Chapter 6: A Moment of Solace

His arms embraced her tightly around the waist, as her legs lay out in front of her. They were sitting atop a tall green hill, one before the other, overlooking the town below. He admired the enchanting sight before them, and the blue skies up above them.

"Please?" Roxas pouted, planting a soft kiss upon her sweet-smelling locks. She trembled as his breath tickled her neck.

"Not just yet," replied Namine, moving her hand over her sketch.

An oversized sketchpad was propped between her arms, and she was tilting her head in thought. There were outlines sketched upon it, of three distinct figures wearing long and mystical dark cloaks, smiling pleasantly towards each other.

She made a few more scribbles across the sheet before halting her pencil once more. Coming to an artist's block, she let out a soft sigh, which blended with the sound of the breeze.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked, leaning his shoulders into her back. He surrounded her slender form with the warmth of his embrace. She felt heat rising to her cheeks, as she dropped her head to hide it.

"It's your friends," she replied worriedly. "I seem to have forgotten what they're like."

"Axel and Xion?" he asked, surprised. "Is that what this is all about?"

-x-

She had wondered the true nature of the relationship between Roxas and his childhood friends, ever since she met them at the door. She desperately wished to be able to realize those cherished memories they all shared, and to line the pieces up with the present. Roxas was clearly very fond of them, and she knew they had a history together- one that parallels those of her own. She didn't want to simply get closer to Roxas – she wanted to delve into his heart.

-x-

"They just seem so.. close to you." She answered, moving her pen once more.

He rested his chin atop her shoulder, and let his head press gently into hers.

"I've got a story or two for you."

"I'd love to hear them, Roxas," she replied nervously from his touch, as she colored in the red of Axel's hair.

-x-

"When we were little, Axel and Xion lived just across the street from me, in a narrow, two-story boarding school called Oblivion Academy of Missions. Every afternoon, they would sneak out of their rooms, and find me at the front of my fence. They were always talking about the weirdest of adventures- excursions that happened on completely different worlds, and also missions that were ordered under secrecy. For a small marble building that was sandwiched between two others, a whole lot sure seemed to go on in their world." He sighed.

"Xion used to always have trouble then- she was picked on by her teachers to do the worst of tasks. I admired her for her efforts, and wished I could have been with her on her missions. And every now and then, she shared stories with me, as we sat on a bench in my frontyard, watching the sunset above."

- Namine fumbled with her pen accidentally, before urging him to continue.

"That's not to say that she shared everything with me," he added, casting his gaze to the ground.

"There was always something else about her. Sometimes I just wanted to know what she was thinking, and why she would space out for a while. I mean- for a girl, she was very mature for her age, and I really admired that about her."

- Namine could feel a fever in her chest, and she opened her mouth to speak, but was shortly interrupted-

"As for Axel, he was one big toughie. He had always been several years older than me, and would often advise me about his favorite topic ever: girls." He groaned.

"He has this weird obsession with fire, and I heard he almost lit his school on fire before. He would visit me pretty often on his own time, appearing almost as if from thin air, to invite me to some sea salt ice cream at a shop around the corner. He really loved sea-salt ice cream.." Roxas giggled to himself.

"I couldn't imagine my childhood without him."

- Namine paused, admiring the pureness of Roxas' heart.

"And anyways," he continued, "We've been hanging as a trio ever since."

-x-

"Wait," Namine began. "About Xion.." She paused. Her face was beginning to grow red.

Roxas grinned.

"I think she found someone she likes," he finished, pulling Namine closer with his arms around her waist.

"Not now, Roxas," she blushed. "My drawing hand needs room, you know," she chastised, drawing in the final details of Xion's hair.

"But I really enjoyed what I heard about them… your friends, I mean." she said, finishing the last details on her sketch. "Thank you, Roxas," She beamed, staring at her creation, as she lifted it joyfully to the air.

Roxas smiled at the sight of him and his friends on paper. He was glad to see her sketch finally complete. Her drawings were getting better.

"But there's more I had in store for you," began Roxas, sliding his arms under Namine's to lift her up.

"What do you say to just one more game?" He grinned cleverly, outstretching a hand to lift her up off the ground.

"Sure," she replied happily, taking hold of his hand and sliding her tote over her shoulder with the other.

As the sun began to set, they ran off towards the horizon, with the ends of their garments fluttering against the wind.

They strolled, hand in hand, along a river bank at the edge of the hill, until they approached a small wooden bridge at the end of the path.

By then, the sky was shrouded in the darkness of dusk, and the stars were sparkling brightly across it.

"This is it," said Roxas, gently squeezing Namine's hand, as they faced the slender pathway before them.

"So.. what do we do now?" She asked timidly, feeling anxious at his sudden grip.

But then, she caught a glimpse of something flashing in the river-

Leaning steadily closer to get a better view, she jumped up in surprise: there were several koi fish fleeting among the currents.

"Huh?.. Hey, Roxas!" She screamed excitedly, turning over to his side.

But he was nowhere in sight.

"Roxas?" She screamed cautiously into the darkness.

Suddenly, she felt tightness around her waist, and she shrieked like lightning in the air. Her tote had dropped to the ground.

"Roxas!" She cried fearfully, pulling desperately at the grip with her hands, but it wouldn't move an inch- Her heart began to race.

"Roxas.. Please! This isn't funny!" She squealed, continuing to pull frantically at the arm-

But soon, a cold sensation slid down over her chest, and her body trembled in response.

"Namine, I'm sorry," whispered a small voice from behind her. "But tonight, I just can't let you go."

A/N: Sorry for yet another cliffhanger here. ^^; What happens to Namine and Kairi? Will they both be okay? Working on the results as we speak. Thanks for reading, everyone! :)