((A/N: Sooo this is a revamping of 'Missing You'. I've fixed a few grammatical errors as well as added a second part… So if you don't wanna read what you already have, just type 'Ctrl+A' then 'Ctrl+F' and copy and paste this ((PART TWO)) into the box. Voila! It'll take you to what I've added! Thanks for reading! Please feel free to review, even if you wanna tell me that I suck ))
Missing You
/Man… today was so weird./ Roxas sighed as he walked toward his house. /First, that crazy dream… then those freaky picture thieves that no one else could see… And where'd that key come from?/
He paused, startled by the brightness of the usually dusky sky.
"It's so bright..." he tried to squint against the dazzling light. "Unh... Feel... a bit..."
He fell to the ground with a loud thud, the last thing he heard before unconsciousness claimed him.
A figure stood atop one of the pointy roofs of Twilight Town, spiky red hair moving slightly in the gentle breeze. He waited patiently for a few moments before several Dusks materialized in front of him. He examined what they'd given him, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
"Geeze, guys." He sighed. "What are you bringing me pictures for?"
Axel smiled to himself as his eyes traced the picture of the sleeping form of the renegade he was tracking.
/I'll find you, Rox. That's a promise./
He tore his attention away from the picture, randomly burning it to a crisp for good measure.
/Heh... Rox always loved it when I did that.../
"Now, then... Where's the real thing hiding?"
The following day, Axel decided to tour the replica town and reminisce until he found a lead on XIII's location. It didn't take him long to find the familiar clock tower, where he decided to spend the day. Axel remembered with a sad fondness the many nights he and Roxas had spent sitting on top of the tower, watching the perpetual sunset...
"Heya Rox." he greeted his friend with a grin.
"Hey Axel. How was your mission?" the blonde smiled back happily as they sat next to each other, feet dangling off the edge.
"Eh, you know. Same old, same old." Axel shrugged nonchalantly. "Yours?"
"It wasn't terrible. Just the usual… Kill some Heartless, collect some hearts, report to Saix, come here."
"Ah, but it's coming here that makes the other stuff that much easier to bear."
Axel smiled wryly as he thought back to a particular night that changed everything. It was weeks after the catastrophe at Castle Oblivion, and Axel hadn't reported back to Saix, causing the rest of the Organization to believe him to be dead, including Roxas.
"Axel…. I can't believe you're really gone…" Roxas shook his head angrily. "You promised you'd be back, so we could have ice cream together… How could you lie to me?" A gloved hand touched his cheek, surprised to find wetness there. "Are these… tears?"
In the shadows, a figure waited, watching the tears pour down the blonde's cheeks.
"Aw, Rox. You really missed me?" he smirked, stepping forward to confront the boy.
"A-axel?" he immediately jumped to his feet. "No way! I thought you were… you know. Gone. For good." Roxas quickly ducked his head, attempting to hide his tear-stained face.
"Rox? Are you crying?"
"N-no!" he shook his head defiantly. "Why would I cry? I'm a Nobody, remember? We don't feel."
"That's what they're telling us." Axel laughed lightly. He hesitated for the briefest of moments before covering the distance between them and wrapping Roxas in a hug. The blonde stiffened, but two smaller arms slowly snaked their way up his chest and around his neck. The two stood there for what seemed like an eternity, taking comfort in the warm embrace. It was Roxas who eventually broke the silence.
"What did you mean, 'that's what they're telling us'?" he asked.
"It's just…" Axel trailed off. "Sometimes… when I'm with you… It almost feels like I have a heart."
"Really?" Blue eyes met green in a searching glance. Axel nodded, causing Roxas to blush slightly. "It's the same way for me…"
That night ended up altering their relationship completely. They remained close friends, but their friendship deepened, morphing into something completely different. They continued spending most of their free time together, but would usually spend that time in each other's embrace, reveling in the imitation of having hearts.
Having no luck with finding Roxas the first day, Axel spent the second day touring the complex, maze-like marketplace, trying to find all of the hiding spots he and Roxas had utilized to stay out of public view... when trying to stay incognito on missions of course
"Crud… locals." Axel grimaced as a group of teenagers entered the marketplace.
"We can't let them see the MegaShadow… they'll flip." Roxas shot Axel a questioning look. "What do we do?"
"Simple. We hide." The redhead grabbed the blonde's hand and tugged him through the marketplace until they were in an abandoned alley behind one of the shops.
"I doubt they'll be coming over here anytime soon." Axel grinned confidently.
"Yep… Unfortunately, we managed to lure our target into our hiding spot…" Roxas groaned as a large pool of shadow moved around on the ground.
"Two birds with one stone, babe."
The two stood back to back as the shadow split into several smaller pools. Axel's chakrams appeared in his hands as Roxas summoned his Keyblade and the two stood in defensive stances, waiting for the first attack. A NeoShadow was the first to pounce on Roxas's side, while a GigaShadow materialized in front of Axel. Both Nobodies lunged simultaneously, Roxas slashing wildly at the creature while ducking to avoid attacks from several Shadows and Axel spinning his chakrams madly while summoning pillars of fire to erupt under his opponents. It wasn't long before the Heartless were vanquished, but they were still exhausted by the time the fight was over.
Axel moved to take a perch on a two and a half-foot wall and Roxas followed suit, opting instead to sit against the wall in front of the redhead. With a heavy sigh, Roxas leaned his head back to look up at Axel, the top of his head resting against Axel's chest.
"Hi." He said with a goofy smile.
"Hey." Axel grinned back, using a gloved hand to push a strand of hair away from the blonde's forehead. He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Roxas's forehead, and the blue eyes slid shut.
"You know… if we had hearts… I'd think we were happy."
Ironically, the same place which brought Axel such painfully fond memories was the very place that told him where his missing friend was, or at the very least where he would be in the near future.
"Hm... The 'Struggle Championship', huh? I'd bet my chakrams that he'll be there, watching if not participating." Axel smirked, pulling the poster off the wall. "See you tomorrow, Roxy."
((PART TWO))
((A/N: Geeze… talk about your long time to update… Sorry guys ^_^" I was planning on making this sequel for awhile, it just… never happened. My bad. Anyways, this sequel is dedicated to the lovely Stephanie who's FFNet name I do not know… Thanks for being awesome! ^_^ *cue announcer's voice* "And now, the story you've been waiting for!" ))
"And now, the match you've been waiting for…" the announcer's voice resonated through the arena. "Vivi! Versus Roxas! Who will come out on top?"
The blonde peeked over to the spectators to see his friends whispering amongst themselves. /I can do this…/
"Alright, you two… Let's keep this fair and square." The announcer reminded the two competitors. "Let's Str-"
Before the word 'Struggle' was completely out of his mouth, Vivi pounced, knocking Roxas on the side of the head with an eerie giggle. The blonde was about to retaliate when he noticed their now-frozen surroundings. /You've got to be kidding me…/
"Again?" he shouted in exasperation as Vivi transformed into one of the white creatures from the day before. /Seriously… What's going on?/
"Hey there…" a man dressed in a black coat greeted him, his hood shielding his eyes. "I've finally found you, Roxas."
"I've finally found you, Roxas." Axel breathed, not believing his eyes. /After all this time searching… He's here./
"Who are you? That guy who took our money?" Roxas asked, clearly confused.
"You really don't remember?" he cocked his head, removing his hood for good measure. Red spikes pulled free of the confining material as he smirked. "It's me… You know, Axel."
/You loved me… Why don't you remember? Please remember me…/
At Roxas' dazed look, he sighed. "So, the reports were true… Perhaps I can jog your memory…" He trailed off, hesitating for the briefest of moments before moving forward and capturing the others lips with his own. Axel blinked in surprise when he realized that Roxas wasn't pushing him away. /He's not exactly responding, either, but I can work with this…/
His hands moved, almost of their own accord so that he was gripping the back of Roxas' head with one while the other wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. When the boy was still unresponsive, Axel pressed harder, forcing the other's lips open so he could slide his tongue into Roxas' mouth, moving sensually against the other. After a few minutes of this, he pulled away, waiting for Roxas' response.
"… Okay seriously. What was that?" the blue eyes flashed dangerously, causing Axel to take a few steps backward. "I don't even know you, and you just… Molest me like that?"
"… Sorry, Rox. I guess it can't be helped."
"What're you—" In the blink of an eye, Axel's chakrams were in his hands and he lunged forward, fully intending on knocking the other unconscious.
"Just a—Wait!" Roxas exclaimed, jumping backwards to avoid the other's attack.
"Darn it!" he leapt forward again, only to be blocked by the Keyblade. "The Keyblade!" The look in Roxas' eyes was identical to how it used to be when they were on missions, fighting side by side. This time, however, they were on opposite sides of the battle, giving Axel a feeling of dread which he immediately covered with a shout.
"Let's have some fun, Roxas. Just like the good ol' days!" With a single charge, Axel had the blonde down on the ground and pinned at the waist. "We're going back… Organization XIII's Number 13… Roxas… The Keyblade's chosen one."
Roxas remained silent, but blue eyes betrayed what his face wouldn't: he was terrified.
Whatever snarky comment Axel was about to make died on his lips at the other's expression. "Rox? Babe, I'm sorry… Don't look at me like that, please."
"What do you want from me? Why are you so… familiar?"
"Wait… what? Rox… do you remember me?"
"No, I don't, but I feel like I should… Everything feels familiar, even this." He gestured vaguely to their position. "But I don't know why… Was my memory erased or something?"
"…yeah. Something like that." Axel's expression softened.
"What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing is wrong with you! You're perfect…" he shook his head. "You just… need some time to remember everything. You're still you, no matter what."
"Axel…" Roxas looked away, not wanting to meet the other's worried gaze.
"Roxas, look at me. Please." Roxas didn't comply, but he continued talking anyway, one hand coming down to lightly caress his face while the other continued using his chakram to support his weight. "Listen, if you come with me, we can get your memories back… And things can go back to the way they were."
"What about that stuff that Naminé was talking about? About my other name? And what about those white creatures?"
"Your other name doesn't matter… If you get into that mess, you'll…"
"I'll what?" Roxas frowned. /I don't understand anything that's happening… What's going on? Why won't anyone just explain things to me so I'll understand it?/
"Please, just don't." Axel whispered, head dropping sadly. Roxas could almost see the air of defeat surrounding the redhead, and it made him sad for some reason. Their faces were now mere inches apart, an issue Axel immediately resolved by closing the distance with a kiss. It was soft, short, and sweet, and Axel pulled away almost immediately. "I'm sorry, I-"
"Don't be." Roxas shook his head. /It feels… right somehow. Like this is where I belong…/
The blonde's hand wriggled out from under Axel, reaching to grab the back of his head to pull him down for another kiss. This time, both parties were active, with Axel caressing Roxas' face tenderly while Roxas arched up against him, wrapping both arms around his neck. Axel dropped his chakram and allowed it to vanish as he shifted so he was supporting his weight with his now-unoccupied hand. His lower half moved as well so he was lying completely on top of Roxas, bodies aligned perfectly as their lips continued moving against each other. Roxas nibbled on the redhead's bottom lip, nervously asking for entrance. Axel smirked against his friend's lips, opening his lips very slightly. The blonde attempted to snake his tongue into the other's mouth, but Axel's lips closed suddenly, trapping it between them. His own tongue moved forward very slowly until they were touching. Roxas gasped at the feeling, something that Axel was more than happy to take advantage of by forcing his tongue into the blonde's mouth.
Axel took his time, licking the inside of Roxas' cheeks as well as the roof of his mouth, revisiting the oh-so-familiar places that he knew would make the smaller boy gasp. After a few minutes of this, they pulled away, both breathing heavily. Axel moved to get up, but Roxas pulled him back, giving him a slight peck on the lips before allowing him to get up.
"I'm glad to see my little Keyblade Master hasn't changed too much since last time." Axel smirked, helping the other up.
"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked, still panting slightly. "I'm… not…"
"Then what's that in your hand?"
"Like I know!" he shouted, throwing angrily against the ground. His eyes widened in shock as the Keyblade automatically disappeared, reappearing in his hand a mere moment later.
"C'mon… No need for us to stick around here. But, I'm impressed. Did you know? This whole town is something he—" He stopped when he heard a purring sound. "Hmph. Here he comes."
Within a flurry of numbers, a man in a strange outfit appeared, immediately addressing the blonde. "Roxas. Hurry and open your eyes. Awake from this dream!"
"Dream?" he asked.
"Roxas, don't let him deceive you! Come with me!" Axel cried angrily, trying to get the blonde's attention back on himself.
"You're in the middle of a match, are you not, Roxas?" the strange man continued. "Were you not going to win?"
"Shut up!" the redhead roared, throwing one of his chakrams at the man, who easily deflected them, disappearing for a moment before reappearing behind Roxas.
"Roxas. Don't you want to keep the promise you made your friends? Now, go." With a wave of his hand, he transformed the Keyblade back into a Struggle baton. He then focused his attention on Axel, causing a storm of numbers to begin attacking him.
"What the-? Ugh! Roxas! Remember who your real friends are!" he shouted as he vanished, leaving Roxas alone with the strange man.
"Organization XIII will never get their hands on Roxas." He stated cryptically before he, too, was gone, leaving Roxas alone with the Struggle, not nearly as fierce as the one in his mind.
/If it was all a dream… then what is real? Is anything real? What about… Axel? Was he real?/ His head bowed in surrender, Roxas sighed, feeling a single tear roll down his face.
"You… You tore this place apart! Alright, Rox! Talk about your pent-up aggression!" Axel laughed, approaching the blonde from behind and gesturing at the now-destroyed computers.
"Axel…"
"You really do remember me this time? I'm so flattered." His smirk wasn't playful like Roxas remembered. This one was cruel and almost bitter. "But you're too late!" With a spin of his chakrams, a ball of flame flew toward Roxas, causing him to fall. "That's why I warned you…"
The flashback hit Roxas harder than the wall of flame did, transporting the two of them back in time.
"…so you'd know what happens when you turn against the Organization." Axel finished his sentance as if nothing had happened. "Yet you're still planning to leave?"
"… No one would miss me." Roxas replied softly, facing away from the redhead. "Right? We're Nobodies. We don't feel happiness or sadness. Even though… Even though we want to… We have no heart."
"Hey…" Axel trailed off, watching as Roxas walked away. "I'll… miss you… Without you, how will I feel like I have a heart?"
Roxas' eyes filled with tears as their surroundings once again became the abandoned experiment room. /You know what they say about hindsight being 20/20… But why couldn't I have seen this back then? Would anything have changed?/
"But if I just let you go, I'm a dead man." Axel continued as Roxas rubbed at his eyes, clearing away the wetness there. "That's why I have to finish you off, right here. I don't want to do this… But I have to."
"I'm not going down without a fight." Roxas retorted coldly as he regained his composure, Keyblade already in his right hand as a second appeared in his left. Axel's eyes widened in shock, but he attacked anyways. The two began dancing around each other in a flurry of flames and blades.
"That's more like it!" Axel laughed as their battle wore on. "Brings back old memories! Just like the good ol' days!" His chakrams spun with a blinding speed as he prepared for another attack.
"No… We can't go back." Roxas stated before lunging at Axel in a finishing move. Axel fell to the ground, clutching his side.
"…Ow. Heh. That was a good shot…"
Roxas knelt on the ground next to the redhead, reaching a hand out which was immediately blocked by the dark matter consuming the other. "What…"
"Don't worry about it." Axel reached a hand up to touch where Roxas' rested, their hands separated by a thick mass of darkness.
"What's going on?" Roxas asked worriedly, his other hand coming to rest against the wall of darkness. Flashbacks washed over him like waves, memories of moments spent together, of eating sea-salt ice cream on the clock tower, sweet kisses exchanged before departing for missions, moments when the only thing they had was each other.
"It's okay…" Axel's voice woke him from his thoughts. "Let's meet again in the next life." He smiled, trying to be strong for the other.
"Yeah… I'll be waiting."
"I know you will… I'll be waiting, too."
And with those words, he was gone. Roxas rose to his feet, wiping away what few tears had escaped before turning to face his destiny.
FIN