One Roxas to Go, Please!
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Disclaimer: Izzy owns nothing… except for a Roxas action figure sitting on her bed side table.
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Namine gratefully slid into a comfy window seat in the café. It had been raining for hours (had the news called it a tropical storm? Namine wasn't quite sure) and all shops and services had closed down for the day (yes, definitely a storm), even transportation, leaving Namine stranded. It was by pure luck that through the pouring sheets of rain, Namine had been able to see the soft flickering glow of light and the sign that read, 'Yes, We Are Open'. It was also by pure luck that her poor body which had been buffeted by the strong gales still had enough energy to actually make her way through the door and onto the welcome mat which she left thoroughly soaked in her efforts to wring out her wet clothing which thankfully were black (at her co-worker Riku's suggestion… come to think of it… why did Riku know so much about fashion anyway?).
"Can I take your order, Miss?"
"Um… Could I have a- Roxas!?" Namine gaped at the little tag on her waiter's shirt that said, 'Hello, My Name is Roxas'
"Sorry, Miss, I know I'm irresistible but unfortunately- OW!" Roxas's little bout of narcissism was cut off when Namine kicked him in the shin.
"You…!" She hissed angrily.
"Um… Do I know you? Wait… Oh SHIT!" Roxas jumped back explosively as he raised his little notepad for taking orders in front of his face.
"You!" She said again. "You conceited, selfish bastard!" Namine glared at him.
"Um… Hi, Namine! Long time no see!" Roxas opted for the conveniently-forgetful-of-the-past-and-extremely-happy approach.
It wasn't a good idea.
"OUCH! STOP! PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME!"
"Why do you hate me so much anyway?" It was about this time that Namine had calmed down thanks to Roxas's boss Cid who generously offered a drink on the house if she would just stop using that spare bar stool to whack his only employee (all of the others had left as they just couldn't stand his strange and slightly annoying sagaciousness).
"You really need to ask?" She stared disbelievingly at him.
"Um… yeah?"
"Oh… I don't know. Maybe because you went out with my best friend for a bet, won said bet, and dumped her very unceremoniously in front of the whole school, leaving her thoroughly humiliated."
"Oh…"
"You finally recall one of your many misdemeanors AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS 'OH'?!?!"
"Well, it is better that way isn't it? I heard she hooked up with Sora afterwards and he really does love her." Roxas walked over to Namine's table carrying a tray with two cups of coffee on it.
"I suppose…" Namine mused as she took a sip of the coffee.
"Do you like it?"
"It's sweet."
"I take it you drink black coffee? I guess coffee is just another thing we don't agree on."
"Actually… this tastes pretty good. What is it?"
"I have no idea. I just put a bunch of ingredients together."
"And you gave this drink of dubious origin to me? Are you trying to poison me?" Namine asked, jokingly. "So what are you going to call it?"
"I call this a 'Roxas', after its sexy creator."
"You really are a conceited bastard." Namine laughed.
"You know, you're pretty cute."
"Oh really?"
"Really."
Namine dumped her coffee on Roxas. "I still haven't forgiven you and I'd rather not be considered 'cute' by the likes of you." She smiled sweetly. "Bye!" Namine walked out of the store and into the light drizzle. Roxas stared at her through the window, the coffee cup still on his head. Cid looked amusedly at Roxas. Roxas turned to look at him and grinned cheekily.
"She totally wants me."
Namine stared out the window of her office. "Aaarrgh! She groaned in frustration as she hit her head with a folder. She just couldn't get rid of the image of him just sitting there with that cute, dopey smile on his face even as coffee dripped off his face and hair.
"Namine? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Well, it's lunch break now. Sorry, I don't think I can spend it with you. Tidus just called me and asked me out right now-"
"It's okay. Just enjoy your lunch, you two lovebirds!"
"Okay, bye!"
Namine sighed as she stacked up some papers neatly, grabbed her purse and bag, and walked out. She wandered aimlessly for awhile as she wasn't really hungry and found herself in front of the café again. Mentally cursing, she would have walked away except that Roxas saw her standing outside the window and waved to her, causing her legs to start walking into the coffee shop of their own accord.
"So, what do you want, Namine?"
"Chicken sandwich and regular coffee. Make it quick, or else." Namine felt a sudden idiotic sense of power as she ordered the boy. She was the customer and the customer is always right… which meant that she would be totally in the right if she started aiming spit balls made out of the paper napkins on the table at him.
There might actually be some perks in knowing where this cocky bastard worked.
"Or else what?" Make that a really cocky bastard.
"Oh, I just might spread some very embarrassing photos of you from high school onto the internet."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Want to bet?"
"Why do you hate me so?!" Roxas wailed in resignation.
Namine merely smiled.
"Hey Namine, can I take your order?"
"Yeah, I'd like a-"
"Here you go!"
"Why bother asking if you aren't even going to listen!" Namine hit Roxas on the head with her handbag. "What is this anyway?"
"It's the drink from last time."
"Oh. Okay."
"How does it taste? I'm not sure if I got the same thing…"
"Uh… Roxas..."
"Oy, Roxas! Table 9 is wondering if you could get them sugar this time instead of salt!" Cid yelled at Roxas.
"Shit!" Roxas swore.
"Oh, by the way Roxas… this is extremely salty. I don't suppose you meant to do that on purpose, did you?" Roxas scowled.
"What did I ever do to make you hate me?"
"You were born." Namine laughed. There were going to be definite perks.
"Uh… Hi, Namine. What are you doing here?"
"You know you really shouldn't be so rude to your customers."
"But-But-"
"Now I want a sandwich and that totally delectable drink you served me the first time I came here."
"But it's closing time!!!"
"Does the sign say the café is closed?"
"Well, no, but that's because I forgot-"
"That's good enough for me! Now go!"
"We're out of sandwiches."
"Make me another one."
"Why must you despise me so?"
"Because whenever you passed me by on that skateboard of yours you would always tug my hair."
"Here you go."
"Hey! This hair is famous I'll have you know! I got a promotion because of it! No touchy!"
"Yeah, yeah. Here's your drink, Nami." Roxas smiled sweetly. Namine refused to even pay attention to that last part and in mock-dignity drank some coffee.
"Yum… this time it isn't salty. It's still a bit different though… Weird but not icky…" Namine giggled. "Roxas… Turn on some music." She giggled even more in a higher pitch. Namine stumbled out of her seat tipsily.
"Um… Namine? Are you alright?"
"Never been better! When the moon hits your eye-"
"SHIT!"
"YOU!"
"Uh, hi Namine! You look positively radiant- Ouch! What did I do to make you hate me now?"
"You got me drunk!"
"It was an accident, I swear!"
"My neighbor thought I was crazy when I came home swinging around your brandy bottle!"
"Speaking of brandy, could I have it back?" Cid took a chance and interrupted Namine. "It's a really good bottle and I…" He trailed off when Namine whirled around and glared at him.
"But you know Namine, you're a really good dancer." Roxas smiled as he wiggled his hips suggestively. Namine's face paled.
"Oh god. What did I do last night?"
"Oh, we just did the tango. You should wear short dresses again, like you used to in high school. They'd show off your legs better."
"So I could like a walking glow stick? Heck no. Ugh… I have the hangover from hell! Get me that yummy coffee again. And please, get it RIGHT this time!"
Ever since Namine had started frequenting the café more people had followed the pretty blonde girl and discovered that they liked the coffee shop. Plus, there was the extra entertainment that Roxas inadvertently supplied.
Namine enjoyed her time at the café, though she wouldn't admit it. Which was why she always asked for the same drink but never ever once called it by the name that Roxas had christened it ("It's not good to encourage conceited people by naming coffees after them"). Roxas also enjoyed that time but he wore his emotions on his sleeve and, when Namine's lunch hour came at 12:30 sharp, he always had a delectable cup of "Roxas" ready for her by the time the bell above the store's entrance announced her arrival (by this time, Roxas had figure out the ingredients and did not mess up the parts). Roxas would yell out his customary, "Why do you hate me," and Namine always had a witty retort in supply. They often talked during Namine's visits and the conversations grew longer after an amused Cid had agreed to change Roxas's lunch hour to be in accord with Namine's.
Usually their conversations were about airy nothings, sometimes ending with a fuming Namine slamming a wad of bills onto the table and storming out the door while Roxas just sulked the whole day, occasionally stabbing people with cutlery, dropping dishes, switching orders, changing orders, and causing overall mayhem. But the next day would bring Namine back to the coffee shop after arriving at her office in the morning to find a letter on her desk left with her secretary by a 'mysterious sender'. This would soothe Namine's temper and she would often pay for all damages caused by Roxas, including large medical bills, on the condition that Roxas would pay her back sometime in the future (not that anyone really believed Roxas's heartfelt promises, oaths, and vows because, really, he didn't have the money).
"Roxas! You won't believe it!"
"What?" Roxas called from the kitchen. Today had been a particularly busy day and he hadn't had time to prepare the "Roxas". He refused to make it while Cid was anywhere in sight as he claimed that it would be the start of a secret family recipe (to which Namine had replied that he would actually need to have children which would be impossible considering his bad luck with women).
"I," Namine drawled, "have a date." The sound of pots slamming and glasses chinking against each other stopped. "Roxas? Are you alright in there? Did you slip and fall again?"
"I'm fine." Roxas curtly replied as he made his way out of the kitchen struggling with two gigantic steaming mugs.
"Um… Okay then… Well, this is my first date ever and- don't laugh!"
"Of course Namine, wouldn't dream of it."
"Shut up. Anyway… I was just wondering… What do guys like?"
"Well, what's he like? Another dorkling like you?" Roxas grinned when Namine mock-glared at him.
"No," Namine said smugly, "He's actually a jock like you. Apparently he went to high school with us; it's just that I can't seem to recall him."
"Oh really? What's his name?"
"Seifer Almasy."
"You're kidding."
"No… why? Is there something wrong with him?"
"Well, duh! He's a total idiot! You can't go out with him!"
"And why not? He seems like a nice guy?"
"Nice? Are you crazy? He's a freaking jerk!"
"You can't honestly mean that just because of whatever stupid petty high school rivalry you had with him, I can't go out with him!"
"No, I mean that you can't date him because he's an asshole!"
"What is your problem?"
"My problem? Oh, I don't know, maybe because you're acting like some stupid blonde bimbo that gets easily fooled by slimeballs?"
"You're so childish. Why can't you just let bygones be bygones? He was able to. You know what, never mind. I'm leaving." Namine threw a few bills onto the table and stomped out the door. Roxas slumped into his chair.
"I really messed up, didn't I, Cid?" He groaned.
Cid nodded in reply.
"…So I told them that I totally owned those lamers." Seifer laughed unpleasantly. Namine inwardly groaned at yet another one of his tales of prowess but managed to put on (another) false smile.
"You should have seen those pathetic losers. Especially that Roxas. He was the biggest loser of all. As if that idiot could beat me in the struggle battle tournaments…" Namine looked down at her watch. He'd been going on in this vein for twenty minutes now. As the insults against Roxas grew, Namine could steadily feel her temper rising and her patience wearing thin. "…In the end, he didn't even show up, that chicken wuss-"
Slap.
Namine got out of her chair. "Shut up. Would you just get over yourself already? You really aren't as great as you think you are and furthermore," Namine felt a sudden rush of adrenaline go through her for she had never acted so boldly in her life, "Roxas is way better than you'll ever be." Namine walked out the door feeling a bit more confident and satisfied then she usually was.
It was only then that she realized two things. One, that she had just dumped a guy on Roxas's account, which looked pretty suspicious from a romantic point of view, not that Namine was a romantic. And two, that the Roxas she remembered from high school practically lived for the Struggle tournaments so it was strange that he hadn't even gone. And after those two amazing revelations, she discovered a third thing that she had gotten off at the wrong bus stop and had not idea where she was. In fact, Namine wasn't even sure that she had taken the right bus.
"Oh shit."
Namine had been wandering around for awhile, trying to figure out where she was when she found herself in a park. With a playground. With swings. Swings.
Namine adored swings.
Swings.
Namine had been enjoying her time swinging to her heart's content when she heard the crackling of leaves and twigs. Was it sex predator? A rapist? A mugger? She was too young to die!
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." Oh… it must just be the neighborhood drunkard quoting… Shakespeare. Namine raised an eyebrow
"It is my Namine, O, it is my love!" Correction, it must just be the neighborhood drunkard quoting Shakespeare and inserting Namine's name… wait, what! How did he know her name? Was it some sort of stalker? The person stepped into the light and it was…!
"Roxas, what the heck are you doing? Rather, what the heck are you saying?"
"Quotes from Shakespeare. See, I'm not a complete idiot. I paid attention at school sometimes."
"And I suppose the rest of the time was spent spouting love poems to random girls on swings?"
"Of course not! I have fidelity!"
"Which totally explains why there were rumors that you broke up with Kairi for some mystery girl, I'm sure."
"No, the thing is, I waited a long time before chasing said mystery girl after I broke up with Kairi."
"Oh? How long? Five minutes?"
"Actually, a little over five years. Do you really have so little faith in me to ask such a question?"
"Yes. Now why did you not go to the Struggle Battle Tournament?"
"Eh?"
"Why didn't you go to the Struggle Battle Tournament that you were so stoked about during our senior year?"
"Last minute change of plans."
"Like what? You decided to stop for a sea salt ice cream and lost track of the time?"
"No, I was too busy watching a pretty girl on a swing."
"I was wondering what you were doing then, not what you were doing now."
"Well, I was preparing to dump Kairi-"
"You are a bastard."
"-Because I saw this pretty girl on a swing."
"Oh, really now?"
"Yes, and two days later I broke up with Kairi. Unfortunately, that made the pretty swing girl-"
"That sounded so wrong."
"-Very angry at me."
"Good for her!"
"And you say I'm conceited."
"It's only called being conceited when you're praising yourself."
"I know that, I'm not stupid."
"I could never have guessed. So tell me… who was this pretty swing girl?"
"I'll only tell you if you tell me…"
"Yes, go on…"
"Why do you hate me so much?"
Namine stared blankly at him.
"I mean, why did you hate me so much when I broke up with Kairi?"
Namine looked away and her swinging began to slow down.
"Because you were being an idiot," She said quietly.
"Care to elaborate? I'm always an idiot."
"I know you are but you're being even dumber than usual."
"Back then at high school or right now?"
"Both. But mostly high school."
"Why?"
"If you can't guess, I won't tell."
"Why not? I'm stupid, you have to spell everything out for me, remember?"
"Because I still have a shred of dignity."
"Who cares about dignity anymore? You have people playing strip poker in public parks, making their stomachs 'talk'!"
"You didn't really do that, did you?"
"I was drunk with Axel, okay! But that's not the point."
"Ugh… bad mental images."
"Just tell me how I was being an idiot."
"You didn't notice. Anything. And then when you finally broke up with her, I had already given up. I felt stupid."
"Um… What?"
"And you're doing it again! I open up to you and what do I get? I get another dose of idiocy!" Namine stomped off angrily, not quite sure if she was mad at Roxas or at herself. She heard him calling after her and she hesitated for a single moment before continuing. After all, she had a bus to catch and why wait to lose Roxas again to some pretty swinger? Namine no longer had any objection against calling her that.
And life went on. It had been five months since she had walked away from Roxas and the swings. Namine avoided the area of town that Cid's café and Roxas's home was located. She moved to a more upscale condominium on the other side of the city. Sometimes she thought about him and his delicious coffees but most of the time she merely lived life one day at a time, focusing on the little mundane details and becoming somewhat of a perfectionist.
"Sorry I'm late! The meeting just went on and on and ON! Stupid chairman, I swear he must be the king of long and boring speeches." Namine smiled apologetically to her secretary who wasn't allowed to leave work before she did.
"Did you get in a fight with him?"
"What?"
"Well, you used to get mail from this one guy about once a month and it's been a long time since he's come around."
"Oh just hurry up go and get all lovey-dovey with Tidus. Besides, I only got mail when we fought."
"Wow, then you must be attached at the hip now, since you no longer get any mail!"
"He was just a friend! Besides, we… don't really see each other anymore."
"Really? That sucks. Well, I better get going then. Tidus and I are meeting up for dinner tonight! I think tonight is going to be the night. I wonder how big the rock is!"
Namine rolled her eyes. Well, it was time that she had better get going too. She tidied up her desk, shut the blinds in the window, and locked up her office. But it was true, wasn't it? Whenever she had a break from work, she'd be at the café, laughing her ass off at Roxas's crazy antics. Namine smiled slightly as she remembered Roxas singing in a high falsetto "She Will Be Loved" while dancing with a mop. She really did miss him, falsetto voice and all.
The next day, she had slept in and had scrambled to get to work at an at least fashionably late hour causing her to skip breakfast. Her boss had been furious, she had only five minutes to prepare for a presentation for rich potential clients, and her secretary had dropped several files which later took hours to reorganize. Tempers ran high and Namine was on the verge of a nervous breakdown without even a lunch hour spent at the café to look forward to. She sighed. In ten minutes she had yet another board meeting which she was not looking forward to and was nearly late again. The meeting had lasted for hours and Namine had a great urge to pee throughout the conference. Tired and hungry, Namine finally was able to leave the stuffy meeting room and run to the nearest restroom which was, with Namine's incredible luck, not very near at all.
"What are you all so happy about?" Namine was nearing her office door. She noticed many of her co-workers were beaming at her.
"Our Namine all grown up!" Selphie squealed.
"You're so lucky; he must be a great guy." Yuna smiled.
"Um… what are you talking about?" Namine looked at them like they were crazy, which was entirely possible considering.
"Gaze and wonder at your transformed office," Rikku motioned to Namine's door with melodramatic flair. Namine raised an eyebrow and opened the door to find… dozens of bouquets and pots of flowers in her room.
"Oh… My… God…" Namine looked through all the pots and bouquets and finally found a note and a box. Opening the box, she gasped. In it was a simple silver ring with a small diamond, but Namine had always been an advocate of the phrase, "Simple but elegant". Namine quickly looked at the note.
To The Lovely Swing Girl
Sorry I couldn't get them to you sooner but I needed to save up for all this. –R
Namine distantly heard her friends talking as they read the note over her shoulder, asking her about this "R" (trust Roxas to make everything look so mysterious and romantic. He really was a Drama King) and where she found such a great guy. She answered them vaguely ("Oh, at the Idiot's Convention. He was the guest of honor and I was the foreign alien") but remained in a daze until lunchtime.
"Hey, could you get me copies of these before I get back, bye!" Namine rushed out the door after yelling a few hurried instructions to her bemused secretary.
Just as she reached the café, Namine slowed down. She wasn't sure how to approach Roxas again after leaving him so abruptly that day. But then again, if she really was the swing girl then that meant Roxas had loved her ever since… high school. Namine wasn't quite sure whether to feel flattered by his love's perseverance or to feel disturbed by the depth of his obsession. Deciding on the former, Namine twisted the ring around her finger and, mustering up her courage, walked inside the café.
Roxas was nowhere to be seen and Namine presumed, or rather hoped, that he was just inside the kitchen. Seating herself down in her usual spot she waited impatiently and somewhat uneasily, her hands hidden under the table and on her lap.
"Hi, what would you like to or- Namine!" Roxas looked pleasantly surprised- and hopeful- to see her. Namine brought her hands out from under the table and Roxas looked positively ecstatic to see the ring on her finger. She smiled brightly at him.
"I'd like one Roxas to go, please."
Damn, this was long. Izzy is so proud of herself. She actually finished this piece! It took so long to write but she persevered! And now, Izzy will stop acting like drama queen. I like coffee, fluff, and Namixas so Izzy came up with this concoction. Hehehe. Izzy really needs to expand... Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my second ficlet involving coffee. (I did not post them under one story entitled "Coffee" or something like that because the moods are very different so I thought it would feel a bit strange.) Oh and um... I wonder if anyone noticed but I always referred to Namine's secretary (the one going out with Tidus) as "Namine's secretary" while incorporating both Yuna and Selphie into this story (and keeping their positions and jobs vague). This is because I wasn't sure who to make the secretary (and, more importantly, Tidus's girlfriend) so you can go with whoever you like. Of course, if you want to imagine someone else as his girlfriend, that's fine too. Anyways, thank you for reading and please, I beg of you, review. -prostrates herself before you-