Knowest thou the land where the lemon trees bloom

Warning: English is not my native language but i make sure to make it understandable.
Beta: wanna beta this story? Please let me know, I'd be really pleased.
Disclaimer: is KH yaoi? No, because I'm not Nomura.
Summary: Roxas Strife is the 17-years-old son of the rich entrepreneur Cloud Strife and despite his illness he lives 'happily' in New York, but his life changes completely during his unwanted permanence...in the little and enchanting city of Amalfi, in the southern Italy coast. Here he's hooked by a redhead who claims to teach him how to really live.
Pairings: Akuroku, Soriku, Zemyx and surprise.

Chapter 1 - Prologue

Hey Axel, have you ever wondered what happiness is like?

When I was back in New York there was this lovely granny, her hair was of a really brilliant tone of silver and she was so skinny I was afraid she could break in any moment, her back was curved on the bench I knew she was sitting on every day at the same hour. She seemed to be waiting someone or something, but every day that I passed there on my way back from school she was always alone. She was there with the sun or rain, with hot or cold, and wore always that mild expression on her face.
So one day I decided to assure if she was okay, and where I approached and asked, instead of replying she took me aback with another question.
"Tell me kid, what do you think happiness is?"
I was so shocked that I couldn't think to any possible reply.
"Happiness is something that you haven't yet"
Now I was confused, how could someone be happy without the object of his desire?
"When you have everything, you don't feel the same as during the waiting of a moment that you know can arrive"
"So are your waiting for someone?"
"My husband"
I was starting to understand but I was still perplexed.
"Waitings are unnerving. Aren't you supposed to be happy when he is with you?"
She shook her head.

"Hey Rox...are you okay? "

His voice brings me back from my dream.

It's a strange sensation seeing a crowd of people walking towards the streets of the city and the high skyscrapers towering on you, and after a moment you open your eyes and you are invested by a bright shade of orange and red. My eyes point to the sea in front of me, it's orange too.

I yawn a little before nodding to him.

"I must have fallen asleep "

I turn around and for my pleasure I acknowledge that it is still afternoon. As usual, we are sitting on the ledge of an abandoned terrace on the hill - it was our secret spot and we used to sneak there to watch the sun set and eat ice cream... Pardon, lemon sorbet. But this time the reason we were there was because I had a bad fight with my father and the only person that I wanted to see was Axel.

"You sure as hell must have been tired " he answers, but I know there is something else he want to add.

"Don't worry for the fight, everything is gonna be fine sooner or later " I reply weakly as my gaze travels on the empty boxes on the floor. "You finished all the ice cream!" I snap.

His green eyes enlighten as appears a mischievous grin on his face "Well, you were sleeping. I had to do it otherwise it was going to melt... It was all for your sake"

I make a disgruntled noise.

"Yeah, poor Axel made a strenuous effort eating my ice cream to not let it melt. I owe you my life"

He laughs "Any time Roxy~"

I groan and rub my eyes, my head had been all the time on his shoulder but he didn't seem displeased.

"Are you sure you are okay? "

"I'm okay Ax, really" I cut.

Minutes follows silently and suddenly his expression becomes serious.

"I want to see you happy" he murmur embracing my body with his arm.

I raise my gaze to his figure and smile a little. I think again to that little talk I had ages ago with that old woman... in the end her husband was dead.

"Even if I wasn't conscious of that, I have been happy when in the past I was waiting to be with you... now what I feel isn't happiness"

He stays silent for an instant before speaking again.

"And so...what do you feel?"

I close my eye.

"We are almost there" the driver informed the two boys that were sitting in the back of the car.

They were really similar, in fact they were twins. But it is a truth universally acknowledged that twins are as similar as different: one with brown hair spiked in every directions and one with blond hair; one of them had spent the entire ride glued to the window and making content comments to everything he saw, while the other hadn't spoken never once. The only things they had in common were their deep blue eyes and their last name: Strife.

"Hey Rox look, there are a lot of seagulls over there" exclaimed the brunette boy with a childish smile, but he didn't receive an answer.

He glared at his brother who was scanning a little necklace he was wearing - he had done it during the whole trip. How boring.

Sora pouted and turned again to the window before addressing to the driver.

"Squall can you tell us something about the city?"

The man had dark brown hair, long almost to his shoulder, and was wearing a dark elegant dress. He rolled his eyes and sighed "I am Leon"

"Whatever" cut the kid "Mom told us that the city of Amalfi is one of the most suggestive places of the world"

"Sure it is. It attracts millions people every year because of its particular position on the coast and natural landscapes, the weather is always mild, the sea is beautiful, the air is fresh and shits. Oh yeah - Amalfi, along the other cities of the coast and the island of Capri, is one the most favorite destinations of rich and famous people"

"Stop talking like a advertising leaflet! At least the food is good" Sora answered back laughing, not minding too much to what the other was saying, what he was only interested in was food, food and food. "Is it true?"

Leon nodded while driving. He worked in the tourism sector so it was normal for him to speak in that way.

"Italy is renewed for its cooking, especially the south where local people prefer healthy and homemade food. For your joy this region is the homeland of pizza, mozzarella cheese and so on. But Amalfi in particular is famous for its giant lemons" he smirked looking at the two guys in the rear-view mirror "Now you can get fat with a valid reason"

Sora narrowed his eyes "You shall pay for this, Squall!"

The brunette man laughed while turned with the car on a uphill side street. "I will stop only if you stop calling me this way"

"You're so mean" grumbled the other, crossing his arms. "Anyway, you seem really well informed about this place"

"Yeah, this is not the first time I came here. I remind you that as secretary assistant and personal driver of your father, I go with him everywhere" the man exclaimed before parking by a really nice detached house.

It was a white two-floor villa in the typical Mediterranean style, the door and the shutters were light blue, and on the both sides of the door there were two climbing plants full of tiny flowers.

"Well...welcome to the land where lemon trees bloom" Leon announced leaning on the steering wheel.

Sora widened his eyes and gaped his mouth.

It was totally a different world.

"Oi Rox, look there" he tugged his brother out of the car to have a better look of the surroundings "Isn't it beautiful? The air is so pure and smells of flowers, look the sea is over there and...maybe- maybe they're right, this place must be good for your health."

The blond boy, for the first time since he landed, raised his gaze to the surroundings and darkened.

That wasn't his place.

"So? What do you think?" Sora asked excited "This is the paradise!"

"You know what?" Roxas hissed and untangled himself from Sora "Fuck you...fuck to everyone" cried before turning and ran away.

"Wait Rox-"

Leon, that had descended from the car, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't"

Sora opened the mouth as to say something but remained silent, Leon was right.

In that moment the front door opened and revealed a woman with long brown hair and a pastel short dress.

"Welcome home guys, you finally arriv- Roxas!" exclaimed her in a worriedly tone, ready to follow his son.

Leon sprung instantly, meet her halfway and stopped her in his arms.

"Calm down Aerith, let him go"

"I...Roxas is alone...he can't"

"Aerith..." he was starting to explain, still holding the woman that was no longer resisting, but his words were cut by Sora.

"Mom...have faith in Roxas. We moved here so he could be okay, don't stress him too much" murmured taking the mother's hand - he was unsure but tried to maintain a firm tone.

The woman relaxed after a moment and breathed calmly. When it came to her sons she became anxious, but after what happened to Roxas she couldn't help but be constantly worried.

"Sorry..." she sighed while Leon released her.

"Mom, do you really think that here he can get better?"

"I hope so Sora" she smiled softly caressing his cheek.

How could everyone be so happy to be there? Why they wouldn't stop acting so falsely?
Roxas had spent the last couple of hours wondering aimlessly around the town - he wanted to stay alone but the townspeople weren't of the same advice, everywhere he went there was always someone greeting or talking to him in that incomprehensible language. They were strange people: someone looked persistently out the windows, the front doors were left open, somewhere you could find old women chatting while sitting on chairs placed outside their houses or old men playing cards in the squares.
What was that? The jungle?
He shook his head.

It wasn't a day away from his home but he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand the whole situation.
It was really nothing that interesting but he liked his old life.
His father, Cloud Strife, was an important entrepreneur ad owed a lot of properties around the world - he was always away but he had always been a good father.
His mother, Aerith, was a renewed interior designer with the love for flowers and often worked with his husband, so sometimes she was absent too but she tried her best to be a caring and present mom. Which was!
Then his twin brother Sora, he wasn't that great at school but he had dozens of friends, so he had no problems to move everywhere and make new ones.
In the end there was him, Roxas, the walking problem-guy. He was antisocial, he was mocked and bullied at school and was always boring...but these weren't the real problem. It was all up to him and his stupid and weak body that his family had to move, obviously no one blamed him but he wasn't stupid. He could see through their fake smiles, they had been forced to move to another continent because of him. Europe was so different.
How could everyone be so happy to be there?
Obviously they were not.

It was the sunset when he arrived at the harbor.
Roxas looked behind himself and thought that the town was structured in a strange way: it was a hilly scenario and all the structures where placed one upon the others on the side of the hill; the most lower place was the harbor so when you watch the city from there it seems that it's climbing the hill...or was it a mountain?
Whatever, it wasn't really his business because that wasn't his place.
All that narrow streets, the small houses built one attached by another, pines tree, seagulls and swallows, the villagers that greeted heartily even a stranger.
No, this was definitely not his place.

He sat on the wharf and placed his feet on the border of a motorboat, and remained silent for what seemed ages. He watched again his necklace and sighed in sadness. There was a little metal key as pendant, he loved keys and both of them were gifts from his beloved friend. Sooner or later he was going to come back home, there was no way in hell he was remaining there.

"Uhm...scusa?"

Suddenly he was startled by a stranger voice behind him but he didn't understand the language so he didn't mind.

"Hola..monsieur...bitte?" the voice continued.

Roxas turned irritated "What?"

"Oh I see...you speak English! You know it gets really embarrassing when you meet someone and you don't know what language he speaks"

In front of him was standing a tall, skinny guy with bright red hair and brilliant green eyes - the most brilliant green eyes he had ever seen!
But he was too noisy.

"The hell do you want?" Roxas muttered with a frown.

"What a grumpy boy...are you moody or just discontented to be here?" the redhead smirked approaching the blond.

"What?"

"You did arrive this morning, didn't ya?"

The kid was shocked, how did he know?

"Don't worry cutie I'm not a stalker or something but the black Porsche you arrived in wasn't unnoticed" he ended laughing.

Roxas wanted to reply but all that he was able to do was to produce a low "Oh". But then he remembered how the stranger had called him.

"He-hey how come you call me-"

"Are you from New York too right? I can tell from your accent..." the redhead cut the other and placed an arm around his shoulder "Man how I miss that city"

Roxas' cheek blushed at that unexpected action...why hadn't he YET kicked him away? Maybe because he was the only one that spoke his language above his family and Leon.

But again, who was him?

The blond released himself and throw the boy away from him.

"Who the hell you are? And what do you want from me?"

The other smirked at him.

"The name's Axel, keep it in mind. And your feet are leaning on my boat"

...Axel you want to know what I feel?
It's pure love.

A/N
I was studying for my history exam and instead I finished producing this shit. Well this is mostly an experimentation of my English, so hum what do you think? Does it sucks?
Story analysis: the title is a reference of the homonymous poem written by Goethe during his permanence in southern Italy. The chapter begins with a dream/flashback with Roxas in his old city, then he wakes up in the second part that is placed in the present. In the third one the POV changes as the time (yeah, again), we are in the past but this time when Sora and Roxas arrive in Amalfi and the story will continue in this line.
Speaking of it, I guess no one knows this town...right? Well if not you should Google it, it's gorgeous! (I didn't know but it's included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
General infos: (if you hadn't yet figured): Amalfi is located near Naples (south Italy, Europe, Earth xD) but it is frequented by lots of foreign people and celebrities, this is why Axel approaches Roxas speaking italian, french, spanish and german (holy shit many languages i can speak!) and it's really really wealthy.

So what do you think about the story and my language? I really need to know...especially about my grammar.

NEXT CHAPTER
"You have always left without any problem, you were always away for a long time but they still loved you. Now you're blaming yourself because you've almost lost your son and you weren't there" he stopped for a moment "But it's not your fault...it's your right being selfish every now and then"