Axel wasn't sure how exactly he met Roxas. He knew the basics: a party at Demyx's place that at least a hundred people showed up to, and a few too many shots of tequila. Axel isn't sure how the boy ended up passed out on his couch, why he asked the boy to stay for breakfast, or why Roxas agreed to stay for a morning meal consisting of bitter coffee and leftover mexican food.
But somehow, breakfast led to a few chats over the phone when they both had time. The calls led to occasionally meeting up to grab some sea-salt ice cream, which Axel discovered was the blond's favorite. Ice cream led to watching the sunset or the sunrise, when Axel worked the night shift, from the old clock tower. Gradually, they became vital parts of each other's lives.
Then, one night, as he lay in bed, plagued by insomnia, the thought hit the pyro like a ton of bricks landing on his chest, right over his heart: He just might love the kid. What little stable ground Axel had left to stand on was yanked out from under his feet and he was suddenly falling, falling with nothing to grab onto.
He had fallen for blue eyes and the determined fire behind them, playful smirks and sarcastic remarks, a beautiful soul that was just a little lost, just a little broken. He had fallen in love with Roxas and he was scared to death of crashing into the cold, hard ground.
By some miracle, he found something to hold onto, Roxas kissed him one lazy summer day, warm and soft and maybe it was alright to fall, maybe he didn't have to hit the ground so long as he had the blue-eyed boy.
The next year flew by in a whirl of soft, innocent kisses and hot, sinful touches. The red haired man couldn't have been more happy.
Axel doesn't remember much of Roxas leaving either; rather, he doesn't want to. He knew the basics: a fight over something stupid that escalated to them each doing their best to hurt one another with biting comments and razor sharp words. Then a letter from some kid named Sora, apparently Roxas' long lost twin brother, then there was the train station.
Axel remembered that the most of all.
He wished he didn't.
Axel remembered pleading with the boy:
"Please, we can work this out, just . . . . . just stay . . . . . please.
He remembered the cold, distant reply:
"No one would miss me."
He remembered his helpless whisper just seconds too late:
"That's not true! . . . . . I would."
Axel remembered the morbid sense of deja vu that struck him in the gut as he watched Roxas board the train, never to return.
Most of though, Axel remembered realizing that the boy he loved so damn much was gone and feeling like he had just slammed into the ground and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.
Author's Note: Remember kiddies, reviews make me happy, so take a moment to drop a comment!