Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Namine bit her lip, frightened and angry. "What do you want?" she hissed. "I already said no to you, and now you're physically harassing me? Not a smart move." Namine, of course, was bluffing. She couldn't defend herself against him, especially not with the tight grip he had on her lower arm. But maybe if she stalled long enough, Ty would come back and scare the boy off.

Jeff tightened his grip on her arm. "Shut up," he sneered. "You remember what happened last time you made me upset?"

 

Roxas picked up his pace a little, at the same time pulling the headphones out of his ears. He had heard the last part of the words being exchanged, and he furrowed his brows in anger. Nobody talked to Namine that way, especially Jeff.

 

Namine bit her lip lightly, remembering. Well, at least she remembered part of it. Jeff had slapped her, and it was hard. She didn't want it to happen again, so she stayed silent, praying Ty would come back to her really quickly.

Jeff smirked. "I thought you'd remember that. Glad to see I've made an impact in your life, baby." He brought up another hand and lightly stroked Namine's cheek.

Namine turned her head away, eyes shut tightly at the touch. Baby? And why did this all feel familiar to her? It was far too familiar for comfort...

 

Roxas slowed down slightly, the last few words that belonged to Jeff filling him with anger. He stopped a few feet away, crossing his arms with an angered expression taking over his features. "This again, Jeff?" he said, his eyes glancing from Namine's cheek to Jeff's face. It wasn't only the touch that he was referring to, but the name-calling. "I thought we already covered this subject."

 

Jeff looked over at Roxas, immediately flustered. He muttered a curse underneath and his breath and immediately withdrew both his hands, taking one step back from Namine. Namine had said Roxas wasn't there, but apparently he was always present when he needed to be.

Namine opened her eyes at the voice took a step back when Jeff did, the girl lightly holding the spot on her arm where Jeff had grabbed. It wasn't too bad, just a little tingly from the hard grip. But that wasn't what really concerned Namine. It was Roxas, and what he was saying. What was he talking about...? Was what he was referring to why this situation felt familiar?

 

Roxas approved of the stepping away bit, his piercing eyes on Jeff. "Good decision on your part," he said tightly, his eyebrows still furrowed. He wasn't about to let up, but he was being very easy on Jeff; he could have been much more aggressive.

 

Jeff nodded, eyes wandering to the ground. He didn't dare say anything--he didn't want a black eye. Or worse. He turned and ran away before Roxas had the chance to change his tactics, the teen knowing things wouldn't have ended well if he stuck around.

Namine's eyes followed Jeff as he ran, her body turning so she could watch. Not that she thought he would come back, of course. Apparently Jeff and Roxas had a bad past. Namine probably knew what it was, but she couldn't remember. And for that moment, it didn't matter. She was just so thankful Roxas was there...

 

Roxas uncrossed his arms as he watched Jeff leave, but a few seconds later his gaze fell on Namine. He took a few steps forward, lifting an arm and lightly setting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, concern in his tone. The fierce look was gone, his eyes gentle and soft with Namine.

 

Namine turned to Roxas, feeling his light touch. It didn't bother her at all, so she didn't worry about it. She nodded faintly, tears starting to appear in her eyes. "I'm alright," she said softly. "Just a little...overwhelmed." First Jeff lies to her, then tries to follow her, and then physically grabs her? And of course it would all happen in less than twenty minutes...

 

Roxas's eyes softened at the appearance of Namine's, the boy instantly giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "That's understandable," he said, his voice comforting and soothing. "But he's gone now, so there's nothing to worry about." He offered her a warm smile, inside desperately wanting to give her a hug. But she barely knew who he was anymore...

 

Namine softly returned Roxas's smile, the boy making her feel better just because he was there. "Thank you," Namine said gratefully. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Roxas, pulling herself to him. It was funny; she didn't even think about it, it just felt so natural.

 

Roxas's eyes widened, the boy caught slightly off guard by the gesture. But his shock faded, the boy glancing out of the corner of his eye at Namine's close form as a soft smile graced his lips. His arms found their way around her, holding her close. "...You're welcome," he told her softly. Although it had only been a small amount of time since this had happened, he missed it; it felt foreign ever since he received the news of her loss. But he wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as he could, incase it didn't happen for a while...or didn't happen ever again.

 

Namine turned her head on Roxas' shoulder, the girl feeling safe somehow. Not just because Jeff was gone, but because...well...she couldn't put it into words. Or thought. It was a little frustrating and she silently shed a few tears, the water droplets going into Roxas' T-shirt. Everything that had happened just shook her up so much...

 

Roxas looked out of the corner of his eye at Namine when he felt something wet hit his T-shirt. Multiple tears. He closed his eyes, at the same time tightening his hold on Namine, holding her a little closer. He took in a breath, slowly letting it out. Somehow, he wanted to get the message across that he was always going to be there for her, even when she wasn't sure exactly of who he was anymore... He could only hope that the recent encounter with Jeff that he intervened and the embrace they were sharing now was enough.

 

Namine wrapped her arms more tightly around Roxas, her tears flowing but comfort being provided. For those moments in Roxas's arms, Namine allowed herself not to think and just feel at peace. Well, as at peace as she could have felt, anyway. There was still a lot wrong.

 

Roxas turned his head toward Namine's slightly, his cheek touching the side of her head. "It'll be okay," he whispered, eyes on her ponytail. "...I promise." And now that she was in his arms again, he was going to fullfill that promise. It didn't matter how long it took, he was going to help her any way he could.

 

Namine nodded faintly, still holding Roxas. That is, until she heard a bark. She slowly released Roxas and turned her head, seeing Ty running towards her. If she wasn't mistaken, he looked dejected. Or even ashamed. He had left his master in her time of need...But Namine wasn't upset. After all, he was only a dog.

 

Roxas had one hand still lingering on Namine's back, but at the sight of the dog, he let it fall. He knelt down, resting his arms on his knees. "Ty!" he said, a smile coming to his face. He clicked his tongue, holding out his hand for the dog to approach him.

 

Namine smiled in amusement, seeing Ty approach Roxas and touch his wet nose with Roxas's. Ty was acting like he knew Roxas, which wasn't surprising for some reason. After all, Roxas was one of her friends from before, so he must have known Ty that way.

 

Roxas laughed, leaning back slightly to get his face away from the dog's. He then brought up his hands, scratching Ty's ears. "What's goin' on, buddy?" he said, cheeriness in his voice. It'd been a little while since he'd seen Ty, and apparently that lost time was being made up by the dog's actions.