Summary: Looking back at the memory now, she was sure that he did it wrong. Absolutely wrong. Fluff.

Yes, it's once part of a compilation but now I think it's better to be separated... Let's just say it's for my sanity. lol

wink

In the thousand memories she had in her life, there was one that stood out from the rest.

=•=•=•=•=•=

It was the first day of school, and she was trembling. Not because her mom left her at school—no, she got used to that in first grade—but because she doesn't know anyone in here.

She was the new kid in town.

It was a sad thing, really. Just when she was starting to get along with her friends, she had to leave because of her parent's job. And even though it was the third time, the fear never went away. Finding herself once again alone with no one to talk to, she planned to sit in any free chair available, preferably one that still wasn't flocked with other kids her age.

As she waited for their teacher to come, one of the kids sat beside her. Probably because the good seats were already occupied. She lowered her head, knowing that she was far too shy to say anything to greet him. Him, because the said classmate was wearing the compulsory dark blue shorts as opposed to her same colored ones but of course, as a skirt. She just watched her black shoes clash with each of her heels as she kicked alternately. It was amusing and it helped pass time.

Suddenly, her classmate talked, the one on her left because the other side was a cold, hard wall. "You're new here aren't ya?"

A little gasp escaped her before she nodded, slowly. She still wasn't sure if she was the one being talked to.

"Nice to meet you," he said, and she found yes, he definitely was talking to her and that he looked adorable in the way he was grinning at her. "I'm Roxas."

"I'm," she began but stopped when she noticed something odd on his face. She gasped, "Y-you're nose is bleeding!"

His eyes widened, and a hand immediately reached up to cover the said place. "Ah, sorry you had to see that," he said, calm unlike her, as he began to rummage his bag.

"Are you okay? Should we call t-"

"No!" He protested, a little too loudly that she shrank back. "It's okay. I just gotta do this."

She resisted the urge to laugh at the way his voice came out when he pinched his nose. It sounded weird but she remained watching as he leaned forward, slouching on the armrest as if bored, as if this was a natural occurrence, like he was used to it and wants it to be finished already. Maybe it really was, for him.

Soon, the tissue in his hand got dyed in red, he had to be bleeding quite a lot if it was quick to spread like paint. The fear of seeing this amount of blood come out from someone had her touching hers too, unconsciously.

"H-here use this," she said, offering her yellow hanky to him.

He opened his eyes that she assumed was shut from pain. "Oh, thanks." He said then he placed it on his nose before going back to the same position.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be in a few minutes. Sorry." He sounds sheepish as his other hand scratched his ear.

"Don't be sorry!" She exclaimed, facing him and even going as far as to lean closer. "But why is it bleeding? A-are you sick?"

To her surprise, he laughed. She worried he might be sick in the head too. But before she could voice her worry, he said, "No. It just happens, 'specially when it's too hot."

"Oh. Does it hurt?" The fear replaced with pity now.

He shook his head but then winced. "Well, a lil but, don't worry." Then when he faced her, having got enough of the stare off with the floor after a couple of minutes or so, a smile was on his face once again, not as bright like earlier but still a smile nonetheless.

"See, it's gone now."

She shyly returned the smile before pointing at his face, "You missed a spot."

"Oops." He laughed at his own mistake and started wiping his nose furiously using her now bloody hanky. He noticed her gaze and frowned a little. "Sorry, I got it dirty."

"It's okay. I'm glad you're okay now."

He folded it up, as neatly as possible to hide the part where red was visible. "I'll return it clean tomorrow, promise."

"Sure, but will it be like that again?"

He pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "I dunno, but don't worry, I'll bring lots of tissues from now on."

She just nodded, not bothered by her lack of handkerchief. In truth, she just brought it because her mom had said so. She did the right decision in obeying, apparently.

"Thank you, Naminé."

Her eyes widened. He must've seen her name embroidered carefully on the handkerchief. And to her surprise, he pronounced it right. She tried her best to show her appreciation when she allowed her lips to curl upwards.

They had to be separated when the teacher came—because alphabetical arrangement is a thing. So she got seated in a fairly decent place in the middle row with a nice seatmate to boot.

She let herself glance at the back to see where he was at, and she was about to smile at him when she saw him blink. She tilted her head in confusion, asking herself what was that and if that was only her imagination, but he still did it.

And he did it whenever he saw her looking at her.

It was odd, so she safely chose not to return that gesture and settled for a smile. Because no matter what he might say, she already considered him as her first friend in this place.

=•=•=•=•=•=

To be fair, who could forget that?

When you were nothing but a seven-year-old kid and you happen to see that amount of blood dripping from someone's nose.

The stuff was horrifying. She even entertained the thought he was gonna die for a second.

But another thing about that moment was also remembered.

It was only until she grew up that she realized what he was doing.

At the moment, Roxas sat on the table with her dad, talking about whatever while she and her mom prepared dinner. Although she could judge by the look on his face that it was about stuff that made him uncomfortable—a strained smile plastered on his face.

She watched their exchange with barely concealed amusement, and when he finally caught her gaze, sending her a look that screamed help, she just winked.

Several times just like he did at that time.

She didn't—more like couldn't—answer her mom's question when she asked what was funny because she was too busy catching her breath at the hilarious expression on Roxas' face.

notes: He didn't return the handkerchief btw, he replaced it with a new one—red—because the blood was too hard to clean on yellow.

07/22/17