Rude Awakening (1x1 with Peanut)

[Forever Love 82]

Namine's eyes fell to the piece of paper in Roxas's grasp, heart skipping a beat in dread. "No," she said in denial, shaking her head slightly. Her eyes instantly began to well with tears. No, she couldn't be evicted! She had nowhere else to go! What was she supposed to do with her stuff? And Faye was taken from her. This was a disaster!

[Peanut 26]

Roxas's eyes widened when tears appeared in Namine's eyes. Oh crap. He had no clue what to do with tears! He automatically reached out a hand towards her, though she wasn't even within arms-reach in the first place. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't argue with her landlord for her; she broke the rules and he was justified in kicking her out.

[Forever Love 82]

Namine saw Roxas reach out to her, but all she could do was shake her head. Not at him, but at the situation. This wasn't happening... It couldn't be happening. "Roxas," she quietly sobbed, a tear spilling down her cheek. Where was she supposed to go? She couldn't stay with Sora and Kairi! They didn't have enough room and she didn't want to be a burden. And Roxas lived in a dorm, and she wouldn't dare to ask him if she could stay with him. Riku was in jail, so staying with him was out of the question. This is my home, Namine thought, closing her eyes as more tears escaped. What was she going to do?

[Peanut 26]

The paper fluttered to the floor as Roxas stepped forward in instinct. He lifted a hand and placed it on the back of Namine's head, gently bringing her to him. He couldn't stand to see her cry... "It's okay," he heard himself say. "You can stay with me." He was surprised to hear himself say it, but now that it was out there, he'd hold to it. He lived in a single dorm room. There wasn't much room, but she could stay with him until she found another place to live. 

[Forever Love 82]

Namine felt Roxas's strong arms wrap around her, which triggered her clutching his shirt. But his words... "I couldn't," she said into his shoulder, voice muffled by his shirt. She couldn't stay with him. A dorm was too small for two people. She appreciated his offer, since it was out of kindness and sympathy, but she couldn't accept.

[Peanut 26]

"Of course you could," Roxas reasoned, looking down at the girl who he caressed. "I don't have a roommate so I don't need his permission. The school doesn't care either..." He had a free ride because of his musical talent, and because of that, he had certain privileges that others didn't. "And it's only until you get back on your feet anyway." It was a small room, but this was only a temporary situation. It'd work.

[Forever Love 82]

Namine found herself crying more at Roxas's selflessness, his kindness warming her heart. All she could do was hold onto him and cry into his shoulder. How long would it take her to get back on her feet, like he said? What was she going to do with all her stuff? There was nowhere to put it.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Forever Love

[Peanut 26]

Roxas held Namine a little more tightly at her crying. "It's okay," he repeated. "I'll fix this." He was a guy, and guys always wanted to fix things. He'd help her pack. He'd fix the walls and clean out the blood stains and help her move into his room. He'd do whatever he had to in order to stop her crying.

[Forever Love 82]

Namine shook her head slightly. "No, I can't ask you to do that," she said softly, sniffling. She couldn't ask Roxas to do anything more than what he was doing right now: holding and comforting her, which was exactly what she needed. He was warm when the world suddenly felt cold. She needed that warmth now more than ever, and he was the perfect person to provide it.

[Peanut 26]

"You didn't ask, remember?" Roxas reminded her with a weak smile. "I offered. And I'll be deeply offended if you say no." The last bit was a joke, meant to lighten the mood and stop Namine's tears. Sora was really good at making people laugh when they were down; maybe Roxas was too.

[Forever Love 82]

Namine smiled weakly, pulling back from the embrace slightly. She sniffled again, her watery eyes finding Roxas's pretty blue ones. "...Are you sure?" she asked softly. His dorm wasn't very big, and there was only one bed. She couldn't ask him to sleep on the floor for her while she stayed, which she knew he would do. It was Roxas's home. She couldn't and wouldn't be a burden.

[Peanut 26]

Roxas looked down at Namine, his weak smile still present. "Of course," he said, automatically lifted a hand to wipe her bangs out of her eyes. They were damp because of the tears that she just shed--tears that he was tempted to wipe away as well. He and Namine were close, but were they close enough for him to do that? Was this even okay, or was he taking advantage of her weakness? 

[Forever Love 82]

Namine's smile remained, and she closed her eyes when Roxas brushed her bangs out of her eyes. She continued to clutch his shirt, flattered at his sincerity and kindness. Her feelings for him seemed to intensify because of this moment. Any girl who dated him would be lucky to have someone so great.

[Peanut 26]

Roxas set a hand on Namine's head, looking towards the window. He wanted to take her away from here to get her mind off things, but at the same time, the paparazzi were waiting to harass them outside this apartment complex. There was really only one thing they could do, and that was get started. "Why don't you get started in the bedroom?" he suggested. "We can blare music while we work." She had a radio in her bedroom from what he could remember.

[Forever Love 82]

Namine smiled a little more at the suggestion, finding it silly but loving it all the same. "Okay," she said with a faint nod, though she made sure not to move Roxas's hand from her head. She liked it, even if it was the simplest of touches. She lifted a hand and wiped away the tears that lingered on her cheeks, sniffling again. Cleaning would be a good place to start.

[Peanut 26]

No. Wait. "Not the bedroom," Roxas said in sudden seriousness, taking his hand back. That was where he and Seifer fought for a majority of the battle; that room was a bloody mess. "Um...Why don't you work in the living room?" She definitely had personal items out here she could compile while he cleaned the bedroom.

[Forever Love 82]

Namine's smile disappeared at Roxas's new suggestion. "Oh...right," she said with a faint nod, taking her arms back. The bedroom was where Seifer tried to grab her, where the fight with Roxas first started. Going in there was probably a bad idea.

[Peanut 26]

Roxas bit the inside of his cheek, scolding himself for obviously triggering a memory. "I'll go get the radio and plug it in in the hallway," he said, changing the subject. While she worked in the living room, he'd try to sort out her bedroom the best he could. He heard some types of soda could remove blood stains, so he'd have to try that. 

[Forever Love 82]

Namine wiped under her eyes again, glancing at Roxas and nodding. She then separated herself from him completely, starting toward the pictures she had sitting out. Those were most important. She would pack those away first.

[Peanut 26]

Since Roxas and Namine returned to the Islands around 9:00 in the morning, they had all day to work on cleaning up her house. That was both good and bad: good because the work needed to get done, and bad because they were in a place that brought up painful memories. Cleaning up the blood left a bitter taste in Roxas's mouth; this was a reminder of his failure to protect Namine. By the time dinner rolled around, he was emotionally exhausted because of the work. The blood was mostly gone from both the bedroom and the hall, but his memories weren't.

[Forever Love 82]

Namine kept her mind occupied by thinking about the dinner she was making, focusing on stirring the noodles that were cooking in the boiling water. All she could really make with what wasn't expired was pasta, and she hoped that was alright. But even as she cooked she fought her tears. This whole thing was a disaster. She wished she would have stayed at the castle. She was happy there.

[Peanut 26]

Roxas now sat in front of Namine's computer, tired eyes skimming over information. He had no clue how to fix walls, so he was trying to figure out how to do that. None of their friends knew how to fix walls and calling in a repairman would be expensive. How hard could it be, right?

[Forever Love 82]

Namine finished cooking her and Roxas's dinner, then stepping over to grab plates from one of the cupboards. She pulled them out, but she wasn't careful enough, and a few fell to the counter and shattered before breaking more on the floor. She cried out in both alarm and pain, some glass managing to cut her palm. She winced as blood smothered her hand, the girl feeling the tears come more quickly now. Could this day get any worse?

[Peanut 26]

Roxas bolted upright in his seat, suddenly awake again at the cry from the kitchen. He shoved the chair backwards and practically ran to the room, seeing Namine standing there with her hand in her grasp. "What?" he asked in alarm. But he hardly needed to ask; he saw the debris. 

[Forever Love 82]

Namine looked up at Roxas, vision blurred slightly. "I didn't...I wasn't..." she tried, but she couldn't think straight. She was distraught and now in pain. This was a terrible day. First her friends were taken to jail, then Faye was taken from her, and then her home, and now this. Namine wasn't sure what could top this day.