Peanut

"Yeah..."Roxas looked around, keeping one of his hands on Namine's lower back. "...I don't appreciate their company as much as I do yours." He was growing bolder in the past week, mostly because Namine seemed okay with it. She seemed to receive his comments better than she used to. Did that mean she returned his feelings?

"I told you I wasn't going in alone," Roxas said, giving her a look. "I don't plan on staying in alone either." So unless she wanted him out of the water too, she was going to keep him company for a while. But she didn't need to worry; he wouldn't let the waves topple her.

"Oh, it was huge," Roxas agreed with a smirk. "But they're only going to get bigger. See what tonight is?" He lifted one of his hands, pointing to the orb in the sky that was getting darker now that the sun set. The moon was completely full, which meant the waves would be big.

Roxas also loosened his hold on Namine, though to her expression, he only shook his head and smiled. "You're going to get wet anyway, huh?" he repeated, teasing her. She acted like she didn't need him to boost her above the waves and then she clung to him like this; it was illogical. Not that he was complaining.

Roxas momentarily lost his footing when the wave hit, but he quickly regained it if only for the sake of the girl who was clinging to him. He wrapped his arms around her lower back to keep her from being dragged away from the wave, though he could hardly take the situation seriously with the perfect reaction she just had. When the wave passed, he began to laugh.

Roxas turned around, seeing an ever bigger wave coming. "Oh, then I guess I'll let you face this one on your own," he smirked as he began to withdraw his hands. He doubted he could completely protect her from this one; it was pretty big.

Roxas chuckled, smiling sheepishly as he kept a hold on Namine's waist. "Sorry," he said. "I should have lifted you higher." He could have too; it was easy to lift her up considering she was so lightweight. He wished he had more chances to hold onto her like this...

Roxas dragged her in, chuckling as a wave hit his back. He braced for it but also pulled Namine closer, setting his hands on her waist to lift her up so that the wave wouldn't hit her in the face. The cool water felt good in his hair, but he doubted it would taste as good for Namine.

"Not alone, I'm not," Roxas said, a smile appearing on his lips. He reached over and grabbed both of Namine's hands so that he could lead her in. A part of him wanted to pick her up and toss her in, but this was good enough for now.

Roxas watched as Serah giggled at Noel's enthusiasm and ran into the water with him. However, his focus quickly turned to the blonde that was standing near him. "Going in?" he checked with her. She did have her suit on; they all did since hangouts often involved swimming.

"You were going in either way," Sora smirked. He grasped her legs tightly and then ran for the water, taking her with him. She may have still had her clothes on, and in fact he still had his shirt on, but he didn't care.

"Just the two of us?" Sora asked, smirking. "I dunno...I think Kairi wants to go for a swim too." He looked to his wife, winking at her. If he was going swimming, he was definitely going to bring her with him.

Roxas smiled as well, nodding from his spot. "Well put," he said to Kairi. Yeah, things weren't really good for any of them right now, but it seemed like the worst was behind them. He hoped to help ensure that was true with all of his friends, but especially Namine.

Serah frowned, though she already knew that news. She was free to see everyone's actions the past few days without being directly involved. Sora and Kairi soothed the media, Roxas took care of Namine, and Riku and Lightning were in jail. As for Serah, she talked to Riku's parents about cyber school. Lightning wasn't going to be happy about that when they had a chance to sit down and talk.

Sora let go of Lightning, who took a small step away and looked to him for an answer. "...Well," he started. "Kairi and I have been telling the press about Xehanort's return. Now that everyone knows what happened and that they're safe, they're treating us better. But..." He glanced at Namine, figuring she probably didn't have the heart to say the truth. "...Namine was evicted from her apartment for having a pet. She's moved in to Roxas's dorm now."

Roxas stood off to the side, watching Sora hug Lightning. The latter didn't really know how to react, and he didn't blame her; Sora initiated the hug really suddenly, and Lightning didn't seem like the type for hugs. That was why when he saw her, he just gave her a smile and a nod. She seemed to appreciate that more than the hug.

It took an hour to get to Riku's parent's house when it should have taken twenty minutes. The paparazzi were definitely obnoxious; she forgot how bad they were. She coped with them alone while Riku was away, but she wasn't going to let those negative thoughts get to her on the day she was released from jail with him. They arrived at his old home, got cleaned up and fed (and tackled by Serah). A few quick phone calls later, Riku and Lightning were at the special Island with their other friends who were relieved to see them out of jail.

Lightning wasn't sure why Riku held her hand so tightly at first, but when he opened the door, she realized why. The press was here to harass them, as if they didn't receive enough foul treatment the past few days. She automatically tightened her hold on Riku's hand as they stepped out, sudden memories of the past coming before her mind. Last time she and Riku held hands in front of the press, they were a fake couple.

Lightning opened her eyes and looked up at Riku, meeting his aqua eyes. "I'm ready," she said quietly. Though she supposed her home was different than his home; when he went away for the first time, she moved in with his parents and Serah.

"You too," Lightning said simply. Though they were two simple words, they conveyed the truth well enough. She was thinking about him so much over the past few days, wondering how he was doing with everything and being thrown in jail because of her. But he seemed okay.

Lightning shut her eyes, resting the side of her head against Riku's cheek as she too wrapped her arms around him. She also knew that she had been missing him, but she didn't realize just how much she missed him until she was in his arms now. Now that she was here, she didn't want to leave.

Light glanced to the side, slightly embarrassed. She hadn't even realized that she stopped walking. She knew she was relieved to see him, but she was that relieved? Nevertheless, she lifted her gaze and approached him, accepting his silent invitation and walking into the arms that he opened to her.

Just as Riku's shoulders relaxed when he saw her, Lightning had the same reaction. She wasn't sure how she expected him to be when seeing him. For some reason, she thought he might still be upset about Zane and how his attack on him extended their jail time, but all she could read on him now was relief.

Lightning was led to the front, the area where her initial cell was. It looked like they fixed the part where she bent the bars. She felt a little sheepish for taking such extreme action, but even so, she didn't regret it. When she finally looked away from the bars and turned a corner, she noticed the person standing by the front door. Riku.

That Evening Lightning blinked at the sudden opening of her jail cell door. She had been lying on her side, facing the wall when she heard an officer tell her to "get up and get out." On their way to the front desk, he begrudgingly explained that she was absolutely innocent of murder and that she was done serving her time for resisting arrest and violence in jail. She was being set free....