Chapter 3: Activation Energy
Naminé always enjoyed going to the beach. Finding the motivation to get up and actually go was always the biggest hill to climb, but once she was there, she was set. The beach offered a multitude of things: it was relaxing, generally soothing, warm, and one of the best subjects for her work. She particularly enjoyed painting the water; to some it was a tedious blob of blue colors, but she always enjoyed the challenge of texture. The point where the water met the sand was always the best part; the sand was a couple shades darker, and the water had to be lighter. She usually went with sea foam.
She and her sister sat under a single umbrella, waiting for their friends' arrival. Kairi was diligently applying sunscreen: the breeze kept the air at a comfortable level, but the afternoon sun was shining strongly. The sisters knew that too much time in the sun without protection would result in burnt skin and ridiculous amounts of pain for the next week.
"Naminé, what do you think of Sora?"
Naminé, taken aback by the sudden question, turned to meet her sister's eyes. "Um, what?"
"Sora," she repeated. Surely saying his name would make the question easier to understand. With a look from Naminé, Kairi continued, "I'm just wondering what you think of him. You know, his personality and stuff. Just to see if you think he's changed as much as I have."
Naminé brought a hand to her chin in thought. "I honestly don't think he's changed that much. I mean he's still the same old funny Sora. Always making light of a situation, always the joker of the group." She shrugged with a smile. "If anything I think he's the one who has changed the least. He's still got his happy-go-lucky view about the world..."
"No, I don't mean that!" Kairi blushed, turning away from her sister. "I mean… looks-wise. Hasn't he gotten taller?"
"He did!" Naminé agreed with a nod. "But Kairi, I think growing is a normal part of the process. I feel sorry for you if you never saw it coming."
"Oh be quiet!" The two girls laughed.
"All jokes aside, Sora is starting to shed that baby fat without losing his charm," Naminé quipped. She smiled, entertained by Kairi's efforts to remain discreet. "I find it hard to take him seriously with that crazy hair of his, but he's pretty cute, isn't he?"
Not wanting to give anything away, Kairi tried to give an unconvinced response. "I guess…"
"You'll be sure when he takes his shirt off," Naminé teased. The conversation ended with a playful laugh and a giggle fit. Naminé lay down, thinking about Kairi's question. The years had definitely been in Sora's favor. Though Naminé wouldn't go so far as to call him hot— he's a childhood friend, that'd be weird— but he was cute. Naminé thought any girl that got him would be the lucky one. He seemed like the type who'd be committed.
"Hey ladies! Looking good over there!" The catcall came from a nearby voice. Normally they'd be offended, but there was something familiar about it. Smiles spread across the faces of the twins at the sight of the young man. Kairi was the first to get up.
"Riku!" she laughed as he wrapped her in a hug. Naminé slowly got up after, claiming her own hug from the boy.
"Holy crap, you're huge!" Naminé laughed as she hugged him tightly.
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Riku joked, deepening his voice and flexing his arms.
"Not that." Naminé slapped his arm, only to take her hand back in pain. "What the heck? What are those made of?"
"Please, no need to flatter." He shook his head, his silver hair falling around his face. "Naminé, you haven't changed at all since last summer. Have you stopped growing already?"
"I most certainly haven't!" She stood as tall as she could, arms akimbo. "You, my friend, are the freak of nature here. Last time I was here, I could at least look you in the eye without craning my neck!"
"I have to agree with Nam," Kairi added. "I saw you this past spring break, but sheesh. I really think you got taller!"
"Meh," Riku brushed his nose with a thumb. "If you say so. I think the world just got smaller." Riku turned around. "Oh. There they are. Took them long enough."
Naminé looked around Riku, catching sight of Sora and another girl walking toward them. "Ah. That must be Xion." Sora and Xion approached the group, dropping their bags beside them.
"Hi guys! Hope you haven't been waiting long."
"Don't worry about it." Kairi waved her hand. "Xion, nice to see you again!"
The black-haired girl wrapped Kairi in a hug. "Same to you, Kairi! Glad to see you doing so well." She then turned to the blonde, sticking her hand out. "You must be the famous sister I've heard about. I'm Xion."
Naminé put on a smile. So this was the girl that was like Roxas? She kept her guard up, but shook the girl's hand anyway. "I don't know why I'm famous, but it's a pleasure to meet you!" she said kindly. Xion smiled.
"I've heard one too many rants about you, is all. My best friend can be a whiny emo bitch sometimes." The two girls laughed.
That was rather… unexpected.
"Wait, we're both talking about Roxas, right?" Naminé asked cautiously.
"Depends. Are you talking about the one who's always angry-looking? Like he has something stuffed up his butt?" Xion shrugged.
Naminé burst out in laughter. So Xion shared Roxas's tendency to insult people. The fact that they were aimed at Roxas only made them funnier.
"You two ladies seem to be hitting it off." Riku noted as he pulled off his shirt. "But I've been looking forward to getting back here all day. Is anyone joining me?"
"Are you really asking that? I've been waiting for you two to show up the whole time!" Kairi complained. She grabbed both Riku's and Sora's hands and pulled them to the water. "Let's go!"
The trio ran off, laughing loudly and joking together. Naminé looked at the new girl— she was new to Naminé, at least— and smiled. "Will you be swimming too?"
Xion shook her head, dropping into a sitting position on the sand. "Not right now. I actually have to go in a couple minutes. I honestly wanted to meet the person behind Roxas's rage." Xion smiled. "I love Roxas to death, but sometimes he can be a bit dramatic. I don't think everything he said about you was true."
Though tempted to ask, Naminé ignored her curiosity and sat beside her enemy's best friend. "I don't know what he said, but I do know that the majority of it— if not all— was false."
"From what I gathered, you seem like a nice person. I knew Sora was closer to the truth." The conversation quieted for a bit before Xion continued, "Now, I've known Roxas since the beginning of high school and I never learned the reason why you two are…"
"Enemies? Nemeses? On two different sides of a war?" Naminé offered.
"Yeah. How in the world did it all start?"
"I don't know." Naminé shrugged. "We met very early in childhood. All I remember is him being mean to me for some reason. He'd always make fun of me and tease me and I never knew why. All I knew was that I had to defend myself, so I started firing back. It's been like that since."
Xion shook her head. "So you guys have just continually fought because something went wrong when you guys were four?" Naminé nodded. "And neither you nor Roxas thought to be the better person and try to get this whole thing cleared up?"
"We just met and you're already trying to judge me?" Naminé asked.
"I guess I am," Xion responded just as nonchalantly. "To me it sounds like he was teasing you because he liked you and it got out of hand."
Huh. Xion was pretty much all-business. Naminé smiled, but looked away as she thought of a response. "I've honestly tried in the past. But does Roxas seem like the type of guy who apologizes for something he doesn't think he's at fault for? And it's not some lover's quarrel either. Ask him yourself if you don't believe me. We've been butting heads all our life, and I honestly make every possible effort not to be around him."
"Do you hate him?"
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that." Naminé looked disturbed. Hate was a strong word. If she hated him, she wouldn't want him breathing. She just didn't like him when he was around her. "He's just… I really don't like him. I don't know if it's that stupid condescending look he always gives me—"
"I know that look!"
"— or his mouth that can't seem to spurt anything but insults." Naminé pouted, playing with the sand beneath her. "I get the feeling he hates me though. Like genuinely hates me. He flipped out today just because I wanted to buy art supplies. He accused me of being spoiled and uncaring and a bunch of other things without giving me a chance to explain anything."
"Roxas can be a little… angry at times," Xion said quietly. "I know you're going to think I'm biased for saying this, and I probably am, but Roxas isn't really that bad. Sure, he can be a baby when he doesn't get his way and he can seriously hold a grudge like no other, but once you get to know him, he's not that bad."
"Obviously not." Naminé laughed humorlessly. "We're two completely different people, he and I, and we have the same group of friends. You all either see something in us that we don't see in each other, or you're all just insane."
"I wouldn't put the latter on the shelf just yet. Wait 'til you get to know me," Xion joked. "Would you ever consider trying to get to know Roxas?"
"I've been trying to understand where he comes from with all this lashing out, but honestly I've given up." Naminé returned her attention to the sand. "I'm tired of him. I don't want to put up with all those mean things he says. We're a lot better off not talking to each other and out of each other's hair."
Xion nodded silently, looking out at the group playing in the water. She checked the time on her phone and sighed. Time was up. "Well, I'm glad I got to talk to you today. I knew Roxas was wrong about you. If you ask me, I bet this whole thing between you guys is his fault."
"Are you about to call Roxas and tell him the same exact thing, but that our fights spawn from my responsibility?" Naminé laughed.
"No, I'm not that devious!" Xion said in mock offense. "I really think Roxas's way of approaching things is what's the problem here. I'll try and talk to him about it."
"Xion, you really shouldn't waste your time."
"Oh please. I've wasted years of my life hanging out with the prude already. What's a couple more?" Xion stood, wiping the sand off her legs and grabbing her bag. "I'm glad we had this conversation. Mind you, it won't be our last."
"You're sure of that? I'd have to say I enjoyed it too. Ranting to a near-stranger about all my stress was more relieving than ranting to my sister. She'd just go on and on about sexual tension and that crap."
Xion fought a smile. "Hmm. Then it was good that you talked to me. You and Roxas are just… both stubborn people. No offense. And I wouldn't call this sexual tension before labeling it as a clash of personalities. You and Roxas are complete opposites."
"Thank you!" Naminé stretched her arms out. "Maybe we're just not meant to get along, you know?"
Not quite. Xion thought with a grin. "Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, enjoy your day with your friends. I'll see you again soon, I'm sure."
"Thanks, Xion." Naminé shook the girl's hand again, looking up at the standing figure. "I really mean it when I say that ranting to you made me feel a lot better."
"Don't mention it. If there's someone with Roxas troubles, they should always come to me. I think I know how to deal with him the best anyway," she said with pride. "I'll be seeing you."
"Later!" Naminé waved. As Xion walked off, Naminé looked at the trio playing in the water. She focused on Sora and Kairi, who seemed to get along so well. Naminé was Kairi's sister. Roxas was Sora's brother. Why, then, could one pair get along so well and the other be at each other's throats? Sure, Kairi and Sora were practically the same kind of person, but were she and Roxas so different from their siblings?
Naminé shook the thoughts away. Maybe it was true: Naminé and Roxas just weren't meant to be friendly toward each other. She was sure of one thing, however: she wouldn't be trying to make amends with Roxas anytime soon. Not after his huge outburst after the airport.
If anyone was going to improve the situation between them, he was going to have to initiate it.
Roxas stared out the window of his workplace, waiting for his ride to arrive. He smiled when he saw the car pull in, quietly exiting the building.
Xion greeted him when he entered the car. Roxas buckled in, adjusting the air conditioning.
"Hey. How was work?"
"Fun, like always. When are we getting ice cream?"
Xion laughed, looking over her shoulder as she backed out of her spot. "Not even going to ask me about my day? And we're going now, so keep your panties on."
"I would have asked about your day if I cared." Roxas laughed, rubbing his arm where Xion punched him. "I'm kidding. How was yours?"
"Pretty normal. I uh… I met your friend today. The pretty blond one?"
Roxas immediately frowned. "She's not my friend."
"But she's pretty, huh?"
Roxas blushed slightly, but turned his attention out the window. "Whatever. Her personality is as ugly as it gets."
"But she's pretty?"
"That's not important!" Roxas said hotly. Xion snickered. Too easy!
Before Roxas got angry, Xion decided to drop it. She stored the valuable piece of information in her mind for later use. "Funny. I'm your best friend, but I don't see why Naminé should be the subject of your hatred."
"I don't hate her," Roxas interjected. Xion raised a brow, genuinely surprised with the reveal. "I just can't stand her. She's the textbook definition of a spoiled rich girl. I'm Naminé. I'm going to my summer home on an island completely paid for by my parents, but that's not enough. I better make sure I get my art supplies before anything else! Never mind that Roxas has to work. Never mind that other people have other things to do. Oh fine, take Roxas to work. Just make sure you're out when I am!"
"Okay, enough, enough!" Xion groaned. Roxas couldn't mimic a girl's voice for his life. "I'm being honest when I say I didn't get any of that from Naminé. She was nice to me."
"Well obviously she's different now compared to when I first met her. You don't know what she was like before."
"Does it matter what she was like in the past? As far as I see it, she's a different person now."
"You're not going to convince me to like her, Xion." Roxas crossed his arms. "She might have changed a bit, but she's still a whiny brat. She's always been mean to me too, you know. You think this fight is one-sided?"
"Maybe she's just lashing out." Xion replied as she pulled up to the drive-thru. She quickly stated their orders.
"It's always been like that. She says something, I say something. I shoot back, she shoots back. That's why it's best if we avoid each other. Better for us, and better for everyone else."
"Two sea-salt ice creams?"
"That's us!" Xion greeted the guy at the window. She thanked the man, handing Roxas his ice cream. "There you go, you little baby!"
"Thanks mom," Roxas joked. He immediately began eating. Silence prevailed as the two ate. While Roxas was focused on enjoying his ice cream, Xion was thinking about something else entirely.
"Roxas, will you promise me that you won't interrupt what I'm about to propose?"
"Why?" he asked with a snort. "Does it involve something I won't like?"
"It might."
"… What is it?" Roxas asked curiously.
"I think you and Naminé should spend more time together," Xion said simply. Roxas stared at his best friend in shock.
"Is it even possible to make pot-infused ice cream?" Roxas asked seriously, snatching Xion's ice cream out of her hands.
"Hey!" Xion stole her ice cream back, swerving the car in the process.
"Are you crazy? Focus on driving!"
"Then don't take my ice cream!" Xion slapped Roxas as quickly as she could with her driving hand. "And I'm serious. You and Naminé need to spend more time together. All this tension between you too is all some huge misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Roxas gaped. "Xion, I think this is more than a misunderstanding! I can't be next to the girl for fifteen minutes without her doing something that annoys me. You think this is all just some stupid misunderstanding?"
"Well how did this whole thing start, huh?" Xion shot back. "Do you remember why or how your little spats started? You don't have a freakin' clue, do you?"
Roxas huffed, crossing his arms angrily. "She's always looked at me like I was dirt! That's just the way it always was! Why can't you accept that people sometimes just don't get along?"
"Because I know you. And I might not know Naminé yet, but from what I gathered, she's definitely not the girl you think she is!"
"Well I'm glad you think so," Roxas said with finality. "But I am not going to spend any more time with her than I have to. I'm not going to put myself through hell just because you think Naminé and I misunderstand each other."
"Yes you are," Xion replied easily. "You promised you would hear me out. Here's how it works: you're going to spend all your free time with Naminé. If I'm wrong about you guys, I promise I'll do your homework for the next school year, including big projects. If I'm right… I'm right. That's it."
"No thank you."
"I'm not done yet, Roxas." Xion slowed the car to a stop at a red light. "You don't even need to like her, Roxas. I just want you to understand where she comes from."
The statement piqued Roxas's interest. "Wait. You mean I just have to put up with her?"
"Not exactly. I want you to understand her so that you guys don't fight anymore. I want you guys to at least respect each other. You think wrongly of her, and she thinks wrongly of… well, she's not that far off, but she's kind of wrong…"
"Xion…" Roxas said warningly.
"Fine, you both have the wrong impression of each other. I just want to fix that. I'm your friend. Can't I want that?"
Roxas sat still, thinking it over. "I'm sorry Xion, but I'd rather spend the whole summer doing my own homework— and maybe yours— than ruining this summer."
"But that's if I'm wrong about the possibility that you two could learn to respect each other, Roxas. You lose nothing by accepting the proposal. You can only win: a future where you don't have to fight with Naminé or a future where you don't have to do your homework. Think about that as a reward for my failure."
"No, Xion. I'm not accepting it." Roxas crossed his arms. "It's a stupid idea. Quit wasting your time. Just accept that this is how it's going to be between us."
"No. You're going to accept these terms, Roxas."
"Or what?"
"I'll leave," Xion said with a shrug.
Roxas went rigid. Suddenly the car didn't seem as lively or as noisy as before. Silence enveloped the two, neither of them looking at each other. The tables had turned and Roxas wasn't laughing anymore. He spoke in a choked voice, "That's not fair, Xion. The results haven't come in yet."
"They did," Xion said. "Today. I got them today."
The anger building inside him was quickly replaced with anxiety. "What did it say?"
"If I'm giving you an ultimatum and using my condition as a bargaining chip, what do you think it said?" Xion avoided Roxas's eyes, checking each of her mirrors.
"Xion…" Roxas raised a hand, only to let it fall back in his lap. "Maybe it's wrong. All tests have a greater tendency to have a false positive over a false negative. It's how they're made."
"These tests are also very good at detecting when the result is truly positive," Xion reasoned. "It's more likely to be right than wrong."
"It's still possible."
"Roxas, both of my parents have it." Xion said with a defeated smile. "We both knew it was more likely that I'd inherit it than not."
Roxas felt his heart sink in his chest. The world suddenly seemed to hate him. "This can't be real."
"Roxas, I want you to be happy. I know that you and Naminé can at least stay in a room together without wanting to rip each other's heads off." Xion sat back as they reached another red light. "You really have nothing to lose. Unless you decline this offer, of course. Then you lose me."
Roxas stared at his friend in utter shock. Why did this have to happen to her out of all people? There were tons of bad people in the world that took the lives of others or took advantage of other people. Why did the world have to strike at his best friend? What did she do to deserve this?
"Why would you leave so early? Can you at least stay until the end of high school?" Roxas asked quietly.
"My leaving is under the condition that you don't accept. I guess that means you're still considering it?" Xion flicked her eyes in Roxas's direction.
"Xion, that's low. You can't make me do this. And you still have a lot of time yourself!"
"Roxas, my lifespan was essentially cut in half with these results." Xion laughed, attempting to get rid of the heavy feeling hanging over them. "Come on, Roxas. Let me help you out for once."
"You already have, Xion! And you can 'help me' by staying in town! Why do you need to leave anyway?"
"I told you the reason. I want to travel. I want to experience what this world has to offer while I'm able."
"Well don't make me choose between doing this stupid thing and having my best friend around. This doesn't help me at all."
"Then let me help everyone," Xion begged. "Trust me on this one. If you and Naminé gave each other another chance, things would be different. You've just got to understand her, and she has to understand you." Xion looked over at Roxas and shoved him. "Hey! Quit looking so sad! I'm not moping about it, and neither should you!"
"You're using it to blackmail me. How can I not make a face like this?" His forlorn expression never left his face.
"You could always accept. Then you'll forget I even made you do this in the first place."
"How can you be so cool with this?"
"Because I've already accepted it, Roxas," Xion said with a small smile. "Am I happy that I'm probably going to die before I get to see which college your child goes to? That we'll probably never get to have wheelchair races when we're too old to walk? Of course not. But I'm not about to let this inevitable future rule my life. It doesn't define me. If anything, I'm the one in control for now."
"Yeah, and you're using it against me." Roxas pouted at the sight of Xion's smile. He sighed. This girl really knew how to drive a hard bargain. He pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering how she managed to corner him like this. He swallowed hard. Roxas knew that he'd regret the decision as soon as he voiced it. "Are there any other conditions?"
Xion's eyes widened before a delighted smile formed on her face. "You'll do it?"
"I don't think I have a choice. I don't want to be anywhere within a mile of Naminé, but I don't want you to go either. Not yet. So is there anything else I should know before I commit myself to a sweltering hell on earth for two and a half months?"
Xion squealed and reached over to wrap Roxas in a one-armed hug. The car nearly swerved off the road as a result, earning a feminine scream from Roxas. Xion pulled back, laughing giddily. "I can't believe you said yes!"
"I'll say yes a thousand times over if I make it out of this car alive." Roxas breathed out as he loosened his hold on the dashboard.
"Aww, see? You'd rather spend time with Naminé than die," Xion joked. Roxas deadpanned, earning a snort from his best friend. "What? I can't make jokes about death now? There goes half my repertoire."
"I don't think I can spend all my free time with Naminé, to be honest." Roxas returned the focus to the initial subject while flexing the muscles in his hand. "I think we should agree on a time quota. Say, four hours a day?"
"Psh. Given that you sleep at least eight hours— and you definitely sleep more— a day, that means you only have 16 hours of being awake. Only four out of those hours are going to be spent with Naminé? Heck no." Xion shook her head.
"Fine. How about six?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of fourteen." Xion's eyes narrowed with a sly smile.
"Fourteen hours? Are you crazy? What, now you want me to hold her hand as she poops?" Roxas's face had 'what the hell' written all over it. "That's way too much. What's wrong with six?"
"That's too little," Xion said thoughtfully. An idea quickly formed in her head, snapping her fingers as soon as it manifested. "Got it. How about you spend as much time with Naminé as Sora does with Kairi?"
Roxas's eye twitched. "How does that make sense?"
"Sora and Kairi got along. They're your siblings. Surely you and Naminé could at least reach an understanding if Sora and Kairi could form a friendship like that in equal time."
"You know more than anyone else that I'm nothing like Sora." Roxas crossed his arms.
"You're more similar than you think. But keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel like you're setting yourself apart from him." Roxas glared at his giggling friend. "I'm just saying! If Sora and Kairi could be best friends, then you and Naminé can be… neutral."
"As much time as Sora and Kairi, huh?"
"Every time Kairi and Sora are together, you're together," Xion said with a nod.
Roxas pondered the option. Maybe he could do that. Unlike Sora, he worked three days a week. "I can't miss work, you know. So what happens if Sora and Kairi hang out while I'm working?"
Xion shrugged. "Guess that's time that's out of your control."
Roxas smirked. Maybe he could work around this then. Sora and Kairi didn't really hang out that much, right? If he played his cards correctly, he could spend half as much time with Naminé as Sora did with Kairi. He played with the numbers in his head. There were fourteen to sixteen available hours. Five to six of them were spent at work.
That left eight to eleven hours. Of those hours, he'd only have to spend about six to eight with Naminé, on average.
He could deal with six. The days with eight would be the real test.
"I don't have to make up any time because of work?"
"Nope. That'd be a little impractical." Xion sat back. The traffic had stopped ahead because a bridge was raised. "You can't tell Naminé anything either. This has to look like you're making the effort to make amends. The only third party influence here is that I told you that you should. As far as anyone knows, you're doing this because you want to."
"Not because my own best friend is making me?"
"Nope!" Xion shook her head with a smile. "Also, you need to work on reducing the insults. I don't expect you to stop overnight, but just filter it out of your system. Maybe you'll learn how to properly speak to a lady."
"She's the farthest thing from… ugh, fine." Roxas threw his hands up in defeat at Xion's glare. "I'll work on it. No promises though."
"I'll take that." She shrugged. "So have we reached our final agreement?"
"My time with Naminé is determined by the amount of time Sora spends with Kairi. I have to make this look like my doing. I don't have to make up for lost time. I have to try, but am not required, to stop insulting her at every opportune moment. I, Roxas, agree to these terms, lest I lose my best friend if I break the rules."
Xion smiled widely. "I, Xion, accept the terms of agreement that you've stated. I promise wholeheartedly that I will do all of my best friend's homework, including any big project, for the upcoming school year if it is revealed that Roxas and Naminé cannot reach an understanding or find respect for each other."
Roxas stared at the raised right hand of his best friend. "I'm not convinced."
Xion rolled her eyes. "Fine." She held her hand out. "Pinky swear."
Roxas chuckled, entwining his finger with hers. "Pinky swear." He nodded. "I think you better prepare for next school year, Xion. Sixteen years of feuds don't magically stop with two months of summer."
"Maybe you're right." Xion shrugged with a knowing smile. "Which is why we're getting an early start. Here!" Xion reached into the back of her car, handing Roxas the bundle of clothes in her hand.
Roxas stared down at his lap, raising a brow. "My swimming trunks?"
"Yup! Naminé is at the beach right now. We're going back to meet up with everyone. Go on, change!" Xion laughed at the look on Roxas's face.
"Seriously? We're starting today?"
"Like you said: enemies don't become friends over a summer." Xion smiled as the car moved forward. The bridge had finally returned to place.
"I have to change now?"
"Unless you'd rather change outside in the open."
He pouted. "Fine. Try to stay focused on the road."
Xion laughed. "Ha! Don't flatter yourself, Roxas. I've seen it all and I'd hardly call it distracting."
Roxas's face went red with embarrassment. "Oh shut up…"
Something dawned on Roxas when he got out of the car. For some reason, the fact hadn't clicked in his head before. Did Xion understand what she had just proposed? It all seemed a little strange.
"Wait." Roxas made his best friend pause. "Did you say that if Naminé and I don't come to an understanding, you'll do my homework for the next school year?"
"Yeah. I didn't make that clear enough?" She shielded her eyes from the bright light.
"So what do you get in the extremely improbable case that Naminé and I— dare I say it— come to an understanding?"
"The satisfaction that I'm right." Roxas looked unconvinced, so Xion continued. "I also get credit for ending a lifetime of fighting. If you're so wary of the conditions, why did you accept the proposal?"
"Because it's all in my favor. What are you up to?" Roxas narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"I'm not up to anything. Let this thing play out, Roxas. Maybe you'll discover how even the odds actually are."
"How can it be evened when you have no way of enforcing this?" Xion rolled her eyes and made her way to the beach, forcing Roxas to follow. "What makes you think I'll actually do it? If you're not around, can't I just do whatever I want and lie?"
"I trust you won't. Would you deny me the happiness of turning a feud into a friendship? Moreover, would you lie about it to me?" Xion adjusted the umbrella that hung from her shoulder.
"I guess not." Roxas still didn't drop his suspicion. This was a little too good to be true. "And what exactly is keeping me from trying my hardest to make Naminé dislike me?"
"Nothing, I guess. I just expect you to be on your best behavior," Xion replied over her shoulder.
"What are you, my mother?"
"No. But I still expect you to be nice to her."
Roxas shook his head. Who in the world was Xion kidding?
He was going to make every effort to make it seem like Naminé was the one to blame for this little war.
Riku and Naminé sat side by side, catching up with each other's lives. Naminé found that she really enjoyed talking to Riku. Sure, he didn't have an unshakable optimism and reason to smile all the time like Sora did, but he was what she would consider "real." Kairi was lucky to have the both of them as her best friends. They were great friends who would always protect her, and though Kairi might not have noticed, they'd support her unconditionally as well.
"Ugh, just look at those two. Disgusting."
Naminé burst out into laughter. Never mind that she just complimented one of Kairi's best friends only for him to call her disgusting. "I don't really see what you mean."
"Just look at them." Riku leaned back, placing his hands behind him for balance. "The splashing game is all innocent and fun when you're eight. Now it's just a flirting game."
"You'd know?" Naminé raised a brow, a smile tugging the corners of her lips.
"Damn right." Riku dramatically flipped his hair for added effect. She liked Riku's self-deprecating humor. His, however, was more on a play on how beautiful he was. She could tell he feigned the don't-hate-me-'cause-I'm-beautiful persona many times. That, or he really thought he was that big of a deal.
"In all seriousness"-Naminé crossed her legs and mirrored Riku's posture-"do you really think they're flirting?"
"I know the both of them really well. That's definitely flirting." Riku pointed two fingers in their direction. "How can it not be? And look how touchy-feely Kairi is with him. Has Kairi had boyfriends before? She's got game."
"Maybe she's had two. I think both of them lasted a month or less, if I remember correctly."
"I thought so. Kairi's a real flirt now. And Sora—being Sora—has no idea he's being played." Riku nodded in Sora's direction. "Look at that. You think that hand on his arm is harmless? No. Oh wait, she just tackled him into the water."
"What, is that just an excuse to hug each other?" Naminé tried to get on the same thought train as Riku.
"Yup. You'd be surprised about how much physical contact can influence someone. Or extremely close proximity." Riku shrugged. "Then again, maybe Kairi is just like that with everyone. She was pretty touchy-feely with me too."
"Maybe she just couldn't keep her hands off you." Naminé giggled, leaning on Riku and placing her hands on his arm. "I know I can't. And look, physical contact. It means I'm into you."
"Now you're taking it out of context." Riku swatted Naminé's hand away with a laugh.
"Well I think you're stretching the context," Naminé shot back. "I think they're friendly touches. Just because there's physical contact doesn't mean they're romantically interested. It just shows they're comfortable with each other."
"We'll see then. Who knows Kairi more? One of her best friends or her twin sister?" Riku rubbed his chin and allowed the question to linger. He only spoke again when he noticed people approaching their area. "Looks like Xion and Roxas are back. I was wondering what took them so long."
Naminé whipped her head around in dread, only to find that Riku was telling the truth. She groaned loudly. "Great. I was just enjoying myself, and now he shows up."
"Hello, hello!" Xion skipped the last few yards, resting her hands on her knees when she reached the pair. Xion gave Naminé a wink. "I told you I'd be seeing you again soon."
"Yeah, I just didn't expect you to bring him along," Naminé muttered quietly. Roxas caught up and dropped his towel in the sand. He stared at Naminé, causing her to avert her gaze.
"Hey," he greeted. Riku raised a brow in shock and Naminé flicked her eyes back up at him. Neither could believe what they just heard. Riku looked at Xion, and then looked at Naminé expectantly.
"H-Hi," she said meekly. She quickly looked off in a different direction. What the hell was going on?
Riku had never felt so awkward in his life. As far as he knew, Roxas and Naminé hated each other. And judging from Sora's story on the car ride over, things haven't changed. But what he just witnessed— and he was quite sure it was real— completely contradicted any notion that Roxas and Naminé had a huge fight in their first hour together.
"What's up, Roxas?" Riku decided to greet the blond to break the silence.
"Eh, nothing much. Just had ice cream with Xion so I guess everything's good." Roxas shrugged as he sat down. Naminé scooted away as if he had some sort of disease.
"Uh-huh." Riku nodded. He turned his gaze to Xion, who was casually lathering her body with sunscreen. He narrowed his eyes. She was almost certainly behind this. After all, she did talk with Naminé earlier, and then she had the car ride to get to Roxas. Just what exactly did she manage to accomplish?
"Sora and Kairi look like they're having fun there." Xion nodded in the direction of the water. "How is it out there?"
"Pretty refreshing," Riku answered. "You guys wanna go in?"
"Definitely." Xion closed the bottle of sunscreen and stood up.
"Yeah—" Roxas too was about to get up, but a quick look from Xion made him stay in place. "Um, actually, I shaved this morning. I'll stay out of the water today."
"Ah, I don't blame you." Riku stretched, looking at Naminé. "What about you?"
"I'll stay, thanks." Naminé watched Riku and Xion walk off. She then turned to Roxas, noticing he was staring at her. "What?"
"You couldn't have just said yes, huh?" Roxas rolled his eyes.
"What the heck are you talking about?"
"Why couldn't you have said yes? Then we wouldn't be stuck here while everyone's swimming and having fun," Roxas grumbled, wiping the excess sunscreen on his legs.
Naminé stared at the new Roxas with doubt. "Look, I don't know what's gotten into you— I'm guessing Xion had something to do with it— but nobody is making you stay here. I don't know why you're saying all that when you could just as easily get up and go swim."
"Pfft, I wish…" He crossed his arms. "Don't you need a tan anyway? You're starting to look like a ghost."
"Okay, that's it." Naminé turned around and glared full force. "I don't know what she told you, but you can either get up or shut up. Choose now."
Roxas smirked. Petty threats again? "Nah, I'm okay. Besides, now that we're alone together, why not try to be friends?"
Naminé's eye twitched. "Are you crazy?"
"No. I'm friendly." He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
"You really think that I'm just going to agree to be friends with you when all you've done is insult me?"
Almost every inch of Roxas wanted to say no, but that wouldn't be entertaining enough. So he ignored the angry response with a shrug and replied, "Yup. I do."
"Wow. You really are crazy." Naminé shook her head in disbelief. "You're not even going to apologize?"
"What do I have to apologize for? I'm trying to be friendly. You're the one that's all hostile."
"Me? I'm the hostile one?" Naminé laughed humorlessly. "Listen. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I'm not forgiving you until you apologize."
"Okay. I guess I'm sorry then." Roxas fell back to lie down.
"Let me rephrase that: I'm not forgiving you until you apologize and mean it. So you can drop this stupid little charade of yours and get as far away from me as possible."
"No can do." Roxas smirked. "We're going to be friends now! Aren't you excited?"
"No. I'd be excited if you got up and left though. Care to do that, friend?"
"Nah. It's important for friends to spend time with each other." Naminé grimaced at the sight of Roxas's obviously staged smile.
"This is possibly the worst day of my life." She shook her head. Never before had she been so confused. What the hell did Xion say to Roxas to make him a million times worse than he already was?
Redeeming Endeavor:
Chapter Data- Total Editing Time: 852 minutes. Word Count: 7,103. Per usual, please notify me if you found any mistakes/errors.
My gratitude goes out to the many readers and subscribers out there. I didn't think LPA would get so many hits and subscriptions since it's in a smaller pairing, but I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. Special thanks to ResoluteResolve, 0Wishful-Thoughts0, CapriciousXXIISerenader, maluka, CaptainJas, typewrite, jollipops, akemithebazookagirl, ash09, VIII, Hegodart, Lupus7, FanfictionFanatiction, Handwritten, BlackButterfly9, Aaralynne, happy reader, and KeybladeMaster97 for reviewing!
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