These drabbles contain slash between Roxas and Sora. If this offends you, please turn back now. I respect any desires not to read such material and wish no offense; therefore, you have been warned about the potentially offensive content of this story. Thanks for your understanding!

1: Manic depression

Rating: K+
Genre: Romance, light angst, AU
Pairing: Roxas/Sora

Definitions
Manic depression: 1. A psychiatric diagnostic category, now called bipolar disorder, characterised by mood swings between great energy (manic) and clinical depression.

Sora was afraid of getting up from bed. Sora was afraid of drinking his morning coffee. Sora was afraid of taking a shower. Sora was afraid of dressing himself. Sora was afraid of walking outside his house.
And Roxas was afraid of Sora.

"Should we visit Hayner this weekend? He said he's got a new girlfriend he wants to introduce to us," Roxas said, trying to sound understanding and gentle end encouraging but determined at the same time. Apparently he failed miserably because Sora shook his head.
"I can't," he whispered and Roxas couldn't do anything else but lie down next to him under the covers and kiss him comfortingly.
"You probably hate me already," Sora said when Roxas finally ended the kiss. Roxas shook his head, almost scared.
"Of course I don't hate you! I love you, silly," he said too quickly to sound natural. Sora snorted sadly and hid his face behind his blanket.

Sometimes Sora acted normal. He woke up before Roxas and made some coffee. After the breakfast they went for a walk together.
Roxas could only fear the time the next phase would start.

"Can we buy gifts for Kairi and Naminé?" Sora asked, staring at the window of a present shop. He pressed his palm against the window and smiled.
"Hm?"
"Are you even listening to me?" Sora exclaimed but he wasn't angry. Sora was never angry. He only laughed at Roxas' confused expression.
"Yeah, of course we can," Roxas answered absent-mindedly. He couldn't get his eyes off the dark circles around Sora's eyes and the frown on his face. No matter how much Sora laughed, it didn't calm Roxas down. Yesterday Sora hadn't agreed to eat because he had feared his food was poisoned.
"Can we buy ice creams?"
"Huh? Oh... Yeah."

When Roxas woke up to Sora's crying and screams, he didn't know what to do. His heart told him to press Sora against himself, to promise him warmth and love but his mind told him to watch out for Sora's reaction.
Roxas never learned to understand Sora's needs.

"Sora? Sora, are you crying?"
Sora didn't answer but the sobbing stopped and now all Roxas could hear was trembling breathing that tried to hide Sora from the shadows and Roxas.
"Sora, what's the matter?" Roxas asked and touched Sora's shoulder lightly.
"Don't touch me!" Sora hissed and slapped Roxas' hand aside. He glared at Roxas for a moment and his blue eyes were burning with rage.
"Calm down. I didn't mean to hurt you," Roxas said but didn't dare to look Sora in the eyes.
"Just... just go to sleep," Sora said, his voice was already calmer. Roxas was afraid of falling asleep.
After a while the crying started again. Roxas could only listen with a broken heart.

Nobody else knew about Sora's condition. He could hide his real self frighteningly well. He laughed, talked, advised, frowned warily and then laughed again. And sometimes he was just in a bad mood, or that was what their friends thought.
Roxas never knew if he was the only one Sora revealed his sickness to or if Roxas was just so much more observant than the rest of the world.

"The dinner will be ready soon!" Kairi shouted from the kitchen.
"Thank you, my dear," Riku yelled back. Their son was sitting on his father's lap, looking around himself and wondering. He looked at their cat that was sleeping next to Roxas. The boy also looked at Roxas who was petting the cat with his left hand and stroking Sora's hair with his left one. He didn't dare to glance at Sora's face.
"How are you two doing? As romantic as ever?" Riku laughed. His son had made him blinder. Roxas didn't mind.
"We're good," Roxas answered and kissed Sora quickly on the cheek. Sora startled a little but forced himself to smile at Riku.
"What about you, Sora?" Riku asked absent-mindedly - he had hardly heard Roxas' answer. He was only looking at his son.
"I think we'll leave now," Sora said suddenly and got up. Riku hadn't listened to him.
"Come on, Roxas," Sora said, determined, but there was anxiety in his eyes. Roxas frowned at him and took his hands gently in his owns.
"Are you sure? Kairi will be hurt if we don't eat dinner."
"Roxas, please," Sora pleaded with a deep voice; he sounded so frightened that Roxas gave up.

Why was Roxas still with Sora? How could anyone love someone whose moods depended on the color of their coffee cup? If someone asked Roxas, he'd know the answer immediately.
Because love was crazy.

"Roxas, why are you still here?" Sora whispered carefully.
"You know the answer," Roxas growled. He was cleaning up the kitchen where Sora had lost his temper yesterday.
"Roxas, I threw a knife at you! You can't always forgive me!" Sora shouted. Roxas turned to look at him. Everything in Sora - his position, expressions, eyes, his whole being - was full of desperation. It all referred to the fear of losing love and protection.
Roxas had spent many nights wondering how long he could take care of a man who feared, hated and loved even his own shadow. But every night he had come to the same conclusion.
"You know the answer," he repeated. "Actually your mood swings are kind of sexy." He laughed. And something in his laughter made Sora smile as well. It was a weak and short smile but it was enough for Roxas. He would be able to go on because of it once again.