A/N:Holy Moly! Already up to 80 reviews? You guys are awesome, SO glad you're all loving the story! :)

Disclaimer: You know the answer!

Ten: Marlene

I waited patiently for Roxas to speak, just like he waited for me to discuss my reason for being quiet. The least I could do was the same for him. I don't know how long we've sat there for five, ten minutes? An hour maybe, but I wasn't in a rush to get back to class. Actually, school was the last place I wanted to be.

If I could stay here, bundled in the comfort of Roxas's arms, then that would just be feeling of being held securely in someones arms has never came to my mind no put much thought on it till now. I've come to realize how much I've missed it. I couldn't remember the last time I've been held like this, I know it was from mom, because dad would never hold Nora or I unless we were hookers.

"Namine?" Roxas asks, his voice was mellow even though his lips were right at my ear. I trembled subconsciously from the feeling of his warm breath hitting the back of my ear, sending a warm tingle down my spine. I stayed silent and waited patiently for him to continue, I couldn't really think of anything to say at this moment, and if I just opened my mouth and tried it'd probably be something really stupid.

"Not many people know about this, and...I know that we hardly know each other...but the moment I first saw you..." he paused and squeezed me tighter to him, as if I were about to evaporate into thin air at any second, but I could tell you this, that I wasn't going anywhere.

"...I...I just know that I can trust you, so...I'm going to tell you...about my little sister."

I could only nod, my throat was dry suddenly like I was dehydrated. Could Roxas's little sister have the same disease as mine? He did say they were similar...

"My little sister, Marlene...she is...well...she was clingy..." Roxas began, and that confused me.

"Well, what five-year old isn't? She is five, right?" I asked him. I remember him saying that his sister was the same age as mine, and I know for a fact that Nora is clingy but I wouldn't want her any other way, I can help her if she's always by my side. Since I know that dear old dad could care less about either of us.

"Yeah, she's shy too...but when you really got to know her, she was the most sweetest little thing, smart too, sometimes a little to smart. She could always tell when dad was bluffing, or Denzel, Ventus, mom...even me!" Roxas laughed, I felt a smile tug at the corner of my lips at that. Marlene did sound similar to Nora, since I could rarely fool her.

"Is...Denzel and Ventus your brothers, or something?"

"Denzel is my little brother and is seven, and Ventus is my twin brother." Roxas corrected me with a slight chuckle. "Except, he doesn't wear eyeliner like I do, neither does Denzel...or my father...not even my own mother! She's more of a tomboy, she prefers Martial Arts more than cheer-leading, still does!My relatives like to tease me on my eyeliner."

I felt my smile sprout a little. They sounded like a cute, typical family to me.

"I-I don't mind makeup..." I was glad that my back was facing him so that he wouldn't see the flush on my cheeks. "It...really brings out your eyes...like...a lot...I've never seen such a color..."

Namine why can't you just be your normal weirdo-self? You're going to scare him away!

However, I could almost see Roxas's smile as I felt one of his strong hands reach up slightly to comb his fingers through my thick blond tresses. I nearly jumped right out of my skin once I felt his lips brush against the shell of my ear. They were smooth and warm, just like his embrace around me. I felt like every muscle in my body has gone limp like noodles.

"Are you telling me that I have pretty eyes, Namine?" He whispered in my ear, I swallowed hard before nodding slowly, I could not deny the admiration I had for those dark cobalt blue eyes with the green rims around the pupil, and the eyeliner that he wore below them on his lower eyelids exposed them even more.

Gosh, stop fan-girling already!

"Yeah...I-I do..." I stammered not daring to move from the close contact. I wanted to move away and tell him to stop HITTING on me...but I couldn't, I didn't want too. I didn't want him to stop.

"Well, I'm flattered, don't be afraid to get a closer look."

I didn't respond, and he chuckled. His broad chest thumping against my back.

"I'm getting sidetracked, forgive me...talking about Marlene isn't easy..." His voice was serious now, almost sentimental. I swallowed, realizing how thirsty I was. Or was that some kind of bad feeling?

"What happened to her?" My voice was hoarse. Roxas inhaled sharply, his chest pressing against my back once more, but only for a brief moment until he was still holding me, and I did not want him to let go.

"She...her and I, we were climbing trees one afternoon. It was in the middle of September Mom and dad were out on a bike ride and Denzel was helping Ven polish his bike...and Marlene and I were wandering around in her backyard...she wore her tutu. She loves to dance, she's been taking Ballet since she was two...anyways, she got the idea that climbing a few trees would be fun, and of course I gave in...not really thinking it through...so...as we were climbing the fabric of her tutu got caught in one of the tree's branches that we were climbing, it startled her and caused her to lose her footing and her grip on the branches..." Roxas sighed loudly. "It all happened to fast...I-I couldn't grab her in time..."

I nearly gasped when I drew out a breath, my heart was pounding and my lungs ached, I've been holding my breath the entire time without even knowing. I couldn't even imagine that happening to Nora.

"She fell fifteen feet..." Roxas continued, his voice was lower. "Broke her arm, and hit her head, and now..." Roxas paused again, I squeezed his hand tightly. I wasn't sure if it were for comfort, or reassurance it just seemed like the right thing to do. "Now...she's in a coma...she hit her head so hard...I..." Roxas inhaled once more and I squeezed his hand even tighter that it was starting to turn white. I was starting to loose feeling in my fingers, I wasn't sure why I was holding so tightly but I knew that I wasn't letting go. Maybe I was afraid of letting go. But why? It's not like we're together or anything! We're hardly even friends!

"I thought that she had cracked her head open...I thought that she was dead...but she had a pulse she just wasn't waking up, and she still hasn't...it's been two weeks...TWO...WEEKS..."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying my hardest to keep from crying and stayed silent to hear the rest of his story. It reminded me so much of mum, when she fell down the stairs and how I kept shaking her and shaking her. It was so similar, It's like I am sharing his pain.

"I wish that I'd just say no to her!" Roxas said, his voice raising and it startled me, my hand reacted by jerking out from his but he held it tighter before it it got far from his own.

"None of this would of happened! She wouldn't be in the hospital with a machine keeping her alive right now! If I had just told her no and to play something else!" He shouted, his voice got louder after every word.

My hand was starting to go numb from being held so hard and I felt a warm drop on my shoulder. Rain? No, it couldn't be rain...the weather is to sunny and rain is never warm...It was Roxas. He was Crying.

I look over my shoulder slightly to see his face resting against the base of my neck, his eyes were closed but I could see the slick outline of tears on his cheeks. He was crying.

"It wasn't your fault..." I started.

"Do NOT tell me that, I hear it enough already."

I shrugged out of his strong arms somehow and turned around to face him, his eyes were closed and I was strangely starting to miss the warmth and comfort of being in his arms.

"No...just hear me out..." I said before bringing my knees up to my chest and hugging them awkwardly. "What...happened...with Marlene...it was an accident, she lost her footing and fell to fast for you to catch her, it's not like you PUSHED her down the tree for crying out loud! It was just an accident and an unexpected injury!" I cried out, Roxas opened his eyes to look into mine, making me feel awkward again.

"She might die." he spoke in a weak voice that sounded nothing like his own. His words really tugged at my heart strings, he wasn't alone. Nora;s life is just as fatal as Marlene's. Never in my life did I think that the life of my sister could be so similar, I know that Nora wasn't the only little kid with a fatal life. It's just that, I wasn't expecting to share this problem with someone. Especially Roxas.

I knew that feeling, the feeling that you know you're about to loose someone or that you think that you're going to loose someone because the chances on it are very high...and it's...scary...but...what else can we do besides stay strong...right?

"Roxas..." I paused to take a deep breath. "I can't argue with that...because that's the truth, Marlene may never wake from her coma, and Nora may bleed to death! Those are both high possibilities, God forbid. but we prevent them by staying strong and being there for them!" I couldn't believe that these words were coming out from my mouth! Roxas seemed surprised as well, we stared at each other in silence for what seemed like hours until he finally spoke.

"You're strong Namine."

I ducked my head, forcing my eyes to look down at the bent, dried up grass that surrounds us.

"Not...really..." I muttered, my mind jumping to Nora. "Nora's the stronger one..."

"She seems to be rubbing off on you then." He replied.

I smiled at that. "She's such a good kid."

"I'd love to meet her."

My head snapped up, I looked at him wide eyed. "Really? You do?"

Roxas nodded. "And...I'd like to take you out to dinner."

I felt my heart leap into my throat and my stomach flutter.

"Y-you're asking me out?" I stammered, my heart was pounding like a hammer and my cheeks felt like they were on fire. Roxas just smiled at my bafflement before he fell backwards to rest on his back, slowly crossing his muscular arms behind his head and closing those perfect blue eyes of his once more.

"I was not asking you out to dinner, Namine. I'm telling you that I'm taking you to dinner."

A/N: Yes, another cliffhanger because...well...they make the story more interesting and because I'm hungry and want pizza! XD Haha, anyways hope ya'll enjoyed! Stay tuned! :D

RyoshiMorino: Yup! In my story he does, and thanks for your support as always! Love ya! :D

Chocolatelilac101: Patience! Lemon's take time ;)

Twenty-Twenty-One: Haha, I would of been like "THERE BETTER BE MORE OREOS!" XD

AJ-Kun: Thanks, and IDk I just do haha :D

Chibi-Chan-Rin: No worries! :D

71st Fight: Thanks so much! Sorry, not updating destiny high...I wasn't impressed with them (I'm a picky writer) :/

Ms Bear: Not a problem! Glad you're loving it! Thanks for your kind reviews! :P

G The Nephilim: You never cease to amaze me! IDK how you do it, but thanks for making my day as always! :D

Theyoungflute13: Sorry...I'm a picky writer :/ But I can try to do that one-shot for ya! :)

Smileynyankurocat: No worries, and sorry! I never thought that this story could be so sad! :o