CHEATED HEARTS

by Crystal Nami

Roxas and Namine had what appeared to be the perfect life. He loved her, and she loved him. Simple, right? Wrong. When life throws an unexpected obstacle in their life, everything changes. She lost her memories; he lost her love. After one fatal accident, can anything return to the way it was before? Roxas is determined to prove that it can, but it might take a little more than he thinks to convince Namine…is he prepared to sacrifice everything he has left to win her over for the second time?

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except for the plot, go figure :]

A/N: I know, I know; is starting another story smart when I'm already struggling with the ones I have? Not really, no – so sue me. But I had inspiration for this, and it's a tad different…a Namixas this time too, get me. I just wanted to post the prologue up to see what you think – reviews letting me know if you're interested would be greatly appreciated :] And don't worry, OIAM and BS are still top priorirty! Cheerio ;]

Sometimes in life, we forget things. Little, unimportant moments that may cause a bit of stir, but are soon overlooked. Things like homework, buying that milk on the way home, calling back so and so, and other such nonsense.

Without memories, where would we be? Lost in a deep ocean, fighting and fighting to break free of the wild waves, but having no idea of which way to go. The darkness would surround us, engulf us, shatter us. We would be completely lost, and alone.

But we do have memories. That ability to store all those precious moments in our lives. We can build up a past, a present, a future. The whole essence of a person lies in their memory; it is what makes them who they are.

But what happens when one loses a memory? If it gets lost somewhere in the depths of their scarred mind? What would one do then?

Most love stories start at the very beginning, at the very first meeting. And so will this one. But then the marriage and the love won't come at the very end; it will also come at the beginning. Because usually, the realisation of the love or the marriage would signify the end of a story; but real love stories never end.

And neither does this one. Let's skip all the introductions, all the slow, boring stuff. We'll start at the very beginning, and then fast forward.

Fast forward to when, you may ask? Well, for that you'll just have to wait and see. And when you do get there, just be warned: this story wasn't easy for me to write, and it may not be easy for you to read. I've experienced things and feelings in my life that most don't even know exist.

How can they, when so rarely does it happen to one? How can they ever stretch their minds so far to understand the absolute torture of loving someone who looks at you as if you're a total stranger?

Over the time it was happening, I often wondered to myself: who was it worse for? Me, or her? I always believed I got the worse end of the stick, but then I guess I never really put myself in her position.

What would be worse? To have to look into the eyes of your love everyday and know that she'll never look at you in the same way again? Or to look into the eyes of the one you know you once loved so, and have to see the hurt and pain lying there that was caused by you, but through no actual fault of your own? What would be worse?

And my honest answer is: I don't know. I believe it was hard for the both of us in different ways. And I suppose one person can never know; the likeliness of them experiencing both sides being very, very minute.

And so I'm writing this story. This story from me, to her. This story of love, pain, rejection, fear…and maybe even a bit of happiness.

Maybe one day, she'll read this, and it will help her. Help her to remember everything else that is still lost somewhere in her muddled mind, lying uncovered and undisturbed. Lost, but not forgotten.

Just maybe.

But for now, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

I wouldn't have been able to write this all on my own. Half of this is from what she told me, before, before she…if this story was merely from my eyes, half of it would be missing. I've infused anything she ever told me and tried to match up the pieces to make it somewhat complete. I suppose there are still parts missing; parts that may or may not be recovered one day.

So here we go. From the beginning. From the very first meeting.

You ready?

Papers were scattered all around the stuffy room, lying crumpled on the floor around the bin and the desk, discarded in frustration. Faint rays of sunlight shone through the curtained window, illuminating the small room in an orange haze.

An aggravated groan shattered the silence in the room, followed by yet another screwed up piece of paper, which hit the edge of the bin before bouncing back across the floor to join the other rejects.

The culprit sat at the desk, head in arms, face crumpled in annoyance. Say hello to me. Running a hand through my untamed blonde spikes, I stretched out groggily, eyes opening to reveal startling blue orbs.

"This is stupid," I muttered to myself, tapping my fingers against the desk in irritation. A sigh escaped my lips as my eyes ran across the one surviving sheet of paper, eyebrows knotting in my deep concentration. Picking my chewed up biro for the thousandth time, I ripped a blank sheet from my notebook and set the nib of my pen against it, having a go at my zillionth 'last attempt'.

When I look back to this very point in time, I barely remember it. It all seems like a strange sort of blur; life before her…but I do remember the frustration I had felt when attempting to write a story on something I had yet absolutely no experience in.

A sharp rap on the wooden door had shattered my concentration; huffing, I threw the pen to one side and rested my tired head in his arms.

"Come in!" I called out, my voice muffled against my sleeve. One blue eye peering out, I observed the boy who had just entered my room. "Hey, Sora."

"Roxas!" The spiky-haired brunette greeted enthusiastically, "I have come to save you!"

I scoffed, raising his head. "From what?"

Sora gave me a sceptical look, brushing away some discarded items to clear space to sit on the unmade bed. "From yourself!" he explained, arms spreading.

I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh. And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

Sora sighed. "Roxas," he began, his tone reasonable, "You haven't left this room in god knows how long, except to get food and go to the toilet. All you've been doing is working on that darned essay or whatever the heck it is!"

"And?" I retorted. "Semester ends next week…I've got to finish this. I don't want to fail now!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to totally kill your social life! People are beginning to think you've died or something!" Sora replied logically, "Anyway, how far have you ever got with this thing?"

I shrugged. "Uh…like, at the beginning?" I muttered sheepishly.

Sora's mouth fell open in amazement. "You've not even started!" he cried out, "That's – that's crazy! You've been working on it for so long!"

"I know!" I groaned. "But I can't do it! Whenever I start it just sounds totally wrong!"

The brunette scratched his head, casting his eyes heavenwards. "Okay, just tell me what it's about," he offered, "Maybe I can help."

I let out a scornful laugh. "Sora, do I have to remind you that you are an expert in sport? This is kind of different."

"Roxas, I don't think this is the time to be picky," Sora commented. "Come on, just give me a look! You never know!"

I sighed in defeat. "Fine," I shrugged, holding out the sheet grudgingly, "You win."

Sora thanked me sarcastically, before snatching the paper from my hands, muttering out the words as his eyes skimmed over them. "Write a short story or poem no more than two thousand words long about one of the following topics: love at first sight, marriage, affairs, rejection." Sora looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's so hard about that?"

I groaned, banging my head against the desktop in exasperation. "How the hell am I supposed to write about love? You know I have no idea about it! I've never even had a proper girlfriend!"

"I don't know…" Sora shrugged, "Just make it up."

"I've tried!" I assured, "But whatever I write just ends up sounding cheesy or unbelievable or just downright stupid…it's impossible!"

Sora set the piece of paper down defiantly, striding over to me and grabbing my arm, pulling me off of the chair. "Okay, Roxas, what you need is a break," he ordered. "So come on. We're going out. And we're going to have fun. Got that?"

"B-but the -," I protested, gesturing to the dreaded sheet. I was silenced by the glare my brunette friend sent my way, my own gaze falling to the floor. "Fine," I complied unwillingly, "But only for a bit!"

***

"Namine, that's amazing!" The redhead gushed, her violet eyes roaming over the newly finished painting. The blonde girl standing before it smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks," she replied, half-laughing, her hand reaching to brush her loose hair away from her face. "Hopefully it'll be good enough to get me top grades!"

The redhead smiled, her gaze still upon the painting. "Oh, it will be," she assured.

Namine grinned, wiping her clammy hands on her smudged apron, giving the painting a once-over before turning to her friend. "Thanks, Kairi!"

The two girls collapsed onto the small mattress Namine was forced to call her bed, gazing at the plain ceiling.

"I can't wait to finally get out of here," Kairi muttered. "And get my own place."

"Same," Namine instantly agreed. "All the independence and freedom we're going to get…it'll be great!"

Kairi chuckled. "And all the new, older guys!"

"Hear, hear," Namine replied, giggling. A short pause followed as the girl's got lost in their own thoughts; Namine was the first to break the silence again. "I can't believe it's all passed so quickly."

Kairi shuffled, readjusting her position. "Yeah," she said softly. "It feels like just yesterday that high school started. And next, we'll be off to college."

There was a moment of silence. "Scary, huh?" Namine chuckled half-heartedly. She sighed, her lavender eyelids fluttering shut over her crystal blue eyes. "I just hope I've done well enough to get into Twilight University."

"Of course you have!" Kairi immediately replied. "You'll have done brilliantly! Me, however…"

Namine rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kairi, don't be an idiot. You and I both know that you've aced all your exams…Destiny University will be lucky to have you."

Kairi giggled. "Thanks, Namine."

Said girl grinned. "No problem!"

"So, uh, now that you've finally finished your art, you wanna go out?" Kairi proffered eagerly.

Namine shrugged unsurely. "I don't know…I'm kinda tired."

Kairi groaned. "Aw, Namine! You of all people deserve to go out now! There's that great 'eight till late' night on at the local bar…we have to go!"

But Namine still hesitated. "I'm not sure…"

And Kairi insisted. "Namine, I swear, if you don't go out soon you'll turn into one of those freaky old women with like a million cats," the fiery redhead stated seriously. "Now come on! Get up, get dressed, and let's go have some fun!"

Namine sighed, raising her arms up. "Fine! Fine! Whatever! I'll go…but you're buying the drinks!"

Kairi grinned. "You got it!"

***

The atmosphere at the bar was relaxed and cheerful. Hot bodies were crowded together around the pool tables and bar, and the air was stuffy with perfume and sweat. Casual laughter rang around the large room, muffled voices filling keeping up a constant background noise.

Two teenagers walked through the entrance, one of them holding a wide smile, the other, a disgruntled expression.

"Chin up, Roxas!" The brunette enthused, "We're here to have fun, remember?"

"I still have that essay to do though!" I whined, pulling my arm out of Sora's grip.

"And you will get it done," Sora said firmly. "But now, you need a break. Obviously, what you're doing now isn't getting you anywhere. So we're going to have a few drinks, chat to a few girls, and maybe that will inspire you to write about love!"

I scoffed. "Oh yeah, I'm sure it will."

"Stop being such an emo!" Sora retorted. "No girls will look at you if you're just moping around the whole time. So please, for me, just cheer up already!"

"Fine!" I hissed, forcing a smile on to my face. "I need a drink."

***

"See, this isn't so bad now, is it?" Kairi smiled, sipping at her coke.

The blonde beside her shrugged. "I suppose not. I won't be able to stay long though. Like I said, I'm really tired."

Kairi sighed. "Well, I got you here at all, I suppose. You're not getting out of it early tomorrow though!"

Namine smiled. "Of course not! It is my eighteenth, after all!"

"Yes, at long last!" Kairi teased. "How's it feel to finally be becoming a women, huh?"

"Shut up!" Namine replied, flicking an ice cube from her drink at her friend.

"Got any aims for the year? Like…getting a boyfriend?" Kairi suggested, winking as she took a sip of coke.

Namine choked on the water she had just sipped into her mouth. "N-no!" she spluttered, coughing lightly. "Ugh…you made me choke!"

Kairi giggled, shrugging innocently. "Woops!"

The innocent, humoured expression on the redhead's face evaporated and became one of shock as a passerby bumped into her and caused her to spill her drink all down her front.

"Ah!" she squealed, jumping up on reflex and wiping at her top. "Crap!"

"I'm so sorry!" the offender apologized immediately, his face crumpled into regret. "I honestly didn't mean to…just, it's so crowded in here!"

"It's okay," Kairi muttered, still rubbing at her top unsuccessfully. "It's not your fault."

"Here, let me help!" he insisted, offering a handful of napkins. Kairi thanked him, using them to wipe at the stain much more effectively.

As soon as she had done as much as she thought possible with her current supplies, Kairi threw the napkins to one side, looking up to the boy who had ruined her new top.

"Ah – uh," she stuttered, taken aback by his good looks, "Hi."

He grinned. "Hey there. I'm Sora. And you are?"

Namine watched the two exchange words and move into a relentless flirting war, sighing deeply to herself. However hard she worked, however hard she tried, in the end she always came out bottom. The one thing she couldn't control in her life was the one thing she needed to: her love life.

Never before had she had a serious boyfriend; she was seventeen, for chrissake! Was it really so difficult? Why was it that somehow, boys never seemed to want to go further than exchanging names. Sure, they were interested in her at first. Her flawless porcelain face and glowing blonde locks attracted guys instantly; she seemed to lack the gene that made them stay interested, though.

Knowing that Kairi wouldn't miss her now, she stood to her feet, smiling encouragingly at the redhead when she looked at her in surprise. Gulping down the last of her water, she smoothed out her dark blue jeans and slung her handbag over one shoulder, heading out into the cool outdoors.

The fresh air hit her like a tidal wave, washing over her and lapping against her hot skin with a cool relief. She breathed in the freshness, closing her eyes as she sighed out, relishing in the peace and quiet of being alone, the only sounds being of the faint music drifting through the doors. She recognized the song as being 'First Love' by her favourite artist, Utada Hikaru, and immediately began to softly hum along.

A hum which was suddenly broken by a sharp cough to her left somewhere; her eyes snapping over, she looked over to where the noise came from, searching for the culprit.

She noticed a blonde haired boy stood against the wall, head resting against it, arms held above his head. Namine's eyes quickly swept over the small car park; apart from the blonde haired kid, she was alone.

I hadn't noticed that I wasn't alone; I continued to beat my hand against the wall, muttering irritatingly under my breath. My black shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing my strong, tanned arms. Namine blushed as she wondered if my face was anywhere as good as my body and hair.

Not allowing herself to build up any hope, she wandered over cautiously, leaning on the wall by my side, head facing me. I looked up as I felt her presence, immediately straightening.

"Uh, sorry," I muttered, looking away sheepishly. Nodding once, I stepped around her and back towards the bar.

"Wait!" Namine called out before she could stop herself, her voice taking control of her brain. What had she done that for? I was just some random stranger; I could even be dangerous!

I paused, glancing back, my expression one of confusion. "Uh…yeah?" I replied unsurely, after glancing around to make sure it was me she was talking to.

"Um…" Namine hesitated, trying to think of what to say now; what reason did she have for randomly calling me back? "I'm Namine," she blurted out.

"…Roxas," I replied hesitantly, my eyes narrowing. Was I supposed to recognize her or something?

"I was just wondering…" Namine began, not knowing what she was saying, "Well, I just wanted to say, you don't have to go inside because of me. Feel free to stay."

I shrugged. "Um. Okay," I answered, returning to my previous position against the wall. "If you want."

There was a short stretch of silence; Namine used the opportunity to sneak a glance at my face; she was interested in whether her prediction would be correct.

It was. To her, my face was every bit as flawless as the rest of me. My lips, so soft and gentle, my eyes, so blue and stormy, my skin, so glowing and clear.

Never before had she felt so drawn to someone so quickly. She felt this strange, compulsive need inside of her to get to know as much as she could about this boy. So that she did.

"So…what brings you out here instead of in there?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to one side. I turned to look at her, smiling slightly.

I remember being surprised by how pretty this girl was; all the other girls I had seen around in the bar were tarty and fake-looking; this Namine girl looked genuine. I decided that I could give have a quick conversation with her before heading back to work on my essay.

"My friend went to get drinks and ending up getting a girl," I laughed lightly, shrugging. "And I didn't want to intrude. You?"

Namine giggled. "Similar story, actually. This guy spilt a drink on my friend…then, what do you know, they look into each others eyes and bam, I'm history!"

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Funny how easily some people can get attracted to one another, huh?"

Namine blushed lightly. "Yeah," she replied softly. "Funny."

I shot her a glance. "You okay?"

Namine looked up, nodding her head. "Oh, I'm fine! So Roxas, tell me more about yourself!"

And somehow, the next time I looked at my watch I found that one full hour had passed. Eyes widening in surprise, I wondered how I hadn't noticed the time go by so fast; I never realised that talking to Namine would be so interesting.

She seemed to have noticed the same thing.

"Oh, crap!" she muttered. I raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst. "It's gone eleven! I should really go get Kairi, we need to be home soon!"

"Your friend?" I inquired. Namine nodded in reply. "Eh, me too. That is, if I can ever pry Sora off whatever girl it is he's found."

Namine rolled her eyes. "Same here." I smirked. "Well, you know, guy…not girl…heh." I chuckled, rolling my eyes.

We headed inside together, both of our eyes scouring the people to see if they could find their friends.

"There (s)he is!" We both shouted out in unison, pointing to a couple locked in a passionate kiss. We glanced at each other in surprise, laughing lightly.

"Small word, eh?" I chuckled, smirking as I observed my brunette friend in a full-on lip-lock with what was apparently Namine's friend.

"Yes!" Namine agreed instantly. "I'm guessing that's Sora over there, uh, making out with Kairi?"

I nodded, folding my arms. "Seems so. Fast workers, huh?"

She blushed, then, and I couldn't help but notice how absolutely adorable she looked with her glassy blue eyes and rosy cheeks and parted pink lips. Maybe Sora was right about finding someone to help me with love after all…

"Namine," I began, my arm reaching out to tap her shoulder; instead of pulling it back though, I let it rest there, noticing with a flutter of my foreign heart how her eyes flicked down to it, her blush darkening.

"Yeah?" she asked, her voice so soft and sweet.

I bit my lip, cocking my head to where Sora and Kairi stood, indicating that I didn't want to interrupt them. "You wanna go get some coffee?" I then asked, smiling lightly at the thought of spending more time with her. She had nodded shyly in reply, and as I clasped her delicate hand lightly in my own, I suddenly had a burst of unfamiliar inspiration.

See how simple that was? To put it bluntly, she actually was just some girl I met in a bar.

Well, not really some girl. She was the girl. My girl.

It was all very easy, after that. I'm not going to bore you with all the gory details I know you've heard so many times before. We had coffee, we exchanged numbers, and that night when I got home I managed to write my essay.

No prizes for guessing what subject I had chosen to do it on. 'Love at first sight' seemed like a pretty obvious option.

I passed high school with top marks; so did she. We saw more and more of each other over the summer, till it came to the point where we couldn't spend a day without each other. To put it simply, we fell in love. Slap, bang, boom. And once we were in, there was no way out.

Not that we needed it then. In all cliché-ness, we ended up getting accepted into the same university. Twilight University was eager to have me for my writing and her for her art. So we went together, and we lived in bliss for oh so long, along with our best friends, Sora and Kairi (who still regularly participated in public make out sessions, although now had the excuse of being boyfriend and girlfriend and very much in love).

Life was perfect. I had a great girlfriend, great friends, a great education. My future was looking amazing, and I had no worries except for the occasional overdue essay.

Really, I blame myself somewhat for not seeing it coming. How could I not think for one moment that maybe things were too good? I used to be such a pessimist, before her, seeing the darker side of things before they even went wrong. But no; I was blinded by my love and didn't think that things could ever go wrong.

Oh, how wrong I was.

If I had known that everything we had been through together would soon be erased, I would have done things differently. I would have made that time together so much more precious; taken too many pictures and laughed too hard. Tried to stuff the amount of love you have in a lifetime into four mere years.

But I didn't. For how could I have known that things would go so wrong? I was young, I was naïve, and I was in love. The worst possible combination.

And now, I'm being forced to suffer for it. I don't know what I would have preferred: to have a life full of mediocre happiness and general mediocre-ness, but no pain; or to have this short period of utter bliss which then turns into a sort of personal hell?

Actually, I do know. I would always go for the latter. Always. For a life without her is no life at all, really. How hard it is to think that she once used to think of me in the same way.

But that doesn't really matter now. All that matters is the fact that at least I still have this, this story; and what is this?

For me, it's hope. Hope that maybe one day, she'll come back to me. She'll love me like she once used to.

For her, it could be an answer to her prayers. A chance to see into the depths of everything and find that part of her that's been missing.

And for you…for you, it can be an escape. An escape from your own problems and pains and a chance to just dive into the life of another, to experience different feelings and see for a moment that maybe you're not as alone as you thought.

Or maybe you're also searching. Not for hope, not for memories, but for answers. Answers to questions you don't even know you're asking.

Or maybe you're merely bored, looking for some form of entertainment to amuse your mind for at least a few moments of your dreary life.

But whatever it is, let me just tell you one thing: amused, you won't be. You may smile, you may cry, you may hurt. You may even laugh a little from time to time. But all the time, there'll still be that dull desperation throbbing in your mind that you won't lose until the very end. Desperation to find whether happy endings really do exist.

Because after all, that's all what it comes to, isn't it? Endings. We all wish for a happy one, pray night after night that everything will somehow work out. Sometimes these prayers are answered, and sometimes they're not.

Will mine be? As of yet, not even I know the answer to that question. This is just the beginning; the beginning of an end. How my life yet unfolds is still unwritten, and if you want to find out, I guess you'll just have to keep reading.

I'll keep writing, and you'll keep reading, and maybe in the end we'll discover the true meaning to happiness. Maybe we won't.

The future's an unexpected place, that much I know. And the past isn't. The past is the one thing we know for sure. But I've learnt not to rely on it so; how can I live in mine when she's so desperately trying to find her own?

Live life by the second. Improvise, make it up as you go along. What's the point of making plans if half the time they're ruined anyway? Let's just go with the flow for once; leave the reigns to our fate in the hands of the heavens, where they belong. Let ourselves be pulled along by the unpredictable river of life. Endure the twists and turns, surpass the wild storms, bask in the calm waves…and cherish every moment of it.

Because this is life, and we only get one shot at it.

So let's make it worthwhile.

So? What did you think? Good? Bad? Mediocre? Whatever your thoughts, please let me know! Starting a new story is always the hardest…your reviews would help so much! :]

So go on…give in to the urges and click on the little button down there. I've given you around an hour of my time by writing this…spare me 30 seconds of yours to leave me a review!

Thanks so much for the hits and all, you guys are simply amazing. Kudos to all who review, know that by doing so you will bring a smile to my face and make my day that much better.

Peace out!