he remained standing.. She could immediately tell he had something on his mind.
"Namine, I have something to tell you." He said, his voice quiet and she could tell he had been thinking about this for days.
"You can tell me anything." She said honestly, grabbing his hand in hers. It was a common gesture for the two of them, but this time it felt like more. She watched as Roxas looked at their hands. He looked back up at her and her baby blue eyes had barely met his cobalt ones before his lips were crashed against hers.
It wasn't rough, but it wasn't gentle by any means. It was passionate. She kissed him back with as much as he was giving her- which was all of him. In that moment, with his lips on hers, Namine finally knew why PDA was so popular at school. His lips moved against hers and she felt electrified as she kissed him back. Before it could go any further, Roxas pulled away, taking in deep breaths. He leaned his forehead against hers though, not breaking their contact. She realized she was breathing just as hard as he was.
"I'm sorry, that was not how your first kiss should've been. I'm just not good with words." He muttered, his eyes still closed. He sighed before taking a step back and opening his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and watched her anxiously, almost carefully.
"I've never been one for words." She said quietly, before she crashed her lips back onto his.
Namine physically shook her head as if that could get the memory out of her head. Her heart literally felt heavy remembering her first kiss. They had spent the rest of that night laying side by side on the couch, talking and laughing and kissing. It had been perfect.
Before Namine could think any further, she saw Selphie step through the door of the building. Right behind her stood Xion, which made Namine's brain stop all thought process. She really didn't know how to feel, but she didn't have a chance to figure it out because the minute Xion saw her, she made her way to the counter.
"Namine, I know I'm the last person you want to see right now, but please let me explain." She pleaded. Namine had an urge to listen to her, but the overwhelming emotions and the vivid memory of Roxas and Xion was much larger.
"Explain what?" Namine said harshly. Before Xion could respond, Selphie walked up to the two of them.
"Guys, how about you go in the back and talk this out. You really don't wanna cause a scene." She suggested, looking around the restaurant. Namine glanced around and saw that their little display had caused a few of the patrons to look their way, and the last thing she wanted was to cause a scene. Xion nodded and wandered to the room behind the counter that said "Employees only". The whole gang was pretty close with Aerith, so they knew that the sign on the door was to keep general customers out.
"I'm not sure I want to hear what she has to say." Namine said, and she couldn't help the bitterness that seeped into her voice.
"Nam, I know you're going through a lot. But you know it's not her fault." Selphie said persistently. "She didn't know you were together, and you need to listen to her. Please, she feels terrible. You don't have to forgive her, just listen, okay?" Something about Selphie's tone got through to Namine and the blonde nodded even though she felt a whirlwind of emotions.
"Alright, thanks Selphie." Namine said quietly before turning and rushing through the door. Xion was pacing back and forth despite the couch that was pushed against the wall. "Alright, I'll listen. But you're got five minutes." Namine said, trying her best to be kind because despite the situation, Selphie was right. Xion was unaware that her and Roxas are... or were, dating.
"That's all I'm asking for. I know what you saw last night, and I know what you think. But I kissed Roxas. He didn't start it, and he didn't kiss me back at all." Xion said quickly. Namine hadn't even thought about this. "I kissed him because I have feelings for him, and I knew he liked somebody. I planned on telling him how I felt, but I just kissed him because he was distracted and running around his room and stuff. I never would have kissed him if I knew you were together. I just needed him to know how I felt, or I'd regret it. But I need you to know that Roxas had nothing to do with it." She finished, taking a deep breath once she finished. She had barely taken a breath between her sentences and Namine let all this new information sink in.
Xion felt guilty. And Xion liked Roxas. And she just wanted to tell him how she felt so she wouldn't regret it. Namine felt herself feeling stupid for being so bitter towards the girl. She had no idea the two of them were together, so could Namine really be mad at her? Well, she kissed her boyfriend, but Xion didn't know he was her boyfriend.
"Before you say anything, I'm not asking forgiveness. I'd be pissed too if some chick kissed my boyfriend, even if she didn't know he was my boyfriend to begin with. I just needed you to know that this was not Roxas's fault. He'd never cheat on you, he's not the type. It was all just one big misunderstanding. If you're going to forgive someone, forgive him. He'd never hurt you like this. He loves you, you know." Xion said. And before Namine could respond, Xion gave her a quick smile and quickly opened the door, walking out.
Namine was completely overwhelmed, her body was incapable of moving. Her mind was racing. Roxas loved her? How could Xion possibly know that. She probably just assumed, right? But what about the rest of it. She was feeling whole again knowing that Roxas didn't do it. In fact, Xion owned up to it and said Roxas did everything in his power for it to not happen. He didn't kiss her back when she kissed him, he ran after her to try to explain... he loved her. And she knew for a fact Roxas had tried calling her all night because her phone vibrated for about fifteen minutes straight with notifications when she turned it back on that morning. There were more texts, missed calls and voicemails then she knew how to handle.
But could she forgive him? It wasn't his fault, and she didn't blame Xion either, but the fact still stood that he kissed another girl, whether or not it was voluntary. Namine knew he didn't kiss her back and he pushed her away as fast as he could, but Roxas had another girl's lips pressed against his. The image was burned into her brain.
Suddenly, she had a question for Xion. She raced out of the back room as fast as she possibly could, but Selphie and Xion were nowhere to be found. She looked out the window and was relieved to see Selphie's bright red car parked outside, and the two of them leaning against it eating ice cream.
Namine ran outside and up to them as fast as she could. They looked confused and surprised but Namine ignored it.
"Did you feel anything when he kissed you?"
"What?" Xion was confused and it was probably because Namine's sentence had come out incoherent due to her lack of breath.
"Did you feel anything when he kissed you? Sparks, butterflies, electricity, anything?" She asked. She watched as Xion's expression became thoughtful and was relieved when the girl in question shook her head.
"Nope, just stillness and rejection." Namine couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she turned and ran back inside.
"Thanks Xion!" She yelled over her shoulder, digging around in her pockets for her phone. She pulled it out only to see it was dead. Well, there goes calling Roxas.
She sighed and got back to work, a smile on her face as she let everything swirl around in her mind. She couldn't believe it, but her heart felt like it was slowly mending itself the longer she thought about it. It was ridiculous, really. The whole thing was just a misunderstanding. Of course she still hurt and her and Roxas would have to have a long conversation about this, but something this unimportant was not worth throwing the past six months away for.
Before she knew it, it was one o'clock and the lunch rush started coming in. It was absolutely packed. The inside tables were all used up, as were the booths and the bar space. Even the picnic tables outside were filled up. It didn't make a difference though, the Destiny Dairy happened to be a tourist trap but the locals loved it too much to give it up, therefore it was often one of the most packed places on the island.
Namine noticed many faces, there were vacationers and tourists and locals, all packed into the small building. She saw a horde of Roxas's admirers huddled in a booth and she couldn't help but roll her eyes as they all giggled and gushed over a phone. Now that Namine thought about it, there were a lot of girls in the building. 'Huh, that's strange.' She thought to herself. It's not that they were girls, it's that they were all familiar. And they had all finished their food or ice cream a while ago, so why were they still there?
Namine started to head over to the furthest and most occupied booth, ready to tell them there were other customers waiting when she heard a voice that made her stop dead in her tracks.
"Excuse me, can I have everyone's attention please?!" He wasn't yelling, but he had to talk loudly over the chatter of the customers. Namine would know that voice anywhere. It was Roxas. She slowly turned around and she saw him standing on a chair, straight across from her on the other side of the room. His eyes were locked on hers and she didn't dare look away. Aerith was just smiling softly, behind the counter, there was no doubt she had given him permission to do this. All of the background noise had died away and all attention was on Roxas.
"I would like to announce that Namine White is my girlfriend, and she has been for the past six months." He gestured over to where Namine stood and she felt every single teenage girl in the room glare at her, but she couldn't care less. She was only looking at Roxas. "Well, she was my girlfriend until I screwed it up." He paused as a few of the older patrons chuckled, probably remembering their own personal experiences. "But I'm hoping that she forgives me and will continue to be my girlfriend." At this point he hopped off the chair and began walking towards her. "Because to be honest she's the most amazing girl I have ever met. I don't know what I'd do without her. I know, I know, I'm seventeen right? What the hell do I know. And you're right, I don't know much about relationships and stuff, but I do know this. I love you Namine. And I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I'm completely in love with you and if you'd give me the chance, I'd spend every day making it up to you." He grabbed her hand in his and she was too stunned to speak, so she simply nodded. His eyes lit up at her reply and he didn't wait to bend down and press his lips to hers. They could hear their tiny audience clapping around them, but they didn't mind all that much. Namine was just happy to be back to normal.
When he finally pulled away, Roxas put his hand against her cheek, forcing her to hold his gaze. "I meant it Nam. I love you. I'm in love with you." His dark blue eyes were bright and sincere and Namine knew she should make him grovel and earn it, but she just didn't have the strength to do that. So instead, she replied with-
"I love you too Roxas." She was glad the customers had gone back to their conversations and their plates because she didn't want to share this moment with anyone. Namine grabbed his hand and went to walk back around the counter but Aerith stopped her.
"You go on, take the rest of the day off. I'll cover the rest of your shift." She said kindly, smiling at the young couple in front of her.
"Are you sure?" Namine asked hesitantly. Aerith just nodded and gave Roxas a little shove towards the door.
"Of course, just don't do anything stupid kids!" She called out as they walked out the door, hand in hand.
"You know," Roxas said, not bothering to hide the huge grin on his face. "I expected to do a bit of begging and some groveling here and there." He teased lightly.
"Well, Xion stopped by before you made your little performance. She told me everything and I figured why bother waiting. It was just a misunderstanding, definitely not something worth throwing away what we have." Namine said as she slid in the passenger seat of his car.
Roxas scowled at the mention of Xion. "Yeah, some misunderstanding. She kissed me!" He sad angrily, pulling out of the parking lot and driving off towards her house.
"Look, you need to talk to her about that, I'm not getting involved. But be easy on her, okay? It's not like she knew we were together." Namine explained. Somehow she had gone from being bitter and hurting to reasonable and smiling in the span of three hours. Roxas sighed and loosened his grip on the steering wheel.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Speaking of us being together, I'm pretty sure everyone who didn't know sure as hell does now. Why were there so many of your fan-girls in there?" Namine asked suspiciously, her mind wandering back to the glaring daggers she received from the angry teenage girls. Roxas just held up his phone sheepishly.
"Kairi may have had an idea." He admitted. Namine just laughed as they pulled into her driveway. She leaned over and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek.
"Well I'm glad she helped you. Without her you'd probably be miserably moping about in bed." Namine said, getting out of the car. Roxas chucked because his girlfriend had no idea how right she was. They stepped inside and walked into the kitchen. The first thing Roxas saw was a giant pile of Tupperware sitting on the kitchen table. He realized what it was and sighed as he walked back out to the living room, sitting in one of the comfy chairs.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Namine asked as she came back in with a plate full of brownies
"I hurt you." Roxas said, his voice low. "That's the one thing I never wanted, and I did it." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Namine sighed and plopped down on the arm of the chair.
"All that came out of it was a whole bunch of baked goods and some tears. Trust me, it could've been a lot worse. Besides, we're together, right? That's all that matters." Namine said, handing him a brownie. Roxas smiled as she took a small bite out of her own brownie. God, she was adorable.
"Yes, and now everybody knows too. That reminds me, I got you something." He said, reaching into his pocket. He felt the small white box and took it out, handing it to his wide-eyes girlfriend. "Happy six months Nam." He said happily as he opened it for her. He untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside lay a silver necklace with a small blue turquiose heart hanging off the chain. It looked beautiful just laying on the black velvet.
"I can't take this." She said quietly, looking down at her boyfriend. Roxas ignored her and stood up, necklace in hand. He gently clasped the necklace behind her neck, walking back around to face her.
"Yes, you can. It's your birthstone, and I thought of you when I saw it, so..." He trailed off and she looked up at him with that small smile of hers.
"Thank you. I had a gift for you, but uh... after last night, I-"
"It's alright. I don't need it. All I want is to be forgiven. I swear I'll never hurt you again." He said sincerely, frowning as he remembered her face last night. His thoughts were interrupted as she gently pressed her lips to his.
"Don't worry, I forgave you the second Xion told me she didn't feel anything when she kissed you." Namine said, taking another bite out of her brownie.
"What?"
"I asked Xion if she felt anything when she kissed you and she said she didn't." Namine replied coolly.
"What does that have to do with it?" Roxas asked confused. He watched as his girlfriend stayed silent. She put the brownie back on the tray and shifted her seat from the armchair to his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and once their eyes were locked, she spoke.
"Because I know if you would have kissed her back, even the tiniest bit, she would've felt electrified." She said, a smirk playing it's way onto her lips. It didn't stay there for long as Roxas crashed his lips onto hers.
"And to think that four days ago, everything was completely different." I said quietly. I was laying on my side, my head rested on Sora's shoulder with his arm wrapped around me. It felt nice, comforting... it felt right. It was natural to be with him like this, like puzzle pieces that had finally fallen together.
"I know right? Man, Tidus is gonna have a lot of catching up to do." Sora said. We both laughed and I leaned myself up on elbow to look at him.
"How do you think everyone will react to us?" I asked him curiously. The question had been on my mind that whole day.
"Well, unless one of our friends is harboring a secret crush on you I think we'll be good." Sora said teasingly, reaching up to push a strand of my hair back behind my ear. "Besides Riku, the only people left are Selphie, Tidus and Xion. Selphie has already claimed that she and Tidus will remain Team Switzerland in any and all relationship related drama, and Xion liked Roxas, not me so I think we're in the clear."
"Well what if Riku is harboring a secret crush on me?" I asked, amused by the question because I knew the truth. Riku had had a crush on me, but it didn't last very long.
"Then I'll have some competition, won't I?" Sora said with an equally amused tone. I laughed and fell back on my bed, smiling. This was perfect, and I couldn't be happier.
"Sora, I know you were joking but you could never have competition." I said quietly, burying my face in the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arm around me again. I let my lips touch the skin there gently, almost ghosting over it before pulling back and looking at him.
"The same goes for you Kai. I love you, you know that?" He asked. I just nodded and pressed another kiss to his lips before plopping back down on the bed.
"I know. I love you too Sora."
A.N.- So there, a happy ending, no cliff hanger, and that concludes the first arc of the story. There will be more Rokunami and Sokai, but there will also be a lot more friendshippy moments coming up so get ready. It'll take a chapter or two to transition from this arc into the next but be warned, I have a bad idea for Xion and Riku. And by bad idea I mean a great idea that you'll love me and hate me for at the same time. If that makes sense. Well I hope the fluff didn't overload your senses and it wasn't too cheesy. I just didn't want to blow up their fight, you know? And no Roxas is not a fluffy person, I get that but the idea was to put himself on the line in a very public confession to get her back, even though she was already his.
Well, let me know how you felt about it, I'll try and update soon! Thank you all very much for reading.