KH - Fast Food Madness! V2

Roxas opened his eyes a little, his gaze falling on his lap again. "I could've helped it more than you think," he responded. "I should've finished him off when I had the chance, not when he was using you to get me angry." Roxas' voice was a little louder now in the living room, but still a bit soft.

 

Namine shook her head slightly in disagreement. She knew how Roxas never hesitated in battle, and she was sure he hadn't purposely let Smith get away and grab her. "I think you're over reacting a little," she said gently.

 

"Overreacting?" Roxas repeated softly, turning his head to look over at the girl beside him. "Namine, you were almost killed because of me!" After his words came out slightly louder than normal, his thoughts immediately took him back to when Smith had said he was going to end Namine's life before Roxas'. And if Roxas hadn't reacted when he did, Smith would have.

 

Namine caught a look of anger in his eyes, though she knew that it wasn't directed at her. He was frustrated with this whole thing, and she understood that. "But I wasn't killed--you saved me. And it wasn't because of you in the first place; Smith was the one who took me and...hurt me. Not you."

 

Namine's words brought back Roxas' thoughts from moments ago again, about how he was always saving her after she was threatened or harmed. "But if I had finished him off before he caught you, it would've never happened. You understand that, right?" His voice was soft but tense at the same time, his frustration affecting him.

 

Namine stayed silent for a moment, gazing at Roxas. "Roxas...think back to your fight with Smith. Was there honestly an opportunity where you could have finished him off?" Namine doubt that there actually had been an opportunity like that, and she hoped she was right; it would make things a lot more simple.

 

Roxas kept his eyes on Namine's as he ran over his memories, back to the fight with Smith. He remembered how he and Smith had been bickering back and forth to each other about Roxas being a waste of space and fading into Oblivion, and then how Roxas had stated that Smith was the waste of space. They had been blade to blade at that time, and that was when Smith had lept back and said a few words.

"You're not the only one that's a waste of space."

Roxas practically saw the grin that had been plastered on the man's face after he said that, even if he was just recalling it. But then he remembered the fear that had run through him, and he felt that again, in his heart. Roxas closed his eyes and cringed slightly in the silence.

 

Namine stayed silent, her question going unanswered. Roxas was at least thinking back, and she hoped that he would realize that there really was nothing he could have done.

 

Roxas opened his eyes as the memory faded, his eyes meeting Namine's again. He let out a silent breath, shaking his head slightly to answer her question.

 

"So it's not your fault," Namine said softly at Roxas' response, seeing the teen shake his head. She was glad that was the response, and it only proved her point: Roxas wasn't responsible for any of the actions Smith took against her--none of it.

 

Roxas turned his head slightly, his eyes falling on the warm fire in front of them. "But that doesn't take away some of the guilt," he admitted. "And that doesn't solve the other two...I mean, three...problems in front of us."

 

"Three?" Namine questioned, not knowing what Roxas was referring to. Other than Smith, the only other two people she could think of as a problem were Jeff and Brian. What was Roxas referring to...?

 

Roxas shook his head slightly, thinking back to his own thoughts a moment ago. The third problem...was his ability to protect Namine. He didn't know if it was the aura in the room making him feel so bad, or if he was being too hard on himself, but he knew that he hadn't done the best job in protecting Namine lately.

 

Namine kept her soft gaze on Roxas, a confused look spreading across her features. He wasn't elaborating about it, and Namine didn't feel right pressuring him. Once again, she decided to remain silent and wait.

 

"We'll get to that," Roxas informed Namine softly, sensing confusion in the room. That was one of the biggest for him, and he didn't want to dismiss the other two problems because of one of his own.

 

"Okay..." Namine trailed off as she turned her head, her eyes falling on the flickering fire now.

 

Roxas stared at the fire in the silence, unsure of how to start off the next problem they both had to talk about; Jeff. Roxas knew that this one wasn't necessarily his fault, but he couldn't help but feel bad that he wasn't there for Namine...

 

Namine subconsiously started to bite her lip, the silence in the room feeling heavy and awkward. But Roxas was the one who needed to talk most, so Namine would just have to be patient and wait it out. Not that she minded waiting of course--she would give Roxas whatever time he needed, because she loved him.

 

While a few of his fingers messed with the fabric of his sweatpants on his leg, Roxas tried to think of how he could start this next conversation. He knew it wasn't going to be an easy one, but none of them were easy. Any of them. He just had to choose his words carefully, he supposed. He knew that Namine didn't necessarily know what was bothering him, so he would have to somehow let her know.

 

Namine's hands sat in her lap as she blankly stared at the fire, trying to somehow ignore the tense aura that hung around her and Roxas. It was an awful feeling, not knowing what exactly was wrong. But patience was important here, and she understood that.