Redeeming Endeavor: Enjoy the last chapter ever of this story.
Chapter 24: Stellar Flare
On the night before their flight home, Kairi came up with the grand idea of having everyone over for dinner. Since Naminé forgot her sister was about as useful as a saltshaker in a zombie apocalypse when it came to cooking, she thought it was a great idea and invited everyone over. The minor oversight placed Naminé in the kitchen for an hour as she made the most of whatever food they had left.
Even if Kairi was incompetent, at least her best friends weren't. Not only did Sora keep Kairi from messing anything up, he also took it upon himself to grill anything that could be grilled. It certainly lightened the workload left in the kitchen. Riku turned out to be a great help as well. Though Naminé didn't vocalize her opinion, she was sure he was the superior cook between them.
Despite the required effort, it was still better than tossing any leftover food. When their father visited, he made sure they wouldn't run out of food for the remainder of their stay. Coupled with Kairi's welcomed unwillingness to cook and a surplus of supplies, their father's overzealous grocery shopping gave them one more reason to throw a party.
Seafood dominated the dinner table. With the right ingredients and an obnoxious amount of lemons, Riku and Naminé tried their hand at dishes a bit fancier than the average peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Riku took it upon himself to make shrimp scampi while Naminé seasoned and plated all the food. She couldn't help but compare Riku to her mother in that they both worked well in the kitchen. Kairi came in and out, bringing armfuls of plates and silverware into the back patio. On the last trip, she complimented Naminé on the lemonade, asking that more be made for everyone coming.
In the span of ten minutes, most of their friends arrived. The two cooks remained diligent in the kitchen, urging everyone else to join Sora and Kairi in the back. Naminé handed Selphie the shrimp scampi to take with her and told everyone else to get started on the appetizer. When the house emptied again, Naminé mentally noted that only Hayner, Pence, and Olette were still missing. She assumed they'd arrive with Roxas since they worked together.
Riku and Naminé kept their conversations superficial and light while they cooked, conversing about their favorite cooking ingredients and summer homework assignments that still needed to be done. The serious talk began when the cooking was about to end.
"So are you as sad as your sister that you guys have to leave tomorrow?" Riku asked.
"I guess. I definitely had more fun than I would have guessed," Naminé said. She eyed the red snapper Riku was finishing.
"I'll miss everyone," Naminé answered as she finished washing everything in the sink. "But honestly, probably Roxas the most. I guess I got used to him being around. You can interpret that however you want, by the way."
Riku chuckled. "No, I get it. It's funny to think how one summer could change your relationship with someone so drastically."
Naminé's eyes widened. "That's right! Roxas told me that you and Xion started hanging out more than usual. Why was this such a recent development when you guys have known each other for a while?"
"Lots of things, really. The main reason was that she thought I was hot," Riku said nonchalantly. "I think she learned that there was more to me than my good looks."
"You're allowed to say that you were friends. I know it was you who called Roxas for her," Naminé said. She was met with the sound of searing red snapper.
"It's funny," Riku said after the pause, "that people claim they want you to move on with your life without them, yet they do things that make you think otherwise."
Naminé began to regret bringing up the topic of Xion. Of course Roxas wasn't the only one hurting with her departure. She needed another topic, fast. "Speaking of Roxas—"
"Did you know that she left me a voicemail while I was working? Apparently it was a couple minutes before she left." Riku flipped the snapper in his pan and focused his gaze on the other pans.
Naminé turned to look at him. "I got one too, actually."
"You did?" Riku looked confused. "If she called you, then you probably knew something about her that not many people did."
"Are we talking the one Roxas knew about before she left or the one he learned about as she was leaving?" Naminé asked.
Riku stared for a moment, then laughed. "Damn. Girl kept a lot of secrets."
Naminé giggled. "I guess I can't blame her. You know, a few days ago I was at a really low point and considered telling Roxas about her feelings. I'm glad I never did. I don't think she would have forgiven me if I had."
"I'd ask about all this drama you're referring to, but I have a feeling that it's all water under the bridge now," Riku said. "No reason to bring that up."
"Yeah. I'd say we both moved on. I think I'd like to talk to her again at some point, just not anytime soon. We wanted the same thing, and that was a both a reason to fight and forgive each other," Naminé said. "How's the fish coming along?"
"It's done," Riku said. "You can join everyone outside if you want. I'll bring this out."
"Maybe after you tell me what your message said. You can't just say Xion left you one and not tell me what it was. And I assume you were going to tell me, otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up," Naminé said.
Riku raised a brow. "You sure?" He waited for a nod before continuing. "Remember, you asked. At first, Xion didn't really say anything out of the ordinary. It was the usual 'thank you' stuff. But near the end, she said that the next time she visits, she plans on sleeping with me."
Naminé blinked. "You're serious? You're lying, right?"
"I'm not. She went from telling me that she was really grateful to telling me that we're going to have sex the next time we see each other. And who am I to deny her?" Riku asked as he raised his hands. "She wants the D."
"You're lying!" Naminé smacked Riku's arm. "Be serious!"
"I'm dead serious!" Riku said with a laugh. "And I'm a little offended that you find this so hard to believe. I never thought I was so… abhorrent."
Naminé ignored his display of false insecurity and crossed her arms. "And you'd do it? You'd actually have sex with her if she really wanted to?"
"Definitely. I like her, and if she really is ready, I'm not going to pass that up," Riku said.
Naminé nodded. She tried her best to hide her disappointment. She thought if there were guys who were different from most, one would be Riku. It seemed, however, that he was willing to jump into bed with a girl at the first chance. "I see," she said curtly.
"I'm telling Kairi you just judged me," Riku declared. He turned back to a nearby plate and meticulously placed the finished snapper.
"I didn't judge you," she lied. "I just feel like time and time again, guys are reinforcing their stereotypes."
"There is some truth to a stereotype though. And I hate to break it to you, but if a guy likes a girl, he has had at least one sexual fantasy involving her. Another universal truth is that all straight men love boobs. Heck, every gay guy I've met likes boobs too," Riku added.
"That can't be true. The ones about every guy, I mean. There have to be exceptions," Naminé clarified.
"There aren't any though. Every guy likes boobs and every guy has fantasized about the girl he likes, given that he likes girls, of course. If you think I'm wrong, then tell me that there's a girl in the world who hates receiving compliments," Riku said.
"Ugh, why are we talking about this?" Naminé groaned. Weren't they supposed to be eating dinner?
"I'd like to know what you guys are talking about too."
Naminé turned to see Roxas standing at the door with Hayner and Pence behind him. Olette stepped in behind them, making sure to greet both Naminé and Riku. The late group of friends stayed with the kitchen crew for a few moments, with Hayner eventually bringing up the topic they had apparently just missed.
Riku's eyes lit up, expressing an excitement akin to a scientist who just found the answer to all of his problems. "Guys, I need you all to prove my point to Naminé here," he said as he looked at each of them. "Do all guys like boobs?"
"Absolutely," Hayner replied immediately. Olette's hand flew to her forehead as she groaned. Hayner continued, "It doesn't even matter how big or small they are—"
"I don't think he asked for an explanation," Olette interrupted.
"I'd say that's right…" Pence added quietly.
"Yeah, but why are you talking about this again?" Roxas asked. It appeared that he would be fine with either an explanation or an end to the conversation.
"Because Riku likes to say outrageous things," Naminé replied hastily. She didn't want to know how Roxas would react if he knew that Xion promised to have sex with Riku. Before the conversation could continue, Naminé grabbed everyone's attention and led them to the backyard. The rest of their friends had already finished the appetizers, but were nice enough to wait for everyone to arrive before dinner.
As everyone dug in, Naminé looked around with a smile. It astounded her that she was so bitter at the beginning of summer that she actually wanted to pass on this vacation. Her eyes found Roxas across the table and she smiled. Looking at him used to fill her with fury, but over the course of a few months, it became just the opposite. Naminé couldn't help but question her memory. She was sure it didn't happen like she felt, but it really seemed as easy as falling asleep.
One moment she thought he wasn't that bad; in the next, she started liking him.
The past few days with him had been so easy, even if they danced around the topic of where their relationship was going. When she wasn't talking to Roxas, she was thinking about talking to him. What were they going to do, and where were they going to go from there? Those sorts of questions crossed Naminé's mind when she and Kairi made visits on behalf of their mother. The idle time had allowed her to find her answers, and Roxas absolutely needed to hear them.
Tonight. She would talk to him tonight when the party approached its end. With her flight in the morning, tonight would probably be her last chance to talk to him in total privacy.
For now, she'd enjoy company of the friends she wouldn't see for another year.
Despite the lack of alcohol, Naminé and Kairi's party had been quite lively. Roxas enjoyed it more than he thought he would, though he could've done without the embarrassing pictures part.
Before the party, the shelter he worked at took in some new tenants in the wonderful form of kittens. In lieu of everything that happened in the days before, Roxas had gone overboard with excitement. Long story short, he made sure to snuggle with every one of those cute kittens as a way of welcoming them. Olette secretly took pictures all the while, which he discovered only after Hayner's loud mouth pointed them out.
Olette promised not to show them to anyone, but apparently promises meant shit when there were laughs to be had.
Embarrassment aside, the party had been the most fun Roxas had since Xion left. By midnight, everyone had left save for Sora and Riku. Roxas stayed as well, though under the impression that he would go home with his brother. But as they helped the girls clean up, it became evident that Sora planned on staying the night. Roxas considered asking Riku for a ride home, but that probably entailed a conversation he didn't want to have yet.
Rather than driving home himself, Roxas considered spending the night too. He didn't want to waste the gas and effort to go home when he was supposed to help Sora drop Naminé and Kairi off at the airport. And, if he were being completely honest with himself, the idea of spending more time with Naminé helped him reach a decision.
After they finished cleaning, Roxas followed Naminé back to her room. "I don't suppose you have an extra toothbrush for me," Roxas said slowly.
"You're staying over?" Naminé asked.
"I thought it'd be more convenient for everyone, but I can leave if it'll be a problem."
"I don't mind," Naminé replied quickly, "and I don't think Kairi will either. This works out nicely, actually. I've been meaning to tell you that we should talk about something anyway."
Roxas forced a smile. "Right. We do."
"I'm going to shower. I think you'll find a toothbrush in the master bathroom," Naminé said. She quickly gathered her clothes and left the room.
Roxas found a small basket of disposable toothbrushes under the sink. They looked like the sort of toothbrushes provided for patients in a hospital, good for maybe one use. He tore the plastic wrapping off one and felt the bristles. Cheap and flimsy, as he expected, but still better than nothing. When he finished tidying himself, Roxas joined Sora, Riku, and Kairi in the living room. He figured that they would need to sort out the sleeping situation anyway.
"Finally decided to stay?" Sora asked as he dug through his bag.
"I might as well, right? Roxas looked around the living room and eyed the table situated in the middle. He was going to have to move it. "I'll take the floor."
"No, you'll be sleeping on this couch," Riku said, slapping the cushion next to him. "And don't worry, you won't have to share. Kairi generously offered Sora a spot in her bed."
"Yes, I did," Kairi remarked without an ounce of shame. "There's plenty of room for the both of us, and since Roxas is staying, it works out for everyone."
Roxas looked at Sora, who had a please-don't-tell-Mom smile on his face. The blond rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just don't do anything stupid."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Kairi asked a little too sweetly.
"Roxas, did you bring a change of clothes? You can take the shirt I packed if you need it," Sora interrupted. He pulled a black A-shirt from his bag and tossed it over. "I mean, I'm not going to need it, so…"
Roxas and Riku stared at him, turned to look at Kairi, and then looked back to Sora.
"Because I had a spare shirt in Kairi's room somewhere. What it's doing there, I don't know. But I'm going to stop talking now, good night." Sora briskly left the room with his bag. A moment of awkward silence passed before Kairi stood up.
"Well, I will see you two in the morning. You should probably sleep soon since we're waking up early," Kairi suggested.
"I'll hopefully be asleep before you reach your room." Riku joked. He moved to the opposite couch, ruffling Kairi's hair as he passed. She wished them good night and went to her room.
Just after changing his shirt, Roxas saw Naminé come out of the bathroom. She beckoned him to follow her to her room.
"Find your toothbrush?" Naminé asked as she dried her hair.
Roxas nodded absently. He found himself focused on the smell of her shampoo, which was strong out of the shower. "Yeah, thanks."
"I saw Riku was already trying to sleep. Where'd Sora go?" Naminé asked.
"Your sister's room. I'm not complaining. I would've had to sleep on the floor otherwise," Roxas said.
"I see." Naminé hung her towel on a hook behind her door.
"I guess I could've slept in the master bedroom, but it'd be really weird to sleep in a bed that belonged to your parents." Roxas caught Naminé staring disapprovingly at her door. "You can be so easy to read sometimes."
"What do you mean?" Naminé recomposed herself. "I was just thinking, that's all. Like if you needed a place to sleep, you could've slept here."
"That… is both a bad lie and a bad joke. I award you no points, and disqualify you from making such an awful attempt ever again," Roxas said as he shook his head.
"I tried." Naminé giggled. "Whatever. It kind of sucks for Riku though, doesn't it?"
"I can go and get him to join us in here if you feel bad." Roxas smirked.
Naminé rolled her eyes, realizing that Roxas was teasing her for doing nearly the same thing Kairi did. "This is different. We need to talk, and I talked a bunch with Riku during dinner."
"Yes you did." Roxas found a topic he wanted to focus on. Though he wanted to know as well, he couldn't help but feel anxious every time Naminé told him they needed to talk. He knew that he'd have to confront his feelings, but the thought of having that conversation was less than appealing. "What exactly was he saying that had you laughing at his every word?"
"I wasn't laughing that much!" Naminé giggled. "Honestly, he was just spouting all sorts of lies to the point where it just got downright hilarious."
"Is this some sort of continuation of what we walked in on?" Roxas asked as he sat on the corner of the bed.
Naminé walked around and sat on the opposite corner, leaning against the small stack of pillows at the head of the bed. "Definitely. So that's why I have to ask you this. What is so special about boobs? I can't— don't look!" Naminé grabbed a pillow and covered her chest.
"I didn't!" Roxas laughed. The lie was never going to take off. "Fine, it happened. But if I told you not to think about a purple elephant, you'd do it too."
"I said 'boobs' and you looked! How is thinking it the same thing as looking at it?" Naminé suppressed her laughter as Roxas blushed.
"It is! Obviously if it's right in front of me I'm going to look!"
"This is great," Naminé said as she wiped the corner of her eye. "Riku said that would happen. Thanks for being a part of that experiment."
"Wait, did you just use me?" Roxas asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I did. There were two parts to that question. You confirmed one part and have yet to answer the other," Naminé said matter-of-factly.
"Well I'd hate to leave you disappointed, but I don't have any experience with… any of that," Roxas finished quickly. "But from what I've heard, they make awfully nice pillows."
"Pillows? Are you serious?"
"Haven't you heard? Breast pillows are best pillows."
"I cannot believe you just said that!" Naminé laughed and buried her face in her pillow.
"I heard they're pretty fun to play with too, but we're ending this before it gets awkward." Roxas moved farther up the bed, stretching his legs along the bottom. "Don't tell me you guys talked about this the entire time."
"We did. Riku basically told me everything I needed to know about guys and how they think. Very enlightening stuff," Naminé said.
"Well did he tell you an almost universal insecurity amongst… well, teenage guys?" Roxas didn't continue until Naminé shook her head.
"What have you got?"
"Well, again, this is mostly teenagers, but most guys are really insecure about the size of their pe— hey don't look! As if you're actually going to see anything!" Roxas exclaimed.
"I didn't— you did that on purpose!" Naminé whined as Roxas howled in laughter.
"I can't believe that actually worked!"
"You're such a dick. No—" Naminé groaned and sulked while she waited for Roxas to stop laughing. When it appeared that he wouldn't stop anytime soon, she threw one of her pillows at him. "Ugh. I really hate you."
"Well now that there's no question where your mind is…" Roxas pressed his face into the Naminé-scented pillow she threw at him and hid his smile.
Naminé narrowed her eyes at Roxas. "You can go."
"Oh please. I'm having too much fun to leave now."
It didn't take much coaxing to get Naminé talking again. Once all the teasing was over, they went back to discussing Naminé's conversation with Riku. Roxas was surprised to find that it was exactly as Naminé described, with a few fake stereotypes thrown in. Riku apparently thought it'd be a good idea to tell Naminé a mix of truth and lies.
Though asked to either confirm or debunk Riku's comments, Roxas found that some were too good and chose to be ambiguous in his replies.
"You're lying too!"
Roxas turned on a nearby lamp and turned off the ceiling light. "I'm sorry that we were the ones to tell you, but chivalry really is dead. The only reason guys hold doors open for ladies is for that easy look at that ass. It's the same deal with stairs."
Naminé fell onto her side and yawned. "Guys are freaking terrible."
Roxas chuckled. It was an obvious lie, but Naminé didn't need to know that there was some truth in what he said. She especially didn't need to know that he had, on at least one occasion, stolen a glance as she passed through a doorway.
What felt like thirty minutes was actually three hours, and the two teens had slipped into a late night delirium. Roxas found himself laughing for no reason at many points in time, which Naminé enjoyed pointing out. It would only lead to more laughter, and it would only end when someone said something silly like suggesting they get some sleep. Roxas couldn't even tell if he was tired from exhaustion or laughing too much. All he knew was that he wouldn't go to sleep unless Naminé either kicked him out of her room or fell asleep first.
He was sure he could've stared at her the rest of the night. They lay on opposite ends of the bed as if they didn't understand that the ideal way of sleeping was along the longer length instead. Roxas silently wished Naminé would remove the pillow in her arms that covered more of her body than the halter top and shorts she was wearing. From his point of view, all he could see were her blue, half-lidded eyes and her blonde hair spilling onto her cheeks.
When their conversations stopped making sense— made evident by the fact that Naminé answered a yes or no question with "what elbows"— Roxas decided to bite the bullet and resign to slumber. He pushed himself into a sitting position and yawned. "Okay. Looks like it's time to sleep."
"You're going to stay here tonight, right?" Naminé asked.
"At this house, yes. But I'm sleeping on the couch." Roxas grabbed the pillow he was using and stood up.
"We haven't talked though." Naminé sat up, having woken up a bit from all the motion.
"We talked plenty, actually. You look like you're about to fall asleep too," Roxas said.
"Stop. We need to talk, Roxas." Naminé's voice was firm. "Were you going to kiss me that night in my studio?"
Roxas looked away and sat next to her. "Yeah, I was." He was too nervous to say that he'd do it right then if she wanted. "Were you going to let me?"
Naminé brought her knees to her chest and blushed. "No. I was going to kiss you back."
Roxas was taken back. When did his heart decide to do backflips in his chest? His cheeks felt warm and his ears tingled. He couldn't believe he seemed so calm on the outside when he reacted so hugely to words. He swallowed hard and turned to face her. "I'd do it again right now if you wanted." And he said it. He actually said it. He could've died on the spot from embarrassment, but his body wanted otherwise.
Naminé tightened her fingers on the pillow. "We… this happened really fast, didn't it? I don't know how and I can barely believe it, but I really like you."
"I like you too, so hearing you say that makes me an extremely happy person right now." Roxas grinned.
"And I'm happy to hear that too, but…"
Time seemed to slow. Slightly, just slightly, the smile on Roxas's face faltered. "But you're going to say something else, right?"
"Roxas, I don't think we should act on anything we might be feeling right now." The words came out in a rush and were met with a stagnant silence.
Roxas shifted his weight and looked away from Naminé. "It happened too fast, didn't it?"
"You said that you'd kiss me right now if I wanted," Naminé said. She reached over and took his hand, getting him to look at her. "But if we could go back to that time, you wouldn't change a thing, right? You'd make the same decision to leave a thousand times over."
Roxas expected wide-eyed panic, a scramble for the right words, and a need for justification to all rush him at once, but none of it came. The answer was too easy and it made too much sense. "Yes. I would have," he told her. He expected her hand to slip from his, so he tightened his grip. "But that doesn't mean—"
But Naminé didn't pull away. She squeezed his hand in return. "I know, I know. I knew you'd say that. I feel like I didn't know about you before, but now that I do, it's probably one of the reasons why I like you."
Roxas chuckled. "The longer this conversation goes on, the more it sounds like a rejection."
Naminé was quick to reply. "It's not—"
"I know. I've never been rejected before, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to feel worse. But can I just say that choosing to leave does not mean that I don't like you?" Roxas asked.
"I know, Roxas. I was mad about it before, but not now. I just think it's better how it is right now. I mean, I don't even know how long we've been talking, but I've been having so much fun. I can't even remember the last time I stayed up this late because I couldn't stop laughing, and I want to enjoy this a little longer."
Roxas placed their hands closer to Naminé and let go. "Okay. I understand," he said quietly.
"Roxas—" Naminé grabbed Roxas's arm as he stood up.
"Relax. I get it." He looked her directly in the eye as he carefully released her hold on him. "Let's just get some sleep. We have to be up in a few hours."
"I didn't want to hurt you. I don't want to lose any of this. Please don't—"
"Me neither," Roxas said with a strained smile. "We just need time, right? I don't intend to stop being your friend if you'll do the same."
"All right." Naminé nodded, her shoulders slumping from their tensed state.
"I'm going to take this if you don't mind." Roxas held up the pillow he'd been using. He walked to the door and quietly pulled it open. He turned back to Naminé. "Try to rest up. Good night."
"Good night, Roxas," she said quietly.
When he closed the door, Roxas went straight to his couch and curled around the pillow. That went exactly as he envisioned it, except for the part when she told him she'd rather be friends after he told her he'd kiss her. Everything from there was entirely unforeseen.
But it wasn't a rejection. It sounded like one and it felt like one— or at least what Roxas thought what felt like a rejection, because it probably wasn't the same feeling he'd have if he kissed her. On top of everything was the shame of it all. Would it have gone differently if he hadn't said anything about kissing her? Maybe if he told her he liked her without jumping the gun it would've happened differently. He probably sounded eager.
He definitely sounded too eager.
No. He needed to slow down and think. She said that she liked him. The girl he liked said she liked him back. All she needed was time. It wasn't over yet.
Roxas relaxed a little. He rolled onto his back and inhaled the scent of her pillow. He still needed to tell her something she needed to know. As Roxas fought his embarrassment with resolve, he slowly slipped to sleep.
They should not act on what they might be feeling.
What?
WHAT?
She was brave enough to confess, but just scared enough to run away. She thought that it needed to be done, but confessing only managed to hurt him. That was exactly how it wasn't supposed to happen.
She was too scared to tell him she was afraid of getting hurt. She wasn't mad that he walked out on her, but it was hard to forget how hurt she was when he did. She didn't want to feel that again, especially since she wouldn't see him for a while. A long distance relationship was out of the question. To her, it was barely a relationship at all. The few, successful long distance relationships she knew of didn't begin with distance.
It would only make Naminé miss Roxas more. She liked him way too much given the time they actually spent together. He was the first boy she actually wanted to date. It was an unexplored territory, and Naminé wanted to do everything in her power to make sure she didn't mess it up.
It was undoubtedly selfish of her. Knowing how Roxas felt yet refusing to move forward was a way of keeping him around without getting hurt and without losing him. And what if she did ask him to kiss her? They'd enjoy it for a few hours, only to be distanced by at least a thousand miles. Naminé didn't know if she could handle it. If things fell through, what then? There was no guarantee she'd even be on speaking terms with Roxas. It'd go back to how it had always been, with each of them avoiding the other at all costs.
It was too much to put on the line.
Naminé buried herself under the covers and sighed. She needed to apologize and tell him the whole story. She let him walk out thinking it was a rejection, and she needed to apologize. If he knew that she just didn't want to lose him, maybe he'd understand.
She didn't remember when she fell asleep— or if she did at all— but the feeling of waking up was unmistakable. Naminé breathed deeply and stretched her muscles. Her head felt too heavy to lift from the pillow, so she rolled over and pushed herself up with her arms. She looked around the room. It was still dark outside, and the lamp on her bedside table was still on. Naminé opened her dry mouth and yawned.
The door opened. The drowsiness left her in a rush when she spotted Roxas standing at the door. He looked like he didn't get enough sleep. Yet, with the bags under his eyes and the memories of their night probably fresh in his mind, he was the first person to see her in the morning.
Then he smiled. It was the last thing Naminé expected him to do.
"You look like you just got mauled by a bear," he said with a snicker.
And that was the second-to-last thing she expected him to do. Naminé laughed. "You sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself."
"Whatever. I still—" He stopped and bit his lip. "You should get up. We're supposed to leave in twenty minutes."
"What?" Naminé tossed the covers aside. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"
"You needed sleep." Roxas shrugged. "And now you have fifteen minutes to get ready, so you should probably get going."
Naminé took his advice and went straight to the bathroom. She was sure last night actually happened, but Roxas was acting like he normally would. She intended to talk to him about it after finishing her morning routine, but everyone was ready to go by the time she finished. Just as she packed the last of her clothes, Riku took off with her suitcase.
She met everyone in the car. The only available seat was up front. Though it was Riku's car, Roxas was driving. As soon as she got in, Roxas handed her a brown paper bag.
"Chocolate with sprinkles, right? Your coffee's right there." He pointed to the cup holder.
"Thanks," she mumbled. While Riku, Sora, and Kairi were talking loudly in the back, Naminé thanked every sip of coffee for waking her up. She finished her breakfast halfway through the ride, leaving her nothing to do but talk to the three in the back or Roxas. Though she wanted to apologize for the previous night, she felt the conversation was out of place if it meant that others could listen.
"The summer went by pretty fast, didn't it?" Roxas asked, catching Naminé off-guard.
"Y-Yeah. A lot faster than I thought. To think it's been over two months since I slept in my bed…"
"That's what you missed the most?" Roxas laughed.
Naminé smiled, staring out her window. "I guess. It'll be nice to be home again." She decided to change the conversation topic. "Weather's pretty nice, isn't it?"
"Sunny and breezy. It's perfect if you ask me," Roxas said.
Naminé turned to face him. "I'll definitely miss this."
The remainder of the car ride was filled with idle conversation. Roxas and Naminé eventually joined the conversation in the back, which lasted until they arrived at the airport. As they unloaded at the drop-off area, Naminé grew anxious that she'd never get to apologize. The urgency increased until Riku stepped in.
"Well, we can still spend a couple minutes here and make it back home in time for work. Why don't you guys stay with Kairi and Naminé until they go through the security gate?" Riku offered.
"You sure about that? Why don't you just park and come with us?" Sora asked.
"And waste money? No thanks." Riku walked up to Kairi and pulled her into a hug. "You need to visit more often. How will Sora get by if you're not here?"
"He's your burden to bear while I'm gone," Kairi said with a laugh. She pulled away from the hug and placed her hand on his shoulders. "Make sure he doesn't get you into any trouble."
"What? The only reason I ever get in trouble is because Riku's involved!" Sora whined.
They seemed to ignore him. "I'll do my best to both avoid him and keep him in check," Riku promised. He turned to Naminé and gave her a firm hug. "Visit when you get a chance, okay? And be careful around boys, will you? You have no excuse if you end up dating a sleazebag now that I've told you all the tricks of the trade."
Naminé laughed and squeezed him harder. "Right. I'll make sure not to date anyone who isn't at least as beautiful as you are."
Riku puffed his cheeks and shook his head. "Yeah, I don't think that's going to work. Those standards are a bit high."
"Good-bye, Riku." Naminé gave his hand a squeeze and smiled.
He walked around to the driver's side and looked at Sora and Roxas. "I'll be back here in fifteen minutes, so don't be late."
Naminé walked alongside Roxas, just slightly behind the couple in front of them. As they fell in line to get their boarding passes, Sora and Kairi left for a bit of privacy. Naminé saw her opportunity, but hesitated when she saw the frown on Roxas's face.
"Roxas?" Naminé bit her finger. Did it have to do with what happened between them?
He perked up when she called. His expression cleared and he looked her in the eye. "What is it?"
She almost sighed in relief. "You looked a little sad or maybe angry or something."
"Oh." His brow flashed upward. "Nothing to worry about. I just… I just really fucking hate this place," he declared emphatically.
Naminé cracked a smile as he chuckled. "It hasn't exactly been kind to you, huh?"
"Not in the slightest. The best thing it did was bring you here, and that wasn't even a good thing back then. No offense," Roxas said with a shrug.
Anxiety began to settle in the back of Naminé's mind. " Roxas, I'm really sorry over what happened last night—"
"What?" Roxas's eyes widened. "Naminé, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that we didn't get along when you came here!"
Naminé was taken aback by Roxas's sudden change of demeanor. "You mean you're not mad about what happened?"
"Mad?" Roxas seemed desperate to clarify. "No way! It wasn't that bad— well, actually it kind of sucked, but I'm not mad about it. And I have something to tell you, but you should probably call your sister over since we're up next."
Naminé fought her curiosity back and called her sister to the line, where they checked their bags and received their boarding passes. They made their way to the security gate in slow, deliberate steps. Just before they got in line, Roxas whispered something to Kairi and Sora. He then pulled Naminé aside. "Give them a moment alone. Sora looks like he's about to break down."
Naminé looked over her shoulder and felt a dull ache in her chest when she found them. Sora looked at Kairi with watery eyes and a forced smile as she cupped his face. Naminé turned away.
"Roxas, I'm scared," Naminé said. "I don't want to lose you or what we have now. I don't know if I could handle going back to how we were before. And most of all, I can't do what they're doing now. I can't. I can't go away knowing I'd miss you more than I already would right now—"
Naminé inhaled deeply as Roxas pulled her into a hug. She was stunned and motionless, but quickly returned it as it registered in her mind. As she held him close and leaned into the warmth of his hug, she knew she couldn't handle it. She wouldn't be able to leave him. And though it terrified her to the very core that she felt so at home right there in his arms, it was just as exhilarating to have him for that fleeting moment.
Roxas's voice trembled as he whispered against her hair, "I'm going to miss you a lot."
"And I'd say the same thing, but that'd be my biggest understatement yet." Naminé laughed against his chest, bunching his shirt in her fist. "I don't even want to go back. I want to stay here."
"I don't want you to go either, but we both know you can't stay."
"Can you come with me then?"
Roxas laughed. "The scariest part of all this is that I would if I could." Roxas seemed to have his own epiphany as he chuckled to himself. "Holy shit. I'd drop everything here in a heartbeat to be with a girl."
"That's so irresponsible," Naminé said. They both broke into a fit of laughter, parting from each other as Sora and Kairi approached.
"Riku just called Sora. I think it's time to go," Kairi reported.
"Well, looks like I'm going to be late for work." Roxas shrugged. He walked up to Kairi and gave her a hug. "Take care. I'll see you soon, I hope?"
"I hope so too," Kairi replied.
Naminé gave Sora one last hug too, trying her best to smile for him. The sight of his teary eyes broke her heart. "This is only good-bye for now, future brother-in-law."
Sora laughed. "Yeah. See you soon."
"Give your girlfriend one last kiss, will you?" Naminé gave him a light tap on the back for encouragement. She stepped to the side with a lopsided smile as Sora scooped Kairi into his arms and kissed her passionately. She had to look away.
"Gross." Roxas snickered when Naminé smacked his arm. "Just calling it like I see it."
"Hey, no comments from the audience, please." Kairi parted from Sora momentarily and narrowed her eyes at Roxas. "Don't you have something to do? I vaguely recall we discussed something when we got Nam's breakfast."
Naminé raised a brow. "What? You and Kairi got that?"
Roxas shifted uncomfortably and ran his hand through his hair as if internally debating with himself. He shrugged. "Eh, what the hell? Why not?" He moved closer to Naminé, his face mere inches from hers. "Close your eyes."
Naminé didn't have time to question it. Her eyes fluttered to a close as Roxas moved in. She felt his fingers lightly tilt her head upwards and felt his breath against her lips.
Her heart nearly stopped as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
Naminé exhaled, her entire body quivering as it came down from the high of anticipation. She opened her eyes, finding Roxas staring right at her.
"If you feel the same way about me the next time we see each other, do me a favor and save your first kiss for me," Roxas said with a smirk.
"You haven't had your first kiss either," Naminé said in a daze.
"No, I haven't. You don't have to worry about it either. I'm reserving it for someone I like, and I promise I'll wait as long as I need to."
Naminé blushed. Every hair on her body was standing on end. "Good to hear," she said lamely.
They both turned when they heard a slow clap starting right next to them. "Wow. Smooth as fuck. Well done," Sora said as he nodded in approval.
"Smooth as fuck? Really, Sora? That's your way of saying it was romantic?" Kairi feigned apathy. "That was barely above average. Six out of ten, would not watch again."
Roxas shrugged. "The actual kiss is up to Naminé. Maybe next time, Kairi."
"I guess I'll take what I can get. Come on, Nam. Time to go." Kairi looped her arm with her twin's and pulled her toward the line.
Naminé snapped back to reality and looked back at Roxas. "Hey! You promise that you'll reserve that first kiss for me?" she asked him loudly.
Roxas looked around, momentarily shrinking under the gaze of onlookers. He sighed, standing straighter and nodding. "Yeah, but how did you know it was for you?"
Naminé giggled. "Lucky guess," she said under her breath. She yelled back at him, "I'll call you when you get off work!"
"Call when you get home!" he yelled back. "I'll see you soon!"
"Yeah! See you soon." Naminé took in the sight of his smiling face and turned around. "I... I don't know how you're not a bawling mess right now. I can barely keep it all together and we're not even on the plane," Naminé said to Kairi.
"The only hard part is the lack of physical contact. I don't have to worry about anything else if I know he loves me," Kairi said. "That's my personal opinion, at least. I don't know if it's the same for you, but I wouldn't worry. You guys like each other too much for anything bad to happen."
Naminé handed her boarding pass to the security member, internalizing Kairi's words. "Yeah," she said with a nod. "We do."
Naminé slept the entire flight, waking only when the mid-afternoon sun shone through her window. Kairi was already awake. She handed Naminé a pair of sunglasses with an apologetic smile.
They were home.
The Radiant Garden airport was bustling as the girls made their way to baggage claim. Neither spoke much until they found their mother waiting for them. After claiming their luggage, they were on their way home. The car ride was filled with a recap of their vacation, with some parts described with more details than others. Naminé gathered that Kairi kept her relationship with Sora a secret from their mother as well. When asked about Roxas, Naminé merely stated that they had gotten past their differences. She didn't say anything more than that.
As they got drew closer to their house, their present location began to sink into Naminé's mind. They were more than a thousand miles away from Destiny Islands now. They'd have an entire week with nothing to do but sit at home and wait for school to start. A whole week that could have been spent on vacation would just go to waste.
As soon as they got home, Naminé brought her suitcase into her room and looked around. It was just as she left it: her bed was perfectly made and her textbooks were stacked neatly on her desk. She walked over and fell onto her bed.
Roxas. She was supposed to call Roxas. She got up, dialing his number as soon as she got a hold of her phone. Just as the last ring came to an end, he picked up.
"You called," he said, almost sounding relieved.
Naminé smiled. "You answered."
"That's typically what happens when you call," Roxas joked.
"Only when I call?"
"Maybe. There will come a day when I intentionally ignore your call for something else," Roxas said nonchalantly. "But yeah. For now I'll do whatever it takes to trick you into liking me and becoming my girlfriend."
Naminé blushed. His girlfriend? The thought seemed so foreign and right at the same time. "You're awfully brave now that you're hiding behind a phone call."
"I don't need to see you in person to know that it's working."
"I'm starting to remember why I hated you before this summer," Naminé chimed.
"I don't think you mean that. Or would you like to admit that all this time you've been fighting your unparalleled attraction towards me?" Roxas asked. She could hear the smirk on his face, and for the first time since she left, she wanted to punch him. "Like I said, I'm doing everything in my power to make sure your feelings don't change."
Was this how it was going to be for the next few months? Naminé buried her face in her bed sheets and took slow breaths. "I can get used to this."
With a mix of mirth and longing, Roxas's voice came through the receiver. "You're going to have to."
Redeeming Endeavor: This was obviously not the last chapter, but I like messing with you guys and seeing who reads this entire page. Notes available.
I did say to a few of you a long time ago that this story wasn't going to end with the summer. Honestly though, there's not much left. I think I can fit everything I want to in about three or four chapters. And an epilogue, because we love closure. Again, this is not the last chapter.
Thanks for the favorites and reviews! I'm pretty sure a large percentage of those alerts are not reading anymore since I took that long break, but I'm pretty sure that all these recent ones are signs that you guys still enjoy this story.
And... it happened. On my second real attempt at a real story, I got over one thousand reviews in twenty-three chapters. The response to this story has absolutely floored me to speechlessness. Honestly, I'm at a loss for words if I'm resorting to one like speechlessness. Thank you so much guys!
Of course, I wouldn't have gotten here without the responses from DegreeBound205, Burai Stelar, Caramelized, GengaJupite, Squishy Moogle, Kuroiikawa, D-Ro2593, vicucha, candybear24, elspoek1, Handwritten, Lupus7, LittleKairi, wolfanime25, ohnoitsKatie, kaibasgirlx, athgeass, GreyPurpleBlack, Justice333, monkmonkeys, Gear001, Revenge of the Red Pen, FromSoraXWithLove, Ash09, Xerzo LotCN, A Story In The End, CJ122, Marionette of Ancient Relics, Azusa-Angel, KurukiXV, Tenshi Yami- Angel of Darkness JubbaWubba, g-peachy-chan, Pili1995, Maskedgirl3, Muledragon, Brown Eyed Sage, Sookdeo, Abominable-IcePrincess, Emperor Xirchs, Otherguy14, TheShadowRiders, EnterAbyss2991, Polymoly, Haido Retreat, kingdomheartsoverload, ShadowTwilight, BerserkerNobody, nyan-tardis87, MrScruffTheNinjaTuna, LovingthisStory, meandmyfriend, Jazzypicks143, and BrothersGrimSVSD. I apologize if I never got back to you on your review, but do know that I've read it. I really appreciate the support.
I know I said I'm back, but I really didn't anticipate I'd take more than a month. I'm planning on making the chapters a little shorter to increase the frequency. Thanks for reading! Take care, and see you around.