How We Should Have Ended Things
Sora sat there, watching a man he had just recently met evaporate into thin air, slowly. Black smoke coming from the red head's body as it lied there, exahusted, arms to the side, his eyes staring at the emptiness above him.
"I wanted to see Roxas..." Those words had such meaning to them. I wanted to tell him what I've wanted to say for a long time, he thought.
"But I'm right here, Axel." A familiar voice struck Axel's ears and his head snapped towards the voice. Where Sora once sat, Roxas was now there. "I'm right here..." he repeated, sadness filling his voice and expression.
"Roxas...Roxas, promise me something..." he whispered as he moved his hand towards Roxas' face, the blonde catching it before the fingers touched his delicate cheeks. For a while, Axel thought he was going to push the hand away, but the boy had pressed the hand against his own cheek, holding it there, gently, yet tightly at the same time.
Only from the fear of loosing someone could this kind of grip come from.
"What is it?" his voice also soft, as if cherishing this single moment.
"You'll never forget me..."
"That such a stupid thing...I'd never forget you..." It pained in Roxas' chest.
Why did it hurt so much?
A while ago, he couldn't remember this man before him when he was in Twilight Town...Before he was trapped in Sora's body, forced to be held in the shadows of darkness and listen to the thoughts about Riku that his other had. Axel had tried so hard to make Roxas remember the two of them.
Why?
Well, now the answer was as clear as a spring day for him.
Only when it was too late could Roxas recognize this man...
This man that he had these strange feelings for.
"And never forget these words..." Using most of his strength, Axel pushed himself up to whisper in the boy's ear, "Aishiteru...For now and forever."
Such sweet words made Roxas' vision blur, his face becoming warm with a rare blush. As Axel put himself back down, Roxas didn't know what came over him as he leaned down, lips connecting with Axel's, gently. To say the least, Axel was startled, but kissed back. For many moons, Axel had dreamt of such things...
If only they were kissing at a better moment...
A moment where Axel wasn't dying...
Lips locked, gently at first, but soon, the kiss began to deepen, the two clearly enjoying their kiss. Roxas' lips tasted so sweet...
Sea-salt ice cream still decorated Roxas' pale and innocent lips. If only they could stay like this.
Time seemed to freeze for the kissing men. Nothing else seemed to matter, but as the hated reality came to them, the men both realized that there wasn't much time left.
As much as it pained, Axel broke away from such a sweet kiss, seeing Roxas' face slightly red, a content sigh leaving both of their lips, their faces still inches away from each other. Two hands were still joined tightly, but they had moved from Roxas' cheeks to the floor, fingers intertwined. A comfortable silence came and Axel was almost gone.
So much pain went through Roxas. He couldn't express his feelings into that word, like Axel did... He just couldn't.
So he hoped that kiss was good enough.
"Matana...Axel..." Roxas whispered against Axel's lips, sad smiles decorating both of them.
"Matana...Aibou..."
With that, Axel faded away, a sweet smile left on his lips, his last word echoing around the blonde. That was their first kiss...
And their last...
His now empty hand clenched, his teeth biting down on his lower lip, and where Axel once lied, a single shining droplet of water fell, hitting the floor with a small 'plop'.
He looked down at his wrist where his black and white checker-board bracelet lied, and there, he saw something strange... Something new.
There was a red square where it used to be white.
Though it messed up the white's pattern, the red made him always think of Axel... He would...
He'd never forget...
His best friend...
And his first lover...
Only when it was too late could Roxas recognize this man... This man that he had these feelings for...
This man that was now physically dead...
But would always live on with Roxas...
Only when it was too late could Roxas recognize this man...
Only when it was too late could Roxas whisper the words...
"Aishiteru...Axel."