The fact that Namine had just come out of the shower and was wearing a towel was totally lost on Roxas as he held up the offending sketchbook.
"Why is this picture in here?" He growled, surprised at himself for how much he sounded like Cloud when his brother was angry.
Namine's face was wrought with agony as she looked at him. "You weren't supposed to see that, no one is."
"What exactly am I seeing? Why is this picture here?"
Her eyes were watering as she met his gaze. "I have these…dreams, and I—"
"You knew?" He exploded, throwing the book to the ground, it hit the floor and pages went everywhere.
She jumped, taking a step away from him. "I'm sorry Roxas, I tried to warn you."
"You didn't say anything!"
Now it was her turn to look angry. "I did! Remember? I told you not to go."
"Why didn't you tell us she was going to die?"
Roxas was shouting now, Namine winced and flinched further away from him, though he voice still held the anger that had begun to build.
"Would you have believed me?"
"Yes!" He shouted.
She laughed, bitterly and the sound stung. "You're lying, I can tell. Roxas you barely believe in your own power, why would you believe in someone else's if you can't even believe in yourself?"
"Rikku died because you didn't tell us!"
"I know! Do you know how many times this has happened?" She sobbed, "how many times I've seen something coming and been powerless to stop it? The worst part is that it doesn't always happen! Sometimes it happens, and then something changes and the outcome is different! I just have these visions and I'm compelled to draw them and...and…."
She froze as Roxas bore down on her; he slammed her into the wall. "You could have saved her life! She could still be alive!"
Namine tried to push him off of her but to no avail as he pinned her against the wall, his eyes wild as he began to cry as well.
"Roxas you're hurting me." She whimpered.
He shook her violently. "Why didn't you tell someone…she could...I could..."
Slowly he released her, sinking to the floor, she went with him, they were both crying, his hands still on her shoulders as she reached up and ran her hands through his hair.
"I'm sorry Roxas, I just…I don't know how I can tell anyone, even Kairi doesn't know about this, I think she suspects but…only my grandmother knows the truth."
Roxas clung to her like he was drowning and she was his only hope. "I just, I just…."
She nodded, pulling him against her as they leaned against the wall together. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
He looked up at her tear streaked face, a hand traced a line of liquid down her cheek it was his hand. She closed her eyes and their lips touched, they wrapped their arms around each other and sat there holding each other, crying as they kissed desperately. It all seemed unreal to Roxas, like it wasn't him doing this, like he was watching someone else kiss Namine. His mind wasn't in his body, it was somewhere else entirely and he felt nothing but peace as this other entity took control of his body and kissed the girl in the towel in between his body and the wall.
"Okay this isn't what I was expecting."
They both jumped, breaking the kiss violently and turning to see Riku, Kairi, and Sora all staring at them, Kairi and Sora were both bright red with eyes wide; Riku simply stared at them as if they were a minor curiosity in an otherwise normal world.
"W—we heard shouting, and thought—" Kairi didn't finish, ducking out the room in embarrassment.
Sora stayed glued to the spot staring dumbstruck at Roxas and Namine, Riku took his arm and guided him out of the room casting a look back at the pair on the floor.
"A sign on the door would be nice next time."
Roxas opened and closed his mouth; he imagined a fish flopping around on the floor without water and suspected that's what he looked like as Riku closed the door. He looked back at Namine, she didn't look at all scandalized; she was simply blushing and trying to smile at him.
"I uh," he began awkwardly. "I'm sorry."
"Did you mean it?"
"I—I don't know."
She leaned against him; he could feel her body quivering in his arms as their lips touched again. His face was red hot as they kissed for the second time, she put her arms around him, the sensation he felt kissing her was indescribable, and it was entirely different from when he'd kissed Rikku. His body surged with warmth and it felt like she was an extension of his body, not an invader.
They broke the kiss after what seemed like an eternity. She was smiling past her tears as she leaned her head against his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you…I think we both mean it."
He nodded stupidly, holding her close, still completely oblivious to the fact that there was a girl in his arms wearing nothing but a towel. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."
She shook her head. "You frightened me…I—I have a drawing of this in my book…but I could never see who was kissing me."
He frowned. "Is it okay?"
"Have you forgiven yourself?" She asked, looking up at him, a hand on his chest.
"I—yeah, I guess."
She nodded, leaning back against him, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, it was the most comforting feeling Roxas had ever experienced.
"Then it's okay, we'll share the burden."
Roxas looked back at the closed door. "You know they're going to—"
"Let them, I don't want to move."
He nodded, putting his arms around her and running a hand through her hair as they leaned into one another.
Outside the door Sora was listening intently, Riku was leaning against the wall besides him.
"You know you shouldn't be doing that Sora."
"Then why are you here?"
He shrugged, unable to produce an answer, Kairi came back up the stairs, still scarlet faced. "What are you two doing?" She said, scowling as she spied them.
"She returns." Riku said with a smirk.
"Be quiet, come on both of you." She took Sora by the arm and then grabbed Riku as well, leading both of them away from the closed door.
"You know Kairi considering that you and Sora are—"
"Shut up Riku!" Both said in unison, Riku smiled triumphantly causing both to blush as Kairi continued to half lead, half drag them back towards the stairs.
"You know why all this is happening right? It's the paupu fruit."
Kairi and Sora looked at each other as Riku spoke, then both shoved him down the stairs. Riku took the fall gracefully, rolling as he went down and coming up on his feet, smirking up at them confidently.
Roxas knelt and helped Namine pick up the drawings that had scattered around the room, she'd dressed with him in the room, and though it had embarrassed him he hadn't had a panic attack like he would have expected. He was strangely comfortable with her, well saying strangely wasn't fair. Something just felt very right between the two of them.
He paused as he reached down and picked up a particular drawing, studying it carefully.
"Namine…."
She looked over as he held up the picture, their eyes met.
"Does he know?"
A sad smile crossed her face, "what would I tell him? Besides, it's possible that this will never happen."
She took the picture from him and put it back in the book.
"Don't tell him anything Roxas, we won't know if it's true until it happens and you'll just be hurting him if you do anything about it now."
Roxas nodded, picking up these drawings was showing him just how heavy Namine's burden was, heavier than his guilt. He reached over and wrapped his arms around her; she closed her eyes and leaned against him. She whispered something to him, and he frowned as he tried to hear her.
"What did you say?"
"It's nothing you don't already know. Let's just…stay here for a while longer."
They kissed again, and stayed there standing together until Riku banged on the door calling them for lunch.
The three boys spent the rest of the day at the girls' house and everyone stayed off the subject of what had happened, and what was assumed to have happened, in Namine's room though the sudden closeness of the pair provided Riku with plenty of ammunition for snide remarks. To his credit he did not say a word involving the girl Rikku's recent death, though no one doubted the thought had occurred to him. When the girls' grandmother finally arrived Roxas and Sora tried to excuse themselves however she wouldn't hear of it and insisted that the three of them stay. She apologized for only having room for them in the living room.
"That's okay; I don't think Namine would mind sharing a room with Roxas, maybe even get Sora to bunk with Kairi." Riku said with a chuckle.
The elderly woman blinked once, turning to look at Namine, her eyes narrowing as if she were having trouble seeing.
"Really, I would like to speak to you, both of you," she added, eyeing Roxas. "Before we all go to bed, Kairi, be a dear and help me upstairs."
"Yes grandma." Kairi said, Riku moved to assist her up the flight as well.
Roxas looked at Namine worriedly; she smiled putting a hand on his arm. "It's okay, she likes you."
"I'm not that sure about that."
Namine giggled, covering her smile with a hand. "I am she didn't throw you out."
"So why doesn't she want to talk to Kairi and me?" Sora asked, befuddled.
Roxas smiled, a real smile and that was reason in itself to be smiling. "She knows you're not serious and won't do anything."
"Hey I'm serious I—uh…." Sora turned bright red and looked away.
Roxas decided to press the point. "How serious are you?"
"S—shut up! I'm not going to go as far as you did!"
Now Roxas flushed. "I—uh—we didn't do anything! I walked into that one didn't I?"
"No kidding, and you were lying on top of her and she was barely wearing a towel!"
Namine flushed. "Okay when you put it that way it does sound bad, but we didn't I promise."
Sora opened his mouth, but was interrupted from atop the stairs by Kairi. "Namine, Grandma wants to see you and Roxas now."
Sora's already flushed face turned a deeper shade of red, perhaps so much that it was more a purple than red now. "You didn't hear that did you?"
Kairi smiled. "It's okay Sora, I liked what I heard."
The room wasn't particularly well lit, candles flickered dimly all around the room instead of the usual electric lighting there was a small fireplace with five chairs set around it, and most of the room's light came from here. As Roxas peered around in the gloom, Namine took his hand and lead him towards the fireplace and chairs. Taking a seat he realized that Namine's grandmother was sitting across from him, he felt very self-conscious as the old woman tended the fire patiently with a poker. When she finally peered up, she smiled warmly and the smile eased his misgivings at least.
"So he's the one from your drawing?"
Namine nodded, the old woman chuckled. "I'm glad. Now young man, what do you know about Namine?"
"I uh…" Roxas blushed, what did he know? "I know about her visions, I know she grew up on the Destiny Isles with Sora and Riku and left after losing her parents in the same storm they did…she's the same age as I am?" He said lamely, feeling like a complete idiot.
Namine's grandmother nodded, her smile turning upwards in amusement. "I have been keeping a terrible secret from the girls, though now that I know you and your bro—I'm sorry, cousin, age plays its tricks, are with them I no longer need to strain myself."
Now Namine looked just as confused as Roxas, which was a relief to him. She continued quietly as she tended the fire.
"The King searches for the five Hearts, the five Keybearers though he does not know where to look and it is more of a matter of waiting for them to be revealed than anything else." She took a deep breath, looking very tired. "Kairi and Namine are the last bearers; I've blocked Namine's visions of such things, and kept their dreams from taking root to protect them from the Heartless. Riku was the first, you and your cousin were the second and third, tonight Kairi and Namine will be the fourth and fifth." Her smile vanished as she looked into Roxas' eyes. "You must go to the castle tomorrow when the girls have awakened as bearers and tell the King to prepare for war. Xehanort will come for all five of you, and he will not come alone. He will come with the full might of the Heartless and possibly more if he's been successful in manipulating them. Tell the King this and prepare yourselves for what will happen; I feel my son's eyes boring into my soul as I say this, but I cannot shield my granddaughters from their fates any longer."
She reached a thin, weathered hand out and touched Roxas' hand, it was warm and strong despite any appearance of weakness, she gazed into his eyes and he felt like he was staring into the very flow of time as she did so.
"Stay strong, stay together, remember that is what makes you powerful is your heart, and the hearts of your friends and companions. I cannot tell you what will happen when this is finished, but I know it in my own heart that so long as the five of you stand together there is nothing that can stop you."
When they finally left her room, Namine and Roxas were trembling, Sora and Riku had made makeshift beds in the living room on whatever furniture they could fit on, Namine gripped Roxas' hand tightly when he tried to descend the stairs. She led him to her room, he didn't protest, neither of them wanted to be alone tonight.