#punrii

Naminé let out a delicate giggle into her closed fist. She could see his smile through the tint of her sunglasses. His company was always so pleasant. She couldn’t remember the last time she could bear being in the same room with another soul outside of her immediate family for more than five minutes without feeling a crippling urge to drop dead on the spot. To think that she nearly wouldn’t have experienced this moment with him if it hadn't been for her father dragging her to this surprisingly eventful dinner party in the first place. The thought brought a frown to her lips. 

Roxas didn’t fail to notice it. "What's wrong?" 

"I... have a confession to make." 

He crossed his arms. "What is it? You can tell me."

"I, um... I didn't really come here because I wanted to," she painfully admitted. "Not at first, anyway. I mean, I'm glad I came because it turned out to be really fun, but... I was originally planning on not showing up, even after Kairi tried talking me into it. I’m only here because my dad forced me to come because I guess he wants to keep an eye on me." She lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad?" Roxas asked with an airy chuckle. 

Finding his reaction unexpected, Naminé blinked. "Well, I'm not here because it was my decision, like you said it should be. I-I mean... it's not like I came because I'm a good friend or because I'm making a real effort to come out of my shell. I didn't have a choice in the first place, and if I did, it wouldn't have resulted in me being here with you right now.” 

"But you are here. That's what matters in the end, right?"

"But I—"

"Listen," Roxas interrupted gently. "Whether you wanted to come or not, you still did. You still went through the trouble of finding something to wear. You still walked through those doors. You even let me introduce you to my friends. You didn't have to do any of that, but you did. That has to count for something." He smiled. "Whether you realize it or not, you're trying. That's all that matters to me."

Naminé felt her lips part momentarily before turning her head to downplay the shy smile growing against her own will. "You're so mushy."

Roxas chuckled. "Yeah, I’ve heard it from Xion more than once."

Naminé still couldn’t inwardly deny a fragment of guilt lingering in the back of her mind. She wished she had the resolve to face her fears and take the initiative in the first place without her father’s demands being the main catalyst for her attendance. If anything, she could do it for Roxas. In the short amount of time they’ve known each other, he’s been such a good friend to her. Naminé tried to convince herself that taking this step was for her own sake, but she wanted to take his feelings into account as well. Seeing that look of the purest form of joy glowing in his eyes when he first saw her earlier that evening was something she was glad she didn't miss out on. She promised herself she would make it up to him, even if he didn't feel like she needed to. For their next outing, and yes, there would be a next, she would go of her own volition. Not because anyone told her to go. But because he was her friend and he deserved it.

"You’re sweet, Roxas."

Roxas couldn’t tear his eyes away from her smile. And oh, what a pretty smile it was. It would only be prettier if he could see the eyes designed to complement it. "Naminé, why are you still wearing those?"

Her smile faltered. "I told you before—I can't handle eye contact."

"Not even right now?" he asked, closing the small distance between them. "Not even with me?"

Naminé pressed her lips together. There was something about wearing the shades that made her feel more secure. It made her interactions with others more impersonal. "What difference would it make?"

"More than you might think.” Roxas scratched his cheek. “I just kinda want to see you. Those shades make me feel like there's a wall between us. You shouldn't have to hide behind these. You don't need them."

"B-But I do," she argued. "I get so nervous when people look at me, like if I'm looking at their eyes in the wrong way or they get the wrong idea or if I'm staring at people for an uncomfortable amount of time, people don't have to know what I'm looking at and—and—"

"Naminé," Roxas said, effectively cutting her rambling short as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Trust me."

Naminé felt her lips quivering before she let out a deep sigh. She knew she was making excuses. He was right. It shouldn't have been a big deal. Besides, it was Roxas. She didn't have much trouble looking him in the eyes anymore. As long as it was someone like him or Kairi, she could live with it.

"So, is it okay if I take these off?" he asked.

Naminé nodded reluctantly. Roxas held the sides of her sunglasses and pulled them from her ears tenderly. Her eyes fluttered open; soft blue with the stars ornamenting sparkles into their reflection. It was the first time he saw her eyes the entire night and the first word that came to his mind was... 

Breathtaking.

In the corners of his mind, Roxas always found Naminé attractive even when he first laid eyes on her. But this was the first time he had seen her dolled up, her soft features highlighted to near perfection. His eyes trailed to her lips that were parted slightly—he gulped. He had a dangerous, crazy thought involving his own lips he would not allow himself to act on. Quite frankly, he wasn't sure where it came from, but he blamed it on his dumb teenage boy hormones. Roxas cleared his throat before she could get nervous at his staring.

"See? You don't need these," he said, placing the sunglasses into his back pocket. 

Despite his encouragement, Naminé couldn’t resist the urge to squirm under his gaze. Sure, she had looked him in his eyes before, but not under a circumstance like this. With her eyes exposed, it brought about a sense of vulnerability she wasn’t accustomed to. If eyes truly were windows to the soul, then Roxas was getting a peak at hers. Just the thought of that made her rip her eyes away from his. What if he didn’t like what he saw? 

"Hey, Naminé..." Roxas said softly. The way her name rolled off his lips was starting to make Naminé weak in the knees.

"Y-Yes?"

However, any potential butterflies in her stomach fueled by anticipation were thrown out the window with his next words.

"Staring contest!"

"H-Huh?!"

Roxas grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look up at him. Her wide, confused eyes were locked with his intense, focused ones. Neither moved for a solid five minutes. Or at least, Naminé felt like it was five minutes. Despite not knowing what was going on or where this came from, she suddenly caught wind of the competitive bug and didn’t want to lose. She returned his stare with an equal amount of intensity, refusing to back down from his challenge. A third spectator might have thought they were furious at each other.

The contest proved difficult for Naminé. Roxas wouldn't budge, not even so much as a wince. She felt her eyes threatening to leak and clenched her teeth after what felt like an eternity of staring. But she couldn't lose. She wanted another excuse to rub something in his face.

Then he blew into her eyes, practically forcing her into a rapid sequence of blinks. 

"I win!"

Naminé continued to blink if only to moisturize her dried up eyes while Roxas laughed at her expense. It was bad enough she was wearing contacts. Did he really need to blow into them? "You cheater!"

"I never said you couldn't sabotage your opponent," Roxas said cheekily.

"Wow. Thanks for letting me know, jerk."

"But hey, you see? Eye contact isn't so bad."

“Okay, but there's a difference between managing eye contact and an actual staring contest."

But for some reason, it did help. She was making eye contact with him without an issue. It was easier when there was something so silly and weird to break the ice. That must have been his plan the whole time. The rascal. 

“Still, it’s not like I can just walk up to a stranger and force them into a random staring contest if I want to break the ice,” Naminé challenged. 

“Hey, you never know.” Roxas shrugged, making Naminé send an unconvinced gaze. “Kidding. It’ll get easier with time, though,” he assured. “Maybe with some practice.” 

She sighed. "That's what they always say. It just stinks when practice involves putting yourself into situations you're not comfortable with."

“Well, are you comfortable now?” 

Naminé replaced her frown with a soft smile. “Well, sure. I’m with you, aren’t I?” 

“Then that’s good enough.” 

They descended into a gentle silence, their eyes bound to the night sky. Naminé came to an epiphany. Their conversation dwindled and somehow it wasn’t awkward in the slightest. What madness was this? Weren’t long pauses supposed to be uncomfortable and inelegant? Was there not an unspoken expectation to fill the silence and alleviate the tension on both sides? Yet there she was in the company of another human being partaking in a peaceful lull that made her feel the furthest thing from tense. In fact she felt, dare she say, relaxed? 

The pleasant scenery surely helped. While far from turbulent, Destiny Islands was noticeably more animated during the daytime. But the night allowed for the evening lanterns to come alive and highlight the town’s fine points with its tropical aesthetic. The darkened sea engulfed the majority of the horizon and in the short distance sat a tiny island Naminé had never been to before. The sight had to be out of a fairy tale novel. 

"This place really is beautiful," Naminé said, filling the silence as she clasped her hands together. Not because she was uncomfortable. Just because she felt like it.

"It is," Roxas agreed, leaning on the railing while turning to face her with a grin. 

Though, the sky wasn’t the only thing he found alluring that night. Naminé truly was more beautiful than even he had anticipated. Something about the way her eyes captured a soft volume of contentment tugged at something inside him. The way her hair was tied up in a bun with loose strands framing her porcelain face. The way her dress highlighted her slender figure that wasn't without subtle but very visible curves. She was always cute, but this was different.

Should he have admitted his attraction to her? It wasn't always easy to predict how Naminé would react to things. Everything seemed to have a half-and-half probability. With a compliment, he could see her taking the praise and thinking nothing of it just as much as he could see her rejecting his opinion and finding it too overwhelming and embarrassing to be true. But transparency was something Naminé needed to become more acquainted with. 

There was also the implication. Would she perceive it as some sort of confession? Roxas wasn't sure if he viewed Naminé in that way. Did he really like Naminé in the way Axel suggested? He sincerely didn't think so before, but now—having her there, to see her trying to put in more of an effort, and the fact that her inner and external beauty was becoming more evident...

He wasn't sure.

"Is everything okay?" Naminé asked, her voice returning him to the present.

"Oh, yeah," Roxas said, mulling on his next words. "It's just—I think you look really beautiful tonight. I, uh... thought I'd let you know."

While the blush was imminent, she took it better than he expected. She didn't flail her arms around like a manic and she didn't have a nervous breakdown. She only stared at him in momentary surprise before the ends of her lips offered him the slightest of curls. "Th-Thank you, Roxas." She gulped. "I-I was... thinking the same thing about you."

He raised a brow. "That I look beautiful? I mean, I'm flattered and all, but—"

"No, goofball," she said, replacing her smile with a pout. He was just trying to pull the proper words out of her and she knew it. "You l-look... good.” 

“Good?” 

“Um... h-h-handsome?" That was the correct word, right?

Roxas snickered. He could never get tired of watching her twist and turn with discomfort. "Just tell me you love me already, why don't you?"

"I take it back..."

"Oh, come on! I'm joking."

"Can't you go five seconds without teasing me?"

"What kind of a question is that? I can't even go three seconds."

"There's something we agree on."

"Fine," Roxas groaned. "I'll take you out for mint chocolate chip ice cream to make up for it, Ms. Killjoy. Take a joke, would you?"

"I most certainly can take a joke! Excuse me for thinking we were having a moment."

“So, you were wanting us to have a moment?” 

“Th-That’s not the point!” 

“Except it totally is.” 

“Shut up.”