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"It's been a while," Roxas admitted as he continued eating his ice cream, "I missed the flavor." "Yeah," Xion agreed, taking a bite and shuddering slightly, "and it's still as cold as ever." "It's ice cream, Xion..." "Still! Don't you get it?!" Roxas laughed at her attempt to articulate an actual sentence. "Okay, fine. Maybe I missed freezing my teeth off." "So you do get it!" "Perchance." He relented and continued nibbling.

They were both on their way to the Haunted Mansion, although it wasn't haunted anymore—not by memories or actions either. Most of Twilight Town's inhabitants were aware that two people lived there, now. The huge area with the house was now titled The blessed yard, as the flowers that were planted there were blooming like no others in Twilight Town. "I wonder how it feels like," Xion hummed.

Roxas looked up as he tried to avoid any melted ice cream dropping onto his hand, "what exactly?" he inquired. "The... uh.. process." "You mean with Namine?" "Yeah, that," Xion confirmed, to which Roxas looked ahead for a moment, his face blank. "It's actually kinda nice. You just lean against that examination table," Roxas began, pausing at the last two words, "Ansem calls it that," he clarified, "yeah, you lie down there and close your eyes. Then you enter like... something like a dream-like state."

Roxas fiddled and gestured with his hands, then quickly licked off any drops that threatened to run down the cyan-colored ice cream, "Not a coma, you're not even asleep! It's like... the edge of falling asleep, and it feels like you're floating or something. You're conscious, just not in reality. You're just... walking around in the dream realm." He then looked at Xion, "it might sound scary, but Namine does it really well."

Xion's eyebrows raised as she stalled, still calmly biting small chunks off of the ice cream. "Do you notice what's going on outside your so-called dream-like state?" She asked, to which he nodded, "if Namine talks to you, yeah. But I couldn't hear anyone else, so that may differ for you." "Hm." "But Namine's presence is really calming, so you'll start to relax after a while." Roxas smiled subtly at his own mention of Namine. 

Xion stared at him. "It's calming, huh?" "Totally!" "You sound convinced." "I am." "Hm." Now it was Xion who was staring ahead, her expression not betraying her thoughts, "yeah, you're right. When I first met her, I felt totally at peace and, like, really understood." Roxas stared at the black-haired girl next to him. When you... met her?, he wanted to ask, but before he could open his mouth, Xion continued. "And she told me the truth for every question I asked. I really appreciate her." The girl smiled, thinking back to her meeting with Namine as she took another bite of her ice cream.

"You—" Roxas' mouth was agape as if he was trying to look like a suffocating fish, although he forced his jaw to clench as to not look completely ridiculous, "you met her, too?" Xion stared at him. "You met her, too?" She asked in return, and now they both looked at each other in surprise. Xion laughed first, and Roxas followed suit. "She's taking care of everyone, it looks like," the black haired girl hummed in amusement, "I wonder how she's still so... so.. not-overwhelmed after all of this." Roxas just nodded.

His laughter died down more quickly, but the smile that lingered on his face lasted longer than that of the girl next to him. "That just makes her more amazing."
Xion barely froze, her smile dropping in surprise at his words. Then she almost celebrated out loud, barely able to conceal the smile that was threatening to grace her lips.

Oh, this was great.

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Xion didn't want to immediately jump to conclusions, so, logically, she asked, "How come?" Roxas looked to his right, where the black-haired girl walked and just spoke, and paused, silently looking ahead. "Well, she helped me, too. A bunch, actually." "Really? How?" Xion inquired calmly.

"After I left the Organization, Riku captured me. DiZ wiped my memories, and I got placed into the virtual Twilight Town." Roxas began listing, to which Xion nodded along. That prompted him to continue, "and I spent six days in there. Slowly, my life just crumbled in front of my eyes. Like, it was terrifying." He sighed.

Xion just waited. Patiently. "And I had a lot of questions. Even Axel showed up, but he refused to give me any answers. And Namine just kept on reaching out. It was really weird sometimes; she, uh, just appeared once... but I'm still really grateful." Roxas smiled and bit off a moderate chunk from his ice cream, causing his face to scrunch up as it froze his mouth. Xion laughed heartily, but Roxas' little fail reminded her to continue eating, as well.

"So when your reality just came apart, she reached out to you?" "She did." He confirmed. "I..." And then he hesitated. Xion's eyebrows raised as her hand, holding the ice cream, slowly lowered. She was solely focused on him now, wanting to know what he was hesitating over. He shook his head absentmindedly. "When I found out how hurt she was, I... it just changed so much in how I saw her. I think she's incredible. Well, she still hurts, probably." "What?" "Yeah." "What??" Xion was a little confused now, and Roxas had assumed she knew. Apparently, that was wrong.

The boy paused and stared at her. "In the dream world, where I met Sora. That's where I remembered you and shared my and others' pain with him." Roxas recounted, which helped Xion recognize what he was talking about. "And...?" "Uh, and... I shared her pain with Sora, too." "Uh-huh. How?" "Because she allowed me to carry it." "Uh...huh?" Roxas chuckled dryly at Xion's attempts to understand what he was trying to say. "It doesn't matter," he said as he closed his eyes and shook his head, "just know that I know how much pain she was in, all along."

"That's actually really beautiful, then." "Her pain?" "What? No-no! How you carried her pain and made Sora aware of it." "Oh, that." Roxas nodded at Xion's interpretation. "She really deserved it. To be understood." Xion nodded as well, taking a bite of her already melting ice cream again. "That's true. How bad was her pain?" 

"Unbelievable." Roxas sighed and stared at his half-molten, half-eaten ice cream. "I can't fathom how she still carries on to help others if she carries such a burden." "That's just how she is." Xion smiled weakly, "she really has a heart far too beautiful." "That she does," Roxas confirmed as they stopped in front of the moderately huge entrance of the mansion. "I'm still creeped out," Xion admitted.

"It's really not that bad. You do trust Namine, don't you?" Roxas asked lightly as they opened one door of the double doors. "Sure, I do! I'm still hesitant. C'mon, it's like I'm being operated on." "Just imagine that Namine is the best surgeon in the world and has a success rate of a hundred percent. And you feel no pain. And you feel weirdly calm during it. And—" "Okay, okay." Xion sighed as they slowly ascended the stairs to the new lab room that Ansem the Wise had set up.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's a weird thought." "You just have to trust Namine." "I do!" "Then I don't get why you'd be scared." Roxas tilted his head, not understanding what caused Xion to still be doubtful. "I do feel safe around her. Everyone does. But I guess you're a little.. blinded." The last few words were supposed to be a jab at Roxas and how ridiculously he admired—trusted—her, but he wasn't supposed to hear it.

Except he did. "What's wrong with that?" Xion almost froze, but caught herself just in time, "oh, nothing. Nothing at all." And so they entered the lab. Naminé was already there, smiling softly. "Hey, Namine!" Roxas greeted her, smiling at the flaxen haired girl.

And Xion knew exactly why Roxas seemed so happy to see her.

Chapter Text

Xion stood silently, taking in her surroundings. The lab looked sterile, yet welcoming in some way, which slightly caught her off guard. Xion had met Ansem before, as DiZ, and he hadn't been the nicest man. So seeing this was... actually reassuring. "Are you nervous?" Namine's question helped Xion realize that she had been oddly silent, and the black haired girl hesitated before nodding slightly. "I don't know what to expect."

Namine tilted her head slightly, a soft smile playing over her lips. "We'll start slow," she promised, to which Xion smiled. Roxas brought a hand to the back of his neck and scratched a small itch, "I tried to reassure her." The blonde shook his head with a sigh, "but I guess I'm not the best at explaining." "You were not helping!" Xion laughed and approached the examination table to sit down. Namine stood up to drag her chair next to it, while Roxas stood flabbergasted. "What—What do you mean?? I tried!!" "You failed!" Xion countered and slowly lay down, staring at the dark blue ceiling. 

Roxas crossed his arms sternly, refusing to look at—the very amused—Xion, who had intertwined her hands over her stomach, fiddling with her fingers. After a moment of careful consideration, he looked back, having forgotten why he was mad in the first place. "You think I could, like... uh, talk to her?" Roxas asked as he looked at Namine, who had been flipping the pages in her sketchbook. The girl stalled, her eyes narrowing in thought, "you could, if my ability allows. Would you want to try?" Namine asked, then looked at Xion, whose expression betrayed a little bit of surprise, "if you want him to," Namine added. "I'd be fine with that. But what would that help?" The black haired girl asked.

"Well, I already know how it feels. So when you're anxious about something, I could tell you about my similar experience." Roxas reasoned, to which even Namine's face lit up in realization, yet she stayed quiet. "That's... actually smart. Wow," Xion deadpanned and sat up slightly, smiling at Roxas, "yeah, I'm fine with that. But you better not be terrible at answering my questions." "No promises." He chuckled. "So... should I stand?" He then turned to Namine, who shook her head. "You'll likely fall unconscious." "Oh. Where do I get a chair?" The girl pointed at a door that connected to another small room. "We should have a few there."

"I'll be back." Roxas nodded and disappeared. Xion looked at Namine. "He's much calmer now." She noted, to which the other girl looked up from her drawings—again. "I remember him a lot more frustrated," Namine agreed, "but I think it was very much justified." "I think I would've reacted the same," Xion laughed breathily and glanced at the open door. "He told me something about you, by the way." "Really?" Namine inquired softly, placing her sketchpad into her lap. "Mhm. Something about carrying your pain." "Oh." Xion stalled at Namine's subtle sigh, wondering if she had treaded too far into sensitive territory. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't—"

"No, no," Namine quickly reassured, following Xion's gaze to the door that Roxas had disappeared through, "I just didn't think he'd remember."

Oh. That realization hit Xion like a brick, and she was torn between trying to comfort her or jumping up in joy at the realization that Roxas remembered it for the pale girl. "He did," Xion began slowly, "I think he recalls pretty vividly." Namine smiled subtly and looked back at Xion. The flaxen girl's face didn't betray any emotion or thought, "I don't doubt that. He's always had a pretty sharp mind." Xion could barely contain her smile at Namine's words. Was this mutual??, the black haired girl wondered.

At that moment, Roxas returned with a chair, carrying it high to not hit any objects such as tables or plants. "Got one! It was really dark in there, and I just couldn't find the light switch." Xion giggled and slowly lay back down, glancing at Namine to try and gauge her reaction. But her expression stayed passive except for the ghost of a—fond?—smile. Impressive, Xion thought in admiration, she really was good at keeping up her façade. But then again, the black hair girl couldn't decide whether that was a good or bad trait. "Just... here.." Roxas muttered to himself as he lowered the chair down next to where Namine was sitting. "Oookay. Okay. I'm here." He announced to the two girls. 

Namine nodded, her hands hovering over her sketchpad for a moment, then continued flipping through her drawings again, stopping at a sketch—it looked pretty old, still drawn by crayons probably provided by DiZ (or, now, called Ansem the Wise again)—that showed somewhat of a comparison of Sora's and Xion's faces. "I think we should start here," Namine concluded and put the sketchpad on the table beside her. "Right. I'm a clone," Xion nodded along. "Not anymore!" Roxas argued and cocked his head. "Was. I was a clone." Xion corrected herself with a smile and tried to relax on the examination table. "I'll start now." Namine hummed and leaned back. Before she truly began, she glanced at Roxas, "don't be surprised when you...."

The rest was a blur of sounds as Roxas' eyes dropped closed at the same moment that Xion's did. Roxas found himself formless, as a being of light and darkness at the same time, visible and yet not. Was this Namine's position when she was executing her ability?, Roxas wondered as he looked around, turning his non-existent head. Then he looked down, seeing Xion, standing on nothing that shone so bright and was yet not there. "Xion?"

The black haired girl looked up. "Namine?" Oh, right. Usually, those memory dives were pretty dreamy. Roxas remembered how the voice that talked to him—Namine—had no distinct voice to it, so Xion wasn't wrong to assume. "No, it's me. Uh, Roxas," Roxas spoke, his non-mouth moving. "Ah," she hummed, "I should've known." A shallow laugh left the girl's lips. "And that means??" 

Xion didn't reply to his question. It was rhetorical, anyway. "Where are you?" "I can't really tell," Roxas admitted, "but above you. Somewhere." "That helps." Xion sighed. "Where are we?" "In the deepest of your memories," that, Roxas could answer. Slowly, Roxas felt—not saw, he felt it—a presence forming next to him. He knew who it was. "Hey." He greeted Namine with a soft smile—despite having no face—as she looked at him, although she wasn't there. She was a presence, just like him. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine," Roxas replied, assuring her of his well-being, "no worries." Namine's expression softened at his words, and then he looked down at Xion, who seemed both amused and confused.

"Are you ready?" The flaxen haired girl asked, to which the other girl nodded solemnly. "Let's get this over with. This is still weird." "Just how I thought you'd react." Roxas laughed, and Namine giggled softly.
There they went...

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Roxas couldn't tell how much time passed as he floated around the space that seemed to want to compress him into one molecule. This entire ordeal felt suffocating and yet so light, so airy, that he couldn't even place where he stopped and the emptiness began. How does she manage??, he wondered as he looked—with still no form, no head—at the girl beside him. The girl who wasn't there, except she was. He wanted to ask if she was okay, but he felt that question would be unnecessary, considering how she had done this at least ten times before. 

But...
He wanted to make sure that she was okay.

So, after short consideration, he pushed his (non-)form closer to her (non-form), tilting his (non-)head. "How are you holding up?" He asked Namine quietly, keeping his gaze on Xion, who was wandering on an invisible path, somehow in a trance. He knew what it felt like—this trance-like state—and he found it quite interesting to be the observer and not the observed. Namine looked up. "I'm..."

Oh no.
Stupid question.

He almost wanted to sigh, but she continued. "It's actually more complicated than I thought," she admitted, to which he looked up again. Not a stupid question, he praised in his mind, and that actually quite surprised him. "Keeping me here?" "That as well." "I'm sorry. You could've said no—" Roxas began, shaking his formless head. "It's okay, Roxas," she interrupted him, looking at him, "you wanted to help, and I find that really great of you." He stared at her. "Really?" "Really. And I'm sure that Xion appreciates you, too." "Y-yeah... I guess." He nodded, trying to convince himself.

It was easy, though—her words sounded way too convincing.
And honest. 

"Thanks, Namine. But I want you to know that you can always drop me out of here if you need to." He added, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument. "You always work best in your element. If it means disrupting your concentration, then I don't want to be here." Namine looked at him, and she really, really, looked at him. Her face—although she had none in this realm—showcased no strong emotion, although he could catch a flicker of appreciation. He really liked to see that. So he smiled and nodded, strengthening his statement. She looked away. "If it's necessary, I will," she conceded, "but I don't think I'll have to." "Okay."

Roxas believed her.
He had no reason not to.

"Guys," Xion's voice called, although Roxas couldn't place where from. Sure, Xion stood below them, but the voice entered his voice from all directions. Namine seemed to be better at locating where the voice came from, as she didn't look as shaken as he was each time Xion spoke. "I think I'm lost." Xion sighed and stopped walking, looking around. Even below her, as the road she walked on wasn't visible, either. Roxas looked at Namine, who seemed to think. "Hm," Roxas spoke instead of Namine, "what I always did was just walking straight ahead. No matter what." "Obviously," Xion agreed dryly. "What did I do to you, Xion??" Roxas asked, chuckling, to which Namine snapped out of her thoughts and smiled. "I agree with Roxas, though," the flaxen haired girl chimed in, "walking straight ahead is the best thing you could do."

"Seriously??" Xion sighed exasperatedly, shaking her head. "I could run into a wall!" "There are no walls in here," Roxas stated, a smug smirk sneaking onto his lips, feeling slight pride that his suggestion was backed up by Namine. "Uh..." Xion hesitated, which prompted Roxas to continue. "So how could you run into one?" "I hate that you're right," Xion complained as she began walking again. "Thank you," Roxas bowed in his formless body. 

Then both Roxas and Namine floated—somehow, but that's apparently how it worked—after Xion, slowly, a comfortable silence falling over between them. And it stayed that way for a while. "Hey, Namine," Roxas began softly, the tone in his voice being the one she liked and appreciated the most, looking at her again. They didn't have to stop trailing after the girl below them; there were no obstacles to be afraid of. "Yes?" Namine answered as she looked at him. "Don't you... get tired? From doing this?" Roxas asked incredulously, although there was no strong disbelief in his voice, just... amazement. "I mean, no offense, but I couldn't." He shook his head slowly. She smiled and looked ahead again. "It's just what I do. The longer you do it, the more comfortable you get. It's like second nature."

As she explained, he found himself listening intently. He knew his way with keyblades and specific attributes such as Light, Darkness, or even some that the Organization members had—Wind, Space, Time, Water, even Flowers—but not with this. This wasn't even an attribute or a weapon; it was a power, a curse, and a blessing, gifted or doomed, and it was all in her hands. He didn't understand why the universe would burden a girl like her with something so infinitely powerful. She just deserved a day's peace. "It's the way I contribute." "It's not the only way, though," he argued and looked into the vast emptiness, "you're much more than someone with a memory power." She observed him as he spoke, and she found herself almost getting flustered.

Flustered?

What was with him and his protectiveness of her? She had noticed this even during their short interactions back in the virtual Twilight Town—back then, she appreciated it thoroughly, but never realized how deeply it affected her—and she couldn't fathom why. Even now, she couldn't grasp what it was that drove him to care so deeply, and much more confusingly, care about her. "I guess so," she agreed softly, her gaze locked onto Xion, walking aimlessly below them. "Thank you, Roxas." "Anytime." He smiled.

His smile always reached his eyes.
She didn't know how to feel about that.
Especially now that she could.

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Xion just continued walking, her steps feeling oddly light. It was weird to know that she was walking, just not on something that provided her surface. She looked ahead—or what she thought was ahead, she could've been running in circles—and then down at her feet, deep in thought. Roxas, offering her his presence, was absolutely sweet of him, and she'd properly thank him once they returned to the real world—although Namine's help would've sufficed, it was Roxas' proposal that led to her confident decision. "This is endless," she muttered, mostly to herself.

Slowly, she began skipping, her steps light, looking up where the vast emptiness continued. She couldn't see anyone, not Roxas, not Namine, and not even herself. Sure, she could spot her shoes, but at the same time, they weren't there. Just like seeing the tip of the nose in the field of view, except the brain blocked it out. She couldn't describe it any other way. Her heart felt heavy. Maybe it was the hope that was leaving, draining her body through every unclothed inch. Her hands felt twitchy and cold, and it was unsettling. But this had to be normal; it should've been normal. That's why she didn't ask either of her two guides if that was concerning. 

"We're still here," a voice helped her leave her thoughts, and judging by the way it was said—as, in this realm, the voices had no tune—it was Namine. "Yeah," Xion nodded absentmindedly, "thank you guys." "No biggie." That was Roxas, as Xion was certain that Namine would not say No biggie. Xion laughed dryly. She lowered her head and lifted her hands to fit into her field of view. The edges of her vision were growing blurry, but spending time in a realm that contained nothing, she shouldn't be surprised. 

She moved her hands, clenching and unclenching them, making sure that she was still present, still herself, as it was getting quite difficult to tell. "Hey, you okay?" A voice asked, and, again, Xion could only guess it was Roxas, as Namine would've said are you okay. "Mhm. A little dizzy." "Dizzy?" "Yeah, but I guess that's normal." Xion sighed and lowered her hands again. "I wasn't." The voice—surely Roxas—replied, subtle caution layering his voice. "Maybe the process is just working better with me." Xion joked and stretched, lifting her right arm to do so.

"Sure it is," the laughing person replied—Roxas—and she could feel his eye-roll. As she continued, she continued while arching her back to help her sore muscles. How long had she been walking for? For how much longer would she have to walk? How much did she walk already? What was the purpose of walking endlessly? Despite not wanting to, consciously, Xion slowed down, feeling the need to look around. After just a subtle move of her head, she spotted something. Another form.

Or was it just her imagination? She wouldn't be surprised. Slowly, she altered her path and started taking slow steps towards this... form. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She didn't even attempt to speak; it seemed like her body was doing the work for her. It was weird. Her two guides looked at each other and started speaking to each other, quietly. "Is she okay?" Roxas asked, looking at Namine, who was looking at Xion. "I think we're getting somewhere," Namine answered softly and floated down slightly, getting Xion into better view. Roxas followed suit. He didn't remember this happening to him.

"What is she doing?" The blonde boy asked, looking from Namine to Xion and back. "She's walking towards a buried memory. I'm guessing this memory is what connects her to Sora—as she's never properly met him," Namine explained. "Therefore, buried." Roxas concluded, "okay, that makes sense." That caused Roxas to feel a little more at ease about what was currently happening to Xion. 

Xion was walking, her legs seemingly disconnecting from her body. She didn't feel her feet touching the floor—the floor that wasn't there, anyway—or her knees bending as she took a step. She wanted to look down, wanted to make sure she still had a lower body, but her body suddenly tensed as she looked straight ahead. Almost as if on instinct, she reached out, a short pause taking place as then a simple word fell from her lips; "...Riku?" And then she collapsed, falling onto her side.

"Xion—!" Left Roxas' lips as he stared at the motionless, black haired girl below them. Namine was silent—way too silent. It almost unsettled him, as she observed and processed what had just happened. "Riku?" She echoed the black haired girl's last word as she gazed at her from above, her expression betraying just one emotion—confusion. Roxas noticed and turned his head towards her, his expression a little panicked, and despite feeling a little bit of unease that even Namine was confused, he asked what was on his mind. "What happened to her?"

"I was wrong," Namine revealed, making Roxas furrow his eyebrows. Before he could ask or anything, she continued, "this wasn't her, walking to a buried memory, this..." Namine was in slight surprise herself from the words she spoke next, "this is a connection to a person that she likely misses greatly. Or that she wants to see." Roxas listened intently, nodding. That explanation made sense, just one thing threw him off.

"But.. she said Riku, didn't she?" The blonde said, referring to Xion's last word.

Chapter Text

She couldn't see.

Well, she could see, she just didn't know what she saw, and decided it was better for the state of her mind to title the view as nothing. Xion's eyes darted around the place—or whatever it was—as she tried to adjust. She felt her heart pumping in her head and figured she was upside down, curled up in a fetal position.

So Xion turned, struggling not to roll around in the vast nothingness. Slowly, while flapping her arms like a penguin, she managed to get into a position that made the pounding in her head stop. Then she realized that she had a body again—or, at the very least, that she could feel and move again—, which slightly reassured her that she wasn't on the brink of death. She turned her head, the sensations slowly returning to her. What she saw wasn't nothing, yet wasn't anything either.

Is this what it felt like, being blind? The only difference was that she knew what something looked like, therefore knowing that something was missing. As she looked down, though, her body was clear in her vision. Never mind. "Hello?" She spoke, but despite feeling that the noise left her throat, she could hear no echo of her own voice. She almost flinched at the absence. Xion hummed a soft aaa, and she felt her throat vibrating, yet she failed to hear a sound. The silence suddenly felt deafening.

She had regained her lost senses, to see, to feel, and to touch—and to taste, but she hadn't lost that sense to begin with—, yet she had lost the ability to hear. She moved different body parts to try and figure out how to move through the space she found herself floating in, and after a while, the soles of her shoes touched a surface again. Not that she could see that floor, though. But she accepted it with great appreciation as she slowly wandered through the area.

It wasn't black. It wasn't white. It was blinding, in a way, that made her want to narrow her eyes and hope that the area would dim. But at the same time, she couldn't spot anything but her own body at all. She felt like floating in imagination—only seeing what she was imagining—which was herself—and nothing else. And even though the light was shining right into her eyes, she could see, behind the brightness, that it was just... black. Black was the closest thing she could use to describe this absence of color. It was like this black shone brighter than every white light she had ever seen.

Every step she took was cautious; she moved in anticipation that she would fall into an endless abyss she would never again wake up from. Was this something that Roxas had experienced, too? He would've warned her, so that thought was discarded. Or had he forgotten, had he forgotten that he dropped motionless, had he lost his memories of this event? Would she, if she ever woke up again, forget, as well? She sighed, the breath leaving behind no noise, no echo, not even a puff of air. This room was weird, and she really didn't like it.

And then she saw something in the distance.

Someone, something, wearing—being—something black.

And she started to run. She felt herself getting angsty, getting afraid that this being would disappear too, like everything else. Xion sped up, her right hand extending as if to grab the thing, which was infinitely far away and yet grazed her fingertips. But after running, running that made her hips ache, her feet sting, and her knees almost collapse, this thing seemed to actually get closer. Was her running paying off?

She almost tripped. In a hurry, she looked down at herself and saw that she was wearing the Organization's coat—the outfit she had long discarded after she reunited with all her friends. The long fabric almost caused her to just fall over, but it was always pretty light in the wind, so she tugged on the fabric to adjust it. She could run freely again.

She felt her shoes, the shoes she usually wore after she came back, start to click, a vibration she shouldn't be feeling. But Xion knew that those were the black heels that the women of the Organization wore. She was slowly regressing to the most miserable and yet happiest days of her life. The being seemed to get more and more within reach.

That was a black coat. The hood was up. Was this Roxas? No, the being—the person—was too tall for them to be Roxas. Axel. It could be Axel. But what was Axel doing here? Axel was skinnier, Axel was lankier. This couldn't be the red headed man, either. "Wait," she wanted to cry out, but her voice made no sound. Damnit, what was up with this realm? Xion suddenly felt a massive force pulling her back, almost making her stumble backwards. And that caused the person to disappear from her view. Her face scrunched up in frustration.

Everything was gone. Only her limited senses and flustered mind seemed to keep her tethered to consciousness. Why was this happening to her? Namine! Namine would've warned her if this was supposed to happen, so this clearly wasn't planned. But how would that help her heart, her chest that felt so tight she felt it was difficult to breathe? She was breathing heavily, anyway, so the tightness wasn't helping—she was getting lightheaded. At least the realm allowed her to keep her physical attributes, such as stamina. That was slightly comforting, to know that she was still herself, even though she was lost.

A voice, she wanted to hear a voice. Xion needed to hear something. But wait.

Carefully, the black haired girl stood up and tapped her heel against the floor. Click. Oh, so sound was back? She opened her mouth and mumbled a cautionary hello?, as if speaking too loudly would shatter everything around her. But she heard herself. Was this progression? Or regression, to a state where only she was, and not even the realm around her would exist anymore? Xion decided to move on, although her mind was fogged with questions, concern, and most of all, fear.

She didn't understand what was going on. She wanted to understand, to know where she was and why she deserved this. But it was technically her own doing, how messed up her heart had been, how messed up her memories were. How idiotic it was to alter her course and walk towards Riku.

Riku.

"Riku?" She echoed, as she, in real time, realized who the person was. Riku, it had been Riku! But what was he doing here? Was he okay? Was he just another figment of her imagination? Nonetheless, any form of comfort would suffice. So she began walking again, this time with a goal—catch him and ask what was going on. Her heels clicked once, twice—she felt it was necessary to count if she wanted to stay sane in this forsaken space that blinded her, deafened her, enlightened her, and made her experience some sort of cacophony all at the same time.

Her heels clicked thirty-four times, thirty-five times—
And then she saw him again.

"Why? You're the real sham!" Xion exclaimed, lying defeated on the floor, her keyblade having disappeared. But it wasn't. It wasn't her Kingdom Key, was it? It wasn't her keyblade. The silver haired man had just turned her world upside down.

"Fair enough. You could say I am... the biggest nobody of them all." The man conceded.
Why was he wearing the Organization's coat? Why was he blindfolded? Why was he wielding a keyblade? What was he talking about?

Well, because he was Riku, obviously. That's what Xion concluded as she tried to stand up. But she couldn't. She wanted to look around, but she couldn't. She just felt her eyes fixed onto the silver haired man—Riku, damn it, it was Riku!—standing with his back facing her. Her eyes were burning, she wanted to strike him down and tell him that she was real. Why was her mind titling him the silver haired man despite her knowledge that it was Riku?

But why would she want to strike Riku down?

She wanted to move her arms to stand up. But she felt frozen, still. Anyway, she recognized this from somewhere. She lay on the bridge to the entrance of Beast's castle, having just encountered this person who falsely wore the Organization's coat. But that was Riku. Why was her mind addressing this man as someone she had never met before?

Beast's Castle. This was where she had met Riku for the first time.

And that's when it hit her, really hit her—she was reliving the memory. She was reliving her first experience with Riku. But why? What had she done to experience this all over again? To feel humiliated again? To have been defeated again? And why Riku?

Why Riku?
Why Riku?
What was he doing here?

She felt herself slump over, her body going limp. No, no! She wanted to ask him what was going on, why he was here, and what she did to deserve this. She opened her eyes again to see herself on Destiny Islands, in the middle of her past conversation where Riku offered her to return to Sora. She was answering automatically, not able to keep quiet or say something else. She was trapped in the pain she had already experienced.

"Xion?"

She blinked again, a ripple going through her body as her mind stung. A hand flew up to the side of her head. It was burning, she was burning, everything was burning—

"Hey, Xion!"

Xion's eyes snapped open again. Here stood Riku, flickering, like a lightbulb that threatened to short-circuit with every moment that passed. She wanted to reply, but all that left her mouth was a strangled sob. A sob? She wasn't sad; she was frustrated. What did this realm make her do? "Xion," Riku repeated once more, "what—" Even he seemed to be at a loss for words. "Can you hear me?" She nodded her head in reply, her right hand moving to her face to press up against her mouth. But she wasn't doing that. She wasn't moving her own body.

Her body was being dictated like a puppet. A puppet, because that's what she had been supposed to be. The silver haired man didn't find it in himself to ask any more questions, so he stood idly in front of her before taking a step forward and placing his hand on her trembling shoulder. "It's okay," he reassured her, although he didn't know of what. She didn't know, either.

Xion managed to regain somewhat of control over her—own—body, letting her arm drop to her side again. "Riku," she managed, "I don't know what I'm doing here." She looked up at him through her eyelashes, not daring to move if that meant losing what little consciousness she had, anyway. "You're not real, and I don't know what to do." "I am real," Riku argued and moved his hand away. "I'm as real as I can be." "You just think that," Xion meekly argued and hugged herself. She found the gesture to be pathetic.

"I'm waiting for you," Riku spoke, and while she didn't react or look at him, he felt as if she was listening. Even if she wasn't, he wanted to continue, to get out the words before they left his mind. "I'm here. Namine's helping me communicate with you. Roxas asked me to come here. We're all waiting for you, Xion." "I don't believe that." Xion sighed in defeat.

"You just have to wake up."

That was the last thing she heard.
She tensed and immediately sat up straight, feeling cold, feeling scared, feeling terrified. But the first thing she recognized was where she was. The lab. Her eyes found someone else's. Riku's.

"I told you I'd be here." 

Chapter Text

Her cheeks felt warm, almost to the point where she thought that she was blushing. But the wetness that spread over her skin disproved that theory. And the way Namine's expression—she sat on the chair by the examination table—changed ever so slightly to show sympathy, Xion knew she was crying. How silly—it was just a memory dive, it was nothing to cry over.

Riku's expression remained more passive, although he took a minimal step closer. "You did it," he said with a subtle nod, "you came back."

And the tears started flowing down her cheeks in waterfalls. It should've been embarrassing, it was embarrassing, but Xion didn't know how she was feeling right now. The feeling of being lost, of not knowing if she was dead, not knowing if she'd ever come back, it was more burdening than she could've ever guessed. "I'm so, so sorry, Xion," Namine spoke softly, and the blonde was clearly concerned—and was that shame?—for the crying girl, "I just... lost you." 

Xion nodded solemnly and moved her forearm to her eyes, only to realize she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Riku, again—damn it—came to her rescue with a tissue box. Xion smiled weakly, pulled a tissue out, only to drench it in her tears in the matter of five seconds. "I'm sorry, I feel so stupid," Xion apologized, her voice shaky, "it wasn't even that bad."

Xion's left hand rested on her side, on the examination table she sat on, and she felt a warmth enveloping it. She looked down, her vision still blurry from tears, but judging by the paleness and size, it was Namine's. Following the arm connected to the hand, it led to a body that a head was connected to, and that head carried Namine's face. Yup, that was her hand.

"I know how terrible it must've felt." Namine spoke, and her voice was so soft that Xion was tempted to just whine and curl up into a ball. "It wasn't—" "Xion." Xion attempted to argue, but Riku's voice cut her off, "I was there, I saw you, and you were anything but unbothered." But that didn't make sense. How was he there, when no one else was?

"You walked towards that connection, which happened to be mine, and that allowed Namine to let me follow you through there." That made more sense, but it still didn't explain why he was the connection she so desperately craved. She still remembered how she reached for him before she fell unconscious.

Xion still remembered how badly she wanted him—Riku, of all people, Riku—to be there. 
Why?

"Oh," Xion whimpered quietly, "so you saw...?" she weakly concluded and pulled her knees up to her chest, drying her tears with her knee-length skirt. Embarrassing, her mind screamed at her, you're humiliating yourself! But she didn't care. Because she was back, because she was still alive, and somehow, her desire for his presence had been heard.

Did he know why she walked towards that connection?
Did he know how humiliated she felt when reliving their first two interactions?
Did he know how she felt?
She hoped he didn't.

Riku was tempted to say something else, but bit back. Instead, he pulled a nearby chair to the examination table—where she sat—and took a seat. Riku would've preferred apologizing to the black haired girl in private, but he didn't mind Namine being there. She was always rather passive, neutral, almost. So he leaned forward slightly, avoiding Xion's gaze, and took a deep breath.

"I think I should've apologized a while ago," he admitted and intertwined his hands on his lap, "but I guess now should suffice, too." "What?" Xion whispered pathetically, not prepared for anything—and honestly, not ready, either. "It's something really small, but I'm sorry for... having been such an asshole the few times we met." He sighed softly. "I was struggling a bit, too, but that doesn't justify—"

"Riku," she giggled, although one could hear that she was still actively crying. He looked up, and tears were rolling down her cheeks again. Did he mess up? He wondered. He had never been the best at situations like these. "I've already forgiven you for that, s-silly," she mumbled, breath hitching, and with that, she had to pull out another tissue from the box he provided.

He just smiled—a slightly bittersweet smile at that—at her and then stared at the floor again. "Better safe than sorry." "Sure," she mumbled—the smile was audible in her voice, although it was subtle—and covered her face with her hands so as not to look like a weeping child.

Chapter Text

Xion wasn't sure about her theory. She had been blowing her nose into her sixth tissue before it hit her, causing her to almost blush an embarrassing scarlet. Riku had even instinctively moved to catch the tissue if she had dropped it. And now, a few minutes later, she was pretty sure that what she was assuming was most likely the truth.

In the realm of memories, she found herself confused, questioning if what was going on was normal, where she was, and what she was supposed to do. 

She realized—these feelings perfectly mirrored those that she felt way back when, when she was still in the Organization. And back in those days, the person she encountered and had later always gone to... was Riku. So, the memory thing invoked this exact encounter—she was confused, and then she met Riku. It was a perfect parallel.

Also, back in the Organization Days, she could've asked Namine, but decided to ask Riku first. This also mirrored today's event—where she could've tried to ask Namine, but decided to reach for Riku first. And Xion wasn't sure how to feel about that. Although the main emotion was fear, again. Why was it Riku?

Why was it Riku?

Roxas sat on the edge of the examination table in the second lab that Ansem the Wise had set up. His feet were dangling off the ground, and he seemed lost in thought. That was, until he heard footsteps and looked up to the doorframe, where Namine just walked through. She held her sketchpad to her chest, taking a seat in the chair positioned next to the examination table. "Xion is okay," Namine said as she looked at Roxas, anticipating what he was going to ask.

Good. 

"That's a relief," he mumbled and slowly lay down onto his back, "what was the problem?" "She got lost in a deeper part of her memories," Namine explained as she flipped through her sketches. "And Riku helped her out of there?" Roxas concluded, remembering how Xion had called the silver haired boy's name before she collapsed in the memory realm, or how Riku had relieved Roxas of his role as one of the guides in Xion's mind. "Yes," Namine confirmed softly.

Roxas slowly closed his eyes. The question that itched on his tongue was nothing simpler than will I be okay?, but he didn't dare ask. He thought it would just sound stupid. He fell asleep in a matter of seconds, finding himself in his dream realm. The white room, to be exact.

Their room.
Why was he here...?

"Namine?" Roxas called out as he looked up. No answer. He should've asked if he was going to be okay, because, apparently, he wasn't going to be. Slowly, he walked around the white table in the middle, taking in how different crayons lay scattered or how some artworks were ripped out of the sketchpad. This room was a replica made out of his memories, which he understood. He sat down on the chair on the left side of the table—her chair, to be precise, his chair was the right one—and grabbed the sketchpad. None of her drawings were of herself.

So he'd change that. He reached for the palest skin color she had and began sketching. Now he understood why Namine's drawings sometimes looked so messy—the crayons were a bother to hold, and sometimes didn't draw the way he wanted to. But he wanted to try. Next, he reached for a pale yellow crayon and continued drawing. He didn't know how much time passed, but he was drawing, picking up a matte purple, then a thin black crayon—the only good quality one—, a light blue one, and finally a really light pink, which seemed worn down and didn't cover the other colors perfectly. Exactly what he needed.

He finished his artwork with scribbling—very lightly—over small areas of his already drawn picture. He leaned back and grabbed the sketchpad, lifting it to his eye level. He had drawn Namine to the utter best of his abilities—a close-up of her, with a purple background. He didn't add a lot of detail, as that was a safe bet for ruining his drawing, but he did add some things that made the drawing really.. stick out. He smiled—proudly—and put the sketchpad back down. He slowly stood up and then began sorting the crayons into their small box, putting them in color order. 

He knew that what he was doing here wouldn't affect the real White Room, but he wanted to do it either way. It felt fulfilling, in a way. To contribute to something that wouldn't affect anyone but himself—but it was the thought that counted.

He then stood up and walked to the small shelf right behind the chair that was on the right side of the table, squatted, and grabbed some scotch tape that was, luckily, placed there. He walked around the room and made sure each and every drawing hung in a perfect angle as he fixed them—properly—to the white walls. Next, he grabbed the artworks, which were torn out of the sketchbook, and laid them on the table and also hung them up on spots where he felt like there was enough space for them.

After Roxas finished with that task, he allowed himself to walk around the room again, properly looking at every drawing and admiring how good they looked, how great Namine's attention to detail was. As soon as he was done examining the last drawing, it felt like at least four days had passed. So he sat down on the left chair again, leaned over, and closed his eyes. He was never able to sleep in the memory realm, no matter how hard he tried. But he felt safe in here, so maybe this would be an exception.

And Namine had been watching all of this, unable to reach him for some reason, and as he sat down and closed his eyes, she couldn't help but feel that she was really close to letting her emotions overwhelm her—the urge was almost terrifying. She didn't think she deserved this attention. But here he was, giving it to her. Just like that.

Maybe she did like it finally having a heart; it allowed her to understand what Roxas really was to her—although she preferred not to admit it, neither to him nor herself.

She quickly, just for a moment, left Roxas' dream realm and looked at her sketchpad. The drawing he had made in the dream realm had materialized on an empty page.

Feelings were confusing.
Love was the biggest victim of this fact.

Chapter Text

After Namine had left Roxas' memory realm, she found herself reaching for her sketchpad. She held it up to look down on it, her eyes studying every line that Roxas had drawn. This wasn't supposed to happen, she knew that—actions in the dream realm should in no way transcend the barrier to reality. But here was the living truth—his drawing.

She moved the tips of her fingers over the crayon strokes. They had texture—this wasn't even an imprint, a projection; it was the exact drawing, transported into reality—and she struggled to understand how. Namine's mouth opened slightly, and she surprised even herself as words slipped past her lips;

"Roxas, what are you doing to me?"

The question was rhetorical. Sure, there was no one to answer it, anyway, but if there had been, she wouldn't have wanted a reply. She could've definitely not handled the truth. She stared at the drawing, unblinking, for what felt like ten minutes before she moved her right hand to the flipped-back pages, flipping them over to cover the newest drawing in her sketchpad.

He wouldn't have to know.

Namine then turned towards Roxas again, taking a deep breath. She wasn't sure whether having left the realm was dangerous, as she had never done it before—she wouldn't have, usually, either, but feelings were a powerful drug—, so she immediately entered the memory space again. He was still in the White Room, their room, although she could tell that he was sleeping.

If she were unable to reach him now, he might stay stuck here for a day or two. Time passed differently in the memory realm, that much she knew. Tentatively, she spoke, "Roxas?", and the boy, sitting by the table—on her chair—stirred. He reacted much quicker than she had anticipated him to, much to her relief. "Huh?"

What?

Namine, again uncertain by his reaction, decided to stay quiet to see why he reacted the way he did. Why would he say huh? instead of yes? Could it be that he heard her, but not what she said? Roxas sat up slowly, looking around the room. Not finding anything that might give him a conclusion to why he felt so confused, he felt his body going slack again. This time, though, he refused his body the rest it craved as he slowly stood up. He again circled the table to admire her sketches, moving his fingers over some figures or objects that she had projected onto the paper.

"How come this is where I ended up?" Roxas mumbled to himself, and Namine felt herself tense—was this disappointment? Confusion? Hopelessness?—but decided to continue eavesdropping. "I can't be, like…" he trailed off, thinking, "why do I feel like I miss her?" Roxas chuckled dryly, sighing to himself as he ran a hand through his—ridiculously—messy hair. "I mean, I see her every day. What's there to miss?"

Good for her that she decided to listen instead of interrupting, because now she felt like disappearing. Why?
Why was he saying that? That he missed her?

"Heh.." he huffed in empty amusement, "how stupid." And then he stayed silent for a while, checking out every other drawing she had created. That was the perfect time to chime in and pretend she hadn't heard a thing. "Roxas," Namine spoke, and to her horror, she could hear her voice shake the slightest bit. Not that he picked up on it, though—this was one of the rare times where she appreciated his (sometimes) slow processing skills. She forced her voice to steady; "you have to wake up before I'm unable to reach you anymore." 

"Oh!" Roxas perked up and turned towards where he assumed her voice was coming from. "Sure, I'll—I'll be right back." He assured her and looked around the room. He didn't seem worried or suspicious that she might've heard him before. Thank Kingdom Hearts. He was close to saying I'll try, but he felt the urge to assure her that he would return. So that's what he decided to say. He walked towards the huge window in the front wall and looked outside, and instead of the front yard he was expecting, he saw vast emptiness.

"Right, this isn't real," he spoke to himself and turned around, looking at the room he had tidied up, "just my little memory space." With that, he closed his eyes. His senses slowly returned to him, and as soon as the subtle buzzing of the ceiling lights entered his ears, he opened his eyes. He sat up slowly, feeling slightly more rested. Her smile greeted him, and he smiled back and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry... I guess I drifted off deeper today." "It's fine," Namine replied, glancing at her closed sketchpad, "you woke up anyway."

He didn't have to know that his drawing materialized on a page.
This was her own little secret now.

Chapter Text

Roxas had left the Blessed Yard about four hours ago, and it was now 5 PM. He had decided to visit the beach, where he was met by the Destinies—at least how the group decided to call Sora, Riku, and Kairi. But Sora wasn't present, after what happened with Xehanort, but everyone had somehow moved on from that, at least outwardly, with a welcoming smile and a happy wave from Kairi. Roxas decided to approach them, but was halfway stopped by none other than Xion, waving around her Kingdom Key frantically.

"Don—Don't, Roxas," she panted, leaning over and holding herself up by pressing her free hand to her knee, "they'll challenge you until you f-fall over..!" Roxas laughed at that and shook his head, now aware of what their plans were; still, he felt confident he could beat at least Kairi in a duel. Light-heartedly, he raised both his hands in a shrugging gesture, summoning his keyblades—Oblivion and a Kingdom Key.

Xion looked up, still panting, but cocked her head in confusion. Roxas also looked at his right hand, slightly caught off-guard. He looked at his left hand, where Oblivion materialized, and lowered it to his side. He then returned his gaze to his right hand, clenching and unclenching it. He then willed his second keyblade to change its appearance to Oathkeeper, which failed.

It failed.
It failed?

Xion had now managed to straighten her posture, letting her keyblade dissolve as she stepped closer. Kairi and Riku had gone back to focusing on each other, not paying mind to what was happening a few feet away from them. "Roxas?" Xion hummed, eyeing him up and down. It was apparent that the non-appearance of Oathkeeper wasn't intentional. "Xion," he mumbled back for the sake of it, waving his right hand around to try to cause it to change. It didn't.

Then, letting the Kingdom Key disappear, and then, with an extended arm and a fully spread hand, he tried again. Roxas tried to force the white-colored keyblade to appear immediately, which failed. Why was it failing? He retreated his arm, let the Kingdom Key disappear, and brought his hand up to his face, covering it as he thought. Then it came to him—Oathkeeper.

Oathkeeper was the name of the keyblade. He never really thought anything of it, but now he was really considering the meaning. It had first transformed his Kingdom Key after Xion died, and he had made a promise to her. She had asked him for a favor—Destroy Kingdom Hearts and release the hearts we gathered for it, she begged—and he agreed to do it for her. Oathkeeper now made more sense; it was the promise, no matter if from her or him, that changed his original keyblade. It was the same for Sora; how he promised Kairi that he'd return her lucky charm, and by extension, would always return to her.

And both for Roxas and Sora, something that represented that promise then filled the spot as the keychain, and it was the Paopu Fruit lucky charm that Kairi had crafted, and it was the same for Roxas, hence the fact that Roxas was, still, Sora's Nobody. 

Xion was thinking at the same pace that Roxas was.

"Wait!" She suddenly gasped and stared at Roxas, "because Kingdom Hearts is sealed? Because the danger is gone?" No words were exchanged before this burst out of Xion's, and yet, Roxas nodded. Apparently, the year they shared in the Organization was enough to have them synced up a little. "I basically fulfilled that promise." "Yeah," Xion confirmed, her spirit clearly lowered.

This meant that Roxas was unable to, firstly, double-wield properly—because Oathkeeper was vastly lighter and differently shaped—, and secondly, use light magic, whereas the latter was the bigger issue by a mile. "Sora still has Oathkeeper because he hasn't truly reunited with her," Roxas reasoned, mainly referring to the fact that Sora had basically passed away after using Time Travel and the Power of Awakening excessively. "So, Oathkeeper is just the placeholder keyblade until the promise is fulfilled, and then it returns to the original Kingdom Key?" Xion figured, bringing a hand up to her chin.

"But I can't even summon a different keyblade! It's not about Oathkeeper, it's—" "I know! Your keyblades are just Oblivion, Oathkeeper, and Kingdom Key now. You can't wield any others anymore. I know." Xion sighed, staring at the floor as she racked her brain for a solution. She looked up after a while, her eyes hesitantly finding Roxas', as she spoke, "You could ask Namine." "No way." Roxas denied and let Oblivion disappear, crossing his arms. "She's clearly tired and probably overworked." "It's not work-related!" Xion reasoned frantically, "it's personal. And she knows best, for sure."

The black haired girl was making good points, but Roxas was still hesitant to disrupt the pale girl's—already rare—free time. "I'm sure she doesn't mind," Xion added, "she does seem to like seeing you." While the situation was serious, Xion's eyebrow wiggle made Roxas chuckle dryly nonetheless. "Oh please," the blonde shook his head, "but okay, I might visit her." "Do so!" Xion encouraged and smiled.

"Uh-huh," was the only thing the boy said. 

And still, he found herself standing near where she was calmly rocking back and forth on the seat that was the swing. Almost tentatively, he stepped into her view, and she stopped accelerating immediately, which then caused the swing to stop reaching bigger heights. She was now only swinging back and forth slightly as he sat down on the second swing on her right. "Sorry for—" He began, but she was leaning forward to look at his face, her head tilted, her hair—oh god, her hair—falling over her shoulder, and he failed to articulate words for a moment. 

"Um, sorry. I figured you wanted some time for yourself, but I'm in a bit of a mess here." "It's no issue at all," Namine assured and slightly shifted, allowing her to turn. Roxas kept staring at the floor, now having difficulty forming sentences due to the fact that his situation was more than odd. "Oathkeeper," he began slowly, "uh, it's gone." "What?" Namine's brows quirked up—this was not what she was expecting when he referred to his circumstance—as she leaned forward a little more, eager to find out and try to help.  

At her enthusiasm to assist, he couldn't help but smile, although he forced the corners of his mouth down as quickly as they moved up. "Yeah. I mean, I'm not saying my second keyblade is gone, it's just.. Oathkeeper." "But can you even double-wield properly? With such a different keyblade?" Namine asked carefully, to which he shook his head. So that was the issue, she figured, and it was a pretty big one. She looked away from Roxas and into the—beautiful—sunset for a moment, and he stayed quiet.

"I'm guessing you have an idea why it's happening," Namine figured and looked back at the quiet teenager. "Yup. I mean, the favor that Xion asked of me was finally fulfilled, right? So Oathkeeper, being the placeholder and keepsake of that promise, disappeared." "Oathkeeper represents an unfilled promise," Namine spoke what he was thinking, and he nodded solemnly. This would set him back by at least half a year, if not even an entire one, of training and fighting experience. "Don't you have another one? A promise?" The girl inquired.

"Uhm," Roxas just mumbled, slightly caught off guard. Would a different promise still suffice to bring back Oathkeeper? "I mean... Axel, he said, we'd meet again in the next life. But we did, so that's that." Roxas reasoned, lifting his head to stare at the sky. "I mean, I probably promised some people that I'd go kill them, like Saix, back in the Organization," he chuckled as he said this, "but Sora, while I rested inside him, did that for me, so..." Namine nodded as Roxas listed, also thinking back what she found out during countless memory dives and research projects under DiZ's wing. 

She was in thought, her eyes looking at something in the distance, and yet she was deeply unfocused. He turned his head to look at her, and everything that he just wanted to say kinda slid back down his throat. "Then... there—there's... this... uh, with..." he breathed, before blinking shuddering, once, slightly. He immediately looked away again. "Then there's..." he picked up again, before it came to him.

Why didn't he remember immediately after she asked?

"What about the one with you?" His stomach churned, his organs shuffling around. Was this awkwardness? Either way, the feeling was uncomfortable and yet caused his nerves to light up in cold flames. "The... the one back in the... Virtual Twilight Town." He added, hoping to jog her memory, although that wasn't needed. Her face stayed passive, working through three emotions and forty thought processes.

"Would you consider that one a fulfilled one?" Namine questioned, and he tensed. He hadn't thought of that—it just tumbled out of his mouth without a second thought. "I-I mean... the promise included talking about everything," he reasoned, hoping to Kingdom Hearts that whatever he was mentioning made sense, "and technically, we didn't get that far." Namine tilted her head, which was a cue for him to continue. He was already struggling to come up with the words from before, so that just made him set his brain aflame in hopes that he'd find something good to say.

"Everything from the true concept of Nobodies and the full picture of the purpose of The Organization Thirteen weren't explained by you," he continued, and stuttering halfway through, "not that that's bad! We just didn't have any time." Namine giggled and nodded, "I know, I know. Just continue, I think you might be onto something here." He might be onto something. Well, if those weren't some of the most flattering words he'd ever heard...

"Y-yeah. So, if we never bring those topics up again, we're bypassing the major point of talking about everything, which was a part of the promise." Roxas concluded and stared at his right hand, where Oathkeeper had refused to show up a few minutes prior. "That.." Namine began, "is a really good idea." He looked back up at her. "You think?" "I do." "Hm." 

The messy haired blonde stared ahead again. "But every keyblade has its keychain, right?" "True," Namine agreed; that was a flaw, and she had never handed him an object that directly connected her to him. "What about the—" She began, but cut herself off abruptly, her face barely paling.

The one from Castle Oblivion, she wanted to say. She had created a lucky charm on Marluxia's command that had been handed to Sora and Repliku. The memory flashed through her mind, and that thought was quickly discarded. The charm was, first of all, destroyed, secondly, removed from Sora's memories, and thirdly, only connected to bad memories and experiences. It probably wouldn't appear, it shouldn't appear.

It only brought bad luck.

"Namine?"
"Namine!" 

She looked up and stared at him, and he had leaned forward, his expression clearly revealing his worry. "What's up?" "Nothing," she assured, making sure that her voice was as soft and steady as usual. As steady and soft as he'd come to know it. She didn't want anyone to know it any other way. "Is... are you sure?" He asked, to be certain, and she nodded subtly and smiled at him. He returned the smile after a short delay, still concerned about her short pause. Yet the smile was genuine, and she quickly pushed any disturbance at the sight away again, with success.

He jumped off the swing and landed gracefully, shifting slightly as the hem of his shirt hiked up at the landing. "Well, thanks so much! I promise I'll figure something out. Sorry for interrupting." He then declared and shoved his hands into the pockets of his short, baggy jeans. She accelerated again, her hair moving in the already subtly blowing wind. "I hope you manage," she replied, and he nodded with confidence, flashing her a boyish grin she could only deem as adorable. "Bye!" He called and turned on his heel, walking back to the others.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was helping, she did a decent job, and he definitely hadn't been staring at her for at least half of the conversation.

Chapter Text

Roxas returned to Xion with a wave that immediately told her that he wasn't as hopeless as before anymore. The black haired girl laughed and approached him, meeting him in the middle of his path. "How'd it go?" "Namine said that another unfulfilled promise might do the trick," Roxas told. "Oh? Which one?" "I can't recall any but the one I have with her." He revealed.

A promise with Namine? But Xion decided to ask another day. "And? Why don't you try?" "I don't have any keepsake that would replace the keychain," Roxas explained, causing Xion to narrow her eyes, mostly in thought. "So? When you manifested Oathkeeper for the first time, it was also Kairi's lucky charm due to your relation to Sora. Why not this one?" Roxas paused at that reasoning. That wasn't stupid, not stupid at all. "I mean... sure.." Roxas relented and raised his arm, but froze as Xion rested her hand on his forearm.

He stared at her, unsure why she would move, but she nodded reassuringly. "You have to believe that it works, Roxas," she declared, and he tilted his head. It didn't stop her from continuing with a soft smile, "You have to be sure that Oathkeeper will appear. Even if it doesn't, it means you tried. Remember, it's all about the strength of the heart." "That's so cheesy," he chuckled. Yet, he felt extremely reassured by her words.

So he extended his arm fully and spread his hand, each finger stretched to its fullest, and then he closed his eyes. His heartbeat was quicker than he wanted it to be, and he felt more unsure than he should. But it was all about the strength of the heart, right? He took in a deep breath and willed his keyblade to appear. His brows furrowed, and he felt the familiar weight in his arm. He opened one eye hesitantly and almost jumped out of his skin as the lightly-colored keyblade entered his view. "Oathkeeper!" He exclaimed and swung it around, causing Xion to almost shriek.

"Roxas!! I'm still here!" "Ah, I'm so sorry—" The boy immediately apologized and let his hand drop to his side. "It's whatever," she reassured, although the hair on her neck was still standing stiff due to almost being hit. She wanted to continue but paused as she eyed Oathkeeper more carefully. 

The head of the keyblade was still star-shaped, as it should be, and the middle of that star was still yellow, but the color seemed paler. The colors that faded outwards from the yellow, the light blue fading into the lighter, softer shade, were also less bright and more on the serene side of color. Roxas seemed to have noticed that, too, although he found the change to be more than pleasant. He lifted the keyblade to get the keychain into view, the reason why he hesitated to try in the first place.

And what he saw wasn't Kairi's lucky charm, no. It wasn't the shell that Xion left behind after she died, no. It was a yellow star. And the chain that connected it to the keyblade wasn't a typical silver one, either; it was green. Still metal, but it heavily resembled thin vines. Beautiful, is what he internally titled the new keychain, and Xion noticed the different keychain, too. "What's that?" She asked, and he shook his head, a signal that he had no idea, either. "Looks like a wishing star," he still replied.

Xion then clasped her hands together in front of her chest and clapped once, excitedly, and stared at Roxas. "Show Namine! She was the one who helped, after all!" "Right," Roxas agreed with a smile, being brought back to reality. "I will. Be right back." He announced and turned around again, walking back to Namine for the second time today. It didn't occur to him that she might still need her peace; he just wanted to show her that he succeeded. 

This time, he didn't hesitate as he walked towards the swing, holding his keyblade—his keyblade—tightly by his side. She heard him approach and opened her eyes, which prompted him to lift Oathkeeper high up for her to see. "It's back!" He said proudly, and while she smiled the first second, she froze the other.

It was her lucky charm.
Why did he have it? 
It was only connected to bad memories.
Bad experiences, ones that Sora should've forgotten about.
Roxas never even found out about it.
He shouldn't have it.

And yet, something in her wanted to believe that he would change the meaning of this lucky charm, which she crafted.
The Wishing Star.

"That's great, Roxas." Namine tilted her head and smiled. "Right?" He grinned. 
He should really stop grinning if he wanted her to stay upright on that swing.

Chapter Text

Namine had just gotten off the swing, hands intertwined behind her back while still holding her sketchpad—she carried it anywhere—, and now she was walking towards the beach where the others were. 

Firstly, the pale blonde girl was greeted by Terra, who thoroughly, for the about tenth time, thanked her for giving him another chance to return. Namine accepted it gratefully and kept him company as Terra brought Namine to both Aqua and Ventus, who all welcomed her with a happy smile. Ventus was especially happy to see her again today, and before Namine had the chance to misinterpret, Ventus explained that his heart, resting inside Sora's, felt what Sora, Roxas and Xion felt while also being reunited with Sora.

Ventus explained how he had always felt a bit happier seeing Namine—even while asleep—during certain periods, although he could never pinpoint why. Aqua theorized that it might depend on a certain heart returning to Sora, and Ventus confirmed this with a yeah, that could be. The last time I felt that happiness was before Roxas' and my spiritual bond got injured. Terra only chuckled, but Namine seemed to grasp the deeper implication here. After a conversation with the Wayfinders—as everyone had dubbed Ventus, Terra, and Aqua—Namine scurried off, her grip on her sketchpad a little tighter.

"You know... I always felt happier seeing you sometimes. I don't know why, though. I mean, I still am happy to see you, Namine! But it was a weird, fuzzy feeling back then." Ven said.

"Maybe it depends on the heart that returned to Sora?" Aqua questioned.

"Oh, that could be. I felt that warm happiness last before Roxas' heart left Sora. That's when the connection between my heart and his was fractured." Ventus confirmed, a hand on his chin.

"So it's Roxas' influence?" Terra hummed.

"I guess so." Ventus confirmed.

That's how the conversation went, and Namine was having difficulty processing this information. In the Final World, where she had resided as a sparkly star after she was forcefully removed from Kairi, Namine had encountered Sora. He had assured Namine, after she assumed that no one missed her, that lots of people did, and put emphasis on Roxas being one who does so dearly.

Getting confirmation was something she wasn't used to, and wasn't sure if she wanted. It all just confirmed her already odd thoughts, and she was struggling to accept them as they were. She sighed as she unlocked her hands behind her back, letting her arms hang by her side. She was still holding her sketchpad in her right hand, although the grip had tightened.

She would just deal with her dilemma herself. Later.

Namine soon reached the most lively part of the beach. Kairi and Riku were standing idly, Kairi talking as she stared into the setting sun, and Riku calmly nodding along. Roxas and Xion were dueling, and the former was winning. It was no surprise; the boy could double-wield, after all.

Double wield. Namine stopped as she watched the little match, her eyes lingering far too much on the messy haired blonde boy who was skillfully swinging both his keyblades. Roxas stepped back and extended his left hand, in which he held Oathkeeper—his own version—and closed his eyes. 

And Oathkeeper mutated, in some way. The hand guard, which represented feathers, drawn in, slowly extended, symbolizing wings.Growth.

The head of the lightly-colored keyblade, which was usually shaped like a thin snowflake-shaped star of some sort, transformed into a similar shape, yet more swirls and spikes accompanied the design.Loyalty.

And a second head, on the side where only the dull, round blade was present, grew slowly. It looked like a heart, cut in half, the second half mirrored and upside down, somehow looking like a wave of some sort. Compassion.

And finally, the colors that were present in the now mutated snowflake-star, which usually faded from a soft yellow, dark blue, and finally light blue from outside to inside, now slightly changed to carry hues of purples, soft pinks, and matte reds. Love.

Wait, what was going on? 

Namine had witnessed more than enough form changes in keyblades, mostly prominent when watching Terra and Sora—on his last journey a few months ago, because that's when he acquired this ability—but never Roxas. She had heard that he had learned it, but seeing it in live action was captivating. 

Also, it was his freshly reacquired keyblade. With her lucky charm.

Before she could react, she heard a chuckle next to her, and the girl almost jumped out of her skin. "It's his newest idea," Riku hummed, and Namine stared up at him, half-shocked, half-intrigued. The silver haired boy carried on, "he says it's supposed to represent his feelings." "For which people?" Namine found herself asking, despite almost immediately regretting it.

"Don't know. I eavesdropped, so I wasn't supposed to know anything anyway." "Oh," the girl breathed and glanced back at Roxas. He was handling his keyblades with great skill, although she noticed that he had started blocking more with Oblivion than Oathkeeper. Almost as if he didn't want it to be hit—keyblades weren't really damageable, but maybe it was the thought that counted?—yet she quickly discarded that idea. 

"You know what he calls it?" Riku asked with a half-assed smile, one hand in the pocket of his loose jeans as he looked at the smaller girl beside him. She hesitated before answering, "are you supposed to know?" That wiped the smirk off of the silver haired boy's face rather quickly, and he sighed. "Xion knows. She'll tell you at the end of the day anyway. Does it hurt if I tell you first?" "It would betray what little trust Roxas has in you," Namine reasoned, the subtle sass almost throwing Riku off, as her eyes followed the movement of the dueling duo.

"But... I suppose... it won't hurt. I won't let him find out." "Oh?" Riku perked up at Namine's consent." Well," Riku hummed, deciding not to push it in case Namine would remove his memories in a frustrated episode, "Roxas calls it the ."

The Honorer? As in the title of someone that honors, loves, and respects dearly? Apparently, Riku's information about Roxas saying that this form was supposed to represent his feelings wasn't incorrect. "That's thoughtful," Namine finally decided to respond, and Riku breathed out through his nose. "If only we knew who those feelings are towards..."

Namine had a sneaking suspicion, though.
She just hoped it was wrong—because if her little idea was correct...
That meant that those feelings were for her.

And she couldn't handle that, either.

Chapter Text

"So," Ventus began tentatively, hands in the pockets of his jeans, "this is weird." "Yeah." Roxas huffed, mirroring Ventus' posture. "I bet there's a new rumor that I have a twin," "I meeannn..." "Hell no!" Roxas argued before Ventus could carry on, and the younger blonde boy snickered. "Okay.." 

"Also, I'm seventeen. You're... still sixteen. There's a gap. How would that even work?" Roxas continued, staring up into the sky as they reached the Blessed Yard. "Magic," Ventus laughed, waving his hands in a gesture that could represent sprinkling glitter over something. "As if we don't have enough of that." The older boy huffed.

It had always bugged Roxas how he was basically Ventus' knockoff. Sure, Roxas was (somehow) biologically older, but born at least 100 years after Ventus. They looked the same, had almost the same voice, wore similar clothes... Well, Roxas had learned to deal with it. At least he could double-wield, a feat that Ventus was unable to acquire. "So this is it?" Ventus asked, stopping as Roxas slowed down and came to a halt. "Yeah, that's the mansion." The older boy confirmed, stepping towards the door to enter the huge building. 

"I'm excited!" Ventus cheered and happily looked around, hands interlocked behind his head. "I have to admit, it is pretty thrilling the first time," Roxas confirmed and chuckled. "Hey, I'll see if Namine's awake. Just stay here and don't enter any rooms—Ansem could get mad at 'ya." "I'll just pretend I'm you." "Don't you dare." Roxas threatened before ascending the stairs and walking up to the door to her room. 

Roxas knocked four times. Paused. Then he opened the door and entered. What he spotted first was her—obviously—splayed out over the bed like a starfish. He had to suppress a chuckle. Adorable, he deemed, and walked up to her. Then Roxas froze.

He knew of her pajamas. A loose, white shirt that reached about her thighs when standing straight, and deep purple knee-length pants. He was also aware that Namine tended to perform gymnastics in her sleep from time to time. So naturally, one would assume that the outfit would hug up on her body. He wasn't one to think of that.

Other than her hair, which was completely messed up, it was the shirt that he hadn't expected to move. If it had moved a couple of inches—three? four?—more, he might've seen something he should not have. He met her first, what, three years ago? She had always been on the more petite side of body types, but people grew with age.

Stupid to assume that she wouldn't.

Oh, hell.

Roxas nervously cleared his throat and turned around as if he had forever practiced that motion for a dance number. He needed someone else to wake her. Ventus? Hell, hell no. That boy was, firstly, sixteen (hormones were dangerous), secondly, almost unfamiliar to Namine, and thirdly, even more awkward than Roxas was. But they couldn't just... leave. Roxas would not call Ansem here—the blonde boy was certain that it would make the entire ordeal die-worthy.

But he couldn't just wake her. If she did, and saw him standing there, she'd be embarrassed, then mortified if she realized how her clothes looked on her. Roxas could wait outside with Ventus, but only Kingdom Hearts knew how long that would take. Slowly, the messy haired blonde turned around again and approached her bed, her sleeping form, and kneeled.

His arm lifted. His hand inched closer. Despite knowing better, he just wanted to—

God!

He froze halfway through and retreated his hand in horror at what he was about to do. Sure, brushing some hair out of her face wasn't half as bad, but anything more than that was not appropriate. Well, anyway. He stood up straight again until the so-desperately-needed lightbulb went off in his head. He walked over to the end of the bed and grabbed the blanket.

With careful motions, he placed it over her. If he woke her now, she'd only be embarrassed that he saw her sleeping, and not about anything else he might've seen that he should... not have. So he walked back up to the front side of the bed and placed his hand on her shoulder, barely covered by the fabric of her shirt. 

But, damn it, the shirt was in the way—
Wait, what the hell was with his mind today??

Roxas shook that thought off and gently shook Namine's shoulder. She reacted instantly—god bless that she didn't sleep like a stone (like Axel)—and turned to face the ceiling, then slowly sat up. The blanket slipped down her body, but the shirt also fell back into its original position. Thank the Light; catastrophe avoided. "Mornin'," Roxas mumbled, his thoughts still a mess, and something in his body aching, although he'd figure that out later.

Her reply didn't come instantly. Understandable; he was even less approachable when he woke up. But it didn't take longer than two seconds for her gaze to find his and for her to almost squeal. "Roxas!" She half-exclaimed, half-yawned, and shifted to cross her legs. "G-Good morning..!" She paused, her eyes—despite herself—slowly drifting down his body, although she put a stop to that rather quickly. What time is it?" she asked.

The messy haired blonde pulled out his phone, and it was slightly sleeker in design, thinner, and completely black—thank Ienzo that he had designed a phone that was less of an eye-sore to look at. The screen lit up at a side button press. "Uh.. 11:34 AM." He muttered. "What?!" Namine gasped and pushed the blanket off her body, getting onto her feet.

The pajamas covered everything.
Phew.

"I overslept?" Namine concluded, almost in shock, and absentmindedly tugged on the hem of her massively oversized shirt. "Uh.. uh, yeah. No worries, though. We, Ventus and I, are free until 4 PM." At that reassurance, she smiled, tilting her head a little. Looking more amused than before, she spoke, "I have to get changed, though." "Yup, yup, I'll be gone!" Roxas replied hastily, the pitch of his voice slightly higher than he would've liked it to be. She didn't seem to notice, or at least, she didn't mind, as she just giggled and interlocked her fingers behind her back.

He waved tentatively and left her room...
...and his entire body wanted to erupt in flames.

At the floor below, Ventus was staring at his appearance-copying friend with a quirked eyebrow and a smile. "Is she coming?" "Yeah! A-Anytime soon." Roxas squeaked. 

Chapter Text

The one and a half hours that Roxas and Ventus spent with Namine and Ansem were actually, surprisingly, pretty relaxing. Ansem was decoding data while Namine was working, looking through Ventus' buried memories. Roxas was here to serve as a tether to Ventus, as the risk of the younger boy passing out was extremely high due to his still slightly fractured heart and being.

After it was over, Namine escorted the two look-alikes down to the main entrance and waved them goodbye, her gaze mostly on Roxas. The older boy returned the gaze with a half-smile, and he couldn't exactly decipher what it was that he saw hidden in her eyes, only that he saw something. After the entrance closed shut, Roxas turned to face forward again, only for him to immediately notice how Ventus was grinning.

Not the fact that Ventus was grinning, no—it was the way how Ventus was grinning. Roxas felt an unsafe shiver run down his spine.

"Sooo," Ventus chirped, "what was up with that?" "With what?" Roxas croaked, although the crack wasn't super obvious. Obviously enough, though, obviously, because the universe hated him. "Was she asleep?" "What? Huh?" Roxas meekly squeaked, looking straight ahead. "In her room." Ventus clarified, although the 16-year-old knew exactly that Roxas didn't need clarification.

"Uh—Uhm, I just shook her shoulder and that was that." "And then what?" Ventus inquired sneakily. "And then what..?" Roxas repeated weakly. "What,"—Ventus scoffed, Roxas almost choked at the next words—"Did you make out with her? You do not spend five minutes in there to shake her shoulder." Ven sighed exasperatedly and shook his head. Roxas could feel the forbidden flush creeping up his neck and into his ears. "I was—I was just.. contemplating whether I-I should.. wake her."

"Bullshit." Ventus denied. "You're sixteen! I mean, basically, mentally 13! Why are you so... dirty-minded??" Roxas scowled, still embarrassed, trying (and failing) to fight off the blush that was threatening to make itself visible. "Terra's influence," Ven lowered his head in mock shame. "Terra's one nasty man." "I did not want to know," Roxas grumbled. "You asked?—Well, never mind. So?" Ventus continued, "what really happened?" 

Damn this kid, Roxas cursed internally.
Damn Ventus for actually being smart.

"Her shirt—" "Oh my god. What did you see." Ventus' voice was almost—almost—too loud for Roxas' liking, but it was just below that swell of crossing Roxas' limit. "Why do you wanna know? And I saw nothing." Ven raised a brow at Roxas' dismissal. "Nothing.... nothing crazy," the older boy added carefully. "Now that's what I like to hear." "Are you fantasizing?" Roxas scowled, his brows barely furrowing. "No. But I bet you are?" "Holy hell— Ventus!!" Roxas exclaimed and turned his head away, trying to will his thoughts to disappear again.

Ventus just chuckled happily.

Chapter Text

Ventus and Roxas walked past Le Grand Bistro, the most popular restaurant in Twilight Town, before Ventus abruptly stopped in his tracks. Roxas almost tripped over his own feet as he tried to turn around, yet caught himself before he could face plant. "Ventus...?" Roxas asked, half-worried and half-confused about Ventus' sudden halt. Was the memory dive too much for his fractured soul, Roxas wondered? Before he could spiral, Ventus stared ahead with an expression that Roxas could only title as my mind is fixed on something and you can't stop me now. The expression wasn't a very welcoming sight to the older blonde, but it was better than anticipating Ventus' collapse.

"What?" Roxas huffed as he walked back to the younger teen, whose feet had grown onto the ground—with roots, apparently. "She's here." Ventus declared and stared towards Le Grand Bistro. "Who?" Roxas asked, sighing. "You mean Xion?" Roxas asked as he followed Ventus' gaze. Roxas was aware of how keen Xion had grown on Ventus, probably due to the fact that it was just a happier, younger carbon copy of himself. Although he was Ventus' copy... but whatever.

Ventus closed his eyes and lowered his head, almost looking like he was reawakening a lost power—although this motion was performed... very dramatically. "I can sense her." "That's nonsense," Roxas argued, exhausted, trying to spot Xion in the crowd. "Don't make me wait. I'm tired and—" "Ven!!" The (high-pitched) yell almost made Roxas flinch and summon his keyblades, but his brain caught up before his body could react. 

That was Xion.

Ventus tensed and looked up, but he relaxed, and his face immediately gave away how excited he was. "Oh my god—Xi!!" He returned, threw his arms up, and ran towards the—already sprinting—Xion. "Oh my god." Roxas just grumbled and shook his head. "Ven!!!" Xion repeated and caught Ventus in an open hug. "Xiii—Ah, okay, you're choking m—" Ventus exclaimed, trying to pry the girl off of him. "Ventus!! Ventus! I missed you!!" Xion cried out and laughed as she noticed Ventus struggling. She backed off, but not without messing his hair up once. The younger teen coughed, fisting his chest, as soon as he was allowed to breathe again. "Okay, tone it down!!" Ventus huffed, snickering as he regained his breath. "I... I'll be gone.." Roxas meekly whispered, slowly backing off as if that would make him invisible.

Xion turned towards him. Slowly. Menacingly. "No." "Okay.." Roxas whimpered and stopped. The older blonde stood defeated, hands buried deep into his pockets. Roxas could swear that Xion had, one night, cursed him with invisible chains. That girl had a grip on him; it was near terrifying. So he stood still, quiet. That was until he caught movement in the corner of his eyes. He'd recognize the pale girl anywhere. "Ah! Namine!" Roxas exclaimed. His savior. 

She stopped and looked up, a smile gracing her features. "Good afternoon, Roxas." "To you, too. It's so nice to see you," He stammered and scurried over to where she was standing. Despite her expression not giving it away, the girl immediately knew what was going on. "Would you like to come with me? I'm buying new art supplies," Namine offered, and Roxas almost melted on the spot. If he were a priest or a keyblade master, he would bless this girl. He would personally ask the gods to protect her. "I'd love to." He grinned, his posture relaxing, and almost on cue, they both began walking, striking up a conversation.

Xion watched this exchange with the smuggest smile one could see on an innocent and happy girl like her. Ventus was snickering under his breath, and as soon as the duo was gone, Xion turned to Ventus. It was almost as if she could read the young teen's thoughts, because the girl immediately grinned. "Spill." "Roxas had to wake up Namine." "Oh?" "Yeah. And, I think—I think—that he saw something he shouldn't have." "Oh?" Xion squeaked and grabbed Ventus' wrist, tugging him through the city. He pulled his hand away, chuckled, and stretched, although he kept walking alongside her. Seems like he got the hint, Xion approved internally. "What do you think he saw?" Xion asked not-so-calmly. 

"Judging by his reaction? Skin." "Oh?!" Xion screeched, bringing both her hands up to her mouth after realizing how loud that sound just was. "Yeah! Because, when I asked him, he said the words her shirt, then cut himself off." "Awh!!" Xion sighed loudly and shook her head in disappointment. "Okay. As a girl," the black haired girl suddenly began, "there are two possibilities. One, Namine wasn't wearing a shirt, but that's not possible. That's Namine we're talking about. Or, two, it slipped up." "Oh god," Ventus spoke breathlessly, his eyes wide. "That could be. Roxas was red as hell." "It's possibility number two, then!!" Xion announced, happy that they've gotten to a conclusion.

"But I'll fry Roxas later. Say, Ven, how'd the memory dive go?" "Thank you," Ventus sighed exasperatedly, "Roxas didn't even ask." "Of course not. But that's why I'm your bestie. I'm just—" "—better. I know." Ventus finished, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I mean, it wasn't all too bad. I was just... asleep. I felt kinda light. Namine said that doing a half-conscious dive, like you and Roxas do, is too risky." "Right, that's why Roxas came along, right? Because y'all's hearts are connected? Because he basically carried a part of your heart during his Nobody existence, right?" Xion reasoned, or, well, rather explained. 

"Thank the Light you're smart." Ventus nodded at her conclusion, "I had to explain to Roxas why he had to tag along, although he should know best." "You know him," Xion argued, "he's not the brightest." "And yet he can use light magic." Ventus deadpanned. Xion stared at the younger teen before bursting out in laughter. "'And yet he can use light magic'," she repeated brokenly, "that's so—oh my, that was a good one!!" "No need to tell me." The boy hummed in satisfaction. 

After her fit of laughter, which lasted a concerning minute, they slowed down as Xion spotted an ice cream shop. "Hey, you up for ice cream?" "Totally!" Ventus agreed, "just... let's try something different than sea salt." "Whaaat? Do you not like it??" Xion feigned hurt. "I do! I just think that a little change can't hurt anybody." "Disappointing," Xion shook her head dramatically, "but I concede. Let's go." "It's on me!" Ventus cheered as they approached the shop.

Xion ended up loving the cookies and cream flavor, much to Ventus' smugness. The boy then walked back home with a bruise on his left arm.

Chapter Text

"I owe you," was what Roxas said as soon as he was certain that Ventus and Xion were unable to hear him anymore, "you just waltzed up to me to save my life." Namine laughed lightly, fingers interlaced behind her back—like usual—as he thanked her. "It's no issue," she assured and tilted her head slightly, "I just figured you needed some help." "And right you were." He chuckled. 

The silence was short, but surprisingly comfortable—something they'd always managed to achieve—although it was broken by Roxas a few seconds later. "So, what art supplies are you thinking?" She lit up at this, her eyes darting over to his face. "I'm considering water color pencils," she admitted, "I think they'd be fun to experiment with." "Watercolor? Like, watercolor, but with pencils?" "Precisely." She confirmed. 

"That—" he hesitated, "aren't they the same thing as... watercolor?" He found it almost ridiculous how stupid he was sounding, but she just hummed and nodded. "They are, but pencils are always guaranteed to deliver more detailed drawings than paint brushes." At the explanation, he almost face-palmed—how did he not think of that?—but just sighed instead. "Should've figured," he complained, although his tone was anything but bitter. "But I'm guessing you don't dip the pencils into the water?" "No," she replied, a breath of amusement leaving her as she spoke, "you apply water on top of the established drawing. It'll be a bit blurry, but that's the goal."

"Oh... but that's a great way to draw landscapes, then," Roxas figured as they passed multiple shops, each one brimming with customers. Even if they had to walk or wait for ages, he'd rather spend three hours with her than ten minutes with the chaos that were his friends Ventus and Xion. Not that he disliked one or the other, but he needed some peace from time to time, as well. "That's true," Namine confirmed, sketching an image in her mind, "that's a great way to utilize them." "How are you planning on using them? The... watercolor pencils?" He asked another question.

She didn't seem to mind in the slightest. 

"Well, in comparison to the crayons, markers, and normal pencils I use, water color just feels a bit.. freer to me," the pale girl began softly, "and I guess it'd make a nice contrast." "It never hurts to try," he affirmed and rolled his shoulders. The sun of Twilight Town had been breathing down his neck for the past twenty minutes, and it was slowly getting uncomfortable. Especially paired with the fact that he wore his high-collared zip-up shirt today. Not that it was long-sleeved, no, just... high-collared. 

But wait.
Zip-up shirt.  
He could drag the zipper down.

He almost wanted not to, because he felt so incredibly foolish for figuring it out this late, but his stubbornness gave way to the mildly uncomfortable heat. She had slowed down—so had he—, looking at windows into some shops, and that gave him the chance to open the collar and push it down to the base of his throat. Suddenly, the blonde boy felt like he could breathe again. He turned his head, gifting his attention to Namine, who was immersed in observing all the new stuff going on. "It's all pretty new," he breathed, not minding if she hadn't heard.

She did, though—she always did—and turned to him with a small, warm smile. "I think it's great," she admitted, "I love finding out about new ideas and perspectives." "That's an artistic trait if I've ever heard of one," he chuckled dryly, and she raised a knuckle to her lips and giggled, "that's flattering." He smiled back, and though it was genuine, he felt insanely absentminded. Flattering, she'd called his remark, had that really affected her positively? Commenting on such a thing around anyone else earned multiple reactions, but never genuine appreciation.

And seeing that she was someone who appreciated him and his silly words just made him appreciate her more than he already did. "You're welcome." He just mumbled and turned his head to look forward again. He pushed his right hand into the pocket of his jean shorts and started fiddling with the fabric of the pocket inside. "Hey, Namine?" Roxas suddenly spoke, hoping to catch her attention—with success, always, she was a great listener—and paused to consider the choice of his words. "Last time I saw your sketchpad, today," he began carefully, "I saw that you only had two pages left before your sketchpad was full." 

"One," she corrected subtly but nodded, showing him she was still following along. That comment of hers made him pause, though. "One?" He inquired, a brow quirking. "Yes," she confirmed absentmindedly, "your drawing filled a... page..." and suddenly she realized what she was saying.

The portrait, the one he drew in the dream realm, the one she shouldn't know of. That's the one she was referencing. Shit.

"What drawing? One that I made?" Roxas asked, his steps barely slowing. She couldn't lie now—she was, firstly, terrible at it, and secondly, not comfortable with lying to him, of all people. "I failed to mention it," she replied tentatively, "but a drawing appeared in.. my sketchpad. I assumed you were the one you drew it, in the memory realm," and she was trying desperately to sound casual, and she was actually selling it well, "because.. the crayons and sketchpad in your memory version of the white room were moved, so..."

She had reasoned it incredibly well.
It was just unusual for her to ramble about such a topic.
Almost as if she were defending herself from an accusation.
Except she hadn't been accused of anything. Not directly, at least.

"Oh," he hummed neutrally, "I hope the page wasn't wasted, then." "What—?" She almost, almost squeaked; she found the drawing to be captivating. Now, how to word it without sounding odd? "Not at all," she denied quickly, "I really just forgot to mention it. I really like it, Roxas." And to her luck, she could sweet-talk someone pretty well. A ghost of a smile blessed his lips. "I wanted to buy you a new sketchpad either way, no matter if you had two or one pages left."

At that, she smiled back. Of course he would.

Chapter Text

They finally arrived at the store. It was modest—not flashy—and a little serene, if he had to choose a word for it. There wasn't a line, but the shop still had its fair amount of visitors, just few enough for them to all fit inside. So they entered, the small bell over the wooden door ringing, and he found the sound to be oddly comforting.

They stopped first at the pencil sections, each shelf stacked with boxes of coloring pencils, watercolor pencils, normal pencils with different softness levels, and whatnot. He was almost struggling to decide where to look while Namine was, completely calmly, tracing her fingers over the wooden surface as she took a few steps left, a few steps right, studying the shelf as if it might give her the answers to life. 

I'll be fine alone, thanks, said a confident voice, laced with superiority, but Roxas dismissed it as another rude customer who was trying to cause some trouble. He had other things to care about, for example, the girl in front of him. The beautiful girl in front of him, the one who was deciding on art supplies to create beautiful art. He lingered a few steps away from her for a few more seconds before deciding to approach Namine, who almost jumped as he entered her side view. "Which one looks most promising to you?" Roxas inquired, his gaze fixed upon the musing girl. "I'm considering this one," she admitted as she nodded towards a box that screamed high-quality, but before he could reach out and grab it for her, she continued, "but it's not really in my budget." 

Not in her budget?

Before he could open his mouth, another presence entered her view, this time on her left, and even Roxas flinched as the person spoke. "Don't you worry about the cash," it was a teenage boy, approximately seventeen if Namine had to guess, "I'd spend 5000 munny any day for something priceless like you." And Roxas cringed. Yet, somehow, his expression didn't give anything away.

He might have slow processing skills sometimes—when it came to emotions—but when he sensed risk, he acted. His hand landed on Namine's back—barely touching—and the messy haired blonde smiled politely. "No need, man," he chirped, his other hand having smoothly retrieved his wallet, "she tends to worry, but I can afford it, no issue." "Oh," the other teen struggled to find words, "just wanted to ease you up on the costs, man. Have a... good day, you two." "We will," Roxas sassed under his breath, his hand leaving her body as quickly as it had found it, "asshole." 

"What?" Was Namine's first—and only reaction—as she stared, unblinkingly, at the teen who timidly left them alone. "I've seen him before," Roxas explained, completely unaware of what he did might've affected the poor girl, "he tends to hit on pretty girls."

Double kill.

"Oh," she barely managed to keep her voice from being a gust of wind, desperately avoiding Roxas' gaze, as well as his being... or his presence.. or his existence, matter of fact. "I can get you the pencils, though. They look good." Roxas offered, having already grabbed the box. "Mm, that'd—that'd be great. I'll be in the bathroom for a minute." She excused herself and walked off, and if she wasn't used to being very careful in the first place, she would've been swaying left to right.

Did Roxas just pretend to be her boyfriend??

Chapter Text

Namine stood in the bathroom, nervously fiddling with the top button of her airy cardigan. The mirror had lipstick smudged over each corner, almost as if decorating the reflective surface, and by letting her eyes study the pattern and imagine the strokes carrying on further, the girl managed to somewhat calm herself. She pressed her fingers to her cheeks and paused, looking down at the sink embedded into the marble counter. With a deep sigh and newly found calmness—and embarrassment—she walked out of the bathroom.

Roxas took his time to thoroughly study the labels, brands, and qualities of each pencil box. The store was kind enough to leave test pencils out for each box. He checked which box she would've picked and, to his pleasure, found one with the same brand, but instead of 30 pencils, it carried 75. 4,400 munny was what it cost, and checking his wallet to see 20,000 munny peek at him in nine sleek 2,200 munny notes, he nodded in approval. The month was almost over, it was the 29th of June, so he'd get his 22,000 munny in three days either way.

Scrooge McDuck was a gracious payer to his good employees. 

So he grabbed the box, and that's when she returned. The subtle red hue on her cheeks was downright beautiful, he remarked in his mind, and lifted the box to his chest to showcase his choice. "That looks good, right?" He asked, and she almost froze. "Roxas," she squeaked, "you can't spend that much—" He shook his head before she continued. "Let me grace you just like you did today." Just like she did today? She wondered, but the thinking didn't take long. How she'd rescued him from Ventus and Xion. At the memory of Roxas' expression and the almost comical relief on his face when he spotted her, she had to smile. 

"That's an exception," she still argued, "it's not good to spend that much, especially on someone that isn't yourself." "I'm getting my paycheck in a few days, anyway," Roxas reasoned and lowered his arms, holding the box in his right hand, "and like that guy said—" "Don't." Namine almost pleaded, her hands going to her chest. He just laughed. "Alright."

He looked around the comfortable store. "I feel like strolling, though. Would you mind?" The messy haired blonde inquired, his gaze once again landing on her. "Not at all." She smiled.

He should really become a salesman, because he had managed to convince her to let him buy other stuff that added up to 2,970 munny.

Chapter Text

"Thank you for the purchase! Have a great day!"

They left the shop. She had anticipated one small box, not a medium sized bag—that he insisted on carrying, of course—and she struggled to come to terms with the facts that, one; she, apparently, was worth more than any amount of munny, and, two; that Roxas seemed to be loaded. Seriously, how perfectly was he charming the Bistro Owner to get paid this much? Hayner, Pence, and Olette all received, at most, 17,000 munny, not the impressive extra 5,000 as well. 

Roxas had shouldered the bag, asking her about what she'd be doing with the art supplies, and despite still being in disbelief, she quite enjoyed talking about her passion. He basically drew that excitement right out of her. "I never knew you painted on canvas?" Roxas hummed, a subtle smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. "What do you paint on there?" And she found herself clasping her hands together in front of her chest, tilting her head left. "Well, I drew the beach once. That was when I first arrived on Destiny Islands." "Must look amazing." "The beach was great, yeah." "The drawing, I meant." "Oh! You'll have to see and judge for yourself. I'm not that well acquainted with canvas art yet."

He moved his arm into a more comfortable position. "I'm sure it looks great—you criticize yourself too harshly." She exhaled an amused breath, "I try to stay realistic," Then she tugged on her cardigan to get it into place as it had folded in itself in a way that felt slightly off. "If you want to be realistic, you'd better praise your art more!" Roxas argued with a laugh. "I stand corrected," she chimed in, "I try to stay humble." "And you're quite good at that.." He nodded.

He moved the bag from behind his shoulders back down to his side. Namine turned her head, her face shifting into an expression of concentration. Then she slowed and finally came to a halt with her steps. "You okay?" The boy inquired as he caught up to her, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of her face. "I think I heard Xion," she revealed, and Roxas froze. "No," he breathed in horror, his face almost paling. Namine slightly turned towards him and nodded once, reassuringly. 

"I need you to act as naturally as possible if you want to get out of the incoming situation," the pale girl advised, but he couldn't ask for more context as Xion came strolling from around a nearby corner, whistling innocently. Spotting the blonde duo, she changed her course and approached them with feather-light steps. "Heyyy! How's it going, you two?" The black haired girl asked. "Great," Roxas answered casually, switching the bag to his other hand. "What's in there?" "Our findings," Roxas said proudly, lifting the bag as if to show it off, "it's gonna be useful as hell." "For you?" "Do I draw?" Roxas huffed.

"Okay, buddy, calm down." Xion crossed her arms and turned towards Namine, the girl's expression immediately softening as she looked at the pale girl. "So, how'd you afford all of that?" "I didn't," Namine revealed and eyed the bag that Roxas was presenting happily, "Roxas did." "No," Xion gasped. "Yes," Namine sighed.

Girl code.

Roxas would never come to understand it, but judging by Xion's expression alone, what was being exchanged right now was world-changing, valuable intel. He decided not to meddle and distracted himself by digging through his purchases.

"But," Namine carried on, looking at Roxas, "we have to get going." That was a crystal clear signal for Roxas, remembering how she'd told him to just play along, and so he nodded and lowered the bag to his side again. "Right." "Get going?" Xion wondered and shifted her weight. "It's way too much stuff. Roxas offered to help clean my art room a little." He almost chuckled at the made-up excuse; it was very likely he would've agreed to do so if she had asked him that favor. 

"Oh," Xion mumbled and looked at her shoes for a moment. Then she gazed back at Roxas, her expression having morphed from mildly disappointed to downright mischievous. "I'll text you later, Roxas! I have a question for you." "Wha—" and then the black haired girl was gone. "What..?" He stammered and looked after her. Namine smiled softly and interwove her fingers in front of her hips this time. "Interesting," the blonde girl mused. "I wouldn't say so," Roxas groaned. Then he paused and looked at her.

"But... would you like me to come help?" He offered. Namine hesitated before a slightly cheeky smile made its way onto her lips, "It seems like I have a talent for roping you into things, don't I?" "Maybe," he shrugged.

Honestly, though? She did.

Chapter Text

Roxas set the bag down slowly, looking around the room. The extremely light orange colored wall had a feeling to it he could only describe as lovely. Some spots were covered with dry paint in hues of blue, red, yellow, and purple, and the dried green splatters had collectively piled into a paint bump next to the door. "This doesn't look half bad," he complimented, "I thought I'd see a Van Gogh type of living condition here." "Who do you think I am?" She teased, lifting a newly painted canvas off the easel. 

"An artist," he responded dryly. "Wow," she hummed and walked into the middle of the room, rhythmically turning around to spot every little mess she had made over the months. "This is going to take me a while," she mumbled under her breath. "It's gonna be a cakewalk for us, though," he chimed in, claiming the spot next to her, "that's what I'm here for." "Right," she agreed, looking down at the floor for a moment. She would really not mind a partner like him.

Someone who willingly cleaned her mess-room—as she titled it herself—with her was already a potential husband in her books. 

Roxas had wandered through the small room and checked for any trash. Not random art supplies scattered throughout the room, no, genuine trash. The fact that he could tell the difference was impressive, to say the least. She actually smiled as she watched him screw the lid back onto an open paint tube. "Anywhere those things get sorted into?" Roxas inquired.

She walked over to him to check what he had acquired. Multiple paints she thought she lost or threw away over the last few weeks gathered on her small, paint-covered table. "This is amazing, Roxas," she admired as she picked up her beloved azure blue, "I didn't think I could ever find them again." "Call me Detective Rox." He joked, and the pale girl had to raise a knuckle to her lips to hide her grin. "I'd rather not," she admitted. "Disappointing," he sighed, "but manageable."

Artworks were sorted, nails were hammered back into walls, paintings were hung back up, paints were sorted, trash was thrown away, and the newly purchased stuff was placed where it should be. Roxas placed both his hands on his hips and smiled as he admired the collection of art supplies, both old and new. 

Namine was cleaning out her shelves, mostly ideas and sketches, but paused. "Is this the one?" She heard him ask, and she turned to figure out what he was talking about. He had spotted the beach drawing hidden behind a few blank canvases. Roxas was kneeling, his head tilted as he admired the details. She approached him and also lowered herself to sit in a squat, smiling as she folded her arms and rested them on her knees. "That's it," she confirmed.

Namine really appreciated how they managed to find stuff she was convinced she'd lost, and even rediscover things she had forgotten. "It's beautiful," he breathed and slightly shifted—not that she noticed, though. Only when he turned his head towards her did she realize, and instinctively mirrored the gesture.

They were maybe four inches apart. 

He turned away first. Thank god he did—she didn't, couldn't, react as fast—because she might've as well dropped flat on her ass. "I think you should paint more. On canvases." He suggested, and Namine barely picked up the slight breathiness of his voice, "I love how this one looks." "I'll consider it," she replied, although she was better at forcing her voice to steady.

Chapter Text

"Xion, I really—" "Pleease, Axel!" Xion begged, holding onto the lanky man's wrist as if attempting to break it for disobedience. "B-But sea salt ice cream is my sanctuary," the red-haired man pretended to protest hysterically, "I can't just betray that!" "Ven said that it's not betrayal! It's.. it's..." Xion stopped to think. "He didn't say anything about betrayal, did he?" "No.. but I swear it's not!"

The duo was bickering. Ever since Xion had been blessed by cookies and cream, she had been pleading with Axel to try a different flavor, too. Up until now, it hadn't been working out all too well. 

"I will not concede," Axel stood his ground, "sea salt is the superior. It's the best." "I know it is!" Xion cried, now using both hands to try to rip Axel away from the spot where he was standing. "But it's not the only one!" Axel cracked a smirk, "that was poetic." "I'll turn you into a poem if you- if you won't come with me!" The girl screeched. Axel's knees buckled at the sudden sound, and he was close to stumbling, almost knocking the girl to the ground. But he managed to avoid that catastrophe. "See? All because of that damn ice crea—"

"Mm js saing, pstachio 's pretty dam goomd." A voice said, coming from Axel's left. The redhead quite literally jumped, causing Xion to lose her grip on his wrist, tumble back, and barely catch herself by clutching onto a pipe for dear life. "What?" Axel asked, breathless, having backed off from this... creature. "Mm—ugh, I'm sayin' that pistachio is great. My favorite is sea salt, too. Ate it for every summer vacation that I still remember. But you're not living your life to the fullest if you ain't eatin' your ice cream, man." "Hayner!" Xion called and waved, letting go of the pipe. But with a perfect back step, she was back onto her feet. "My savior!" "Ah, Xion! You here, too?" The frizzy haired teen asked. "I've been trying to convince Axel for the past fifteen minutes," Xion complained exasperatedly, "I'm tired." 

"Just get more ice cream." Hayner suggested and raised his own, showing off the waffle. "And get the cone version! It's crunchey!" He called after her. Axel stood shocked, having fixed his posture but not his mind. "So," Hayner began, "ever won a Winner stick?" Axel stared at the teen he had just met. But opening up couldn't hurt. "N-No," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, "and I prolly never will. 'S ridiculous." 

At that moment, the two picked up a sound not all too pleasant. It came from below them. "Er—!" Axel seemed utterly disgusted, "is that fucking bird shit?!" Hayner reacted the same; jumping away, expression a mix between confused, shocked, and disgusted. Both looked at each other after they had performed the same motion, and Hayner laughed. "Calls for ice cream!" "Sea salt," Axel added, although the determination behind his voice that he had when discussing with Xion was gone.

"Maybe, when you get another flavor, you get the Winner stick. I mean, maybe this was a sign." The younger boy suggested. Axel hesitated, despite himself. After an agonizing seven seconds... "fine. I guess." And Hayner clapped the much taller, much older man on the back. "That's the spirit, man!!" 

Axel looked at the menu. It all looked so... unappetizing. Still, from all the options of ice cream on a stick, he chose a cherry chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream. Hayner went for a white chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream with hazelnuts chopped into the coat. Xion had meanwhile met Olette and was happily conversing, although Axel could see how frantically Xion was gesturing. He brought his attention back to his ice cream and took a very reluctant bite. He chewed, furrowed his brows at the coldness, hesitated, swallowed, and pulled a face. "Not my thing at all," the redhead spat and extended his arm, holding the ice cream as far away from him as possible. Almost as if it was carrying a sickness and was very contagious.

Hayner laughed, grabbed the treat from Axel, and handed him his own—the vanilla-hazelnut coated vanilla option. Axel furrowed his brows. Refusing this one would mean being introduced as either the picky eater or the asshole. So he took another bite from the ice cream—previously Hayner's—and paused as he let the chocolate melt in his mouth.

"Hmly shint," Axel spoke through a half-frozen, half-full mouth, "this is, like, reallmy gddd." "Mhm," Hayner only managed to reply, his body currently experiencing the reforming of the Arctic after he had taken a bite that ended up being a little too much.

After a while of eating, concentrated, both of them had eaten enough of the ice cream to see the stick. "Yo! Fuck!" Hayner exclaimed in utter excitement as he looked at his half-eaten ice cream, the stick already poking out. Axel could only see the crown symbol, but none other than the Winner stick had that printed on, anyway. "What?" Axel exclaimed and leaned forward, "what shitty luck do I have?!" Hayner burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. "No, dude, it's yours! You bought it!" He assured, to which the grown man leaned back, his eyes revealing his surprise. "For real?" "For real real!" The teen nodded enthusiastically.

Eating new ice cream might not be so bad, after all.

Chapter Text

"No, no, don't do that!"

"Why not?!"

"He'll catch on!"

"He's an idiot!"

"He had some better grades than I did!!"

"Has he realized that it was you who stole the sandwich from the fridge?"

"..."

"Exactly!"

"Still! God, don't send that!"

Xion and Olette were arguing in whispers and hisses. Xion wanted to send an absolutely outrageous text to Roxas, including the question about The Shirt Incident, while Olette, the decent one, was trying desperately to prevent Xion from hitting the send button.

"Hah!" Olette rasped out harshly as she managed to rip the phone out of Xion's hands. "Stop. Pause," Olette demanded and held the phone upright in the air. Xion was reaching after it, but the auburn haired girl had longer arms, so it was useless. "Give that—" Xion began screeching, but came to a sudden halt as she spotted something in her peripheral vision. She lowered herself back down to the soles of her feet, looking almost flustered?

Olette turned around and almost dropped the phone. "Riku!" She exclaimed and tore herself from Xion's grip on her wrist, "look at that message she wants to send!" "Do not—" Xion threatened through clenched teeth, running after the auburn haired teen. But Riku took the phone from Olette before Xion could prevent it. "No," she whined and stopped running as if her bones turned to liquid, "it's such a good one..."

Riku, while Olette was again arguing why it was bad, was reading the message that Xion had constructed in a matter of 3.8 seconds.

soo, ven told me about the shirt. when will y'all kiss?

Is what it read. Riku read it... then read it again, and again, and again... "Is that meant for Roxas?" Riku finally asked, and Xion, who had been in the midst of the motion of flicking her index finger against the back of the other girl's head, nodded and immediately walked towards Riku. Olette gaped at the suddenly calm girl. Still, she found it in herself to walk towards Riku's other side to peek into the phone. "She can't send that," Olette insisted. "Why not? It's just a little push that Roxas needs," Riku reasoned.

"That's the problem! It's not only that!" Xion paused. Olette had never warned her about that. "Then what..?" Riku asked, leaving the end of the sentence open, and Olette jumped on that chance, "Roxas doesn't know yet!" Xion's jaw went slack. Riku's brow quirked up. "Bullshit." "Not bullshit!" Olette croaked and grabbed the phone from Riku's hand, whose grip had gone weak from the surprise. "You're just saying that because you have a crush on him," Xion accused weakly and tried to look stern while crossing her arms. 

"No thanks! I prefer the other blonde—" Olette paused after 90% of the sentence left her mouth already. Xion's eyes widened, her jaw slacked even further. Riku suppressed a weak chuckle. "Ugh! Okay! My crush aside," she tried to distract, "I swear on The Light that if Namine finds out that I was a part of this and if I would approve this, I would be first in line at the decapitation machine!" "Doesn't sound half too bad..." Riku mused, lifting a hand to his chin. "Screw you! So no, we are letting them figure it out themselves!" 

"We could still give Roxas the push, though. Just remove the second part of the message," Riku suggested, "maybe that'll force Roxas to think about what happened. Reflecting on his actions and stuff." "You're talking about it as if you knew." Xion accused. Riku paused and stared at the black haired girl in disbelief. "You're the one that told me." "Wha—Oh. Oh, right." Xion shrank into herself. Olette giggled and looked down at the phone and the cursed unsent message it displayed. She held the backspace button, tapped on the screen a bunch, and...

mind telling me what happened in that room? ven filled me in, about time that you do, too

With this newly constructed masterpiece, she turned her phone towards the two others. Xion sighed in defeat at knowing that her perfect sentence—typed in 3.8 seconds, mind you—was now discarded to be forgotten. Riku, on the other hand, nodded slowly. "That works. If what you're saying is true, this is the best solution." "Thank you, honeyyy!" Olette celebrated, or squeaked, really, turned the phone off, pressed it into Xion's hands, and stormed off.

"Honey...?" Xion repeated slowly, trying to hide the confusion—and hurt—by raising a brow. Very slowly, in fact. Riku quickly shook his head, "She just discovered a video game, and she's obsessed with the main pair and their nicknames. As far as I'm aware." "Oh. Oh." Riku could've been lying, but knowing Olette and her... well, personality, this was the most logical thing she'd heard all year. "Anyway, Xion, I came here to ask you about something." Xion perked up and raised her head to look at him. He turned his head away slightly and shifted his weight.

"About your memory dives." "Oh.. well, shoot," Xion nodded, masking her slight disappointment that it was, again, research related. "Namine—" The silver haired boy looked for words, "she found a way to have two people be the subjects. In the same memory realm." "Interesting," Xion nodded, despite not finding it interesting at all. Riku noticed and paused. Did she not want to hear it? He continued either way, knowing that he had better explain the entire thing instead of leaving it up to her interpretation. 

"I was wondering if you wanted me to come with you." "Huh?"
Her heart floated up to her throat. She expected a lot.
A lot. But not that.

Chapter Text

"I really was just... thinking about it." Riku repeated, assuring her and himself that he in no way was trying to pry. I was just wondering if you wanted me to come with you, he said, hadn't he? She was utterly convinced she'd misheard, yet she found herself hoping that she understood every word crystal clearly. "... with the memory dives?" Xion muttered, her lips staying parted even after she finished her sentence.

Riku, almost nervously, shifted his weight and averted his gaze for a moment. "I mean, yeah. Not trying to sound like an asshole, but I... uh, figured that since your experience wasn't all too positive," the silver haired man began, cracking each individual knuckle of his finger absentmindedly, "that, maybe..." He trailed off. Her eyes were still wide with surprise at the completely unexpected offer, but she found it in herself to giggle.

His head turned back to look at her. "Or is that stupid?" He immediately backtracked. "No," she assured, "it's really thoughtful." Any last feeling of disappointment she had felt—when she thought he was only here to talk about research—died out. "It's not stupid at all." "Good," he sighed in relief, "I was wondering how I should tell you without sounding insensitive." Xion shook her head and interwove her fingers in front of her chest. "It could've been," she agreed, "but it's fine! So, I'd love that, actually." The girl looked up at him, and he shrugged casually, a smile making its way onto his lips.

"Did she suggest a date?" Xion asked, and Riku paused, his expression now unreadable. "A date?" He repeated slowly. Xion stared at him expectantly before suddenly parting her hands and waving them in front of her face, "a date, as in... a day! Y'know.." "Oh—" He breathed and relaxed visibly. Xion laughed softly for a few seconds, and Riku cracked a smile, "uh, yeah. I think she said that Wednesday, in two weeks, works." "Great! I can text you if something comes up?" Xion inquired, lowering her hands to her sides. Riku opened his mouth, but before he could start speaking, the bells of the Twilight Town Clock Tower chimed loudly, making a few pigeons nearby panic.

Riku closed his mouth and waited until the bells rang six times—as it was, well, 6 PM—and then began anew. "Yes, you can," he said, "or you can reach out to Namine directly." "She's barely on her phone," Xion reminded, to which Riku nodded subtly, "that's what you can text me for." The black haired girl nodded and lifted herself onto her tippy toes, then back down onto her heels, slowly rocking back and forth. "Then I'll do that. Dinner's gonna be ready soon when I'm home, so I gotta go." "Better not miss it, then," the boy advised and crossed his arms, only smiling as she turned, looked back, waved, and finally scurried off lightly.

That went pretty well.

He then turned and walked off into the other direction, his heart skipping a beat as the Tram missed his face by a few inches. The poor young man was still affected by the surprise as he walked through the warm streets of Twilight Town, opening a small wooden door near the Bistro that immediately led to the woods with a graciously sized hallway. The leaves rustled under his sneakers as he passed trees and flower patches, and he arrived at the Blessed Yard in less than four minutes. Riku passed the open metal gates and pushed one of the massive double doors open to enter the residence. 

While he was walking up the stairs, he spotted a black void in the wall. His right hand raised before his brain caught up, but at that point, the black void disappeared. Weird—usually, those black voids were entry portals used by low-level heartless, and Twilight Town shouldn't be invaded by that species anymore. Maybe his journeys had led him to imagine things. The door to Namine's room was slightly open, yet as he peeked inside, he saw it was empty. Riku was aware that no one was here for research, so he concluded she must be in her art room. 

He approached the door to the mentioned room and knocked twice, and a quiet yes managed to pass the barrier of the door. He pushed the handle down, only to see Namine sitting cross-legged on the floor, paintbrush in hand. The canvas wasn't even on an easel; it was leaning against the wall, and Riku was certain he could see that her hands were dirtied by paint before she lowered them into her lap, removing them from his view. "May I enter?" He requested, which she approved with a nod. 

"Did you ask?" The pale girl inquired, to which the man nodded and closed the door behind himself. Namine could tell by the sheer calmness on his face that Xion hadn't refused his offer. She found it unnecessary to ask if the girl had said yes, so she spoke the follow-up question: "So, is she available next Wednesday?" Riku knew that Namine could identify the micro expressions on his face with ease and smiled weakly. "She'll text me if she's not." "Great," Namine smiled, quickly glancing at the canvas. 

That prompted Riku to step closer and view what she had already achieved, and he paused completely at what entered his view. "That's gorgeous," he complimented wholeheartedly and leaned down, pressing his hands to his thighs to stabilize himself, "how long have you been working on this already?" "Four hours at most," she replied sheepishly, flattered by his compliment, "about eight more to go." "Well, I don't wanna disturb the flow, and I have some keyblade training in an hour anyway." Riku declared and leaned back up.

"You just keep on painting. Be sure to eat, though," he reminded cheekily, and she laughed softly and threatened to throw the paintbrush at his head. "Have a good day, Namine," he then told her farewell, and she just waved slightly, "you too."

The day went better than expected, Riku noted internally.

Chapter Text

i just walked on her sleeping

"That's bullshit!" "I know! But he won't even elaborate!" Xion cried. She was showing Ventus her conversation about The Shirt Incident. She scrolled down to reveal her reply and Roxas' reply to her reply. 

oh please, ven said you looked like exploding

nope

"He texted nope? Nope? As in, denying it happened even though I'm an eyewitness?" Ventus gaped, looking from her at the phone and back at her. "Yes!!" She laughed and scrolled down more. 

Her message simply read what do you mean nope? ven saw you blush lol
and Roxas' reply said he's hallucinating.

"I'm hallucinating now?" Ventus screeched and snatched the phone from Xion's hands, ready to fry him via message, but Xion stopped him by frantically shaking her head. "That's a low blow!" The blonde teen protested. "Wait, read the rest!" Xion quickly interrupted.

Ventus, despite being ready to throw digital hands, reluctantly scrolled. The conversation carried on;

i'm your bestest friend, roxas, i just want the best for you
leave me alone
i NEED to know
ask her yourself

At the last message, which was Roxas', Ventus paused and looked up slowly, meeting Xion's gaze. "Ask her... yourself?" He repeated incredulously, pursing his lips as if actually considering it. Xion smiled and nodded. "Roxas one hundred percent thinks he's got us off his back, but.. what if we really ask her?" "You evil genius." Ventus just snickered.

"Okay, let's do it."

Namine had changed the water's transparency to absolutely zero with how much she was washing her brush to change colors, but her painting was coming together beautifully. That's gorgeous, Riku had said without a second thought, and ever since then, Namine had taken pauses to study her own art piece. It wasn't extraordinary in the artistic community in Twilight Town, but she had found herself appreciating what she was creating. The reflective surface of the water had come together amazingly, and, to her surprise, it looked realistic—she never thought she'd achieve that without a reference. 

She reluctantly dipped her brush into the matte velvet red paint, then slowly slid it over the blueish-purple looking water. But it was necessary to replicate the sunrise she was trying to create. She worked with utter concentration, or that was until someone knocked on the door. Again. She almost flinched to ruin her painting. But because it luckily hadn't happened, the person outside wouldn't have to face her wrath. "Come in," she called out, her brows furrowed deeper as she attempted to regain her focus. The person didn't speak as they entered, and the door shut with a soft click.

"Sorry, I'm—" concentrating, she wanted to say, raising her gaze to see who the person was to disrupt her precious peace. The reason she stopped speaking was, to put it simply, amazement at the sight she was blessed with. "Sorry," Roxas apologized almost tentatively, "I just wanted to bring you this." He approached her, sat down, crossed his legs, and pulled a sketchpad out of a small fabric bag he carried.

"When we went shopping, I completely forgot to take one with me. I hope it's one that you can use," he explained and placed it down in front of him. She struggled to tear her gaze away from him, but she managed—of course she did—and carefully picked up the sketchpad, only letting her clean skin have contact with his present for her. "You really didn't have to," she said softly and flipped through it, basking in the feel of the high-quality paper. "Good pencils need good paper, right?" He teased and leaned back slightly, letting his head fall back to exhale a long breath.

Oh, she could just—
Nevermind.

Namine would've—should've—gone back to drawing, but failed. She could've, if he didn't look so unfairly good right now. What was different today? She could barely tell, but some details just... elevated the look he was pulling off today. Like the silver chain with a star pendant, or how ridiculously tangled his hair looked, or... 

"Thank you," she breathed and lowered the sketchpad, looking at him, "this is amazing." Everything for you, almost left his mouth, but he internally shuddered as he processed how flirty that sounded. "No problem." He said instead. After a short moment of staring at each other, she looked back at her canvas. He followed her gaze and hummed. Roxas immediately leaned forward, resting his hands in his lap of his crossed legs. "Wow," he whispered, "this is..." She barely turned towards him, having already grabbed her brush, as she awaited his words. "Magnificent," he said finally and chuckled at his own word choice. She paused, her hand freezing mid-air, and turned her head to look at him again.

"Really?" "Really," he confirmed and shifted to sit closer. "Wow," he repeated like a broken record, "you drew that? You sure that's not a photo?" "Roxas," she giggled, delighted at his amazement at her work, "it's something I painted, yes." "Wow," he said once again and tilted his head left and right, taking in every detail, "that's... wow." Roxas paused and brought his right hand up to push some hair back. "I sound stupid right now." He figured.

Namine just shook her head, "I don't think it's stupid to appreciate something." "Yeah, but I'm just saying wow over and over again. I mean, deserved, this is beautiful, but... I should stop saying wow." She almost flushed red at his compliment, lowered her head, and smiled softly. "It's just something I felt like painting," she admitted, "and then I'd give it to you." The blonde boy nodded intently at the first part, but froze at the second. "What? Me?" She looked up and tilted her head. His mouth opened, and a weak "uh" came out. He blinked, considered his words, collected himself, and tried again. "You can't just give that to me. You have to keep that. It's amazing." "I mean, I just wanted to paint something small. You said you liked the canvas painting," she reasoned, sounding like that was a natural occurrence.

"Yes, I do, it's perfect, but, wait—" he stammered, "you can't give that away!" "I will," she decided calmly and smiled softly, and the words left his brain like a gas leak. "If.. if you insist," he conceded, "I won't refuse it, obviously.." Namine giggled and raised her hand again, looking at the paintbrush to ensure it still had the same paint as the one she'd dipped it into.

"Namine." The pale girl almost dropped her paintbrush at the clearly female voice demanding her attention by exclaiming her name, and she turned to the source of the noise. There was Xion, panting, clutching the doorframe to hold herself up. "Roxas." She turned her attention towards Roxas, and he found himself just as intimidated as Namine was. The boy saw Ventus linger in the background with a knowing smirk. "Yes?" Namine collected herself and set her paintbrush down.

"Roxas, out of the room. Now." The black haired girl demanded. Roxas got onto his feet quickly—almost too quickly—, shot an apologetic glance towards Namine, and left the room. Xion closed the door behind herself and slid down against it. She ended up in a sitting position against the door. "God, running here from Le Grand Bistro is a bother," she complained as she twisted and leaned back to lie on the floor.

"Do you... need something?" Namine inquired carefully, and the other girl shot up to sit straight again. "Yes, in fact!" A subtle smirk crept onto Xion's lips as she spoke, "what happened when Roxas had to wake you up in your room?"

Chapter Text

"What?" Namine asked breathlessly, having carefully placed the brush down beforehand, which was lucky—if she was still holding it now, she'd have dropped it for certain. "Please! Roxas is just acting like it didn't happen, and he—" Xion began rambling, all while Namine struggled to keep her expression neutral.

Both confusion and amusement fought to show themselves on her face, although the latter won that battle fairly quickly. "—he dares to text nope as if Ven didn't see him!" Xion finally finished and huffed through her nose, although any annoyance dissipated as she looked at the quietly chuckling girl. "You guys are reading way too much into it," Namine assured and shifted, bringing a hand up to brush a strand of hair behind her left ear. "We—We're looking too much into it?" Xion asked incredulously, blinking.

"He just... woke me up. I overslept; I should've been ready by 11 AM, and it was half an hour after that." "Y—Yes," Xion stammered, looking for words, "but... but Ven said that Roxas said that your shirt—Roxas said that he saw your shirt hiked up your waist!!" That made Namine's smile drop very, very slowly. She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing, considering the chances that might've happened. "Okay.." Namine began carefully, "how red did Ventus describe Roxas after he left my room?" "Red as hell," Xion quoted and raised a brow. "How nervous did Ventus describe Roxas after he asked him?" "Uh, fairly," Xion shrugged.

"Then he didn't see anything inappropriate." Namine reasoned and looked at her painting—thinking back to the few minutes prior where Roxas couldn't stop repeating the word wow—for a second before gifting her attention to Xion again. "So..." She struggled to form sentences, "nothing... happened?" At that, Namine's eyes widened and she raised both her hands in a defensive gesture; "God, no! No, nothing happened!" But Xion saw the pale girl's face redden. "Who drew that conclusion?" "Ven," Xion answered calmly.

"Tell him that nothing happened—no, never mind, Roxas probably told him anyway," Namine sighed and tucked some more hair behind her ears. "What do you mean?" Xion asked, tilting her head. "I'm guessing that Roxas and Ventus are talking, outside," Namine reasoned, and Xion's face lit up—she had completely forgotten that she brought Ventus with her. "I wonder how that's going.." The black haired girl mused.

"I did not make out with her!" "You're red!" "Cuz' it's embarrassing!" "That I found out the truth?" "That—the... the thought, Ventus, the thought!!" "The thought? Because you're thinking back to when it happene—" "Screw you!" "W-Wait—"

Roxas had summoned Oathkeeper, holding it up against Ventus' chest. The older teen wasn't threatening to kill, only threatening to silence. "I-I wanted to ask Namine, anyway!" "She'll tell you the same thing!" "Okay, okay!" Ventus conceded and stepped back, hitting the wooden railing. If this situation were serious, he'd be gone in a matter of seconds. "Yeah," Roxas huffed, "better." 

He turned on his heel and walked back to the door, placing his hand on the handle and pressing down, pulling it to open it. Coincidentally, Namine was about to open the door from the inside, and due to the pull, she almost fell straight to her face. Thank Roxas' quick reaction time, because he caught her by her sides and had her standing up straight before she could really process the almost-fall. Roxas whipped his head around to catch Ventus hiding his smirk behind his fist. Roxas whipped his head around again to make sure that Namine was okay and then shot a glare towards Xion.

If a look could kill, the black haired girl would be lowered into the casket by now. 

"I didn't set that up!" Xion denied any unspoken accusation. She squeezed past Namine, grabbed the hem of Ventus' jacket, and tugged him all the way down the stairs and to the main entrance—or exit, in this case. Namine stood frozen, Roxas' expression could only be titled as are you fucking kidding me, and the silence was broken by him;

"They don't believe us, do they?"
"Not one bit," Namine confirmed with a sigh.

Chapter Text

They were back in her room, and while Namine continued working on her gift for Roxas, he was aggressively tapping and swiping on his phone. "Mm, ugh, ah damn it!" The blonde exclaimed, letting his phone drop to the floor with a muffled thunk. Namine didn't flinch. She had braced herself for any noise because she was aware that he could not stay silent for long. Instead, she lowered her paintbrush for the fourth time in an hour, which would've had her boiling under different circumstances, but this was... okay. She deemed his presence okay and not pleasing or nice or comfortable or—

"Lost at Classic Kingdom again?" "Yeah," he groaned and shifted, staring daggers at his phone, the screen lit up with the text Lives Are Up!. "I could really use that extra 5,500 Munny," Roxas explained, "and I don't wanna give Hayner, Pence, and Olette the chance to win it." Namine giggled softly and nodded, "selfish, I see?" Roxas' expression shifted, revealing sheepishness, "no... I just know that those three will waste it." Namine nodded slowly, smiling, and leaned over, looking at the screen.

"Don't mind me," she mumbled and picked up the phone from the floor. She wiped some mildly fresh paint on her fingers on some paper wipes she had acquired from beside the sink in the bathroom and clicked on the ? symbol in the top right corner to read the instructions. Roxas watched this with anticipation yet also surprise—who would've guessed she'd just grab his phone like that?—as she closed the instructions panel and pressed the Start button. 

"Do you have difficulty following rhythm?" Namine asked as her fingers skillfully slid over the screen, collecting the eggs in the basket before returning to swiping. This was The Musical Farmer, which she was playing. "I, uh," he stuttered, "I more so struggle executing multiple things during the rhythm. In this one, you have to swipe out of sync, that's why." "I see," Namine hummed, "I guess you just need the Mickey Symbol to have it count?" "Yup." The boy confirmed.

"You do know that you just need to score one and then fail? The attempt counts," Namine revealed as she emptied the basket for the fourth time. Roxas paled. "What? I've been pressing replay all this time for nothing?? I thought—I thought there'd be a pop-up!" And Namine laughed. Not a slight giggle, a chuckle, no, she really just started laughing, temporarily playing with one hand as she tucked hair behind her ear.

Her laugh was beautiful.

"Oh, Roxas," she breathed as the laughter wore off, "did you never think to just check if you had the symbol already?" The boy could feel himself blush, "I-I didn't think of that, really." She shook her head in amusement as she easily kept up with the steadily increasing rhythm. That motion made hair fall into her face again, though, and before she could attempt to play with one hand to clear her vision by brushing the hair back, she was beat to it.

By him. 

His fingers barely grazed her cheek as he pushed her hair behind her shoulder absentmindedly, his gaze fixed on the gameplay she was delivering. "Keep trying, though," he requested, "I wanna see how far you can get." The poor girl almost shuddered at the touch, her thoughts momentarily drifting off into much different territory for a moment. "I'll try. Does it change your munny reward?" "I dunno," he admitted, his hand having dropped into his lap, "but I bet you can reach at least seventy."

"Seventy?" Namine raised a brow at the score he was certain she'd reach and just smiled. "Perhaps I will..." Roxas laughed and scooted closer. "You will."

She reached a score of 109. 

Chapter Text

Ba-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum, da-da-da-da-, drrl-drrl

Her phone rang, vibrating against the wooden surface of her nightstand. She couldn't bring herself to sleep, even right now at 12 AM, and now someone was calling her?

Namine lamely lifted an arm and managed to grab the phone without accidentally yanking it off the nightstand. She raised it to hold it to her face, but she was too tired to read the caller's name—if she even had them in her contacts, that was. "Hello...?" She merely mumbled, her arm going limp as she held the phone over her ear. The only thing she could make out were heavy, shallow breaths and more phones ringing in the background.

"Hellooo," she repeated, having turned to lie on her back. "Namine..."

Oh. Oh, oh god.

The girl blinked and slowly sat up, the rasp in the familiar voice both concerning and yet oddly... soothing. Was that the right word? "Are you okay?" She asked, running her free hand through her hair that looked like it had survived two wars. She heard the heavy breathing continue for a moment before he whimpered quietly, "I think Ax-Axel did... something." If her heart hadn't skipped a beat at the sound of her name on his lips, that whimper most likely did it.

"Something? What?" She inquired, having crossed her legs as she leaned forward subconsciously, more awake than she had been the entire day. Another whimper. Great—but before she could get lost in any fantasies, Roxas spoke, finally. "Aqua's b-birthday," he rasped, "the older ones.. celebrated a bit." Right, she was able to recall, Aqua's birthday was on the 3rd of July. "And what does that have to do with you?" "Axel," Roxas murmured, "dragged me there."

Seriously? That wasn't the best idea, considering that any drink that was offered was most likely alcoholic and strong at that, which a seventeen-year-old should have no access to. "And you said that Axel did something?" "Definitely," Roxas confirmed, the slurred speech in the last few letters more noticeable now that Namine knew what to pay attention to. "There was something... in that water. And I don't... I don't know who to call," he explained further, his admission though catching her off-guard. "No one else? Isa?" "Party.." "Xion?" "Asleep..." "Okay, Roxas, can you tell me exactly what you're feeling?"

"I dunno. My head feels... kinda weird, like I ran against a wall... like that dizzy thing." "Carry on," she urged. He laughed, the sound quiet and shallow. Goodness gracious. She had to swallow the fresh lump down her throat. "My reaction time is slow as h-hell," he continued, "I know when to react... but I... just can't." "Typical," she analyzed. She might not be literally older than three and a half, but a prior Nobody often learned about everything three to four times quicker than the usual human. "Okay," she replied, not noticing how her own voice was slightly breathier, "can you tell me where you are?" "At the telephone booth, near the Bistro."

He hiccupped, laughed dryly, and apologized, only to hiccup again. She, despite the situation, had to giggle and stood up, put on some socks, and slipped into her shoes. "Come to the woods," she told him, "I think you need to rest for a bit." "Thank god I h-have you, Nams," he mumbled, "see you."

Nams?

Chapter Text

She almost forgot some things—like putting on a hoodie, grabbing an open bottle, and running her hair brush over her hair twice to make it look more like actual hair than a circus wig. Her phone was pocketed, the bottle was filled with water and screwed shut... and there she went.

The nights in Twilight Town could barely be titled as such—the afternoon never really faded, and on rare occurrences like these, when the sun left the sky, was when Twilight Town felt most peaceful. She passed the huge, open metal gate that once sealed the building off from the rest of the Town, and she descended the small hill that the residence was built on. The birds chirped quietly, the mice and cats passed through the bushes, and she could still see some lights shine in the distance. 24/7 shops, if she had to assume.

She passed the all too familiar trees slowly, cautious of danger and worried for Roxas. How did Axel rope him into that situation? How had the more responsible adults—Aqua, Isa, and even Terra (sometimes) allowed Roxas to get into that dilemma? 

Her train of thought derailed as she picked up soft breathing in the distance. Her steps sped up—she was pretty sure that no one dared to really enter the woods at night, it still had a reputation after all—as her eyes still struggled to adjust to the darkness around her. Namine slowed down again as she noticed the sound of shallow yet steady breathing get nearer.

She hesitated to call out a name in case it was anyone but him, but thank her apparent telepathic abilities, because she was beat to it. Again.

By him.

"I'm here," she heard Roxas huff, and she altered her course, the silhouette getting clearer and clearer in her view. "Roxas," she called out quietly, and it only took two more seconds before she could see him clearly, sitting against a tree, leaning back. "Thank you," he murmured and closed his eyes, and she sat down next to him, side-sitting comfortably. "You shouldn't pass out when you're drunk," she informed, "and especially somewhere like here." 

"I feel a-awful," he admitted, and to that, she raised her left hand, in which she held the water bottle. "Drink it or pour it over your head," she told him after he had opened his eyes to examine what she was holding, "both should help." Roxas chuckled and slowly raised his arm, his first attempt to take a hold of the bottle missing by an inch. She lowered it into his open hand, and this time, he gripped it just fine.

He unscrewed the lid with less struggle than she anticipated, and as he began taking long sips, a drop or two slid past his lips and down his chin, which she wiped with her thumb and then dried on her hoodie. After he had gulped down half of the liquid, he formed a cup with his free hand and poured water inside. Then he pressed his hand straight to his closed eyes, rubbing them harshly. "Remind me to.. never trust Axel again," Roxas requested with a weak huff of amusement. 

"I will," she giggled softly, closing her eyes for a moment. Namine was awake now, much more than she had been for the last twelve hours, and while she appreciated being more conscious, she also noted that it was an incredibly bad time to be awake. He sighed softly and took a few sips of the cold water again. He screwed the lid back on—this time with much more difficulty—and handed the bottle back to her. She laid it down on the floor to her right. 

"I don't know... what would've.. happened, y'know, if you didn't pick up," Roxas wondered and shifted to lie down. At the feeling of the cold grass pressing against his shirt, he shuddered, then sighed, then relaxed. "I wonder, too," she agreed and scooted closer, although she still sat side-sitting, "but I'd hope that Aqua or Isa would've stepped in at that point." "Heh," Roxas chuckled, "Isa was gone. I mean.. Aqua, m-maybe, yeah." 

Namine just exhaled slowly. Then she slowly leaned over him, her eyes darting over his face to check for anything concerning and also to appreciate everything his appearance had to offer. She spent more time doing the latter. After a comfortable silence that lasted about a minute, Roxas opened his eyes slowly. After a short pause, he smiled softly, "you look beautiful. In the... in the moonlight."

She paused. After a moment of consideration, she leaned down a little more, the motion causing her hair to slip past her shoulder and down the left side of her face, basically creating a curtain. "So do you," she whispered.

Against his lips.

Chapter Text

She didn't linger for longer than a second before leaning back up. Her gaze was still on him, although he could barely tell—with his heart drumming in his head and his vision being a little blurry, still—but... did that matter?

Slowly, with his muscles feeling like literal rubber, he propped himself up against his elbows and then sat up fully, turning his upper body to face her. She wasn't leaning back, no, their faces were close. Too close.

Maybe three inches apart.

Roxas shifted, crossing his legs, and turned towards her fully. He slid his hand past her hair, to her neck, tilted his head, and kissed her again. 

He just... kissed her again.

Her hands raised to rest on his chest, her mind split in two while fighting whether she should push or pull. She decided on the latter. "While I'm.. like, drunk?" He asked lightly, lips hovering over hers, albeit not touching. He was just lingering and smiling like an idiot. "Am I that unapproachable otherwise?" He mused and kissed her again, although this one was much more of a soft peck.

This time, Namine pushed and turned her head slightly, her gaze staring daggers into the floor, "it's not because of that, it's... me," she denied. He tilted his head, his hand around her neck, not leaving, yet it was neither pushing nor pulling as well. "You?" He inquired, swallowing a hiccup. "Yes," she sighed as her hands slid down and back onto her thighs. Roxas paused, processing her words to the best of his abilities. Even with his hazy mind, he wasn't stupid.

"This... makes it easier, don't it?" He whispered, and to his delight, she turned her head back slightly, nodding. He felt conflicted—pulling away might strip him of the only chance he'll ever have, but leaning in might make her feel worse as is. "It's not a mistake, Nams," he assured breathlessly, "I want you, and I-I've just been too... too stupid to admit it." The slight stutter and subtle slurring of letters didn't make it easier for her to decide, either.

I want you, he had said.
Did he want her because he loved her?
Or did he love her because he wanted her?

"Is that Roxas speaking? Or an intoxicated boy that just sees a girl prettier than she is because of the spiked drink he consumed?" At that, Roxas froze completely, and he had to really force himself to move. He slid his hand up from her neck to her cheek and shook his head. "It's Roxas who's speaking," he murmured, "it's always been." He could make out her eyebrows furrowing, and he slid his thumb over her soft skin to soothe her.

Namine shuddered and looked away again.

"You won't remember tomorrow," she concluded almost sadly, her hands fiddling with the fabric of her hoodie. "So let me have this," he pleaded, his mind feeling much clearer than while at the telephone booth. Having drunk the water apparently really helped. "Let us be this, just tonight.." Her eyes closed. "What about me? I won't forget." 

The boy breathed out softly, slowly, and slightly tilted her head towards him, again. "Maybe I'll forget what happened, but you bet I won't forget what I feel for you. I promise." "I don't want to hurt," she protested weakly, but it was obvious how close she was to relenting. "Me neither. But... I miss you, I'll miss you tomorrow, and I'll hurt, too." 

"You really have to stop being so convincing," she whispered, but let herself be pulled in again. 

Chapter Text

The sun penetrated Roxas' eyes even behind his eyelids, and he felt the immediate urge to literally want to fall asleep and never wake up again. He was sitting up straight—why was he sitting up straight, damn it—and the only thing that prevented him from folding into himself was her. On him. Asleep.

He recalled. The memories formed in bits and pieces. While he was processing, he was absentmindedly tracing 8s and Os onto her lower back. She was warm, a comfortable weight on him, but with more and more things coming back to him, the more and more he felt that this bubble of warmth would burst. After a while, he decided it would be worth it to look around.

"I can walk."

"You shouldn't—"

"I-I promise I can. And it's safer inside."

"Why do you keep doing this?"

"What?"

"Putting yourself in unnecessary danger."

"So are you. It's not safe here, exactly, is it..?"

"It's safer than having you collapse halfway."

"Nams, I love you, and I appreciate your worries, but I'll survive a hundred steps to get inside."

So that's how he ended inside her room, on her bed. He lowered his head to look down at her. She looked peaceful when asleep, with the way her cheek was pressed up against his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist, and he found himself deeply affected by the knowledge that it was him who she seemed so comfortable around. Roxas sighed and moved his left hand to her forehead, brushing some stray hairs aside. He paused, letting his fingertips linger on her temple, before tracing them down her cheekbone, along her jaw, and behind her ear.

I won't forget. That's what she said. Roxas found himself deeply in thought as he processed the situation they were in. Neither had confessed, but he felt like what had happened sufficed as proof of both their feelings. Yet, he felt like she wasn't ready. Not at all. The boy was actually pretty convinced that the only reason she leaned in to kiss him yesterday was because she was sure he'd forget, and her feelings would stay hidden.

That he wouldn't recall, and she wouldn't have to face her actual emotions. He knew how that felt; it had always been something small where he felt the need to do the same. The difference was simple enough, though—this was major.

And this affected them both.

If he were to stay, if he were to tell her that he remembered, how quickly would she pull away and avoid him until he didn't want her anymore?
But if he left, how much longer would he have to pretend that she was just another friend, even though she knew that the night before had been as real as any other sober one would've been?

If he stayed, how likely was the chance that he'd lose her?
If he left, how likely was it that he had to keep pretending?

Roxas wanted her to wake up and smile at him, to tell him good morning. He knew, though, that if she woke up now, she'd get off, smile weakly, and make up some reason for him to have to leave. 

So he decided. He'd do what would be best, so he gently grabbed her waist and lifted her off of him. He placed her down on her side, tugged the blanket up to her stomach, and smiled bitterly, knowing that this would never happen without a drunk persona that gave him the confidence to be honest. "Bye, Namine," he whispered, the words lingering in the air for far too long, "see you soon."

Her door closed, silently, with a click.

Chapter Text

"Imrpomisd to meeht Rox's in twen minates!" Xion complained, frantically chopping her—delicious—pancakes up into small squares. Isa chuckled dryly as he flipped the dough around in his pan. "Don't you worry, he's probably completely caught up Classic Kingdom. He won't even realize." "It's a matter of principle!" The girl protested, her brows furrowing as she accidentally scraped her fork over the plate.

"Er, piece of-" Xion heard a third voice, which could only be Lea—or Axel, how he wanted to be called. The redhead shivered at the disgusting sound, "I just woke up! No need to torture me with that!" Xion's expression morphed into amusement, having momentarily forgotten about her stress. "I'll do it again." "I will light you on fire," Axel threatened and approached Isa, who stepped aside to allow the redhead to grab his filled coffee mug. "You're just autistic." The black haired girl accused and stabbed a piece of her pancake, stuffing it into her mouth.

"Don't tell me you like the sound." Axel said, lips tugging up in disdain as he thought about it. Xion raised her fork to her lips, "I won't have a panic attack over it." "Axel," Isa chimed in, "would you want a pancake, too?" "Yeah, those look good," Axel agreed and reached over Isa's hand to grab a plate. Xion had stuffed her mouth fully and had already grabbed her phone from the nearby countertop. "You guys will never beat the gay allegations!" She called before either of the men could react. After Xion left, Axel wearily sighed and took a long sip of his coffee, "is it so gay to sleep in a huge bed if the mine literally broke in half?" "Teenagers," Isa chuckled softly.

Roxas waited on the bench near the Bistro, left sitting with his elbow propped against the metal arm, leaning on his side. He had his eyes closed, letting the wind brush through his hair. The morning was always the freshest, after all. "Goood morning!" Xion greeted cheerfully and approached Roxas, placing her hands on her hips. "Sleeeepy head!" "I'm not asleep," Roxas denied, a weak smile tugging on his lips as he opened his eyes. He leaned forward and got onto his feet.

"Ice cream, right?" He asked, and the sheer formality of his voice threw her off immediately. No sass, no joke, just a genuine question—as if it was protocol, almost. "Uh," she stuttered, caught off-guard, "yeah. You wanted to get that new orange-flavored water ice." "Mhm," he agreed, "I'll try that one today." Xion didn't reply for a while, both because she was considering her choice of ice cream, and guessing what caused him to sound this neutral.

"Say, Roxie," she started, and the nickname made him nudge her side and shake his head no in fond exasperation. She just chuckled and proceeded, "yesterday,"—he froze, but she didn't pick up on it—"I couldn't find you anywhere. You were with Hayner, Pence, and Olette, right?" "Yeah," he nodded softly, "Axel dragged me to.. Aqua's birthday party..." The trail off was slightly suspicious, but it wasn't anything her thoughts lingered on.

"Aqua's birthday? But it's for adults—" "yeah, I know." He cut her off curtly, but softened the unintentional rudeness with a sigh. "I left before anything terrible happened." "Where'd you go?" Xion asked with a raised brow. I called Namine. "Home," Roxas said instead, "where else?"

The black haired girl just laughed. They stopped in front of the ice cream shop and stayed silent. That was until Olette passed them. "Oh my god!" The auburn haired girl exclaimed as she immediately altered her path to approach the duo. "Hey, you guys! Xion! And Roxas! Where were you yesterday?" Xion smiled excitedly and shifted her weight, about to say something, at least that was until the blonde beat her to it. "I'll text you later, Olette." No further explanation, just a glance and a slight smile, "okay?" "Uh... oh, okay," Olette stammered, trying to conceal her surprise. Xion looked equally shocked, and the girls just exchanged glances before going on with their day, leaving the duo alone again, the silence more uncomfortable than before. "It's our turn," Roxas reminded as the people before them finished their purchase. "Right," Xion breathed.

Something was up with that boy.

Olette had been on her way to visit Namine, having heard about another new art store that had opened in Town that even showcased some submitted paintings in a small dedicated room. The auburn haired girl was determined to inform Namine about this, as she hadn't seen her in about two days. No one had seen the pale girl yesterday and today, in fact, which was a rare occurrence. Olette excitedly and lightly knocked on the door to Namine's room, waiting a few seconds and then opening the door. If she didn't spot the top of Namine's head peeking out below the soft blue bedsheets, Olette might've assumed she wasn't even here.

"Heyy girl!" Olette hummed softly and approached the motionless girl curled up in her bed. At the lack of reaction, Olette raised a brow and stepped closer. "Nami?" She asked, and the other girl slightly tensed at hearing her own name. Olette would've left and assumed she was asleep if she hadn't. She stepped closer to Namine and leaned over playfully, and only when she saw the girl's face did her heart drop to her stomach. "Namine!" The blonde girl was awake, quiet, and her eyes were undeniably puffy.

Namine had been crying.

Chapter Text

"Hey, Olette," Namine whispered, lowering her head as she attempted to curl more into herself. Correction, Olette's heart dropped into her feet.

"Oh dear," Olette whispered and sat down at the edge of her bed. She looked around for a moment. Her room was clean. Too clean—almost as if nothing had been touched for too long. Olette's eyes, though, stopped at a few stacked plates, some only carrying crumbs, and the other literally half of slices of bread. It hadn't caught any mold; it was probably only a few hours old, but the sight was concerning. Very concerning.

And almost as if being telepathically told, Olette whipped her head around to look at Namine, her eyes carrying both concern and fury. "Which asshole did this to you?" "Roxas," she merely sobbed before pulling the blanket over her head. Despite hating vulnerability, Namine felt the burning need to get something, anything off her chest, even if it was just his name. Olette's jaw went slack, falling completely silent for what felt like way too long. "Roxas? Sweet, respectful guy, Roxas?" "Drunk Roxas," Namine corrected quietly, sniffling through her new tears. Olette could tell that Namine was crying, even though the girl's face was hidden.

"Drunk? Roxas? Roxas? Drunk?" Olette gaped and shifted to sit closer to Namine. Her shoulders visibly shook even below the blanket concealing most of her movements. She didn't receive a verbal answer, but she didn't need one. "Oh, honey," the auburn haired girl sighed and pulled the blanket down. Namine's tears were hot on her own cheeks, yet no noise left her parted lips.

Silence. As always. She always carried her pain in silence.

"Asshole," Olette grumbled, trying to comfort the pale girl somehow, "he messed up, didn't he?" Namine nodded as Olette helped her sit up, flinging her arms around her, and Namine's sobs immediately became audible. "Asshole," Namine repeated, her voice and words shaky. Olette brought up a hand to the back of Namine's head and ran her fingers through her hair. Namine's right hand found Olette's arm as she curled her fingers around her skin.

"Why does he always have to ask me?" Namine whimpered. "Why call me? Can't he ask... like, ask literally anyone else.." Olette approved Namine's frustration with a nod, "he could've called me, Hayner, or Pence. Asshole." "Asshole," Namine repeated, almost as if that word was her only sanctuary. "Asshole," Olette nodded firmly. After a long, warm, comforting hug, Namine's hands retreated slowly, and Olette took this as a sign to pull away, taking in Namine's appearance.

"So he called you while drunk," Olette began. "Kissed me," Namine whispered brokenly. Olette tried her hardest not to squeal, as that reaction would only make the crying girl feel worse than she already was. "Kissed you," Olette repeated, trying to sound factual, "what else?" "Told me he loved me," the blonde, trembling girl continued. Olette wanted to gasp, but she had to stay strong for Namine. No particular expression made its way onto Olette's face, making Namine feel oddly... appreciated.

"He convinced me to… agree.." "To what?" Olette was almost exploding. "Just a little..." "Nothing... of that?" Olette inquired very, very carefully, and Namine shook her head, not finding the power to blush nor cry again. "Anything else you're comfortable telling me?" "You're too sweet," Namine mumbled and brought the long sleeves of her hoodie up to her eyes, wiping the already sensitive, red skin. 

"I brought him into my room... because he had to sleep," Namine told, trying to sound casual, although the memory made her body almost break out in cold sweat, "and when I woke up he was—he was.. just... gone...". She swallowed a hiccup. Olette took both of Namine's hands in hers and nodded reassuringly, "fuck that guy. I'm here now and I'm willing to listen to everything you wanna say about him."

"But I can't," Namine shuddered slightly, her voice quivering, "how can I hate him, Olette?" At that, the auburn haired girl lowered her gaze and nodded solemnly. Love was weird, that much was true, especially when Namine was painfully aware that Roxas was in love with her, though adamant on refusing to express it.

Two hasty knocks and a burst-open door occurred in a second flat as Xion stumbled inside. "Roxas just—" "Shh!" Olette hissed, instinctively grasping Namine's hands tighter. Xion paled immediately, somehow understanding what was going on. Namine looked down, ashamed at her—in her opinion—over-the-top reaction to the event that occurred a night ago. Still, she felt comforted, wanted, in the presence of Olette—and now Xion's too. 

"No, say it," Namine chimed in weakly, "what is it?"

"Roxas said he needed to talk to you!" The words left Xion's mouth before she could consider what reaction it might cause.

Chapter Text

Olette's lips parted as she looked from Xion at Namine, whose gaze was burning holes through the mattress she sat on. "Where is he?" Namine asked quietly, shakily, and despite Xion not having any context, she could tell that this situation was awfully serious.

"Uh, I… he went home after he told me that." Xion mumbled and closed the door behind herself, approaching the bed with the two quiet girls sitting on top. "I'm sorry, my timing must be terrible—" Namine shook her head, her hands in Olette's slightly curling into a fist.

Namine wasn't angry.

She just didn't get why Roxas didn't understand how badly he failed, and how little she wanted to see him anytime soon. Was he under the impression that a conversation would fix what he ruined? And it wasn't like he remembered that night. 

He had been drunk, right?

"I don't want to," the pale girl whispered. Olette immediately nodded in understanding and exhaled a long breath. "Xion, text him no." "He seemed really defeated, though…" "Xion," Namine whispered, her voice barely louder than a breath, "I don't think that… that I can see him. Right now."

"Alright." Xion relented and pulled out her phone, her expression both concentrated and sympathetic for Roxas and Namine simultaneously. Olette had faced Namine again. "Just so you know, I'll be here to support your every decision. As long as it's not stupid." "And how would you know? T-That my decisions aren't all going to be?" Namine giggled, but the sound was hollow. "I don't think you're capable of that." Olette insisted.

The blonde girl glanced around her room. "Just… look around." Olette shook her head with determination, "your feelings aren't a choice. But I have time—let's give your room a little of that Nami-essence back." The quiet girl sobbed and pulled one hand out of Olette's grasp, wiping her newest tear—luckily just one. 

"Anything is less of a time waster than helping me here," she argued, "ask Hayner on a date. He—He'll say yes, no doubt." Olette's face barely blushed, but she still shook her head. "I'll turn any offer down if that means helping you." "You're making worse decisions than I am right now," Namine laughed.

Xion stepped closer to the bed and showed her phone screen to Olette. 

Nam doesn't want to see you

Xion had texted, simply, and Roxas' reply was even simpler;

okay. tell her i miss her or something

"Or something—?" Olette barely gasped, but swallowed half the sound back down. Xion continued showing her phone to Olette, and they exchanged glances. Should they tell Namine, who, even just by looking at her wrong, might break down? 

Roxas was one of Xion's best friends, and one of Olette's too, but…

Olette shook her head, and Xion lowered her phone in understanding. Olette directed her attention to Namine again. "Let's snack on something. Come with us, Nami." "Like this?" "Yes," Xion confirmed and placed her hands on her hips, "let's go. I feel like eating some cucumber."

Chapter Text

Roxas lay in bed, having scrolled through his phone to distract himself from the obvious problem he had. But the distracting attempts were still working in his favor. That was until he received a notification.

Yer have won the competition along with the one thousand extra, young man!

Was what the message announcement read, black on white on his dim phone screen. Roxas had submitted his time that he took to beat all the Classic Kingdom games, and he had been the quickest to do so. What caught him by surprise was that there was a bonus for whoever scored a new record in any of the over twenty games.

Hayner had barely tried, Pence just passed every game, but took longer than Roxas did, and Olette couldn't get past some challenges. Roxas had won the 5,500 extra munny that was offered to play test and finish every Classic Kingdom game, and also won the extra 1,100 for a new record.

It was in The Musical Farmer, he confirmed for himself as he checked the inbox on his phone. He had won the extra munny because he had scored the highest of every player registered to Classic Kingdom. 

He had to thank Namine for that.

The clash of the two keyblades rang through the big hall in the Land of Departure, and shortly after, Riku's laughter filled the area. Aqua followed suit as both let their keyblades disappear, and Riku took a step forward while rubbing his neck. "I'm a master, and yet you still overwhelm me after a while," he sighed. "It's the experience, I think," Aqua assured and turned her head to look towards the other two people casually exchanging blows, "I'd still say you're a very worthy keyblade master, Riku." "That's flattering. Thank you," he chuckled and followed the woman's gaze.

Kairi and Ventus were dueling, the blonde boy evading a blow to his side as he rolled under her keyblade. Kairi laughed, her tone light, as she subtly jumped back and raised the tip of her keyblade right at Ventus, casting a spell to summon light orbs. Ventus guarded carefully and launched an ice spell right at the girl, which hit her in her upper left arm. One hit meant that the duel was over, and the score now stood 5-3 for Ventus. 

"Yes!" He cheered and let his keyblade dissolve, "another victory!" Kairi just sighed softly, yet the smile that lingered on her lips was far from disappointed. "I think that should do it today, Ventus," she chirped, "I still have to train with Master Aqua today." Ventus nodded as he raised his right arm to stretch. "You can call her Aqua," Ventus reminded, and Kairi nodded, recalling how Aqua had also assured her that just the first name was more than okay. "I know," she replied, "but I want to show her my respect."

Riku and Aqua stood and watched from afar, and at Kairi's last statement, even though it wasn't directed at the woman, Aqua blushed a little. "She's my first student," the blue haired woman hummed, "and yet she seems oddly fascinated with me." "You are a great keyblade master, Aqua. I'm sure Kairi recognizes that, too." Aqua just laughed lightly, letting her head turn a little more.

Terra stood leaning against the wall, eyes closed, as he put his shoulder guard into place. Then he opened his eyes and walked towards both Riku and Aqua, although the brown haired man smiled gently at the latter. As Terra arrived where they stood, Riku received a friendly pat on the back, "save some compliments for me. Are you up for a spar?" The silver haired boy nodded, a determined smile flashing over his lips. "Sure I am," he agreed, "though, while I have the master title, I feel like I'll lose graciously." "Take it with a grain of salt, Riku," Terra assured, "it's the experience we have, like Aqua said." Riku chuckled and nodded a non-verbal goodbye to Aqua before walking to another room, constructed to withstand powerful magic or powerful blows. 

Riku knew that he'd be absolutely demolished.

How right he had been.

Riku wandered through the streets of Twilight Town, his shoulders aching and his chest still feeling tight, having received the devastating attack that was Terra's Keyblade Canon. The boy only allowed himself to slow as he spotted a familiar face in the distance, which he immediately guessed was Roxas. It made no sense for Ventus to be here, as he'd spend his weekend at the Land of Departure alongside Terra and Aqua. Riku allowed himself to misplace a step, now walking into Roxas' direction.

Yet, the closer he got, the more he could recognize the absolutely melancholic look the blonde's face carried. Riku's eyebrows furrowed as he finally got close enough for Roxas to notice he'd been approached, and the blonde turned off his phone and switched to staring at the floor, refusing to speak a greeting. Yet, Riku had caught a glimpse of what Roxas had been staring at.

Nam doesn't want to see you — Sun, 4:48PM

okay. tell her i miss her or something — Sun, seen, 4:48PM

Roxas," Riku spoke, "what's up?" And despite knowing better, Roxas sighed. "I fucked up bad."

Riku could already guess. "Namine, I assume?" Roxas chuckled bitterly and pocketed his phone. "Axel put something in my drink at Aqua's party."

Riku almost swallowed the air he inhaled. "Axel did what?" "Yeah," Roxas nodded solemnly. "That's messed up. But.. how did you fuck up with Namine?" "Called her." The blonde answered, intertwining his fingers in his lap. Riku raised a suspicious brow and shifted his weight, having crossed his arms. "Then?" The silver haired boy urged. "Kissed her. Confessed. Slept in her room." With each thing, Riku's eyes widened a little more, but he let Roxas carry on. "All that while drunk. I guess she must've assumed I was blacked out or something, because she told me I wouldn't remember." "Well, if Axel spiked your drink, it's to be expected." Riku reasoned. "I know."

Roxas sighed heavily and lifted his head to glance at Riku. "And I'm a hundred percent certain that she's under the assumption that I forgot." "That's kinda sad," Riku mumbled. "She hasn't left her room in three days. I know that. I paid attention. So I think that she's hurt. And she doesn't want to see me. Xion texted that Namine doesn't want to, so..." Riku nodded along, the gears turning in his head. He might be eighteen—whoa, creepy, adult—but he wasn't incapable of using what few brain cells he had. "Xion visited Namine?" "Olette too. She said she wanted to tell Namine about a new art store, and I guess that's when she stayed."

Riku nodded along, his fingers tapping against his biceps. "Did she tell you—or did you find out—how she feels about you?" "She initiated the first kiss," Roxas admitted. "Shit... but well, I guess you know she's in love with you?" The blonde boy's heart leapt into his throat, but the feeling was drowned out by hollowness again. "So you guys knew? All along?" And Riku just nodded. "But that's off topic."

Roxas looked up, his expression near hopeless. But Riku knew how to change that with only about twenty words. "Roxas, that's Namine we're talking about. Do you think her feelings change for you because you fucked up one night?"

Chapter Text

"But she's not—" Roxas argued, sitting up straighter. "Roxas," Riku interrupted again, "it's Namine." The blonde paused and stared at the floor. "I'm pretty sure she... that she thinks that all of that... that it was just fake, y'know. Alcohol-induced feelings." Riku nodded and finally walked over to sit down on the bench, leaning forward in contemplation.

"I guess she could've taken it that way." Riku agreed, and the silence that stretched over them was extremely uncomfortable. Then, the silver haired boy spoke up again. "You say you slept in her room?" "Yeah," Roxas confirmed absentmindedly. "Okay, did you leave before she woke up? I assume you avoided confrontation," Riku reasoned. "Yeah," Roxas spoke again, his tone revealing how much worse he felt with each reminder. "Sorry, I'll be quick; if she woke up and realized you weren't there, Namine definitely concluded that you saw her sleeping and therefore have a clue about what happened. She might be heartbroken, but she's not stupid." "Right..." Roxas breathed, although he was actually focused now.

"Meaning, either you stop pretending and go to her to clear everything up and fucking confess," Riku snarked, "or you text her with the excuse that you didn't know how you ended up in her room." Roxas paused for way too long, his eyebrows furrowing more and more. "Both of these options are ass." He grumbled.

Good, Riku internally praised himself, then figure out your own solution, Roxas.

This was his way of making Roxas reflect without being told to. "I'd much rather do the first option without the confession. But she probably feels terrible, so… maybe in a few days," Roxas suddenly rambled, leaning back and running a hand over his face. "But I don't know if I can wait that long." "Then don't," Riku advised, "you guys don't have to talk it out. Just apologize or check on her."

The blonde hesitated, "I don't wanna make it worse." "Then don't make it worse. Don't be an asshole. She misses you for certain." Roxas chuckled weakly, "the last thing she would do is miss me." Riku wanted to lovingly smack some sense into the younger teen next to him—how could one be so oblivious?—but refrained from letting his urges overwhelm him. "What if you tell her that you do remember? But, like... offer her some space? If she wants some, she'll agree. If not, we both know she'd tell you."

The blonde considered the option. "I... can do that. My way." "No pressure," Riku assured, pleased with himself that he helped handle the situation despite his non-involvement in the entire ordeal. "And don't exaggerate. Please." Riku added as the teen next to him stood up. "I think I know how to go about this." He responded, although the confidence he should be having was lacking.

Opening one of the double doors silently was a challenge not even the most powerful wizards could manage, but a little creak was recoverable. He went up the stairs as quietly as he could and approached her door. He knocked.

Four times.

"Yes?" her voice called, and it was different from how he grew to know and love it—quieter, broken, almost timid. But Roxas didn't open the door. His hand lingered on the door handle, but he had promised himself he'd pull it off the way he planned it. "Hey, Nams."

He suddenly could've heard a pin drop in her room. "I don't know if you're mad," he continued, and he had to force himself to stay in place instead of dashing away and leaving the problem behind, "and that's okay. I know you probably don't want to see me... but doing this over text would be kind of weak." Roxas couldn't even hear her breathe inside of there. "So," he picked up again, and his voice barely cracked, "I decided to... do it like this."

"Get to the point," he heard her say. The sharpness of her voice almost made him flinch and want to vanish in a matter of 0.2 seconds. "Right," he mumbled, "I wanted to... say sorry. And to let you know that I..." A lump formed in his throat, but he swallowed it down, struggling while doing so. "I.." Why did it have to be so hard? "I remember. The... the night." His vision blurred, but not from tears—more so light-headedness as he shortly lost the ability to tell whether his shoes were touching the floor. 

"I just wanted to let you know," he continued, the crack in both the words let and know way too obvious for his liking, "that I meant everything that I... said. Or did." He pretended not to hear the quiet sob coming from her room. "And," he concluded sadly, "that's... all. I hope you get better soon."

Roxas stayed quiet for what felt like way too long, but it seemed like even she knew that he hadn't left yet. With a last, deep breath, he added, "Oh, and... I won a bonus of 1,100 munny because of your score in that one minigame, by the way. Thank you for that."

And then he turned on his heel and left.

She had just changed the sheets of her bed for the first time this week, though her warm tears wetted the fabric once again. She still found it in herself to chuckle despite her tears running down her cheeks, not quite believing in the idea of him remembering every detail of that night. She felt her face heat up from more incoming tears, yet she held them back with great difficulty. "You're welcome, Roxas."

She knew that he couldn't hear her anymore. But she just needed to get something off her chest—even if it was just about a stupid mini game.

Chapter Text

Riku had returned from his fourth training session with Terra, his chest feeling tight as he was exposed to the full wrath of Terra's keyblade whip this time around. He—slightly—limped through Twilight Town, the corners of his lips moving down with each ache and intake of breath. After a while, he decided to sit down on a nearby bench.

The man found it in himself to actually relax after all the troubles with the brown haired keyblade master. And so Riku breathed in slowly and closed his eyes, basking in the warm sunlight of Twilight Town. The peace stayed interrupted for a surprisingly long time—about fifteen minutes, if he had to guess, but like every good thing, it had to end. 

He heard two males conversing, one voice thinner and cheerful, the other lower yet playful. It wasn't difficult to assess the owners of those voices, and Riku didn't really want to interact with them, anyway. Hayner and Axel passed without even glancing at the silver haired boy. Thank the Light. So the peace returned—

"Haaayynerr!" A voice chirped, clearly belonging to a female, and because Riku didn't recognize this as easily, he opened his eyes. Olette, he concluded as he saw the girl in orange clothing run towards the frozen, blonde boy. "Ah.. Olette! Hi!" Hayner replied and stopped dead in his tracks. Riku had stopped paying attention. The peace had returne—

"Riku?" He almost jolted. This female voice seemed to be a few feet away from him. He opened his eyes and sat up, trying to fully adjust to the brightness this time, but he found it to be more comfortable to stare at the black haired girl instead. Oh. "Oh," he voiced his single-worded thought, nothing more leaving his lips for a moment. "Oh," he repeated stupidly, "hey, Xion." She smiled at him. "I wanted to ask you for a favor." "Shoot," he replied and shifted on the bench.

Xion looked away for a second, hands finding each other to intertwine behind her back. "I kind of... forgot my money," she began lightly, "but I reaaally want ice cream." "And I should buy some for you," Riku concluded and stood up slowly, not letting his reaction reveal how much his knees were protesting. "Yeah," she nodded shyly, but lit up and raised her hands to her chest as if making a vow, "but I'll treat you to one, too! Some other day!" Riku chuckled tiredly and leaned down to check one of the right pockets of his cargo pants. He retrieved his wallet and opened it slowly, expecting the worst. What met him was 11,000 munny—more than enough. "You know," he began, "it's on me this time." "You're the best!" Xion cheered and pressed her hands together in front of her chest.

Wait- what?

"I saw Axel, though—do you mind if I quickly ask him something? I forgot to mention it to him this morning." "Uh," he almost stuttered, "Sure. What flavor—" "Sea salt!" Xion called, already halfway to Axel. Riku stood with his open wallet in his hands, staring after her. After a short while, he sighed and shook his head. "What's with sea salt ice cream?" And with that, he made his way to the nearby shop that sold some. Riku decided he'd finally buy some for himself, too, having to know what the hype was all about. 

That's when he ran into Hayner. The blonde boy almost gaped, "you eat ice cream?" "Rarely," Riku retorted, stepping aside to let Hayner get the ice cream first. Riku figured that Xion would need longer, anyway. To his surprise, the younger teen ordered two. "That hungry?" Riku asked half-sarcastically, and Hayner shook his head as he grabbed the two sticks with the cyan ice cream on top. "Nah, Olette wants one, too. But she said she needed to ask Axel something, so I'm buyin' one for her."

Riku's brows furrowed as he paid for his ice creams. Olette... had a question for Axel? Xion did too, apparently, and that's when the pieces slowly started falling into place. Axel had been the one who spiked Roxas' drink, and knowing the girls, they probably found out from either Roxas himself or Namine. Which then, by extension, meant that the girls were confronting Axel about—

"Holy shit," Riku breathed as he finally realized what was going on, "I have to see this." "What?" Hayner asked, his face contorting in confusion. Riku's steps were, despite the ache, surprisingly quick as he walked back to the girls. He planned to get closer, but stopped dead in his tracks as if he had stepped into concrete. Hayner followed with the same pace, stopping exactly how Riku had.

Both the girls had Axel cornered, Xion pointing her index finger at Axel, almost poking his chest, and Olette had both her hands pressed into her hips, standing like she was about to declare war. Hayner spoke first: "damn. That's hot." and Riku could only try not to let his jaw drop. After watching for a few more seconds, the frizzy haired teen sighed softly. "I love me a dominant woman..." and again, Riku only nodded, not managing anything more. The action didn't go unnoticed by Hayner, though, and he smiled smugly.

"Oh? What's that mean?" He inquired, and Riku, despite already standing still, froze. "Nothing. Nope. I don't even know—I didn't even hear you." "But it's not Olette you're thinkin' about, right?" "No!" Riku assured hastily, tearing his gaze away from the frantically gesturing Xion. "No, not Olette..." the silver haired boy admitted. Hayner raised a brow, his smile evolving into a full-blown grin. "Interesting."

They both watched from a distance, and only as the ice cream slipped off the sticks of the two boys did they realize 700 munny (altogether) had been wasted. 

Chapter Text

"Man, I think I went too harsh on Riku." Terra sighed as he examined his keyblade, appreciating the design. "He asked you to go all out," Aqua reasoned, "so don't blame yourself. I think I'd also find myself caught off guard with what moves you used." "Really?" "Yes," the woman confirmed and stared into the sky, knees pulled up to her chest, "I've only rarely seen them before."

"Oh," Terra nervously touched his chest, playing with the fabric that crossed over his chest in the shape of an X, "that's nice to hear. I mean... I mean, I guess I did refine some of my techniques." Terra was sitting next to her, legs crossed, with Ends of the Earth in his lap. "Maybe it'll be fairer if I show them to Riku." "A fight is never really fair," the woman argued, "it's important for him to be able to adjust." Terra laughed, "you're suggesting I torture him until he gets it? That's basically abuse." "...Start slow," she conceded, "but don't walk him through the solution. Let him figure it out."

The two looked ahead, their gazes landing on the grass and then finally Eraqus' keyblade. Both of them sighed at the same time. Terra's eyebrows raised, not expecting her to, but she just smiled weakly. After another moment of silence, he leaned forward slightly, catching her attention. "You know, you're tough, Aqua," he began softly, "much tougher than I am. That's something that my student has to learn from you." The blue haired woman's eyes widened, but her expression morphed into one that showed her pleasant surprise. "I could say the same thing about you." The two adults looked at each other for a moment before the brown haired man's head turned, noticing messy blonde hair barely peeking out from behind a wall.

"Ven," he called out, "I see you." "Damn it!" Ventus cursed as he stepped out behind his hiding spot. "And I thought I'd witness a kiss!" "What?" Aqua questioned in disbelief, and Terra laughed slightly, "that's not your business, either." "What..?" Aqua breathed, staring at Ventus, then at Terra, and then at Ventus again. The teen was smirking devilishly. "Oh, c'mon, Aqua! It's so obvious." "Ventus," Terra warned and crossed his arms. "Yes, dad." Aqua's expression changed to one of mild amusement again, trying—successively—to hide her embarrassment. "Dad? Really?" "I sadly can't control what sentences his mind constructs," Terra sighed, "trust me, I would've done that a while ago."

"Do you not like me?" Ventus pouted and furrowed his brows. "Do you want me to be honest?" "No," the teen admitted quietly and turned away slightly. "Anyway, gotta go. I'm meeting up with Xion again pretty soon!" Aqua smiled weakly. "Have fun, Ventus." "Bye, Mom!" "Ven!" Terra called out, but was unable to gauge how the teenager reacted as he slipped away from their view. "Does he do this often?" Aqua inquired. Terra nodded solemnly, "yeah, he does. I guess he just likes you more." "Impossible," the woman argued, "he's hyper fixated on you, Terra. If he had to declare a single someone to their family, it would be you." "I'd gladly hand that position to you, then." Aqua laughed and pulled her knees closer to her chest, "no, thank you." "You'd let me suffer?" The brown haired man feigned hurt. " Well... yes." 

The lanky man raised both hands up in defense, "okay, I admit I didn't think much of it! But it's not a lot, he should've managed," Axel argued as he waved around with his hands. "He should've managed? Axel, you're twenty-eight! How many times have you gotten drunk before?" "Not a lot!" The redhead defended smugly, but the tone left his voice quickly; Xion shook her head. Olette had been quiet for a long while, not speaking while she let Xion roast the man alive. "Well, definitely more than Roxas did! That was way too strong—no, scratch that, it was wrong of you to do that!" "I know," Axel sighed. 

"Axel," Olette began carefully, "do you know what happened?" Xion tensed as she realized what that question of Olette meant—Axel was about to find out too. Was that even a good idea? Either way, Axel had to be made aware of what his stupid idea caused. "Yeah. I mean, Roxas left, completely outta it. But he definitely wasn't blacked out." "And then?" Olette urged. Axel paused. "How would I know? Kid probably went home." "Wrong," Xion snapped sharply, "he called Namine." The red haired man froze, feeling the sudden urge to slap his forehead. "He did what?" "Yeah!" Xion confirmed angrily. "I'm not gonna go over what happened, but now their friendship and progress are gone. Namine hasn't left her room for four days now, and Roxas is probably depressed." Olette revealed, her tone low.

Axel felt his throat tighten. He never ever intended for that to happen to one of his best friends. "I—I didn't... think that that would happen." "It's alcohol, Axel. What did you think would happen?" "I don't know! That he'd go home, sleep, and wake up feeling awful!" "So you were willing to inflict hurt on him either way?" Xion scoffed. "No! I..."

Olette shook her head. Xion lowered her finger, but had both fists clenched by her side now. "I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking." He finally admitted. "Obviously." Olette sighed. "Well, what now? Confront Roxas? I don't want to die," Axel attempted to joke, but neither of the girls really reacted. Xion shook her head again, "I don't think Roxas blames you. I think he hasn't even considered that." "What? Why?" "Because he's blaming himself," Olette answered for Xion.

"So I... apologize? Then what?" Olette sighed at Axel's question. "Don't meddle in any relationships anymore." "Got it." Axel conceded. He wordlessly stared after the girls as they left, talking to each other quietly. 

The redhead never anticipated that he'd basically ruin two lives with a pinch of powder.

Chapter Text

Rocking back and forth on their bed was where Isa found Axel. The blue haired man frowned immediately and sat down on their shared bed. "Axel," the older man said softly, facing his friend, "what happened today?" "Remember Aqua's party?" The redhead sighed, and Isa smiled weakly, "no. Remember, I overdid it back then." "Right," Axel sighed. After a moment of careful consideration, he brought his hand up to his temples. "Well," the red headed man began carefully, "I thought it'd be fun and I might've... spiked.. Roxas' drink." "Pardon?" "Yeah." 

At Axel's last sigh, Isa sat, almost speechless, next to his friend. "Axel." "I know," he nodded in defeat. "You know that that's wrong, right?" "Yup." "What did you use?" At that, the conflicted man paused. "I think I got some Phenibut from somewhere." "Phenibut? Axel, seriously?" "Just a gram," he defended himself and crossed his legs even more. "A gram too much," Isa growled and crossed his arms, "is that seriously what happens once I'm not available?" "I'm sorry! I was gonna apologize to Roxas, but I have no idea how to." 

Both men were quiet now, the older one having his brows furrowed as he processed the information. His thought process went along smoothly, at least that was until Axel spoke up again. "And Roxas... did a lot of shit, then. Called Namine." "He called Namine?" "My exact reaction!" Axel nodded and threw his hands up into the air, "I mean, it wasn't even a crazy dose and my boy goes ahead and calls her?" "God," Isa sighed, "I think you ruined his life." Axel pursed his lips and looked away, shame crossing his features. "Their lives." To that, Isa bit down on his lower lip in contemplation. "Let me guess—" "Yes," Axel sighed exasperatedly, "apparently, they kinda did somethin' and Roxas just left before she woke up." "Asshole," Isa concluded. "Yup," Axel confirmed.

"You don't get to call him that." "That's also... true." Axel chuckled weakly. A sigh left Isa's lips for maybe the fifth time now, and his gaze trailed over to the redhead again. "Anything else?" "What?" "About the almost-lovers," Isa explained. "Oh. I mean, not that I know of." "Roxas didn't even apologize?" "How should I know? I ain't them." The blue haired man shifted on the bed and slightly turned away, facing the wall a few feet away from them. After a brief moment of hesitation, he spoke, "Axel, what you did was extremely childish. I'm honestly very disappointed."

Disappointment was always worse than anger.

"Right," Axel nodded, accepting why Isa would now think that, "I'm twenty-eight." "And act like fourteen." "Right." Axel sighed again. Isa shifted again, turning back to face Axel completely. "Think about what you've done, Lea." At the different name, Axel almost tensed. The familiar lecturing tone threw him off more than he'd liked to admit.

Lea. Isa hadn't meant to let that name slip past his lips. He was about to apologize, but Axel spoke first;

"Sure," he stuttered, "I- I will. Thanks for the life lesson, Isa." Isa had shuffled to get onto his feet, and as soon as the words were spoken and the older man stood, his shoulders dropped a little. "Stop that, Axel," he said, "not now." Although what lifted Axel's spirits was the fact that the tone Isa's voice had taken on was more fond than disappointed. "Maybe I miss the old times," Axel shrugged nonchalantly. "No matter. Reflect on your actions," the blue haired man urged, and stopped at the door frame. "Please." 

"Alright." The redhead nodded slightly. "Thanks, for real, Isa." And the other man left Axel alone.

Chapter Text

Roxas stood at the entrance of Le Grande Bistro, hands in the pockets of his sleek-looking formal, black jeans. His hand was playing with the pen in his left pocket. His top was a white, long-sleeved button-up, and due to the weather being ridiculously unforgiving, the sun especially so, the tie wasn't necessary for now. Their boss had allowed them to lose it for today. Still, the teen felt like melting under his formal-looking garments. 

Hayner was wandering around outside, carrying some plates in one hand and a bunch of folded menus in his other. Roxas was here to take reservations or let guests with reservations inside—a job that he could, even with his current condition, handle. Olette was inside, helping Chef Remy to prepare meals at top speed. Pence had gained his own personal room for developing new, more appealing Classic Kingdom games and also designing ads, posters, and even developing the new website McDuck insisted on creating.

Roxas' hair was a mess. He was surprised no one had addressed him for his appearance—his heavy eyelids, his weaker posture, and generally less put-together look should've definitely been eye-catching, at least to his friends. He hadn't felt like going outside in the past few days, nor really participated in training for The Struggle. The teen hadn't really felt the motivation to do anything, in fact. Keeping him active was the need for munny.

He moved his right hand out of his pockets and ran a hand through his hair, trying to fix it. The blonde then rubbed his eyes, only causing his eyelids to feel heavier. He looked around, the streets of Twilight Town surrounding the Bistro being filled with happy chatter. As always. Except this time, Roxas wasn't someone contributing to the noise. "I insist! You need more canvases."

Roxas almost froze. His gaze locked onto two people at a fair distance—Kairi, and, more importantly, Namine. She was outside again? He hadn't seen her in, what, six days? His throat felt tight with anxiousness. Not because he was planning on approaching them—he wouldn't dare, in fact—but more because soon, there was a chance they'd be interacting again. Was that a good or bad thing? The teen couldn't tell. He could make out how Namine's lips barely twitched up. She walked calmly, but behind the proper posture and put-together appearance, all he could see was uneasiness.

He knew Namine well, after all.

"Excuse me?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Two people, mid-twenties, holding hands. Holding hands. "We have a reservation inside." Roxas, with barely shaking hands, reached for the clipboard on the table next to him and eyed the long list. "M-May I have the name?" "It's Gatlin." The blonde flipped through the few pages, trailing his fingers down the paper. "Ah, right.. Yes, we have a reservation under this name. We're glad you came," he said as he found the names. The couple smiled at the young teen, clearly pleasantly surprised by his friendliness. "Thank you," they replied. "Have a great experience here at the Bistro." The teen wished them as he stepped aside, letting them enter.

The door closed shut behind him again, and he grabbed the pencil out of his left pocket, the one he'd been fiddling with all this time, and clicked it to reveal the tip, placing a tick next to the name Gatlin.

That could've been them.

Chapter Text

"But then he saw me and was like... he just lectured me!" "Well, how would you react?" "I don't have anyone to kiss, Xi. I couldn't relate less." Xion paused at that. "Yeah, okay. But... but.. yeah, okay." She didn't know how to argue against that. "I mean, I wish I could meet them sometime. Properly, of course. They sound nice." Ventus crossed his arms behind his head as he listened to her. "Terra acts like a brother that doesn't want you unless he's having a good day... wait, no, scratch that. I think they like me, but I'm just exhausting." The blonde teen glanced at Xion and leaned his head back more into his hands. 

At Ventus' guess, the girl chuckled and raised her arms. "One thing you're finally right about," she teased, hands raised far above her head as she stretched, her entire body tensing as she executed the motion just right. "Aaah," she sighed as her arms dropped to her side again, "he's twenty-something, right?" "Yeah," the boy nodded. "To be expected, then," Xion analyzed, "what about Aqua?" "Oh! She's like the older sis who just shakes her head when she sees you run around with her sandwich." 

Xion eyed her friend. "That's oddly... specific." "Yeah, I did that once. That expression is engraved into my soul. So, when I annoy her, and have to describe how she looks at me, that's the way I explain it." "Mimic it," the black haired girl challenged, "if you can." Ventus also let his arms drop to his side and slowed down, eventually coming to a halt. She stopped right next to him, and they turned to face each other. "Here I go," Ventus sighed and closed his eyes to collect himself.

The expression he mustered up was nothing short of the embodiment of literal disappointment. Eyebrows barely furrowed, eyes slightly narrowed, everything else in the face oddly relaxed. Xion stared at this constructed masterpiece for a few seconds before her cheeks puffed up, holding in her laughter. "Pff—" Air escaped her. "Prrfft—" And once again.

And then she broke out in laughter, her shoulders trembling slightly from the mere force that made her body shake. "That's—" the girl attempted, "that's how? That's- that's terrifying!" She collected herself in about twenty seconds, and Ventus hadn't let the expression drop. So, when Xion looked back at his face, she whipped her head around to avoid looking at him. "Stop that!" She exclaimed and tried hitting his arm without looking at him. Her hand barely grazed his elbow. 

Ventus' hardened expression crumbled, and he chuckled heartily. "See? Thing is, you can't dare to laugh while she's looking at you like that. My god, she'll make you into stew!" "What, she beats you?" "What?" Ventus choked, both brows raising. "No! But, like, she'll verbally annihilate you." After taking a few more deep breaths, Xion looked back at her friend. A determined expression crossed her face. "Try it on me," she challenged once again, "I promise I'll be quiet." "Sure you will," he sighed, then falling silent as he thought about what to say.

"Promise you won't take my words to heart?" "I promise," she assured, raising a hand to her heart. "You're so... stupid." Ventus sighed exasperatedly and began pondering. Xion began tapping her right heel against the floor as she waited patiently, and after about ten agonizing seconds, the blonde sighed again. "It's like... no, no," he backtracked, "I don't want to make it seem lame." "Awwh!" Xion protested and crossed her arms, "you're just embarrassed!" "No, Aqua just takes pride in her rudeness." "Right." Xion didn't buy it. 

Both of the teens began walking again until Ventus stopped, again, this time at the sight of a poster. "Whoa," he hummed, "the Struggle?" "Oh, yeah! An event where you fight against people with a struggle bat. You win some munny and get a huge trophy. It's a new one since Roxas broke the old one last year." "Hah, he did?" Ventus laughed, but he still seemed to be distracted by the enticing offer. "You wanna check it out?" The girl offered, and he paused. "What about you?" Xion shrugged and pulled out her phone, and it was conveniently the end of the quadlet's shift at the Bistro. "I'll meet up with Olette." The younger boy still hesitated, "you sure?" "I'm sure. Talk with the host, though, the rules are a lil' weird." 

"Man, Xi, you're the best! I'll see you later, 'kay?" "Sure, Ven. Have fuuun!" She called after him and watched how the boy, with newfound excitement, ran towards the newer, much bigger Sandlot. 

Chapter Text

Xion's steps were light as she made her way to the Bistro, her raven black hair grazing the nape of her neck, which caused her to feel self-conscious for a moment—she hadn't been to the hairdresser ever since she returned, and now that her hair was, for some reason, growing so quickly, she should. Still, she didn't pause to consider, her steps still quick as she got closer to the Bistro.

What met her view wasn't Olette but rather Roxas, who was in the middle of unbuttoning the first button of his white shirt. He tugged on his collar a couple of times to get the air to cool him off a little, and that's when he spotted her, too. Roxas lowered his hand from his chest and turned his head away slightly, placing the clipboard in his other hand on the table next to him. Xion kept walking, and she could see how much more tense Roxas seemed to grow in the matter of maybe four seconds.

"Good afternoon," Xion greeted, intertwining her fingers in front of her. "Hello, Xion." He said in return, almost reluctantly raising his gaze to look at her. "How was your day?" She asked calmly, tilting her head a little. He could tell that the situation was far from chill, although he failed to pinpoint why exactly. "Fine. Hot." The blonde answered shortly, digging his hands into his pockets before realizing he'd left the ballpoint pen inside the left one. He grabbed it and placed it next to the clipboard before hiding his hands in his pockets for real. "Yes," the girl nodded, "I can imagine. Why are you wearing long pants and—" "Work clothes," he cut her off, regretting it almost immediately.

At this rate, no one would want to talk to him anymore. Xion, though, waited patiently, and he sighed heavily. "McDuck insists... so we look adequate." "Sounds like a rich-man-thing." "It is." Roxas just replied, shifting on his feet. About a second moment later, the door behind him opened and out came Olette, her expression nothing short of determined. The auburn haired girl spotted Xion, and both froze. Olette's lips suddenly tugged up into a smile, and it took the other girl an embarrassingly long time to grasp the implication. 

"You want to—" Xion stammered, "wait, here?" "Here." Olette confirmed, and both girls' gazes locked onto Roxas. He almost squirmed under their stares but played it down to only another shift of his body weight. "What now? I wanna go home," he mumbled, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Soon, Roxas," the auburn haired girl assured and grabbed a hold of his long, white sleeve, "just... come with us for a second."

Roxas obeyed, not having the will to resist nor really caring what this was about. Surely they just wanted to fry him about— "Wait." He suddenly spoke, tugging his arm out of Olette's grasp, "is this gonna be about Namine?" Xion's expression turned grim as she looked away for a moment. "Yes," Olette answered instead, "you should expect that, considering what the hell you did." "Oh great, and she told you guys?" Roxas scoffed and stepped back slightly. The black haired girl's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the hostility. Nonetheless, she spoke, "trust me, I don't think she would've told us that unless she felt awful."

Roxas scowled. "What, do my emotions not matter anymore? Is it that necessary to rub it into my face again and again? Why is it always her to go to? This is just- it's ridiculous." 

Olette's jaw dropped, not at all expecting the outburst. "Roxas—" "No, you don't get to try and comfort me now. No one even asked me why I look like trash. You watch the Struggle training every day. How come you didn't realize when I wasn't there?" His tone was accusing, his body language closed off, and he was itching to clench his fists. "I—I mean," the auburn haired girl stuttered, "I knew that... you probably didn't feel too well, either... And I didn't think that asking was a proper thing to do." 

"Oh, but for Namine it is." He concluded bitterly. Xion had stayed silent throughout the entire ordeal up until now to try and word her argument well, and now she was ready. "Listen. Namine, considering emotions, is the easier person to talk to." "Sure, she—" "Roxas." Xion curtly cut Roxas off, which he didn't expect, staggering his response. "Do you even hear yourself? How is it our fault for what happened?" The blonde paused, his mouth slightly agape, as if that would help him articulate a reply quicker. Xion let him have three seconds before continuing anyway.

"And I, and Olette too," Xion began, glancing at Olette, who nodded quickly and certainly, "aren't here to blame you. We just want to know if you're really aware of what you did and how it affected Namine." "And if you need any help, too," Olette added, trying not to upset the boy more if they kept centering the situation about Namine. "Of course I'm aware." He finally said. "Do I look like an idiot?" "You're kinda acting like one," the auburn haired girl said sternly, furrowing her brows. "It wasn't even just my fault! Axel, you know what he did?" 

Xion sighed. "We lectured him about that already. He should be apologizing to you soon." "What?" That was something that Roxas probably expected least. "The spiked drink aside," Olette picked up again, "do you remember? Do you even remember? How you hurt her?" Xion nodded firmly. Both girls expected a confused no or a defensive of course I can't remember. 

Not what he was about to say.

"Yeah." "Huh?" The expression of disbelief left both girls' mouths almost simultaneously, but the blonde boy barely acknowledged it. "I wasn't blacked out, girls," he argued, "if I had been, I would've stayed passed out on Nams' bed for longer than six hours, don't you think?" Feeling called out, Xion subconsciously leaned back a little. "I—I mean, I guess." She relented, and she and Olette exchanged knowing glances.

"That's, then... good to hear," Olette concluded, and Roxas suspiciously raised a brow, his gaze burning holes through their skulls. "Okay, we'll leave it at that," Xion added, almost nervously, and both the girls slowly started turning away. As soon as they did so completely, they started walking away at a pace he found, despite himself, almost comical. Roxas stared after them as his senses returned to him—how the sun still burned his scalp, how his button-up shirt clung to his lower back—and then sighed a breath of exhaustion. "Of course they don't wait to know if I'm actually fine," he mumbled, almost bitterly, to himself, although he wasn't energized enough to actually be hurt from that fact. 

And so his slow walk back home began. 

Chapter Text

"What, why do we not know that?" "I have no idea!" Xion argued and fiddled with her hands. Olette was staring at the floor as both of them mindlessly strolled around Twilight Town. Xion, after a while, looked straight at the girl next to her. "Olette," the black haired girl whispered, "we've got to let Namine know." The other girl gasped, the realization throwing her off for a moment. "Oh my god," she whispered, "oh my god! Yes! Let's go!"

The duo arrived at the Blessed Yard way quicker than they usually would. Xion pressed open the door as Olette slipped inside while the former was still opening it, and Olette now had a head start as both rushed up the stairs. The auburn haired girl wanted to burst through the door, but was yanked back—and almost off her feet—by Xion. "Be polite, at least!" Xion hissed as she stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Yes," the voice from inside called, and then the duo burst into her room. Namine was brushing her hair slowly, not willing her gaze to move to the girls. "Hello," the pale girl greeted and slowly set her brush down. Olette stared at Namine, having momentarily lost her words, but Xion came in for the rescue; "We just found out that—"

She stuttered. Neither her nor Olette had considered how to reveal this information to Namine, who was surely still sensitive about the topic. Olette seemed to realize this, too, but was better at articulating sentences. "We met Roxas," she began slowly, and Namine's gaze found theirs after all. "And.. uh, we kind of interrogated him." "Was that really necessary?" Namine inquired quietly. "Yes!" Xion nodded frantically. 

Olette cleared her throat and continued, "And we found out that Roxas... remembers." The silence was way too heavy. Xion bit her lower lip in contemplation, but decided to speak anyway. "Yeah. The night, the, uh, feelings... everything." The silence stretched on for far too long again, and the excited duo was now actually feeling a little dread as they awaited Namine's reaction. "I know," the blonde girl finally said, "he apologized to me already."

"Huh?" "What?" Was what Olette and Xion sputtered, staring at the supposedly sensitive girl, who didn't seem all too taken aback in any way. "What? I mean, what, uh, uhm..." The black haired girl stuttered desperately, and Olette looked like she'd be less surprised if she won 1,100,000 munny right now, "you... he... apologized? You knew?" "Yes," Namine confirmed absentmindedly, her gaze unfocused as she seemed to recall something. 

Xion seemed to have caught herself again, "so... is everything..?" "No," Namine denied as she seemed to snap out of her trance, "he just wanted to let me know." "Ah," Xion nodded shyly and lowered her gaze to the floor. "But then.. what are you guys?" The blonde looked up at them. "Nothing, for now." "Nothing—?" Xion could barely conceal her flusteredness. Olette poked Xion's side, who then squealed, snapping out of it, and stared daggers into the auburn haired girl's head. 

Namine sighed. "I think he knows that, though." Olette nodded almost timidly, "that would explain his reaction..." Xion nodded as well, and Namine picked up her hairbrush again, looking at the wall. Yet, she found it in herself to ask, "why? Did everything go smoothly?" Xion flinched. Olette's mouth opened for a moment, yet she failed to even make a noise. "Girls," the blonde sighed as she began brushing her other side, "he's clearly not okay, and I don't think that confronting him helps much." "Well, you're not okay eith—" Olette cut herself off after half the sentence left her mouth. Xion averted her gaze, choosing to stay silent.

The auburn haired girl tried again, "you're... not in your best condition either, but we can talk to you just fine..." "Yes, but that's Roxas we're talking about," Xion chimed in, looking at Olette as she finally realized where Namine was getting at with this, "he's not the most sensible. I remember that.." Olette looked at Xion as she trailed off and tilted her head. The memory didn't seem to be a positive one, so Olette decided not to dig.

Namine smiled sadly, "it's best to let him process it alone." Olette and Xion nodded and exchanged a glance. "W—wait," Xion suddenly said, "we'll be right back, we just have to... talk..." The black haired girl had grabbed the hem of Olette's shirt and tugged her outside. As soon as the door shut, Olette crossed her arms. "What? We had her so good!" "Listen, listen," Xion whispered and looked around as if someone might be spying on them, "I think, honestly, that Roxas does need to process everything." "No shit, Nam said that."

"Yes, yes," the black haired girl waved Olette off, "but don't you think he could do so best with her?" That caused Olette's jaw to drop as she wanted to argue, yet the point made more and more sense the longer she considered it. "So," Xion continued, sensing that she had Olette hooked, "we help Nam get stable again and then nudge them towards each other again!" "That is such a bad idea," Olette sighed, "I'm so in. But how...?"

Both the girls entered Namine's room again, yet the pale girl stayed silent. Olette put her hands together in front of her chest and smiled sweetly, "I think we figured out what you need." "What would that be?" Namine inquired, almost regretting having asked. Xion flashed her a smile, "a girl's night!"

Chapter Text

"Really?" "Yes," Olette insisted as she waited for Namine to slip into her shoes, although the pale girl was clearly stalling. Olette sighed and shifted her weight, and Namine squirmed uncomfortably. "I promise," the auburn haired girl began, "this will be fun. You know me—I'll make sure of it!" "Alright." Namine conceded as she shifted on her feet, trying to get comfortable in her shoes. "Then... I'm ready."

Kairi stood helplessly before the entrance, her gaze continuously flicking over the three small signs that read A, I, and X. Which bell should she ring? The decision was lifted off her shoulders as Aqua, as silently as ever, stopped right next to her. "You can ring whichever," the blue haired woman began, "the bell inside just lights up a different color corresponding to the name so that Axel, Isa or Xion know who's wanted outside." "Oh," Kairi brought a hand up to rub the side of her other arm, "I didn't know that." "I figured," Aqua mused as she stepped forward and rung the bell where the sign said "X". "Are Axel and Isa home?" The red head inquired as the entrance clicked and was now open to enter.

"Not that I know of," Aqua answered honestly, "but Xion would've kicked them out either way." "Right." Kairi laughed lightly. The door behind them was threatening to close before a familiar voice caught the duo's attention: "Wait up!". Olette was waving frantically while Namine's pace didn't seem to accelerate whatsoever. Kairi stopped in her tracks, turned, and grabbed the door handle to yank the door open again. Olette was breathing heavily by the time she arrived at the entrance, and Namine caught up four seconds later. "Thank you," Namine nodded towards Kairi and gifted her a soft smile. 

Kairi shrugged happily and let the door close again, the quadlet of women now making their way up the stairs. It was only one floor, and Xion was already waiting with an open door and a wide smile. "Hellooo!" She greeted and stepped aside to let everyone in, "I'm happy everyone made it!" "Yes," Aqua laughed, "I thought I might be busy, but turns out Ven and Terra have business to attend to." "That I am glad for," Olette chimed in as she let her bag drop to the floor, "your presence is essential here."

Everyone had settled in as Olette and, surprisingly, Namine, were arguing about why a specific movie shouldn't be a part of the five they had agreed on; "Olette, everyone knows that one." "Yes," the auburn haired girl replied, "and for good reason! It's good!" "Popular in no way defines a movie as good." Xion sighed and pushed a nearby box aside, "you two have way too much energy for arguing. Why not use it for something else?" Olette's brows raised, "like what?"

Xion paused, not having considered anything, but Aqua jumped in for the rescue. "That's just me, but I really would like to braid one of your guys' hair. I never had the chance." "Oh! Oh, yes! That is such a great idea," Xion approved before either of the long-haired girls could argue, and Kairi, who had just returned from the bathroom and just heard snippets of the conversation, nodded fervently. "Yes! Oh, please, I just recently learned to do a french braid!"

Olette's face changed, revealing her confusion, and Namine just sighed. "Will it change anything if I say no?" Xion hesitated for a moment, "uh... no, not really." Kairi smiled and sat down next to Xion, "Olette, turn around for me, will you?"

Namine ended up with a fishtail braid, running thin over the back of her head, while Olette's hair had been braided into the french braid Kairi so desperately insisted on doing. Namine ran her fingers over the braid behind her head and paused, "this feels amazing. Thank you," she praised Aqua, who had done said hairstyle. Xion had been more than okay to brush Olette's and Namine's hair until knots were afraid of the two girls' hair. Aqua smiled sweetly and rolled her wrists a little.

Xion was pleased with everything—until her brain caught up with reality. "Queens," she mumbled, "what are we going to eat?" Olette's mouth opened, yet no words left her lips. What were they going to eat? That was, in fact, a good question. Bless Aqua, the voice of reason, as she leaned back and tilted her head. "We could cook something."

Chapter Text

"No, we specifically use sourdough!" "What, why?" Xion crossed her arms, standing in front of the counter. "Be-Because... the bread! It won't bake properly!" "As if you knew!" "I am a cook!" Olette fiddled with her hands and gestured with her arms. "Yes," Xion nodded sternly, "a cook you are, but not a baker!" "Gosh, Xi, just believe me—"  Aqua stepped up to the arguing duo. "Hey, girls," she chimed in, catching the attention of both, "if it helps, we have... well, a literal recipe." Xion's mouth opened and... nothing came out. "Tsk," she defiantly tilted her chin, "I still bet you can make bread without sourdough." She was following Aqua to the printed recipe. Olette, who was walking over to Kairi, stopped at Xion's statement, "yes, you can! But not this type of bread!" Aqua chuckled under her breath as she guided Xion to the instructions and began quietly explaining how the cooking session would go.  

Olette arrived at where Kairi was standing, who was skillfully handling both preparing the Bolognese sauce and the boiling water. The auburn haired girl quickly squeezed herself into a small spot and tapped Kairi's arm, which was busy crushing some garlic, "I'll handle the sauce, alright?" The redhead nodded gratefully and grabbed the pack of spaghetti and ripped it open, emptying it into the boiling water.   

"Just cut the celery into slices," Namine said absentmindedly as she rummaged through the cabinets for a fitting spice. "Like cucumbers?" "Yes," the pale girl confirmed, "but make the slices a bit thicker." Xion nodded, picked up the knife, and got to work. Namine moved from her spot to check the fridge, retrieving the newly bought carrots from the grocery shopping spree half an hour ago. Namine was just washing it under cold water when the sound of aggressively boiling water alerted her, and she gazed over at the soup she was preparing—it seemed it was overcooking slightly. "Xion," she called out, "turn down the heat a little." The black haired girl hesitated but set the knife down to check the knobs below the stove. "Uhm," she mumbled, "which one?" The water was threatening to seriously boil over, and while Namine just barely reacted, Aqua had stepped in to turn down the heat.  Xion paused and stared at the floor, in slight shame, but the blue haired woman just placed her hand on her shoulder and nodded reassuringly. "You both can handle the vegetable cutting. I'll take care of this, okay?" "Thank you, Aqua," Namine sighed and passed Xion to grab a peeler. The blonde girl walked back to where she had been standing a few seconds ago to grab a cutting board.   

"Hey, check on the bread!" "Will do," Kairi nodded and dropped the spoon she used to stir the spaghetti. Quickly, she moved over to the oven and kneeled, and after assessing its appearance, she opened the front glass. She reached up to grab a chopstick and stabbed a hole into the baked good, "I think it's done." Kairi confirmed for herself as she checked the chopstick for any dough—there was none. "Great!" Olette chirped from the other side of the room, "take it out." Kairi did so with an oven glove and placed the hot tray on the counter. She then quickly returned to the spaghetti, which weren't soft enough just yet. 

Gathering on the living room floor was what they did after they had finished preparing every meal. Everyone, obviously, started with tasting the soup, which everyone was surprised by. The taste was incredible, and Kairi went on an at least ten-second praise rant. The vegetables were nicely cooked, and the soup ended up being almost empty. Next, everyone loaded up their plates with the Spaghetti, and while Olette was a little nervous about her job with the sauce, everyone ended up, again, loving it. Aqua, who happened to love Spaghetti Bolognese, even allowed herself a second portion. "Wait," Xion suddenly spoke as she choked down her bite before she would accidentally reveal the chewed contents to her friends, "can't we eat the bread... like, with the sauce?" Namine paused with the fork halfway to her mouth. "Right... but we forgot it in the kitchen." "I'll get it," Aqua offered, having silently turned down anyone's unspoken protests as she stood up in the matter of a second.

The bread was also masterclass, Olette decided as she gently squeezed the slice to test the fluffiness. "I should've brought Little Chef," she sighed softly, "maybe this great meal would've earned me a promotion." "To what? Cook? Sorry, no matter how hard you try, you're not gonna replace the cute rat," Xion shook her head solemnly. "Okay, maybe a raise?" The auburn haired girl argued and took a generous bite of her slice of bread. The black haired girl laughed, "nope. Roxas is the favorite. He'll just gaslight McDuck into not giving you one." Olette huffed a breath through her nose as she aggressively chewed. "I am," the auburn haired girl mumbled with her mouth still half-full, "forever doomed in the middle-class pay." To that, Kairi snorted. 

"No," Olette cried, "how the hell are you gonna survive on rice, chicken, peas, and flavored water for seven days? A burger and orange juice are clearly the better choice!" "Well, the burger will have you die of obesity. And lack of nutrients." The former part was a joke, yet Kairi said it nonchalantly. They were watching a quiz video. Xion stared at the floor with her arms crossed. "Steak was so clearly the best choice." "Not enough nutrients," Namine reasoned as she calmly sipped on her water. Aqua silently calculated and looked up after a bit, "Xion has five wrong guesses." "What??" The black haired girl's head snapped up, "I lost?" Kairi shrugged calmly, "that's our rules." "Okay, okay," Xion shook her head, "this guessing game doesn't rely on a breath of reason! I could not survive on rice for seven days!" "It's actually a generic diet. Everyone who wants to lose weight eats that." The blonde reasoned. "Yeah? Well, they're all stupid!"

"You're bitter." Olette chuckled, although she was nervous, too—she was on her fourth wrong guess already. "I'm being logical! Reasonable!" "Hey, I'll probably get it wrong next question, too," the auburn haired girl assured and shifted on her spot on the floor.

Olette, indeed, lost at the next question.

Chapter Text

"Bro." "What?" Pence sighed, clicking hastily as he attempted to get his computer to react after it stopped displaying. "A sleepover." "What?" The slightly chubby boy repeated lazily as he now attempted button combos. 

Alt + F4
Alt + Crtl + Shift + B
Fn + F10

"Dude, oh my god," Pence hissed, suppressing the urge to turn off the PC by button press—that would seriously harm the device if done at a bad time. "A sleepover! First of all, Roxas is looking like ass, and secondly, I have some—" "Oh thank god," The black haired boy sighed, having attempted Crtl + Alt + Del, which gave Pence display again after he closed the bugging application via Task Manager.

"Bro!" Hayner gestured with his ice cream stick in hand, "listen to me!" Pence turned around in his office chair. "Shoot," he finally relented. Hayner sighed and looked at the floor to collect himself, "okay. We need a sleepover." "What? What for?" The blonde teen clenched his jaw, "I said that like... five times already—!"

no

"Fuck he mean no?" "Well, no, obviously." "Yes—no—what... but why?" "Because he doesn't want to." Hayner threatened to launch his phone into the wall, "yes! But why no? We gathered everyone!" "Not everyone," Pence corrected and gestured at the three other people present, "we're missing Axel and Isa." Riku looked up from his phone. "It's better that way." "And you're acting so mighty mysterious! It's tickin' me off!" Hayner scoffed and crossed his arms. Riku sighed exasperatedly and lifted his phone to show the group. "I'm convincing Roxas as of right now." Hayner stalled. "Oh." "Yeah." The silver haired man shook his head and went back to texting.

"What even are we gonna do?" Ventus inquired lazily, turning his arm sleeve in and out repeatedly. Terra nodded in agreement while tapping his heel against the floor. "Oh," Hayner grinned, the expression rather evil, "you'll see."

"What if I left? Just, like... now?" "You won't." "What if—" "You won't." Ventus assured the very tired-looking Roxas with a threateningly gentle smile, who sat in the corner of the room, his phone in his lap. "I have better things to do." "Like...?" Riku inquired as he raised a brow, his legs crossed and leaning back against the foot of the bed, "I don't know. Rotting in bed. Anything but this." "And you'd argue that's more productive?" The silver haired man asked. "Mmm... nah. But it'd drain me less." "Fuck your social battery," Hayner scoffed and rocked back and forth on the floor, "socialize a bit. You've been lookin' like ass lately. Like... it's been a week, and I heard you speak ten words." 

Roxas sighed and turned his phone off, "so someone did notice." Pence perked up, looking away from his monitor. "Notice what? That you look like you're considering ending your life? Who hasn't?" Terra cleared his throat quietly, "maybe... don't put it like that." "Oh," Pence breathed, "right, sorry. Uh, sorry. But, Roxas," he turned back to the older blonde teen, "everyone kinda did. But you looked like you wanted to disappear as soon as we showed the intention to approach you. So no one did. I think Olette was specifically worried about 'ya." Roxas stared at Pence intently, digesting the information. "Olette?" "Yup. She looked distressed as hell and just kept staring at you—I almost thought she was crushing on you."

"What, crushing on Roxas?" Hayner piped in, having crossed his arms. "Surely she wouldn't. I mean, she's always acted like a sister around 'im. I'd doubt it. And I saw her during the day too, and she looked more concerned than in love. Y'know what I mean?" Ventus stared at the frizzy haired teen, "uhm.. sure. You seem to notice a lot about her." Riku snorted as Ventus accidentally clocked the entire situation, and Hayner slowly went red. "I just like watching my surroundings," he defended casually, "what's there to it?" "Sure," Riku hummed nonchalantly, "there's nothing to it. Nothing like a crush or anythin—" "No!" Hayner squeaked.

He squeaked.

Shit. "Ahem," the frizzy haired teen cleared his throat, "uhm, uh, no. Nothing is influencing my... objectivity and my observant side." Ventus tilted his head. "Right... but no, I think Olette doesn't have a crush on Roxie. Xion told me that she's suspecting Olette of liking—" Ding dong. Hayner scoffed; the (probably) only chance of finding out about Olette's crush had dissipated with a mere ring of the doorbell. "I'll get it," Roxas sighed, glad to escape the social situation. The teen dragged himself over to the door and pushed the door handle down. "I need to—" Axel began, but his jaw seemed to dislocate as he saw who opened the door.

Roxas felt very, very tempted to just close the door again. "Good evening," he said dryly. "R-Roxas," the man stuttered, "look. Look. Just, wait—look," he struggled for words, "hear me out. I need to talk to you." Ah, right—hadn't Xion and Olette mentioned Axel and his supposedly soon arriving apology? "Make it quick," the teen relented and stepped outside. 

Ventus scrolled through the options. "I dunno, I don't feel like crab." "Neither do I want pumpkin right now," Terra added as he peeked into Ventus' phone, "the options are way too fancy here." Pence chuckled, "well, we have a more casual menu thanks to Xion's non-stop visits to Olette a few months back." Riku had the website of the Bistro open on his own phone, "casual? Explain." "So," Hayner decided to speak, "we have fries, Spaghetti, Chicken, Beef, Rice, lots of potato dishes, lots of daily vegetable dishes... all that good stuff." "Hm." Riku pursed his lips as he scrolled down to see the link to Customer Ideas. He found lots of normal meals and made everyone gather in a circle around his phone.

As they were ordering, they heard commotion outside the room. A few seconds later, Isa came strolling in with his phone in his right hand and a two-liter bottle of soda in his left. The blue haired man looked up, paused, and then leaned down to place the bottle on the floor. Pence gaped at the uninvited guest, but Isa sat down on the edge of the bed and opened his message app. "I was told we could come," he explained and scrolled a little, "by Riku." Hayner whipped his head around at Riku, "that wasn't planned!" "This sleepover was planned in thirty minutes. What's the problem with one more guy?" Riku shrugged nonchalantly as he checked more food options. "Also, where's Axel?"

Isa looked up as Riku asked and sighed while shaking his head a little, "I think he's still trying to apologize to Roxas." "What even happe—" Ventus began before the door creaked as it was pushed open, a deflated but relieved Axel, and a quiet Roxas entering the room. "O-Oh," Ventus stuttered, hoping his half-spoken sentence wasn't heard, "hey, Axel." "Hello, Ventus." The redhead greeted and sat down next to Isa, leaning forward to prop his elbows up against his knees. He leaned his chin into his hands. Terra, who had already chosen what to eat on Riku's phone, leaned back and stretched a little. "I still have no idea what's going on." "Right!" Axel exclaimed and looked at Roxas, who stood by the doorway, torn by basic human decency and his own mental health—both wanting to stay and leave. "Roxie," the redhead continued, "spill the damn beans! What the hell really happened?"

Chapter Text

Ventus frantically nodded. Terra looked like he had better things to do. Hayner was basically bouncing. Isa was listening half-heartedly. Axel was swaying left and right on the bed. Riku only sighed. Roxas kept quiet. 

And Pence? "What happened where?" Everyone turned their attention to the chubby boy. He continued, "I have no idea what's going on, people, and I feel excluded." "Oh," Axel chimed in, "gotta start from the beginning!" "Yes, please," Terra agreed with a sigh, "I have no idea, either." "I can second that," Hayner admitted. Isa only shrugged, signaling how he found himself to be rather clueless as well.

"Do I have to?" Roxas sighed as he walked towards the group to sit down, crossing his legs. "Yes," Riku suddenly spoke, which made the quiet teen stare at him. Riku carried on, "I think it's a great way to cope." "If I start crying, I'm gonna wipe my snot on you." Ventus perked up and stretched his legs out; "You? Cry? Hell, what girl friend-zoned you?" Axel shot him a glance, Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose, and Roxas basically shrank into himself. The implications were lost on the younger teen for a few seconds before a timid oh my god left his lips. Terra seemed to have caught up in real-time and leaned forward slightly, "what, something with Namine?" Roxas chuckled, "it's that obvious." It was rather a statement than a question, and Terra pursed his lips and nodded after some hesitation. 

"Right. Uh, Axel, how 'bout you start?" "That wasn't an offer, was it?" Axel concluded and tilted his head a bit. "Recap: I spiked his drink." "That—" Hayner raised both brows, "was a very quick recap." "Uhm, sorry, what do you mean you spiked his drink?" Pence's expression changed subtly. "Thought it'd be fun. It wasn't." "Logical," Isa chimed in. "Right," Roxas sighed, drawing everyone's attention to him again, "and because I was clearly not in my right mind—thanks, Axel—I called Nams." Hayner's brows raised higher. "Nams?" The nickname was new. The older blonde just nodded, and Hayner, for once, understood not to dig. "You know... and we met up in the woods." It was obvious how uncomfortable Roxas was while talking about this topic.

So Riku jumped in for the rescue. "You guys know what alcohol does. That dizziness, the boldness..." "Been there," Terra sighed, nodding in sympathy. Roxas lowered his head a little, "get to the point, Riku. Just say that some stuff happened." Ventus bit his lip to hold back a no way. Hayner's brows might've lifted off his forehead, and Pence just nodded, showing him his empathy with a soft glance. "And, I'll take it, it didn't go too well?" Isa asked. Axel was taking all of this in pretty carefully, needing to know how badly Roxas fucked up due to one prank he deemed silly. "Well, I mean, she initiated everything. It was fine—in the moment. But hey, she..." After a moment, Roxas found himself without words once again. 

It wasn't even sadness or anger, it was emptiness. Just like back then, when he woke and felt like he was leaving a part of himself behind, with her. He couldn't have left, otherwise.

"She assumed he'd forget." Riku finished for the wordless teen, glancing at him to gauge any reaction. Isa nodded slowly, his gaze burning holes into the floor, "it's not particularly wrong to assume," the blue haired man concluded, "was she aware of the fact that the drink was spiked, not directly alcoholic?" "Yes," Roxas sighed after he found some courage to speak again, "I know how to distinguish alcohol from water." "Mhm." Isa pursed his lips. "Then she definitely wasn't in the wrong." "What," Pence suddenly chimed in, "you're saying you remember every damn thing?" "Most of it. The important bits, definitely." The spiky-haired blonde confirmed. Hayner had forced his face to look somewhat relaxed again. "Does she know you know?" "Uh huh." "That's pretty fucked up. And she's been avoiding you?" "Uh huh." "Damn." Hayner only sighed. 

"Pause..." Axel carefully cut through the heavy silence, "you said she initiated it." Roxas almost flinched, the words causing his mind to replicate the memories with perfect detail. 

You look beautiful. In the... in the moonlight.

"Hey, at least you kept it sensual, not sexual." "That's not particularly helpful, Terra," Isa called out, making the brown haired man tense. "Right, right. I'm so sorry. That's insensitive." Roxas waved the man off, "it's okay. You're right. Some common sense stuck to me, even with a gram of Phenibut." Dude, I apologized!" Axel crossed his arms sternly. Riku leaned forward, "guys, gays, the order's done. Is there something else I should add before I pay?" Ventus snickered at Riku's line, but Hayner actually had something to say; "yes! Me, Pence, and Roxas could add our employee identification codes. That's 15% off per code." "Oh! Hayner, you genius!" Pence grinned as he slid off his office chair and reached his hand out for Riku's phone. Hayner, meanwhile, checked his own phone and scrolled through the notes app to find the code, as he hadn't had it memorized.

And suddenly, the bill of 11,438 munny went down to 9,273 munny with just one code. "Oh, wow," Riku nodded in approval, "and I thought I had to go broke for the month." "Nah, man," Hayner smirked, "you got us." With that, he took Riku's phone from Pence's hands and typed in his own code. The bill had been reduced to 8,006 munny. Hayner tossed the phone at Roxas, who didn't even attempt to catch it as it landed safely on his lap. "We'll also get top priority. The Website recognizes us as employees." The older blonde explained casually as he added his code. 

The end price was nothing more than 6,290 munny—about half the price from before. 

Ventus looked around the group, but before he could speak, Hayner beat him to it; "I think we should play a little game while we wait. I mean, the food's freshly prepared, ain't it? We've got at least two hours." Ventus chuckled— "that was just what I was about to say. I say spin the bottle." Pence's face distorted in disgust, "I'm sorry, I don't feel like kissing guys." Terra laughed out loud for a good second and sighed a happy breath, "good one!" Ventus also chuckled. "No! Someone spins the bottle, and the one it lands on gets told a dare by the one who spun it." 

"That's fucking stupid," Roxas mumbled into his hoodie. "I'm so for it," Axel smirked.

Chapter Text

"That's ridiculous." "You picked the worst options." "How am I supposed to know that Piranhas don't survive in salt water?" "Common knowledge." Xion was frantically waving with her hands as she, quite literally, struggled to come to terms with her loss in the guessing game. Olette only sighed as she walked Xion through the correct answers, which the black haired girl refused to accept, as well. "That is not common knowledge! I go into the ocean and hope I don't die—I don't care if it's via aggressive fish or a shark!" Olette stared at the ranting girl and uttered a wait. Xion, indeed, felt quiet and stared at her friend, "what?" "Oceans are salty water. You can't die of Piranhas in an ocean," the auburn haired girl explained, cue Xion blushing. "I don't care how I die—!"

"Yeah, yeah," the black haired girl grumbled as the group sat together on her massive bed. Olette had her legs crossed, Kairi's were extended, Namine pulled her knees up to her chest, and Aqua side sat. Xion lay on her stomach, facing the TV. Kairi was currently scrolling through movie offers. "Xion," Olette spoke through gritted teeth, "admit your loss! I was fourth, and I'm not seething like you are." "Fourth, not dead last!" The frustrated girl growled and rolled over to stare at the ceiling, throwing her hands up and spreading her arms out beside her. "The questions were terrible," Namine chimed in, raising her face from behind her knees, "also, none of us will get trapped in a Wizard's Tower. The only one is Yen Sid's, and I don't think he'd starve us for the fun of it." 

Xion pulled her elbows up to her sides and propped herself up. "But getting the questions wrong is embarrassing nonetheless," she argued. The flaxen haired girl shook her head slowly and placed her face back to its original spot, her words now a little muffled, "I guessed like... half the questions." "So did I," Kairi chimed in absentmindedly as she deemed half the movies to be bad and continued scrolling, "Nami just got luckier than me with that last question." The pale girl nodded insistently and closed her eyes for a while. Xion dropped back and rolled over to her previous position, facing the TV again. "Any good movies, Kai?" Aqua asked from beside the red haired girl, who shook her head sadly. "Hm." Olette pursed her lips and shifted on the bed, quietly leaning her head against Namine's shoulder, who didn't seem to mind.

Olette tilted her head, "we could just... put on a movie. If it's boring, we can sleep or talk through it, right?" "Right," Xion nodded and twisted uncomfortably to look at Kairi, "just choose that one from before. The one you lingered on." The redheaded girl nodded and scrolled back up, pressing the Select button to have the movie start playing. Everyone relaxed into their spots. Kairi leaned half of her weight against Aqua, who sat on her left. Xion's legs were squeezed in between Kairi and Namine, and the latter was leaning left against Olette. 

The group was quiet and attentive for maybe thirty minutes before Kairi sighed very exasperatedly and shook her head, making Aqua stir—she was nodding off, but that plan was discarded. "What?" Olette murmured with tired eyes, barely leaning forward to catch a glance at the serious-looking red-head. "Guys, you all know I hate being excluded," she began mysteriously and arched her back to get the blood flowing again, "and being kept in the dark, and stuff." "I'm well aware," Namine smiled weakly and took a deep breath to raise the fog in her mind. "Wh-Oh, oh.. uh, yeah... that's true," Kairi stuttered and bit the inside of her cheek. "But if you're wondering—I'd say you made it pretty obvious to all of us at times," Xion answered, curled up, and spun around on the bed to face the other girls. With some struggle, the black haired girl sat up. 

"Okay, it wasn't that bad." Kairi argued. "I mean—" Aqua began, but was shushed with Kairi's index finger held right to her face, "hold it!" "Okay, well, spill, girl," Olette mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "What the hell is going on with Roxas and you?" Kairi huffed as she stared right at Namine. 

Xion's face fell completely, and Olette's hands froze halfway down to her sides. Namine stared back at the redhead, quiet, knees still pulled up to her chest. No one looked like they really wanted to talk. "Well," the flaxen haired girl began quietly, "to put it simply, something... happened." Kairi, sensing that the topic was anything but light, blinked to regain her composure. This was another case of simply not letting Kairi know anything—and it was obvious that Xion and Olette were aware, judging by their reactions.

It would be selfish to press Namine further about it, especially because they were good friends and the topic was very private—yet she couldn't help but be... frustrated a little. "Sorry, is that too personal?" Kairi asked timidly, ignoring the burning desire for knowledge. "Yes," Namine confirmed, "it's a little too sudden, too." The redhead stared holes through the mattress, shame bubbling up in her chest. A reassuring touch on her shoulder rose her out of her mental dilemma, and she looked up to see Aqua smile at her. "I-I'm sorry," Kairi stammered as she looked at Namine again. "He was drunk that day." The pale girl muttered into her knees.

Kairi's brows raised. Aqua's hand slipped off the former's shoulder. "We—You don't have to—" Olette stammered and placed a warm hand on Namine's knees, but the quiet girl just softly shrugged. "Almost everyone knows, anyway. I don't like to keep unnecessary secrets." Kairi couldn't help but feel awful now—had she pushed Namine into a position where she had to oblige, no matter if it was uncomfortable or not? "So, it was a friday..." Namine recalled, and everyone fell quiet as the story began.

Chapter Text

"What?" Kairi squeaked as Namine described the events of the night. The last one, the mention of him just cuddling her to sleep after all the emotional warfare Namine must've survived back then, threw the redhead off completely. "Shh, oh my god!" Olette hissed and squeezed Namine's shoulder. The pale girl breathed slowly, almost as if guiding herself through the experience while trying not to lose herself in it. "But—But... but!" Kairi stuttered defiantly, her fingers digging into the mattress below her. Everyone had scooted over to sit in a circle with Namine sitting against the bed, which felt both cornering and protective, in a way.

"But! He can't just... do that?" Kairi whimpered and forced her body to relax, her arms instead crossing to dig her fingers into her bicep. "It's not like he didn't do it just because you said it's wrong," Xion sighed, her heart pounding, although she already knew the details. Olette nodded quickly, while Aqua was silent to process the information. "Did more happen? On another day?" The blue haired woman inquired, to which Namine chuckled. "Get a license as a therapist," Olette smiled slightly, "or as a visionary." "Oh?" Kairi leaned forward, cutting off whatever reply Aqua would've had, "do you want to tell us?" "I mean, sure," Namine shrugged and lifted her chin onto her knees instead of keeping it hidden.

"To put it very simply, he apologized and said he meant everything he said back then." Aqua raised a brow slowly, "but you said his drink had been spiked." "It was." "So why would he apologize if he doesn't remember?" Xion smiled at Aqua's intelligence but wiggled her fingers in the air, "plot twist; uh... he remembered everything." "What." Kairi could barely—or, well, not at all—hide her shock. The shriek made Olette almost flinch. "The dosage wasn't high enough, I'm guessing," Namine averted her gaze for a moment, letting the implications hang in the air. "But—" Kairi stammered, wordless. The short-haired woman picked up where her student left off, "meaning, if he said he meant everything, he practically..." "Confessed!?" Kairi ended the sentence she originally started.

The flaxen haired girl breathed out heavily through her nose—that was the most non-verbal yes that the girls had ever seen. "I—" The redhead had finally run out of words, and the silence hung heavy. Aqua leaned forward. "What's stopping you from seeing him again?" "He's not... I don't think that he, or I... can manage, right now." Namine sighed, her body going weak as she thought about the possibility. 

Could they really start over?

"Why not?" Aqua continued pushing gently, and the pale girl moved her gaze from the wall to the mattress. "He looks sad. Tired." "Don't you think that it's because he thinks you don't want to see him?" Aqua shifted slightly, pressing her hand to the mattress to keep herself upright. Xion stared at Aqua incredulously, but Olette? The auburn haired girl was processing, thinking, calculating, and before Namine could even hope to speak, she beat her to it: "That explains his reaction!" Olette stared at Xion, who snapped out and just barely caught Olette's conclusion. The black haired girl took a moment to process, then consider, and then form a reply, but in the matter of those few seconds, her face flickered with at least three realizations. "That explains his reaction! Oh my god!"

The two friends stared at each other while Namine's eyes flicked between both of the excited-looking girls. She herself wasn't too fond of the idea—both she and Roxas were unstable in a way she couldn't articulate. Kairi was pondering, trying to piece together every information. Aqua leaned closer to Namine, but in a way that would not draw attention. Neither looked at each other as Aqua spoke up. "I think that you're showcasing true maturity with how you're handling right now, you know." "What? Why?" "The way you're handling and processing this, it's admirable." The pale girl swallowed—had she really been acting properly all along? The blue haired woman finally looked at the younger girl, a gentle smile accompanying her face as she did so. "He didn't mean to hurt you. And if he's honest—which, come on, he definitely is, especially with you—he'll be willing to hear you out. But pulling away might hurt both him and you." 

The blonde was quiet. Very quiet, in fact, her breathing so shallow that any person less observant than Aqua would've assumed she had just dozed off. "And he's doing surprisingly well for someone so short-tempered." Namine nodded along, her blinking having increased. "Tell me," Aqua began gently, "do you miss him?" The flaxen haired girl couldn't speak, closing her eyes to keep them from tearing up. Still, she nodded. The blue haired woman paused, letting Namine collect herself. After a while, the woman continued, "do you think he misses you, too?" The girl nodded again, the motion visibly forced. Aqua let the silence hang in the air, taking her time to form a proper, sensitive sentence, while leaving Namine some time to try and balance out her breathing. 

"Roxas won't hurt you again, I'm certain. And, if we anticipate that he will, he won't live to see the sunlight again." No reaction from the girl, who had her face now hidden behind her pulled-up knees. Aqua leaned back and tapped Xion, who flinched, being pulled out of her excited state. That caused Olette to stop celebrating as well—now that she was the only one. "What?" The auburn haired girl panted from excitedly bouncing on the bed. "Why don't we keep watching the movie?" Aqua offered and pointed at the TV, which had gone into resting mode after all the time that had passed. "Oh, yeah! I at least wanna know the ending," Xion nodded and turned to face the TV again.

Kairi had observed her mentor and Namine with intense focus, but just smiled at the group and pressed the Select button on the remote. Four seconds later, the movie kept playing. 

Chapter Text

The movie ended with what was maybe the most boring twist all the girls had ever seen. Olette even yawned at the one-sidedness. "Okay, that was... bland," Aqua concluded and shifted. They all sat on the floor, Olette on the far right, then Xion, Namine, Kairi, and Aqua sat on the far right. "By the way! I just remembered that there's a two-part movie that I really wanted to watch! People claim it's great," Xion chimed in and looked at her friends.

"Sounds good," Namine approved. Kairi already grabbed the remote, and Xion then told her the name. It turned out to be a three-parter, to which Xion gasped, "wait! Axel told me about the third one! Well, he said it was ass.... but we can watch the first two, right?" "Sure, we can," Olette nodded as Kairi selected the Start option. 

The first two movies were actually amazing, and even Namine, who found herself distracted from her thoughts, was pulled in and immersed in the story. The girls barely noticed that time passed, and only when the same intro played for the now third time did Xion sigh, "okay, this is the third movie. I heard they replaced some actors." "What?" Kairi glanced at Xion, "but they were great!" "Budget cut, Axel claims," Xion replied. 

The third part was, indeed, ass. After thirty-five minutes, Namine shook her head. "This is almost unwatchable." "It is!" Olette agreed and lay down on her side to get everyone into view, "I say we talk again. I'm not tired at all." "Agreed," Kairi nodded, but let the movie keep playing, only lowering the volume. Everyone brainstormed for a topic, but it was Aqua who first spoke. "You know, I'm quite glad I'm here," she began slowly and leaned back against the pillow she placed by her back, "because sometimes I feel a little... out of place." Everyone now had their attention on Aqua, and Xion nodded softly, "because you were so..." "..burdened," Olette finished for Xion, and Aqua smiled a little awkwardly. "That's totally logical," Kairi nodded in sympathy, "I heard from Sora that you're one of the most mature people he's ever met. Like, in a good sense."

The blue haired woman raised a brow, "is that it? I thought he'd say someone like Riku or... well, Riku." "No," Kairi laughed, "it was specifically you he praised so thoroughly. He sounded a bit jealous, almost." "Of me? He doesn't have to be. I don't wish anyone twelve years in the realm of Darkness." Xion looked to her right and tilted her head, "Vent said that Terra said that Terra thinks that you were someone he always wanted to be, like, even before the entire... thing happened." Olette raised a brow at Xion, "speak in proper english, please." Namine laughed quietly. "Aqua, Terra deeply appreciates you, even before your guy's journey began, is what Xion is saying." "That's literally what I said!" The black haired girl protested, but it died down as Aqua looked down. 

There wasn't a hint of shame or guilt, more so thoughtfulness—flustered one at that—is what they could make out on the woman's face. Kairi saw this especially well and whistled a tune, "I also heard from Xion that Ventus said that he saw you guys almost kiss—" Xion perked up and laughed cheekily, "oh, yeah! He seemed sad that nothing happened..." "Okay, wait," Aqua interrupted, "that's not true." "I mean, you guys are kind of cute..." Namine mused and looked at the TV for a moment, only to be reminded that the movie was indeed ass. "Yeah..." Kairi mumbled, zoning out for a moment. Aqua spotted this, "are you okay?"

"Just... thinking about Sora, is all." The redhead smiled softly and blinked, returning Aqua's gaze. "Nothing much." "Sora," Xion sighed, "you miss him, don't you?" "Of course I do," Kairi nodded, turned her head to look at Xion. "Doesn't everyone?" "You especially, though," Olette protested and looked down, "it's not me that's in love with him." Kairi tensed, forcing a smile through the mess her mind had just become. "Well, I think as long as we all want him back, it doesn't matter who does more or less." "Still," Namine spoke up softly, "you're his light—you guide him. Losing this is basically his tether to his life." The redhead stared down at the floor.

"He won't lose it. I don't think I'll ever forget him, or that I'll ever stop missing him." Xion nodded slowly, "he'll come back. He did all of that for you, you know." "I know," Kairi shook her head, "how stupid of him, honestly!" And with that, she sat up straight and crossed her arms, "Sora always sacrifices himself for me. Like, is he aware that one day, he might not come back? The worlds need him, and he's out there travelling in time to save everyone!" Olette was listening, not having adjusted from a sad talk to a literal frustrated rant. "That means he really loves you—" "And that's good and all, and I love him too!" Kairi wasn't even aware she had just dropped the bomb. "But can he stop dying for the sake of bringing me back?"

"I'm grateful for that, though," Aqua chimed in, "he's doing the right thing, even if he's not considering it properly." "But... but.. uh, fine," the redhead stuttered and raised her chin defiantly, "fine! I'll just give him my opinion once he's back!" "You do just that," Xion smiled weakly. She would give everything for a man like that. 

Did Riku's save in the memory realm count?

"Anyway," Olette began, "I wish I also had a boy who did that for me. I mean, he's not even capable of doing anything without me running after him." "Who?" Xion raised a suspicious brow. "The guy I like! He'd be running down the place if I weren't guiding him like a mother! I don't even know why I keep helping." The auburn haired girl took a deep breath to keep ranting. "Right, and then, when he comes back from practice, he's bruised from head to toe! How does that even happen? It's a foam bat! He has to stop provoking Seifer, I'm telling you." "Sorry, who are we talking about?" Kairi asked, smugly, but Olette, in her feverish rant, didn't pick it up. And due to being so fired up, she revealed a little too many details.

Including the next one; "well, Hayner! Who else returns from practice looking blue and green?" She looked around and crossed her arms. "It's not Roxas—he at least can fight." She pursed her lips and stared at the floor. "And it's not like he's incapable. He's just way too reckless, and I'm the one who suffers for it." Namine couldn't help but smile, "so you like him?" That helped Olette back into reality much quicker than she'd like, the realization almost physically painful with how hard her heart skipped a beat.

"Wha-I... I mean, it's—" The girl who was usually known for her huge vocabulary and well-expressed art of being now seemed utterly speechless. "Don't you worry, we all knew," Xion assured, which didn't help at all—it was on purpose, "but it's kind of cute, hearing you complain." "You can't be talking! You are head over heels for Riku," Olette snapped back sharply, the unraveling of her composure making her slightly snappy. Too snappy for Xion, as she now turned red as well. "Huh? I-I am so not," Xion croaked. "Well...," the flaxen haired girl averted her gaze innocently. "Namine!" Xion cried, "don't backstab me now!" "I meeaan~" Namine repeated and pretended to appreciate the paint peeling off the walls at the top. "Nam!"

"Well—" Namine mused, dragging out the word as long as possible. "Oh come on!" "Well, there's a good side to it," the pale girl mumbled, "I don't think it's far-fetched to guess that he likes you, too." "...Haha.. no. No way." Xion's heart felt like it had imploded in her chest, her entire body suddenly experiencing some sort of pounding sensation that made her unable to feel her heartbeat. "What, wasn't it obvious?" Kairi asked with a tilt of her head, "he only acts this way around you. When was the last time he got flustered?" The question was directed at Namine, and the silence dragged on for exactly three seconds before the pale girl shook her head, "never, as far as I can recall." Kairi snapped her fingers, "bam, point proven!" "Okay, fine!" Xion waved her hands in front of her face while praying that her face hadn't heated up further, "fine! Whatever!" 

Olette smirked. "Will you confront him about it?" "Nope," Xion decided and tried not to look at anyone, "if he's the one, he'll... he'll make the first step, yup." It can't be true, anyway, was left unspoken by her. "That's the spirit," Aqua chuckled dryly. "Well," Kairi raised a brow, "what about you and Terra? You think he'll grasp it?" The blue haired woman managed to hide the small involuntary smile at the thought. "There are three possibilities. Either a man is hot, smart, or both." Namine raised a brow at Aqua's avoidance. "So?" "Terra's definitely the first option," she sighed. Xion barked a laugh, "not you calling your to-be-boyfriend stupid??" "I'm trying to stay realistic," the woman sighed. "That you are," Kairi chuckled lightly.

The movie had ended during their talk, and a random fifth one was chosen. No one bothered to change it, and so, they were asleep within maybe ten minutes. 

Chapter Text

Riku suspiciously raised a brow. "With what?" "This one," Ventus shrugged and pointed at the half-empty soda bottle. "You suggest we down that all in one go?" Axel crossed his arms. They sat in what should be a circle, but it was more of a square with round corners than anything. "No," Terra shook his head, "if you and Hayner want to so badly, let's play spin the bottle after we eat." He then stretched his neck a little. Hayner groaned and threw his head back, his face scrunching up as he accidentally stared right into Pence's bright and very much active monitor, which was also the only light source in the room. "Fine! What do you guys suggest?" Pence pursed his lips, "I have a console and a few games." "Do you have Super Smash Bros?" Roxas inquired, now more relaxed than at the start of the sleepover. The chubby boy grinned, "you bet I have!"

"What the—" Ventus stuttered as Isa combo-ed him to the end of the Arena, no double jump far enough to let him hang onto the edge of the platform. "What the—" Ventus stuttered again as he fell hopelessly into the abyss, ending in a sad loss. "What—" Isa only chuckled as Ventus malfunctioned. The blue haired man grabbed Ventus' controller out of his limp hands and handed both his and the blonde's devices to Axel and Hayner. Axel grinned devilishly, and Hayner leaned forward. Both guys chose their fighters, let the Arena be chosen randomly, and started the round. It ended up being Luigi's Mansion, one that Axel despised.

Nonetheless, they began fighting. Both made some great plays and insane mistakes, and Axel got the upper hand as he slammed Hayner off the platform. With a skilled dash, Hayner recovered and jumped back up to where Axel stood still, almost flexing his victory. Hayner double jumped and slammed down, knocking Axel into the air, and then performed a devastating combo that made the percentage rise to the point of an immediate loss. Axel gaped at the screen while Hayner quite literally jumped up in joy. "No. Fuck no! That's stupid! That's so stupid!" The redhead continued ranting as Riku grabbed the controller from his hands. 

"Sore loser!" Hayner mocked as he wiped his hands on his pants, then chose the same character. The random Arena this time was Greens Green, to which the silver haired man smirked. The battle began once again. Hayner went in offensively, which Riku avoided effortlessly. The frizzy haired teen recovered and evaded an extremely well-placed attack. The back and forth continued for ten seconds. Hayner then spotted what he thought was an opening and began mashing the attack button. But Riku jumped, letting Hayner's character awkwardly punch the air. Riku then proceeded to demolish Hayner, making the teen lose by percentage. Hayner gaped at the screen and sniffled, feigning a sad sob. 

Next was Roxas versus Pence. The fight went fairly, with both teens knowing their way with their chosen character. Unfortunately, Pence picked a hard counter against Roxas' choice, which amplified the struggle that Roxas should have had. Being caught off guard, Roxas made a fatal mistake and was punished properly by Pence, the combo knocking Roxas off. The blonde groaned and threw his head back, the concentration and fun in the sleep over having actually made him forget some of his negative thoughts. "Yes!" "Dude, your character is so much more agile! How do my character's hard punches work if they don't hit??" "Loser," Pence stuck out his tongue.

Roxas handed his controller to Terra. Pence stuck to his choice as Terra picked, and the fight began anew. The arena was Mushroom Kingdom U. Pence attempted to play neutrally and wait until Terra made a mistake, but the defensive tactic was unraveled as Terra quite literally nuked Pence off the platform. The chubby teen couldn't even attempt to recover as the screen showed Terra's victory, and everyone cheered. The group had assumed that Pence would be unbeatable, and here they were, witnessing Pence's vile loss. The teen wordlessly handed his controller to Isa, whose confidence wavered.

The blue haired man chose the same character as he did before. The arena was Great Bay, and so, the stressful duel began. Both men delivered fantastic strikes, and both percentage counters already had a stinging red color. Isa clenched his teeth as he barely evaded Terra's incoming attack, which would've resulted in a loss. The brown haired man was quick to chain another attack, hitting Isa's character right where it hurt most. The nonchalant man had lost this round—but it was close. There was a possibility of victory.

And it all came down to Terra's own student. Riku settled down next to Terra and chose his character—the arena this time ended up being Paluntena's Temple. An arena so ridiculously difficult, Riku was already certain of his loss. Still, he put up an absolutely incredible fight. Even Terra struggled with recovery—the platforms were far too small for him to be precise. There were a lot of close calls for both parties. Terra, in recovery, jumped up into the air and was planning to dash, but that plan was disrupted as Riku blocked and locked him into a combo. It went on for so long that the combo only ended at the edge of the arena, and both men ended up falling. A tie.

Riku breathed a hell yes! and Terra lowered his controller with a tired grin. Ventus had been observing everything and jumped up, pressing his hands into his hips. "Terra, you picked Meta Knight!" "Yes," the brown haired man looked up—struggling to conceal a smirk—and tilted his head. Ventus frowned. "That's the most OP character!" Isa perked up. "Is that why we lost?" "Yes!" Ventus screeched and stomped towards Terra, who lost his smirk and shrank into himself. Hayner chuckled. "A fair rematch, then, everyone?" "I'm so in!" Axel cheered.

Riku ended up being the winner.

Chapter Text

"Dude, do you play in your free time?" "I used to play a similar game with Sora," Riku answered nonchalantly as Pence was still quite confused by the silver haired man's skill. "He was decent, so—" 

Ding dong.

Hayner flinched and whipped his head around at Pence, "does your doorbell have to destroy my ears?" Pence just shrugged and went to get the door. Terra followed, knowing that their order was likely too much for the chubby boy to carry alone. Both returned with full arms. "I think we ordered too much," Pence panted as he dropped the boxes onto the bed, while Terra managed to set them down on the floor. "Well," Ventus smirked, "Xion always says that I eat way too much for someone my size..."

Ventus, somehow, finished his box and graciously agreed to help Axel and Isa finish theirs. Terra and Riku shared both boxes and ate them all while Pence feasted on his order like a starving man. Hayner took some time, but even he stomached the entire thing. Roxas poked in his food, but with a very harsh slap on his back from Axel, he got to eating. He offered the little rest to Pence, who gladly accepted. So, no food was left over. Isa looked at each and every single box and nodded in approval. "I guess we were hungry, hm."

As they ate, the soda bottle got emptier with every cup refilled. Ventus eyed the bottle which literally contained one more sip, and he launched forward to grab it. He rolled over on his back, opened the lid, and poured the few drops into his mouth. With a satisfied ah and a lip smack, he screwed the bottle closed again and twisted to sit up. Riku frowned at him. "Are you... okay?" "Just peachy!" Ventus replied. Hayner snorted and helped Ventus back to his spot next to himself. "Anyway, this calls for spin the bottle!" The young blonde announced and leaned forward to place the bottle in the middle of their very square-looking circle. 

"So, what," Axel chimed in, "someone spins, they can dare something to the person it lands on?" "That's the plan, I guess," Isa confirmed and shifted to sit comfortably. "Okay, okay, I wanna start!" Hayner insisted and spun the bottle carefully not to launch it away. It was light plastic, after all. It stopped at Riku. The silver haired man stared a death glare at the plastic object, and Hayner fell silent, contemplating. For exactly two seconds, then the frizzy haired teen lit up and grinned like the devil incarnate. 

"Riku, remember when we got ice cream?" He spoke, voice honey-sweet. Riku nodded solemnly, the implication not quite reaching him. Hayner's smirk persisted, "and I dropped my line about the girls?" Riku nodded again, froze halfway through, and stared at Hayner in a way that could only be described as horror. "Yes," the teen chuckled and leaned back in victory, "text her." "What?" Riku whispered, and he would've been more collected if Xehanort had materialized into the damn room. "What to text, you ask?" Hayner raised a brow. "Wait, that's not what I mea—" Riku stuttered, but a grin had snuck back onto Hayner's face. He patted the spot next to him, to which Riku very—very—reluctantly scooted over to. The teen leaned in to whisper.

Riku's jaw went slack. Hayner kept grinning. "Rules are rules—you have to!" Riku stared at the boy, then at his black phone screen, then back at the boy. The silver haired man moved back to his spot, turned his phone on, and began tapping away, his eyebrows furrowed. "I'll regret this so bad. I'm never this direct. I don't do... that." He murmured under his breath, cheeks unnoticeably reddening. "Then, it's about time!" The teen chuckled cheerfully.

"Mm," Olette stirred as something made a noise. Her eyes opened slowly—she had fallen asleep halfway through the random fifth movie. Slowly, she sat up and turned towards the source of sound. Xion's phone had lit up with a notification that she couldn't read. The auburn haired girl gently tapped Xion's thigh, who turned and furrowed her eyebrows. Olette tapped again, this time for a consecutive five seconds. The black haired girl sat up like a chair and stared daggers at Olette. A second after she sat up, the tiredness hit her, and she sighed heavily. "What?" She yawned. "Your phone! I think someone texted you."

Xion groaned and reached for her phone. She turned it on. 

Messenger — Notification
riku sent you a message

was what it read. She raised a brow and clicked on it, her eyes adjusting to the brightness. Xion's face was now visible from the light of her phone screen, so when her entire face blushed red, Olette was anything but interested. "What?" She whispered shakily and scooted over to a frozen Xion.

are you up? i wanna see you again sometime

And Olette gasped—audibly.
Meanwhile, Namine's phone buzzed silently.

"I hate you," Riku kept grumbling, even after he sent the text. He leaned forward and spun, a little too aggressively, so. But the bottle kept in bounds, though it stopped at Roxas. The blonde looked up from his phone on which he had been playing Classic Kingdom on and turned it off. "What, is it my turn?" He asked and straightened up. "No, it's my turn to dare," Riku explained as he eyed Roxas slowly. "Oh," Roxas sighed and waited for said dare.

"Props to Hayner for the idea," Riku hummed, leaning back, and Roxas raised a brow, not knowing what Hayner's idea had been—he didn't pay attention. But judging by Hayner's devilish expression, this would be hell. "Text Namine." This was hell. Roxas' grip involuntarily tightened on his phone, his heart dropping to his stomach. "Hell no." "Rules are rules," Riku shrugged. "I don't care. I'm gonna leave if I have to do this." Riku raised a brow, "you don't even know what you're supposed to text her." "I don't have to know to decide that I'm not going to," he hissed and shifted backwards, almost as if closing off again. Terra worriedly glanced between Riku and Roxas, and Ventus did the same. Axel was quiet, knowing that his input was the least wanted at this moment.

It was Isa who spoke. "You said you apologized to her?" Roxas was momentarily distracted and stared at the blue haired man, "so?" "Did she snap at you?" "N-What? How is this necessary information?" The teen stuttered, looking at Isa incredulously. "You wanted to say no?" "Yeah?" "Okay, good. Meaning she's not mad at you. Meaning you're not at risk. Worst case scenario, she doesn't wanna see you. But in what wrong mind do you have to be to assume she wouldn't want a message from you?" The setup from Isa was exactly what Riku needed. "I know Namine pretty well. For the longest, to be precise." 

Roxas didn't find his words. "So," Riku continued calmly, "I am in a position to claim that she doesn't hold grudges. That and the fact that she certainly misses you—I mean, she's in love with you, we know that—is the universe practically blessing you with the chance to text her. Come on." That was a solid argument, one that Roxas was quite literally unable to unravel. But he had to try. "Well, I don't want to. I'm, uh...I guess, 'm a bit afraid?" he murmured, attempting to get out of the situation. He was much quieter than before. "So is she." Riku sternly crossed his arms. "What I want you to send is quite literally only I miss you."

The blonde teen looked up. "I will kill myself as soon as this sleepover ends," he mumbled, his throat feeling tight. Still, he unlocked his phone and opened his chat to her, previously filled with messages about things like memory dives and art questions. The chat had been inactive for two weeks now. With barely shaking hands, he typed it in and hit send. He then dropped his phone and leaned back against the floor, pressing his hands to his face. Axel, despite himself, smiled, "don't be surprised when you see a me too." "Shut up!" Roxas exclaimed, the words muffled through his hands.

Olette woke Namine as soon as the latter's phone vibrated, and the flaxen haired girl, struggling to even see with her tired eyes, unlocked her phone and read. And, with it having taken only two seconds, every ounce of tiredness left the girl's body. The tips of her ears turned a soft pink and then, as if that'd solve the problem, threw her phone behind herself, on the mattress. It bounced and hit the wooden backboard, and the noise woke Kairi out of her almost unconscious state. She groaned and looked at the still-unlocked phone. Intrigued but still exhausted, she crawled over the mattress to retrieve it.

The redhead read the text from what she assumed was Namine's phone—due to the phone case—and dropped the phone with a soft oh my god! as she read the text. Aqua, meanwhile, stirred as she noticed the weight on her shoulder from Kairi's head having lifted.

Everyone was awake. Namine had curled up into a ball, Xion was still malfunctioning, Kairi had picked Namine's phone back up and showed it to Olette. Aqua cleared her throat, although the rasp from sleep was still present. "What's going on, girls?"

Chapter Text

What's going on?, Aqua had just asked. "The boys! They've texted Namine and Xion!" "What, everyone texted them?" Aqua inquired, staring at the excited Olette. "No, but Riku texted Xion and Roxas texted Namine!" Aqua raised a brow at the latter—had Roxas finally gathered enough courage? The timing was too close to be a coincidence. What did that mean? The question was answered by none other but herself: "Could it mean that they're having a sleepover, too? That explains Ventus' and Terra's absence."

Kairi, who had regained her bearings from celebrating about Roxas' text, raised her brows and considered the option. "They could be playing, like, truth or dare—" 

Olette's phone buzzed.

Every girl, this time including Aqua, stared at the phone, which just made a sound. "That can't be a coincidence," Aqua deadpanned. Kairi carelessly placed Namine's phone next to her and reached over Xion to retrieve the auburn haired girl's phone. Olette unlocked her phone;

Messenger — Notification
haynie sent you a message

"Haynie?" Kairi asked dryly as Olette hesitated to open the message. The girl scoffed and raised her chin, "I think it's a pretty good nickname," she insisted. "Oh," Xion hummed, having managed to pocket her phone and try to forget about Riku's message, "it's definitely a good nickname." The auburn haired girl finally tapped on the message.

I have a thing for dominant women
And you're definitely a top contender 🤷‍♂️

Olette turned scarlet. Kairi began grinning like a demon as she reread the frizzy haired teen's text. Xion, meanwhile, had begun rolling back and forth on the floor as if she was having a midlife crisis. Namine had now grabbed her own phone and stared at Roxas' message as if that would make it disappear. "He sent that." Kairi giggled and raised a teasing brow at the blushing girl. "It was probably—it was a dare, 100%!" "Would any of the boys dare Hayner to text something that didn't hold some sort of truth to it?" Aqua asked as she observed the escalation.

Olette was about to protest. And then Aqua's phone buzzed. About time... but finally. Kairi raised her second brow and pursed her lips. "Bet ya 1,100 munny that it's Terra." Xion had stopped rolling around as if she was attempting to win a fight and sat up slowly. While the commotion continued, she retrieved her phone and reread Riku's text for what was probably the fifth time. 

are you up? i wanna see you again sometime

With a deep breath, Xion began typing away. Usually, she was quick to text whatever needed to be said, but now she was struggling. It was about her own feelings after all. What she came up with was quite simple;

i was not up but thats quite alright haha
agreed, though, we haven't talked in way too long

Olette pushed Hayner's text to the back of her mind as Xion's discreet movements caught her eye, and she fought to get past Kairi. The auburn haired girl stared at what Xion texted and almost stuttered pathetically in shock; "you did not!" "I did," the black haired girl sighed. "Oh, you did not!!!" "Don't make it scarier!" The latter girl begged.

Kairi had already unlocked her phone, although she didn't know what she was really waiting for. Her crush, her love—he was gone. Even a text from him could turn the world upside down. And a text the redhead received. She almost dropped her phone until she read who it was from;

Notification — Messenger
Pence sent you a message

Oh. That was quite disappointing if she were to compare it to the other four girls, but she opened the text nonetheless. Xion, who fought down her nervousness, cleared her throat and grabbed everyone's attention. The black haired girl didn't catch how Aqua's face looked too red to be natural. Xion looked at everyone, letting the gaze linger, and then smiled sweetly. "Girls," she announced, "I say we flirt back with them." The pale girl, who uncurled slightly, shook her head violently. 

"Is that a no?" Olette inquired, to which the pale girl nodded. The auburn haired girl stared at Namine for a moment and then grinned, "objection overruled, proceed!" Kairi laughed, trying to conceal how she felt at Pence's message.

fun fact: no one's joking when we say sora loves you. youre welcome :)

Aqua, meanwhile, was secretly tapping furiously on her phone. Xion, after making the announcement, now had nothing to do and quietly snuck up to peek over the woman's shoulder. The black haired teen gasped as she read what Aqua's phone displayed, and the woman jolted. "Xion!" She stuttered and lowered her phone from everyone's view. Xion, though, had read every letter of Terra's text.

I dreamt of you today.

"It was Terra!" Xion squealed, and everyone looked up. Namine, who was contemplating whether to reply or not, smiled weakly; "Terra flirted?" "Oh, no," Xion smirked, giving Aqua no freedom of speech, "that guy basically texted a damn confession!" "It wasn't—" the blue haired woman tried, but to no avail. Olette was squealing now. Great.

Chapter Text

Namine stared at her phone. She didn't want to make the text disappear, no—she wanted to rewind time and have Roxas never send it in the first place. Because now she wasn't so sure if her avoidance had been such a great idea, after all.

Notification — Messenger
roxas sent you a message

i miss you so bad

—was what it read. The flaxen haired girl tried to make sense of the text by making up ridiculous scenarios why this text didn't mean exactly what it read, but she herself found her delusions to be insanely stupid. Olette had calmed down from her excitement and leaned over to glance at Namine's phone. The excitement bubbled up again, but this time, the auburn haired girl surprisingly kept it at bay; "that's the most obvious thing he could've said."

Namine looked at her friend. The blonde girl knew that Roxas probably missed her, but reading a text? From him? Black-on-white proof? That was much, much different, and she found her emotions not to be helping with her dilemma. Olette, though, smiled reassuringly. "You don't have to reply." The words hung in the air before the brown haired girl continued, "but if you doooo... just say me too or something. You really can't go wrong with that, especially with Roxas."

Namine nodded absentmindedly and stared back at the text. With a sudden burst of something she couldn't identify—confidence? Frustration? Need?—she began typing. Her reply was sent before she could proofread;

you think I don't?

—and now, Namine was regretting it. Deleting it would leave behind a this message was deleted, which would admittedly be worse than the text itself, and an edit of some sort wasn't possible. Olette perked up at Namine's sigh and leaned over, almost losing her balance at what she read. With a squeak and good hand placement, she was back sitting on her ass, although now her eyes were wide. 

Wide as hell. "Namine!" The auburn haired girl laughed lightly, "you—oh my god! You did it!" Kairi looked up from her phone, he initial blush from Pence's information delivery having died down. "Did what?" She asked softly. "They're back to talking!" Olette squeaked. Namine looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole. Xion looked away from Aqua's phone and smiled widely, "when are you going to see him again?" "I won't," Namine protested quietly, "it's... just a text." 

Olette groaned. "Right." But in her mind, a plan started forming. Aqua chuckled to herself as she gazed at her phone, getting Kairi's attention. The redhead was glad for any distraction from the new text on her phone, so she glanced into Aqua's phone, and her jaw went slack. "Aqua—Aqua, you... you can flirt?" "I'm twenty," Aqua mused, "I do have a little knowledge..."

Xion, who was almost overwhelmed with what was going on, looked over at the giggling teacher-student duo. "What now?" "Aqua flirted back!" "To the I dreamt of you today text?" The black haired girl tilted her head with a wide grin. "Yup! Wanna know what she said?" "Of course!" Xion chirped. Olette looked up as well, and Namine barely turned her head towards the noise. "Okay," Aqua nodded as she was now in the spotlight, "it's... just a joke, on my part."

"Liar," Xion chuckled under her breath, but that quiet noise was heard by everyone. The blue haired woman only smiled weakly. "I just said... well, so do I, every day." Slowly, Xion's eyebrows raised—except they didn't stop until she physically could not lift them any higher. "That's—that's—" the words failed her. Olette picked up Xion's thoughts, apparently; "so direct! Do you want to date him right now or keep it subtle??"

Aqua laughed lightly, "remember what I said about guys having three sides?" "Yeah," Kairi nodded, "but he can't be that stupid, right?" The woman glanced at her student, "it's always the brown haired boys, Kairi. Always." At that, the redhead blushed. The implication was extremely easy to understand. 

Sora was also a little air-headed at times.

Chapter Text

you think I don't?

Roxas blinked.

you think I don't?

He blinked again, this time with more force.

you think I don't?

The phone slipped out of the blonde's hands as he comprehended the message. Here he was, anticipating either being left on delivered or seen, but not whatever this sorcery was. 

you think I don't?

Yes, he in fact did think that she didn't miss him as well. Roxas found himself breathless as he, for the final time, read the message on his phone that had already slipped out of his hands;

you 
think
I
don't
?

Xion and Olette were giggling, and Aqua was currently rereading her entire chat with Terra, now that she was aware of what signs to look for, excited to find old clues she might've missed. Namine was contemplating her life choices as she stayed on seen—was that a good sign, having him left speechless, or a bad sign, that he just... didn't care?

It probably wasn't the latter, was it? Not with how his voice trembled when he confessed to staying true to his words from that night. The only one who seemed genuinely lost in thought was Kairi, and Aqua seemed to have noticed this. "Hey," she spoke softly, "something on your mind?" "Pence texted," the redhead mumbled. Everyone was paying attention to whoever was speaking—an unspoken rule—as they all lowered or turned off their phones.

"What did he say?" The auburn haired girl asked. "He just confirmed that Sora loves me," Kairi said dryly and stared at the wall. "Oh! Did he sound offensive?" Xion inquired with a slight tilt of her head. "No, he was being really sweet about it." The question then why are you sulking threatened to roll off of Xion's tongue, yet the group stayed silent. Kairi continued. "And I assumed that you guys were just... teasing me."

Aqua nodded along in sympathy while Namine also finally granted Kairi her undivided attention. "But... does he really? Like, did he even admit it to some of you guys?" "I could feel it," Xion chimed in and leaned back slightly, "I mean, my heart's basically tethered to his." "Right," Olette nodded along. "I don't have that spiritual stuff, but he always loses that goofy edge when he thinks or talks about you."

Aqua firmly nodded to this, "and he has spoken some lines that... are just undeniably romantic, really." The redhead stared at the floor, "and I was always scared to... like, talk about it. I mean, we could've—we could've...!" She struggled to complete her sentence. To everyone's utter surprise, Namine spoke.

"If I may, I'm not the most clueless person if we're talking about romance, right?" Xion's heart skipped a beat—Namine was acknowledging it!—but kept quiet. So did Olette, who seemed to share the excitement with her black haired friend. "We—Roxas and I—are quite literally struggling to communicate. You guys have always been on good terms, and he's a healthy guy to love. I can assure you that he'll drop to his knees if you speak the word relationship."

Kairi, despite herself, laughed lightly and crossed her legs. "That's extremely strong, Namine—you're strong." She decided to stay first, and the pale girl smiled weakly. The redhead continued, "Thank you, Namine. Thanks, guys. I'll hand his ass to him about his carelessness and then, maybe, ask him out. He definitely won't be the one making the first move." Aqua laughed, "the brown hair is a sign!" 

The brown haired man was blushing at his phone, his hands sweaty. Ventus smoothly leaned over and dropped straight onto his side as he lost his balance along with his composure. "Aqua did it! Oh my god!" Ventus coughed as he sat back up. Riku, who had his face buried into a nearby pillow as soon as Xion's message arrived, raised his hand in a weak thumbs-up. Only Axel and Isa weren't somehow involved in any drama and peeked into Terra's phone.

Axel, with a smirk, patted the man's back, "seems like she caught on, huh? You got a chance there, dude!"

Chapter Text

It was 9:41 AM as every girl somehow woke up. Maybe it was due to the absolutely obnoxious barking from the neighbor's dog, but it didn't help the fact that the group was ripped out of their sleep uncomfortably. Everyone took some time to wake properly, and then they got to cleaning up.

After that—and, like, twenty breaks—they sat down in a circle. "I have to leave," Aqua announced first, to which Kairi fervently nodded, smiling. "Me too—with Aqua. We're taking a test today. It might get me into a more difficult training schedule." Aqua smiled softly at her student's enthusiasm. Xion stretched one more time, and with a yawn, she spoke, "yeah. I texted Ventus—we're meeting in twenty minutes. Sorry, girls, but this calls for a kick-out."

"I'm offended," Olette, who was very much not offended, scoffed in disbelief. Namine chuckled and stood up along with everyone else. "It was a fun night!" Kairi chirped and tried fixing her short hair a little. "Agreed," Aqua hummed, "thanks a lot for inviting me." "Anytime!" Xion waved after the four leaving girls.

Olette decided to walk to the mansion with Namine.

Ventus stirred and rolled over, and only when he hit his head against the corner of the bed did he yelp in pain and sit up in record speed. The sound woke Axel, who jerked so violently that Isa was ripped from his sleep as well. With three people awake, Axel ignored a whiny Ventus and slapped Riku's head, who hissed a sharp "ow!". He twisted and accidentally bumped against Pence, who opened his eyes slowly. 

Hayner was the redhead's next victim, and with a beautiful-sounding slap into the neck, a satisfying scream emerged from Hayner's throat. After the scream, a high-pitched "what the actual fuck?" followed from the blonde teen's mouth. Roxas, with all the commotion, couldn't even try to pretend to be asleep. Thanks to Ventus' accidental roll and Axel's desire to cause chaos, everyone was awake. Terra just groaned.

Hayner kept cussing out a smirking Axel as they cleaned up Pence's room as well. After all was done, Hayner was already halfway out the door; "Struggle training calls!" was his excuse before he disappeared. Ventus had made sure to look presentable before he excused himself to meet with Xion, and that boy was gone, too. Terra quietly discussed things with Riku while Axel and Isa announced they'd be departing too, and that was that.

Riku looked at the two other boys present and nodded, "we'll be gone, too. Training," he hummed. Terra nodded, and both men were on their feet. Roxas stood up shortly after everyone was gone and waved goodbye to Pence, who was already back on his computer. How early the chubby boy could be looking at a monitor was something Roxas could not understand.

The teen was walking back home before he received a message. 

Notification — Messenger
xion sent you a message

you have to focus, roxas
do something about the dilemma you're in

The blonde sighed and pocketed his phone, running his hand through his hair. He focused on every sensation in his face—how his eyebags felt like they dragged his skin down, how furrowed his eyebrows were to shield his eyes from the sun, how tense his facial muscles were; that helped him try and stay grounded, at least somewhat.

His phone buzzed again.

Notification — Messenger
nams sent you a message

i need you here

Roxas barely had time to be annoyed at the second buzz of his phone as his brain processed the message. And, even if he wanted it or not, he altered his path. His feet were carrying him to the Blessed Yard.

She said she needed him, didn't she?

Chapter Text

Olette and Namine were located in Namine's room as the latter brushed her hair calmly. Olette had taken hold of the pale girl's phone and unlocked it with the code she'd memorized—221205—and opened up the messenger app.

Quickly, she entered Namine's chat to Roxas and typed in a message; i need you here, then turned off the phone and placed it on the bedside counter again. Olette then, as nonchalantly as she could, announced she had to leave because she planned to decorate her room again. A barely proper goodbye was mumbled before the auburn haired girl bolted out the door. Namine stared after her, then noticed how her phone lit up.

Namine set down her hairbrush—she was done anyway—and walked over to retrieve her phone. 

Notification — Messenger
roxas replied to your message

—wait, what? How could he reply to a message? She didn't text him, and it'd be odd if he replied to the you think I don't? from midnight. She opened the notification nonetheless and almost dropped her phone. There was a text she didn't type, a text that had been sent a minute ago.

Roxas' message was simple; wait five minutes

Olette.

The auburn haired girl probably managed to unlock her phone and text Roxas. Namine quite literally cursed as the options floated around in her mind. Delete the message? No way, Roxas had already read it! Backtrack and text that it was Olette who sent said message? That would sound like rejection—and she in no way wanted to reject Roxas. Wait until he was here and explain it to him?

Contact was anything but wanted, but in no way would she stoop as low as to tell him over her phone. So she set her phone down, slowly, and stared daggers through the wall. She was so screwed.

His steps were quick and light as he marched through the forest, nervous yet determined. A minute later, he was blessed with the view of countless beautiful flowers decorating the slightly degraded walls, which showed the signs of its age. The flowers were beautiful, but they seemed like the introduction to the beauty that awaited him inside every time. Roxas pushed open the entrance and stopped as he stood in the middle of the lowest floor. This was about to happen.

This was real, and it scared the shit out of him.

Chapter Text

The flaxen haired girl paced around the room helplessly, occasionally stopping to look at the blue sky outside her window. The backyard was empty. She circled her room again, not stopping to look outside, and coincidentally, that's when she heard the entrance door creak. The girl froze in her tracks and stared at her door.

He could come in any minute. She would be forced to confront him—any minute now. They could either make up or break up, in a sense, at any moment now. Her thoughts were discarded as someone knocked on her door.

Someone. How silly. She knew—of course she did—that it was him. How he knocked four times, always, the last knock having odd timing. Namine stood in the middle of the room as she forced out a somewhat timid yes. Slowly, the door pried ajar, and Roxas didn't enter until it was completely open. Then, almost hesitantly, the blonde boy stepped inside and closed the door behind himself.

Wordlessly, he walked up to her. The pale girl had her head lowered in what he could only describe as shame, and he wanted to touch her face and tell her that everything was okay.

That he was here now.

Instead, he found himself almost frozen; very tense, at least. After a few moments, Namine finally raised her head a little and met his gaze. His heart skipped a beat, his throat tightened, and his knees threatened to give out. It had been so long since she looked at him. He wasn't—he really wasn't—sure what to do, so after what felt like another eternity—a painfully long one at that—he forced his arms to move.

Slightly, slowly, until they were just high and open enough to invite her for a hug if she—

She stepped into his arms before he had even finished that thought. Roxas' entire composure—or what little he had left of it—faltered as her arms moved to wrap around his torso, hands splayed against his back. The blonde teen hesitated for way too long before he lightly moved his arms around her waist. This was real. 

This was real.
He was touching her again.
For real this time—nothing influenced this very decision. His embrace tightened as the weight of doubt dropped from his chest. He lowered his head to rest his face against the top of her shoulder, allowing himself to secretly breathe in her scent. As comforting as ever. 

He could've sworn five minutes passed before he felt the itching need to speak up. His words were somewhat muffled against her hoodie—which she had thrown on as soon as Olette and she entered her room—as he began quietly. "Did you mean it? That text?" Namine stayed silent, praying to the Light that her quicker heartbeat wasn't noticeable—although they were pressed up against one another.

Was the hoodie thick enough? She hoped it was. The pale girl stalled for as long as possible as she attempted to form a sentence that expressed both the truth about the text and her feelings. The wait time ran out, slowly but surely. A half-assed sentence should suffice.

"It wasn't me who sent the text," she murmured, her cheek still pressed up to his upper chest, "it was Olette." Roxas felt like dying. Trying to stay and sound casual, he chuckled softly, "of course it was." He didn't want to pull away, but it seemed like he didn't have to. "But if I had been the one to message you, that's what I would've texted." 

The reassurance sounded odd on her tongue, but judging by his slightly tighter hug on her, it was exactly what he wanted and needed to hear. "I really did miss you," he whispered. "You think I didn't?" She breathed back, referencing their exchange via text at midnight. "Not really," Roxas admitted, speaking what he hadn't dared to text. 

The flaxen haired girl closed her eyes. She wasn't about to let this stop now. Or anytime soon. Or anytime, quite frankly.

Chapter Text

"And Pence, he just... I dunno.." Roxas continued, staring at the wall opposite the bed they were sitting on, "he pressed like two buttons and... won. I think he games too much." "You think?" Namine asked in return, a smile gracing the features of her pretty, relaxed face. "I mean, he spends a lot of time on his Computer to code 'n stuff, where does he even... get the time?"

His thumb brushed over the back of her hand again. "I think Pence always has time for things," she mumbled, not opening her eyes, "and I think that's really impressive." "It is," the blonde boy agreed quietly and let his gaze drift over her admittedly messy-looking table, "somehow, he always makes space for events he wants to attend, no matter how busy he is. He balances his life really well." She nodded softly. The flaxen haired girl lifted her head and brought her right hand up to push her hair behind her ears, then leaned her head back into his shoulder.

"Which place were you, actually?" "Oh, I forgot to mention it?" Roxas chuckled softly, "I was fourth. I think I could've beaten Pence if he hadn't picked a hard-counter." Namine shifted a little, "elaborate?" He squeezed her hand slightly, just to remind himself that she was here now, and smiled. "So, I picked a character that punches real hard—and Pence picked someone very agile, making it a cakewalk for him to avoid whatever I tried."

That helped the girl understand, "it's like letting Ventus fight Terra, right? If Ventus dodges enough, it's no use." "Exactly," Roxas nodded to her comparison. "The funny thing is, Pence then had to go against Terra, and Pence lost in a matter of seconds." "How so?" "Terra picked like, the best overall character in the game." Namine giggled quietly, "I think he just wanted to win." "Win he did," the blonde boy sighed, "he demolished us all." 

After another moment of silence, he slightly turned his head to gaze at her relaxed form, leaning against his. No words could articulate how happy he was at this moment. They had already cleared up the subtle issues that had occurred, as both agreed that tackling the biggest problem was beyond their mental capabilities right now. "What did you do?" "What?" "At the girl's night. Xion texted me halfway through because she said that some random movie that you guys were watching was boring. She stopped replying after two minutes, though."

The flaxen haired girl scooted over to sit up properly, but still rested against him, in a sense, gently adjusting their hands more to the left. "We did have a sleepover," she confirmed quietly, "and I'm assuming it was during the first movie. Ten at night?" "Exactly then," he nodded. "Right. Well, we cooked something..."

They spent about an hour just talking, being mainly interrupted by texts from Axel to Roxas and messages from Xion to Namine. They only stopped conversing for a moment as Olette sent a message. Namine grabbed her phone from the table, where she had previously placed it after putting it on silent, only having noticed the message because her screen lit up. She clicked on the notification and placed her phone on her lap, not at all caring if Roxas were to look, which—obviously—he did. 

how's it going, lovebirds?

The blonde boy couldn't help but smirk a little; Olette had and always would be a very smart person, if not one of the smartest he knew. Namine struggled as her phone kept shaking against her lap as she tapped the phone screen—not willing to untangle her fingers with his—but managed to form a readable reply;

i hate you. respectfully. thanks

And Olette's reply came within seconds,

you guys SO needed it though!!

Namine decided not to answer that as she placed her phone—screen facing the surface this time—on the table again, resting her head once more against his shoulder. "I guess," Roxas began softly, holding her hand a little tighter, "we owe her." "A thanks at most," the girl sighed, "she gave me a heart attack."

Chapter Text

Riku blocked with holding his keyblade, Braveheart, diagonally over his chest as Terra dashed in with Ends of the Earth pointed right at the silver haired man's chest. With a skilled side-jump, Riku avoided the second dash aimed right at the vulnerable spot of his back. Terra landed gracefully, taking a moment to regain his footing. Spotting the opportunity, Riku extended his hand and focused, yet not letting himself take too much time, and shot three darkness-engulfed Fira spells homing in on the brown haired man.

Terra formed an X with his arms over his face and let the spell hit his armored arms, yet the force made him stumble back nonetheless. With a smooth step forward, Riku knocked Terra up into the air and proceeded to slice his blade straight down the middle of the vulnerable man. With a grunt, Terra struggled to keep his keyblade armor tethered to his body, landing on his back. He attempted to roll over and get to his knees, but his student had stepped up, preparing to pierce the tip of his weapon down through Terra's helmet.

He stopped a few inches away, and Terra stopped his attempt to scramble onto his feet, slumping against the floor with a satisfied sigh. Lamely, he brought his hand up to his opposite arm and bumped his fist against the armor button on his shoulder, the golden-bronze armor dissolving into thin air. "Great match," Riku spoke as he extended his arm to help his mentor up to his feet, "your moves were amazing this time around."

"Thank you," Terra chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, letting his keyblade disappear—which Riku had already done, "but your guards and rolls today were impeccable. Seriously." Riku smiled shyly. "Well, I had to; I'm not going to risk another injury. What was that attack at the end?" The brown haired man looked up, "oh, it's actually... inspired by an attack of a heartless. Rising Sun, is what I call it." "That's where I recognize it from," Riku concluded, "the armored knight?" "Yes!" Terra laughed, "it's not like I admire the creatures, though."

"Of course not." Riku then let his gaze flick over to the shoulder guard that Terra proudly carried, resting comfortably on the shoulders of his mentor. "Say, Terra," the silver haired man began, "the armor... is it just extra protection?" The older man shook his head, "we use it to travel to worlds and through darkness. Think of it as a body-tight gumi ship." "What a comparison," Riku deadpanned and pictured himself wearing a bright red suit decorated lavishly with yellow stripes. 

"Well, there's a good side to it," Terra continued, "it's the keyblade transformation." To that, Riku tilted his head, "but Sora can already—" "Shh," Terra silenced his student, "I'm talking about the glider." The young man raised a brow. "Oh. So..." slowly, the things started connecting, "you don't dangle around in space like an idiot." "Yes," the brown haired man smiled. "And it's great that you brought it up..."

"No way," Riku breathed in utter amazement, "I can't take that." "What do we do with it, then?" Terra raised an amused brow, "do we throw it out? That's a waste." "What I mean is that I doubt my worthiness here," the silver haired man corrected, "this is basically... like, being crowned." Terra laughed and patted his student's shoulder, "it's just a new outfit! You don't feel this way when Yen Sid produces new clothes for you, do you?"

To that, Riku couldn't really argue, and his shoulders slumped. Still, he found a way to try and articulate his thoughts, "sure, and I appreciate the magical garments... But Yen Sid's clothes are just that: clothes. This armor feels so... royal. So special. Only you, Aqua, and Ventus possess it, and you're inarguably the most experienced out of all of us." "That's true," Terra agreed, "but you deserve to wear this." Without letting his student speak up, the brown haired man placed the accessory into Riku's open hand.

It was a dark blue wrist guard designed to sit comfortably on Riku's slightly injured bone. That Terra had even thought of Riku's over two-year-old injury that Roxas caused was heart-warming, to say the least. The fabric was tight, the feeling somewhat similar to the plaster he wore as soon as he received said injury, helping the bone stay still. Chains were stylishly wrapped around both ends of the armored sleeve. They were thin and silver, slithering in a hypnotizing design over the indigo-colored fabric and navy blue plaster-like material.

"This feels..." Riku attempted to explain as he tightened the straps embedded in the armor around his left forearm, "absolutely amazing." Terra smiled widely as Riku flexed his fingers and clenched his fist multiple times, then twisted and turned his arms to test if casting spells or moving casually was possible—which it very much was. "Wow, Terra." Riku looked up and graced his mentor with a smile, "this is incredible. You really didn't have to." "You're my student," Terra grinned back, "what teacher would I be?"

Chapter Text

"No." "Yes." "No." "Okay, I'll leave!" "No!" Ventus screeched as he came to a halt. "Then we're getting sea salt ice cream!" "Fine!"

Xion and the young blonde sat on the clock tower, feet dangling off the edge. The girl was, with great satisfaction, biting small chunks off her ice cream as Ventus, with narrowed eyes, stared at the sky. Xion turned her head towards her friend and let her gaze linger on the very much melting ice cream. With a sigh, she stared into the sun as well, "come on! We had choc' coated one last time!" "And it was good!" "Be lenient with me!" To that, Ventus raised his ice cream to his lips and took one taste.  

It was good. It really was. Why was he even mad?

"Whatever. Next time, we're getting the strawberry-lemon one." "If you insist," Xion laughed and leaned back into the bricks behind her, taking the ice cream into her mouth again, savoring the salty taste of the ice cream. Never had she known of sweet ice cream before befriending Ventus, and she found herself grateful for it. Axel was always a little closed off, but that had also been resolved since he encountered Hayner.  

Thinking of the devil; "Hey, you two cuties!" Axel greeted with a wave and casually sat down next to Xion, lifting one knee to his chest while letting his other leg hang off. "Excuse me?" Ventus raised a brow and leaned forward to catch a glimpse of Axel. "Oh!" The redhead tensed and smiled awkwardly, "sorry, thought you were Roxas!" "That's... that's not better?" Xion asked incredulously, yet with a smile, knowing that the man meant no harm.  

"God forbid a man jokes," the adult sighed and opened his plastic bag to pull out a sea salt ice cream. "Why'd I expect that?" Xion chuckled, referring to the salty (but sweet) treat and rested her back against the brick wall, indirectly letting Ventus glare at Axel for delivering such a joke. The redhead didn't seem to mind—or, at the very least, notice, and kept on staring into the distance. Finally, the young blonde discarded his short-lived frustration and gestured at the adult with his ice cream, "what's up, Leaaaaxel...?" The name slipped past Ventus' lips.

But it was difficult to adjust to a change if he'd met the redhead with the unwanted name first. Axel perked up and waved the slip-up off, looking down at his sea salt ice cream and taking a bite. "Dunno. I guess I just feel a bit bad about the entire prank, still." "A bit?" Xion inquired, her voice muffled as she had coincidentally just bitten off the rest of her treat—which was, admittedly, a bit too much. The black haired girl's face scrunched up and lived through four different kinds of uncomfortable-looking expressions at once.

"Oh come on." Axel waved the tease off and finished off as much ice cream as possible to see if he had caught a Winner stick ice cream. Ventus, meanwhile, shrugged, "I heard that they're alright again." "As alright as they can be as teenagers," the redhead laughed and examined his ice cream. Spotting that he indeed had acquired his first Winner stick fully by himself—he decided that the one on the ice cream he'd then exchanged with Hayner didn't count—Axel quite literally dropped his ice cream.

"No! No!" The adult cried as the doomed fall happened, and he leaned over to watch as his beloved half-eaten cyan candy was about to hit the ground.

It did not.

Instead, Axel spotted Isa casually approaching the station. With a sound that the trio couldn't have picked up from above, the cyan material dampened the impact on Isa's hair. The blue haired man flinched heavily, his hands instinctively going up to rub his head, only to dig his fingers into the molten ice cream. Ventus, Axel, and Xion observed this, and as soon as Isa looked up slowly—menacingly, almost—and spotted them, Axel started barking with laughter.

The redhead couldn't even stop for long enough to breathe, and it wasn't long after he was doubled over, gasping for air but still howling. It was contagious; both Ventus and Xion joined in soon, the former even coughing a bit as the ice cream from before the laughing fit turned out to have not been swallowed properly. "We-We're— Axel, you're so going to d-die!" Xion choked as she kicked her legs out, and a particularly loud cackle passed her lips. "So worth it!!" Ventus gasped.

Chapter Text

Notification — Messenger
nami! sent you a message

Xion was just on her way back home—Axel had left a little earlier to help Isa build the new bed so they could finally sleep separately again—as her phone buzzed in her pocket. The contact name surprised her; Namine was rarely on her phone, so it had to be important. The black haired girl opened the message while making sure she wasn't in the proximity of a lamp post;

hey, xion. a lot has postponed the day of the memory dive

and oh, Xion almost forgot about it. She saw how three dots bounced up and down on Namine's side of the chat, though, and so she kept walking, waiting for the next text. It took surprisingly long.

i heard that Riku is going to watch the struggle battles tomorrow, and i think i might need a rest day. is it okay for you if we finally do the experimental dive on friday?

Xion quickly glanced up and avoided stepping on a crawling child—luckily—and quickly let her thumbs fly over her screen;

of course, that's okay! i'll also watch the struggle tomorrow, then. is everything okay?

Xion wondered, though, why Namine was taking so long to type. She wasn't as active on the phone as Hayner, Axel, or she herself was, but Xion was used to the flaxen haired girl to be a little quicker.

sure it is. sorry for taking so long, my hand's trapped and he's asleep right now.

Oh. Oh.
Oh god. Xion had to force down the corners of her lips, biting down a wicked, satisfied smirk. The black haired girl, though, didn't begin typing right away; she wanted to construct a masterpiece. And those took time. After a solid five seconds of consideration, Xion decided on something simple;

i waited two weeks for this message, nami
Xion paused. Something was missing.
when he wakes up, do me a favor and kiss him! not from me, but FOR me

Good. Was she meddling? Eh, perchance. Xion would find out how low she stooped with Namine's already forming reply;

should I tell him it was a favor?

God, the girl was feeling well today if she was this straightforward even to Xion, and that over text. The black haired girl bit down on her lower lip as she glanced up again, noticing how she had been walking slightly off to the side. She corrected her direction and quickly responded,

no! anyway, have a great day, i have to be home in like 5min

you have a good day, too, came Namine's slow reply. Xion pocketed her phone, skipping the rest of the way home. 

"You know, Terra," Riku began as he slapped his hand against his left wrist to make his armor disappear, "I don't quite... like Braveheart over Way to the Dawn. I miss it a little." The brown haired man nodded solemnly; he could imagine how it felt. "And you can't summon it back?" "I tried," the silver haired man sighed.

Terra continued his slow circles through the sun-bathed back yard in thought. "It's the keychain, right?" He finally hummed, to which Riku looked up. "What?" "What makes the keyblade the keyblade," Terra explained his thought process, "the appearance and ability rely on the chain and charm." Riku nodded along, chin in his palm.

Until it hit him. The only other person who had lost their keyblade so far was Roxas, and he had, quite easily, regained it. Sure, it was more of a promise than anything, but the lucky charm made Oathkeeper Oathkeeper again. Slowly, the student looked up, "Terra, that's not a stupid thought at all." "I never said it was," the mentor replied neutrally. Riku stood up and looked into the sky. "I'm gonna go ask someone for some advice," Riku looked down at his armored sleeve and finally pressed his hand against his accessory once again.

The button to trigger the armor was flat on his wrist, and with that, the dark grey, black, and indigo colored armor engulfed the young man. "I'll see you around." "Good luck," Terra called after Riku with a smile. As soon as he disappeared into the Ocean Between from the Land of Departure, the brown haired man looked down at the grass with a sigh, "they grow up so quickly."

Chapter Text

Ventus just let his armor disappear before he was hit with cold, cold air. The blonde boy shuddered and turned towards the entrance of the Castle. The huge door was completely open. But what was happening in there?

He approached slowly, each step making him shiver more and more. Finally, Ventus was close enough to see what was going on, and he shuddered again when he saw Kairi fight against Aqua in there. In this cold? His limbs were freezing off! "Girls!" He yelled, but his voice shook, just like his body. Aqua stopped, and Kairi lowered her guard. Ventus could see the very quick pants of air coming from Kairi.

"What the hell are you guys doing in there?" "Training!" Kairi replied, sounding completely breathless. Even in the cold, her bangs stuck to her forehead with sweat. How. Insane, Ventus decided on the spot, the girls had gone mad. "Get out of there, y'all will die of hypothermia! Are you guys even okay?" "Extraordinary, why thank you!" Kairi yelled back, and Ventus could hear Aqua's soft chuckle echo through the hall.

"Are you training for the third war?!" The teen exclaimed in disbelief. "No! Just wanna be stronger!" Kairi yelled back, shuffling on her feet to keep her toes from freezing. Ventus stood speechless for five or six seconds before simply screaming a disbelieving "what the heck is wrong with women?!" before running off into the warm back yard, where Terra proceeded to make fun of Ventus.

Then they both made fun of—who they deemed insane—the two female creatures exposing themselves to a near-death experience for fun.

Namine stared down at her phone, her eyes narrow. Then, as quietly as possible, she began typing another message;

can i kiss him without it being a favor for you?

And after sending it, she waited, her phone unlocked, leaning her head back into his shoulder. Her phone vibrated against her thigh. Xion's replies always came a little too quickly for comfort, and more often than not, Namine was worried that she wasn't doing anything but anticipate a notification.

please do!

—was Xion's (scary quick) reply, and Namine smiled before turning her phone off and placing it on the table beside her. She took a deep breath and leaned back against him, taking note of every inch of her body, although she was especially grateful about the inches of hers that were in contact with his body. The flaxen haired girl sighed again, although she didn't know why, and attempted to relax, closing her eyes. Kissing him sounded so... intimate. Well, it was, but it sounded more intimate than it should. How would he even react? Was he ready? Was she ready? Or was she just pushing herself?

No; she wanted this. What about a different type of—
He stirred. Too late.

With a heavy breath, Roxas woke up. The first thing he did was tighten his grip on her hand, shifting to get his blood flowing again. Namine smiled a gentle smile and whispered, "welcome back to the living", then, just for a moment, went soft against him—her last chance to relax, if only for a few seconds—and he grumbled a raspy "uh, hello" back at her. 

After he took his time to blink about twenty times, he exhaled a long breath. The girl raised her head again, lifted her right arm, and tapped his shoulder. His reaction time still absent, he took a second to turn his head. His reaction time still absent, he wasn't able to process the kiss as it happened; only a second after.

But oh, did he process it after that second. And Roxas didn't waste any time to raise his unoccupied hand to cup her cheek and pull her right back in.

Chapter Text

Roxas paused for a moment, his eyes ranking over her face—but just for a moment—before closing the distance again, capturing her lips once more. How often had they kissed before? How many of those times counted?

Did the drunk ones count?, Roxas wondered. With them, they'd probably be at 1 1/2 make out sessions and seven kisses. And if the drunk ones didn't, they'd be at one. The one she just initiated. Then two, because he pulled her back in; and now three, because he kissed her once again. People were right; kisses did come naturally if you were confident enough, and this time, he was.

But they were lucky to have experienced the drunk ones first, because that basically erased the possibility of an awkward first kiss. If this one had been bad—which it was not—it at least would be the seventh. Stereotype defeated, he internally approved. His right hand was still interlocking fingers with hers, so he just kept holding her face, though they let go after another second or so.

Her hands had slowly slid up his chest to his shoulders, and with a little too much tiredness and not enough balance, she dropped back against the mattress. Luckily, his reaction time allowed him to prop his left elbow up against the mattress, and he just hovered over her for a second.

Then Roxas exhaled a snort of laughter while Namine, with an incoming blush, turned her head to the side. Both of them were silent for a moment until she found it in herself to speak, "this... this was..." "Scary? Risky?" The blonde boy finished. She confirmed this with the smallest nod imaginable. He let his gaze once again trail over whatever he could see. After another pause, she hesitantly turned her head back, and he smiled at her.

That god forsaken smile that made her turn to mush every time. Suddenly, the flaxen haired girl felt like she was about to melt under him. "You know," he began quietly and adjusted to be able to lie down next to—more so behind—her if he wanted to, "I'm not drunk this time." To that, she just couldn't help it; she smiled and rolled over a little, inviting him to claim the space behind her. He took the opportunity and, after quickly contemplating it, wrapped his arms around her.

He wasn't drunk this time.

The touch was light and warm, but it was new, and like any normal person, she found herself to be a little nervous. Roxas pursed his lips—not that she could see—and thought for a little while. "Also, you could've waited, like... ten seconds," he whispered light-heartedly, "I had to yawn." Namine chuckled.

Why did he know what to say?
How did he know what to say?
Was her nervousness that evident?

The girl laughed quietly, "I sincerely apologize," but her voice was a little—just a little—shaky. Was this really... real? Nonetheless, she relaxed into him, his arms feeling like a warm, comfortable blanket—a blanket which she wholeheartedly loved. The thought was still scary as hell.

And, of course, his phone buzzed, vibrating against the table. He groaned quietly—which she heard and had to smile about—he lifted the upper arm from her body and reached for his phone. He didn't even attempt to move any other part of his body;

Notification — Messenger
Riku sent you a message

Riku? Roxas clicked on the notification and squinted to read. 

Hey, are you available?
Not wasting a second, he began typing, but it proved difficult—with the phone in the air, holding it with one hand and typing with his thumb—but he, surprisingly, didn't drop it. Roxas managed a simple response;

not today

then turned Do Not Disturb on—a new setting that Ienzo had coded into a recent update, Pence explained—and placed the device back on the table. The blonde boy couldn't help but sigh at the interruption, and that sigh, in turn, evolved into a full-blown yawn. Namine chuckled as soon as it was over; "was that the yawn you were talking about?"

Roxas nodded a little shyly and moved his arm back around her. Turning slightly, she—with no hesitation this time—locked lips with him again, letting the kiss linger for what he assumed were two seconds. He couldn't exactly tell, though—time stopped as it happened. She laughed shyly as she pulled away, "I waited this time."

And the blonde boy turned beet red. Only now did the weight of realization settle, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Instead of said weight pushing him down, he felt as if it was elevating, lifting him. And he began laughing, pressing the upper half of his face into her shoulder to hide his blush from her. The flaxen haired girl began laughing as well and raised her left hand to touch his temple affectionately, letting her fingertips trail down.

This was real.

Chapter Text

not today

Roxas had texted. Riku just landed in Twilight Town, pushing down on the black metal button. His armor disappeared in the matter of a second, and he arched his back a little to adjust to the slightly more mobile feeling. The armor plates were absolutely ingenious, but nothing could compare to not wearing armor—no matter the quality. Riku then glanced around. Kairi had her training with Aqua, though it wasn't like she could help much. Who else knew of—

"Right!" The man breathed and turned on his heels, making his way over to his new goal. 

Riku arrived in about four minutes, and he stared at the doorbell. X, I and A. Seriously? Slowly, he let his gaze trail over the building. Two floors. It'd be less of a hassle than figuring out what bell to ring. With a deep sigh, Riku decided to climb the building. He stepped back, took a proper run-up, and jumped off, grabbing the edge of the lowest balcony. With a skilled flip, he was squatting on the—not very thick—edge. Still balancing himself, he looked up for the next thing he could jump onto.

The next closest thing was a windowsill. If he'd grab it, he could swing onto the new balcony. So Riku did just that—he leaped and just barely managed to cling to the slippery edge. It had rained during the night; how had he forgotten? His fingers slowly lost their grip. The man fought to grip the edge with his second hand, then placed the tips of his feet against the brick wall. He rocked left and right a couple of times before he took the risk and jumped to the right. 

Riku held onto the balcony and smoothly pulled himself up. He knew that Axel, Isa, and Xion had a balcony—he just didn't know whose room it belonged to. No matter; he saw the beautifully crafted dreamcatcher and knew he had not accidentally climbed up somewhere wrong. The balcony wasn't far, so he stayed in his squat but bounced on his heels. He then hopped securely onto said balcony and landed on his feet with a clean roll. 

Maybe the stairs would've been a better option.

The black-stained balcony door was slightly ajar, and it drifted further open with the wind. Careful not to make a sound, the silver haired man peeked inside. Xion, it was Xion's room. She wore what he assumed to be old clothes, the plastic stick of a lollipop sticking out of her mouth. The black haired girl stood on a small ladder, moving a paintbrush over the corners. Her back was facing him, and he could tell that she was removing spider webs.

Riku waited for a moment before he knocked on the glass door, and the poor girl lived through a full-body twitch, her head whipping around as if she was caught in a very exaggerated horror movie. She opened her mouth to speak, which caused her candy to almost drop out of her mouth. She quickly pressed her lips together again, pushed it into her left cheek, and attempted to speak once again;

"Where—Why... What are you doing on the balcony?" Her arms lowered to her sides. Riku tentatively rubbed the back of his neck, "it's quicker than taking the stairs." "And much more... intrusive," she added, although she seemed to have caught herself again. "At least come in," Xion stepped off the ladder and sat down on the lowest step. He accepted the invitation and closed the balcony door behind himself. "So... you're taking care of your room," he attempted to sound casual, and she cracked a small smile.

"I don't like spiders. Like, at all." "I get it." He sighed and looked around her room. Lovely. "I, uh... wanted to ask you something. Roxas is unavailable, and you're the second-best option." "The second best?" Xion tilted her head and placed the paintbrush on the floor. "I mean, did you ever lose your keyblade and get it back with a keychain?" Riku inquired and crossed his arms lamely. "No, but Roxas did. I was right there...oh.. oh. Oh." 

She seemed to have caught up. "It's about Way to the Dawn," the silver haired man continued, "I want it back, and I figured you'd maybe have an idea."

Chapter Text

"A demon tide?" "Yeah," Riku confirmed, hands clasped together on his lap. He sat on the edge of her bed while she refused to move from the ladder; my pants are dirty, she had argued. "But... keyblades are supposed to be indestructible?" Xion asked incredulously. She could understand how someone like Axel—in no means did she want to downplay him—would lose his keyblade; he lacked the training. But Riku was a master, right? "But... Braveheart, that's not even your keyblade." She concluded.

"It's one that Yen Sid gave me," Riku confirmed tiredly. "You do know that you can't project your keyblade onto a different one, right? Why don't you try summoning yours back?" The girl inquired. "I can't," the man simply sighed. "Well, if you're so convinced, of course you can't," she frowned. Riku looked up; what was she saying? "Aren't keyblades a heart-weapon? The stronger your heart, the better the keyblade will align with you. I mean... look at Sora." 

At the mention of his best friend, Riku looked down at the floor. Sora had made a keyblade that wasn't supposed to be for him, his own, solely based on the strength of his heart. Xion was completely correct; keyblades worked with the wielder. A weak heart meant a weak blade. What caused him to break, then? The black haired girl noticed his silence and leaned forward, "you really want it back?" She asked. He looked up; of course, he did. It was a reminder of what he had achieved.

It was the symbol of his decision; he would take the way to Dawn. "Really, really want it back?" Xion asked again, raising a brow. Riku nodded with determination, "I've been trying for a while now." "What I'd do is a little extreme," Xion began, almost as if easing him into the revelation, "but I'd just stop using the borrowed keyblade." Riku huffed a breath of laughter.

Xion's expression didn't change. Riku's eyes narrowed, "you're serious?" "Very much so." "I'm gonna die." "Practice some magic while you're at it," the girl suggested. "I'm bad at magic," the silver haired man admitted. "Just one more reason to practice, right?" She shrugged. Riku stared at her as if he could not comprehend what she was saying—which wasn't far from the truth. Riku was a hard hitter, Riku wasn't a magic user, Riku depended on his keyblade.

He circled back to that last thought, though. He depended on his keyblade. Maybe he was just... depending on the wrong one? 

"Braveheart's not your keyblade. It's not from your heart," she kept going, "trust me, I know how that feels." Riku's head snapped up, his brows furrowing in sympathy. Right, why was he doubting her knowledge if she was one of the very first people to have lived with the keyblade-not-belonging issue? "It's not, like, the strength you're lacking," she gestured with her hands, "more so the determination. Your keyblade was broken, and so was your heart. Not... not in the feelings way, but in the... keyblade way. Get me?" Riku couldn't help but crack a small smile; he knew what she meant, and watching her attempt to articulate a proper english sentence was a little amusing to say the least.

"I guess so," he conceded after a moment of silence. "So you're saying it doesn't have to be Way to the Dawn." "It could be the most generic keyblade you have ever seen," she formed a half-circle over her head, "but at least it's yours. Any of your keyblades are gonna surpass Braveheart." The man nodded along. This conversation had been more helpful than he had hoped to be, and he was sure that talking with Roxas would've ended far worse. 

"Alright." Finally, Riku rose to his feet and looked at Xion. How she was able to switch from chaotic spiderweb remover to a literal guide was beyond his comprehension, but he didn't feel the need to understand. "That helped. Thanks, Xion." He paused and let his eyes dart over the room, "have fun with cleaning your room." 

The black haired girl raised a brow, "what, you're not going to help?" Riku paused and let his eyes dart over the room again. He took a short moment of consideration, then casually slipped his jacket off and tossed it onto her bed. She had jumped to her feet, "wait, that was a joke—"

Riku did not take it as a joke.

Chapter Text

"Push this there," Xion mumbled as she pointed her index finger from the shelf to the literal opposite corner. Riku's light grey t-shirt was now dark grey—not that he minded—and full of either dust or spiderwebs. He was breathing heavily, but still adjusted the position of his feet and pushed. "You're not cleaning," he panted as he pressed his entire arm against the wooden structure, now using his body weight as a force, "you're rearranging your life!" "What can I say?" Xion whistled innocently and turned on the ladder, screwing the bolts on the pole for her curtains shut.

"Stop," he sighed, "you could say you've.. done enough, Xion, do you know those words...?" Still, after a few seconds, the shelf stood perfectly aligned with the corner, and he leaned over to press his palms to his knees. "This is training!" "This is torture," he retorted breathlessly. "Okay," she sighed, "I concede. Go sit down." "Is this a blessing?" He raised a brow, but his expression wavered. Slowly, he slumped down against the floor.

They—more so he—had been at this for one and a half hours. Bed? Moved. Shelf? Moved. Closet? What do you expect? And she didn't even think of removing the contents to make it easier. Riku was working his ass off for free, whereas he could get paid 550 munny an hour by an old lady for the same activity. Xion giggled as she watched him go limp against the floor. She descended the three steps of her ladder and walked towards him, lowering herself to side-sit right beside his head. The girl reached down slowly.

Not a sliver of doubt crossed her mind for some reason.

She let her fingertips brush against his forehead, then temple, and almost teasingly drag over his scalp before she lifted her hand again. Riku's eyes had closed during this, not a hint of a thought visible on his face. The black haired girl leaned down a little; "do you get massages?" Riku opened his left eye and looked at her. The angle looked good. She looked good.

"Uh, no," he managed to mumble, "no... never." "Never?" She raised a brow and paused, her face then moving to form a slight frown, "but you fight all the time. Don't your muscles ache?" "That's what I sleep for," he replied, moving his arms only for his face to scrunch up in discomfort. "Massages," Xion began almost absentmindedly, her index finger tracing patterns on the wooden floor next to her, "they're great. Sometimes they're painful, but a good type of painful." "How can pain be good?" Riku chuckled.

"Find out for yourself," she shrugged, "I can't really explain it." "I don't think I wanna find out," the man chuckled weakly and turned his head to the side. His chest was still heaving. "No?" She tilted her head as a smile blessed her lips, "I'm pretty good at them." Riku didn't turn his head back, but she heard him stifle a chuckle, "I probably feel like a stone." "That's what massages are for, Riku," she sighed exasperatedly, "to get the blood flowing and to loosen the knots in muscles. I researched a bit." The silver haired man twisted a little, not being able to decide how to lie on the floor comfortably. She saw this and decided to...

Just take the opportunity. "Turn to lie on your stomach," she instructed and wiped her hands on her pants, then inspected them for dirt, webs, or dust. "Will you work on me until I'm slime?" He mumbled tiredly, his cheek pressed into the floor as he obeyed. "Arms down your sides," she added and shifted to kneel beside him. He did so, as well. "Relax," Xion added. "Now see, this is where I struggle," he laughed, his words slightly muffled. "Just breathe out and pretend you've just been knocked to the ground." "How the hell does that compare to being relaxed?" 

"What—I mean the... when you're on the floor and can't move, everything in your body feels like jelly!" "So?" "Like that! Relax like that!" "Oh," Riku sighed and attempted to let his shoulders fall with his exhale. He didn't feel as relaxed as he might've liked, but it would have to suffice. "Now shut up," she commanded and placed her hands on his shoulders. Gently, she dug her fingertips into the muscles, and an ungodly shiver ran down his entire body. "Oh my god," he nearly groaned, his hands curling into loose fists at the sudden sensation. Xion couldn't help her small smile, "I can't believe you've never been massaged before."

"Please," the silver haired man implored, "don't stop this heaven..." "We'll see," she chirped.
He sounded good.

Chapter Text

"I-I'm.." Riku attempted to form a sentence as she skillfully traced the muscles around his spine, dragging the entire tension out of his body, "literally.. gonna fall asleep..." His eyelids felt heavy, anyway, and with her hands forcing the aches into another dimension, he really couldn't help it. "It can't be that good," she laughed as she pressed her fingertips into his muscles and traced them back up to his neck. He had been trying to raise his head a little to breathe, but as soon as she touched his neck, his head dropped—uncomfortably—into the floor.

Riku groaned again, not finding the literal strength to move even just his arms. "You—You're... great.." the man wanted to add an at this to his sentence, but his body refused to cooperate. The words you're great lingering in the air were different. A good type of different, maybe, because she didn't reply. And Xion always replied. "A-Ah, ow," he audibly murmured and shifted his head a little. "What the.. hell?" He uttered.

"What?" She asked softly, digging her fingertips deep into his back, reaching the knots below his shoulder blades. He bit back a literal moan as she did so, instead just furrowing his eyebrows and inhaling sharply, clenching his fists a little tighter. "Why are you—ah—so strong?" He croaked. "I'm going pretty easy on you," she laughed and slid her palms down his back. God, that felt good. "You can't be... serious," he stated in disbelief, finally shifting a little to get more comfortable. She felt his muscles flex under her fingertips.

Xion then, after a second of hesitation, began working on his neck, kneading into the more delicate muscles. This time, Riku could not silence his small moan of both pain and pleasure, sighing deeply as she splayed her hands out, rubbing her fingertips—except her thumbs on his neck, over his scalp. "Oh my god," he murmured, "what the... hell.." 

The black haired girl giggled—were the noises getting to her? No way—and pressed a little harder, making him almost tense; "I-ah, ah.. I worked my ass off, and you—" the man could barely articulate sentences as she pressed more into his scalp, his eyelids fighting to stay open. "You were saying?" She inquired almost smugly as she leaned down to pick up whatever curses he muttered under his breath. "You're... t—ah—torturing.. me," Riku squeezed out. "Do you want me to stop?" "No," he groaned, "I can... I can.. deal with it."

Sure he could.

After four more minutes, Riku couldn't help but make a quiet moan and turned. Her hands left his back, cracking her knuckles and stretching her fingers. The silver haired man stared at the ceiling as he contemplated his life, and she was gazing at him with a gaze he couldn't decipher if he were to look at her and try. "You okay?" She asked softly, tilting her head. "I'm.. trying to figure that out," he mumbled as he blinked a couple of times. His back was warm.

Was it his blood flowing again? Or was it the lingering warmth of her touch?

"You should always drink water after a massage," Xion informed with a smile and got onto her feet, walking out of the room as if she hadn't physically undone him in the matter of seven minutes. Massages were, he decided, amazing. He'd need more of them, soon. He turned to his side and attempted to sit up, and even though it was his back she massaged, his knees felt like melting. "Oh my god," he groaned and looked left and right, and the man was certain he had gained ten more degrees visibility in each direction. 

She had skilled hands. After ten more seconds, she returned with a glass of water. Riku extended his arm, and she handed it to him. He raised the glass to his lips with an iron grip, afraid to let it drop, and drank the entire thing in one go. Xion watched this with an amused expression, and he sighed a satisfied, soft ah as soon as he swallowed. Carefully, the silver haired man set the glass down and stared daggers at the wall in front of him, then allowed his eyes to move to her. He was very careful not to let his gaze rake over her.

Not her face, not her shoulders, her stomach, hips—
Oh, he was doing it already.

That massage had rearranged his brain cells, too. It wasn't his fault; it was hers, for massaging the logic out of him. Riku cleared his throat and dusted his hands off on his pants, "I'm, uh... ready to continue cleaning, I think." "Pushing shelves, too?" Xion tilted her head. The silver haired man stared at her, "I already moved all of them!" "I was kidding!" the black haired girl assured. With a sigh, Riku got up on his feet again, "...uh-huh. Let's get this over with, then.."

Chapter Text

"Concentrate!" Aqua encouraged as she lunged in, skillfully slipping past Kairi's defenses. The woman was ready to deliver a clean strike to her student's side, but the girl jumped out of reach. She landed with a slight stumble, the cold making her muscles feel like leather. "I'm trying..!" Kairi panted and raised her keyblade for an ice spell.

Aqua dodged it with a swift flip to the side. Kairi couldn't comprehend how Aqua was holding up under such extreme temperatures and conditions, but she couldn't ponder for long as Aqua dashed in for another flurry of attacks. The redhead successfully guarded until the last one, which Aqua purposefully lagged for. Kairi didn't have the skills to guard a second time, and the strike resulted in a loss. 

"Oh, damn it!" The girl complained as she let her keyblade dissolve, tip-toeing around to keep her muscles from freezing. Aqua smiled lightly and waved her arm out, letting the cold disappear and the temperature rise notably again. Kairi felt the warm air against her skin, and she had never been more grateful for 20 Degrees Celsius outside.

"Hey, you're pretty good!" Ventus praised as he—effortlessly—parried Hayner's attempts at an attack. "Says you; I didn't even hit you once!" "Neither have I!" "You didn't even try!" The frizzy haired teen pulled his arm back and raised the foam bat, digging it forward into what would've been Ventus' chest. The younger teen guarded but actually took a step back to balance himself.

"I've got training, lots of it," Ventus called out as he lowered the foam weapon, and Hayner lowered it, too, although with some confusion, "I would've lost if I didn't. Seriously, you're good." "Uh, I mean," Hayner replied sheepishly, "I train 'n stuff. 's basically the same." The older boy chuckled, "thanks, though!" "Anytime." Ventus smiled. Hayner paused in contemplation for a moment. "You know, I've been thinking about something. About the heart things... 's odd. You and Roxas... are so similar, but so different."

"Explain," Ventus urged curiously. "Appearance-wise... like, I couldn't tell the difference at first. But, like, behavior-wise. You're much more... careful. I always walk back home all beat up when I fight Roxas—but it's also my fault, I always ask 'im for another round." "Hm," Ventus nodded in acknowledgement, "Roxas just got that different type of determination that I don't. He doesn't back off easily." "True."

Both teens were silent for a while. Hayner couldn't stand the quiet for much longer, "'Lette told me that Xion told her that you like, like, sweet ice cream." Ventus stared at the other boy, "I mean... yeah. I've come to know it this way." "Yeah. That's another difference you guys have. Roxie is a victim of sea salt ice cream." To that, the younger boy laughed and nodded, "Xion too! I think it's because Axel refused to eat a different one and introduced them solely to the salty flavor." "Yeaaah," Hayner chuckled, "Xion then allowed—more so forced—me to convert 'im to sweet ice cream. It was so painful to watch how Axel whined, man.."

At that moment, they heard a sigh behind them, and Hayner whipped his head around. It was Roxas, having picked up a struggle bat. Nothing suspicious if you didn't look too hard—but his hair was oddly disheveled for someone who was supposed to have done nothing the entire day. "What's up?" Roxas greeted lightly and rested the foam bat over his shoulder. "Mm, nothin'," Hayner smiled a lopsided grin and shifted his weight, "and with you?"

Ventus nodded at Hayner's question and added his own comment, "you're... looking messy." "Oh," Roxas paused, seemingly zoning out for a moment, "do I?" "Yup," Hayner confirmed. "Oh," the messy haired blonde repeated, "yeah, I mean, I didn't bother to brush it." "Ah." Hayner bought into it. Ventus did not.

"Anything to do with someone?" The younger teen curiously tilted his head, to which Roxas' grip on his foam bat weakened. He hadn't been that transparent, had he? "H-How would you arrive at that conclusion?" He asked nervously. Hayner raised a brow, and Ventus' confused expression made way to subtle amusement. "I mean... look at you," the teen shrugged nonchalantly. Roxas' lips parted, and only after a few seconds did he manage a reply, "what does that mean—"

Chapter Text

After Riku had finally been released from Xion's command, he allowed himself to tiptoe into the kitchen to check the fridge. They had lots of snacks—probably Axel's—and the man allowed himself something light. The work had tired him out, but it was a little fun to just... do something with her. And it felt a little easier with his muscles having been regressed to mush thirty minutes ago.

After Riku finished his small meal, he knocked on her door, waited for a come in! and entered her room again. He looked around; for real this time, "this looks different." "Good or bad?" "Good, I'd say," he commented and walked over to the bed, snatching the jacket and phone off the blanket. "I'm free to leave now, right?" "Yup," she nodded and stepped off the ladder, tilting her head again. "Will you take the stairs this time? Like a reasonable person?"

To that, Riku actually couldn't help a small smirk flash over his lips. As soon as his short-sleeved jacket slipped over his arms, he raised his hands a little and pressed the black button of his armored wrist guard. Xion had wanted to ask him what it was, but it would explain itself now. With a subtle shift in the light around him, he found himself standing in gorgeous armor. 

The hood was slim, and she could only compare it to a more stylish helmet. What she had seen on the Wayfinder Trio's armor also reappeared here, but they looked more like cat ears than the bunny look the other tips had taken on. The general color was a deep, beautiful indigo paired with a smooth-looking black and subtle grey and sky blue accents. The armor plates were a little different compared to those of Aqua and Ventus, less split and more steady, like Terra's. 

On the hips, three each, small curved spikes stuck out, grey in color. Silver chains hung loosely from the shoulders to the elbows, a detail she couldn't help but admire. The armor itself wasn't designable; only the accessory gave a rough guideline for color, so she wondered why his armor turned out this way. Xion never dared to ask the two adults, and she never really thought of asking Ventus—they goofed around too much for her to remember each time.

The black haired girl didn't realize she was staring until he pressed a small button on where his ear was located beneath the helmet, lifting the black stained glass from his face. "Wanna see me depart?" He asked, a playful smile blessing his lips. He was proud of this armor, and for some reason, she was proud of him for the armor. He had apparently proven himself worthy—it warmed her heart. "Uh... I'm.. sure, sure, I'll watch," she barely stuttered, trailing after him to the balcony.

He hopped onto the edge and looked back at her, lowering the face protection glass. Then he turned around and let himself drop with his back facing the ground. Could he even see? How would he even survive the fall? That was until he summoned Braveheart, the keyblade transforming into a glider. It looked like a thin V of some sort, with a handle at each end. The seat was at the tip, and it was just wide enough to sit cross-legged if he wanted to. It even had a lean to simply relax and float through the air. There was a second seat off to the side that he was apparently able to retract with a certain button press on the left side of the handle—because that's what he did.

Xion could see how he raised his head towards her, but due to the glass being tinted from the outside, she couldn't tell if he was looking at her. That worry was lifted when he subtly raised his hand as a sign of goodbye, and then he sped off skillfully. This last time, it was okay to use Braveheart, she relented mentally as she walked back into her room, the image of him in his—definitely not good-looking—armor lingering in her mind for far too long for comfort.

Riku arrived home in the populated island, Destiny Islands, where he lived, hopping off his glider and right in front of his small house that he had graciously been granted by the mayor. As soon as he stepped inside, he pushed the button on his wrist again, letting the armor vanish. Firstly, he walked into his room, grabbing some comfortable sweatpants and a white t-shirt, along with black socks and boxers. Then he stepped into the bathroom and locked the door.

With no struggle—as he was, of course, agile to some extent—he swiftly took off his jacket and slipped his t-shirt over his head. He examined his upper body, reflecting on his journey and how it brought him here, and how it made him who he was. Then, slowly, Riku turned his body, although turning his head in the opposite direction to examine his back. The silver haired man spotted subtle red marks, lines, dots, and even patterns, all over his back.

He sighed deeply at the memory and carefully traced his fingers over the marks he could reach. He was both intrigued and a little terrified. The latter was fair, though;

how the hell was she so strong?

Chapter Text

"Which direction... does it go?" "What?" "To tighten it." "Oh," Isa hummed and leaned over to get Axel's point of view, "to tighten the screw, you have to turn it right. Remember, lefty loosey and—" "Righty tighty," Axel finished and began screwing, "I almost forgot about that saying."

Isa smiled slightly and returned to flipping through the instructions. They were almost done with constructing the frame, and placing a mattress, pillow, and blanket on a bed wasn't the most challenging task. The hammer sounds and continued shuffling of wooden planks over the floor made every other noise outside the room stop existing. Axel groaned once, twice, and let the screwdriver drop. "That should be every screw!" "That's good," Isa sighed as he analyzed the instructions for a step they shouldn't miss.

Meanwhile, the redhead stared at his friend, now not tasked with anything and not knowing what to do. Isa was still flipping, but paused for a moment. He continued shortly after, but then spoke, "Axel... what was that with the ice cream?" The red haired man tensed. "Ooouhh... so, I got an.. uhm... Winner stick, and I dropped my ice cream... by accident." "Accident?" "You think I can calculate when to drop my snack so it lands on you?"

Axel rubbed the back of his neck, "shitty coincidence. 'm sorry." "Accepted," Isa huffed, much to the redhead's surprise, "but you should learn to apologize without being told to." Cold sweat started forming on Axel's body—how was Isa doing that? Reading him so intimately, as if the blue haired man was Axel himself? "I'm... working on that," Axel sighed and averted his gaze for a moment. "It would've been necessary, for Roxas, for example," the stern man continued, eyes still locked upon the manual, "you shouldn't need ten reminders just to apologize for something terrible."

"Yeah, I'm aware," Axel sighed again, "I know. Let's drop the topic, mkay?" Isa wasn't particularly thrilled by the change, knowing that Axel was stalling and avoiding. At the same time, the man understood why his friend must've been sick from lectures. The blue haired man set the manual down and stood up, "I'll go look into the kitchen to see if I find something appealing." "Good luck," Axel chuckled and leaned back a little, knowing that said trip would most likely be unsuccessful. Isa wasn't very fascinated by Axel's taste in sweets.

Isa waltzed into the kitchen, determined to find himself at least a soda he liked. What he found instead—or, well, saw—was Xion, elbows prepped against the kitchen counter, face buried in her hands. The blue haired man halted in his steps for a moment, but decided to walk past her and check the fridge. While he did so, he casually asked, "hey, Xion. Is something bothering you?" He looked over his shoulder as he asked, and his eyes picked up a slight shake of her head.

He found lemon-raspberry flavored water and decided to go with that, closing the fridge quietly. Isa walked past her again and managed to spot a hint of her face that peeked out from behind her hands. It was red.

Was she blushing?

"How's the room cleaning going?" The man asked as casually as possible. Xion didn't even attempt to lift her head, but she replied this time, "fine. Riku came over to ask me a question... and then helped me for a while." "Riku?" Isa raised a brow. Sure, their handwork was pretty noisy, but he would've heard the ring of the bell. Almost as if sensing his confusion, Xion added, "he... came through the balcony for some reason." "Ah..." Isa nodded lamely, "well, I'll be back with Axel again."

Isa then waltzed back into his and Axel's room, his mind already creating multiple theories. The most obvious came dead last; in the sleepover, there had been some teasing jabs towards Riku coming from Hayner, and the latter claimed that something had happened with Xion. Was there something going on?

What an odd thought.

Isa sat back down next to his friend and sighed. What might've been a little too loudly, the blue haired man spoke, "I think Xion's slowly... how do I say this.." Isa paused to mentally articulate the sentence he wanted to say, "growing up. Maturing." Axel looked up and cocked a brow, "Sure she is, and I get 'ya. But... what makes you think that?" "Well," the stern man paused, again, "I think she likes... him." "Who—what—what? You don't mean Riku?" Axel chuckled. From outside, they heard a startled squeak; "what?!" before quick steps echoed through the hallway. Xion's door closed a few seconds after that. She had heard them.

The redhead looked at his roommate with a smirk, "I think we found something out we're not supposed to." "You think." Isa deadpanned, to which Axel chuckled, "don't wanna assume!"

Chapter Text

"Okay, what are the rules?" Roxas asked as he picked the foam bat with the hand guard. "One hit and it's over," Hayner declared, "it'll drag on for too long if we do it any other way." Ventus nodded to this. Roxas just shrugged and absentmindedly weighed the weapon in his hand. This should be a cakewalk.

Against Hayner, it was. Roxas skillfully handled the foam weapon as if it were his keyblade, guarding effortlessly and only growing uncertain once—and that was when Hayner raised his hands to give up. Roxas was certain Hayner was kidding, but as even Ventus giggled at the frizzy haired boy's gesture, Roxas lowered his weapon. "Giving up?" The older blonde asked. "Yeah. Don't wanna limp on my way home." "Good choice," Roxas laughed.

Roxas then went up against Ventus, and the fight proved more challenging than the last—for obvious reasons. Ventus was agile, very much so, and while Roxas' speed was unmatched in their group, although Xion came moderately close, Ventus was just moving too much. Roxas tilted his head, but the subtle bruise on his nape reminded him that he shouldn't.

That bruise—

In a moment of carelessness, Ventus had dug the tip of the foam weapon into Roxas' hip, then springing up and bouncing in victory. Roxas, with a sigh, placed the struggle bat back into the box where they were kept, all while Ventus still had to calm down. He did, after a while, and took a few deep breaths. "Roxas," Hayner began, now doubting Roxas' earlier excuse entirely, "you zoned out back there." "Uh—um, did I?" The teen stammered in return. 

Ventus raised a brow. "It's about Namine." "It's not." "Oh," Hayner gasped, "it's about Namine!" "None of your business!" Roxas retorted and crossed his arms lazily, shifting his weight. Hayner's lips curled up into a devilish smile, "it so is about Namine." Ventus chuckled, "you don't look depressed, so that's that... Dating, then?" And Roxas shook his head slowly. He paused halfway through the motion and attempted to transition it into a shrug, which worked, in a way. The other two got the message. "Na-mi-ne," Hayner chirped, "Na-mi-ne~!"

Roxas' brows furrowed, "at least it's not me who's too shy to ask out 'Lette." "What—" Hayner choked on what would've been his master class reply. And it was Olette herself who just happened to walk past them, staring at her phone. At what she overheard, she tensed for a moment. Still, the auburn haired girl kept walking, not daring to freeze and make her presence known. Frantically, she opened the group chat titled Single 16's and began typing away while disappearing behind a house nearby.

Kairi's phone buzzed, and she lifted it to her face, read what Olette had messaged, and gasped. The redhead quickly switched to her chat with Namine and texted;

Olette overheard something from Roxas, and now I'm curious how your relationship's going right now

Namine's reply came rather quickly, we're doing great, thanks. A short while later, Namine began texting again. It was short but simple, why are we so interesting? To that, Kairi had an answer ready;

because you two just ARE!!

And that bickering went on over chat for at least five minutes.

Chapter Text

Careful not to burn her fingers, Aqua grabbed the cup handle with masterclass precision. The scent of the white tea she had prepared for herself soothed her mind already—and also her immune system. Maybe she had gone overboard with the freezing room. She turned, lowering the cup in front of her chest.

In the doorframe stood Terra, a brow quirked. Aqua paused, her brain aborting the mission of walking over to the table to take a seat. Instead, she took a sip of the brewed drink. "Hello," she said idly after lowering the cup from her lips. "Good afternoon," Terra nodded and entered the kitchen. The woman finally remembered that standing in the middle of the room was rather inconvenient and moved to sit down on the nearest chair.

Terra passed the table and walked over to the stove, leaning over a pot she had glanced at earlier. "What are you making?" She asked, to which, after he had fiddled with the knobs below the stove, he turned to look at her. "Spaghetti," the man said, "I can't cook much else." "That I remember," she smiled softly. Her eyes darted down to the tea and took another slow sip. "And? The tea?" "White," Aqua said, "I'm afraid I'll get sick." 

Terra chuckled and looked through the drawers for a wooden spoon, "Training in chilling temperatures has some side effects. Y'know, like sickness." He paused as he acquired the tool, "Ventus complained that you were trying to freeze Kairi to death." Aqua laughed; that was something she could imagine Ventus would say. "It was a training exercise that she requested. Why, I don't know either." 

Comfortable silence filled the room as Aqua stirred her tea with the small spoon inside the cup, all while Terra tried to get a noodle out of the pot to check the texture. "Terra," the blue haired woman said after having finished half her drink, "where were you and Ventus when you informed me you'd hang out with the younger boys?" "Ah," he sighed, "we were invited to a sleepover." Aqua smiled subtly, "then I assumed correctly." 

The brown haired man looked over his shoulder, "how?" "The timings on the texts were far too close to be a coincidence," she reasoned, "and I feel like the kids orchestrated it." "The kids?" Terra asked, "Are you including the girls with that statement?" "Olette and Xion for certain," she confirmed. Terra chewed on his lower lip, turning his attention back to the boiling water. After a few moments of silence had passed, the man came to a realization: "You guys were having a sleepover, too? That'd explain the nature of the replies..." 

"We were," Aqua giggled and sipped on her tea, "it was quite fun." "For me, too," Terra nodded with conviction, "there was this... incredible balance they found to make me, Axel, and Isa fit in there." "Same goes for me," Aqua nodded. They were silent again, Terra having placed the wooden spoon over the boiling water while he walked over to the cupboard to grab a bowl. Then he squatted to check another cupboard for a colander. "But tell me, Terra," the blue haired woman began again.

Terra stood up again and turned, colander still in his hands, "hm?" "What exactly caused you—and the others—to send those texts?" "Ah." The brown haired man just managed to stand idly in his spot. Was this going where he thought it would? "Well," he said as he turned around and placed the colander into the sink, "it was Ventus' idea. A dare game, of some sort." "Ventus?" "Yeah. Spin the bottle, and the one who spins can dare the person it landed on." 

Aqua's eyes narrowed, mostly in thought, as she tried to make sense of who dared who to have the boys send these texts. "Who dared you?" No reply came from Terra for a moment, and Aqua gave him the benefit of the doubt by assuming he thought back to the night. "Uh, Pence, I think," the man replied after a long wait, moving back to the cooking spaghetti. Aqua raised a brow. "Interesting..." 

He grabbed the handles of the pot and carried it over to the sink, pouring the contents into the colander. Meanwhile, she was still thinking and connecting dots, which proved difficult. "So it was a dare," she concluded, "the text?" "Yep," he sighed. He would've much rather avoided the topic entirely, but that was difficult if they lived—alongside Ventus—under one roof. "What—" Terra began, but hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted an answer to what he was about to ask.

Screw that, he decided. "What about your reply?" Of course he'd ask. "Xion insisted we flirt back," Aqua revealed lightly, her composure not wavering, "her words, not mine." "Why does that answer make so much sense?" Terra chuckled and turned on the faucet, showering the spaghetti with cold water. "It's a Xion thing." Aqua shrugged.

She then drank the rest of her tea and set the cup down at the table. "Why would Pence dare you that, though?" The woman wondered, "he's not one to do things for no reason." Aqua and her brains would kill him one day, he was certain, Terra sighed internally and shook the colander to get rid of the last droplets of water. "You aren't one to reply something completely nonsensical either, though," he retorted, somewhat proud of himself for his quick thinking. That silenced her for a moment, "fair enough..."

He stepped over to the drawer with the cooking utensils and grabbed the spaghetti spoon, preparing himself a serving. "Do we have to talk about it?" "How about you eat first?" Aqua suggested, to which he couldn't help but smile, "though I am also quite curious about your sleepover experience."

Chapter Text

"Isn't that weird?" Ventus asked with a sigh, turning his ice cream stick around in his hand. "Yeah. Mondays. It's always mondays." "Right? It could be any day, but it has to be the start of the week where I'm always tired!" Roxas chuckled and tossed the blank ice cream stick into the nearby trash can, "I think I inherited that from you. Thanks a lot." "I can't relate," Hayner laughed as he mimicked random attacks with his stick, "'cuz I'm always energized." "Good for you." Roxas rolled his eyes.

Ventus stuck out his tongue, "well, anyway, you're welcome, Roxas!" "It's good that the Struggle Battle is tomorrow, though," the older teen sighed, "I always feel well-rested on fridays." Ventus nodded and looked around for a nearby trash bin. Seeing none, he carried the wooden stick with him for a little longer. "Agreed," Hayner hummed, "my body just knows when I'm supposed to be most active." "Right! Are you guys excited?" The younger blonde asked, looking around and letting his eyes rake over every single shop. "For the Struggle? I won, like, twice before. I thought that it'd get boring now that I'm stronger... but with you guys participating, I'm looking forward to it."

"Awh," Hayner pouted, "that's so emotional..." "Ha-ha." Roxas quirked a brow, but let it drop, "I remember how the guy who orchestrates the battle invited Sora to attend the next one. I wonder who took Sora's place." "No one, yet," Ventus tilted his head, "his name is still on the list." "Ooh, yeah. Sora. He destroyed me in a small spar. Like, demolished, really." Hayner chimed in, his tone nostalgic. Wait; did that mean they hadn't found a replacement yet?

Before Roxas could ask exactly that, they stumbled upon Olette, who had just purchased a pretzel. As she spotted them, her snack froze halfway to her lips, though she still carried out the motion after said pause. "Hello, Olette," Roxas idly greeted her. Hayner greeted her, as well. Ventus had altered his path to throw away his ice cream stick, returning a few seconds later. "Hello! Olette?" "Yes," the auburn haired girl smiled, "you're Ventus?" "Mhm. My friends call me Ven." Roxas chuckled at the other blonde's signature sentence and quickly turned his attention to Olette.

"Where'd you get that from?" Hayner asked, hands in pockets, as he nodded towards the pretzel. Any shops that sold pretzels either resided at Sunset Station or were at least ten minutes from here. "It's getting sold at Mandy's Candies now!" "But they sell sweets," Roxas chimed in. "Anything for munny." The auburn haired girl shrugged. "Say, Olette," the frizzy haired teen spoke up again, "who will you cheer on tomorrow?" To that, Olette couldn't hide the playful glint in her eyes.

"Well, you, silly," she said directly, "you need the motivation most!" And Hayner stood stunned, blinking at her with his eyebrows barely raised. Olette smiled slightly and quickly looked at both Ventus and Roxas, "anyway, I have to be somewhere soon. Have fun, guys!" "Y-uh, uhm, you too," the frizzy haired teen stuttered. Ventus waved slightly, Roxas mumbled a see you, and now they were staring at Hayner. Roxas, though, was putting the pieces together; the interest wasn't unrequited.

The blonde trio continued their walk through Twilight Town, Hayner having somewhat recovered from the sudden shift in his view of Olette. Sure, she'd always cheered their friend group on, but judging by the way she deliberately left Roxas out of the picture? That couldn't have been a coincidence. Luckily, Ventus was here to lift the silence, "guys... I'm kind of craving some food. And the Bistro food was really good at the sleepover!" 

"Good idea," Roxas nodded, the silence from a few seconds prior having allowed his thoughts to drift. He had felt a mix of nervousness and thrill at the thought of what would become of him and Namine, but decided not to linger and try to enjoy hanging out with his friends. "Up for some expensive food? Or are you feeling pizza again?" The older blonde asked. Hayner looked in between the two similar-looking boys and placed his hands on his hips, "I insist we eat fancy today! The Bistro doesn't have its reputation for nothin'!" Ventus smirked, "you're trying to brag."

"I am," Hayner sighed, shoulders slumping. But they ate fancy, anyway. Ventus loved a specific pumpkin dish, especially.

Chapter Text

Water drops hit the ceramic tiles of the bathroom floor as Riku dried his hair, bending over. He aggressively rubbed the towel over his hair as the water sprayed everywhere. His sweatpants clung to his legs, and after twenty seconds of drying his hair, he deemed it good enough and leaned back up. He tossed the towel onto the shelf where he kept his hygiene products and walked out of the bathroom, not having bothered to put on his shirt. 

His house was quiet, the only source of noise being the people outside. Destiny Islands had always been a comfortable, lively world. Slowly, he walked past all of his rooms, glancing into each one. His bedroom, the shower, a supply closet, and his living room were all built into the first floor, while a guest room, another bathroom, and the kitchen were located on the second.

His bedroom was painted a deep grey on every wall except the one where his door was built in, his bed queen-sized and placed against the left wall. Along the right wall stood three wooden shelves, and at the front wall, two windows were built in, right next to the head of the bed and also next to the shelves. In between the two windows, his white desk stood. His closet and a mirror stood on the right of the door. His living room had white walls, dark green details accompanying the lifeless-looking paint. The more modern TV stood on a steady, low wooden shelf, and the couch was placed not far behind it. There was space between the couch and the wall, and that's where a mini fridge and a beanbag were placed.

His living room was decorated with artworks of landscapes, having been placed there before Riku moved in. A clock hung over the door, and two shelves—filled with books, movies, décor, and other things one might find in a living room stood on the right side of the room. A wide window claimed the space between the left and right walls, the space below filled with empty boxes and three trash bins—each for general, plastic, and paper waste. There stood a small table left by the door, against the wall, and next to the TV, a surface to play games or eat if needed.

The shower was as simple-looking as a shower could be. A  shower—obviously—, a toilet, a sink, a cupboard, a washing machine, a trash bin, and a laundry basket occupied the space that was the small room. A mirror was glued to the inside of the door that faced inside the room, but Riku never really looked at himself unless he was going out.

Just as he leaned down and poked his head into the cramped space that was his supply closet, the phone in his jacket buzzed.

Riku almost hit his head because of the jump scare. He quickly lowered his dirty clothes to an unoccupied surface and checked the pockets of his jackets on said surface for the phone. The man found it—it was flipped and upside down, so he turned it, and pressed the side button to turn it on. The phone didn't stop vibrating—it was a call. But the phone's background wasn't his.

Call incoming — riku

And he definitely didn't have a contact named riku. Because he was Riku. Odd. Not sensing any danger—which would've been risky if there had been some—he pressed the green icon and raised the unfamiliar phone to his ear. The voice wasn't unfamiliar, though;

"Hey, Riku. Uhm... I think you grabbed my phone when you left."

"Xion?" He asked stupidly, his brows raised. He took a moment to realize it was Xion he was talking to, and then another moment to process what she had just told him. The man stood idly in the middle of the hallway, staring into the supply closet. 

"That's me," she just said. 

"Uh," Riku stuttered, "I'm.. sorry. Is this really your phone? I mean, yeah. Sorry, I didn't realize." "Don't worry," the girl assured. "Okay, uh... wait. How did you even— how do you even know my code?" "It's your birthday." He heard her smile through the phone. "Why do you know my birthday?" Riku asked, turning around to stare into the hallway instead. "Do you know mine?" "...Touché," he conceded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "So, you need your phone back, huh?" "Yup. I'm, like, thirty steps away from your front door."

Wait, what?

Riku's jaw went slightly slack, but he was quick enough to remember that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He squeezed the phone between his ear and shoulder and pulled his clean shirt out of his clothing pile, awkwardly pulling it over his head and slipping his arms through the sleeves, all while he was scrambling to get to the door. He achieved both his goals just as the doorbell rang. He lowered the phone—her phone—while pressing the door handle down with the same hand.

Xion stood there, his phone still raised to her ear, lowering it as she saw him. She quickly glanced down to hang up the call and extended her hand towards him, offering him his phone back. He stared at her hand, then her face, and then back down at her hand as he grabbed his phone. He switched her phone to his left hand to hand it back to her, too. Xion looked down at it and laughed as she pocketed it. Now they stood in front of each other, quietly.

He hadn't even gotten the chance to check if he looked like a mess or not. But it didn't seem like she minded. "Showered just now?" She asked instead, and he nodded slightly, seemingly in thought. How had he managed to grab her phone? He hadn't been in that much of a hurry, had he? "Uh, yes," he added, "I needed one, after all that labor you put me through." The black haired girl laughed and intertwined her hands in front of her hips, "yeah... well, I really like how it turned out, though!" "It's not half bad," he agreed.

And then they were silent again. "Also," he leaned more against the door frame, "despite your claim that you were going easy, my back's as red as a lobster." "No way." She quirked a brow. "Yes way. I'm also surprised, to be honest." Xion bit the inside of her cheek—she really hadn't pressed that hard. "Maybe you've got sensitive skin? I promise I didn't try to—" "Hey, it's okay," he cut her off, "I felt like dying and all, but I think it helped. It doesn't hurt." 

"Oh... that's good." He had to stop reading her mind, genuinely. "But it could be sensitive skin," he eventually agreed. "So," he then shifted the topic, "how are you here?" "I'm meeting with Kairi. She insisted properly showing me around Destiny Islands." "A Kairi thing," Riku hummed, "but how?" "Oh!" Xion realized what he was talking about, "the gumi ship." The gumi ship. Of course. "Well, I don't want to delay the fun you'll have." "How very thoughtful," she smiled softly. Slowly, she turned on her heels and let her hands part to send a small wave his way while walking away. Riku could spot Kairi waiting by the sidewalk. 

He had seriously managed to grab her phone instead of his. That thought—and the corresponding embarrassment—would haunt him for the next hour.

Chapter Text

"And this is our school! Well, it was," Kairi said as she pointed over the old-looking brick building that was the school. Xion nodded with interest as she counted the windows going from left to right—sixteen. It was a massive school, it seemed. "Does every inhabitant go in here?" The black haired girl asked, to which Kairi nodded. "Yup. That's where we met most of our friends. It starts at age five and ends at eighteen."

Xion nodded slowly and turned to face her friend, "so, beside you, Sora and Riku went there, too?" "Yup! Oh, the memories..." Kairi fell into a nostalgic trance of sorts and tilted her head, "that was something else. I hated chemistry with a passion, let me tell you." "Why? I mean, not like I know how it works." "Imagine you have a grain of salt." "Okay?" Xion raised a brow, awaiting the explanation.

"And then the system thinks that we gotta learn why salt is salt." "Uhmm.. oh. That sounds awful." "It was." The redhead nodded solemnly. "Sora hated school, too. Riku made it seem like he hated it, but when he wasn't hanging out with us, he was reading as if the books he read were burning in his hands." Xion tilted her head curiously, "Riku's a bookworm?" "He's not a worm, he's a monster. Reading, reading, reading." Kairi sighed and began walking again, which Xion didn't expect—so she lagged before catching up. "I love to read, too," the black haired girl chuckled under her breath.

The red head smiled, "that's nice!", then pointed at a small, old-looking shop near the school, "you know, Riku spent all his allowance on books. But when Sora helped me return to here... well," she searched for words,  "everything was restored, sure. But when I went to check Riku's home, his books were gone. He never bothered to buy new ones, either." "So he lost his passion for reading?" Xion asked, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of Kairi's face. "Mhm. Lost his passion for lots of things, I think." "Oh. Well... it does take a toll on you, all the fighting," the black haired girl mumbled quietly, "I can't blame him."

"Yeah..." Kairi sighed as they kept walking. Nothing was quite as interesting as that bookshop anymore, but it wasn't like the mood was ruined. Xion, then, after thinking about what to say next, looked up into the sky. After she was certain that she'd articulated her not-yet-spoken sentence well enough, she faced Kairi. "Hey, Kai, tell me something. What did Riku read, exactly?" At that, the redhead perked up and a sweet smile snuck its way onto her lips, "a lot. There was..."

Riku sighed as he barely avoided running into a twelve-year-old while passing the street. It was 7 PM, far too late for children that age to be running around as if they'd consumed two coffees. Riku found himself to be almost jealous—he didn't have that energy if he'd injected himself with two hundred milligrams of caffeine. It had been two hours since Xion visited, and each time he pulled out his phone to check the time, he paused in fear that it'd end up being her phone again.

How silly. The sunset was pink today, a rare occurrence—and so he took his time, standing still on the sidewalk as he reminisced about the old times. Where he'd instead be sitting on the crooked paopu tree, hunched over, only to get lectured by Sora that he'd end up looking like an old man by eighteen. Which didn't happen. Riku just wished he could tease Sora about that—but that boy was gone. 

"Riku! Riku!" A voice came from behind, and he was ripped out of his daydream. The silver haired man turned to see Kairi sprinting towards him as if she'd been running for the past ten minutes. "God!" She panted and gasped for air, "since when do you walk so fast?" "A habit," Riku shrugged after he'd collected himself from the small shock. "What's the matter?" The redhead shook her head, still trying to get oxygen in. Riku had to wait for a few seconds before his friend could articulate words without sounding like a dog, "I was about to... visit you, but I saw you. So I thought I could catch up by walking, but- but you're just too quick!"

At that explanation, Riku forced a smile off of his face—he wasn't a slow walker, but it wasn't like he was running a marathon through Destiny Islands. "Well, what would the visit have been for?" "Ah! Yeah! Well, as I was talking with Xion, the topic of reading came up. I remembered you used to read!" Riku raised a brow, "...yes, that's true." The silence hung over them for a moment. Kairi straightened her posture and took one deep breath. With newfound calm, she continued, "yeah, well, and I think... it's kind of sad that you stopped."

The silver haired man began chewing on his lower lip in thought. Reading—something he used to hide in when the world became too much. Something he found comfort in when the world wouldn't give him any. Reading used to be his escape. But now he didn't need to escape anymore. He had matured, he had learned to communicate, right? "And," Kairi said, grounding Riku again, "I think you should start again. It feels like such a you-thing, and you wouldn't even have to buy any!" "No?" Riku wondered and shifted his weight. "Nope! She has a loooot of books at home."

She—Kairi was probably referring to Xion, as she would be the only other female subject in this conversation. "Did she tell you which ones? You know, the tropes—" "Yeah!" Kairi interrupted cheerfully. "I mean, not that I remember all of them... uh... guhh..."

The red haired girl fell into a contemplative silence for a second. "Fantasy? That's one, right?" "Yup," Riku confirmed. "Ah, okay. Then she said she has fantasy, romance, d-dramaa...??" The silver haired man nodded, easing Kairi's hesitation. "Drama, yup, then... horror? And mystery." "Hm." Riku raised his eyebrows slightly. All those different tropes could end up containing a few gems that even he wouldn't have read before. Kairi was internally already celebrating—this was a clear sign that Riku was considering, and consideration was a win in her book.

"So!" She smiled cheekily, "I think, giving her a visit, isn't such a bad idea!"

Chapter Text

"Ffuuhh!" Ventus twitched as his eyes opened; the light coming in from behind the curtains burned his eyes. "Haaaah!" He exhaled as he sat up and turned his head away from the light source, staring at his wall. The room was dim; he could barely see, but his alarm clock had LEDs. So he grabbed it, turned it 90 degrees to the right, then back to its original position, so the screen was lit up. The LEDs' triggered by turning the device. The time was 9:22 AM. 

The Struggle began at 10 AM. 

It was 9:22AM. "Ah, shit!" He muttered as he rolled out of bed, almost missing his feet entirely. Ventus stumbled out of his room and sprinted down the hall, grabbing the door handle to Aqua's room to slow down, and then barged into her room. The woman had her feet on the pillow where her head was supposed to be, and her short hair formed a sun around her head. "Aqua! Aqua!" Ventus exclaimed as he walked up to her bed. The blonde leaned over, "A-qua! A-qua!" He chanted in a whisper. As even that failed, he groaned and placed his hands on his hips.

"Terra's standing naked in the doorframe!" "Shut up," the blue haired woman finally replied, "and no, he's not..." "Ah, so that got your attention?" Ventus asked, his tone accusatory. "Shut up," Aqua repeated, turning her head to bury her face in the mattress. "Anyway! The Struggle's in, like, forty minutes!" "That's... really good for you," she yawned, "go get ready." The teen raised a brow, "hey, that's so-not-cool! You're coming with!" "I'm— what, I'm what?"

"Terra," Aqua sighed as she shook Terra's shoulder for the seventh time, "Terra..." No reaction came from the man beside a dissatisfied groan. "Terra, come on..." Ventus was getting ready in his room, and so he had tasked Aqua with waking their third inhabitant of the Castle of the Land of Departure. But the woman knew better—Ventus was making up excuses to not be the one to stand in front of Terra's bed for ten minutes. "Come on," Aqua repeated, squatting down as she moved her hand to his arm, "wake up. Ven wants us to attend the Struggle."

"Mm.. uhhnn... uhm too tir'd," Terra finally showed a reaction besides mmmm, and Aqua smiled weakly, "yes, I'm tired too. But Ven would be glad if we did." "I'm sick," the brown haired man groaned. "No, you're not sick. You're perfectly healthy—just lazy." "I-I'm siiick," Terra sobbed and twisted, trapping himself in the blanket that should've brought him comfort. He squirmed, noticed he had no room to move, and decided it was for the best to stay like this. "I know you're tired. But... well, come on."

Aqua's pleading would've reduced him to a sweaty mess at any other time of day, but it was far too early for him to process anything. "Watch for me," the man whined. It was a nuisance to try and wake Terra if he stayed awake past 11 PM the day before, and he'd been awake until midnight this time. Aqua wouldn't be surprised if he'd just outright refuse. "Terra," she tried again, "I'll make you pancakes." "You'll make me... uh... oh, pancakes?" He asked quietly, prying open one eye. Aqua nodded. "We have maple syrup." "I—" He yawned, "...'ll be right... awake.. there," he promised, his speech slurred.

When Terra stepped into the kitchen, it was Ventus who jumped up, wide-eyed. "Terra! You made it!" "Heh," the man chuckled awkwardly, "I received... some motivation," and nodded towards Aqua. She waved around with her spatula, "I had to sacrifice some rest, but... the Struggle means a lot to you, right?" "Aqua," Ventus whimpered, holding his hand to his chest, "you're so nice." Terra chuckled and stepped up to Aqua, leaning over to look past her and at a plate she'd placed next to the pan. "Seven pancakes?" "And one more to go," the woman nodded and flipped the last pancake. The sound of sizzling filled the room, and Terra inhaled quietly; it smelled amazing in here.

"What, eight?" Ventus piped up from the table, "so who gets two?" Terra turned around, walked over to the teen, and sat down next to him. Aqua looked over her shoulder, "Me. I mean, I'm not the one fighting." "You're so-ho nice," he mumbled and wiped a mock-tear from the corner of his eye. Aqua placed the last pancake over the other seven and carried the plate over to the table. Terra quickly stood up and scurried over to the utensil drawer, retrieving forks and knives.

"Ah, the Aqua-pancakes," Ventus sighed in amazement and stabbed the top one with the fork that Terra just placed on the table, "some proper breakfast." "What's not-proper-breakfast?" The brown haired man asked and took a seat at last. "Cereal, like, every day." "Make yourself some breakfast," Aqua suggested and also grabbed a pancake, "it takes, like, ten minutes." "And those are ten minutes too many! I don't have the time!" The teen chopped his breakfast up into squares and then grabbed the syrup, unscrewing the lid.

"Just... wake up earlier," Terra suggested. Aqua laughed, and before the man could realize why, Ventus spoke, "you're always dead last; you never eat! You can't be talking!" "Oh," the brown haired man stared daggers through his pancake, "well... excuse me for wanting to be kind for once."

Chapter Text

"Okay," Olette muttered to herself as she ran her hairbrush through her hair, "and that's... that." She put the hairbrush down and tugged on her shirt one last time. The auburn haired girl then opened the door and walked to the kitchen. She was making herself some coffee, and she absentmindedly let her eyes wander over the walls of her kitchen. Olette lived with her parents, but they trusted her to manage the house while they left for the entirety of summer vacation.

The girl froze as she looked at the time. 9:39 AM. The Struggle—wasn't that at ten in the morning? Well, she had more than enough time, she figured; she'd drink her coffee and comfortably arrive at the sandlot before the event began. The auburn haired girl faced her coffee machine, the drink having filled her cup. So she grabbed it and brought the rim to her lips, taking a long, satisfied sip. It had never been a drink she really enjoyed—but Pence was good at creating mixtures that would make the bitter brew taste amazing.

Pence was a good friend. Olette nodded to herself as she took another sip, walking away from the coffee machine and through the kitchen. She was circling the table that stood in the middle before she stopped again. Pence—did he even set an alarm for today? As well as she knew him, Olette knew he'd most likely nap until 1 PM if he hadn't set an alarm. The girl quickly finished her coffee—although she still enjoyed the taste—and set it down in the sink before making her way out of the house.

She wandered down the street, checking her phone; 9:43 AM. She took a good ten minutes to get to the sandlot, and if Pence wasn't already awake, she'd be late. Olette approached the doorbell of the house that Pence lived in and just... rang. And she kept ringing and ringing the bell until the window in Pences' room slammed open like a movie intro might show it. "G-God! What?" The chubby boy exclaimed, looking absolutely chaotic. 

"Heyy! The Struggle's in ten minutes!" Olette yelled back, having stepped back to stare right back at the flabbergasted boy. "The what's in what?" He asked incredulously, leaning out more to catch more of her words. "The! Struggle! Is! In! Ten! Minutes!" Olette repeated with a laugh. "I'll! Be! Right! There!" Pence mocked her way of speaking and slammed the window closed.

Olette chuckled and walked back under the small ceiling that the entrance offered. Just about four minutes later, she could see, through the glass door, Pence stumbling down the staircase. His hair was disheveled, his clothes looked inside out if Olette hadn't observed properly—they were wrinkled and hastily thrown on. "Did you brush your teeth?" Olette frowned. "I take my time for the important things, so yes," the chubby boy panted, "and why the hell didn't anyone tell me?!"

The auburn haired girl chuckled as they made their way towards the sandlot, "I bet someone did! But you just... forgot?" "I bet you 110 munny that no one did." "Not even Hayner?" She raised a suspicious brow. "Yes! Not even—" the black haired boy hesitated. Then he recalled a small comment about the Struggle that Hayner had muttered at the sleepover at some time during the night, and Pence froze. Olette picked up on it and smirked devilishly, "ah! Knew it! Hand it over!"

"Well, how'm I supposed to remember that?" He grumbled as he retrieved his wallet. "Huh," the auburn haired girl smiled as she pocketed it, "I thought you were organized?" "I am." "So... that just proves it, then?" "Oh come on!" Pence snapped and crossed his arms, tilting his chin up in defiance. Olette looked around and spotted—who would've guessed—Seifer, Fuu, and Vivi standing in the corner right outside the area where the sandlot was located. Pence's gaze found Olette's, and they nodded subtly.

Before they could alter their paths, Vivi excitedly bounced once, grabbing the attention of the other two members of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee. "Now see who we have here," Seifer snarled, "the two who'll cheer on the guy I'll win against." "That's not a fact," Olette crossed her arms right as Pence uncrossed his, "it's not like our friends have been slacking all summer." "Right!" Pence nodded, "and no matter how far you'll get, you'll lose against the others."

"Hah, you wish." The boy laughed heartily and gestured sloppily towards Olette and Pence. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you lamers." "Definitely," Fuu chimed in, nodding subtly. Vivi looked between everyone with a curious gaze but decided to keep silent; Seifer disliked disruptions. "Well, you'll see," Pence shook his head a little. Seifer smirked, "I'm gonna shove the trophy in your guys' faces." The auburn haired girl sighed and looked at Pence, "come on, let's go. We'll be late." 

"Yeah!" The leader of the group called after them, "be right on time for your friends' loss!" 

Chapter Text

Notification — Messenger
Roxas sent you a message

Was what Kairi read when she checked her phone. She clicked on the notification and quickly narrowed her eyes, having forgotten to turn the brightness down. That she did, and then she read;

hey, Kairi. I need you to ask Riku something

"Dear Light," Kairi sighed as she turned corners through Destiny Islands like an experienced guide, "why is this a topic now? It's, like, five days too late for that..." The girl was muttering to herself and only shut up when she stood face to face with Riku's door. After hesitating for a moment, she pressed a button to ring the doorbell. It buzzed and the door clicked, allowing Kairi to step inside.

The house smelled of nature and water, and just as the girl stepped inside, she was greeted with the sight of Riku running a hand through his hair, having just lowered his hand from the green unlock button near the speaker of the doorbell. "Hey," she greeted awkwardly and shifted her weight. "Hello, Kairi. Do you need something?" He replied as he grabbed his jacket from a nearby chair.

"No. Uh, yes. A favor, of some sort." "Shoot," he offered and slipped the piece of clothing over his arms. "Right. So the Twilight Town Gang just figured out that Sora's not off the participant list yet." At that, Riku's brain lagged slightly, and his jacket hung down his body from halfway. "The participant list...?" "The Struggle," she cleared up. "Oh." And it stayed at that one-word answer for a moment. "And?"

"And," Kairi sighed, "there's no replacement." "There's... no replacement," the man repeated stupidly, "...and?" "And," the red haired girl continued, "there was this idea that maybe, uhm... you could.." "be... the replacement," Riku concluded and absentmindedly slipped his jacket on completely. "You got it." She nodded.

"Does that even work?" The silver haired man asked as he stepped towards her, so as not to speak words from one end of the hallway to the other. "Yup," Kairi confirmed. They were silent for a while, again. "And you want me of all people to participate in the Struggle." "It's fun!" The girl assured. "There might already be someone else who took the position." "Don't worry about that—Xion's already there and confirmed there isn't." 

"And this isn't a set-up to force me into the role?" "Wh-What? No! No, not at all! The... the rules-guy sincerely didn't pick up on Sora's absence and left his name in there!" "Well, Kairi, sorry to be the asshole," he sighed, "but you're gonna have to ask someone else." "Oh, what?? Come on, Riku, everyone's counting on you!" "Then I'm gonna have to disappoint."

"Riku!" The girl exclaimed and shook her head, "you have to! It's not gonna work otherwise!" The silver haired man stayed silent and inhaled deeply, considering the offer. He really didn't want to attend, but on the other hand, he'd be disappointing so many people—even those who weren't even aware of his existence. It would just be another training session with easier opponents. It couldn't get harder than Terra, could it? "Is that... the only option?" Kairi sensed the opening. "Yup! The only one. It'd be so great if you could attend!"

Sigh. "Fine." "Thank god," she breathed and stepped up to stand next to him, ready to leave the house, "I knew you still had an ounce of kindness in you." "Are you saying... that I usually don't?" "Now you're twisting my words," Kairi smiled cheekily but opened the door, stepping outside first. Riku followed and locked it. "Okay, well... where's your gumi ship?" "My... gumi...." The red headed girl stuttered and trailed off.

How had she forgotten about that? She couldn't possibly ask Xion for a ride at this point. The man chuckled and quietly slapped his palm against the button on his armored sleeve, again engulfing him in gorgeous armor. Kairi barely had time to turn before her jaw dropped, "oh my god. That's—" She fumbled for words, but Riku didn't waste another second to summon Braveheart and transform it into a glider. That would be the last time, he sincerely hoped and let it float next to him.

The silver haired man hopped on and turned, pressed some things at the handle, and let the second seat extend. Kairi's jaw dropped further. "Oh my god," she whispered. "Come on. We don't have much time left." He said and nudged his glider closer. She looked at the gorgeous glider, then stared at his armor and then looked at him, "I'm gonna fall off." "You'll be fine. Glider logic," he assured. "Won't I be in danger if I'm in the Ocean Between without any protection?" She wondered.

"You'll be fine." Riku assured again. The red haired girl, hesitantly and with shaking knees, crawled onto the seat. She felt the air around her shift and saw a visible yet invisible—or however she could describe it—bubble form around her body. "Still," he hummed, already having opened a light portal, "try to hold on tight." Kairi barely had time to launch her hand towards the handle next to her before he accelerated to an unbelievable speed. 

She'd rather ride a sky-high rollercoaster ten times in a row than live through this nightmare again.

Chapter Text

Namine tugged on the hem of her beige culottes one more time. The pants reached her lower legs, halfway to her ankles, which she deemed fitting for the temperature. It was said that the sun wouldn't fry their skin off today, though it would get hot, but the former fact was a plus in her book. She preferred autumn, anyway. The blonde checked the time on the clock hanging over the door—9:48 AM. Enough time.

She walked over to her door and slipped into her shoes, brushing some hair out of her face. Namine had told Xion she needed a rest day today, but she felt oddly lighthearted. Sure, the talk was much less emotionally straining than she anticipated, but even considering that, her happiness was unlike her. Maybe it was the result of said conversation. Anyway, the rest day had been discarded; she would go.

The flaxen haired girl didn't wonder for too long and just accepted her mood graciously. She skipped down the stairs and left the Old Mansion, stepping out into the Blessed Yard. The birds were chirping—even nature was cheerful, it seemed. Or she was just able to view the world as well as before everything happened. She passed the broken stone pillars and stepped through the open metal gate. The girl descended the gentle incline and entered the woods.

It was much quieter, no bird chirping filling the silence that lingered between the massive trees that towered over anyone who dared to enter. Her steps were light against moss and grass. She stepped on a branch here and there, but it wasn't anything that unsettled her. What, in turn, did, were steps approaching her. The flaxen haired girl slowed and leaned to the right, peeking past a few trees. Namine could only see the side of a black t-shirt and a wristband, checkered in pattern. She immediately recognized the latter, and her posture relaxed.

Though she wondered what exactly Roxas was doing here. She walked a curved path around the tree up ahead, stepping right into the boy's view. His steps stuttered for a moment, lips parting, then closing. He slowed and eventually came to a halt, staring at her until she stopped right in front of him. Her hands came together behind her back, fingers interlocked. "Good morning," Namine greeted the still surprised boy, "shouldn't you be at the struggle?" The girl gently tilted her head while he uttered uh. 

"Yes," Roxas finally confirmed and shifted his stance, scratching a non-existent itch on his neck, "but, uh..." He paused for a moment, considering his word choice. "Well, I wanted to know if you'd attend, so I thought I'd check in to see if you were still asleep or already gone." "Oh!" Her eyebrows raised a tad, and she gifted him a smile, "well, I'm attending." "Figured," he chuckled nervously and turned around to walk with her again. "Where else would you have gone?" "Exactly." She giggled in return, now two pairs of shoes making noise on the mossy floor. 

They were silent while they walked through what was the small but famous forest of Twilight Town. Roxas had his gaze locked onto the floor, cautious of any roots that might cause him to trip. Truth be told, he was thinking about how to strike up a conversation—but that came to him quite quickly. "Hey," he said, as if guiding her into it, "how's art treating you?" Namine looked at him, eyebrows raised a little again. Subconsciously, she chewed on her cheek and narrowed her eyes.

Still, that spark in her eyes when she figured out how she should respond and what she'd talk about never failed to just make him happy. "Well, the new pencils we bought are really great. Watercolors are fun to experiment with, and landscapes weren't such a bad idea." Namine started off, her fingers behind her back now fiddling with each other. It seemed she couldn't contain her excitement when talking about her passion—and it kept blooming the more distant the memories of Castle Oblivion became. He wasn't aware of the latter fact, though. "The sketchpad actually has thicker paper, so I think it was made for watercolor. Did you check it for that specific trait?"

The girl looked at him at last, and he shook his head. The small smile hadn't left his lips ever since she began talking. "Don't really know where to check and what it means, anyway." "Oh well—lucky coincidence, then," she concluded and tilted her head to the side, wondering what else came to mind. They had taken the long hallway that led from the woods to the Bistro, and the lively chatter reminded her of the art showcase in that one new shop, so her happy talking began anew.

Roxas was more than happy to listen to her all day. Namine, after she was finished with gushing about that topic as well, parted her hands behind herself and played with some hair that draped over her shoulder. "Also, I'm almost finished with your drawing." "W-Uh, my what?" The boy's brain lagged. Luckily, he didn't take long to recall, "oh, the painting you said you wanted to do for me?" "Yes," she confirmed, "I continued it after you left two days ago." He processed this information for a while. "The sunset? But that looked so detailed!" Her expression betrayed the fact that she was deep in thought. Namine then nodded subtly in approval, "yes, a little more than other paintings of mine."

Roxas awaited elaboration, but after three seconds, he had to ask, not being able to wait; "then how is it almost finished? Doesn't that take ages?" She nodded again, spotting the sandlot from afar, "well, I have more than enough time. It's taken me nine hours up until now. About thirty more minutes, then it's done." The blonde boy marveled at that fact; she must have endless patience. He would've thrown the brush at the canvas after ten minutes. "That's incredible. You're sure you just want to give nine hours away? Just like that?"

She looked at him and smiled, "I'm certain. I used those nine hours for something I enjoy, so it's not wasted." "Good point," he conceded and looked at her, although her gaze was directed forward again. The smile that blessed his lips must've been the tenth one, but oh, she'd receive a hundred if she wanted them. "I can't believe it, though," he sighed after he decided that five seconds of staring were enough. "Can't believe what?" The flaxen haired girl inquired gently, looking at him from the corner of her eyes. "I dunno. It's like... ah, I dunno." He exhaled tiredly—thinking was exhausting, mentally at least. "It's like feeding a child a 33,000 munny steak." "What?" She asked, surprised, "you're comparing a painting to high-quality food?" 

"Maybe even 44,000 munny... or 55—" "No, no," she waved her hand lightly in front of her face, "you're viewing it in way too high regard." "You're viewing it too lowly," he shot back and furrowed his brows, "it's just that good!" She blushed a soft, pretty red—compliments were, after all, one of her biggest weaknesses. With a slight smile, she looked at the floor for a moment; "yes, but..." And she found no way to disarm his statement, only adding to her building embarrassment. "But!" She decided to say.

"No buts." Roxas shook his head and dug his hands into the pockets of his knee-length shorts. "No buts," she repeated weakly and tucked some hair behind her ear, "fine, then." "Good. Anyway... I was planning to go out for ice cream with Hayner and the others, so why don't you add those finishing touches in that time?" "That..." Namine bit her lower lip slightly, "is actually a really good idea. I might do that." She looked at him and smiled, "have you decided on what ice cream?" "Y-uh, well, sea salt. My go-to." The blonde boy revealed and sheepishly smiled back, "it's like a comfort food." "You don't need to reason with me. I'm aware," she laughed and dodged two adults who were also approaching the sandlot. 

"Right." Roxas laughed as they stepped into the area that was the sandlot. The crowd this year was huge, especially with the expansion of the area, and he looked around with interest. All these people would watch. His hand brushed her wrist, snapping her out of her wonder, and he nodded to his left. Xion and Ventus were already waving enthusiastically. "Let's go," he said, only for her to hear, as they approached their friends. Not his friends, hers too—thanks to everyone, she was a part of what she thought she could only ever watch. "Namine!" Xion chirped, "you're here! Didn't you want to rest?" "Well, yes," the flaxen haired girl confirmed, "but I woke up without an alarm today, and I'm feeling pretty good." 

"What a relief," Kairi sighed and placed a hand over her chest, "I'm so happy you're here!" "So am I." The corner of Namine's lips curled up slightly. "You know," Ventus piped up to the pair, "Aqua and Terra were planning on not attending. Bless my soul, I woke Aqua and forced her to rip Terra from his slumber." Olette giggled in delight, to which Pence joined in. The brown haired man rubbed the back of his neck, "I might've been bribed." "And I was guilt tripped," the blue haired woman added. "What works, works," Axel said, stepping into view. He and Isa had just arrived from the other entrance. "I've been dragged here, practically," Isa sighed, standing next to his friend.

"A lot of people have been," Riku grumbled, and Roxas jumped—he didn't notice the man sit on the bench right next to him. "Well, I'm here because I wanna be!" Hayner raised his arm and flexed his bicep, pointing at it with his other hand, "and I'm so gonna make Seifer eat dust." "Oh, Seifer! We met 'im on the way here. As cocky as usual." The chubby boy hummed and patted his stomach as a casual gesture, mostly subconsciously. "Hayner, if you don't win, Seifer would just prove his point," Olette added and stared at the frizzy haired teen. Hayner raised his second arm and posed, looking smug, "you said you'll cheer for me! No way I'll lose to him then."

And Olette's cheeks went red. Still, she crossed her arms, "I'd hope so." "Just trust me!" Hayner insisted. Roxas' attention shifted to Riku, who looked much more grumpy than usual. Namine seemed to have had the same thought, speaking first, "are you feeling alright, Riku?" "Yeah. No. Uh, I have to also participate." "You what?" Was Ventus' immediate question, panic flashing over his face. "Thank me for that," Kairi smirked. Xion raised a brow, "no, thank me. I made the suggestion!" "Guys," Ventus whimpered, "he'll... he'll turn us to ashes!"

Roxas raised a brow, "you won't get that far. I'm gonna win." "Very funny," the younger blonde crossed his arms, "but you sound completely delusional!" The look-alikes began bickering, and Namine was tugged to Kairi and Olette by Xion. "You made it!" The black haired girl gushed and intertwined her hands in front of her chest. "What was that about with a rest day?" Kairi inquired, which Olette seconded with a nod. "Well, just a precaution," Namine revealed, "but everything went smoothly two days ago." "Oh! Oh! What even happened?" At Olette's enthusiasm, Namine couldn't help but chuckle. "Later. It's about to start." Everyone else looked up at the rather well-built man who stepped onto the platform and began announcing today's event. 

The flaxen haired girl felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned. As every other girl was at least somewhat distracted, Roxas decided he'd be fine with telling her now. Namine faced him, and he cleared his throat, "you know, it's really nice that you came." She gifted him a gentle smile, "of course. I am curious, after all." "Yeah, I don't doubt that." The blonde teen looked for words, "I just... wanted to say that I'm, uh... glad. That this worked out. And that you managed to be here." Namine bit her lower lip and looked at the adult man on stage who had grabbed everyone's attention and then gazed back at the boy in front of her.

Roxas' hand moved up to scratch softly at his throat, and as he was about to lower his hand, she caught it. Softly, but with determination, she looked at him and nodded, "you can do it, okay?" And oh, he wouldn't dare disappoint this girl. So he nodded back and squeezed her hand a little, "you know it." "I do." She smiled and let go of his hand. Her touch was warm. At that moment, the man announced the first two contestants. "Ventus and... Roxas! The first battle to determine who proceeds into the next round!" 

Roxas' gaze was moved to the adult, then back to her. "Wish me luck," he whispered and took a step back. "Good luck," she replied with a giggle. The blonde boy turned around completely and walked up to the platform with Ventus. The crowd ooh'd, and Ventus smirked at everyone, turning around to make sure everyone was looking at him, "I'm Ventus! The better-looking one!" And then the crowd erupted in laughter and cheers. The well-built man grabbed the wrists of the look-alikes and spoke loudly, "may the Struggle begin!"

Both of them looked at their friends and smirked, and it was Xion and Kairi who squealed in delight, excited about what was coming next.

Chapter Text

With a quiet exhale, Namine settled down against the fairly long wooden bench. Kairi, who sat to her right, immediately leaned over; "okay, Nami, no one's really listening anymore. Well, except us." Xion, who sat on Namine's right, turned as well, "shouldn't we... watch the Struggle?" "Or rather, hear what happened with Roxas?" "I concede," Xion sighed at Kairi's argument, "fine. So... Nami.."

Namine could only chuckle quietly, though distracted as she watched Roxas and Ventus get handed their Struggle Bats. "Well, it wasn't anything spectacular." Olette leaned over to look past Kairi, "what?? That's..." she searched for words, "not a possibility." "What about my texts?" Xion asked, staring daggers at the pale girl.

The latter did, indeed, tense for a moment. "What about them?" "Did you act on them?" "Did I?" Kairi chuckled at the exchange, though had to tilt her head, "what texts?" The black haired girl lifted her chin, "oh, you know, the usual. Me, begging Nami to kiss Roxas, her saying fine..." "What, pause," Olette interrupted, "a kiss?" 

Namine was oddly quiet during the exchange, not moving a muscle in case she'd attract attention with the movement. It had the opposite effect—Xion narrowed her eyes at her almost immediately after Kairi spoke. "You did kiss him, didn't you?" "Should I have?" "You didn't?" Kairi squeaked in horror, "you missed that chance?!" 

Olette frantically waved her hands around to soothe the temper of her two other fuming girl friends, "hey, it doesn't matter! I overheard from Roxas that," the auburn haired girl wiggled her eyebrows while glancing at Namine, "everything's okay again. I texted it, remember?" "Ah, yeah!" Xion nodded, "but..." 

And again, there was the glare of you didn't seriously not. The flaxen haired girl pursed her lips slightly and interlocked fingers in her lap, "I mean, I know what I want, so..." "So you did kiss him!" Was what Olette exclaimed excitedly, "go, honey!" The pale girl couldn't help but smile somewhat shyly. "Okay, great! But... how many?" Not answering didn't seem to be an option.

"Huh?"
"How many?"
"What?"
Was Namine stalling or genuinely confused?
"It couldn't have been just one..."
"Excuse me—?"

Kairi nodded along with every syllable that left Namine's mouth—sure, they'd bickered for five minutes over chat, but Namine had never confirmed nor revealed anything while arguing. "Someone texted him, and he just answered with one hand before putting his phone down again," said the pale girl, having been forced to retell the event that the group had now titled The Talk. 

Riku perked up, "what?" Olette was ripped out of her dreamy haze as he spoke, and she moved her gaze from Namine to him, "what, what?" "Roxas did what?" Xion raised a brow as Riku asked. "He... got a text, answered quickly and put his phone away again," Namine replied neutrally.  

"Hm." Riku paused, "ah, that's why he texted not today? He was with you?" "I suppose... that's why, yes," the flaxen haired girl agreed. Xion narrowed her eyes, "what'd you text Roxas for?" "The Keyblade-thing." "...Oh! Oh, is that why you came to me, then?" "Yup." He confirmed. 

Riku's eyes moved from the girls over to the ongoing battle, and a small sigh escaped from his lips, "huh..." "What?" Asked Olette, confused between the entire conclusion that he, Namine, and Xion had arrived on. She didn't receive an answer for that, though; "I'm gonna have to fight a bunch of kids in thirty minutes." Namine had to stifle a giggle, all while Xion failed to do so. 

"Is that so bad?" "Yes." Riku's answer to Xion's question sounded (and most likely was) certain. "Huh. Oh, whatever can we do...?" The black haired girl pretended to dramatically mull over options while Riku slowly fell back into sulking about the idea of participating in the Struggle. "Riku," his name ripped him out of that pattern again, "would a massage for the win do the trick?" 

The silver haired man didn't miss the cheeky smile on her lips that she'd quickly forced off her face. Wasting no time, he shot what could only be described as a death glare at the black haired girl, who had to cover her mouth to hide her satisfied, amused grin.

It was Olette and Kairi who first looked at each other, and then between Riku and Xion, asking a simple "What?"

"So, Terra," Aqua began lightly, "coming here wasn't all that bad, was it?" "That's up for debate," the man sighed, "but I think I've experienced worse." "I don't doubt that," the woman relented with a soft smile. Quietly, save for the crowd, they followed the battle between Ventus and Roxas. "Though," Terra broke the silence, "it wasn't the fact that I wanted to grant Ven his wish that brought me here." 

That was a bold take, and Aqua raised an eyebrow, barely half an inch, as she turned her head just enough to look at him. "What was, then?" "The pancakes." The man stated with full confidence, turning his head as well to return the glance. The pancakes, of all things? She laughed and shook her head fondly, "and here I thought you cared about Ven's feelings." 

"I do!" The brown haired man quickly assured, "but I also care about my empty stomach and my taste buds." "Also? Terra, that's the only thing you really care about." The corners of his lips curled up slightly, "...touché." They both looked forward again, and she spoke, "You think I should make more pancakes if he wins?" "You should make them even if he loses." "Isn't it tiring to be hungry every minute of the day?" She asked fondly, shaking her head.

"I betcha 550 munny that Seifer's gonna see black in two minutes tops." Hayner bragged, placing both hands on his hips. "Uh-huh," Olette huffed, the conversation with the girls having ended, "sure he will." "I'll make it one minute!" "Of course you will..." 

The frizzy haired teen looked away from the sky and at the girl, "ain't you the one cheerin' me on? That means believing in me and all that stuff." The auburn haired girl nodded slowly and took a deep breath. In, out, in, out. "Yeah, and I do, Hayner, but I still wanna see some skin below... well, bruises."  

Pence snorted from beside Hayner, making the latter jump at the unexpected noise. Hayner gifted his attention to Olette again, "just watch, alright! Be the first people supporting the Struggle Champ!" The chubby boy shook his head slightly, "if you win against Seifer, it's either against Roxas or Ventus. You're screwed." 

Hayner nodded almost solemnly, "that's... fair. You know, fightin' against those two is mighty unfair. I would win if Riku, Roxie, or Ventus didn't participate." "But... that's the thing." Pence said incredulously, trying to understand the blonde's logic, "you have to be the best of the best." 

"Man, now that's just stupid! I ain't wielding a soul-key-light-thing-sword that blesses you with power the moment you touch 'em!" "Right, Hayner. Right." The auburn haired girl sighed. "Well, then you'll... at least be the viewers of my flawless victory against Seifer, 'm I right?" Olette finally nodded at this, "yeah. If you win, that is." 

"Just watch! You're gonna see how good I got." The frizzy haired teen rolled his shoulders back, placed his hands on his hips once more, and flexed the muscles in his back, attempting and—surprisingly—succeeding in looking broader. "That's great and all," the girl said from beside him, "but please be careful."

Pence smirked slightly, "yeah, be careful. She forgot to bring bandages this time." "Wha—Hey! Hey!" The blonde teen perked up and turned, throwing mildly powerful punches at Pence's side, which the chubby boy blocked with his forearms. "I don't need 'em!" Hayner added in protest, trying to get past the chubby boy's defenses. "I'm gonna look fresh, walking off that platform, I'm tellin' 'ya!" 

"Oh, is that Ventus I see that attempts to retaliate? Oh, oh! Oh! Orbs! Our beloved Roxas lost plenty of 'em! Oh! A combo! Ventus is disoriented! What a beautiful comeback! Okay, Roxas is retreating; playing it practical I see! What a battle! Truly enchanting to watch!"

Axel's commentary was absolutely insufferable. And thank Isa for voicing that exact fact, "please, just... shut your fucking mouth." The redhead turned to his friend, his expression betraying his surprise. Isa assumed it would've been his order for silence, but instead...

"Did you just curse?!" The blue haired man could only try to bite back the exasperated groan that threatened to spill past his lips almost immediately after hearing his friend's question. 

Chapter Text

Ventus guarded carefully, holding the struggle bat horizontally over his chest. Roxas' strike from head to toe would've been devastating, and the younger blonde couldn't risk losing more orbs—he had already suffered a loss of eight. Well, thirty-four to be exact, but with some clever hits, he'd regained twenty-six. Ventus took a small step back and looked around to figure out where the edge of the platform was.

Then, he made a desperate dash for the opposite side, which proved to be too close to Roxas. Ventus received the slightest graze on his back, but that of course made him drop three, bright red orbs. The clock ticking down next to the rules-guy—as everyone in their friend group had dubbed him—showed about seven more seconds. Roxas picked the orbs up with a smooth step towards them.

Six. Ventus' attempt missed.

Five. Roxas raised his brows in a challenge.

Four. Ventus regained his footing from the miss.

Three. Roxas dug his foam bat forward, though Ventus was too far away.

Two. Both of them stood still.

One. Ventus sighed and lowered his weapon.

"Aaand the winner is... Roxas! Congrats on winning the first round!" Announced the portly man with his bright green jacket, which he wore just to be an eyesore for the viewers. Roxas smiled and looked around, absentmindedly pressing the foam weapon into the announcer's hand before walking off the platform. Ventus had already sat down next to Terra and Aqua, and Xion had stood up from her spot next to Namine.

Roxas claimed the seat and sighed loudly. Then he straightened up and looked left, where she sat, and flashed her a genuine, proud smile. I did it, was what it conveyed. A breath of amusement left Namine's lips before they moved to smile back. I knew you could, was what it conveyed. His expression softened, the tiredness of having had to dodge Ventus repeatedly vanishing for a moment.

Unnoticeably, Roxas scooted a little closer and let his head tilt back, another sigh escaping him. Pence leaned forward slightly, quickly leaving his conversation with Hayner and Olette, and raised a brow, "wow, Roxas. Thought this would be a cakewalk for you." The blonde opened one eye and narrowed it only a second later. "Try shooting a spider with a gun."

"What comparison is that?" Kairi asked from beside Namine, biting her cheek to suppress a stupid smirk. "A good one, I'd say," Roxas decided and closed his eyes again.

Xion had stopped behind Ventus, who subtly bounced his leg while watching the announcer and the rules-guy discuss something heatedly. She poked his shoulder, and the boy almost jumped out of his skin, turning his head abruptly, "man, Xi! Good god, what?" "Whoa, whoa! Keep cool there, buddy." She scolded playfully and shook her head in disappointment. Aqua laughed freely while Terra struggled to keep quiet.

"W-Hey!" Ventus turned to look at the adults who seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly. "Ven!" Xion reminded, and the poor teen turned again. "What?!" "A massage!" The black haired girl spoke, "would you want a massage? You look tired!"

Ventus raised a brow at Xion's tone, though he considered it fair after remembering she had to wait painstakingly long for a reply. "Sure. How good are you at 'em?"

She was offering Ventus a massage, was Riku's logical conclusion as his attention was brought to said scene. Why?

"Oh, you know. My dads, 'Lette, Kai... they loved it!" Xion recounted and reassured, though Ventus didn't even blink. The thing he reacted to was something different, "your dads?" "That's off topic. Yes, but, uh... forget it. So, would you want a massage?" "I already said yes." Oh," the girl mumbled, "overheard."

She had massaged other people, was Riku's second logical conclusion as he watched Xion work on Ventus' shoulder, whose shoulders rose uncomfortably. The man could make out a "ah, you're harsh!" from Ventus, but it didn't exactly register in his mind. Well, that would explain her skill. 

And why she was so comfortable with doing it. Because it wasn't new, it was something she did regularly. Which was good—that meant that he'd received the long end of the stick here. Getting a massage from an experienced person must be a privilege.

"Next on the list are... Hayner and Seifer! Get onto the stage, please!" Announced the portly middle-aged man, and Riku looked away from the masseuse and the patient. Not like he cared about what was happening approximately three feet away from him. 

And so began the second match.

Chapter Text

"This is gonna be interesting," Seifer snarked as he snatched the foam bat out of the announcer's left hand, "your friends were so confident." Hayner retrieved the foam weapon as well and absentmindedly weighed it in his hand, "yeah, well, thanks for offering yourself!" "Suure," the teen with the cap taunted and laughed, "as if I'd lose to you."

The frizzy haired teen grabbed the weapon properly and aimed it at Seifer, standing a few feet away from him. "I told my friends 'm gonna win today. Ain't no way I'm breakin' that promise!"

Xion pat Ventus' shoulders and let her arms hang by her sides. The young blonde sighed with both relief and defeat, while the girl rolled her wrists and looked up at the platform, where Hayner was currently in the lead with twenty-five orbs. She wondered if that'd last—and if he would manage to walk out of that match not looking green and blue as Olette had quoted at the sleepover.

The massage was significantly shorter than the one he'd received, was Riku's observation, accompanied by a feeling of satisfaction that he, logically, should not be feeling. The emotion was unprompted and didn't fit into the situation at all.

"Ven," said Terra, digging his hands further into the pockets of his pants, "what's got you so... moody?" "You know, I could've had a chance. With dodging. But he moves so... differently, when just using one hand to fight..." Aqua nodded at this, while Xion smiled a little; she could've told Ventus, but that spoiler wouldn't have been fun.

"I think you did a great job, though," reassured the woman with a soft smile, "it's all about learning to adapt quickly. Roxas just had the upper hand in secrecy." "Mhm," Ventus stared at the floor, "yeah, fair enough." The black haired girl eyed the space empty next to Riku and decided to claim it, making herself comfortable. She was blissfully unaware of the stare she was receiving from her left side as she animatedly chatted with the Wayfinders.

"Hayner's leading, like, forty orbs!" Pence read off the active counter that recorded and calculated who picked up how many orbs. "And he's only been hit twice now!" Olette nodded frantically at this, not believing her eyes. Watching Hayner lose to Roxas over and over again made her forget how much of an actual skill gap there was between Roxas and Seifer. 

The rustling of plastic made Olette curious, and she looked over at Pence, where the noise was coming from. The chubby boy was currently unwrapping a bar of chocolate. He looked down at it, then at an interested Olette, and broke it in half. He handed it to her, and she shot him a smile before taking a big, enthusiastic bite as she watched the timer tick down from twelve to two. Hayner was leading with forty-five points.

No way.

"And the winner is... Hayner! Hayner proceeds into the second round!" The same amount of applause roared from the crowd as from the match between the not-twins, and Hayner took his time to bathe in the sound and raise his struggle bat in triumph. 

He'd done it. How many bandages did that take him?

The frizzy haired teen sprinted down the steps and came to a sudden halt before the two other members of the Twilight Town gang, excluding Roxas, who was talking to Namine. The blonde smirked and looked between Olette—a very shocked looking Olette, in fact—and a very pleasantly surprised Pence.

"Huh? And where are the bruises, huh? Hmm?" Hayner asked smugly, turning his arms inside out while he waited patiently for Olette's gaze to finish skimming over every inch of his skin. Skin that should be bruised—but wasn't. It was the normal, tanned skin it should be, and not an ugly purple. 

"Hayner..." she mumbled while he turned three hundred-and-sixty degrees for a full-body scan. She caught herself before becoming too impressed, and looked back up at his face. He was still brimming with pride. "We get it, Haynie. Great job," she praised lightly, then shoved the rest of the chocolate into her mouth. Pence had just swallowed his last bite and chuckled, "yeah, that's impressive."

The announcer had just spoken out his third declaration—Riku versus a Twilight Town inhabitant, which he did not know; though it seemed his name was Werner. Before standing up, he turned slightly towards Xion, who noticed and looked at him.

"I.. I'd also like a massage. After I win this match." Because I will win, and he didn't.

Her eyebrows raised a tad, and she tilted her head. Kairi, from four feet away, leaned forward to glance past Roxas and Namine. Neither Riku nor Xion noticed. "Why?" asked the black haired girl, "it's not like you'll struggle." 

Yeah, that's right.

"True enough," he said, looking at the platform casually, as if this was just a normal favor to ask. Well, it was, because those massages were just that—favors. "But I'm a tense person. You should know that, right?" She could only wish to be able to decipher the look in his eyes and the expression on his face.

Riku then walked off and up the platform. The black haired girl's gaze followed slowly, as if she was struggling to comprehend what he just said, which wasn't far from the truth. What the hell was that. Still undiscovered, it was Kairi who glanced between Riku on the platform, talking, and Xion, staring, attempting to blink away the confusion.

Chapter Text

Riku lowered his weapon as soon as he picked up the last, bright red orb. The kid—Werner—sighed and stared down into his hands, then at the foam weapon; the one he'd failed to land a single strike with. Riku handed his weapon to the announcer, who'd just declared him the winner, and took a small step towards the kid. "Hey, you put up a good fight. Keep going."

Werner looked up, seemingly pleasantly surprised, and smiled nervously. "Thanks. You were impressive. 's pretty cool." The silver haired man nodded in acknowledgement and walked off the platform, not taking more than two seconds to look at the cheering crowd. Xion had already stood up before Riku was remotely close enough, and circled the bench to stand behind where Riku would sit down.

Take a seat, he did, and she took a moment to look at his slightly weary expression, though the angle from where she stood allowed her little to see. She placed both her hands on his shoulders, though she hesitated again.

Slowly, she leaned forward, her hands following the motion by sliding down a little. She tilted her head as soon as she could see his face properly. Her lower arms rested on his shoulders while her hands were loosely holding each other in front of his chest. Maybe she was too caught up in her worry for him to process how this looked.

"Riku, what's up?" Xion asked softly and leaned forward a little more, just catching how he averted his gaze. "It's nothing. I'm just a little.. tired. I guess I... I just didn't sleep well." "Oh," she hummed softly and leaned back slightly, "I'm sorry." "Not your fault," Riku assured and straightened up slightly. The black haired girl stood up straight and placed her hands on his shoulders again.

And no, he didn't miss the feeling of her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. 

His train of thought—of course—derailed as the massage began, and his eyes closed. It was a blissful feeling, a feeling that, apparently, five other people had also experienced. Xion stayed at his upper back and above for the massage, as she found it difficult to get lower while standing. And she wasn't fond of the idea of squatting down just to work on his lower back.

Her attention was brought to the fourth match; Vivi against another Twilight Town inhabitant she wasn't familiar with. It was a girl with ginger curls and freckles, and the board read Vivi VS Lily—so that was that. The announcer seemed to discuss the rules, as he did with every participant, and Xion looked back down at her hands.

She moved them further up, pushing her fingertips straight up his neck and splaying her fingers out at his scalp. Riku only sighed, but she could see how his shoulders slumped and relaxed a bit. 

She struggled a little to hold back the urge to run her hand through his hair. 

The man, though, fought with himself to suppress the feeling of satisfaction at the knowledge that she didn't massage Ventus' neck. If she'd done it with Axel, Isa, Kairi, or Olette was a question he was trying to ignore.

God, that was embarrassing. Why was he even focusing on that? Why did he even care?

Xion was now alternating between scratching his scalp, massaging his neck, and kneading his shoulders, and those worries were, for now, pushed to the back of his mind. She was, no matter how many people were her test subjects, a great masseuse. 

Roxas and Namine were still chatting, now with Hayner and Olette, while Pence was on his phone. Kairi sat between where Olette stood and Namine sat, but that didn't stop her from peeking past and watching the small interaction on the bench right next to theirs.

As soon as Riku would be called up for his second match, Kairi would strike.
She had to know what was going on.

Chapter Text

It was halfway through the fourth match with the contestants Vivi and Lily, the latter being an older girl who just moved into the neighborhood, as far as Aqua was aware, and had informed everyone while going through the leader board and matches for everyone to follow. 

Pence had meanwhile grabbed the attention of Namine, Olette, Roxas, and Hayner as he presented the small group his newest idea for a Classic Kingdom game. Ventus was being distracted from his feelings about his loss from Aqua, Terra, Xion, and even occasional words from Riku, though after five minutes, the young blonde didn't need the comfort anymore. Kairi seemed to be lost in thought as she stood beside Olette, yet not contributing to the conversation her friends had.

After a few minutes, the match ended with the new inhabitant winning by four orbs, which Axel happily and obnoxiously commented for everyone to pause speaking and acknowledge the score. Isa didn't even bother to really say something, even less ask for silence from him. The announcer, despite the weather, apparently still insisted on wearing his puke-colored jacket, walked back up to the platform, and cheerfully told of Lily's win in a voice one could only hear from an announcer.

It's impressive to have such a stereotypical voice for the job. Might've been meant to be, Roxas thought as he glanced over at the board, seeing that he was up next. He would've liked to listen more, to sit more, to enjoy more of the presence of his friends, but he wasn't the only one having to leave. Hayner's shoulders slumped as he realized that Roxas was staring at him with a slightly quirked eyebrow. "Right," he mumbled, "I ain't even done yet."

The older blonde was on his feet rather quickly and quickly waved at Namine, then transitioned to giving the gesture to the Twilights as well. The Twilights; Roxas sometimes wondered if he was also a part of what Hayner, Pence, and Olette were.

He wandered off while Hayner sighed like a broken record, with each breath a sigh following once more. "Cheer up," Pence advised with a friendly shoulder pat, "you beat Seifer. That's, like, what you were training for for, like... way too long." "That's just makin' me sound pathetic," Hayner argued, managing a small, amused smile as he brushed the hand off.

Pence pursed his lips—that wasn't wrong to say. Before Olette could speak up, both their shoulders were squeezed together by none other than the frizzy haired teen. Pence gave Olette a side eye, hoping the mere glance would make her know what Hayner was thinking. The blonde had grabbed each of their outer shoulder, his expression way too serious on a face usually this silly, which, in turn, made it funny. Olette had to look away before breaking the comical tension that was building up with a laugh.

"Listen," Hayner demanded and looked between the squeezed-together duo, "Pence, 'Lette, I know you're cheerin' for me." "S-Sure," Pence nodded hesitantly, feeling himself shrink under Hayner's intense grip. "That guy's gonna turn me to dust," the blonde continued seriously, "so you better stop."

"Rooting for you?" Olette questioned with a slightly furrowed brow. "You got it. You see, there ain't no way I'm walkin' outta there on at least an even score. 's gonna be disappointing, that's why!" "So... we shouldn't... cheer for you? Because you'll lose and you think we're gonna be affected by that?" Pence summarized, to which the frizzy haired teen reassuringly—or more so threateningly— squeezed their shoulders once more.

Olette, the oh so composed one, didn't seem fazed and grabbed Hayner's hand to pry it off her shoulder. "Look, at least try." Pence realized the intelligence of the auburn haired girl's idea and did the exact same thing, and now Hayner was standing with his arms by his sides, but his expression was still stone-faced. "But also," she continued, looking up slightly as if asking the sky for words, "don't try, like, too hard because, as Pence said, I don't have any bandages on me today."

The façade cracked open, and Hayner shook his head fondly, accepting the denial of his offer. "I warned 'ya." With that, he sighed one more time, bracing himself for the loss, and walked off, waving Pence's you got it! off with a gentle, dismissive wave of his hands.

"Match number five!" The puke-colored-jacket-wearing-announcer spoke to the crowd and grabbed hold of Roxas' and Hayner's wrists each. "Who will win this time?" As quickly as he'd grabbed it, the chubby man let go of the teens' arms. "With that, let the Struggle... begin!" And, surprisingly, the man hopped off the elevated platform with no struggle whatsoever. Am I a bad person for being shocked by that?, Roxas wondered but pushed that thought aside as Hayner extended his arm and pointed his bat right at him. "I'm gonna go down with style, 'kay?" "I'll help you with that," Roxas assured, smiling.

"Hayner! No! Twelve orbs, gone? Don't be so sloppy!" Axel cried, both hands bracing against the edge of the platform as he eagerly leaned in to observe more closely. It made no difference, but no one dared to tell him. "No, never mind, he got them again! Still, it's looking baaad..." "It's Roxas," Isa finally decided to speak up, "no one expects Hayner to win. And I'm saying this as nicely as possible." "Well, it could be a 99-101 loss for Hayner." "You believe in that?" "Someone has to!" The redhead insisted and looked back at the two battling boys.

Hayner dashed forward and poked the bat at Roxas' chest, actually managing to hit it and make Roxas drop seven orbs, of which he picked four up. It was looking bad for him, with only forty-one orbs to his name, but he'd actually anticipated an orb-loss, not a time-one. Roxas stepped back, observing him like prey. Hayner, not knowing what to do, glanced back at everyone he knew, watching, his eyes eventually drifting over to Olette. She looked invested, both hands interlocked in front of her stomach. It seemed she didn't realize she was being looked at. Hayner's heart skipped a beat, both from adrenaline and a thought that his brain helpfully supplied;

She doesn't have any bandages on her today.

The frizzy haired teen raised his arms up to extend them in front of him, letting his eyes hastily skim over the tanned skin. No nasty, foam-induced bruises yet. He could go down with style and purple-color-less. He got into a battle stance once more and was almost thrown off his rhythm as Roxas decided it was a good idea to step zig-zag twice. Just by luck did Hayner dodge by blindly guessing where Roxas would take his final step.

The shrill whistle made him almost drop his bat. As smoothly as the well-built man hopped off, he climbed on and, panting, reached for Roxas' wrist. "Roxas is the winner of round number five with 155 orbs! Congrats on getting to the next round!" The older blonde looked around as the cheers erupted, louder than any round before. He only had a few seconds to enjoy the attention before being violently ripped out of his high by a very harsh, but fond, clap on his back. "Won with style," Hayner complimented.

Roxas laughed. "And you lost with style. Great job, Hay." "Told you not to call me that!"

Hayner walked off first, giving Kairi a small nod of appreciation as she shifted on her seat to make a little space for him to sit down. Pence quickly looked up from his phone, "and? You injured?" The frizzy haired blonde shook his head and looked at the palms of his hands, contemplating if the defense at the end had been worth the more potent loss, but judging by his friends' immediate worry, he decided his choice had been the right one.

"Nah, bro. 'Lette's got no bandages." Olette only crossed her arms and looked away, not commenting on it.
She hated how warm her face felt.

Chapter Text

"Hey, isn't it your turn now?" Ventus asked after hearing how Riku sighed dramatically. "Yeah," he confirmed and looked ahead, seemingly a little distracted. Which, in turn, allowed Xion to look at him for a full three seconds before she herself couldn't stand it anymore and turned to look at Ventus. "Yeah, against that new girl. Uh.. who...?" "Lily," Aqua reminded, aware that Xion had probably not paid a lot of attention when she coached everyone about the two strangers. "She won against Vivi."

Xion nodded. Then, she overheard an even more dramatic sigh that didn't come from Riku;

"I don't even get a break. It's Ventus, I sit for fifteen minutes, then Hayner, now a five-minute break..." Riku looked over at Roxas, too, because he was the source of the noise. "I'll end the fight in two."
"Have pity."
"Shut up."
"Okay," Roxas agreed quickly. The silver haired man dragged himself up and walked off to the platform, where Lily excitedly smiled.

Xion could only pathetically stare again before feeling someone touch her shoulder. "Come," Kairi commanded, and the black haired girl obeyed as they walked into a silent corner just outside the sandlot. "We can't watch the match-" Xion—attempted—to begin, but her breath hitched as Kairi clawed at the sides of her arms. 

No words were spoken; instead, Xion was met with a stare that seemed to slowly drill through her skull. And, for no reason at all, the black haired girl assumed it was about a certain someone, and turned crimson. The staring continued for a while, and that didn't help the embarrassing blush. "What?" Xion finally whispered, and Kairi shook her head. Any outsider wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Kairi's hair and Xion's face if they tried. 

"No, not from before." "O-Oh," Xion stuttered, still red, "okay..?" "Has there been... a shift, of some sort?" "Of?" "The..." Kairi struggled for words, "the dynamic?" It took a while, but it seemed some blood had left the black haired girl's face. "From when? Like.. like, when you showed me around?" Kairi shook her head again and let her hands slide off. "The sleepover."

That helped, actually, Xion realized and looked down at the floor. If it was in thought or to hide the embarrassing reaction, she didn't know herself. "Well, uh, what... shift? Like, a change?" "Yup," Kairi confirmed. "I wouldn't say. But some things happened." The redhead looked up, her face revealing the most stereotypical expression of suspicion one could muster.

"Okay, it's not that bad." Her face had finally returned to its normal color. "He came over to ask for help with keyblade stuff," Xion began carefully, leaving out some details. Such as how he waltzed in through the balcony. "And I was cleaning my room and stuff." "And that's some things?" Kairi asked, her expression not wavering.

"I forced him into physical labor for... like, an hour," the black haired girl continued, "and then gave him a massage..." "Wait—" Kairi interrupted what Xion would've said next if there had been more, "wait, but.. you didn't mention that to Ventus?" "It slipped my mind," she admitted.

Kairi peeked past the corner and at the group, finding Riku battling. She thought back a couple of minutes, then stared at her friend. "He's jealous." "And I'm gay," Xion huffed, hoping to the Light that her body decided to keep any reaction to the embarrassment down this time. "I mean, I'm not against—" "You know I'm not!" Xion assured and tucked some hair behind her ear, "I meant that your, uh... idea, it's.. nonsense!"

"I think it fits. Like, very well. Very well." "Where are you looking for it to make sense?" "He likes you, of course, he's gonna be jealous if he hears that his privilege isn't a privilege!" "How are you even so sure? Everyone? This," she gestured frankly at Riku, still fighting, "isn't very..." "But-But it's Riku! I know him! He thought it was smart to abandon Sora and me for a year so we wouldn't worry!"

Good argument.

"But love's different!" "You think he's gonna turn into Roxas as soon as he starts feeling?" "Well, no, but..." "But? But?" Kairi repeated, furrowing her brows, "listen. You go back there and try to steer a conversation with Ventus towards massages. Then you'll randomly add that Riku got the—" she paused, "he did get the longest one?" "About seven minutes," Xion confirmed. "That he got the longest one," the redhead continued, "and... and I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Why is it not?" The black haired girl asked, despite knowing all too well that Kairi was stating a harsh truth with every word. "Eh, why is it not? I don't know, he looked like having received news of Xehanort's revival as soon as your hands grazed Ventus' shoulders." "I would've seen that," the latter girl argued, albeit weakly. "Yeah, if you looked, that is."

"Okay, okay." Xion crossed her arms and looked back at the platform, lingering way too long—again. After saying that, she looked back at Kairi. "I'll-I'll try," she sighed. Kairi nodded quickly at this, "yes, go! That's your crush we're talking about!!" "Shush!"

Xion and Kairi returned, and no one cared to ask but Pence, turning to the latter. "What's up?" "Toilet," Kairi explained, and everyone who even remotely paid attention lost interest at that. Xion sighed again and shifted a little uncomfortably. Namine looked past Roxas. "Is everything alright?" The black haired girl smiled. "Yup. It's hot." "It really is," the flaxen girl agreed softly and leaned back again, returning to her conversation with Roxas with ease.

Kairi and Xion had returned on time, as the applause just now settled down, and Riku returned. It was silent for ten seconds, but bless the patient, Ventus, as the universe had apparently whispered to him;

"Say, Xi, how much did you actually practice? Did you massage, like, Kairi for twenty minutes every day? That strength is unreal." The way her heart jumped wasn't because of Ventus'—implied—compliment. "Well, no, to be honest, it was just a minute for Kai. I massaged dad number one and two for one song each." "So three minutes?" "Yeah, that's how I keep track of time! Olette for two minutes, because I know that it was a song that lasts only two."

"Then how'd you get so good?" Ventus inquired further, and Xion could just jump up and twirl him around like a parent holding their baby. "Lots of research. I massaged Riku, too, not so long ago. I didn't play music there, but I think it was about seven minutes. But mostly research." Ventus raised his brows and rolled his shoulders, a subtle reminder that his muscles had been assaulted by very gentle-looking hands. "That's some strength there."

The black haired girl waved him off, "what can I say..." And the young blonde laughed and attempted to shove her, but the distance didn't allow him to reach her. Xion acted on the urge to glance at Riku, and the solemn expression seemed to have lifted off his face.

And despite Xion's knowledge that meddling never ended well—Roxas' experience proving that first-hand;
Maybe she should listen to Kairi more often.

Chapter Text

Axel and Isa had claimed the remaining space on the left side of the right bench, as the redhead grew tired of commenting on every single move both parties made. Hayner held Pence's phone, staring at it as if it were displaying ancient scriptures. "That's what you have to do to get a game to work?" Olette asked from beside Hayner, her interest having been piqued and her face now also expressing her confusion.

"Yup! And that's just the code for the starting screen. If you wanna scroll down, then..." Pence trailed off as he swiped up on his screen, and Hayner looked utterly baffled. "What the heck do you need... that for?" He pointed at something. "So it doesn't clutter in one line. You want a tutorial screen to be readable, right?" "What the hell?!" Hayner cried and pressed Pence's phone into Olette's hands. Pence smiled after his friend, who was waltzing over to a small stand to buy a snack.

"No, I suck at this." "Mind if I try?" "That's the question I was waiting for," Roxas smiled and handed Namine his phone. Roxas had been sent a copy of the new Classic Kingdom game that Pence was working on, and he was chosen as its play tester. She read through the tutorial and then began the game. It was a 2D game, as every other, and besides needing great focusing skills and multiple different inputs at both ends of the screen, she managed to pass Stage 1/3. "Now you gotta tap like crazy," Roxas explained quickly, "just anywhere. I swear my hands are already cramped."

"Hm. Anywhere?" Namine asked, just to be certain, and he confirmed. She shifted her legs and laid the phone on her lap. Roxas' eyebrows furrowed, not really understanding what her thought process was. The screen showed a countdown, 3—2—1—GO! and only as she read the word did she place three fingers on each side of the screen and tapped. The blonde boy tilted his head to get a glance of the score—and it was actually counting up.

No way. No fucking way.

"Tha-That works??" He asked, eyes wide. "Roxas, you can't expect different outcomes if you repeat the same thing over and over again," the flaxen haired girl advised. She'd watched him fail this part at least seven times, after all. "And I suppose that this is the solution Pence intended. It'd be a lot of work otherwise." The counter reached its meant 100 with six seconds to spare. He sighed, a small chuckle bubbling up with it. "Where'd the wisdom come from?" "Common sense," she corrected him.

Namine finished off the last stage—a puzzle—with ease and Roxas' assistance, and then handed the phone back to Roxas. He stared at her, amazed yet puzzled, and pocketed it. "Should I be embarrassed or impressed?" She looked back. "Neither. I'd like a thank you." "Thank you, Nams." She smiled warmly, "you're welcome."

"E... excuse me." Both of them looked up, and the boy in front of them visibly flinched. There was a girl behind him, and the duo realized that it was Lily, the ginger girl who had participated in the Struggle. Roxas recognized him first. "Silas?" The boy, Silas, turned to Namine. "Yeah... And you might recognize me from that one art shop." "Oh," the flaxen haired girl breathed, "...you."

The boy pursed his lips in an attempt at a small smile. "Yeah. I-uh, came here to apologize. Mostly to you." Silas' gaze didn't waver, and Roxas observed him as he shifted in his seat. "About that... incident. Yeah. It wasn't... That wasn't cool of me, I know that." He paused again, and Roxas quirked a brow. Don't smile, don't smile, it's not funny, it's not funny, the blonde repeated in his head, over and over, but the repetition just made it harder. "It wasn't cool of me," the boy repeated, "and so, I'm sorry. That was really... inappropriate. My attitude was way off."

Lily, behind him, smiled softly, eyes twinkling with amusement. At the sight, Roxas had to bite his cheek. It's not funny. It's not funny. I'm not amused.

Namine listened, quiet as a mouse, and tilted her head as she waited to make sure there wasn't more she could potentially interrupt. "Well, first off, I find it admirable that you've come here to apologize." "Told you, babe!" At Lily's whisper, Roxas bit down harder, his cheek hurting from the pressure. "Babe?" Roxas inquired, the word leaving his throat as a somewhat choked sound. That slipped out.

Silas looked over at Roxas, then at Namine, unsure if he should reply to Namine or explain Lily's words. "Um..." "We're dating." The ginger haired girl said, first, and so, Silas just nodded and glanced at Namine, who seemed completely unbothered. "Coincidentally, it seemed that was shortly after the incident," Lily smiled towards Namine, "and I found out about it a week ago." Roxas lifted his leg and rested his foot on the edge of the bench, "congrats, first of all." Namine seconded this with a soft nod. "And so you scolded 'im until he agreed to do it?" He asked.

Lily shook her head. "Nope. He came to me with the problem." Silas agreed, "been thinkin' about it for a while, so, yeah." Namine tucked some hair behind her ear, "did it bother you that much?" Silas looked back at her, averting his gaze as soon as he'd held eye contact for longer than two seconds. "I've got a history. Yeah. Yeah, um, I felt bad." Roxas looked over at Namine, and she returned the gaze. The blonde boy leaned back casually, and Namine looked back at the boy. "Well, I think it's okay. I didn't think much of it."

Silas sighed quietly and shifted his weight. "I'm glad." Don't smile. Don't laugh. It's not funny, Roxas kept repeating, but the mantra proved less and less effective as more time passed. "You blew your chance, though. She was still single." He added sneakily, and smiled. Damn it. Namine's head turned faster than usual, and a small, involuntary smile tugged at her lips. "Roxas!" "Just sayin'!" Silas looked between the two, his brows now furrowed again. "Then what was that gesture 'bout?" The flaxen haired girl shook her head fondly and sighed at Roxas' (very unnecessary) comment. The blonde pulled his second leg up and crossed his legs. "It's in my nature." "Uh-huh..." Lily mused, stepping forward slightly, "but you two look... so..."

"We are..." Namine trailed off for a moment, and Roxas knew exactly why, looking away for a moment. "We are together," she said, regardless, and the blonde looked back, lips parting.

What...?

"But we weren't, back then." The flaxen haired girl smiled softly, and Lily nodded knowingly. "Congrats, then! You two look really cute together." "Yeah. That looked natural." Silas confirmed, still visibly awkward. Roxas still hadn't fully caught himself. "Part of my charm," he managed with a chuckle.

Silas shifted, seemingly trying to feel comfortable in his own skin. "So... is this.. like, are we good?" "I'm fine," Roxas nodded, eyes still locked onto the girl next to him. Namine didn't seem to realize, "yes, I'd say so. Thank you." Lily had already grabbed Silas' hand. "Cool. Cool. But no, thank you." Namine waved him off, and Lily waved to the duo before taking a step. Then two.

"Excuse me! Wait up!" And Lily halted, making Silas' steps stutter. The ginger turned back and locked gazes with Kairi, who immediately raised her hand to her lips. "Sorry! Um, Lily, right?" "Yes!" She replied lightly and let go of her boyfriend's hand. She turned to him, "you go ahead." Silas nodded, and gone he was. Lily walked back to Kairi, skipping half her steps. "Hello! Would you need something from me?" Kairi nodded, "yes. I'm Kairi, sorry to-" "It's no problem," Lily interrupted, anticipating what Kairi would say, "shoot. It's a question, I presume."

Kairi nodded and let her hand drop. "Yes. So, you fought against our friend, Riku..." "Uh-huh?" Lily urged, a smile blossoming on her lips. "...and I just wanted to know how I went. I, sadly, missed it."

Xion heard the exchange and noted the brilliancy of the question. She hadn't thought of asking Riku, who sat right next to her, though that was, now, unnecessary, if she could just listen to Lily. The black haired girl leaned forward to pick up every word, and Riku looked up. To not block her view, he straightened up. For a second, he glanced over at the ginger girl, and then let his gaze drop back to the floor, losing himself in his thoughts again.

"—the match where I lost, right?" "Um... yes, that one." Lily shook her head, "oh, don't worry. I had lots of fun! So, if I had to guess, I lasted about three minutes. I took fencing classes when I was younger, but otherwise, a more potent loss would've happened for sure." Kairi's brows raised at Lily's kindness—she really seemed like a good sport about it—and so, the redhead found it in herself to relax and not worry if she accidentally said something offensive.

"Sorry, trailing off! So, during that, I gotta say that your friend was an incredibly tough challenge. I did hit him, once or twice, but that amounted to my luck, not his slip-ups. Can I ask if he's got experience in this field?" Kairi pursed her lips slightly, but before Lily could backtrack, she nodded her head softly. "Almost everyone in our group has faced a variety of challenges, and he's been on the more unlucky side." The ginger frowned softly. "Sorry. That sounds like an awful experience."

Kairi shook her head and adjusted her shirt. "It's all brought us together. But hearing that you lasted three minutes is really impressive! He's one of the most powerful amongst us." The freckled girl smiled widely. "I'm so happy to hear that! But my loss was well-deserved, and I'm not bitter about it. I guess I just focused on having fun—that's what the Struggle's for!"

The redhead nodded. It truly warmed her heart how many people in the worlds were still amazing people. She'd met so much evil that, the further her journey progressed, she struggled to truly trust people. Lily was, again, proof that it was worth it. "To be honest, his fighting skills really do show," the ginger girl mused and tilted her head, "he definitely looks like it. His concentration is also admirable, and I'd love to meet more people like your friend who are up to a friendly spar! I presume he's more on the quiet side?" Kairi laughed, "yeah! You're really observant."

Xion saw the two girls smile and gesture, but she'd stopped listening as Lily spoke that small remark. He looks like it.
What the hell did that mean?

Xion felt her neutral expression drop, the change embarrassingly observable. One might think it was focus, but if Roxas were to try and look, he'd know her well enough to recognize it as something different, though he might lack the word for it if she were to ask him.

Also, Roxas had most likely never seen her properly jealous.

This is stupid. It's a mere observation. She doesn't know him. He doesn't care. But those mental reassurances weren't helping. Xion leaned back slowly, not really caring what else that girl had to say. She was oblivious to the third glance that Riku shot her—she was acting very weirdly all of a sudden.

"She's actually really cool about it," Axel remarked, also being one of the few who were listening to Lily. Isa nodded, looking at Xion. "You missed it, didn't you?" "Yeah," Xion said, trying to sound a little more relaxed, "I was on the toilet. Kairi showed me." "Mm. The way's all twisted," Axel sighed, "I almost got lost before we arrived here." The blue haired man nodded and hunched over a little more, "I had to wait for approximately seven minutes." "Would've been quicker if you showed me!" "I trusted you enough to find your way there in less than what I thought was half an hour."

Xion laughed. I don't care about her words. Neither does he. "You always knew your way around Twilight Town when we became friends, though, dad." The redhead couldn't suppress the fond smile of the nickname she rarely used. "Well, kiddo, it just seemed that way because you didn't know your way around at all. Makes it seem impressive." Isa sighed softly. "And also, lots of it was rebuilt. You couldn't access the Blessed Yard without walking through the sewers when the construction finished. McDuck built the pathway we're using now." The black haired girl swayed left to right on her seat, now distracted, "and I remember the sewers being so gross, honestly!"

"You don't love me!" Ventus cried, turning away and crossing his arms, pouting defiantly. Aqua was smirking, which seemed very unlike her. "I-I would've watched either way, I promise." "You told Aqua it was the pancakes!" Terra reached for Ventus, hands freezing in mid-air as he realized how desperate it looked. "I couldn't have come otherwise! I was asleep."

Ventus turned back, and now Xion, Axel, and Isa were observing as well. "And the fact that the Struggle was today didn't help your motivation?!" "I-" Terra sputtered pathetically. Aqua laughed, one leg crossed over the other, "as if it doesn't motivate you, too, sometimes, Ven." The teen paused, mouth slightly open. "..but it's your pancakes. You can't say no to those." "Exactly!" Terra pounced on that chance, "that's what I'm saying!" "But—"

"Ahem!" The announcer made his presence on the platform known, and everyone looked towards the portly man, almost on instinct. "The final match is going to happen now! I'm happy to say that... He glanced at a small piece of paper and quickly pocketed it, "Riku and Roxas are the two contenders that have struggled their way to the top! Please, come on stage, and let the final Struggle... begin!"

Applause erupted from everyone, while the group with the two fighters personally encouraged them, ensuring them that both their wins would be equally appreciated and celebrated. Riku had stood up, and so had Roxas, though a little earlier. The blonde seemed a little more reserved, and his hair looked like he'd run his hand through it one too many times. Isa looked up at the silver haired man. "Good luck, Riku." Axel gave Riku's arm a playful nudge to get his attention, and nodded with certainty.

Xion watched the duo wish their graces, until a thought crossed her mind; that wasn't a bad idea! "Oh, yeah! Good luck out there, Riku. You got it." She smiled softly. Was that casual enough?

Riku's gaze skipped over Axel as his gaze locked with Xion's. "Thanks. Yeah... I got it." How could he not, now? With that, he turned his head away and walked around the corner and up the stairs, meeting Roxas in the middle and gifting him a small, friendly nod. Both parties seemed uncharacteristically quiet, if that was even possible for Riku. No one noticed, and Hayner sighed. "I could've been the one with that trophy..."

"Sure," Pence smiled, "you could've, if you had to fight against no one." "What the heck, bro?!"

Chapter Text

"I could've at least won against, like... Seifer!" Pence nodded at this, "yeah. So, you're saying, you could've won one battle." "And..." Hayner battled for words, "a-and... Werner! Werner, maybe." "So... two battles?" Olette asked, amused. Hayner, then, aggressively chewed on the last bit of pretzel he just stuffed into his mouth, "whah if up wiff you? Sfop bummying me!"

Pence lowered his phone and stared at his friend, whose angry expression didn't seem all too angry with his cheeks puffed up from the food. "Sorry?" "Affholes!" Hayner—quite literally—spat, which fell to the ground before it could reach Pence. "Swallow your food," Olette advised, and Hayner, still angry (or how angry one could be, with that full mouth), grunted, and finally swallowed.

"Assholes," he said, or, well, repeated. "No, what you said before." The chubby boy shook his head and glanced down at his phone. "I said that you should stop bullyin' me!" The auburn haired girl sighed exasperatedly. "I wouldn't take myself for a... well, bully." Hayner then attempted to argue.

Attempted to.

"You-You know what I mean!" He turned and stared at the stand he had just spent more than 1650 munny at, and sighed. Pence looked at where Hayner was, with yearning, gazing at. "Were the snacks good?" That grabbed the frizzy haired teen's attention, who seemed to have accepted that his friends were trying to demolish his ego today. "Yeah. Let me go back there, and my munny's gone." "Can't be that good," Olette murmured, looking at the ongoing fight in the middle of the sandlot.

Riku was leading with twelve orbs.
That early? Odd.

"It is!" Hayner leaned forward, his gaze flicking between Olette and Pence. "Come on, I'll show 'ya what it's got." "Can't," said Pence, sneaking a glance at Namine, "I'm kind of busy." "Where are you busy?" The blonde deadpanned and raised his brows. Olette looked at the stand. "I wanna go." She looked at Hayner. "And you're coming with?" "If you're goin', yeah! Come on, it's got cheap stuff."

Olette glanced at the chubby boy. "Do you want something?" "Uh... s-something... salty? That'd be cool." "Gotcha," Hayner called out, already on his way, and Olette followed suit.

Pence held his phone tightly in both of his hands as he took a few small steps towards Namine. He cleared his throat, and Namine tilted her head up, but her gaze lagged—almost as if her eyes were glued on the ongoing battle. "Yes?" She half-breathed, gaze finally following. Seeing who stood next to her, she blinked, shifted, and smiled. "Ah, Pence. Yes?"

"Namine, hey. I saw... uhm, well. I sent Roxas my game to playtest it and I saw how you finished it on his behalf." "Indeed," she confirmed, "he handed it to me for the second and third bit." "Okay, got it. Well, I thought I could ask for some... feedback?" The flaxen haired girl smiled a little wider at that. "Of course! I can't exactly tell you my experience for the first part..."

Pence had claimed Roxas' empty seat and shifted a little. "...but I can tell you what I observed." "Anything would be great." Namine looked ahead for a second. "I'll gladly give it, then. Well, first, in part two..."

"—but it's engaging, and not too hard to solve," Namine finally finished, all while Pence had been absorbing the information. It had been overwhelmingly positive, but not out of touch—he'd never received such honest constructive criticism. "If I could note one thing, though?" "Please," Pence gestured vaguely with his hands. "The second segment had quite simple instructions, but... I think you could specify that all fingers can be used to tap. Just to be safe."

The chubby boy laughed. "I'll make sure of that. No one should have cramped hands because of my game... y'know, especially not if it's one of my friends." The flaxen haired girl shook her head fondly. "But I understood it just fine, and liked it." Pence nodded one final time. "Wow, Namine. This is more than I could've asked for. Thanks!" She turned her head, lips parting slightly before she spoke, "oh, really? I think it's adequate."

"W-Well, still, though! I asked the right person." Pence's attention was, by just two words, suddenly brought to someone else. Isa.

"Hey, Pence." "Oh! Uhm, yeah?" The black haired boy had to lean past Namine, but she leaned back while also glancing at Isa. "Come here for a second, please," the blue haired man requested, and shifted to make space next to him on the bench. Axel had also scooted away and waved Pence over.

The chubby boy took said seat, and Namine was distracted once again. "Hey, Isa. Need something?" "I'd like to try your game." The chubby boy paused before he could speak his next words, and carefully reconsidered. "Really?" "Come on, give me your phone."

Isa breezed past the first stage. The rhythm was predictable yet engaging, and with the inputs being placed on different spots on the screen, he had to move his thumb, which forced concentration. The tap stage was, for Isa, as easy as it was for Namine, though he used both his index fingers instead. The last stage took him the longest, as it took him a while to realize that the pieces were rotatable.

Pence observed, noting where Isa struggled or seemingly passed effortlessly. Isa then handed the phone back to Pence. "Looked fun," Axel remarked from the side and offered Pence an appreciative nod before turning and falling back into a conversation with Ventus. "So," Pence began, "why...?"

"I agree with what Namine told you," Isa started, ignoring the implication of Pence's words for now—why did you want to play this?—and stopped to think. "Though... I think I might have a suggestion or two." Pence's brows lifted. "For real?" The blue haired man nodded. "Oh, that's great! Cool! Can you tell me?" Isa didn't expect Pence's enthusiasm, but smiled slightly and turned to face the chubby boy more. "Come on!" "Alright..."

Every suggestion Isa made went beyond ideas; they were genuine proposals for better game design. There wasn't an idea to raise the tap counter; Isa recommended having it randomized within a specific number range. Pence was a little unsure of his own capability, but Isa seemed unfazed and assured him that it was within his skill range.

"It'd give a returning feeling of satisfaction if one were to replay the game." The blue haired man concluded and leaned back as if finishing that statement. The black haired boy sat speechless. "Do-Do you want to take over the planning?" Isa smiled—the slightest, softest sheepish smile. "I just built off what you had established. They're brilliant ideas on their own."

Pence couldn't exactly believe it. "I love those ideas, Isa. I really do." He looked down at his phone. In thought, he sighed softly, "wow... today's my lucky day, huh..."

He's being reckless. Riku dodged another predictable hit. Then another. The silver haired man swung his bat and hit—but that was a move that Roxas could've guarded in his sleep. What's going on?

What's going on? Roxas wondered, frustrated, staring down at himself, and grabbed his struggle bat a little tighter. He pulled it back, dashed in, and resisted the urge to immediately dig it forward, instead sliding a little to the right and swinging at Riku's abdomen. It hit. I'm being reckless.

Xion struggled to decide whether she should be worried about Roxas or Namine. The former looked stressed, confused, and even frustrated. The latter seemed, for the lack of a better word, purely uncomfortable. The black haired girl turned and scooted over, sitting where Riku would if he weren't fighting right now. "Nami, what's up?"

Namine shook her head; nothing, I'm fine. Xion didn't even pause to consider if that could've been the truth. "You know... I didn't know you guys were, like.. official, official? It's..." She lost her words. The answer Namine had given Lily didn't only surprise Roxas. The flaxen haired girl looked down at her lap. "We aren't. We haven't decided that. I don't know why..."

I know why.

"I don't know why I said it." Namine tore her gaze away from her lap and looked at her friend. Xion smiled apologetically, empathetic towards the girl. "Unsure?" "Yes." "Y'know, y'know..." the black haired girl mused and shifted, looking forward. Namine felt a little relief at the gaze being lifted off her, and followed Xion's gaze, only for her worry to rise again. Roxas' mental whirlwind was her doing, and it would lead to his failure in this fight.

"...y'know," Xion repeated for the third time now, "You... should talk to him about it the next time he visits you, because I think he's waited for this. For, like forever." Really?, Namine almost asked, Xion's words taking a while to truly register. When they did, the flaxen haired girl bit the inside of her cheek ever so slightly. She kept her reaction down to a nod instead.

"Lucky day?" Pence almost jumped at the sound of the female voice behind him. "What gives?" "Don't scare him, 'Lette." Hayner chuckled and leaned over Pence's shoulder, smirking stupidly. Pence pressed his hand against Hayner's face and pushed him away, again. His hands then returned to his phone; he seemed busy typing something. Isa looked up. "I've given Pence a few suggestions to tweak the game." "Yup, and they're great!" Pence assured, still typing furiously.

"C'mon, Pence. I've bought something for you." That made the chubby boy turn off his phone—not after saving, obviously—and lifted his gaze. His hand was halfway in the air, ready to grab whatever Olette would give him, but he paused, gaze locked onto something in the distance.

"That participant!" Pence noted and nodded towards the opposite corner of the sandlot. Isa looked away from the duo and to where Pence was staring. "Oh. That's Werner. He lost to Riku. First round." Hayner nodded, recalling. "This seems weird," Olette noted, handing Pence his snack, "it looks... off, kind of?"

Hayner's eyes were firmly locked on the group that was practically shoving Werner out of the exit of the sandlot. "Yup! Weeeird," Pence sighed and looked down at his snack, taking a bite. A long, satisfied sound left his throat at the taste, and Hayner, albeit distracted, nudged Olette. "Told 'ya he'd like it!" "Don't you brag now, Haynie..."

The announcer grabbed Riku's wrist. "One hundred twenty-six orbs! Here's the winner! He's the winner!" Unnoticeably, the announcer leaned in towards Riku; "what's your name again, young man?" "Uhm... uhm, Riku." "Riku! Riku wins the Struggle! Everyone! I want to hear some applause for Riku!"

"Namine," Xion rested her hand on Namine's forearm, and she, again, was relieved from her (now, very stressed) thoughts. "You and I both know that Roxas looks vastly different when he's angry. Trust what you see, not what you think." Namine's gaze found Roxas again. Xion was right; this wasn't angry Roxas. This was something else, something she'd only rarely seen before. And that's what scared her.

Roxas stared down at his hands. Still, he found it in himself to follow Riku's steps and offer him a small pat on the shoulder. "The training you had with Terra really showed, here." "Thanks," Riku chuckled—But you weren't at your full potential here. It's sad.—"good match."

"Riku," Terra greeted Riku at the bottom of the three-stair staircase. "You delivered a great performance there. I'm proud." Proud. "No need," Riku quickly assured, though he seemed more focused on Xion. She saw this and realized she was sitting in his spot, smiled a little silly, and moved back to her seat. Riku thanked her quietly and looked back at Terra, who now stood in front of him.

The congratulations continued for both top strugglers. "Roxas," Namine said quietly, and lifted her head to look at him. He lowered his hand from his hair again. "Is everything okay?" Roxas looked back at her, hoping that his short silence before answering wouldn't be interpreted negatively, "Um... that fight was a mess, I know. I-I don't know, what's.."

A small smile graced her lips, and it almost made his lips tug up into one, too. He didn't know if it was embarrassing; the effect she had on him was almost scary. "Roxas," she repeated, "look. Is everything okay?" The blonde paused. Is everything okay? His hands found each other as he fiddled with his fingers. A nervous tic, not an angry one, Namine noted.

"Yes," was the answer he settled on, letting the small smile he'd been holding back finally bless his lips, "yes, everything's okay. Thank you, Nams." "Anytime."

Hayner, due to standing behind Pence, moved over to Roxas. He grabbed the blonde's attention with a tap. He turned, and Hayner offered him a small grin, "so, we both lost with style today?" "Shut up," Roxas chuckled and swatted his hand away, though the small smile from a few seconds ago grew a little bigger.

The frizzy haired teen returned to Olette and Pence, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Bro, 'Lette... I'm gonna hafta miss out on that ice cream. I need to shower, like, so bad, and also gotta clean my room. That okay?" "Sure," Olette shrugged weakly, "I mean, you don't clean your room that often. I won't restrict you, there." "Ow, that's personal!" Pence laughed, having turned on his seat.

Hayner laughed along and stretched a bit. "Cool, well, cuz' then I'm off! I'll see 'ya around, 'kay?" "'kay," agreed Pence lightheartedly, and Olette waved after him.

Almost the entire group—save for Aqua, Terra, Namine, and Hayner—bunched up and said their goodbyes to the ones that wouldn't tag along, and off they went to eat sea salt ice cream on the clock tower.

While walking with the group, the two friends—Pence and Olette—exchanged glances, and the auburn haired girl's expression dropped a little. "Hayner, he's... that's... weird." "Doesn't fit 'im, does it?" "No..." she mumbled, staring after him as he took a corner, disappearing from the sandlot.

Whatever you're going to do now, Haynie, don't give me a reason to worry.