Kingdom Hearts- FFM V3!

Namine heard her name enter her ears, and she opened her eyes without thought, seeing Roxas' closed. "Yes?" she asked softly, looking at Roxas despite the fact that he couldn't see her.

 

"Do you remember what you said earlier? ...About why I haven't given up on you?" he asked, a little uncertainty and hesitance in his voice. Roxas bit his lip when he was done speaking; he was tearing down the peaceful walls that had surrounded them, and was now bringing back the memories of a few moments ago...sad memories.

 

Namine felt herself growing more concerned, hearing some hesitation in Roxas' voice as well as seeing it on his facial expression. She did remember, but why was he bringing it up again? Namine stopped thinking, speaking one word as her answer to Roxas' question. "Yes..." she said softly, her voice showing some uncertainty as well.

 

"Well, I was thinking about that," Roxas started again, opening his eyes a little but looking down. "I don't really want to bring it up again, but...it makes me wonder if you believed me back at the warehouse, when we were in the middle of all that had happened." He blinked once, his eyes staying down as he finished speaking, his words now hanging in the air.

 

Namine bit her lip lightly, her gaze staying down. After everything that had happened at the warehouse, she wasn't quite feeling her best...at the moment Roxas was referring to or this one. Her emotions were still a bit jumbled, and she wasn't sure what to say. The only thing she could think of saying was that she wasn't quite herself back there...but she felt tongue-tied by Roxas' words, so she stayed silent, in case he decided to say any more.

 

Namine's silence convinced Roxas that maybe she wasn't sure what he was talking about, since it was very crazy back then. So he continued. "You know...what I said when I woke up, and when I was about to go after him again," he said softly, keeping his gaze fixed down.

 

Namine remembered now; Roxas had said he wasn't going to leave her...not ever. "I remember," Namine stated softly, her gaze staying down. Roxas had brought it up again, and now, he was wondering if she believed him at that moment. Namine's feelings had been so jumbled at the time, she honestly couldn't remember if she believed them at the time or not.

 

Roxas exhaled a small breath after Namine spoke, trying to think of the right words to speak. "Well," he started, "I meant what I said back there. And that is one of the main reasons that I haven't given up on you...and never will." He lifted his gaze finally, his eyes falling on Namine's face. "I made you a promise, even if it didn't sound like one at the time. And I plan to keep that promise." Roxas's cobalt blue eyes gazed at the girl in front of him, his arms still wrapped around her form. He didn't think it was possible for him to leave Namine; a long time ago, back when he was having his own doubts with Brian and Jeff and everything, he had merely wondered what it would be like without Namine, and that had been a painful thought. If he couldn't even imagine himself without her, then there was no way he could actually live with her removed from his life.

 

Surprisingly, that answer saddened Namine. Roxas was staying with her because of a promise...an obligation. Smith had told her Roxas would come out of obligation to her, because he promised to protect her. Was that the reason for everything going on? Was he only staying with her because of a commitment he made? Or was it also because of love; the love that Roxas had proclaimed to have for her...? Her eyes stayed down, despite the fact that she felt Roxas' gaze resting on her.

 

Roxas felt a sudden wave of a new emotion go over him, one that he recognized all too well: sadness. But it wasn't coming from him...or that's at least what he thought. His eyes stayed on Namine, trying to read her expression. He had been paying so much attention to her at that moment that he noticed her eyebrows furrow ever so slightly after he spoke, but he didn't know why they did. Roxas pulled his forehead back from Namine's then, but kept her close. "What?" he asked softly, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as well.

 

Namine turned her head slightly, moving it a little bit further away from Roxas. "Nothing," she said softly, though that was a lie. She decided to correct her mistake this time, not letting that word hang in the air long. "It's just...you reminded me of something he said..." Namine paused for a brief moment, her gaze staying down on the floor. She wanted to get this out now, so this awkward moment could end as soon as possible, but how was she supposed to say it? Instead of stalling, she decided to just keep speaking. "He said that you would only come for me out of obligation...because you made a promise to protect me."

 

Roxas's eyebrows furrowed even more at her words, his blue eyes stuck on her face. She was believing Smith again? "Namine, you know better than to believe anything he says," Roxas said seriously. He exhaled a breath silently through his nose and lifted his hand to Namine's chin, gently starting to turn her face toward him.

 

Namine shut her eyes when she felt Roxas' hand on her chin, feeling him turning her to face him. Her soft blue eyes flickered open, her sight immedialy falling on Roxas. She saw in his ocean blue eyes that he was completely serious...and correct. Smith was only trying to break her down, and it was better she forgot everything he said. She couldn't believe his words, or her relationship with Roxas would never be the same again. "You're right," she said softly in agreement, holding Roxas' gaze.

 

Roxas kept his hand in place under Namine's chin, nodding once at her words. "You should never believe someone who finds pleasure in...hurting you," he explained, having to pause slightly mid-sentence, remembering Namine's marks from the man. It killed him to see them, because it proved that Smith got away with doing something evil and hurting.

 

Namine lowered her gaze, knowing what Roxas was thinking about when he paused. "I know," she said quietly, her soft blue eyes gazing at the floor. Smith had only said those things to hurt her, there was no truth behind it...right? No! Namine wouldn't let herself believe them. Not today. Not ever again.

 

Roxas kept his eyes on Namine though she looked away, lowering his hand from her chin and putting it lightly on her shoulder. "Besides, I could never save you just from an obligation. I promised to protect you because I want you to be safe, and because you're important to me." He blinked once, though his azure eyes stayed on Namine's face. "I care too much for you to do anything less. And I love you far too much to stand on the sidelines."

 

Namine lifted her eyes again, meeting Roxas' gaze. He did come because he promised to save her, but that promise was made because of his love for her. So really, he came because he did love her, as he just said again. She believed in his words, just as she believed in him. "I know," Namine said again, honesty coming through in her voice. She gave Roxas a weak smile, trying to prove to him that she really did believe he loved her again.

 

Roxas felt a faint smile come to his lips in response to Namine's, feeling that small wave of sadness wash away. The look in her eyes told him simply that she believed him, and that made Roxas become a little more content, even though it felt odd being that way after everything that happened.

 

Namine's faint smile faded, though she wasn't terribly sad at that moment. It was just strange to think about smiling after everything that had happened. But this was Roxas she was with, and he always had a way of making her feel a little happier. A few memories came to mind, one of them being the time when she had been sick on his couch. He had sung a song to her, and of course it made her happy. How could she not feel loved when Roxas was always holding her, or taking care of her, or just looking at her? His love for her was so great, and Namine was starting to take that in again. It actually made her feel a bit shy, a feeling she hadn't had in a little while.

 

After a few seconds, Roxas's small smile went away. He let his eyes stay on Namine, examining her features. Everything about them was still the same, which he loved, despite the various marks that were beginning to show on her skin.