Disclaimer: I do not own any characters created by Disney and/or Square Enix, nor do I have any copyright to the original ideas and creations of said companies. What remains my right is the creative context I have used these pre-existing characters and ideas in the following fanfiction.

...Tasting a Snowflake...

Snow Began to Fall

The clock tower gave a shrill twang. Evening was falling fast; the perpetual twilight was darkened by the thick onset of grey clouds. All the gorgeous golds and ambers of summer had faded into a dreary, submissive palette in the December air of Twilight Town. At the peak of the impressive clock tower was a single, shivering girl, thickly packaged in an orange ski jacket. Emerald ear muffs sat naturally on the girl's auburn head.

"Will those guys hurry up?" She huffed. Breath twirled physically from her thin lips. She viciously rubbed her mitten-hands together. A gust blew atop the clock tower, trying to snatch away the little warmth she had.

"Olette!" She turned quickly to see a familiar rotund friend.

"About time you got here! I'm about to become a human icicle!" She reprimanded the short, round Pence, who nervously scratched the back of his neck and laughed.

"Don't blame me! It took Roxas forever to get ready."

"Roxas!" The girl hissed. Pulling up the rear were two tall, light-haired boys, the last one --Roxas -- carrying a cardboard box in his hand. He smiled innocently to Olette.

"Hey, stop raggin' on the guy. Let's finish up here before we get blown off!" Hayner, the dark blond, exclaimed. He then tore open the cardboard box in Roxas's hands.

"H-hey! Watch it!" Roxas protested, but Hayner viciously rummaged around in the box.

"Victorious!" Hayner shouted triumphantly, procuring four travel-mugs of hot chocolate. Olette clapped, and Pence smiled, pulling in his arm for the victory. Hayner passed out the hot chocolate as Roxas carefully placed the box down. Soon, the four friends were sitting on the edge of the clock tower, covered in jackets, ear muffs, head bands and mittens, drinking hot chocolate and making elaborate plans for Winter Vacation.

However, Roxas did not avidly join in the conversation. In fact, his blue eyes remained vacant, staring into the bleak December horizon as more clouds rolled in. He constantly fiddled with his black gloves. His mind was elsewhere; he had left it in his bedroom, the night before. He couldn't think of Winter Vacation, Christmas parties, sledding, or snowball tournaments when she was in his head.

"Seifer? Hah! I'll white-wash him so hard, his grandchildren will have frost bite!" Hayner was riled up again. Olette just shook her head, while Pence watched intently. Hayner's face was red from the cold, but perhaps more so from the immediate urge to pummel his rival.

"I'm not gonna take that guy's crap. Nope! I'll make him eat my snow! Right, Roxas?"

"Huh?" Roxas withdrew from himself. "Oh, uh, yeah." Hayner then continued his rant uninhibited. However, Olette's eyes lingered on Roxas. He quickly averted his gaze from Olette. As the four teens gathered themselves and moved down the clock tower, Olette's slender hand pulled Roxas aside.

"You okay?"

"Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"You just seem out of it...aren't you happy we're on vacation?"

"Of course." Roxas answered, but was unsure if his reply was correct. Olette narrowed her evergreen eyes before walking away. He gave a sigh of relief; Olette could be a bit too mothering. As they descended the clock tower, the teens shed various articles of clothing -- a scarf, an earmuff, a pair of gloves. Finally, they emerged from the tower to the comparative warmth of the ground.

"You guys wanna meet up later in the Usual Spot? I'll have the new Crisis Core level downloaded by then." Pence suggested happily. His contagious smile was nearly irresistible for the friends.

"And I'll beat you this time." Hayner smirked, before winking mischievously and jogging away.

"I don't have anything else to do later; I'll come." Olette smiled. "Bye Pence! Bye Roxas!" Pence then turned to Roxas. He had already grabbed his edgy white and black skateboard from its place propped against the tower.

"So, what about you, Roxas? Care to come and be defeated by my awesome might later?" Pence smirked, pompously sticking out his chest and keeping his hands on his hips.

"I don't know; maybe." Roxas's voice was low and submissive. Pence's charade melted.

"Roxas, are you okay? I was just kidding about that whole 'awesome might' thing." Roxas put on his best feigned smile for his friend, and turned to look at him.

"I'm fine, Pence. Just cold. You know I don't like winter that much." Pence nodded to Roxas. "I just think I'll rest...I might be coming down with a cold."

"Well, okay! But you'll be missing out on all the violent fun!" Pence called after Roxas as he skateboarded away. Roxas let sound fall away from him as he sped across town. He zipped his white parka up tighter, keeping the wind from scarring his chin. He squinted his eyes as he moved through the stinging cold. He could hear the sand and salt crunch beneath the wheels of his skateboard as he glided over residues of snow plowing and shoveling.

Once home, he kicked off his black boots. Roxas's winter clothing melted off his body. He ripped off the black beanie from his head, and shook out his natural blonde spikes. He muttered something unintelligible to his mother in the kitchen before trudging off to his bedroom. He collapsed onto his bed, and exhaled all of his inner demons. He was curious about her -- why she was in his dreams. He didn't even know her name. He wanted to find out.

Roxas nestled himself under heavy blankets. The heat kicked on, clanging and clacking in a familiar winter-comfort. As his eyes' focus died away, and his lids finally fell, snow began to fall.

It was her.

"Who are you?" Roxas asked. The girl had her back facing him. Her long blonde hair fell naturally down her slender back. Her shoulders periodically twitched, moving to some unseen activity. Roxas surveyed the room: pure and utter white. The chairs, the table, the curtains, the bench -- all white. But colorful pictures adorned these barren walls. He began to scan them, filled with fantastic and foreign scenes.

The girl then swiveled in the chair. Roxas turned. There she was -- a living, breathing angelic figure. Her cheeks and curves were all soft; too delicate to touch. Her deep sea eyes dragged one into its depths, only to get lost in the confusing and dazzling cascade of blues.

"My name is Namine." Roxas nodded. He slowly moved closer to her. He noticed that she had a sketchpad in her lap.

"You drew all of these?" He asked compulsively.

"Mhmm." She answered sweetly.

"Hmm." Roxas paused. He sat down, looking at the odd and alluring girl. "Why have you been in my dreams?"

"I...wanted to get to know you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because, Roxas...isn't that what people do? Get to know each other?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Do you not want me to get to know you?"

"Huh? No, no, that's not it at all!" Roxas waved his hands to dismiss such a notion. Namine smiled meekly. Her eyes drifted to the large window. The December clouds hindered any light from coming through -- all the light in the room was provided by candles and small wall lamps.

"I've never tasted a snowflake."

"What?" Roxas was confused.

"I've never tasted a snowflake."

"Well...it's only frozen water. It just melts in your mouth and you drink it. Most of the time they're too small to taste, anyways."

"Oh..." Namine looked disappointed, "...even so, I'd like to find something like that out for myself...just once."

Roxas looked pityingly at the innocent youth across from him. It hurt him to see such a seraph steeped in melancholy. He wanted to cheer her up, but knew not how. Instead, he remained in awkward silence, staring out the window with Namine while a gentle flurry rolled in.

"Namine?" Roxas began timidly. The blonde turned, nodding. "If you want to taste a snowflake...why don't we just go outside? Right now?" Surprisingly, fear flashed across the girl's face.

"Diz wouldn't allow that..."

"Diz?"Roxas asked, but was ignored.

"...then again, he would never allow this..." Namine suddenly stood up. She rushed over to Roxas. He was paralyzed from the surprise movement of the once slow and majestic girl. She was only inches from him now.

"Roxas, would it be okay if we meet?"

"Uh...o-okay?" Roxas's breath quickened. He had little idea where this conversation was going, and was doubly curious what motives Namine had for 'getting to know him'. Surely, he wasn't that interesting.

"Find me in the woods, just before the old mansion tonight. I'll be waiting there." Before Roxas could question Namine, distant, echoing thuds could be heard. "You need to wake up! Now!" Namine cried. She quickly shoved Roxas's chair over.

"Gah!" A large thump resounded as Roxas fell onto the floor, tangled in a mess of thick blankets. He was breathing heavily. He looked around the room, dazed. From downstairs, he heard his mother: "Roxas? Are you alright?"

"Fine!" He shouted, flailing to get out of the nest of blankets.

"Well...come down for dinner when you're ready." Roxas remained silent, finally freeing himself of the blankets, and hastily throwing them onto his bed. He looked out into the evening, snow steadily falling in cotton sheets. He scratched his head. He was even more confused. Were his dreams meaningless subconscious images...or something else? Sighing, he sat on the edge of his bed. An unexpected crinkle sound made him leap up immediately.

"What the-" Turning, he found a sketch paper, now creased with his weight. Flattening the paper out, he looked at the watercolor image of an angelic girl waiting patiently beneath a thick grove of trees, snowflakes dotting the eerily calm scene. Roxas slowly put the picture down, astounded.

"Roxas! Dinner!" He tried to leave the fantastic behind to return to the normalcy of family dinner. Even so, throughout dinner, that picture and Namine's voice was in his head. He constantly glanced out the window.

Snowflakes kept falling.