He watches them, the four of them sitting close to the edge of the tower, with ice cream- dammit, with sea salt ice cream, something up there, or somebody, must hate him- and they laugh, all of them, the four of them, they laugh together.

Is this what he gets for being there for him?

Is his loyalty to be rewarded forever with being sweetly tortured by the little blonde who's the focus of his line of sight- his best friend/reason for living/last hope comrade, his comrade, nothing more, of course, don't be so silly- the reason he comes every afternoon, after work, and watches the sunset just exactly like they used to?

Is his friendship, or love, or… or whatever it was, he doesn't care to examine it to closely, thank you kindly, is that feeling that gives him the odd twisting in his gut whenever the little blonde smiles, is that the reason he's being punished?

Do you know why the sun sets red?

I thought I knew, I thought so, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong; I know now, though, I know that it's because that's the blood I spilled, will spill, am spilling for you-

The name's Axel, A-X-E-L, got it memorized?

I hoped that if I told you enough, it would ingrain that knowledge in you, so that if something ever happened you'd remember me, but I guess I failed, didn't I, Roxas-

That's not true! I would!

I would, I have, and I always will, Roxy- don't do this to me, to us, you're my best friend and you always will be-

Their laughter is the soundtrack for the tears that slowly leak from his eyes and roll down his cheeks, flowing over the two perfect black marks and across the thin lips and down the sharp jaw to land with nearly inaudible plops on the long black coat, hood pulled up over his head as he stares, tears flowing freely, suddenly realizing that if this is what it is to feel, to have a heart, than he wants his numbness back.

-x-x-x-

I don't even know.

Really. Seriously.

Yes, I should be working on my NaNoWriMo, or at the very least one of the many fanfics I have (including Fleeting, my AkuRoku -this is a plug!-) that are in need of an update, but… yeah.

Review?