DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KH, BUT I DO OWN THIS STORY.
Note: This does not mean I am coming back from my hiatus yet. I am still redoing a lot of my stories because, frankly, my older stories suck. So, until then, just enjoy this. I wrote it not long after finishing 358/2 Days, and I personally love it.
Beware of possible spoilers...
Raised voices were coming from Roxas' room once again. This was not an unusual occurrence—not anymore—because for the past week, Roxas and Axel had been less than friendly toward each other, and the tension between them had begun to escalate as both Nobodies refused to apologize to each other for the things they said to each other.
"It was never meant to be like this! I wasn't supposed to happen! Naminé said so herself!" Roxas yelled, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. Being shorter than his friend, what he lacked in height, he made up for in volume.
"Do you think that matters? Do you really think your friends care that you weren't supposed to happen? Listen to yourself! You can't just up and leave your friends because someone said you weren't supposed to exist." Axel was trying to keep his voice level, but his pitch was rising as his fear that his best friend was going to leave escalated, leaving him feeling nauseous and weak at the knees. He ran a hand through his bright red locks, flattening the long spikes and not caring for once.
"Don't tell me what I can or can't do, Axel. Don't you dare. All I do is get orders from Xemnas, and then I carry them out. I'm sick of it." Roxas' tone had become dangerously steady. He jabbed a finger into his friend's chest, which looked odd because he was about two feet shorter than Axel so his hand was level with his eyes.
Axel's bright green eyes held Roxas' bright blue for a moment before they darted away guiltily.
"That's not—You know I didn't mean it like that!"
"You told me that sometimes you have to ignore orders—You called it 'flexible thinking'. Well, now I'm thinking for myself. I'm not going to do anything I don't want to anymore because nobody will give me the answers I want."
"You should know better than I that I can't give you those answers, Roxas. I've told you this a thousand times." Axel's voice was pained, pleading.
"That's not a good reason, Axel. I want to know why you can't tell me. Is it because they might turn you into a Dusk? Is that it? Then you're a coward, and I don't know if I want you for a friend."
"You don't mean that."
"This isn't about friendship anymore. This is about right and wrong. I think I'm the reason the boy with brown hair is gone. I can't live like that."
"Sor—" Axel cut himself off. He wasn't supposed to let the Key bearer know about Sora—about his true self.
"Sora. So you do know about him." Roxas pushed past his friend, hand extended for the door handle.
"Roxas, wait!" Now Axel was yelling. He grabbed Roxas' arm tightly, knowing that if and when he let go, his friend would leave him forever.
"No! My mind's made up. I'm leaving, Axel. Now let go of my arm before I decide to summon my Keyblade."
"Please… Please, Roxas… Don't leave. Don't. I don't think I could bear to be here without you." Axel pleaded.
"I'm sorry, Axel."
Black swirls whooshed up from the floor, encircling Roxas. Axel clutched at his friend's arm more tightly. In only a few more seconds, the black swirls had engulfed the Key bearer and he was gone from Axel's life—permanently.
For a moment, the redhead stood where he was, silent, until he remembered a something he'd said to Roxas long ago. "Friends can be together, even when they're apart."
"I'll always be with you, Roxas. Even if you don't like it. And you'll always be with me."
Kingdom Hearts twinkled brightly outside, reminding him of brighter days—days when Roxas had been happy, and Axel had been happy as well.
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