While Sora was more than happy to be back at the Destiny Islands with his beloved friends Riku and Kairi, he kind of missed all the adventures he'd had and the people he'd met along the way. Often, he found himself dreaming at night about the past experiences or about what would happen if he had met any of those people again.
One of those that frequented his dreams was Axel. He wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe it was because he had watched him fade away. He remembered how sad he felt when that happened, the sadness that he didn't quite understand, but it was still there nonetheless and he could still feel it long after it had taken place.
He hadn't wanted him to die, to fade away. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair he sacrificed himself. It wasn't fair.
Lately, the dreams were getting worse, more vivid. Axel, fading away, telling him he just wanted to see Roxas again, over and over again. Sora was beginning to lose sleep over it, though he didn't really want to admit it to anyone because it seemed so meaningless and ridiculous.
He woke up in the middle of the night again, hot, sweaty, and shaky. He decided he could use a glass of water and wandered to the kitchen to get one. He didn't even bother to turn on the light as he held a glass under the kitchen faucet to get the water.
A voice suddenly came out of the dark. "...Roxas?"
"Aaah!" Sora yelped, dropping the glass cup into the sink, shattering it into pieces as water still poured from the faucet.
A light turned on, followed by a disheartened voice. "Oh. I see what's going on here."
Sora, startled still, turned around to see, to his complete shock, the same redhead that haunted his dreams. The same redhead that was the reason he was awake right now. The same redhead that had made his heart skip at night. Axel. "What are you doing here? You...you faded away!"
Axel gave him a small smile, though it looked a little forced. "I guess I came back. Viola."
"But how? And why are you here?"
Axel crossed his arms, leaning against the wall next to the light switch. "Is that any way to welcome someone who just came back from the dead? You might want to turn off that faucet though, you're wasting water."
But Sora couldn't stop staring at him. "Why did you ask for Roxas?"
Axel rolled his eyes. "My, my, aren't we full of questions. Listen kid, sorry to bug you, but there was a misunderstanding. You don't have what I want, so I should probably go." He moved off the wall and started to walk away, all in fluid motions. Everything about him was smooth somehow, from his voice to the way he walked and moved. For a moment, Sora was fixed on his movements. But he shook his head and blurted, "Wait!"
Axel didn't turn around, but rather glanced back at him, a little smirk visible on his face. He probably couldn't hide it if he tried. "What is it?"
"W-where are you going?"
Axel shrugged, again in fluid motions. He was still smirking, but why? "Who knows? I must have come back for some reason, right? I need to find out what that reason is."
"Are you still...looking for Roxas?"
Axel stopped, paused for a moment. He sighed. "Kid, let it go. I have."
"No, you haven't. Otherwise you wouldn't be here."
Touche. Axel cringed inwardly. "Yeah? You think you're so smart, huh? You couldn't figure me out before, what makes you think you know me any better now?"
"But then why did you come here?"
"I told you, there was a misunderstanding."
"I don't know if I believe you."
Damn, this kid was difficult. Axel couldn't decide if he wanted to walk away. He felt compelled to stay, because being around Sora felt the same as being around Roxas, even if they weren't quite the same. He couldn't explain it, but he was addicted to it. But he didn't belong here, did he? He didn't belong anywhere. Not with Roxas, Sora, or anywhere else. He was just a nobody.
But if he didn't have a heart, then what was this feeling in his chest? "What does it matter to you?" He asked Sora. He walked over to Sora and tapped the other's forehead. "Ask yourself. Is knowing why I'm here that important?"
Should he admit it? Should he tell Axel the dreams he was having? Did it matter in anything? He hesitated.
Axel smirked at him, noticing the change in his face. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
"Of course not!" Sora replied with annoyance in a moment that reminded Axel of Roxas.
"Alright then. I get the picture. Later, I guess." He sighed, feigning a bit of sadness. "Just weird how I came here first when I came to, but I guess it doesn't mean anything."
"Wait!" Sora said again.
Axel laughed at him. "Make up your mind!"
"You came here first? Why?"
"I don't know." Axel confessed. "I guess I was expecting something that wasn't here. I felt something calling to me." He laughed again. "Maybe I've lost it."
"Calling to you?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
Sora looked down and started to fidget. "I had dreams."
Axel stared curiously at the kid, intrigued. He pulled over a wooden chair from a nearby table, turned it around backwards and sat on it, facing Sora. "Dreams, huh? Care to share?"
"Dreams about what happened," Sora continued, as if it were perfectly normal to be talking like this to him. "And I can't sleep."
"Aww, you've been dreaming about me? How flattering!" Axel exclaimed with laughter.
"It's not funny!" Sora said defensively. "I shouldn't have told you."
"Why not? I didn't realize you were such a fan. I can't blame you though." Axel said with a smirk. Sora's reply was a glare, so he continued, "But I guess it does explain a few things." He stroked his chin.
"Like what?"
"Maybe there wasn't a misunderstanding after all. You wanted me to be here."
Sora's heart skipped a beat. He didn't say anything. He didn't know iwhat/i to say.
Axel leaned him to him, still sitting but he was eye level with the brunette. "Am I wrong? It's cool, kid. But you're right about one thing. I don't have anywhere else to go." He drew back again, stretching his arms. "I'm a nobody without an organization brought back by some kid's dreams. Guess that can only mean one thing."
"One thing?" Sora asked.
Axel looked at him again, smiling deviously. "What do you say I stick around?"
"Stick around? But I--"
Axel interrupted him by placing a finger on his lips. "You don't have to say what it means. I'm pretty smart, Sora. And I can feel your heartbeat."
Sora just stared into his jade eyes, frozen but inside he was swirling with so many conflicting emotions, many of them new. And many of them he had only felt before in the dreams about the redhead. "A-Axel..."
Axel stroked the other's cheek and leaned in once more, whispering into his ear. "Y'know, I may not have a heart, but I'm pretty sure I feel something too."
Sora's heart pounded in chest. "I-I don't know what you mean."
Axel chuckled. "Oh, yes you do." He gently grasped Sora's chin, leaning in. Finally, he kissed the younger boy. When their lips met, Sora felt his heart flutter and his stomach fill with so many butterflies. He didn't move, because he didn't know what to do, or what to say. Part of him wanted this, but it wasn't like anything he'd ever experienced before. He was afraid. What if Axel was just toying with him? Or even, what if he was iletting/i Axel toy with him?
After a long moment touching Sora's lips with his own, Axel withdrew just a little but he was still so close, and their hot breaths still met in between them. "So can I stay?"
"Yeah," Sora replied in a breathy, heated voice. "You can stay. Please stay."
Axel chuckled, quietly. "I knew I'd have my way."