Late Night Calls

by NostalgicSchemer

My name is Roxas and for the past few weeks, I've been having strange dreams. And now, thanks to video games and sleep depravation, I find out that I've been texing the wrong person! What! He wants to meet me! Akuroku

A blood curdling scream: this is what I wake up to. Jumping with a snort, I look around the darkened room, all thoughts of sleep having left me. I look towards the bubbling of my fish tank in the corner of the messy room. Popcorn is littered everywhere on the carpet, as well as pop cans and dirtied clothes.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, I sigh and relax. Maybe I imagined it? Movement on the TV screen catches my attention. Stiffening, I slowly look toward the screen, only to relax again. Apparently, I was awakened by my character dying in the game… Wait, when did I fall asleep?

Turning my head to the side, I curse when seeing the time on the clock. 3:47 blared at my eyes in that horrendous red neon. Falling back against my bed, I stare at the ceiling, th game controller resting on my upper thigh. Maybe if I close my eyes and pretend to fall asleep… I shake my head and sit up, running a hand through my short, slightly spiked blond hair.

"Roxas?" I look over at my awakening brother, only to roll my eyes. "Why are you still awake?" he asks me as he sits up, stifling a yawn behind his hand. An exasperated groan leaves his lips as he, too, glances at the clock. "What possessed you to wake up at such an ungodly hour, Roxas?" he asks me as he flops back onto his makeshift bed on the floor.

I shrug, giving him a half grin in my drowsy state. "Who knows…? Maybe it was just the uncharacteristic urge to scream in fright while dying at a pointless, blood filled violent video game." I answer cheekily, only to laugh under my breath when he throws his pillow at me.

"Shut the fuck up and go to sleep. Unlike you, I have work in the morning." he mumbles, curling up onto his side again his eyes already closing off to the world again. I wish it were that easy for me to fall asleep.

With a sigh, I flip over onto my stomach, pushing my face into the soft cotton atop my bed as my hand fumbles around on the light blue comforter for my cell phone. Grasping the metal and plastic device, I bring it towards me and flip it open.

I push the buttons needed, already having the combination memorized. Flipping the phone shut again, I set it next to my head, my hand resting lazily beside it. I nuzzle the blanket softly, only to jerk awake when the phone rings. Flipping it open, I place it next to my ear. "City morgue, how can I help you?" I answer automatically. A deep chuckle is my response, making me stiffen on the bed.

"It seems that someone with this phone keeps texting me and I'd like to know who it is." The man murmurs, his voice washing over me in sensual waves. I shiver and raise my head from the blanket.

"Sorry, I must've hit an '8' instead of a '6'." I say into the phone, having glanced at the number I had hastily typed in without looking. Again, the chuckle is there.

Despite what I must be thinking, I smile a bit. "It's no problem, man. It was just a little odd to keep receiving text messages about what must be inside jokes." he says. I nod, completely forgetting that I'm talking on the phone. "Now, are you going to tell me who this is?"

I nearly choke on air. "Roxas," I answer simply. He chuckles again.

"My roommate talks about you nearly constantly." the man replies, not bothering to answer with his own name.

I furrow my brow in confusion. Roommate? "And who would that be?" I ask.

"Do you know a guy named Demyx?" I instantly perk up at the name; though find myself wondering why he wouldn't tell me about his new roommate.

"Yeah, we're in a few classes at the high school together." I state with a grin, thinking about the mullet-headed blond for a moment. He chuckles again, a sound I am quickly getting addicted to.

"What classes do you take?" he asks me. I hear a movement and figure he was settling down on a bed or couch.

"Writing, Music, and Psychology," I tell him, laughing softly as he sputters in surprise. He clears his throat, silently wanting my attention.

"You sound rather young to be a psychologist." he tells me. I grin, knowing he can't see me. "How old are you?"

"I'm still in high school." I remind him.

"I want to meet you in person." he says. I can hear him shift again, as well as a can opening. I gulp nervously. Before I can answer him, he continues. "I have to pick up that ditz of a sitar player tomorrow… Why don't the three of us go out for pizza?" My eyes widened. Did I just hear him right?

"O-okay," I stammer out before smiling when I hear Cloud let out a loud snore. "Listen man, I gotta go." I tell him. He chuckles.

"Alright, Rox; sleep well." he says.

"You too," I answer before closing the phone. Smiling, actually smiling, to myself, I roll over onto my back again, my eyes slowly slipping shut.

~3rd Person POV~

Roxas emits a soft sigh, looking out at the town of perpetual twilight. From his perch atop Memory Skyscraper, his sapphire eyes could take in everything from the teens around his age running up and down the winding streets and alleyways, to the gentle waves crashing along the beach. He can't help but wish he were free to do these kinds of things. Instead, he's part of some crazy organization that claims him to be a Nobody.

Another sigh leaves him as he tilts his head back to stare blankly at the multi-colored sky.

A chuckle comes from behind him, alerting him that he's no longer alone. Turning his head to look at the person, he suddenly hears an obnoxious beeping noise.

Sitting up in his bed quickly, Roxas groans as his head spins. He tenderly cups his forehead with one hand to try and calm it, all the while attempting to find what was beeping.

His tired eyes land on the alarm clock, the beeping going up a tone as it speeds up. He groans again and slams a hand down onto the plastic device, effecting shutting it off. Glancing out of the corner of his eye to check if Cloud was still asleep, he sighs in relief. Good, still sawing logs.

Stumbling out of bed, Roxas curses when he hit his foot on the bedside stand. As he limps slightly towards the door, he picks up the first shirt and pair of pants he can find, not really caring if they were dirty before he locks himself in the bathroom.

After placing his clothes on the counter and turning the light on, he leans over and twists the knobs for the water. As he waits for it to heat up, he turns and looks at himself in the mirror. A lanky teenager stares back at him, eyes just a shade bluer than the sky. His blond hair defies gravity, though not to the extent of his still snoozing brother outside. His eyes trail down lower to the slightly hidden scar on his stomach, the waistband of his boxers hiding it rather well.

Shaking his head, he tests the water with one hand before stripping himself of said boxers and steps into the hot stream of water. A satisfied moan leaves his lips as he leans forward on the tiles of the far side of the shower, his muscles relaxing under the soothing waves of heat.

His mind races towards the call he had gotten earlier that morning. Should I really meet this guy? He asks himself before shaking his head. If Demyx is rooming with him, he can't be that bad. Still… Opening his eyes, he forced the thoughts from his head, trying to keep his mind blank.

As always, his mind disobeys him and brings up the dream he had been having before the alarm clock woke him up. He had been having that same dream every night for the past week, always ending at the same spot. He's sure it's not a dream, but instead a memory.

Shaking that thought away he sighs and goes to work on washing himself before getting out of the shower and toweling himself off. Not wanting to dwell on these thoughts anymore, he dresses quickly and walks out the door, almost forgetting his backpack in his haste.

Jogging towards the familiar large building, he smiles slightly. Outside he can see Demyx sitting on the ground and tuning his instrument before their music class that would most likely begin within the next few minutes. Strolling over to the sitar player, he grins. "Why didn't you tell me you had a roommate?" Roxas asks softly, making the mullet-head jump and look up with a sheepish grin.

"You know… Um… I was going to tell you, but then… Things came up..." Demyx lies lamely, making Roxas roll his eyes. "Hey, how did you know I had a roommate?" he asks Roxas.

Roxas grins at him. "I accidentally sent him text messages meant for Zexion." Roxas explains, watching Demyx slowly break out into a grin and start laughing.

"Only you, Roxas," he says through his chuckles and gets up as the bell rings. "C'mon, class is gonna start without us if we're not careful."

)(Last Period)(

Roxas sighs as he glances at the clock for the millionth time in the past… He glances again. Two minutes. With a sigh he slides down into his seat. Demyx looks over at him somewhat curiously. "Roxas, is something bothering you?" Demyx asks, catching Roxas' attention.

Roxas shakes his head, giving Demyx a smile. "Not a thing. I'm just rearing to get out of here and meet whoever I had called last night, since you refuse to tell me who he is." Demyx gives him a wide grin and a wink.

"I'm sure you'll like him Rox." Demyx says, watching Roxas' eyes fill with confusion. Demyx smiles again, watching his slightly younger friend roll his eyes. "Don't act like that, Rox! It'll be al-" His sentence is cut off when the shrill wail of the fire alarm sounds throughout the school, making most students and teachers alike in a frenzy to get out of the building.

The two blond haired teens just continue to draw out their movements, calmly putting their things away before being the last to leave the classroom and possibly the building. Roxas nearly rolls his eyes and checks his watch. "School's out," he says nonchalantly, though his eyes are glittering with excitement to meet this mysterious man he had been accidentally texting for the past two months.

Demyx chuckles and raises a hand to ruffle the shorter blond's hair, ignoring the indignant cry that he gives in response to the unexpected touch.

"Dem, over here!" Roxas freezes at the voice calling from the parking lot. It sounds so much better in real life compared to over the phone. It sends a shiver up his spine as he turned his head towards the area he could hear the voice and feels his breath catch in his throat.

The embodiment of beauty begins walking toward them, the sunlight seeming to pale in contrast. Roxas forces himself to stand his ground and not spontaneously orgasm on the spot. Red hair, that went up in odd spikes, is pulled back into a ponytail, though it does little to hold it back, secured by a black ribbon. A white shirt, mostly unbuttoned for the school's voyeuristic pleasure, clings to his torso, taunting everyone with his lanky yet muscular form. Feminine hips are clothed in black slacks that clearly show, beneath the loose fabric, that was a powerful foe, both in and out of bed. Oh, GOD, he's coming this way! Roxas' mind shouts at him.

The man smiles at the two of them, waving a hand in a half salute. Roxas finds himself unable to choose between being himself and acting cool. Demyx, on the other hand, grins and runs towards the man, nearly bowling him over in a hug around the middle. The man only laughs and Roxas shivers at the sound.

"Axel, this is Roxas." Demyx says, watching the newly named 'Axel' grin and walk closer to the shorter blond, and holds a hand out to him in a handshake, never minding the squawk of protest from the musician from being dragged on the concrete. He lets go after a single step in favor of staying on his feet.

Roxas' eyes zap down to hand that looks softer than crushed velvet up to the smile still dwelling on the redhead's face. His eyes take in, for the first time, the dark tattoos under his eyes. Tear drops, He muses to himself. His eyes continue upwards to lock onto the emeralds he must have stolen for eyes. The shade of green only makes them darker, outlining the unconquerable fire held there.

~Roxas' POV~

A deep, lilting laugh leaves Axel and I, not ready, blush. "You're cuter than you sounded over the phone." He says, still holding his hand out. "I'm Axel, commit to memory." He moves a bit closer, still offering a handshake.

I, almost too eagerly, take his hand and shake it. "I-I'm Roxas," I stammer out, not sure why I'm so nervous. I clear my throat and smile at him. "So you're Demyx's roommate, huh?" I ask, watching his eyes flash mischievously.

"I guess you could call me that. Though I'm certain that 'counselor who takes payment in half the rent' would be a better term for it." he tells me. Demyx pops up, grinning.

"Yeah! Since I'm having trouble at home, and because we've known each other for, like, EVER, he offered me a place to stay!" My friend states, grinning wider, though the grin slips off his face when he sees my eyes beginning to bulge.

I take him by the shoulders and begin to shake him like rag doll. "What's going on at your house, Demyx!?" I shout, shaking him harder.

"RooOOXaaAAssss, CaaAAaalm dooOOoooOOwn!" He shouts, voice getting louder and quieter since he had no control over his oxygen. I pause in my strangulations to let him catch his breath and fix his now wrinkled shirt. Funny, I saw him as the type to care about wrinkly shirts… Or maybe he's just stalling.

Clearing his throat, which has bruises of my hand prints beginning to show up, he turns to me. "Roxas, my family is having both financial and… Emotional issues. For one, my mom denies me being her son while my dad supports me." He pauses for effect as I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "Problem"? What does he mean, "problem"?

"I'm sure you already know what problem it is, Rox. Anyway, Axel's my roommate until my mom calms down." Demyx finishes.

I stare at him, unsure of how to take it. If Cloud wasn't rooming with me to save money on College, I would've taken him into my home in a heartbeat. "Marluxia IS rather understanding about those kinds of things." I say slowly, watching the musician nod. Honestly, his step-father is a great man! He even helped me through some of my hard times. I blink when he shudders at the name. "What's wrong?"

Demyx forces a smile and I find myself wanting to slap him. "It's nothing, Roxas, don't worry." he says as Axel leads the both of us to his truck.

Now, despite the rather classy (sexy my mind tells me) look that Axel sports, his truck is a piece of shit. It's older than the principal of our school, which is saying something since not a lot of things can still exist post-Mesozoic era. The paint, the color of rust, is peeling away and makes it harder to figure out just what IS rust and what isn't. The front fender's barely hanging on by what seems to be duct tape; the passenger door has GLUE on the edge. And the tires look flatter than a pancake… Alright, not that flat at all, but I want something else to point out. It doesn't even look like it can start, let alone carry three teens across town in its carcass in one piece.

"Uh, Axel?" I find myself asking. "Is that thing any newer than… 300 B.C.?" I immediately cringe when he laughs and mentally yell at my own stupidity.

Axel only laughs harder, making me blush as he slaps his hand on my shoulder. "It's a 1946, thank you very much. And it'll carry us, you worrywart. Hasn't anyone told you not to judge ANYTHING based purely on appearances?" he asks. I roll my eyes as he walks to the driver's side.

"You get in first, Roxas." Damn you, Demyx! You're using ME to test to see if it's safe! (The logical part of my mind tells me that he's just being nice and wants me to sit next to the hot man.) I shoot him a glare which he gives a grin to in response.

I sigh in defeat and clamber inside the pile of rust (Is that a… dandelion?) and sit down in the middle seat. Demyx follows suit and grins as he slams the door shut. Axel only smirks as starts the car. It's like he KNOWS that I can feel the 'subtle' brush of his leg against mine!

The ride to the pizza parlor is… Quiet, for lack of a better adjective. Faint music is heard from the ear buds jammed into Demyx's auditory sensors, creating very little sound. The lyrics for the song, along with the pulsating bass, provide that the song is more than a little suggestive. Surprisingly, the truck doesn't sound like it's going to fall apart as it glides down the road.

Axel clears his throat, gaining my attention from the odd scrutiny I had been giving the interesting air freshener. It looks almost like a-

I turn my head quickly, hoping that I'm not blushing, and look up at him, having to tilt my head back. Damn you tall people! I swallow thickly, however, when I have the sudden urge to rain kisses over his tattooed face, slowly heading south down the strong column of his neck, watching as he arches his back as my hands grasp his-

Yeah, okay, we're NOT continuing that line of thinking! He smirks as he chuckles. "Do you have any plans tomorrow night?"

Did he just, subtly, of course, (Though I can tell there is NOTHING subtle about this man) ask me out?

I slowly shake my head. "Not that I can think of…" I answer. His response? A grin. A simple tilting of the lips that I want to have screaming my name as I-

"Want to go watch a movie with me then?" he asks and I feel torn. On one hand, he's so fucking HAWTT (Yes, there are TWO T's in that word) that it should be a crime against the very laws of nature. Yet, on the other hand, he's a complete stranger: you know; the ones your mother always warns you about that will take you to a warehouse and touch you inappropriately. 'You can do all that to me if you want…' I think before shaking it out of my head.

"Sure," I answer with a smile, though my mind is yelling at me for not thinking about it first. I watch his eyes light up. "What movie are we going to see?" I ask him. He opens his mouth, ready to respond.

However, Demyx squeals and bounces in his seat. I turn and raise an eyebrow at his behavior, only to slam my head into the dashboard when the idiot begins to sing along with another song. Axel laughs at my reaction as I continually try to move away from Demyx as he tells about his 'guy love'. I'm not homophobic, I'm Demyx-phobic when he sings like this. He has a great singing voice, but I wish he would belt out the words to something else.

"Not a fan of Scrubs?" Axel asks me, making me glower at him. And when I glower, I glower.

"Oh man, that's the BEST song ever!" Demyx declares, grinning at me when I turn my glower to him.

"I'll sing that one song you hate, Demyx." I stated. I didn't find my voice at all appealing to listen to, and the particular song I was threatening with would make any man cringe to hear another man sing it. Demyx makes a gagging noise in the back of his throat and I secretly grin.

Axel chuckles, pulling into the pizza parlor's parking lot and upon further inspection, I find that it's Big John's.

"YAY! VIDEO GAMES!" Demyx cries as he jumps out of the truck and runs inside. By the time Axel and I actually enter the joint, Demyx lets outs a loud, joyful yell and jumps up and down.

"What happened?" I ask, though I know that it's a futile attempt to calm his ass down. Before Demyx can answer, Axel pulls me to a table to help him figure out what kind of pizza to get.

"Demyx, please calm down." A calm voice says from the buffet bar. Demyx pauses and turns, eyes lighting up when he sees my other best friend, Zexion.

Let me explain the… Relationship between Demyx and Zexion. No, it's not a love/hate relationship. It's more like a relationship where Zexion wants to become the blond haired idiot's lover, but the blond isn't sure about his own feelings. Thus they have this brotherly type of relationship, much to the quieter one's chagrin.

"Whee, Zexy~!" Demyx shouts and runs over. I blink while watching the hyper-active blond. "Are there any openings to work here?" He asks quickly.

Now, it's a well known fact that Demyx, despite his hard work ethic, can't hold a job more than a few weeks. He is always getting fired for something he didn't do.

Zexion blinked, stunned at the simple question. He swings his head to the side a bit to move his hair from his face, though it just falls back into place. He takes a moment to let the inquiry sink in. This is Demyx, the kid who searches him out in the hallways at school to ask him random questions, the kid who had an odd fascination of water and sitars, the kid who stole his heart. "Maybe… I'll need to check first." he says, picking up a hot tray of ravioli and lets out a shout when it burns him.

Demyx is right on him, using his shirt to take the tray and set it down before taking Zexion's hands softly. "Zexy, are you alright?" he asks as he pulls him to the fountain pop machine, never minding that he wasn't supposed to be back there at all. He takes off his outer shirt and gets a few handfuls of ice from the machine before tying it in his shirt and makes Zexion take it, ignoring the protests he was setting up.

While this was going on, I found myself watching Axel more. His eyes dance as they look over the menu, carefully weighing what sounds good, the price, and how many to get. He looks at me and smirks. "See something you like?" he asks. Yes, as a matter of fact, I do see something I like.

I snort at his question and look away stubbornly, earning a laugh from him. Maybe being friends won't be so bad.

Except, you know, the whole part that I fall in love with him. Well, I can't fall in love with him if he doesn't feel the same. But the matter still stands: I'm in love with Axel.

I'm sitting on my bed, looking down at the semi-blank paper in front of me. The only reason it isn't completely covered in half-assed attempts at poems is because I keep crossing out every word I write. Damnit, how hard could it be to tell someone that you love them?!

Cloud looks up from his homework when he hears me growl and crumple the paper and throw it behind me, unknowingly hitting him in the forehead. "Rox?" he asks and I glower at him over my shoulder.

Since he perfected the glower, it doesn't affect him. Instead, he chuckles and gets up, strolling across the expanse of the living room to stand in front of me and look down at the new piece of paper that I managed to wrestle from my notebook. My hand twitches and I grip the pencil tighter. "Yes, Cloud?" I ask, tilting my head backwards to look up at him.

"What in the world are you trying to do?" he asks, plopping down onto the couch beside me and is partially eaten by the monster. He mutters about my mom's obsession with plush items and clears his throat.

"I'm writing a poem." I tell him, growling again when the poem comes out like crap and crumple it up and throw it behind me to join its fallen comrades. At this rate, I'll need to get another notebook from the hall closet.

Every year, since the local store carries hundreds of them, our family buys about twenty or thirty boxes of notebooks, which are only five cents each anyway. All in all, we only spend about twenty or thirty dollars on paper that will last us a year or two.

Cloud looks at me, startled. "Why?" He asks and I sink into the couch, holding the notebook close to my chest protectively.

"There's this person I like and I thought that poetry would be a good way to tell them?" I answer, voice muffled by the book of paper in front of me. He raises an eyebrow at me and my behavior before shaking his head.

"What's he like?" he asks, sighing. He knows he couldn't get any homework done when I was in this kind of mood. If I didn't get help, I made sure that someone would help eventually by sitting in a corner, the proverbial crazy wolf in a cage. Not even Demyx could handle me in these types of moods.

I sit up in my seat again and clear my throat. "He's… Eccentric, and…. Cloud, his smile is to die for!" Have you ever heard a boy squeal? Yeah, let's hope you never do. That low voice plus a falsetto squeak that dogs have a hard time picking up isn't great for your voice.

My brother laughs at my description and nods, taking notes on the back of one of the poetry attempts sitting on the table. "What else? What draws you to him?"

I pull my feet to my chest and stare forward, a dopey smile on my face. "He has the ability to make me laugh, no matter what, he loves pizza, we both think that Brad Pitt is better with his hair long rather than short… Oh, and he's straight." I tell him. He freezes for two reasons.

One, he's an avid believer that anyone who sides with me with Brad Pitt's hair meant that they were usually blond and had a black Pomeranian dog named Patrick who would hump your leg randomly.

Two, I told him that, yes, my entire reason for not telling the man of my dreams my feelings was that he was straight. We had even brought it up in a conversation, having been talking about preferred types of people to hang around, which, in turn, got to what we look for in a 'significant other'. I still have the dull, heart-rending ache from when he told me was as straight as a ruler.

"He's straight? And you want to write him a poem?!" Cloud asks, voice steadily getting louder. "Roxas, what part of 'Don't hit on straight guys' did you not understand when we had this discussion of your sexuality!?" he yells.

I wince and grab a pillow, wrapping my arms around it tightly and squeezing. I bury my face into it as I feel embarrassed tears enter my eyes. Way to go, Cloud, add insult to injury.

He pants for a moment before sighing and wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him. "Roxas, I didn't mean to yell. I just don't want you to be hurt like I was." he tells me.

"That's a different situation. You and Leon got together. Hell, Leon's younger brother got together with Sephiroth's younger brother!" I tell him. He cringes at the sound of Sephiroth's name.

Said silver haired male was dating our cousin, Zack, and the two were trying for a baby. Never mind that the laws of physics DO apply to the male race and prove that they can't have a child… Unless Zack didn't tell me something. I shudder at that thought. We used to bathe together: you don't want to think of family members having extra sex parts, believe me.

"Anywho, Roxas, I got lucky. And I had to go through a few years of uncertainty with Leon before he accepted me and allowed me to treat him to dinner." Cloud explains, ruffling my hair.

I pout and shake my head. "So what? I want to try, Cloud, so either help me write a decent poem or get out." I tell him. He shrugs, smirking as he stands up and leaves to go to our bedroom. I feel like screaming.

"So, Roxas, got anything planned for Saturday?" Demyx asks as he hops into his place beside me in chemistry. I glance at him, confused.

"Not as far as I know, why? What's going on Saturday?" I ask. Demyx grins and I can't help but notice that his lips are a bit bigger than normal. Not to say he has big lips, but when you know him and his promise to himself not to even kiss someone unless he knew they wouldn't hurt him, when he walks in with swollen lips, it stands out.

"Only the best event ever! We're going to the movies after skating at the park! And maybe you can even tell Axel how you feel." Demyx states, grinning as I duck my head down. I pull out my planner to look at what Saturday is. If I don't use it for school, I use it for important events as to make sure I have nothing planned on those days.

"…Demyx, tomorrow's Saturday, right?" Demyx nods enthusiastically to my question. I frown, looking at today's circled date. Friday, February thirteenth. Normally, I don't have a problem with the thirteenth, but on Saturday I had a dental appointment. "I don't know if I can, Dem. I got a premolar that needs pulling." I tell him as I slide the book back into my backpack.

He whines, though instantly stops when he sees Zexion walk into the room and sit, properly of course, in the chair next to me. I glance at him and my eyes bug out. There's a HUGE bruise on his neck!

Without much thought, I lift a hand and poke the center of it. "Did you get attacked by a leech?" I ask. Zexion swats my hand away and blushes, though there's a smirk on his face.

"I guess you could call it a leech mark. I mean, Demyx was having a bit of a problem with being quiet earlier." he answers as he pulls out his notebook.

I stare, blinking until I get it and gape at him. "You did that HERE!?" I ask him, voice in a raised whisper. He chuckles and looks at me.

"What can I say? Maybe the spirit of the season is just getting to me." he says. I shake my head and chuckle to myself. Thankfully, this is the last class before we're let out for a three-day weekend!

"So, are you up to coming with us to watch Single Awareness Day?" Demyx asks as the bell finally rings forty minutes later. I shrug as I shoulder my backpack.

"I dunno, Dem. I've got a test on Tuesday to study for and Mom wants me to walk our dog." I said, shaking my head.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our dog. She's just… Well, let's say after she met Patrick, she's been trying to go over to Demyx's house and have the hump-happy dog's puppies.

"Sounds to me like you're just trying to make excuses." Zexion states as he cracks open the huge book he seems to be perpetually carrying as of late. I turn my attention to him and poke the bruise again.

"Say what you want to, Mr. 'Attacked-by-a-Demleech', but I'm just very busy." I say, ignoring his glare at my nickname for his lover. Demyx doesn't seem to care. Actually, he looks more interested in creating a twin of that bruise on the other side of the pale column.

Zexion clears his throat and turns to me, tilting his head slightly. His eyes narrow in a glare and he shakes his head. "I see you're still as… Unsure as always." he states as the three of us exit the room.

Anyone should know what its like to try and hold a conversation while walking. It ain't easy, right? Well, it's worse at our school. In front of the library, in the crossroads of the hall, at least fifty kids are standing around, talking. Trying to walk through that mass AND hold a conversation isn't an easy task. Add in the fact that Zexion and I are roughly the shortest people at school, and you get more difficulties than you think.

Demyx bounces around, hyper as ever, as we head to my locker. Demyx doesn't use his locker and Zexion's is on the third floor, so he usually goes to it before coming to seventh period. "I'm thinking I might head to the movies tomorrow though… I don't know if I want to watch everybody be all lovey-dovey all over the place." I tell them as I shove my history book into the rectangular holder.

Demyx squeals, making more than half of the hallway go quiet as he tackles me into the lockers and hangs off my neck, which his quite a feat for the taller blond. "What movie are you gonna see? Are you gonna ask Axel to the movies, Roxie?! It'll be awkward for more than half of the movie then he'll fake a stretch and wrap an arm around your shoulder and you'll blush and-"

"Demyx, he's straight." I interject, though the image that he paints for my mind is only causing my heart to throb in pain to the point I have tears in my eyes.

"-he'll lean in and… Wait, what?! He said he was straight?!" he yells, gripping my by the shoulders and shaking me. Now, where has this happened before?

Zexion has his overzealous boyfriend let go of me. I nod at his question, straightening myself out. "We were just talking the other day and he told me he was, indeed, straight."

Demyx, by this point, is looking ready to hurt someone. "Does he know about you?" he asks me. I shrug, turning back to my locker and thrusting the Chemistry book inside beside the History book. Algebra 2 follows suit, making my backpack feel at least fifty pounds lighter.

"I don't know; if he does know, he found out through some other means than by me. I never told him." I murmur. At least the teens around us have gone back to their own conversations, slowly beginning to migrate down the hallway and to the parking lot out back.

"But… Roxie!" Demyx squeals out as he grabs my shoulders again. "I… He told me otherwise!" Hearing that, I look up at him, having finally shut my locker and spinning the dial.

"What?" I ask, sounding far too hopeful than I should. But let's face it: if the object of your affection tells their roommate that they are gay, and so are you, aren't you going to get excited too?

The hallways finally finish clearing, leaving just the three of us standing there. It's actually a somewhat creepy feeling.

"He told me that he was looking for a potential significant other in the MALE gender of the human species!" Demyx shouts, waving his arms around. It's probably much better that no one else in the hallway. Sure, Demyx is a spazz, but normal people don't see this protective side of him that often. I can only blink at him, confused.

"When did he tell you this?" I inquiry. The spastic blond is well known to lie to make others feel better. I know, he's done it to me several times.

"Just before I moved in with him!" I quickly estimate just how long ago that was and let my eyes narrow as my heart clenches painfully upon hearing this new information. Alright, so he's telling the truth, since I've been using him to spy on Axel for a week or so now. But this… This is too much. Maybe Axel doesn't see me the way I see him, but he could at least tell me to my face instead of playing mind games.

Zexion, who has been oddly quiet these past few minutes, places his bookmark between the pages of the ancient book, shuts it, and stares at the two of us. "Roxas, he's right behind you." He says, I freeze and turn to look at Axel, who's looking like the proverbial cat who ate the canary.

Normally, this smile would cause me to melt. However, right now, I can hardly think. I walk up to him, looking normal enough. He grins at he, raising a hand in a wave. I force a smile, trying to stay calm until I realize… I don't have to stay calm

With that realization, I fist my hand, draw it back, and slug him in the cheek. He stumbles back, gaping at me as I turn around, without uttering a word, and leave the area, stalking out the door near the library. I'm muttering under my breath when I get outside, hot tears stinging at the corner of my eyes.

~3rd person POV~

Back in the hallway, Axel's holding his jaw, eyes wide. He rubs the rapidly bruising skin as he straightens up and looks over at Demyx and Zexion.

Demyx has the same sort of shocked look on his face. Never had he seen Roxas, of all people, hit anyone, let alone slug them hard enough in the face to nearly dislocate their lower jaw. He slowly closes his mouth, swallows, and opens his mouth again. "Oh… Axel, are you … Alright?" he asks, taking a few hesitant steps towards the redhead.

Zexion, however, doesn't look shocked. He isn't, really; he knew Roxas was close to snapping from confusion and hurt. His entire persona is that of a person who thinks that Axel got what he deserved. "You can't say that you didn't earn that, Axel. We're trying to help him want to date you, and then you go and tell him that you're straight." The librarian-to-be states, clutching his book to his chest.

Axel gently stops Demyx from jerking his head left and right and stares at him. "I am straight!" he protests, making the lavender haired boy raise an eyebrow at him.

"About as straight as a swirl, maybe." Demyx states, snorting a bit. "I don't know if you deserve Roxas' affection now. He's been having such a hard time being accepted as it is, then you go and confuse him like that. Why?"

Axel sighs and pulls out a cigarette. "Honestly? I don't know." he states, lighting it up with no regards to the fact that he's still inside the school. He takes a long, slow drag off of it before shaking his head. "I'll figure it out eventually… Listen, I gotta go get everything set up. I only pray to God that Roxas'll let me take him out tomorrow."

"And here I thought you were an Atheist." Zexion remarks, smirking. Axel laughs and shakes his head.

"And I thought you were asexual." he says, walking out the door.

)(Saturday February 14)(

~Roxas POV~

Standing outside the large (Small, actually) movie theater, I sigh, pulling my coat tighter around me. Most days, I try to avoid being outside in the cold for longer than I need to, but the concession seller said that I couldn't get in to watch the movie yet, claiming that I needed to wait outside until the theater emptied. I personally think that the guy just had something against me.

Either way, here I am, standing here, looking around at the couples walking by, hand in hand, being allowed in to go and watch the romantic comedy playing. I shake my head. Bleh, you can go and watch your stupid romance! I'd rather have open heart surgery in the middle of the street by a bum than watch that stuff.

Yeah, I'm not hurting at all or anything! My eyes narrow as I try and hold back a sneeze. Damn this cold weather. It's beginning to rain and I still have another ten minutes to wait before I'm allowed inside. My arms clench around myself tighter, trying to hold in as much body heat as I can. I look to the side of me and see a couple making out, pressed against the movie poster for WATCHMEN and have to keep back a feeling of disgust. Can't they at least have some decency for the rest of us not to play tonsil-hockey in the middle of the street?

Leaning back against the wall, I sigh again, closing my eyes and listen to the soft yet stentorian sound of the rain sinking through the foggy air. It's rather peaceful, now that I block out the sounds of people making out and… Well, I just hope that they're using protection.

Finally, I'm allowed to go inside, after waiting an extra fifteen minutes just to be sure. I force a smile as I look at the ticket-seller, looking at his nametag. It says 'Bob', but I know it's a fake name. He just doesn't look like a 'Bob'. That, and the smiley faces around the hand-written name is also a clue. He smirks at me.

"What movie are you going to watch?" he asks. I think about it for a brief moment. There's a romantic comedy, a horror, and a cartoon. Not really in the mood to watch people shove their tongues into others' mouths nor to watch a movie with what I know will be a bunch of small children, I smile.

"FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH." I answer. He shrugs, accepting my money and hands me the ticket without even bothering to try and card me. One of the few awesome things about this small town is that if they don't let the teens into the R-rated movies, then their business declines, since the only people that usually ever comes to movies are teens or young couples, and thus we make up the main populace for their income.

I sigh and look at the clock on the wall. There's still half an hour to go and I find myself reluctant to go into the theater just yet. After a moment, I walk over to the food area and look at the menu. Only getting a bottle of water, I walk into the theater and sit down in the front row. I'm almost short enough to be swallowed by the huge chair.

In the theater to the right, I hear screams of laughter and have to shake my head. That's why I don't watch romantic comedies: too much screaming.

I settle into my chair and prepare to watch two hours of gore.

~Theater Two, 3rd Person POV~

The crowd continues to laugh as a huge heart walks along the platform in front of the screen. The movie's rolling its credits in the back and the ceiling lights have already come on.

The heart looks at the crowd before looking sighing dejectedly. In appalling pink letters on his chest, the words 'Will you go out with me, Roxas?' were hand sewn onto the red fabric. No wonder everyone is laughing at him.

~After the movie, Roxas POV~

I'm laughing as I leave the theater, followed by the three other people from the room that had been unfortunate enough to experience the movie with me. They're still giving me odd looks as I head down the block, trying to stifle my laughter.

After nearly stumbling into traffic, I lean against the crossing sign and let my laughter emerge. It was worth the $4.50 spent to watch the contradictions happen throughout the movie. That, and the hot guy lives: what else could be better?

I sigh and wipe the tears from my eyes and head towards the closest thrift store to look at their items. It just happens to be a western shop that's close to the Underground Tours of the town. Such is the life of a teenager in a hick town.

No bell sounds as I enter and look around. The smell of old leather and dust calms me down in more ways then I thought possible and I smile. It feels… homey.

An elderly woman pops her head into the room, a broad smile on her face. "Hello," she greets as she sits down in a chair behind the counter. I smile at her and nod. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" she asks. I shake my head.

"Not really," I answer, blinking when I see a giant heart running down the street being chased by a couple of teens… And one of them looks vaguely like Demyx. I shake my head again as I look over the old western-style leather coats, slowly wandering closer and closer to the counter. Once there, I blink and tilt my head to the side.

There is a jar full of keys sitting there and I begin rummaging through it, pulling out a skeleton key after a moment. "Ma'am, how much is this?" I ask, holding up the key. She looks at it before smiling.

"Fifty cents." she tells me. I gape before handing over the money and sliding the key onto the chain around my neck. "Thank you, have a good day." she tells me when I turn and leave the shop.

I toss her a smile over my shoulder and wave before exiting into the cold air once again. I shiver and pull my coat tighter around my shoulders as I head down the street. I duck my head down into the hem of my coat to hide myself from the visions of people my age and older kissing and hugging and cooing mushy words into each other's ears. Weren't they supposed to do that behind closed doors?

I sigh to myself as I head towards the park, hands shoved into my pockets. It's hard to believe how much the sight of pink things can make someone want to puke.

The park, surprisingly, is empty. No couples are skating on the iced-over rink, there isn't anyone cuddling into each other, no one's faces are being sucked off… It's rather nice, really: A little haven of peace that elicits a small cry of happiness from my throat.

However, it seems to show just how lonely I feel at this particular moment. The trees are bereft of life, scraggly branches twisting and lashing in the wind that alters the once peaceful image. The chains of the old swing-set creak and sway and I find myself treading the grass and reaching a pale hand out towards the chain.

Suddenly, I'm a little kid again, reaching for someone near and dear to hold me. There never was anyone there for me when I needed them most, breaking the chains that bound me to them, like blades of grass, trampled into the ground, never to be grown the same way again.

I shake my head and sit down on the swing, ignoring the cold pinches the chains give my hands as I lightly kick my feet to get momentum going. I'm looking down the ground, eyes glazed over in thought, so I don't notice the writing on the banner that zips past me.

"Roxas!" I bring my head up when hearing the shout of my name and tilt my head curiously. Demyx is running towards me, out of breath, and has to grab one of the support poles of the swing set. "Damn, kid, you take FOREVER to catch up to. Anyway, I've been looking absolutely EVERYWHERE for you." he tells me and I have to blink.

Zexion trails behind him slowly, eating a truffle every now and then. I decline his silent offer with a shake of my head. "Demyx, calm down." he says quietly, putting the small chocolates away. Demyx blinks and inhales deeply before exhaling slowly.

"What did you want, Demyx?" I ask, watching him try to gather his thoughts. With his current look, I'm tempted to poke his nose and see what happens.

"I've been trying to locate you and tell you something very important!" he shouts. I hear a crow screech as it takes to the air and have to snicker.

"What is it?" I ask. Surely, it has to be important if Zexion is putting up with it and gallivanting around the town looking for me.

Demyx's eyes shine as he speaks next. "Axel's been-" I stand up suddenly, causing him to nearly fall over from my movement. I don't bother waiting to hear what he has to say as I shove my hands into my pockets and begin to walk away. I didn't want to hear it, no matter what it was.

"-looking for you…" Demyx trails off as Zexion pats him on the shoulder. "Zexy, why won't he listen to me?" he asks.

The lilac haired teen beside him simply shrugged. "I dunno, Dem. He's probably just really hurt." he murmurs, popping another chocolate into his mouth. "C'mon, the movie theater is calling our names and I really want to get in to watch FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH sometime before it leaves the town." he says, chuckling at his boyfriend's whimper as they head towards the theater.

"I hope they get it straightened out…" Demyx states.

)(About 7 P.M.)(

I sigh as I sit down in one of the other parks in the town, drawing my legs to my chest. My mom doesn't expect me home for another few hours, convinced that I was spending the day with some friends in the least. I shake my head and set my chin on my knees, closing my eyes partially as the breeze breathes through my hair, shifting it this way and that.

Rain is beginning to fall, showering me with the feeling that I'm going to live in gloom forever. The ground around me soaks up the water as much as it can, though it doesn't seem to do any good.

After a moment, I don't feel the rain. I shrug it off, thinking I've just gotten used to it. Though when I don't feel as much wind anymore, I look up and get an eyeful of blue.

My eyes trail down to see the pale hand that is holding the umbrella. A hand I recognize a little too well, and my eyes widen. Not now, I think, not here.

I tilt my head further back and see the smiling face of Axel. His hair is matted down from the rainwater and I just know he's having a tough time standing there. I know, from first hand experience, that he hates the rain where I love it. I don't know why I do… It probably has something to do with the refreshing feeling as it runs down my body, getting soaked by my clothes.

"Can I sit down?" he asks me. I want to tell him to fuck off and that I never want to see him again, but I can't get the words out of my throat.

I open my mouth to attempt to say this and all that manages to squeak out is a "Sure,", which is the exact opposite of what I had wanted to tell him. My mouth becomes dry as he takes a seat beside me and shifts the umbrella to shield both of us from the rain. There is a pregnant silence, broken only by the pattering tattoo of the rain that matches my heart.

I glance over at him and then look down in shame. His cheek is black and blue from where I punched him yesterday and I find myself wanting to kiss it and beg for forgiveness. Resolve strengthened, I swallow thickly and clear my throat. "Axel, I-"

He cuts me off. I know what you're thinking. 'OMG, THEY'RE MAKING OUT IN THE PARK!', right? Wrong. That isn't what happens.

He presses his finger to his lips and smirks. His eyes are dancing as he watches me. With what emotion, I can't tell. I feel my heart speed up even more. No words, his gaze tells me as he opens his arms to me. I feel myself choke up and crawl over to sit on my knees between his legs.

He looks like he wants to chuckle and wraps his arms around me when I'm close enough, pulling me insanely closer. He buries his nose into my hair and tightens his hold on me.

I cling to him, my hands gripping his shirt like he'll vanish if I let go. He does chuckle now when my shoulders begin to shake and rubs a hand up and down my back.

"Oh, Roxas…" he whispers as he rocks back and forth softly.

I bring my head up, rain dripping into my eyes as I look up at him. "I…I'm sorry," I whisper.

I watch as his eyes narrow and flinch when he raises a hand, positive that he's about to hit me. I clench my eyes shut tight, waiting for the blow.

It didn't come the way I expected it, however. Instead of hitting me, he just slides his hand against my cheek, adjacent to his own hurt one and cups it. I whimper softly and let my eyes open to stare up at him once again. He does chuckle now, his eyes soft and I choke back a sob. "For what?" is his response. He shifts, letting the thumb of his hand slowly brush my cheek and I lean into the touch unconsciously.

I never let my eyes leave his as I slowly raise a hand. He doesn't flinch like I did. I must have a fearful look in my eyes as I softly cup his cheek because he smiles and leans into it, despite the slight sting of pain I know is there. I can feel tears entering my eyes, eclipsing the vision I see before me. "For this," I whisper, gently rubbing the discolored skin with my thumb. He turns his head and kisses my thumb with a smile, his eyes still not leaving mine.

"I deserved it for lying," he sighs, watching me carefully. I swallow a lump in my throat, silently yelling at myself. Why does he have to be so understanding?

Without much thought I pull my hand away and lean up, pressing my lips to the sore spot. He lets out a soft, appreciative murmur, words incoherent for me to hear. "Why?" I mouth silently against his cheek as I close my eyes again. He slowly moves his hand to cup my cheek again and pulls back to look at me, though our faces aren't that far apart from one another. His eyes glance down and looks at my lips before he leans in and presses his lips against mine.

"Why?" I ask again, voice barely above the squeak of air that I let slip out of me. He lets out a soft hum and doesn't pull away from the kiss, simply holding it there.

"Why what, Rox?" he whispers as he slowly pulls back to look at me. I can't help it. I bury my head into the crook of his neck and cling to him again. His eyes soften further as he holds me against him, rocking again as I sob. Later, I just know I'll look back at this and laugh long and hard. I still don't know why I was asking why.

Axel smiles to himself as he holds me against him, murmuring words of comfort into my ear. "Because I didn't want to be hurt…" he answers, voice a dull breath that escapes him as he stands up. I curl closer to him as he picks me up and carries me home. I never catch his last words as I slip into sleep.

)(Monday, February 16)(

I slide into my seat in math, looking more like crap than anything. No, I'm not sick, per se; I just realized how stupid I am. Of course he wouldn't like me. I'm a nobody, an outcast, a loner. If Zexion wouldn't kill me, I'd probably call myself several other words.

"What's up, Rox?" Demyx asks from his seat beside me and I can't help but give him a smile. Here he is, perpetually happy, maybe with a limp in his walk, but still happily in love.

And me? Yeah, the one I like is currently avoiding me at all costs. It's not exactly a nice feeling. Sure, he slept over on Valentine's Day, but he was gone way before I got up.

"Rox, did you get ANY sleep at all?" Demyx asks when I slam my head onto my desk with a groan. There is concern in his voice, though it's mostly masked by the happiness he's radiating. Thankfully, Zexion isn't in this class with us.

"I got some," I defend weakly, raising my head moments later. Demyx frowns and puts his wrist on my forehead, shaking his head when he finds the fever I was trying hard to hide. Yeah, I got sick from staying outside in the rain for an hour.

"Roxas, you need to go home." he tells me. I shrug and stand up, heading for the door, blatantly ignoring the shouts my math teacher is directing to me. I shoulder my bag and head towards the student parking lot to get my bike.

Sadly, as fate was a sick and cruel mistress, not only am I halfway blinded by the unforgiving sun, but the only thing I can make out is the picturesque red hair that I've grown fond of. But the face that's attached to the hair is currently tongue fucking a man with someone with black hair that had huge gray streaks through it. The hair in question ended just above his waist and is pulled back in a ponytail.

Axel's the one being pressed to the car hood, though, and I find myself watching in horror as the man pulls back and pulls down Axel's jeans. Axel tries to push him away, only to get backhanded as the man growls at him to shut up. Axel lets out a light whimper and lays back, knowing that it would be better to just take it and the man leave.

I, however, couldn't stand it. I swiftly walk over and pull the man off of him Axel looks surprised but I ignore him in favor of keeping my attention on the man.

He smirks at me, thinking that I must not be that much of a threat, seeing how short I am. "Xigbar, leave him alone, please!" Axel shouted at him as he pushes himself to stand on front of the car.

Xigbar turns and glares, backhanding him again, sending him to the ground. That's my snapping point. Faster than either of them could think, I tackle Xigbar to the ground and start pounding my fist into his face repeatedly. I don't even notice that my knuckles are starting to bleed from hitting his mouth to much. "Don't you EVER touch Axel again, got it memorized?!" I growled out, accenting each word with a punch.

"R-Rox, stop!" Axel yells, pulling me off of him and stepping back, still holding me back. By this time the parking lot has filled with students and teachers alike and Axel is still holding me back from punching the man on the ground.

"Strife, what the hell is going on?" the Principal, a man by the name of Saïx, snarls as he comes stomping up. I turn my glare to him before pointing to the man on the ground.

"Why don't you ask him, asshat? He just tried to rape my boyfriend!" I snarl right back at him. The parking lot stops its murmuring when I say this. Sure, more than half of the school had known I was gay, but they hadn't expected me to actually find a boyfriend.

The one that's staring the most is Axel. I grab his hand, fish his keys out of his pocket, and haul him into his truck. He's still staring as I shove the key into the ignition and bike the car out of the parking lot and start driving down the street. Yeah, never mind the fact that I don't have a license or even a permit to drive.

"Rox, where are we going?" Axel asks me as I stop at a red light. My fingers are drumming on the steering wheel of the vehicle, waiting rather impatiently for the light to turn green.

"As far away from that fucktard as we can." I answer, glancing over at him. I can tell there's another question in his eyes that he wants badly to ask me. I turn my attention back to the light just as it changes and head toward his apartment.

"…Roxas, why did you call me your boyfriend?" He finally asks. My attention doesn't leave the road as I take turns better than people than have been driving for years. We come to a stop just outside of his apartment and I kill the engine before just sitting there. "Roxas?"

I turn my head to look at him and watch him. "Because I really want to be your boyfriend, Axel." I tell him I watch as his jade eyes widen and his throat work to swallow. He isn't sure how to respond.

I turn away, nearly laughing bitterly at my own stupidity. "I'm sorry, Axel, and I'll disappear from your life just as quickly as I appeared." I tell him as I open the car door and shut it behind me before shoving my hands into my pockets as I head down the street.

You dumbass, Roxas! What made you think he'd feel the same way for you? The pessimistic part of my mind shouts as I clench my eyes shut and fist my hands. Right, the annoying voice in my head. I thought I had forgotten it for a while. He couldn't possibly love you.

I feel a sob wrack my shoulders and suddenly, I can't go any further. I fall to the ground, skinning my knees and clutch my head tightly in my hands. The voice doesn't stop.

You're no better than anyone else in this world. You're just an ant that doesn't deserve any happiness! What did you ever do that was so good for anyone?

"Stop," I whimper out loud as I feel tears trekking down my face. The voice is so angry sounding, filling me with despair. My mind, apparently, took the voice I longed to hear the most and twisted the tone of it so that malice was oozing from each syllable.

I grip my head tighter, almost to the point of pulling my hair out. "P-please stop!" I shout. I let out a few sobs, form shaking. My head is almost between my knees, I'm bending forward so far.

I stiffen and bring my head up when a soft hand rubs my back and look up to see the concerned look of Zexion. Without a single word, I fling myself at him and start sobbing into his neck, clutching his shirt.

Zexion stiffens though doesn't pull away. Instead he wraps his arms around my back. I hear the thudding footsteps of Demyx and only sob harder. Demyx looks at the two of us, not asking any questions for once. He mouths a 'What happened?' to Zexion, though all he gets is a shake of the head and another heart wrenching sob from me.

I feel another set of arms encircle me and know that it's Demyx. I turn to him instead, letting go of Zexion. Demyx murmurs soft words as he sways, cupping the back of my head into his neck. "Shh, Roxas. I'm here now." he whispers. The words only make me sob more.

Zexion nods his head towards Demyx, telling him silently to bring me to his house. Demyx nods and gently lifts me up. I don't protest, instead I wrap my arms around him tighter. Within moments, I've cried myself to sleep.

)(Tuesday, March 14)(

Less than a month had passed since I had confessed. School flew by and where I am, hated by the school for various different reasons, though the most common one was because I was 'dating Axel'.

I'm sitting outside in Zexion's garden, letting the soft, spring breeze wash over my wet body, still dripping from my shower. My clothes are in the drier, leaving me in a towel. Besides, who's going to look over a ten foot tall wall of shrubbery?

I close my eyes and lean back against hammock I'm sprawled out in, my left foot softly rocking me. It isn't cold at all; rather warm for March.

I have my ear buds in my ears, the cords of S.E.X. thrumming through them and into my head. My lips are moving to the words, though no sound leaves them. I know that I can't sing and I don't really like to fill the air with my voice anyway. Everyone used to tell me that I can sing, but I swear they're just messing with my head.

Due to the loud music, I don't hear the back door slide open nor the gasp of my name.

~Axel's POV~

I follow Zexion's instructions through the house, eyebrows creased. Why does he have to have so many turns in his house? With a sigh, I slide open the back door and look up, only to gasp when I see what I came here for.

Laying, stretched out on a hammock with a CD player resting on his stomach, green in color, is Roxas. The towel that he's wrapped in is stretched due to his legs being spread so far and I find myself staring for longer than I should. I curse when I hear his voice, softly singing along to the song.

"S is for the simplety, E is for the ecstasy, X is just to mark the spot 'Cause that's the one you really want." I nearly groan at the raw feeling behind it and walk over to him in long strides. A voice that… That seductive shouldn't belong to an angel such as him. He shouldn't know songs like that, shouldn't be laying outside with his towel barely staying on his hips, shouldn't be moving those sinful lips like that.

I feel myself leaning closer to him with no control to my own body.

~Roxas POV~

My eyes shoot open of their own accord to look straight up into jade green right before soft, if not chapped, lips land on my own. I stiffen at the contact, eyes widening more. What is he doing?

My body takes control and, despite the tingling, I push him back and look up at him in confusion. He's staring down at me with an unreadable expression and I see his lips move, making words. Apparently he doesn't realize I can't hear him.

I move my hand slightly and turn down the music that's blaring in my ears. "…I can't love you." is what I hear and I clench my jaw as I feel tears enter my eyes. His eyes soften as he leans down again, looking like he's going to kiss me again. I push him back and close my eyes tightly as I run into the house, ignoring the fact that my CD player clattered to the ground and that he's shouting at me to wait.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID! My mind shouts as I lock myself in the bathroom. Zexion raises an eyebrow at my behavior as he passes me in the hallway.

~3rd Person POV~

Zexion walks outside and leans against the side of the house, looking at Axel who's picking up the CD player and the CD that popped out. "What did you do this time, dumbass?" he asks the redhead, who sighs.

"My exact words were 'You're silly for thinking that I can't love you,'" Axel answers, gently wiping the CD clean before pulling one out of his pocket and placing it in the player and put the Nickelback CD in the case. "Could you give this back to him?" he asks, holding the device out to Zexion.

He nods and takes it softly. "All the confusion the two of you have gone through… Will it ever clear up?" The librarian asks. Axel sighs again.

"I don't know, Zexion. I really don't. I hope so though," he says, entering the house, only to exit through the front door. Zexion shakes his head and walks inside, heading towards the guest room that Roxas was staying in. Carefully hiding the actual CD in the blond's backpack, he smirked and shook his head.

He set the CD player, with the white ear buds, on top of the bed before exiting the room.

~Roxas POV~

I wash my face off with cold water before heading to the room I managed to steal from Zexion and freeze. Sitting on my bed is my CD player. Shrugging the thought aside, I toss the towel to the hamper and flop down onto the bed.

Maybe some music will calm me down… I think as I jam the headphones into my ears and turn the player on.

My eyes close as I wait for it to read the disc. Static, and instead of the sound of Chad's voice, I get Axel's.

"Hey… Oh damn, this is going to be awkward. Well, Rox, as I'm sure you know, it's Axel. If you're listening to this, I… I guess I screwed up again. I wanted to tell you, Rox, that… That you're the best thing that ever happened to me. When I told you I was straight, I was hoping to get a reaction out of you that would tell me if you liked me or not. Since the moment I heard your voice, I had dreamt of having a future with you. But for some reason, I keep screwing things up.

"Like the day that you found out I lied? That was one. I went into the wrong movie theater dressed up as a heart; I was chased down the street by a mob of dogs so you didn't see the banner I made. Demyx and Zexion tried to tell you that I was looking for you but you wouldn't listen.

"Then a month ago when you confessed? You didn't even wait for my response. I had to pry it out of the lips of your half brother what happened to you. My heart broke again. How could you think that I couldn't love you? You're my whole world, Roxas. I love you. Well, I only have a few seconds left of the recording. Forgive me for lying, Rox."

I stare at my CD player in shock. Had I just heard that right? Quickly, I rewind the message a few seconds. "You're my whole world, Roxas. I love you." I had. He said he loved me. Axel loves me. Axel loves me. Axel loves me. Axel LOVES me. No matter how I write in my head, I can't grasp the meaning of the words.

Pulling the ear buds from my ears, I stand up and nearly stumble to the ground when my legs buckle. Muttering to myself, I quickly pull on a pair of pants and a tank top that Demyx had lent to me before dashing down the hallway. "Zexion!" I yell.

Demyx's head pops out from the kitchen. "Zexion's out back, Roxie!" he chirps. I sigh, pulling my shoes on as I hop down the hallway and run outside.

"Zexion, where'd Axel go?" I ask, panting slightly. He smirks at me.

"You should know, Roxas. You're his best friend." he tells me and returns to watering his plants. I narrow my eyes at him and mutter something unfriendly under my breath as I run out the side gate.

"Axel?" I shout, looking around the area. No one with spiked red hair as far as the eye can see. I curse under my breath and begin racing down the street again. "Axel? Where the hell are you?!" I shout louder, passing an alleyway near Zexion's house.

I let out a yelp as I feel my arm being grabbed viciously and yanked backwards into the darkened area between two buildings and wince when my back slams against the wall. I hear a pop and my mind sarcastically jokes that it was better than a trip to the chiropractor's office.

A sneering laugh fills my ears and my heart instantly stops beating. I know that laugh from somewhere, but I can't recall at the moment. Black hair with silver streaks. I remember that much. I think when the laugh gets louder.

"So you think you can me beat up and not get punished? Roxas… Dear sweet, Roxas… You're going to pay your pound of flesh for it." My eyes widen. I can't really see anything besides the specks of white in my eyesight from my head hitting the wall.

I feel my blood run cold when I hear a zipper being pulled down. Then another. Though I can't feel mine being pulled down. I can't feel anything from the waist down. While the thought is somewhat nice considering that I'm going to be raped, it's still an overall bad thing. It means I can't fight back.

He let out another laugh as he lifted my hips and angled himself just right. I didn't feel all that scared anymore. I couldn't really feel anything. Before his hips surge forward, however, I am dropped to the ground.

I look up and saw Axel, eyes ablaze, glaring at the man with a gun pointing at the Xigbar's head. "Xigbar, get the hell out of here before my finger slips and I let out a slug into your head." he snarls out.

Xigbar nods and runs down the alleyway. He doesn't get far before he is shot in the leg and sent to the ground with a screech. Axel shoves the gun into his pocket before kneeling next to me. "Roxas, bud, are you alright?" he asks me.

I let out a cry of relief and throw myself at him as best as I can with no feeling in my lower body and cling to him, sobbing into his chest. His arms wrap around me and hold me tightly to him and he rubs my back before freezing.

"We have to get you to a hospital, Rox. I think your back's broke." He tells me. I nod let him pick me up and carry me to the hospital; my hands quickly pulling my pants back up. As soon as that's done, I lean into him and let his warmth slowly lull me to sleep.

"I love you, Axel…" I whisper before I lose consciousness.

Blue eyes stare down at the slowly disintegrating body, wondering why it had to happen. Instead of blond hair, however, there is brown. Achingly familiar brown spikes. Axel chuckles quietly and looks upwards.

The brown haired boy began to speak. "Axel, what were you trying to do?" he asks.

The redhead looks close to death. "I wanted to see Roxas…" he whispers. The brunette jumps slightly out of shock. Axel continues as more of his body fades away. "He… Was the only one I liked. He made me feel like… Like I had a heart."

"No, Axel!" I shout as I sit up in bed. I'm panting, sweating, and crying all at the same time. All I can see is white and I vaguely wonder if I'm blind before my eyes adjust. I'm in a hospital. I think, looking around the room. My chest is heaving and I raise my hand to wipe the tears from my face. Was…Was that a dream or a memory? And why was Sora in it? I think to myself.

The doctor walks into the room and smiles at me. I just give him a blank look. He has pink hair that's feathered back. I don't know why, but he just rubs me the wrong way. "How are you feeling, Roxas?" he asks me.

"Uh… Okay I guess…" I answer, crossing my arms over my chest. He nods and writes down a few things.

"Do you have anyone at home that can come and get you? You're ready to check out but seeing as you're still a minor, you have to have an adult." The doctor states as he writes out a list of things I can do.

"Wait, aren't you even going to tell me what I'm doing here?" I ask. He pauses and lifts his blue eyes to watch me.

"You're paralyzed from the waist down. You'll start on therapy in a week or so to see if we can make your nerves work at all." he tells me. I just stare at him. Blunt, aren'tcha? I think as he hands me the piece of paper.

"Is there a phone I can use?" I ask. I'm oddly detached from reality at the moment.

He nods and hands me his own cell phone and I quickly dial Cloud's number. I pull the phone away from my ear when he screeches something. I can hear his new girlfriend, Tifa, yelling for him to quiet down and his still current boyfriend, Leon, sigh and take the phone.

"Roxas, where are you?" Leon asks me while Tifa calms Cloud down. Did I forget to mention that Cloud has very odd relationships? Yeah, they got it all figured out now, finally, so it's all good.

"I'm in the hospital. Can you come and get me?" I ask. There's silence for a long while.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Leon tells me before hanging up. Marluxia takes the phone moments later and pockets it again before walking out. A gentle looking nurse walks in and smiles at me.

"Alrighty, Roxas, let's get you in a wheelchair." she tells me as she unfolds the chair and sets it next to the bed. I swallow and nod, moving carefully to the chair and sigh. My hands fall to the wheels as I automatically start to roll myself down the hallway, the nurse following me to make sure I'm alright.

By the time we get to the lobby, Leon, Tifa, and Cloud are all there. Cloud chokes back a sob when he sees me and I nearly roll my eyes. When the hell did he get all weepy when I got hurt? I ask myself. Leon walks over to start and push me out but I silently tell him to take care of Cloud.

Before either of us can react, I'm pulled out of the chair and into my brother's arms. He's sobbing into my hair as he holds me close to him. I just hang there, arms hanging limply by my sides. "Cloud, can I be let down?" I ask after a few moments.

He slowly sets me back down and wipes his eyes. "Y-you haven't been home in over a week, no phone calls, nothing. Roxas, it's not home without you there." he tells me. I blink at him. I hadn't realized how much I keep him together. Ever since mom and dad died in a freak accidental crash going to Port Royal for their 10th anniversary a few months back, Cloud's become more overprotective than ever.

"…Sorry, Cloud. I was trying to figure things out." I tell him. He nods, accepting the apology, and sets his hands on the chair handles and pushes me outside. I don't protest.

)(A Week Later)(

I sigh as I roll into the math room at school, ignoring the glances from my fellow students. I hadn't been to school since the accident and I don't really feel up to it now. But Finals are less than a month away and I have a lot to catch up on.

The teacher, a man called Xemnas, seems to have already known and had taken my desk to give me my normal seating place. "Welcome back, Roxas." he says. I smile slightly and nod my head over to him.

Zexion scoots his chair in as I roll past and scoots it back out slightly when I'm past. "How are you feeling?" Demyx asks me. I shrug at him, pulling out my math book.

"I dunno. I haven't really felt anything. I'm kinda hurt though; I can't get a hold of Axel at all. All I get is his voice mail and his dad keeps telling me that he's not home." I answer, scribbling down the notes from Zexion's notebook, of which I had stolen from him moments before.

He doesn't protest, seeing as we're not taking notes right now, and starts to work on the assignment due on Friday.

~3rd Person POV~

Zexion sends a look over Roxas' head, telling Demyx to be quiet. Roxas doesn't notice as he writes faster, his pink tongue sticking out of the corner of his lips. "He usually talks to me, though…" Roxas whispers, mostly to himself.

Murmurs soon circle around the room, cut off only by the bell ringing minutes later. Roxas looks up at the clock, surprised. "I hadn't realized I was that late." he says, putting his stuff away and handing Zexion back his book.

"What were you doing all day?" Demyx asks, standing up and shouldering his bag. A fleeting jealous look passes through Roxas, though it's gone soon enough.

"I was taking make-up tests and getting notes from people." he answers as he pushes himself out the door, followed by Zexion and Demyx on either side of him.

Zexion finally speaks up. "Roxas, if you don't mind me asking, just what the hell happened to you?" he asks. "The last time I saw you, you were running out of my yard after calling me an asshole," Demyx gives Zexion an odd look, then Roxas one. "And now you're in a wheelchair."

Roxas sighs and ducks his head down a bit. "I was jumped by the guy that tried to rape Axel. He slammed me up against a wall. The doctor said that it knocked part of my spine out of place. They put it back in place, of course, but I suffered nerve damage and I'm paralyzed from the waist down." he explains.

Demyx's eyes widen before they narrow again. "That… That… That bastard!" he shouts. Roxas blinks up at him but he doesn't seem to see him anymore. "No one hurts my brother and gets away with it!"

Roxas blinks again. "What are you talking about, Dem?" He asks. Demyx lowers his head to look at him.

"Uh… Yeah, we share the same dad. I was a mistake, of course, but here I am all the same!" he says, throwing his arms into the air. I tug on his jeans lightly then pull him down for a hug.

"You're no mistake, Demyx. You're supposed to be here." he says, grinning a bit when he pulls back. Demyx blinks then grins as well before happily moving and taking hold of the handle bars of the wheelchair and takes off down the hall, pushing me with him. Zexion shakes his head and winces slightly when the principal catches them.

)(6:30 P.M. Roxas house)(

~Roxas POV~

I sigh as I glance at the clock. Only two minutes had past since the last time I had checked it. My homework is sitting, spread out around me, completely finished, and there's nothing left to do. Cloud's out with Tifa tonight, seeing as Leon has to work on Tuesday nights and Demyx and Zexion are out at the skating rink.

I can't help but be slightly jealous. Sora has Kairi, Cloud has Leon AND Tifa, Demyx has Zexion… Who do I have? No one.

The doorbell rings. It's times like these that I really miss being able to walk. With a sigh, I lean back against the couch. "It's open!" I call.

I close my eyes as I hear the door open, then shut. In all honesty, I really don't want to see anyone right now. I'd rather just sit, alone, in my house than be bothered by someone and their pity parties.

"Hey, Rox…" My eyes snap open to look up at the red hair that I instantly want to run my fingers through; the face that I want to press kisses to; the man that I just want to hold for half an hour before reality cracks in upon itself.

~Axel's POV~

I smile weakly down at the blond before kneeling next to him. "How have you been?" I ask him. I feel my heart break a little when I see tears in his eyes and I can't help but sit next to him, right on top of is History assignment, and pull him into my lap. I rock back and forth softly, murmuring soft words of comfort as he buries his head into my chest and begins to sob.

"Shh, I'm here now," I murmur into his hair. I flinch when he lightly punches my chest and pushes away from me. His eyes are red and puffy already and he glares at me.

"Where were you when I needed you, Axel?! I was so scared that… That something happened to you and that I'd find a picture of you on the evening news as the victim of some crime! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to tell you that I love you, damnit!" he shouts at me. I swallow thickly and before I can really react, he pulls me down and slams our mouths together.

My eyes don't widen out of surprise, his don't slid shut from bliss. It's more of a painful press of lips and teeth against one another. I can feel him shake in my arms as he grips a handful of my hair tightly to hold me there. I wince a bit but he doesn't seem to notice. My eyes eventually narrow and I nip his lip somewhat harshly, causing him to pull back.

He stares at me, his lower lip bleeding slightly. My eyes soften and I lean forward, dragging his lip into my mouth and sucking softly on the appendage. He emits out a soft gasp and shivers a bit, eyes wide at my sudden move of gentleness. Slowly, I run my tongue over the small wound, keeping my eyes locked with the blue ones in front of me.

He gulps and pulls away from me, not far enough to actually pull out of my arms, but enough so that his lip is no longer in my mouth and I find that I can't move. I don't want to move, either. There isn't much I'd really like to do right now but reassure him that I'm here for him now; that he doesn't have to worry anymore; that I won't leave him anymore.

~Roxas POV~

I stare at him, unsure of how to react. Hey, Rox, how ya been? Haven't seen ya in over a week so I thought I'd drop by. Nah, I won't apologize, you don't need that. That's the gist of the previous events that had just transpired between the two of us in the last five minutes. No, it hasn't even been that long.

I slowly bring my hand up and he flinches. I'm not really surprised. The last time I raised my hand at him, I had punched him. Instead of touching him, my fingers move over my lower lip that's tingling not only from pain but from the feeling of having been touched in such a sweet way that it almost makes me sick from the butterflies in my stomach.

"Where have you been, Axel?" I ask him, this time much quieter than before. His eyes soften again and he gently takes hold of my hand and kisses my fingertips softly.

"Working, love; I've been working." he answers me. I swallow, not really wanting to know what kind of work he had been talking about. Slowly, I move and press my lips to his, softly this time. My lip was swollen, this I knew already, and I probably shouldn't be kissing him but I can't help it. Feelings of relief that he's here wash over me. I find my arms wrapping around his neck as he kisses me back, bringing myself closer to him as his arms tighten around my body.

There's electricity in the air now, and neither of us want to delve into that river just yet for more reasons than one. He slowly draws his lips away and smiles at me. "I love you, Roxas." he whispers and I smile back at him.

"I love you, too, Axel." I whisper. He holds me against him and runs his hands through my hair. All too soon, I'm asleep in his arms.

)(June 10th)(

I grin to myself as I wheel down the aisle. No, I'm not graduating yet; I graduate next year. But Saïx called me here to help him pass out the diplomas of this year's graduating class. I ignore the murmurs that are thrown above my head as I continue down the papered aisle toward my destination.

I can hear snickering coming from the crowd gathered and I honestly don't know why. Saïx beams at me. I suddenly have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I slow my ascension to the front of the group when he jumps off the podium and grips me under the arms and hauls me up onto the stage. There are more snickers and even a couple catcalls. He holds me up as he faces the crowd.

"Now, Class of '09, I want you to observe the boy in front of you." Saïx states, making me flinch. He was going to point out all my flaws.

To my shock, and the crowd's, he didn't. "This young boy has gone through hell and back, losing the ability to use his legs, and yet he faces each day. If you are half as brave as he is right now, to stand before you, you will not give up because you don't get your dream job or get paid minimum wage. Be glad you're alive." He says before slowly lowering me back to my chair.

I swallow thickly, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. Okay, yes, it is corny about what he praised me about, but I don't think I could've asked for a better compliment.

The rest of the graduation ceremony goes on as a normal one would, with the exception of everyone shaking my hand too. Happily, I find that it's over an hour and a half later. I grin to myself, weaving my chair in and out of the crowd to get out front. Demyx is waiting there for me, grinning from ear to ear before he lifts me up and helps me into the truck that Axel's driving.

He had taken a lot of extra time out of his schedule to fix up the old Chevrolet, repainting it and refurbishing it until it looked vintage… Except for the windshield. That is tinted a darker color now, not really letting anyone look into the car from the outside.

As I buckle myself in, Axel slips into the driver's seat while Demyx occupies the back to make sure my chair doesn't roll out. I grin over towards the redhead, to which he returns an answering grin before he leans over and presses his lips to my forehead in a quick kiss. He grins at my red face and ruffles my hair as he turns back to the road.

I smile and wrap my arms around myself. It seems apparent, from the doctors, that I won't be able to walk, no matter what I do. I still refuse to give up and I often stare at my toes, willing them to move. I swear I made one move once, but no one believes me.

"I can't come over today, Roxas." Demyx says through the glass. I turn my head and cock it at him, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity. "I'm going to Zexion's house. It's our six month anniversary." I grin at him and give him a thumbs up. He sighs in relief and relaxes in the bed of the truck, jumping out when we get to our house. He sets the wheelchair outside as Axel cuts the engine and pockets his keys.

"You okay, Rox? You don't seem very talkative at the moment." Axel asks me. I shrug at him, hands moving mechanically to undo my seat belt. His hand settles on top of mine, causing me to raise my head and look at him, head tilted curiously. "Roxas, I'm coming over and spending the night, alright? We're gonna make that toe move." he tells me. I grin at him and nod in understanding.

He smiles slightly, though it doesn't reach his eyes. I tilt my head at him, silently curious as to why he seems upset but he doesn't say anything as he wheels me into the house. The entire first floor, where my partial room is located, has been cleared of all obstacles to ensure that I don't have any difficulty maneuvering around the house. The living room has our huge couch, with ample space between itself and the TV, and three or four game systems strewn out on the floor.

Axel pulls me to a stop and pats my head, though it lacks the affection it previously held. Was he going to leave me? My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I stare ahead, wondering what Axel was going to do.

"Let's get you on the floor, Rox." He says. I nod once again and let him lift me from the chair and set me gently on the floor before plopping down beside him. "I… I won't be able to come back, Rox. I'm leaving after tonight." I whip my head to look at him, hoping against all hope that he's lying.

I search his eyes, desperately, though all I find is the cold hard truth; the one time I wish it were fake, and it's true. Life is just ironic, isn't it?

Axel sighs and looks away after a moment. Suddenly, I find my voice. "Get out…" I whisper. Tears are making a fast trek down my cheeks and splashing onto my bare arms. He flinches and gets up, not needing the incentive again. Almost immediately, following the sound of the door slamming shut, I clutch my arms around myself and begin to weep.

I never notice that my legs are pulled up to my chest.

)(June 30th)(

I stare out the window at one of the few times that it's actually raining in Twilight Town during the summer, watching the water cascade down in torrents that I know are just icy to the touch. My wheelchair sits in the corner of the room, altogether forgotten now that I can walk. I still have trouble with it, and the accomplishment isn't met by me with much enthusiasm, but it IS entirely less troublesome than lugging it around everywhere.

I press my forehead to the cold glass, and all I can feel is the relief from the heat I've been feeling all day. I was such a fool… I think, lifeless eyes barely registering that they needed to blink. Of course, who could ever love you, Roxas?

I hear a laugh and turn my head tiredly. Demyx and Zexion are sitting on Demyx's bed, talking about music or something, and I watch the way they interact. Very much like puppies, or kittens, really with the way that they're constantly fussing with something on the other person. I see a silver band flash on Demyx's left ring finger and I remind myself that their date is getting closer and closer. It's amazing, really, how much has changed over the last twenty days.

Demyx and Zexion getting ready to be married, me getting my ability to walk again, and the disappearance of Axel... It's almost too much for me to bear. I close my eyes and sigh softly.

My head turns when I hear someone calling my name. Automatically, I open my eyes and turn my head to look at whoever it is. It's Cloud. His lips are moving and yet I can't hear what he's saying. It's almost like he's speaking a different language than me. His blue eyes are wide as my own start to close. I sway forward as my world goes black.

My eyes open when I hear the annoying sound of a heart monitor beeping in my ear. I can hear people speaking, but I can't make out what their saying. I squint and try to pay attention.

"Poor kid... ...What would've... ...Axel?... ...Make it?" My eyes close once again. My head feels like it's going to split and I suddenly feel like I need headphones playing the soft, haunting melodies of Evanescence. I shift on the bed and sigh inwardly.

I could just give up. I think suddenly. Let the beeping lull me into a deep sleep and never wake up. I could just stay here, lost in this... Abyss of white; let death claim my soul and take me away from this place of hurt. I feel my body sagging, as if actually giving into the thought. Of course, Cloud might miss me... But he has Tifa and Leon now, so I don't think he'd be sad that long... And Demyx will mourn, but Zexion will get him through it. And Axel... My heart suddenly lurches, causing a loud, faster beeping on the machine I'm attached to. He won't miss me at all. After all, HE'S the one that left without rhyme or reason.

"...Roxas?" My eyes slowly open again when I hear a soft voice calling to me. It sounds so familiar, but I can't think of who it belongs to. Maybe my mind trying to conjure up someone I used to love. I think scornfully.

However, instead of seeing a head of spiked hair, like I expected, I see long red hair pulled into a low ponytail, though the color is still the same. A vibrant, beautiful red that causes my heart to ache in my chest. Why does that color follow me everywhere?! The man sitting next to my bed sighs and takes my hand in his when I don't answer.

"I'm sorry that I have to meet you like this, Roxas, but it really is an honor to meet you now." he starts and I inwardly snort. Just who the hell are you? I ask him, though I know he can't hear me. No one can hear my thoughts except me and my inner self that, despite itself, can't stop bringing up the blissful months of when I was dating HIM. "I'm Reno."

My head turns and I look at him. The same emerald green eyes, pale skin... This Reno could very well be his brother, though I don't voice it. I don't think I could voice anything at the moment. Older brother, of course. There are tell-tale wrinkles at the corners of his eyes signifying that he's older than he looks.

I open my mouth and he leans closer, expecting to hear a retaliation to his comment. Instead, all I can manage out is, "Water please." He looks ready to chuckle and reaches a long, lanky arm behind him and grabs the glass of sanitized, iron-free and medicine filled water and places the lip of it against my own lip, tilting it back to let the cool liquid slide into my mouth and down my sore throat.

When I feel that I can talk and NOT sound like I had a nail file against my esophagus, I clear my throat and sigh. "How long have I been asleep?" I ask. Before I can get an answer from anyone, I have a significantly larger body mass landing on mine and squeezing what little air I had in my lungs out in a wheeze.

"Roxas! You're awake!" Demyx squeals. I weakly try to push him back and he relents, pulling up to look down at me with watery, aquamarine eyes. "We thought we lost you! Why haven't you been eating?! How come you didn't tell us you were depressed over Axel leaving?! We would've helped you, Roxas!" he forces out in a somewhat hurt and bitter tone, though most of the effect of it is wasted due to the tears running down his cheeks.

I open my mouth and close it seconds later, unable to think of a lie quick enough. After all, trying to pass off the not eating part as part of a diet wouldn't work, I don't do sports, and to tell the truth, I hadn't been feeling much of anything the past twenty days. He sighs and buries his head into my chest and starts to sob.

I freeze for a moment before pulling him close and holding him as comfortingly as I can. What was I thinking? I ask myself as my half-brother weeps for what could've happened if I hadn't been put into the hospital. How could I possibly think that I'm not loved?

I close my eyes tightly, body shaking with monstrous sobs as tears slide down my own cheeks.

)(July 4th)(

I smile to myself as I head outside wearing a pair of khaki shorts and flip flops. There's nothing left to do but enjoy the fireworks that are ready to be shot off in... Roughly three hours.

The sweltering heat is beginning to finally cool down as the sun begins to set, casting varying arrays of red and gold across the sky. I find myself, standing in my backyard, toes dug into the wet grass from the sprinkler, staring at the sky, seeing something else entirely.

Flaming red hair, piercing green eyes... I close my eyes tightly and force the image away. I don't want to think about this right now. I'd rather...

Hold him tightly in my arms and never let go.

I shake my head and open my eyes again. "Why don't you leave me alone? You're not even here anymore...Axel..." I whisper, holding my arms around myself tightly.

"Roxas?" I turn my head and see Reno standing at the gate of my backyard, looking confused. I shake my head and walk over, trying to keep a smile on my face. "How have you been?" he asks me.

I shrug my shoulders, not really liking to talk much anymore. "Okay, I guess." I manage out. Hearing a laugh from inside the house, I crack a smile.

Demyx and Zexion got married just hours earlier and are currently enjoying their honeymoon in their room. Cloud and Leon and Tifa are in town, getting their fireworks for their own little party later today, leaving me here by myself mostly.

"Are you doing much today?" he asks and, again, I shrug my shoulders. He shifts his weight, almost nervously. That's the huge difference between Axel and his father: Reno is a more nervous person when talking to younger people. "Will you join me for a while?"

I nod and offer him a smile. "Just let me grab my shirt and leave a note for the newlyweds." I say. He nods and waits patiently as I run inside and grab the first shirt I see, not noticing that it is one of Axel's that he left during one of the many times he had stayed the night. Slipping it onto my considerably thinner frame, I scrawl out a note, paste it to the fridge with a magnet, grab my phone, and run out the door.

"Where are we going?" I ask Reno as I step out of the gate and lock it before following him down to the driveway, A.K.A., my front yard. My heart clenches when I see Axel's truck parked in my yard.

"I was told to come and get you, Rox." he answers with a sigh as I slide into the passenger seat. So many memories waft back to my mind, almost to the point that I start sobbing. Instead, I just feel hot tears trickle down my cheeks.

"Axel's... Not in the best of health. The doctors are saying that he only has a few more days before..." Reno's voice trails off and my heart jumps to my chest. He dies? Is that what you're trying to say?

"A-and he's been asking for me?" I stammer out, trying in vain to wipe my tears away. Nothing seems to help.

Reno nods and sighs. "He's been doing some pretty shitty things lately, Rox, to make sure that you've got a bright future. Well, someone decided to stop him and landed him in the hospital. His memory is fading and... No one's sure what'll happen." he explains as we drive to Axel's house.

My heart lodges in my throat as I jump out, ignoring the twinge in my legs that tries to tell me to stop. Instead, I rush into the house to see Axel sitting on a couch, looking more beautiful than my memory gives and I drink in the image as he turns his head.

Running over, I throw my arms around him and hold him tightly. He seems surprised and out of instinct, holds me close to him. I breathe in his comforting scent and smile to myself. "God, Axel, I missed you. I love you..."

He pushes me back, looking disgusted. "Look, I don't know who you are, kid, but I ain't gay." he tells me. I stare at him, swallowing thickly.

This is all just a joke, I try to tell myself as I look at him, trying to discern if he was serious or not. In a minute, he'll burst into that wide grin I love and we'll share a laugh and everything will be right again. There is no feeling but contempt in his eyes and I pull back more, stumbling to my knees on the floor.

Reno walks in and sighs. "Axel... This is the Roxas you've been crying in your sleep for." He says. Axel turns his head and stares at him.

"I didn't cry out in my sleep, Dad." he says. Those words... So painful... I get up and walk out of the house, empty once again.

Suddenly, an idea comes to my mind and I rush to our secret spot: a hidden area in his backyard. Panting as I frantically claw through the things, I grab a tape. Just a simple VHS that we had recorded together.

I look up at Axel's open window and chuck the tape inside before swallowing thickly and running home.

~Axel's POV~

"Dad, who was that?" I ask, watching the blond haired beauty run out of the house and feel something in me ache. I don't know why, but that look of absolute loss on his face just tears me to shreds inside.

"That is Roxas Strife, kid." My dad tells me and I scoff. "He is... Well, was your boyfriend."

I glare at him and stand up quickly, ignoring my sprained ankle. "Dad, I'm straight. I don't know why you keep insisting that I'm gay." I tell him as I walk up to my room.

With a sigh, I flop onto my bed, only to wince when I land on a tape. That's odd. I think before looking it over. It looks blank. What could it hurt? I walk over to the T.V. and push the tape into the VCR built-into the screen.

White noise is all I see, the fuzzies and the sound hurting my ears for a moment. My hand reaches out to shut the tape off when the screen suddenly shifts to a black screen. One by one, letters appear on the screen, reading, 'Incase one of us ever forgets...'

One by one, screens pass by, the soft, lilting of a piano in the background, accompanied by a sitar and a soft, eerily sweet voice. On the screens are pictures of two people. One I recognize as myself, looking happy. I stare at the face before my eyes slide over to the blond in the photos. He looks a lot like the kid that had run out just moments earlier only... Not as pale or thin or... Or dead looking.

There's a love in his blue eyes, so full of amazement and wonder as they gaze upon the me in the photos. After a few more, it cuts to an actual video. It's of the kid sitting in a wheelchair. "Hey Axel," His voice is so full of pain that it's unreal. There are tears in his eyes and his hands mess with the blanket on his lap.

"I guess... If you're watching this, than something has either happened to me or you've forgotten me, not that it's really that hard." He pauses to wipe some tears from his eyes and I feel part of myself cry out to hold the boy in my arms. "Or maybe you've gone to our special spot in your yard and looked through the stuff and wanted to see what was on this tape. I just want you to know that I love you. I know I've said it hundreds of... Times by now, but I can't stop saying it." He gives a watery smile and the image is just so... beautiful that it aches me.

The video cuts to the white noise again and then the screen turns blue, signaling the end of the video. With a shaky breath, I reach a hand out and eject the tape and stare at it.

Letting out an enraged cry, I chuck the tape across the room and watch it shatter.

)(August 31st)(

~Roxas POV~

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression. The most beautiful moments of my life flash through my eyes and I can't help but smile wryly. Those days are over and gone with. I think, blinking once. Maybe I can just...

"Roxas, you awake?" I turn my head to the door when I hear my brother-in-law knock on the door. Apparently I have been asleep for the past few hours and ignoring the calls they send up the stairs.

"No..." I answer, rolling onto my side away from the doorway, flinching as it opens with a creak. Soft footfalls follow Zexion's feet as he walks towards my bed and sits on the edge.

"C'mon, Roxas, you need to eat something." he murmurs to me and I can't help but press a hand to my stomach that growls at the mention of food. I know he's smiling now and he sets his hand on my shoulder, rubbing it lightly. "Please? Demyx cooked tonight." he murmurs.

I sigh and slowly get to my feet before heading down the stairs with Zexion. What the lilac haired man fails to tell me, however, is that we have other guests. I stop in the middle of the hallway, eyes wide when I hear a familiar laugh. Tears fill my eyes and I run into the room, throwing my arms around my dad's neck.

"Heyya, squirt!" Luxord exclaims, smirking when I tighten my arms around his neck. He wraps me in a hug and kisses my forehead before prying my off of him. "I take it you missed me?"

I nod my head fervently, wiping tears from my eyes when he ruffles my hair. "You've been gone forever!" I yell excitedly. He chuckles and clicks his tongue. "How's Mom?" I ask quickly.

He seems to become silent for a minute but smiles none-the-less. "She's fine. She decided to stay at the casino." He tells me. I tilt my head to the side in confusion.

"Dad, something's wrong, what is it?" I ask. He just shakes his head and rubs my back with a smile.

"Not a thing, Rox. She's just staying with Larxene and Marluxia for a while. You remember them, don't you?" I stare at him. Of course I remember my aunt and uncle. "She's just upset with me is all." He explains and shakes his head.

There are things about my Dad's past that I know about that I shouldn't. One was that he, while drunk one time, slept with my aunt before she was married and had a child known as Demyx. Mom didn't know, and neither did Marluxia. Either way, Marly's the kind of guy that wouldn't really care. Larxene's pregnant again, with his child this time, so it doesn't matter.

"So, I heard from Dem here that you've been through some hell lately. Who's the girl that dumped my son?" he asks, purely jokingly. A hush falls over the room and he sighs. "Roxas, you already know that I know you're gay, right?" he asks.

I nod my head and sigh, rubbing my arm. He, being the ever clever man he is, pulls out a small, crinkled letter from his pocket, with my name written in elegant handwriting, on the back of it. My eyes widen as I snatch it from his hands and tear it open before reading the letter happily. I don't know why, but I feel so much better with the written words from my mom in my hands.

"So, Demyx, how's married life treating you?" Luxord smirks at Demyx and I bring my head up to notice that, yes, he does have his lips currently occupied by Zexion's. I stifle a laugh and shake my head when Demyx blushes and attempts to pull his lips away.

I smile to myself and race to my room to actually get dressed. Walking back out with my cellphone pasted to my ear, I call my mom, eyes glittering happily. She answers on the third ring with a quiet yet cheerful 'Hello?'. I grin to myself and and laugh. "Hey, Mom." I say.

I hear something shatter and can only assume that Marluxia, who really should stay out of the kitchen, has either dropped something or gotten something lobbed at his head. "Roxas? Is that you, Baby?" she asks me. I lean against the wall, head tilted down slightly.

"Yeah, Mom, it's me." I answer. I hear her laugh softly, trying to keep quiet, and smile to myself.

"How are you, Roxas? Is Cloud's girlfriend pregnant yet? You have been using protection haven't you?" she asks quickly and I laugh softly under my breath.

"I'm... Well, I've been better. No, Tifa isn't pregnant, and neither is Leon. I'm still a virgin, Mom, why would I need protection?" I ask.

She sighs in relief before her breath hitches. "Leon? Cloud has TWO girlfriends?" she asks. I shift against the wall.

"Mom, Cloud has a girlfriend AND a BOYfriend." I say, stressing the word 'boy' probably more than I need to. "And I... Just got out of the best relationship I've ever been in. And... I don't know what to do, Mom." I murmur.

She sighs softly, in that motherly way that only mothers can do. "Roxas, Baby, I know Cloud has two partners. I just like messing with you. Now, tell me about this boy." I blink in disbelief and she laughs. "You came from my body, Baby, I think I know your sexuality."

"He was... The greatest thing that ever happened to me. And he... got into an accident and doesn't remember me." I hear her intake of breath and sigh softly.

"Well, Baby, just try to be his friend and work things up from there." she tells me. I hear a baby cry and she sighs. "I've got to go now, Roxas. Your sister's bawling for milk." I smile and nod. "I love you, Roxas."

"Love you too, Mom." I whisper and hang up the phone. I shake lightly as I lean against the wall, head bowed down to look at the ground. With any hope I can follow my mom's instructions.

"Rox, there's a redhead here. Says he knows ya." I hear my dad yell down the hall. Blinking, I close my phone and shove it into my pocket as I walk down and stop when I see achingly familiar red spikes.

That oddly feminine head turns and I stare into green eyes that hold confusion. Although the feeling isn't the one I hope for, my breath stills in my throat and I can't help but stare. "Uh... Hey." He greets awkwardly. I walk over and force a smile.

"Hey." I answer back, though my voice is too quiet to really be heard. He offers a smile in return and raises a hand, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So, Roxas, I uh... Found your video..." he says quietly, looking down at the ground fleetingly. My heart begins to speed up in my chest to the point that I feel faint. "And... Every now and then, I get these little... Snippets of memories, though not from this life at all. We were both in black cloaks and... I wanted to know if you had these dreams too."

I feel myself slightly let down from the question, though I don't voice it and force another smile. "Yeah... But after I met you, about six months ago, they dwindled down to almost nothing." I tell him with a shrug and scratch at my stomach lightly. I've forgotten that I'm not wearing a shirt and the scar I have is painfully obvious.

Without thinking, and I can tell because many people have done it to me, he reaches a hand out and traces it lightly down the scar on my chest, although unlike other people, he doesn't pull his hand away after a moment. Instead, his hand grips my hip and I feel a shiver go up my spine.

He raises his head and stares into my eyes. I see a flicker of recognition go through his eyes before my breath is being painfully squeezed from me. He has pinned me to a wall, his body pressing against mine, and his hands wrap around my throat tightly. I gag and try to claw myself away from his hands, eyes wide with panic.

He chuckles, the sound almost dark. "You think you can get away from me a second time, Number Thirteen? After I risked my non-life to be with you again. You make me feel whole and there is no way I am going to give that up." He growls, his face nearly touching my own choking one.

Soon afterward, his hands release me and he walks out of the door, leaving me to fall to my knees, grasping and rubbing my throat as I wheeze, tears entering my eyes and falling down my cheeks in a quick manner, leaving hot trails on my skin.

What the... heck Axel? I ask in my mind, vocal cords not working at all. I try to squeak out a sound and successfully let out a hoarse cry.

"Roxas, are you alright?" My dad asks me. Despite what I feel, I nod and slowly get to my feet to walk to my room.

)(December 31st, 2009)(

A soft sigh escapes me as I sit outside in the cold night air, watching the snow slowly falling down. It's rare that it snows in Traverse Town, even in winter, but I don't mind it when it does. Sometimes it reminds me of how simple things like frozen water can be beautiful, that I don't have to over-analyze things to get the full picture.

I'm curled up on the porch swing, socked feet sticking out from under my thick blanket. Inside, there's a party going on: music playing loudly, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages being consumed by just about everyone milling around. Demyx was singing into the karaoke system I got him for Christmas and I could hear my mother and father worrying over my baby sister.

She doesn't really look like either of them, but that was okay. Little Xion is quite a heart breaker already and she wasn't even a year old yet. Even then, she had managed to learn to walk at an early age and is currently toddling away from my mother's side to go play with the shiny orbs on the tree that is still standing tall in my living room.

I'm not sure what was worse, though: being woken up in the middle of the night to hear Tifa, Cloud and Leon going at it, which wasn't all that loud, or to hear Zexion and Demyx going at it at three in the morning. Granted, Cloud, Tifa and Leon had moved out a few months ago, but it was still disturbing to wake up to them when they were here.

It's alright though, living with my best friends. They have their small fights and I play the willing ear to listen to their sides of the story before giving advice. The nights of those fights usually ends with me downstairs, lounging on the couch with my headphones jammed in my ears to block out their cries of passion. Zexion may be quiet in everyday life, but he's quite vocal in bed. I should know; I hear him every night.

I exhale slowly, watching my breath come out in a stream of white vapor, disappearing in the cold air relatively fast. I bring a bottle of beer to my lips, the lip of the brown glass disappearing into my mouth as I let the bitter liquid fill my mouth and trickle down my throat. Despite the fact I'm legally too young to drink, Dad said I could have a few beers for the celebratory cause of New Year's. And I'm not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth... Well, often anyway. This past year doesn't count.

"Yo, Roxas!" I'm startled out of my thoughts by a familiar face that has been looming around lately and I smile slightly at Reno. He's taking the night off from piloting and is joining our little shindig, as Axel isn't sure what he wants anymore and Reno's gotten fed up with it. The redhead takes the seat next to me, raising an eyebrow as I nurse my bottle of alcohol. "How you holding up, bud?" he asks and I shrug at his question, my blue eyes going back to staring out into space.

"Okay, I guess," I answer after a moment, having run out of beer and could no longer wallow in my misery. "Just waiting for the New Year to come so I can figure out what to do with my life... Maybe I'll go break in a door or write lyrics to car alarms." He laughs at my suggestions and gives me a little shove.

"Or maybe you'll go out and meet a nice guy," he says and I visibly flinch. "Roxas, I'm sorry about Axel but maybe it's time you move on." He's startled when I get off the swing quickly and begin walking away, regardless of the fact that it's colder than a witch's tit outside and that I'm very nearly barefoot and with no actual jacket. "Roxas!"

I don't listen to him, instead letting my feet carry me to the park. I know it isn't much of a park in the winter but it's been a rather safe place over the past year and I want that security back. Sitting down on the swing, I let my eyes trail the ground, let the snow pile up on my body. I don't feel the cold as I sit there; memory playing with the spring and summer. It's a possibility that I'm just too numb to feel anything at the moment.

The eternal sunset of Twilight Town gives me a small relief, something constant that I can look forward to at the end of each crazy mission I'm assigned. I sigh softly, closing my eyes.

"You're early," A silken voice says as footsteps are heard behind me. I open my eyes and smile at him, chuckling a bit.

"No, you're just late." I answer, watching him move to sit on my right, his designated spot that hasn't been filled in a while. It's nice to know our tradition of eating ice cream after missions is starting to come back.

It's quiet for a few minutes, the sound broken only by our breathing and the sound of the wind from being up so high. Above us, the clouds are slowly moving, letting the fire of the sky spread. I chuckle, holding my ice cream in one hand. "It's been two-hundred and fifty-five," I murmur, mostly to myself, though I draw the attention of my normally talkative friend.

"What's that about?" he asks, raising an eyebrow, lifting a hand to his head and brushing a few spikes from his eyes. He looks tired, but content to be here and unwind from his mission.

I don't meet his gaze, instead I find myself near outright laughter. "It's been that many days since I joined the Organization." I say, not noticing that Axel has already finished his ice cream and his holding the stick between two fingers. "Man, time flies..." I whisper, shaking my head.

He chuckles and I glance at him out of the corner of my eyes, still not touching the ice cream to my lips yet. "So, you got the number memorized, huh?" he asks, clearly amused. His catchphrase made for funny jokes sometimes, I suppose.

"Yeah..." I say, looking down at the city below us. "Have to hold onto something, right?" I ask him. Two-hundred and fifty-five days of being with thirteen other members of a crazy club that harvests hearts to obtain a heart for each of us. "It's not like I have memories of my own from before the Organization." I look at him again. "Don't you remember? I acted like a zombie." At his smirk, I turn my head downwards, getting lost in thought.

His hand comes down onto my shoulder and I nearly jump as it snaps me from my impending headache. "Right, that first week, you could barely form a sentence." He's looking away as he says this and I can tell he's trying to keep from laughing. "But c'mon!" He slaps my back, nearly sending me off the clock tower and towards the street below. It's sheer luck I don't topple over. "You're still kind of a zombie." he jokes.

I glower at him. "Oh, thanks," I say sarcastically, though the angered look doesn't last long as we lapse into laughter, followed by silence as the sunset catches our eyes again.

"Hey, Roxas, bet you don't know why the sun sets red." he says, and his voice has captivated me again. "You see, light is made up of lots of colors and out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest."

It's my turn to shove him and I don't miss the chance. "Like I asked, know-it-all." I say, making us both collapse into laughter again.

I open my eyes and notice that it's close to sunrise. Make a wish, Roxas. I think to myself. I shake my head and just as the sun peeks over the horizon, staining the sky with fire, I smile sadly.

I wish Axel was here with me to see this...

)(February 14th, 2010)(

"I'm going out!" I call to my roommates, though I know they don't really hear me, too busy being romantic and whatnot. I roll my eyes when I hear Demyx call out towards me, requesting some sort of sugary object from the store. "Yeah, whatever Dem!" I shout before shutting the door. Stepping down the wet stairs towards the sidewalk, I smile slightly to myself. True, this year isn't much different than last year as far as the disgusting red and pink goes (if anything, it's worse), but I don't mind too much. Mostly, I ignore it as I head into town, hands shoved into the pockets of my jeans.

My hoodie covers my face rather easily with the hood up so I'm rather surprised when I'm stopped by someone grabbing my arm. I blink and look up, only to see Seifer Almasy standing in front of me with a smirk. "Well, if it isn't Roxas. How's that boyfriend of yours treating you? Oh, wait, never mind, you don't have one." he snorts at his own joke and I roll my eyes, step on his foot, and walk past him when he lets out a howl.

Secretly, I smile, knowing that he won't follow me. I may be alone again this year, but stepping on that bully's toes are at least a good point I can chalk up to the day.

I continue walking around town, mildly surprised that are aren't many couples outside this year. Well, it is considerably colder than it was last year and I know that most girls don't like the cold. Either way, I make my way towards the park without even noticing it. Sitting down in my favorite swing, I inhale deeply, letting it out slowly as I close my eyes.

"What are you doing out here alone, Roxas?" I jump and let my eyes shoot open. Standing in front of me is one of Sora's friends and I calm down slightly. He takes the empty swing next to me, his aquamarine eyes filled with worry for me, though I don't know why. He's got Sora now, as he has the same kind of situation as Cloud does.

"You know, just... Enjoying the serene feeling of nature," I say, though my eyes stray skyward. I knew it was late when I left the house, but I hadn't checked a clock. It was already getting close to sunset and I find myself laughing. "And you, Riku?" I ask the silverette, turning my full attention back to him when he gives me an odd look.

"Well, Sora was worried about you when he saw you walk past him earlier without noticing." Riku explains, shrugging. I nod, though I roll my eyes at Sora's childish worry. "I knew you were fine, but I couldn't stand his griping so I came to check on you... Why don't you come over? I promise we won't make out in front of you." He offers and I shake my head.

"Thanks, but I just want to be alone right now," I tell him and he smiles at me, understanding, before ruffling my hair and getting up, heading away. I watch him leave before shaking my head.

You know, in another life, we were bitter enemies... I think towards him with a wry smile. I guess things can really change when we're taken out of the context of our past.

)(Graduation, 2010)(

I stare front, eyes somewhat blank. The last year has gone by in a blur and I don't remember much. All I know is that I passed all my classes and that I'm sitting here, getting ready to receive a diploma from a High School that I've been attending for the past four years of my life.

"Roxas Strife." I get up, walk to the front of the gym, shake Saïx's hand. The next few hours are also a blur and when I finally realize what's going on, I'm at home, looking at a video Axel and I made together. Tears are present in my eyes, though there's nothing to force them out.

"Roxas?" My head raises from looking at the T.V. and I blink when I see him standing there.

But he can't be here... After a year and half... It's not possible, is it? But, again, he proves me wrong and walks over, to me, only to drop to his knees in front of me.

"Roxas, I... I'm sorry for what I did." he whispers to me. I want so much to believe him but I can't. I can't put my heart in his hands for a third time. He's broken it once too many.

"I'm sorry, Axel, but I can't... Not right now..." I whisper to him. He looks hurt but slowly gets to his feet and leaves the house.

I sway to my feet and walk to the bathroom to take a relaxing bath. Maybe that will help... I think. I turn the water on, watching it drip into the tub before stripping.

Rain is falling in a steady rhythm, the droplets smashing onto the ground endlessly. Footfalls, rather light in the dreary area, click on the concrete. Slowly, the figure, cloaked, comes out of the shadows. Once under the neon lights, the figure pulls off his hood, revealing Roxas' face. The cloak seems to engulf him in many different ways, as if it is too big for him.

I slip into the warm water, letting my eyes close. Numb. That's how I feel. Absolutely. Fucking. Numb. And it's the greatest feeling in the world. No pain...

My eyes catch sight of the razor that my brother left on the sink. I wonder... Reaching out, I grab the razor, watching the blade flicker in the light as I turn it over in my hands. It's one of the old fashioned ones that always stay too sharp for just a shave.

I flick it open, eyes dancing along the sharp edge. I run my thumb over it. Subconsciously, I feel a spark of pain, but my body doesn't react to it like it normally would.

He continues to walk and the rain slows. As he nears the entrance of the world, he glances out of the corner of his eyes. Leaning against the side of a building is Axel, arms crossed over his chest. Roxas just continues to walk.

I move the blade close to my wrist and lightly press it to the skin. A trickle of blood comes from the shallow cut, but no where near dangerous. I can't explain why the sight excites me, it's as if I've never seen my own blood before. I know I have because I used to Struggle with Hayner on a daily basis and come home with bloody noses.

Axel's head comes up. "If you get on their bad side, they'll destroy you!" he says, pushing off of the wall. Roxas pauses in his walk to cast a bored look behind him that pierces Axel's nonexistent soul.

I give a wry smile. Ah, more memories, huh? Are they real or something that I've made up unconsciously to deal with the real world? I don't know what's fact or fiction anymore. Someone could probably tell me that I'm president or some foreign place that doesn't exist and I'd believe them.

Roxas, what the hell are you doing?!

That voice sounds so full of pain...

"I'm ending it all, can't you see? If I'm not around, then Axel can be happy... Settle down with a girl and raise a family." I answer the voice in my head. I stare at the cuts on my wrist. The color of the blood reminds me of him. "Besides, No one would miss me..."

Roxas says before looking forward and continues to walk. He disappears through a portal.

I feel something collide with my shoulders and I look up. I don't see anything but a white light.

"That's not true, damnit! I would!" That voice is so... So fearful... Axel?

Axel watches him leave, eyes narrowing. His shoulders sag and he leans forward, knowing that his only chance for a heart has left.

The white light slowly fades to gray, which fades to black. The last thing I hear is Axel's voice screaming at me to stay awake.

)(Some time later unknown to anyone)(

I smile to myself, sitting in a grassy field. The air is so warm, so comforting that I don't feel like I could ever go home. I breath in deeply and slowly let it out, my eyes closing and letting the warm sunlight wash over my face.

My eyes open, however, when my cellphone rings. I pull it from my pocket and flip it open. "Rox?" It's Axel's voice and I smile to myself secretly, though it's broken up, as if he's too far away for the signal to hold out all the way. "Can you hear me?"

"Of course I can, Axel." I answer, chuckling softly. He, apparently, doesn't hear the chuckle.

"Well, if you can, I want you to know that I'm so sorry..." My eyebrows knit together. For what? "For treating you like I did. I miss you so much."

"Axel, why do you sound so sad? I miss you too, but I'm perfectly fine." I answer. I frown when I hear him cry before the line cuts out. "Axel?!" I frown again and snap my phone shut. I've been getting a lot of calls like that from him lately, but he never seems to hear me... Maybe there's something wrong with my speaker?

I sigh and replace the phone into my pocket and lay back in the grass. It suddenly doesn't feel too serene.

Wake up.

I look around as I sit up, trying to locate the voice.

Please, Roxas, just wake up.

"I am awake... Aren't I?" I ask, looking around.

I love you. Please wake up...

"Axel? Axel, where are you?" I stand up, turning in a full circle. "This isn't very funny, Axel."

The voice doesn't answer. There's just the soft sound of wind in the grass...

)(A few weeks later)(

~Third Person POV~

"Do you think he'll ever wake up?" Demyx asks Zexion, looking down at his baby brother, asleep on the bed. Zexion sighs and wraps an arm comfortingly around his husband.

"I don't think so, Dem. He's stuck in a self-induced coma. Only he can bring himself out of it." the bookworm whispers to him. Demyx frowns finally relents and lets himself be dragged away from Roxas' sleeping body. In the hallway, they run into Axel.

Demyx forces a smile as Zexion nods when they pass. Axel merely nods back and walks into the room to take Roxas' hand in his, like he had been doing for the past six weeks.

Axel hardly leaves his side during visiting hours, just sitting there, looking at him, crying for him, pleading with him to wake up. As always, the day ends uneventful for him. No response, no muscle twitch, nothing that signifies that the other might wake up.

With a sigh, the redhead slowly gets to his feet. He leans down and kisses the blond on the forehead softly before standing straight. His eyes widen when Roxas' eyes twitch before slowly opening. "Ax...el...?" he whispers, eyes just open a tiny bit. Axel clutches his hand and begins to sob, burying his head into the blond's chest. Roxas stares at him, confused. "What's wrong...?"

Axel shook his head, merely sobbing harder. Roxas' hand moves and begins to run his fingers through the tangled mane that belongs to the redhead. He pulls him up and presses a soft kiss to his lips with a sad smile. "I love you too... Let's meet again in the next life..." He whispered.

The heart monitor began to speed up as Roxas' breathing slowed down. Axel stared down at him, choking on his tears. He nodded quickly, kissing Roxas' lips again. "Yeah... I'll be waiting." he whispered back.

Roxas smiled again before his eyes closed. "Silly, just because you have a next life..."

)(Unknown amount of time later)(

~Someone's POV~

A soft breath leaves my throat as I look out at the waves crashing upon the sandy beaches. The sun is slowly setting on the horizon, setting the ocean and sky ablaze. It is hard to tell where the earth ends and heaven begins.

"Have we... Met before?" I slowly open my eyes and turn to look at a short blond with oddly spiked hair. I smile at him.

"Who knows; Name's-"

The blond grins and catapults himself towards me, his lips crashing into mine. I stare at him, shocked. I know I look irresistible, but only once has someone literally thrown themselves at me! The contact, however surprising, is familiar, like I've spent a lifetime kissing these lips, holding his body close to mine, whispered this sweet boy's name over and over...

I pull away after a moment and chuckle. "About time you found me, Roxas." I whisper to him. Roxas merely grins again and lays his head on my chest.

"And this time, nothing's taking you away from me..." He whispers.

)(End)(

)(Epilogue)(

~Roxas POV~

I let out a groan as I'm pushed to the bed, firmer than before. So much for being gentle tonight... It doesn't matter, however, when I feel the thing, or person, I'm craving slide his erection into me for the third time tonight. I can feel his smirk on the back of neck as the rocks his hips into mine.

"What's wrong?" He whispers, red spikes cascading into my line of vision. "Are you getting tired already?

I groan and growl low in my throat, bucking my hips backwards into him and smirk when I hear his sudden intake of breath. He only smirks again a moment later and speeds up. My breath hitches in the back of my throat before it comes out as another groan, my head falling against the pillow.

"Damn, Roxas, no matter how often we do this, you're still so tight..." He grunts into my ear, his hands gripping my hips as they start to fall. My response is a light whimper as he slows for a moment, only to let out a happy yelp when he speeds up once again, his length hitting my prostate repeatedly.

He groans as I tighten around him for the third time tonight and releases into me, my own sweet orgasm following milliseconds later. He's panting heavily as he pulls out of me and rolls onto his back. I fall onto my stomach, body a giant, shuddering mass of flesh which he gathers into his arms and kisses my cheek softly.

I turn my head and smile at him, brushing my left hand over his cheek. He smiles back and moves, kissing the golden band on my finger. Thirty years together and we're still going strong. And nothing has gotten close to tearing us apart.

"Momma?" Well, almost. I laugh under my breath and slowly untangle myself from my husband's arms, slip into a robe, and walk down the hallway to our daughter's room. I glance behind me and see Axel's smiling face. Nothing could be more perfect.