Roxas flung himself onto his mattress, surrounded by blank walls and boxes. He let out a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling. His new room was much larger than his old one. So was the whole house.
Right now, everything seemed large and empty, and the air had a strange feeling to it. 'I wish we didn't have to move here…' Roxas thought, shifting to a more comfortable position on the bare mattress. 'I have to go to a new school, too!' he groaned, and thought of his old friends at home. His old home. This was his new residence, and he already hated it. Roxas nearly prayed that he would make a new friend. At least his cousin had friends here. Maybe he could get to know them.
By the end of the day, he had his bed completely set up, his computer and internet was working, and half of his wardrobe was put away in his closet and dresser. Stacks of empty and full boxes scattered the room, but Roxas was too tired to put them away now. He ran his fingers through his spiky blonde hair as he sat on the edge of his bed. 'I thought today was bad…' he began to wonder about his new school again. 'Tomorrow is the start of hell.'
Roxas couldn't sleep that night. The high ceiling of his room loomed over him, casting dark, ominous shadows. Every little sound echoed off the walls, causing him to jump slightly. 'With so much space, anyone could hide here' he thought of all the horror films he has seen in the past. The windows were large, and plain white curtains that his mother had put up showed the eerie shadows of the tree outside the window. Every once in a while, the tree branch would scratch up against the window, which Roxas pictured as bloody fingernails. This would be a long night.
He continued to toss and turn, but around 5 a.m. decided to give up. He threw his sheets off of him, letting his feet hit the cold, hardwood floor. Roxas cringed, missing the warm carpet of his old house.
It took him a while to find his way out of the maze of hallways that was the second floor. Roxas almost fell down the stairs, which he was again not used to. The stairs were that same slick hardwood, and curvy, with a dainty metal railing. Walking down the tall curvy stairs made him nervous, and he was glad when he reached the first floor.
The rest of the morning seemed to be slow, as he showered after eating a bowl of Cheerio's. The hot water woke him up some, but it didn't help much. He quickly spiked up his hair, threw on his clothes, and grabbed his book bag.
Roxas walked out his front door into the brisk autumn air. The chill nipped at his cheeks and nose, causing them to turn pinkish. He had noticed that the school was very near his home when he drove here, and being a fast learner, quickly memorized the route. Roxas would simply turn the corner at the end of his street, exit onto the main road, follow it for a short while, and then he was in the front courtyard of his school.
The walk was more exhausting than he thought it would be. Roxas sat down on a bench under a tree in front of the school. He had seen someone was sitting next to him, but was too tired to care. He buried his head in his hands, catching his breath, until he finally heard the voice of the person next to him.
"Hey, you ever gone out with someone before?"
Roxas jumped slightly in his seat. "What??" He looked at the person sitting next to him.
He was very tall and lean, had bright red hair, vivid green eyes, and had drawn a single black teardrop with eyeliner on each cheek. 'Some emo kid…' Roxas thought.
"Uhm… that's kind of a sudden question for someone I don't even know."
"Will you go out with me?"
"WHAT?"
"I said, will you go out with me?" The whole time he was speaking, the redheaded boy never looked at Roxas.
"Look, I'm not gay, if you are, I respect that, but-"
"I'm not gay, you know. I don't know why everyone says that. I'm just bi." He had a mixture of sadness and anger on his face as he looked at the grass below him. He paused before speaking. "And I do have a name. It's Axel, got it memorized?"
Roxas was slightly confused. "Uh… yeah…Axel. Look, I'm not bi or gay or anything, and I just met you so…"
Axel glanced up at Roxas, his green eyes nearly piercing through him. "Yeah, I get it," he began, before leaning so close to Roxas that their faces were only inches apart. "I just couldn't help myself though, you're so cute."
Roxas stared at him in shock, wide eyed, his face he was sure had turned redder than a tomato. "Uh…I'll…talk to you later…" Roxas sputtered, quickly grabbing his books and sprinting for the school. Axel remained in his position on the bench, staring after Roxas as he ran. 'Hm…' Axel thought, 'and a cute ass too.'
Roxas burst through the school doors, panting for breath. He looked around in the school. It was large like his home, but not empty. The halls were filled with students, all carrying books and binders. Roxas looked down at his empty book bag, not having any school supplies except for pencils. He sighed, when he felt something poke his shoulder.
He turned around to see his cousin staring at him, grinning.
"Sora!"
His cousin grinned. "Hi Roxas! What's up?"
"I'm just glad to see someone I know!"
"I see you got to know Axel…"
Roxas scoffed. "That weird emo guy? He freaking asked me out!"
Sora laughed. "Haha, sounds like Axel!"
Suddenly, a silver haired boy with stunningly bright aqua eyes snuck up behind Sora, grabbing him by the waist. Sora let out a high-pitched yelp, blushing. "RIKUUU! I told you not to sneak up on me like that!!!"
"I'm sorry Sora, but you're just so cute when you scream like that!" Riku had wrapped his arms around Sora's waist, and was pulling him closer. Sora looked at Roxas, who seemed very confused.
"Uh… Roxas, this is my…friend…Riku. Riku, this is my cousin, Roxas. He just moved here."
"Nice to meet you, Roxas." Riku smiled politely, before glancing at his watch. "Oh, God, I need to get to my first class or the teacher will murder me. See you later." He leaned in and kissed Sora lightly on the cheek before heading off down the hallway. Sora blushed, staying in his own dreamy state until Roxas's confused look caught his eye.
"Your 'friend'?"
"Well, okay so we're a bit more than friends, but…anyways, we should get going. I got you the same schedule as me, so it would be easier for you to find your way around."
"Okay, cool. Let's get going then." Roxas said impatiently, seeing through the glass doors that Axel was heading their direction.
Sora guided Roxas through the first half of the day, from showing him his classes to the best restrooms and also his locker location. When it was about noon, Sora led Roxas to a set of double doors leading to a very large room.
"This is the cafeteria."
"Good, 'cause I'm starving!" Roxas said as his stomach made a strange noise.
Sora laughed, leading them to an open table. They sat down, and Roxas pulled a sack lunch out of his bag. It appeared to be a sandwich of some sort. Sora had looked the other direction, and when he turned back, half of Roxas's sandwich was gone.
"Oh my God, Roxas! Don't eat so fast! You'll get a stomach ache."
"Mmpph ahmmshmahh." Roxas mumbled with his mouth full.
"Uhm…" Sora looked at his cousin strangely.
Roxas swallowed, repeating his sentence. "I said, 'but I'm starving!'"
"Well, just take it slow, we have 30 minutes for lunch."
"Fine." But the real reason Roxas wanted to finish his lunch as fast as he could was because of the possibility of Axel finding them. He looked around, and the only person walking their way was the boy named Riku that Sora had introduced him to earlier.
Riku sat down next to Sora, who was eating some strawberries. He put one halfway in his mouth, holding it there while he stuck a straw in his juice box, attempting to savor the strawberry for as long as possible. Roxas observed Riku smirking at Sora out of the corner of his eye. Riku then leaned in very close to Sora, biting off part of the strawberry. Sora ate the other half quickly so he could pout at Riku. "I was eating that!!"
"Aww, I'm sorry. Let me make it better." Riku kissed Sora firmly on the lips, making Sora blush as deep a red as the strawberry.
Roxas had been so busy watching his cousin's kissing spectacle, he didn't see Axel sit down next to him.
"Hey, wanna do what they're doing?" Roxas heard that voice next to him, and cringed.
He slowly turned to see the tall boy with the extremely red hair sitting next to him. Roxas tried to be polite. "Look, it's cool and all that you like me, but"
"What, I'm not good enough for you?" Axel smirked. Roxas cringed again, realizing how perverted Axel had meant that to sound.
"No, I'm just not like that! I told you!"
Axel simply continued smirking. "Fine, fine." He moved several seats down, eating his lunch alone and in silence.
'Hmm. Probably just trying to make me feel guilty.' Roxas thought. He talked more with Riku and Sora, but for some strange reason, the thought of Axel eating alone nagged at his mind. 'I MIGHT have been too harsh… maybe I could just talk to him. He seems like a nice guy…when he's not constantly flirting.'
But behind the loneliness in his eyes was a different feeling, lustful, like he had an evil plan. This look made Roxas uncomfortable, but he knew that just talking to Axel would be the right thing to do.
Roxas threw away the paper bag from his lunch, and nervously sat next to Axel. "Uhm…Axel?"
Axel tried not to look too eager to hear Roxas talk to him, smiling lightly. "Yes?"
Roxas sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier, I'm sure you're a great guy, but I'm just not like that, you know?" Before Roxas could say or do anything else, Axel had captured him in his arms, face inches from his.
"You could be…" He breathed, barely above a whisper.
Roxas felt himself tense, he was frozen, he couldn't move at all. He found himself staring straight into Axel's vivid green eyes, blushing deeper than probably was possible. For a moment, he stayed caught in Axel's embrace. Roxas started to feel uneasy, and tore himself away from Axel.
"I CAN'T BELIVE YOU! I apologize to you, and you try to rape me! Even if I was bi, I wouldn't want to be with you anyways."
Roxas grabbed his book bag, and left the cafeteria. Axel stayed where he was. Roxas's words had cut him deeper than deep. No, so deep, they cut right through him. The one person he felt serious about hated him. Axel took a deep breath once he was able to breathe again, and put his head in his hands. 'What have I done…'
Occasionally, Roxas and Axel would pass each other in the hallway, but would do no more than glance at each other. Winter eventually settled in, the ground becoming icy and the air chillier than before.
Lying in bed, curled beneath the sheets to keep warm, Roxas loathed at his large room. 'It sucks even more when it's cold.' He tossed and turned, but was feeling guiltier than ever. His mind kept flashing back to all the moments when Axel was so close to him…he wondered what it would feel like if he were even closer… 'Whoa, WAIT! What the hell am I thinking?? I'm straight!' Axel came to his mind again, from what he had said several months ago, '"You could be…"' Roxas sighed. 'I thought I was straight…' He pulled the covers over his head, as if it would block out Axel's voice in his head. It didn't.
The next day at school was a Friday, Roxas's favorite day of the week. But he was hesitant to get out of bed. He was afraid to talk to Axel, but wanted to see him, for some strange reason, more than anything.
He hurried to school, with each step his feelings grew stronger. He saw Sora in ahead of him, who smiled and waved. But Roxas flew by, in a hurry to catch Axel before he got to class. Sora stopped, confused. 'Gee, what's he in such a hurry for?'
Roxas burst through the school doors, looking around frantically, but Axel was nowhere in sight. 'Who am I kidding? After what I said, how could he even consider talking to me?' He trudged off through his day, knowing that he was too late.
Almost thirty minutes after the last bell had rung, Roxas was just getting out of school. He had been slow at his locker, stopping to talk to his other friends on his way out to get Axel off of his mind, but couldn't stop thinking about him.
He pushed open the door, seeing a tall figure sitting on the bench he and Axel had first met at in the distance. 'I don't have to be home anytime soon…I guess I'll just go sit down.' But as he approached, he saw that Axel was the tall figure sitting there. Roxas blushed, slowly walking up behind him.
Axel was looking down, playing with a lighter when he heard a small, timid voice behind him.
"Axel…?"
He recognized it to be Roxas's voice. Why was Roxas even talking to him anyways? He got up to leave.
"Please…don't go…"
Axel stopped, and waited for Roxas to say something else. "What?" He turned, looking at Roxas with a cold, icy expression.
Roxas was intimidated. "I wanted to…apologize." He looked at his feet, blushing.
"For what? For yelling at me like that in front of everyone, or turning me down so cruelly? Do you know how embarrassed I was?" Axel could barely control the rage in his voice.
The blonde haired boy continued staring at the ground below him, blushing a deeper pink, his eyes beginning to tear up. "I'm really sorry…" Roxas tried to prevent tears from escaping his eyes, but he was given away as they dripped past his fingers, crystal clear drops on the icy pavement.
"Hey…are you…crying?" Axel's expression softened, pity written on his face.
"N-no…" Roxas lied shyly, his voice breaking.
"Look, Roxas, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm the one who made you so mad at me." His face saddened, as he looked away. "But from what you said…I don't guess you'll ever forgive me." It wasn't a question. Axel sat back down on the bench, avoiding eye contact with Roxas.
"Screw what I said!" Roxas's sudden tone caused Axel to slightly jump. He looked up, and Roxas's bright blue eyes were staring sincerely at him, as if they were screaming. He calmed down slightly, standing in front of Axel. "Look…I think you're a really great guy when you're not flirting all the time, and…"
Axel looked hopefully at him, and Roxas felt regretful already for what he was about to say.
"…And I would really like to be your friend. If you'll forgive me?"
Axel dared to look up. He was captured in Roxas's eyes, pleading for forgiveness. 'He's just too beautiful…I can't help it.' Axel smiled sadly. "I forgive you. And I'll be your…friend." His attempt at a smile faded. It was bittersweet. At least Roxas didn't hate him…but he still didn't love him. 'I guess you can't have it all.' He thought.
Roxas saw that Axel was still sad. "But you… want to be more than friends…don't you?"
Before Axel could say anything, Roxas moved closer to him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. 'I can't believe I'm doing this…' Roxas thought. He backed away from Axel, who was wide-eyed and blushing.
'Crap.' Roxas turned around and ran from Axel, back away to his cold, empty house, away from whom he truly wanted.
Roxas burst through the heavy wooden doors of his house, running across the marble floor and up the slick hardwood stairs. He tripped on the stairs, falling forward and scraping his knee. His whole body was too numb from the cold to feel it. He crawled up the rest of the stairs, getting back up on his feet when he reached the top.
Roxas sprinted down the winding hallways until he finally reached his room. He barely got the door shut behind him. Once it slammed shut, he fell to the cold floor, curling up for warmth. He shivered, being able to see his breath in his own room. Roxas realized that the window had flown open, being the weak structure that it was. But he didn't have the energy to close it. Not even the energy to move. He was completely numb, except for the pain of the scrape on his knee shooting through his leg as a late reaction. His face stung as an effect of the cold. Tears were streaming down his face. Kissing Axel was wrong…but why did it feel so right? Why did he wish he had the courage to kiss him on the lips instead of the cheek?
Why did he wish he had the courage to do more than kiss him?
Roxas tried to force all of his thoughts of Axel out of his mind, but they kept returning to him. Everything about him. His fire red hair, glowing green eyes, tall lean figure…
'Why…why do I feel like this??' Roxas winced painfully as more tears escaped his eyes.
'Admit it…' his conscious said. 'You like Axel.'
"I like Axel…" Roxas whispered out loud, his muscles relaxing. His breathing returned to normal, his numbness even left him.
But he felt something else. He felt his heart beat faster, he felt his cheeks grow warm, and he felt a certain excited feeling bubble up in his stomach.
"Axel…" he repeated, the name tingling on his lips. Roxas felt his face grow even warmer. And for the first time in months, he smiled.
His smile faded when he felt the pain in his knee grow. He looked over at it, and his pants were ripped slightly, blood staining the edges of it. His palms and fingertips were sore and stinging from the cold, as were his cheeks and nose. His tears had partially dried, leaving a damp trail from his eyes to his chin.
Suddenly, his bedroom door opened, and he heard a familiar voice talking to him.
"Oh my God, Roxas are you okay??" Sora leaned over and gently shook Roxas's shoulder. Roxas noticed that Riku was standing behind Sora, looking worried as well.
"I'm fine…" Roxas said, barely above a whisper. "I just tripped, and I'm a little cold."
Riku walked across the room, latching the window tight. "It wasn't locked."
"Heh. I thought so." Roxas winced as Sora helped him stand up. He limped over to his bed, being careful of his knee.
After Sora and Riku helped Roxas bandage his knee and get warm, they all made hot chocolate, and chatted pleasantly.
After a boring subject of schoolwork, Sora decided to change the subject. "So, Roxas. I saw you and Axel today." He grinned.
Roxas's face flushed a deep red. "Y-YOU SAW THAT?"
Riku entered the subject. "Haha, yeah. We were going back to school 'cause I forgot my math book in my locker, and we saw you guys out front. Very cute, Roxas."
Roxas buried his face in the blanket that was wrapped around him, trying to hide his blush.
"So, do you like him?" Sora was a little too curious for his own good sometimes.
"Come on Roxas! It's so obvious! Just tell!"
Roxas hesitated, taking a shaky breath before speaking. "Well…at first I thought he was just annoying, perverted, and strange. But lately, the farther away I've been from him…the more I thought about him. And…"
He looked up, and Sora and Riku had been staring and listening so intently that they had leaned in towards Roxas. He backed away from them, making them realize how nosy they were being. "Go on…" Sora urged.
"And… I thought that when he wasn't being a perverted flirty creep, that maybe he was…actually a really nice person."
"Has he kissed you yet? Well, besides this afternoon." Riku questioned, starting to sound like a teenage girl.
"Well…uh… no. Actually…I've never been kissed before."
Riku and Sora stared at Roxas in shock, mouths hanging open. "NEVER??" They both exclaimed at the same time.
"Nope."
"Well, we could show you…" Riku said while smirking.
Sora stared at him strangely. "Riku, you're not going to kiss my cousin, are you???"
Riku laughed. "Honestly, Sora. Sometimes you're so slow! But that just makes you cuter…"
Roxas was confused, but just decided to watch. "We're gonna show him how it's done… okay?" Riku cupped his hand under Sora's chin, pulling him closer. "Watch, Roxas."
"O...Okay…" Roxas continued watching Riku.
Riku had one hand cupped under Sora's chin, and one on his shoulder, coming nearer to Sora. The silver haired boy gently pressed his lips into Sora's, ever so delicately. Sora kissed back, moving his hand up to Riku's face, touching his cheek. His hand slipped behind Riku's neck, as he kissed him harder.
Roxas watched as their lips locked together tighter, and as their tongues slipped in and out of each other's mouth. He felt slightly uneasy thinking he and Axel might do that. He saw Riku's hand slip up underneath Sora's shirt, and began to feel even more uneasy. Roxas coughed to himself, and cleared his throat, to let them know that they were going too far. They blushed, backing off of each other.
Riku and Sora had agreed to spend the night at Roxas's that night, but had to promise that Roxas wouldn't wake up to find them nude and inside of each other.
They continued to talk more about how they would try to set up Roxas and Axel, until Roxas finally spoke up. "Look, it's really nice of you guys to want to help, but I'd rather let him know how I feel myself."
Sora smiled. "Awww!!! How cute, Roxas!!"
Roxas blushed. "Shut up…"
After hours of conversation and laughing, everyone grew tired and eventually fell asleep. Sora and Riku lay on a pull out mattress on the floor, Riku's arms wrapped protectively around Sora. Roxas slept in his own bed, or tried to sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about Axel. 'Am I really like this? Am I really not straight?' He ran revealing female images through his head, still being attracted to them. 'But I haven't really tried this…' He then ran revealing male images through his head, only to find he was attracted to those too. 'I guess I'm bi…but still…wow, what a big change.' The revealing male images in his mind morphed into images of Axel. Roxas blushed, not even trying to change his train of thought. 'Aww, whatever. Screw it. I can like who I want to like. It's not like I can help it.'
That weekend, Sora, Riku, and Roxas went out and around the town; Roxas got to meet Sora's other friends, Kairi and Naminé. Kairi had lovely red hair and a bubbly personality, while Naminé was a shy, yet very sweet blonde. They went to the same school as Roxas, but he had never seen them there. "The girls are both in the advanced classes, in a separate part of the building. We don't get to see them ever. They even have separate lunches." Sora explained.
The memories of that weekend all seemed like a dream when Roxas woke up Monday morning. "Uggghh." He groaned, rolling out of bed. He felt slightly queasy to his stomach. He knew that today was the day he would tell Axel how he really felt, and he would get his first real kiss.
Roxas felt he was pretty sure he knew how to at least kiss Axel back from the demonstration that Riku and Sora had given him, but was still nervous that he would mess up. He put on the outfit that he thought made him look the most attractive: A black T-shirt with some design on the front, which was almost too small for him, fitting around him well; with old jeans that were torn on the knees. Sure, it was a sloppy outfit, but he had heard from Sora that Axel would like it.
Roxas grabbed his jacket on the way out of his house, heading down the sidewalk. He met Sora at the end of his street, who had agreed to come with him for his 'big day'.
Once inside the school, Roxas and Sora went down several different hallways, towards Axel's locker. About ten feet behind Axel, Sora stopped, and winked at Roxas. "Good luck!" he smiled, and headed back the other direction. Roxas smiled back, shyly approaching Axel.
Axel was digging around in his locker, probably searching for an assignment. "Uhm… Axel?" Roxas said shyly, blushing.
Axel shut his locker, smirking. "Roxas, I have to apologize in advance."
Roxas felt his stomach turn, thinking that Axel knew what he was going to say, and was going to turn him down.
"For…what-"
Suddenly, Roxas felt something he had never felt before. He felt soft lips on his, and warm arms around him. Axel was kissing him.
Roxas blushed, his heart beat rapidly and his stomach did flips. His blue eyes sparkled, slowly drawing shut. It was his first kiss, and tasted sweeter than he could have ever imagined.
Axel didn't expect Roxas to react at all except for maybe slap him and run away. He didn't expect Roxas to wrap his arms around his neck and kiss him back. But Roxas did this, all so timidly.
Roxas pulled away, taking Axel's hand. "Axel…forgive me. I lied. I said that even if I were bi, I would never want to be with you. But everyday I saw you, everyday I thought I hated you, I just loved you more." Roxas blushed, not believing the words that were coming out of his own mouth. 'Damn…this is too corny. He'll never buy this.' He looked away, releasing his grip on Axel's hand.
But Axel's hand caught his before he could completely pull away. Roxas looked up, meeting Axel's amazingly green eyes. "I forgive you."
"I'm sorry…" Roxas spurted out quickly, his voice breaking as tears rushed to his eyes. 'Damn it, I'm gonna cry!'
He felt Axel's hand touch his face, his thumb wiping away tears in the corners of Roxas's eyes.
"I forgive you." He repeated calmly, his gaze never leaving Roxas.
Roxas suddenly felt an overwhelming emotion that he couldn't control. He threw his arms around Axel's waist, burying his face in his chest. He felt Axel's arms wrap around his shoulders, embracing him warmly.
"I forgive you, Roxas. It's okay." Axel soothed. "I love you."
Across the hallway from Axel and Roxas was a potted plant, and behind that plant hid Riku, with his camera. He snapped silent photos of them, smirking. "Naminé will love this!" Riku was planning to give the pictures to Naminé to draw, knowing she liked drawing couples. "Heeheehee, that should be enough." He grinned, turning his camera off. He waited for the cover of the crowd that soon formed around Roxas and Axel to escape from behind the plant.
'Oohs' and 'Aahs' were surrounding them, but Axel and Roxas ignored them. They were too absorbed in each other to realize they were being watched.
"Do you…feel the same?" Axel murmured, still embracing Roxas.
"I…I'm not sure. I like you Axel, a lot, but…I'm not sure I really love you." Roxas remained in Axel's arms, breathing in the scent of his shirt. He could feel his heart beat, hear his breathing. He really did like Axel, almost loved him. But if he wasn't sure, he didn't want to break his heart.
"I understand." He squeezed Roxas's shoulders a last time before releasing him.
Roxas was hesitant to let go of Axel. "I'm sorry…" he looked away, almost teary eyed again.
"Hey…" Axel tilted Roxas's head towards him with his fingers. "For the last time, I forgive you." He smiled, kissing Roxas on his nose before turning and walking away.
Roxas remained in his standing position, looking at the floor. 'Why does this have to be so hard?'
Riku pretended he hadn't been around for the past five minutes, and casually approached Roxas. "So, you talk to Axel?"
"Yeah…"
"Well?" Riku nudged him with his elbow. "How'd it go? He kiss you? You kiss him?"
"He…uh… kissed me." Roxas blushed, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.
"Oh my Gosh!!" Riku seemed falsely enthusiastic, from already seeing the kiss. "Well, Sora and I will be over later, so you can tell us how it went then!" He winked, walking away from Roxas towards his own locker.
"Hey! You can't just keep inviting yourself over, you know." But Riku was already gone. Roxas sighed, trudging back to his locker.
At the end of the day, Sora and Riku cheerfully bounded up to Roxas, but saw the sad expression on his face and calmed down. They followed him silently home, until they all reached his room.
They all sat in an awkward silence, until Sora had the courage to break it.
"So…. Roxas…"
Roxas looked up at Sora, not sure of how to reply to him. "Sora…"
Finally, Sora burst with excitement. "WHAT HAPPENED??? DID YOU GUYS KISS OR JUST TALK WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT COME ON ROXAS TELL MEEE!!!"
Roxas laughed lightly at Sora's excitement, but his smile faded when he remembered his conversation with Axel.
"Well…he kissed me, and then…he said…" Sora was staring intently at him. "He said 'I love you.'"
"And…what did you say?" Sora was WAY too eager.
"I told him…that I REALLY liked him…but…" Sora's eager look faded, and sadness flowed into his blue eyes.
"But I wasn't sure if I loved him."
Riku felt slightly disappointed. "I thought you did, though."
"I really, really, REALLY, like him. But…love is…such a big commitment…I was, I am afraid that if I don't love him 100%, well, I just don't want to break his heart. I've already done that once." Roxas pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly.
Riku and Sora looked at each other with guilt on their faces, feeling bad for questioning Roxas so much. "Well, hey." Riku began. "Just think about it, maybe you really do love him." He gave Roxas a positive smile, trying to cheer him up.
That night, Roxas once again couldn't sleep, thinking about Axel and his feelings for him. He thought about what it would be like to be with Axel. He thought about what it would be like to not be with him, to never really speak to him again. Roxas began to realize that he couldn't deal with that. He truly wanted Axel.
Roxas continued thinking about his emotions until he fell asleep.
But he was suddenly awoken when he heard his bedroom door fly open, and a tall figure stood in the doorway.
Roxas continued thinking about his emotions until he fell asleep.
But he was suddenly awoken when he heard his bedroom door fly open, and a tall figure stood in the doorway.
The tall figure had bright red hair, and almost glowing green eyes. "Axel?" Roxas mumbled sleepily. "What are you doing here at this hour? What are you doing here in the first place?"
Axel said nothing as he approached Roxas's bed, climbing on top of it. "What are you doing?" Roxas said, confused. Axel sat on top of the blonde, straddling him. "Hey! Seriously, what are you-"
Roxas was cut off by Axel's lips. "Mmmm" He tried to speak, but Axel just kissed him harder, forcing his tongue into his mouth. "MMM!" Roxas tried to shout, but Axel was merciless as he played with his tongue.
Roxas had never felt something like this before, but once he got used to it, he realized he actually liked it. He sighed happily, just being glad to be with Axel for now.
But Axel didn't seem quite as satisfied. He aimed his kisses lower, licking at Roxas's neck. "Axel…" Roxas was beginning to feel strange about this. Axel didn't stop as he went even lower, kissing his chest, his stomach, sliding his hand under Roxas's shirt.
"AXEL!" Roxas suddenly sat up in bed, beads of cold sweat on his forehead. He looked around his room. He was alone.
'How could that have been just a dream?' he put his hand to the side of his head to try to keep the room from spinning.
'You love him.' Roxas's conscious spoke to him. 'Tell him how you feel, before it's too late.'
"But really…like that?" Roxas wondered out loud. He fell back onto his bed, clutching the sides of his head.
'Love is love.' His conscious said again, confirming his feelings.
"Love is love…" Roxas repeated, before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.
The next day, Roxas eagerly approached the school, anxious to tell Axel how he felt. He was about to run up to Axel's locker when he saw Sora and Riku waiting for him, with sad looks on their faces.
"Hey guys! Have you seen-"
"Axel left." Sora looked at the floor, not wanting to meet Roxas's eyes.
Roxas felt his heart drop to his stomach. "What?"
"He's gone." Riku let his gaze drift anywhere but to Roxas.
"What do you mean he's gone?" Roxas whispered in shock, his blue eyes wider than ever.
"No one knows anything except that he moved…he just left." Sora dared to look at Roxas, feeling a stab of pain from the shocked and upset look on his face.
Roxas's blue eyes quivered with tears, as they began to spill over his cheeks. "He can't be gone…"
"You could try calling him…I have his phone number." Riku offered. Roxas quickly grabbed the piece of paper with a number scrawled on it that Riku held out to him. He ran into the cover of the boys' bathroom, which was usually empty at this time in the morning before he hurriedly dialed Axel's number on his phone.
It rang and rang until a familiar, deep, yet somewhat sad voice answered. "Look, I ain't coming back, so who ever this is can just forget-"
"Axel!" Roxas shouted, his voice nearly cut off by the lump forming tightly in his throat.
"Roxas?" Axel was confused, not remembering giving his number to Roxas.
"Axel, please come back!" The blonde boy cried desperately, clutching at his chest from the pain of his heart breaking.
"I'm sorry Roxas, I can't. I have to leave with my family. We're in the airport now. I'm flying over 2000 miles away, to some city I can't remember the name of to live with some other distant family. I wish I could stay…but maybe it's better this way."
"H-how?" Roxas's voice shook as he clutched his chest tighter.
"You'll be far away from me, and you won't have to deal with me anymore. You'll eventually forget me, or get over me. And maybe you'll meet a nice girl who will make all of your dreams come true… like I never did."
"Axel-"
"Roxas, even though I know you'll never feel the same, I want you to know that this is goodbye, and I love you."
"I LO-" but before Roxas could get out the words he desperately needed to say, he heard a click, and knew that Axel had hung up. "I love you too…" he whispered, his hands going numb as he let the phone slip from his fingers onto the white tile floor.
'I can't let this happen…but what else can I do?' Roxas had fallen to the floor, lying motionlessly on the cold tile.
Sora ran into the bathroom, about to help Roxas up, when he suddenly leapt up off of the floor. He headed for the exit, about to pass Sora, who held him back.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to get Axel back!!"
"He's already gone, Roxas."
"I don't care! I'm going back there anyways!"
Roxas pushed Sora away and sped out of the bathroom. He rushed down the hall, and busted out the front doors. The crisp, icy grass crunched under his feet as he raced across the schoolyard.
Roxas continued running until he reached the slippery concrete, where he tripped and fell to the frozen ground. His knees and palms burned, and he could see that he had scraped them up when he fell.
He felt the ice on the ground numb his face and the stinging sensation on his hands. The gray sky began to fall as half-frozen rain, pelting down on his already cold skin. He wished he could just become paler and paler until he dissolved into the whiteness of winter.
Roxas could feel his body become completely numb and lost the battle of trying to keep his eyes from closing. He thought of Axel for the last time, and the last words he heard him say
'I love you…..'
Suddenly, when he felt as though he had turned into snow himself, Roxas felt warm, firm hands lift him into strong arms. His blue eyes gazed up with blurry vision, to discover Riku had picked him up. Sora was standing next to him, seeming as though he was rather jealous that Riku was holding Roxas, and not him.
"Come on, Roxas. We're going to find Axel."
Roxas smiled a weak smile, as they headed for the exit of the school grounds.
Riku and Sora had gotten Roxas warmed up in the taxi, though they were all still wet from the rain. The taxicab screeched to a halt in front of the airport and the three boys rushed in.
Between the crowds of bustling people was a difficult task to find the gate where Axel waited. There weren't many in this particular airport, and Roxas could spot Axel's bright red hair a mile away.
Roxas stopped and sat on a nearby bench, gasping for breath. 'God, I'm never gonna find him!' He was about to give up when he saw the gate across from his boarding, and a tall boy with spiky red hair was in line.
Roxas's PoV:
As out of breath as I was, I knew I had to catch up to Axel. It seemed like a dream, like no matter how fast I tried to run, it wasn't fast enough, and Axel was moving faster. Axel had turned in his boarding pass, and was about to board the airplane. 'I'm not gonna make it in time' I thought desperately. 'I have to do something now…'
"AXEL, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!"
My throat ached with a mix of being sore from the cold weather and shouting so loudly. I panted, trying to catch my breath. My lungs ached with each inhale, and each exhale twice as worse. I felt my stomach twist. He hadn't heard me. How he did not hear me, I didn't know, but whatever had happened, Axel was going to get on that plane, and I could feel fresh tears in my eyes as I stood there, waiting for nothing.
The boy with red hair stopped.
Axel's PoV:
I handed in my plane ticket. The woman smiled warmly at me before she spoke. "Have a nice flight, sir!" She seemed a little too happy to be real. 'Yeah. I'll have a great flight, being taken as far away as possible from the one I love.' I smiled back as best as I could, before turning to the hallway linked to the plane. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me, that I had to question; that I was not sure could be real. Was it my love sickness for him that made me even bother to turn around? Or was I foolish enough to believe he actually came after me? Whatever the reason, I stopped, in shock. I slowly turned, knowing that it would just be my imagination, that even if I did see a beautiful boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, that he would fade away, back into my memory, like always.
I turned around to face the voice, real or fictional.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roxas stared at Axel, attempting to catch his breath. Several people had turned and stared at his sudden shouting. He blushed, trying to ignore them. His stomach flipped when he saw Axel turn around.
Axel looked at him sadly at first, as if he was starting at a mirage or a ghost he wished was real. His eyes seemed to widen when he realized that Roxas was in fact there, and not his imagination. He smiled. "Is that so?"
Roxas sniffled, his face flushing a deep pink. Axel opened his arms, and Roxas ran to them. He warmly embraced the blonde boy, holding him as tightly as he possibly could, so much he even slightly lifted Roxas off of the ground. Roxas firmly locked his arms around Axel's waist, burying his sobs in Axel's shoulder.
The rest of the world melted around them, and even though Roxas was afraid of loving a boy, being in Axel's arms felt more right than anything.
The rest of the world melted around them, and even though Roxas was afraid of loving a boy, being in Axel's arms felt more right than anything.
"Please, Axel…" Axel knew what Roxas was about to say, and tightened his embrace around him. "Please don't get on that plane." Roxas's voice was breaking between sobs, and Axel could feel warm tears soak through the fabric of his shirt. 'I never want to see those blue eyes cry ever again.' Axel pulled away, still keeping his hands on Roxas's shoulders.
"Do you really love me? Or was that just my imagination?" Axel smiled warmly, watching the blush creep on Roxas's cheeks.
"I-" Roxas couldn't even get the first word of his sentence out without clinging back onto Axel again. "I love you! I really do!" His words were muted as he pressed his face against Axel's chest.
"Roxas…" Axel could feel Roxas tremble in his arms. "You're beautiful…"
"Axe-"
"You're caring and sweet, even if you used to hate me. The way you look at me, the way you talk to me…just makes me melt. But…"
Roxas was trying his best to breathe normally, but could not suppress the sobs from escaping.
"…But I have to get on that plane. If I don't…my whole future is at risk. I could never be able to stay here. I…I have to leave. Now."
He pulled away from Roxas, leaning in closer to him until their faces were inches apart. Axel lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "Roxas…I want you to know…that I care about you more than anyone or anything, but this isn't something I have control over. If I could, I would stay with you until the moment I die, but … I need you to know, that I might never see you again."
Roxas took Axel's face in his hands slowly, wanting to touch him for the last time. He stroked his cheek, feeling how smooth his skin was, and how he wanted more of it. Though Roxas never said a word, his throat too choked up with tears.
Axel closed the space between them, closing his lips around Roxas's softly. He could taste the saltiness of his tears as he pulled away hesitantly.
"I love you Roxas…got it memorized?"
With those last words, Axel released Roxas, and turned to get on the plane.
Roxas watched his tall figure disappear as he gracefully stepped down the hallway. He felt his throat close up, and he could feel his heart drop to his stomach. His legs went numb, and felt as though the air had been sucked out of his lungs. Roxas fell to his knees, as if he had just been shot in the chest. Every nerve in his body signaled panic, but he remained motionless. Everything around him, the busy crowds of people, the luggage, staring down at his own hands shaking made him realize what had just happened.
Axel was gone.
2 Years Later, Roxas's PoV:
I anxiously waited on the bench outside the school, suddenly being startled as my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I quickly flipped it open, bringing it to my ear.
"Naminé, where are you? … The café? … But you said you would- ughh…look. If you weren't going to come, all you had to do was say so instead of just leaving me here like this. … Fine! … I am sick of you always walking out on me at the last minute! … … Fine. Yeah, whatever." I hung up angrily, shoving the phone back in my pocket.
After Axel had left what seemed ages ago, I had tried my best to move on. I started dating Naminé, but she always canceled on me, and I was starting to feel like she never even liked me in the first place. I let out a tired sigh, watching my breath fog in front of me in mid air. I had been sitting and waiting for her to show up for at least an hour, but she never came.
A cold wind made me shudder, and I grabbed my book bag to leave. The winters here were always icy and brutal, and my house, despite the heater, was never warm and inviting to come home to.
I stood up, surprised at how much I had grown over the past two years. The frosty ground was crisp as I walked across it towards the street. It was 5:30 on a cold Friday afternoon, and I was in no hurry to get home to another boring weekend alone.
I stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the go signal. I was staring at my shoes for a moment, when I got a strange feeling to look up. The past week, I had been feeling so tired, that nothing ever caught my attention, but now I was getting this odd urge to look up.
The cloudy sky began to pour quickly, as I studied a tall, dark figure across the street from me, with bright red hair.
'It can't be…'
Axel's PoV:
I felt the icy rain pour on me as I waited across the street from my old school. I remembered Roxas's perfect face, his spiky blonde hair, and those blue eyes that I got lost in so many times. I wondered if he was still here. I thought back to the painful memories of two years ago, when I had to lie to him, to everyone.
For as long as I can remember, I've been a sick boy. I'd been to every hospital in the state, but none of them had the right treatment for me. It never showed, but I was always ill on the inside, and it was close to killing me, two years ago.
Two years ago, my mom and I heard of a hospital that was very far away from here, but had the treatment I needed. We knew that no matter where I went, the chances of the treatment curing me were small, and that I might never get to come home.
But the treatment had worked, and I was healthy, for now.
That painful memory of when I had last kissed Roxas in the airport, when I had to leave him, crying, to walk down that hallway which seemed to stretch on forever. The memory of how salty his lips tasted from the tears that poured over his face, tainting his beauty.
I shivered.
I remembered how in this town, it seemed to turn from autumn to winter, and it always kept getting colder except for those few months of sunshine and slightly less chilled air. The sky was so dark, it was nearly black, and I could tell that it was going to keep raining harder and harder. It was almost 5:40, and Roxas probably, (if he was still here), had gone home already.
Yet, something made me want to wait longer, despite the numbing cold. Just the memory of his face made me willing to go through anything to see him again. I sighed, watching my breath dissolve in the air before me.
In the blurry part of my vision in the corner of my eyes, I could see a tall, thin figure across the street. I looked over at him, wearing faded black jeans, and a gray-blue sweater, with a book bag strapped across his shoulder. It was even harder to make out his face through the haze of the now pouring rain, but I could see blonde hair.
I then realized that this boy was staring right back at me.
Both boys, tall and lean, tried to see each other through the pouring rain. Through the haze of it all, Roxas could see the walk sign light up. He decided to ignore his fantasy that Axel was across the street from him, and continued on his way.
About halfway across the street though, Roxas saw the features of the boy more clearly. Those bright green eyes, that spiky red hair that was flattened from the downpour, the usual black outfit.
For a moment, Roxas stopped, not believing his eyes. It had been so long, was it really possible? He felt as though his shoulders were pinned to a wall and his fingertips began to tingle. His feet kept going, each step seeming to echo off the pavement between the whispering sheets of rain. His heart was beating harder and harder with each movement forward, and it felt as if it were about to burst out of his chest. It was Axel, it had to be. Roxas paused, remembering the numbing pain he felt burning through him when Axel had left, and how he was so in shock that Riku and Sora had to carry him all the way home. He had barely moved for days, never ate, and never spoke. It took weeks for him to finally get back to school, and his hunger finally took over his appetite. After many months, Axel had become a past memory, something that seemed so long ago, like just a friend that was absent for a day, that Roxas always was expecting to see the next day, but never showed up. That wound inside him never healed, and he could feel the edges of his chest begin to ache now. Was it Axel's ghost, just the memory of him still lingering here?
Axel waited in the rain anxiously for the blonde boy to cross the street. He kept stopping and going again, like it was painful for him to walk. So many emotions were racing through Axel's mind, with all of his memories of Roxas, all the feelings he had whenever he was near him, that sent a tickling feeling through his heart and made his stomach flip. Though his face remained expressionless as he watched the boy slowly make his way across the street through the near solid storm.
Slowly, carefully, Roxas stepped from the street to the sidewalk, now only feet from the redhead. He looked up to see a familiar, yet somewhat changed face. The air escaped from his chest, and his knees felt weak. Yet his face showed no emotion, as he kept walking towards Axel.
Axel stayed where he was, seeing Roxas approach him. He kept walking until they were inches apart. Roxas raised a shaky hand, his breath uneven. He stroked Axel's cheek, like he had when he left over two years ago. That same smooth skin, those same eyes.
Tears spilled out of Roxas's eyes, which were hardly visible in the rain. He felt Axel's hands touch his own face, a feeling he had waited to have for so long. Axel was silent, but his eyes spoke so many words, so many emotions flooded out of them.
Both remained silent and in each other's embrace, until Roxas finally spoke with his changed, deepened voice.
"I have it memorized." He spoke so softly, Axel almost couldn't hear him through the rush of the rain.
Before Axel could reply, he felt Roxas press his lips against his own. Those lips, so soft, so sweet when not salty with tears, were kissing him, after he had hurt Roxas so badly, left him. 'You are the sweetest boy…' Axel kissed him back, letting his arms wrap around Roxas's waist, pulling him closer.
Roxas draped his arms over Axel's shoulders, keeping a hand on the back of his neck. He knew that they were in public, but he didn't care. He hadn't seen Axel in years, and wasn't going to waste any moment they had together.
Both pulled away, releasing their embrace. Axel took Roxas's hand and smiled, Roxas blushed in return.
Hand in hand, they continued walking down the sidewalk, letting themselves disappear in the rain.
The wooden doors creaked as Roxas slowly pushed them open. The inside of the house seemed as empty and dark as ever. The tall curvy stairs that wrapped around the edge of the room cast eerie shadows through the whole first story.
It wasn't much warmer inside, but Roxas led Axel upstairs, promising to make him warmer somehow.
Roxas shut his bedroom door behind them, and walked over to his closet.
"What are you doing?" Axel spoke softly and sweetly.
"Changing. I'll catch a cold in these wet clothes!"
Axel smirked, walking over to Roxas. He came up behind the blonde, placing his hands on his shoulders. He slowly moved his hands down Roxas's sides, letting his fingers slide underneath his shirt. Axel began to move his hands up, pulling Roxas's shirt off.
Roxas shivered, and Axel wrapped his arms around him to keep him warm. Roxas smiled, leaning back into Axel's strong chest, fitting perfectly in his embrace. He sighed happily, stroking Axel's hand.
Axel brought his lips to Roxas', pressing them gently together. Their lips would part slightly before coming back together again, over and over. Axel put his tongue into the kiss, gently brushing it against Roxas's lower lip, pleading for entrance. Roxas accepted, opening his mouth slightly. He let his tongue explore Roxas's mouth, loving the warm wetness of it.
Roxas had turned around to put his arms around Axel's waist, slipping his hands under his shirt. Axel's skin was surprisingly warm compared to Roxas's cold fingers, and even smoother. Axel pulled away just long enough to remove his own shirt before putting his arms around Roxas again.
The blonde boy had been biting at Axel's lower lip, when Axel moved away, kissing his jaw line. He ran kisses up and down Roxas's neck, nipping slightly at his skin. Roxas winced at the pain, but was overcome with pleasure. "I love you…" He whispered, his breath uneven.
Axel grasped Roxas's arms, pushing him down on his bed. He resumed kissing and sucking at his neck, pausing long enough to say, "I love you too." He ran kisses along Roxas's collarbone, moving down to his chest.
Roxas melted at the feeling of Axel's tongue against his skin, making the cold room feel like a sauna. Axel was straddling him, just like in the dream Roxas had a long time ago, when both boys heard the bedroom door crack open. A beam of yellow light poured in, and two other boys stood in the doorway, confused and in shock.
For a moment, nobody really knew what to do except stand there and stare at each other for a while. No words were exchanged as Riku and Sora slowly backed out of the doorway, shutting it quietly behind them.
Out in the hallway, huge grins flashed across their faces. "Oh my God, Riku, did you SEE that?? That couldn't have been Axel, right? He left years ago!"
"Well, he might have moved back…"
"Well at least Roxas found someone!"
"Yeah, I thought he was never going to recover from what had happened."
There was a moment of silence before Riku spoke up again.
"Hey Sora."
"Yeah?"
"Wanna go do what they're doing?"
"Yeah."
Meanwhile, Axel's kisses had made their way down Roxas's stomach. And by the looks of it, he wasn't planning to stop soon.
"Axel…"
Axel paused, listening to Roxas's voice, calling his name lovingly, something he had wanted to hear for so long.
"Don't…stop…"
Axel smirked, and continued covering Roxas in kisses. Roxas tilted his head back in pleasure; he had never experienced anything like this before. He bit his lip as he felt Axel's fingers finding their way to the button on Roxas's pants. Before Axel continued, he spoke, barely above a whisper.
"Roxas…I want to memorize you…every part of you…"
Roxas blushed before looking down at Axel. He remembered back when he had been so afraid to like another guy, and he thought about how stupid that all seemed now. He looked at Axel's shimmering eyes, gazing up at him with passion and love, wanting him. Roxas reached out a hand, stroking Axel's cheek.
"Do whatever you want to me…I trust you…." He lowered his voice as if he were almost afraid, but wanted more than anything for Axel to love him. "I love you…"
Axel had unbuttoned Roxas's pants, and whispered sweetly to him. "I love you too…"
Roxas was overcome with pleasure as he felt it nearly swallow him whole. This might be his only night with Axel. He had wanted to make the most of it that he could, 'And right now…' a thought came across his mind, 'This moment is perfect. This boy is perfect. Everything is…perfect.'
A pair of heavy eyes slowly slid open to see the cloudy morning sunlight streaming through the large window. Roxas blinked, it felt like his thoughts were frozen. He was confused. Why was he in his bed? Why was he home? But he had to consider what he thought was home these days. His mind numb, he looked around stiffly. Lying next to him in bed, he saw bright red hair. Axel. He remembered.
How Axel, after two years finally came back for him, leaving for reasons previously unknown. How he had been trying to forget he was ever in his life after he left, the pain dragging him down deeper every day until he could go no lower.
Right now, he was the opposite of low as his thoughts soared far above his head. Axel was back, for now at least, and he had done his best to enjoy every damn minute of it. Roxas gazed at the sleeping face before him, sighing happily.
He rolled back over on his stomach, shutting his drooping eyelids, not quite ready to wake up. But just as he was about to sink under the edge of consciousness, he felt a twinge of pain on his ear.
At first, Roxas just tried to brush it, (whatever it was) off, but realized that IT had a face, and hair, and was nibbling on his ear. He jumped slightly, surprised, but relaxed back into the pleasure of it. He moaned, then pulled away from Axel.
Axel's liquid emerald eyes were melting in emotions of passion and love as he faintly whispered the words, "Good morning, Roxas."
Roxas's stomach flipped, and he smiled sleepily up at Axel. "Hi…" he managed to squeak out with a blush.
Axel laughed to himself, wrapping his arms around Roxas and just holding him tightly.
The gray light of the morning grew brighter as streams of pale sunshine slowly rose across the walls, illuminating the posters and pictures that had accumulated in Roxas's room over the past two years since he moved there. Many different rugs covered the hardwood floor, since his parents refused to get carpet and he hated the hard cold floorboards. The computer on his desk was surrounded by homework papers and papers in general, in quite a string of clutter.
Every now and then, the resting couple would shift in the bed, never releasing their embrace on each other. They lay in bed lazily until finally aroused awake by many annoying knocks on the door from the boy with Silver hair.
"Hello?? Roxas!?" Riku was apparently annoyed with them; he and Sora had probably been awake for hours.
With a groan and a grumble, Roxas rolled out of bed, dressing himself quickly. Axel dressed also; his clothes surprisingly dry again from the rain last night.
The day was spent around the town, the sun breaking through the clouds for the first time in months. Both couples, Sora and Riku, Axel and Roxas, walked hand in hand, arm in arm. They sat alone on the cold gray shore of the winter beach, listening to the navy waves crash. Axel wasn't afraid to share kisses with Roxas, holding him close for warmth against the chilling breeze.
As dusk came, Sora and Riku had gone to Riku's own residence for once instead of mooching off of Roxas and his large home. The first starts began to twinkle in the deep purple-blue sky as Roxas watched his breath fog in front of him.
"Axel…?"
"Hm?"
"Are you going to stay? Because…w-when you left…I could barely stand to live…I-I just…" Roxas could barely get out the words he needed to say. "I feel so lost without you, Axel, I feel like nothing…like…a nobody."
Axel tilted Roxas's face toward him by his chin, gazing into his bright blue eyes. "Do you think it was easy for me to leave you? I had to go without a heart for so long…because it was always here with you."
"But…just tell me…are you staying?"
Axel smirked at the blonde's silly questions, hugging him closely. He kissed Roxas's forehead, speaking softly to him.
"I'm never leaving again…and if I do have to for any reason at all…" His arms squeezed tighter around Roxas, "I'm always with you, Roxas. You have my heart."
"You have mine…" the timid voice in his arms said, full of happiness and sadness, a bittersweet melody to his voice. And until the sky darkened and the moon hung high above the cold sky, they remained in this embrace. Until that shy voice finally whispered again,
"Always.