Cross my heart and hope to die.

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Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine, sadly.
Rating: T for description of gore, tragedy... all of that mess. ;p
Summary: When she said,"Cross my heart and hope to die," who knew it would be literal? ---RoxasxNaminé---
Author's Note: It's mushy. It's tragic. It's sad. It's badly written. xD; You know you want to read it.

You read, you review.

Well, I don't want to sound bossy, soooo...

Please?

I'd love you if you would.

Most certainly.

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Ever since Roxas and Naminé first met as kids, they had this funny way of promising each other by saying, "Cross my heart and hope to die." It wasn't exactly the best choice, granted, since they could've just said, "Yeah, okay, I promise." But it was their way. And even though neither her or him would admit to the special feeling it gave each one, they both had it. It was kind of a warm feeling. Like the feeling you get when your best friend tells you the most amazing secret ever and you have to swear not tell another soul.

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"Move it, girly", Roxas said grudgingly, shoving the little blonde haired girl out of the swing. She stood up timidly, "Uhmm.. but.. I was here first", She said, her blue eyes meeting Roxas's.

"Yeah. So?" He said, sitting in the swing, his bully friends shoving other kids off of their swings and sitting in them.

"You can't just do that", She said, frowning, "We were here first."

"Go away, little girl", He said, his cronies laughing at the comment. Funny thing was, actually, he was the same age. He just felt that it made him sound bigger and badder than a stupid little girl.

"I don't see what's so funny..." She said, and rubbed the scratches on her pale elbow.

"That's because you don't get what's funny", He said, and then waved his hand dismissively, "Go away."

She turned and sighed. Walking to where her sketchbook was, she picked it up and began doodling. Even at a small age, she did indeed draw and color. Her chalcedony-irises fixed on the piece of paper, and she began drawing Roxas, for some bewildering reason. Out of her anger, she drew him in the swing, and then with a satisfied some-what evil smile, erased his arms. "Oops!" She said with a giggle to herself, "Looks like you can't swing anymore!" It was the classic get-back-at-him-without-being-mean-self-satisfying thing that she did. And she didn't feel even a little bit guilty.

"I'll be right back", She overheard Roxas say, and saw him run across the street to a bathroom. She absentmindedly began doodled, and saw him come out of the bathroom. He stopped and looked around, then picked a pink rose that was growing on a bush nearby.

That, indeed, was exceptionally self-satisfying. She flipped to the next page and began drawing. A very pretty picture, it was. A picture of the tough guy smelling a rose with glowing pink cheeks and a ridiculous look on his face.

She walked over to where Roxas and his friends were playing a game, and smiled, "Hi", She said cheerfully, and then pointed at Roxas, "What's your name?"

"Roxas", He said, and scratched his blonde hair, "... Why?" He couldn't figure out why she was being actually nice to him.

"Come here", Naminé said, motioning for him to come over.

He raised an eyebrow, but obeyed, "Yeah?"

She smiled, and pointed to her drawing.

Roxas's eyes widened. He glanced back at his friends, "Uh... wait here, okay?"

"Okay", One of them nodded, and then smiled mischeviously, turning to the other boys, "Roxas has to go make out with his girlfriend."

Roxas twitched, "She's not my girlfriend, you baka!"

All of the boys snickered mockingly, answering with, "Sure..", "Whatever you say, Roxas..", and "Mmm-hmm."

He could've killed all of them at that exact moment.

He sighed angrily, but followed the blonde haired girl, "What?" He demanded in a hiss.

"I saw you picking that flower. You know, I could show this to all of your friends to get back at you for being so mean."

"But.. that's just cruel."

"Cruel isn't really my style, but I want to know why you even did that, Roxas."

His eyebrow twitched as she said his name, "I just did what my friends wanted to do.. that's all. Look, please don't show them that picture."

She raised her eyebrows, "And why shouldn't I?"

He sucked in a deep breath, "The flower... it's... for my Mom... and, well, those guys would kill me if they saw it."

Naminé couldn't help but smile. He wasn't mean, he was just hanging out with the wrong crowd. "That's really nice", She said thoughtfully, "Okay. I won't show them."

"Promise me you won't."

"Promise."

"Cross your heart."

She sighed, making a cross on her chest, "Cross my heart and hope to die."

"You better not be lying!"

She looked horrified, "I never lie."

"Yeah, right."

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That was the beginning of their friendship. They didn't live too far away from each other, and so they grew to like one another. All of this was brought to mind for some unclear reason as he saw Naminé lying on the ground dying. Dying from a mistake that Sora had done. Sora was aiming his keyblade at a nearby heartless, and as he ran foreward to kill it, he somehow managed to stab the thing into Naminé. There was nothing nearby that could save her, and Roxas knew it. Sora was basically crazy. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were wide open and bloodshot. He kept saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry.." He had said it so much that it was starting to sound like incoherent babbling. Kairi was by his side, trying to tell him that Naminé would live, but all of them knew it was just a lie. Riku was like a statue, standing far off and not uttering a word, but everyone could see the confusion and awkwardness in the way he stood.

Naminé breathed slowly, blood squirting out of the wound in her stomach. Her hair was in tangles around her face, her eyes wide, but nearly dead and lifeless. Snowflakes were falling from the cloudy grey sky, and the earth was chilled in ice. At least, where they were at. Wherever it was. Elegant formations of icicles hung from the chocolate brown trees, and snowflakes were sticking to eyelids, eyelashes, and hair.

Kairi was still trying to comfort Sora, telling him that Naminé would live, and Sora was just saying, "I'm sorry, so, so, so, sorry.. please forgive me.. it was an accident.. an inexcusable accident. We've got to get help.. now."

"What help?" Riku said ruefully, "We're in the middle of nowhere - no, scratch that, we're in the middle of oblivion. There's no hospitals or anything that could save her."

"Don't talk like that, Riku", Kairi said softly, shaking her head, her voice strained by silent crying.

Naminé laughed lightly, "You are all so funny." She said with a smile, snowflakes on her eyelashes.

Something in Roxas snapped. "Funny? What's so funny about death and reality, Naminé!" He shouted, "Tell me this. Explain."

"It's not the situation, Roxas", She said, her voice light and soft, "It's just you all. It wasn't Sora's fault -"

"Don't be stupid," Roxas hissed angrily, "It's all his fault! If he hadn't tried to be the hero and kill that heartless, this wouldn't have happened to you!"

Sora nodded, "I know, and I'm so sorry. There has to be a way to save her. Naminé, just don't give up. I'll find a way out of here."

"Stop giving her false hope", Roxas growled angrily. "And stop trying to be her hero!"

"There's no such thing!" Sora shouted back, "You stop putting the idea of death in her head!"

"I'm just being open to reality!"

"You're being pathetic, is what you're being!"

"Guys - stop!" Kairi shouted, covering her ears. "Give Naminé the courtesy of not fighting."

"I agree with Kairi." Riku said quietly, "You're both acting like morons."

Naminé's eyes were closed, her breathing faint and slow. Her chest was barely moving.

"Hey, hey, hey.." Roxas said and kneeled down, shaking her bruised shoulders, "Wake up, Naminé"

Her eyes opened, and then her shoulders broke out in a shiver. "It's so cold, Roxas."

"I know", He said, his voice jerking with the possibility of tears starting to break in his eyes. "It's okay."

"Yeah.." She said, her voice trailing off, and her eyes closing again.

"No! Don't let her sleep!" Kairi cried hysterically.

Roxas shook her shoulders. She didn't budge. Or breathe. He shook her shoulders again, this time very violently, "Wake up, Naminé!"

Naminé's eyelashes fluttered up, her face flushed. She groaned, "Ah... Roxas.."

It took him a few seconds to reply. He swallowed hard, but it seemed so difficult just to do that. Like there was a ball in his throat. "Yeah?" He managed to choke out.

"Promise me something, Roxas."

"Promise you what?" He asked. He didn't care if she made him promise to visit the moon; he'd promise her anyway. He felt this strange warmness on his face. It took him a little bit to realize that it was the warmth from living tears that were sliding down his face.

"Promise me that you won't forget me." She said slowly, her eyelids closing, lips blue. "Promise me."

"I promise."

"Cross.." She swallowed, "your heart."

This ridiculously puzzled look was on Roxas's face. "Oh." He said, finding the meaning of her words, and smiled, "I cross my heart and hope to die." It was a regretful smile. The promise that they always used to make to one another as a joke seemed like an icy death sentence now.

Naminé smiled, satisfied, "Kairi, Sora, Roxas, and Riku.. thank you. I hold nothing against you, Sora." Her eyebrows twitched as cold pain stung her in the stomach. "I won't forget you... guys. E-ever. I cross my heart.." She said softly, the ice stealing the life out of her tone of voice, "and hope to die." With that, she died, her spirit leaving her body and her chest no longer moving.

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All dressed in black, Naminé's friends and family all stood by her chocolate brown coffin. It was covered in roses, and other flowers that left a smell of pure fragrance and beauty. After the funeral was over, Roxas still stood by the coffin. He couldn't believe that she died. That his childhood friend died. All of the embarrassing moments and heart warming scenes of life with her ran through his mind. He never even got to tell her how he actually thought she was kind of pretty, and had a perfect personality. Truth be told; he was in love with her. A love that was so unsure, sometimes he thought he just loved her in a different sense. But as she was gone, he knew how he felt inside. That he loved her. Honestly, if she was alive, he probably would never had told her that the loved her either. He pictured himself telling her as she was alive that he loved her, and then pictured them getting married and having kids. But there just wasn't an image in his mind. He knew he'd never do it. Roxas knew not to fool himself.

Sora and Roxas stood alone by the casket, and Sora put a hand on Roxas's shoulder, "It's okay. I'm really sorry about what happened.. I swear to you that I'll never live it down. It's something you can't just lock away in a box."

"Yeah", Roxas said distractedly, "But she said she didn't hold it against you."

"That's true, but if it wasn't for me, she'd still be here. I can't just let it go. I know that I've cried a couple of nights since what happened, and I know you have too, Roxas. It's alright to cry. I know you feel the same pain; most likely you're feeling it worse."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because, you knew her longer than I did. You had known her for years."

"...hn."

"We tried to save her, Roxas, but there was nothing that could've been-"

"We should've tried harder", Roxas said, shrugging away from Sora's grip, "I should've been looking for some way to help her rather than act like an idiot and be negative. You were in the right."

"People handle things differently, and I know that Naminé understood that. She wasn't a simpleton." Sora said and smiled weakly, "Well... Kairi was wanting me to help her out with something, so, I'm going to go. But just don't think it was your fault, okay, Roxas? It couldn't have been helped."

"Maybe.. maybe it could've.." Roxas muttered under his breath, but smiled, "Yeah, sure."

"Later!" Sora said, waving and rushing to join Kairi.

He was alone now. All alone with the dead body of Naminé, and yet, it felt like she was standing next to him. "I don't know how to... exactly put this, but.." He said softly, "I'm sorry. I know I could've did more. But... I swear, do you hear me, Naminé, I swear - that I will never, ever forget you." He took his fingers and made a cross on his chest, "Cross my heart and hope to die."

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End Author's Note: It was most certainly, without a doubt, not written in my best form, but I hope you like it. It was written in twenty minutes, so it wasn't exactly detailed or much of a tear jerker, but I hope you like it.

Make sure you review!

I'd love you if you did, once again.

Anyway, look at some of my other Kingdom Hearts works..

They're not that bad.

Cross my heart! ;p

-- love l i t t l e li-li.