Sunshine

Chapter 1

Roxas was a normally happy person. He didn't give off smiles very often but he always was in a good mood. So you can imagine my surprise when he walked into chemistry Monday morning looking like he had just gotten hit by a bus. His eyes were red and puffy like he had cried himself to sleep, and his skin was slightly paler than usually.

I looked over, worried, when he sat down in his usual seat next to me. "Roxy, what happened to you? You look awful!"

He gave me a playful glare. "Gee, thanks, Axel. Nice to see you, too," he responded before pulling out his text book. "I just had a bad night, that's all."

Liar. I knew when my best friend was lying. I had known him too long for him to be trying to pull that shit on me.

I opened my mouth to respond but the bell rang and Mr. Even began his usually Monday lecture. I wouldn't see Roxas again until lunch. I decided I would bug him then.

Sitting down at the beaten up courtyard table, I scanned the area for my favorite little blonde.

"If you're looking for Roxas, he isn't here," my ex-girlfriend – and now good friend since coming out –, Larxene, mentioned before taking a bite of her BLT. "I saw him go up to the roof. He looked pretty upset, actually."

At this, I frowned. Without giving a response, I gathered my messenger bag and headed towards the roof.

I heard Larxene shout "You're welcome!" and I gave a wave without looking back.

Roxas and Larxene were ex-step siblings that had five of seven classes with each other. Larxene was also the only one that knew of my love for the feisty blonde. She had been the one to break off our relationship when she saw the way I looked at Roxas whenever we talked.

Making my way through the school and up to the roof, I started to hear soft sobbing. When I opened the door, I saw Roxas sitting against the wall with his face buried in his knees. It appeared he hadn't heard me come up.

I silently slid down next to him. He flinched when he felt my arm slip around his shoulders but relaxed easily. "Rox, what happened?" I asked softly. I rarely saw Roxas in such mess but it still pained me to look at.

Roxas shook his head and look at me with bright, tear-stained, ice blue eyes. "My parents had held our weekly family meeting last night at dinner."

Shit. Roxas's mother hadn't been the same since remarrying the blonde's father. Neither was ever sweet to begin with but after the wedding, things had gotten worse. I rubbed his shoulder, urging him to continue through sobs.

Roxas gave an upsetting chuckle and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "I decided I was finally going to come out to them. I was so tired of keeping it in."

I exhaled, feeling my heart shatter. Who knows what those Christian-heavy dicks did to him after such a confession. "Did they hurt you?" I whispered.

He shook his head and a bit of me felt relieved but when the blonde gave another choked sob, I felt worse.

Roxas took a deep breath. "I'm moving, Axel. I'm moving to Alaska because they think you influence my 'sin'. They're sending me to some bullshit camp once we get there, too," even more tears started to run down his face. "I don't want to move, Axel! I want to stay here with Larxene and Demyx. I want to stay here with you!" he buried his face in my chest and just about screamed his lungs out in pure frustration.

I was shaking. My body was in shock, my heart was in pieces, and my mind was furious. Roxas was leaving? I shook my head in disbelief. "Roxy…" it came out as a whisper as I fully wrapped myself around the love of my life. "Roxy…!" and I started to cry, too.

Several weeks had passed and Roxas was looking sicker each day. Today was the Friday before he was going to be leaving. Trust me when I say his parents wasted no time uprooting everything. I had barely seen the blonde since he was taken from my chemistry and art classes but we still had lunch together and I planned to sneak over late tonight.

When he walked up to the courtyard table at lunch, my breathing stopped. Not only did he look sickly today more than ever, but he had bruises all up his arms and a band aid across his nose.

"Roxas," I started as I made room for him. "What happened to you?"

He shook his head and pulled out his lunch before responding with a simple "I fell."

He was lying. Of course something had happened between his parents. I glanced at Larxene who immediately got the message and stood up, taking our other friends with her.

I sighed and turned my entire body to face Roxas. "Why did they do this to you?" I asked quietly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bullshit, Roxas, you know exactly what I'm talking about," anger surged through me. It seemed all I ever was lately was angry or crying my eyes out.

Roxas turned to me, his crystal-like eyes beginning to flood with tears. "I told them I didn't want to go. I stood up to them and said that I refused to leave here. My mother started crying and my dad started hitting me," he stopped when he realized the now spilling tears were preventing him from being understood.

I pulled him to my chest, just like I had that day on the roof, and let him cry into my faded red sweatshirt. I wanted to comfort him, tell him everything was going to be fine; but I knew it wouldn't be though. He would be given hell at that shitty camp and even more from his parents when he got back "un-cured". I might never talk to him again or see him happy or at all.

My thoughts were interrupted when the bell rang. I hadn't realized how long we had been sitting here like this. Roxas had stopped crying and was simply sniffling, now.

I leaned down to speak into his ear. "I'll be over tonight so be sure to stay awake," I hugged him tighter before swinging my bag over my shoulder and heading to fifth period.

My heart was racing. It was currently midnight, and I was outside the window to Roxas's first floor bedroom. I could see him in his bed, lying on his side and his back away from me. Every so often his shoulders would give a sharp jerk; probably from crying. I softly tapped on the glass and watched as he turned around in his sheets. When he realized it was just me and not some robber, Roxas walked over to let me in.

"Axel, this isn't a good idea," despite his protests, I made my way to lay down in his bed, pulling him with me by his waist. "Seriously, Axel, what if you get caught?"

"You're leaving in the morning because you're parents think I made you gay. What else can they do?" I knew what the answer was and so did he but neither of us bothered with it for now. "Just go to sleep. Let me hold you," I whispered the last part but I knew he heard it.

I watched as he closed his eyes. Not long after he started humming and I instantly recognized it as the song his older sister, Namine, used to sing to us at sleepovers. Whenever Roxas and I had had too much sugar or just wouldn't sleep, Namine would come in and sing "Sunshine" to us so we would go to sleep. After the wreck that killed Namine, he had used the song as a security blanket anytime he needed to calm himself down.

I smiled sadly before singing with his humming.

You are my sunshine,

My only Sunshine,

You make me happy,

When skies are grey,

His eyes fluttered open and he gave a soft smile, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.

You'll never know dear,

That was when he started singing with me.

How much I love you,

Please don't take my sunshine away.

Roxas looked up at me, tears prickling his eyes but that sad grin never leaving his lips.

"I love you," he whispered and if I wasn't so upset with him leaving, I would have shocked.

"I love you, too," I responded setting my forehead against his. "I always have."

He leaned up for a small kiss yet I deepened it. I didn't want to ever let go. I knew I had to, though. When we pulled away, he snuggled again into my chest and began softly crying.

I sang him the rest of the song until he fell asleep. I left soon after, regrettably.

The next morning, I drove to Roxas's house, bright and early, to see a moving truck being filled in their driveway. Roxas was arguing with his parents on the lawn. My blood boiled just watching them yell down at him. I pushed my door open and trudged up to Roxas. He was still fighting with his parents. In fact no one noticed me until I wrapped my arms around the blonde's torso. I looked up his father who was red with fury.

"If you so much as lay a hang on him while he's gone, I will find you both and beat you to a pulp. I have my ways of finding out. You can hide him all you want but you can never keep me from him," that was when I leaned down kissed Roxas, hard, in front of his parents. "Be safe," I whispered in his ear before pecking his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He responded quickly as I was trying to make a fast get away.

While driving away, I watched Roxas's mother shake him by the shoulders, tears running down cheeks.

I find you again. I thought to myself. I promise.