Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return V2

"Sitting out here until you come down," Roxas answered automatically. It was really the only thing he had in mind. He would have climbed the tree, but it was covered in snow and slick; it wouldn't result in anything but injury, most likely.

 

"That's it?" Namine asked without thought, eyes on the boy at the bottom of the tree. "I was expecting you to say something like having to climb up and get me." Roxas wouldn't let a missing ladder stop him, would he?

 

"Well, I did have that in mind," Roxas admitted, tilting his head to the side as he looked away briefly. "But I don't know if that'd be such a good idea... Unless you're challenging me, of course." His blue eyes darted up to her expectingly. "Then I'd try my best."

 

Namine shook her head, realizing that Roxas had a point. "No, it's probably a bad idea," she confessed. "The ladder was pretty slick; I can only imagine how bad the tree is." She didn't want Roxas to risk hurting himself, that was for sure.

 

"'Kay." Roxas lowered himself to the ground, feeling the snow instantly. He positioned his elbows on his knees and looked up at Namine. "I'll wait here then," he finished.

 

Namine arched a brow, seeing that Roxas had actually sat down in the freezing snow. "You're gonna be sitting for a while then," she said plainly. "I don't plan on coming down any time soon." Roxas wanted revenge on her because she had tickled him and then sneaked out of the house, so she knew she would be in a little bit of trouble upon returning to him.

 

Roxas shrugged, moving his hands with the motion. "Where else am I gonna go?" he said with a small smirk. After all, it wasn't like he had to be somewhere, like running around and killing Heartless and Nobodies. He was forced out of that.

 

"Inside, maybe?" Namine said, bringing up her idea from earlier. "It is much warmer in there, after all." Actually, she was starting to feel cold in the tree-house, even with her warm coat on. If she weren't afraid of what awaited her when she got down, she would have gone inside.

 

Roxas was silent for a second, tilting his head to the side. "You really want me to go inside, don't you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes a little as he stared up at the tree house. His expression was of playful suspicion, and he was wondering just exactly why she was so insistent on it.

 

Namine shrugged slightly, catching the look on Roxas' face when he spoke the words. "It is really cold out," she said, that actually being one of her main reasons she thought it would be best for Roxas to go in. Because if went in, then she could get out of the tree-house and possibly sneak in and get warm as well.

 

"And I'm guessing you're gonna stay out here..." Roxas said it as more of a statement than a question. He looked up at her, but didn't move.

 

"As long as it takes for you to leave the base of the tree," Namine said, her voice holding some cheeriness in it. She was starting to understand that she couldn't totally escape Roxas' tickling, but she was going to avoid it any possible way.

 

Roxas sighed, hanging his head. Stubborn girl, Namine was. She actually found a way to triumph him in this situation; she knew he wasn't going to let her stay out here in the snow and freezing weather. He would have to give in, but once he was inside, she was in for it. Jokingly, of course.

 

Namine smiled widely, able to tell by the way that Roxas' head that he seemed to realize he didn't have any other options. Climbing up the tree was out of the question, and he didn't know that there was a rope that led up to her position from the backside of the tree.

 

"Fine," Roxas said, lifting his chin and looking up at Namine. His expression was a pout. "You win." He didn't have any other choice; it was either go inside and wait for Namine to come in, or sit outside and risk her getting sick--again, when she just got over another illness. Roxas was going inside, for Namine's sake. Still, she wasn't getting out of this one.

 

Namine stifled a giggle, her smile on her lips. "Have fun inside!" she said, bringing up a hand and waving at the boy at the base of the tree. She'd join him just as soon as she was sure he wouldn't ambush her in the snow. Or whenever she got too cold, which would probably come sooner than that point.

 

Roxas started to push himself up, waving one hand unenthusiastically at the girl. "Yeah, yeah," he said, brushing the snow off his pants once he was standing. His bright eyes rested on Namine for a few more seconds, a small smirk appearing, and then he turned around, heading back the way he came.

 

Namine crossed her arms, feeling victorious. She would watch Roxas until she lost sight of him, and then she would get down herself. It was getting very cold all of a sudden, and she desired nothing more than a steaming cup of hot chocolate. She shivered, looking at the snow falling down from the sky as she sat in the tree-house.

 

Roxas made his way silently back through the garden and then turned toward the house. Snow was falling on him, and he knew it was sticking to his spikes. He didn't really care though, opening the back door and being greeted by Ty as soon as he stepped in. "Hey, bud," he greeted lightly, rubbing the dog's head before slipping off his shoes and coat.

 

Namine lowered the ladder down the moment Roxas was out of sight, the girl not willing to deal with the cold weather any longer. She climbed down it, but when she was at the third step from the bottom, her foot slipped and she fell, landing in the snow a few feet down. She laughed at her own clumsiness and then picked herself up, brushing off the snow.