Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Namine sighed softly, lowering her head and closing her eyes at the same time. "Nightmare," she said softly. "But you probably already guessed that," she added. After all, if Roxas thought that there was something seriously wrong in real life, he would have been more forceful in acquiring information on what happened.

 

Roxas shrugged slightly. "Yeah..." he admitted softly. A bad dream seemed like the most logical thing to him, especially this late at night. If something were really serious, he was sure he would have been woken up immediately. "...What was it about?" he asked hesitantly, not sure if she really wanted to discuss it.

 

Namine opened her eyes partway, keeping her head lowered. She knew Roxas would ask eventually, so she would have to try her hardest to answer that question. "...It was a lot like the movie," she started, remembering the man in the white mask. "But..."

 

Roxas frowned slightly at her first words. He should have expected something like that, considering that they did watch it earlier today. It was what Namine said last, though, that really pulled him in. But what?

 

"...But a man in a white mask chased me and eventually grabbed me," Namine said softly, keeping her gaze lowered. That, though wasn't what terrified her. "I hit his mask off and saw his face," she said even more quietly. Those words were almost whispered, and her next three were completely hushed. "It was Smith."

 

Roxas's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the man, his eyes then narrowing slightly as his eyebrows furrowed. His gaze dropped to the floor beneath his feet. "...Smith," he said quietly. Even though his tone was soft, it was still enough to show that he still held anger toward the man. At the thought of him, Roxas squeezed Namine's hand.

 

Namine shut her eyes, feeling the tears reappear. She couldn't break down; She had to tell Roxas about the rest of the haunting dream. She took in a breath and then released it, unsure of how to proceed.

 

Roxas turned his head toward Namine, his eyes no longer narrowed when he saw her. He put his other hand over theirs together, exhaling softly. Smith was gone from reality, but that didn't mean he couldn't appear in their dreams. Right now was a perfect example, and Roxas wished that it had been him that was haunted by Smith instead of Namine.

 

Namine bit her lip, keeping her eyes shut as she forced herself to continue, Roxas' touch encouraging her. "He...spoke to me exactly like he would have in real life," she said softly. "He insulted me and said a lot of stuff that...frightened me." She had a hard time saying any of this, because it only reminded her of the specific things he had said to her.

 

Roxas frowned at the words, his grip tightening on Namine's hand. "I'm sorry, Nam..." he said quietly, meaning it greatly. After hearing that, he really wished it was him who had had the nightmare. It was very unfortunate that she had to go through that.

 

Namine shook her head slightly, her hair moving into her face a bit. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for," she whispered, one tear sliding down her cheek. She brought up her free hand and immediately wiped it away without thought. Roxas had no reason to feel guilty; He couldn't control her dreams.

 

"Doesn't matter," Roxas replied softly, shaking his head. "You shouldn't have to go through that..." She really shouldn't, not after everything that had happened to her in reality. Things were bad enough back then; she didn't need to be reminded of it when she was trying to rest in peace for a night.

 

Namine felt more tears flood her eyes as she forced them open, her head lifting a tiny bit. "Yeah..." she said softly in agreement. She hated that she had anything to do with Smith in the real world. She hated that he abused her, insulted her, and caused her to lash out at Roxas by not trusting his love. Not only that, but she hated that even after he was dead, he could still haunt her in her dreams.

 

"It'll be alright," Roxas said supportively. He grasped her hand securely, trying to provide a little comfort through that gesture. He couldn't say that Smith was gone, because clearly he wasn't. And he couldn't tell Namine that the man would never hurt her again, because he already was. In truth, he didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he was going to stick by her until this all went away.

 

Namine nodded slightly, biting her lip again. Smith had said...That what happened in the dream was real enough to change all of reality. Was he telling the truth? He had forced her to admit that she was afraid, but of what? Of him? Or something else? She just didn't know...

 

Roxas blinked once as he gazed at the girl he loved, wishing he could do something to make her fear disappear. But with a nightmare, he wasn't sure what he could say or do to make it better. And he hated that.

 

Namine exhaled a silent breath and leaned completely into the back of the couch, the girl tired but not sleepy. She subtly moved closer to Roxas and leaned her head against his upper arm, her eyes shut partway. She knew there was nothing he could do to help with the nightmare situation, not unless she specifically told him what Smith said.

 

Roxas moved his hand that had been resting atop theirs that were connected, letting it find Namine's cheek as a place to rest. He lowered his head toward her in silence, his forehead lightly against her blonde hair. He wished there was something else he could say other than "it's alright", but he didn't think he could.

 

Namine exhaled a silent breath, shutting her eyes. No, she couldn't tell Roxas what he said. It had been far too real for comfort, and it made her think of something she did need to ask aloud. "...Do you think it's possible, that even though he's dead, he himself can appear in dreams?" she asked softly. She wasn't sure if the question was clear enough, so she added on something else at that end. "Not just a memory of him, but him."

 

Roxas stiffened upon hearing the question asked to him. He wasn't sure how he could answer that. Smith was a very powerful, manipulative man. But he was gone now, no longer with them and would never be with them again. He pulled his head from Namine's, looking down at her. "I think..." Roxas started, his voice soft as he thought over it, "that the only way he can really be with you then...is if he still has a place in your heart." He didn't mean this in a good way of course, because that was definitely not the case here.