"Damn it! Get away from me!" Roxas cried as he ran faster, trying to keep away from the strangers he was running from, catching up to him quickly. He was sprinting, running as fast as he could, breathing in the frigid cold air of the winter night of Twilight Town in heavy gasps. He was running for what seemed like an eternity, but his pursuers were unusually persistent tonight. Usually, Roxas was able to outrun them or lose them, give them the slip, but today they caught him when he had least expected it. The blond was trying all of his tricks, turning sharp corners, using short cuts to get where he needed, but his pursuers still caught up.

Roxas spotted a corner he happened to be running towards. Hoping it would mean escape from his pursuers, he quickly rounded the corner, ready to sprint far into the distance, but to his dismay, there was a fence blocking his path. He quickly begun to panic, and without thinking, started climbing the fence, doing anything he could think of to get away. He was almost to the top when his foot was suddenly grabbed and pulled with great strength. Roxas fell to the floor, immediately picked up by his captors, his arms being held by two men, one on each arm. This prevented him from making any arm movement, for these men were many times stronger than him.

"Please, let me go!" Roxas cried as he struggled, kicking his leg up hitting one of his captors square in the jaw. The man stumbled backwards clutching at his jaw, while the other two tightened their grip on the blond, roughly pushing him into the fence behind him. The air was knocked out of his lungs as he hit the fence. Roxas was trembling with fear, breathing shakily, desperately trying to get out of the situation he was in. The man who was kicked regained himself, and started walking back towards the blond, an evil smirk upon his face.

"You shouldn't have done that my prize…" He grabbed Roxas' face forcing him to look at his captor. The blond looked up, fear and hatred apparent in his bright blue eyes. The man smirked, enjoying the look in his eyes, arousing him even further. "I'm gonna enjoy myself with you." He leaned closer making Roxas flinch. "I'll make you feel real good…" The man's other hands slowly began to creep up under his hoodie, cold hitting the blond's stomach making him flinch again turning his head. He trembled more, his knees falling weak as his breathing hitched in his throat.

Someone... Please help me...

"You again? How many times do I have to kick your ass?" A voice said making all heads turn in the sound.

His captor was the first to look, growling as his eyes saw the man before him. "Tch, you again. You're not taking my prize away this time."

Roxas looked around the man in front of him catching sight of the man who spoke earlier. He couldn't him see clearly due to the dark night, but his hair was an array of spikes, and those eyes, bright emerald green eyes that pierced the darkness of the cold winter night.

Before anyone else had a chance to speak, the strange man came running towards Roxas' captors. He punched the one holding Roxas' face, making him crash against the gate before falling to the floor. The rest of the fight was clean and swift, the unfamiliar man beating the rest of them without a challenge. Soon they were off running, leaving Roxas trembling on the floor looking up at his savior.

The spiky haired man moved closer to Roxas slowly, offering his hand to the blond to help him up. Roxas just stared up into those bright green eyes, trembling violently.

"I'm not going to hurt you…" The unfamiliar man said to him. "I swear it, you can trust me." He kneeled down still holding his hand out to Roxas. "Take my hand, I'll get you home."

Roxas hesitantly grabbed the other man's hand, squeezing it tightly, his hand shaking violently. The other man stood up, helping the blond stand holding him tightly in his arms to help him stay up.

"Easy there, I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered again, supporting Roxas in his arms. He noticed the blond was still trembling. "Can you walk?" He asked, still holding him up. Roxas just stared absently into space, barely taking in that he was being talked to, his mind still thinking about what would've happened if this man hadn't come to save him, visions of his past creeping into his memory as he tried to tie them down again. The man sighed taking Roxas into his arms lifting him up. The blond squirmed in his grip, still not registering that this man was trying to help him, take him home. The man sighed once more taking Roxas' face in his hand, bright blue eyes meeting with emerald ones. The blond stopped squirming at once, staring into those bright green eyes. He spoke softly."I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help you. Please let me do that."

Roxas looked back at the man, the stunning emerald eyes captivating him, holding him in a sort of trance. He saw something in those eyes, something he couldn't quite fathom, and it soothed him, just looking into those eyes. They made him feel safe, as if his life wasn't all bad. He was brought back into reality when he realized he was off the floor. Roxas nodded once, never breaking eye contact with the man.

The strange man smiled softly. "Good. Do you know where you live from here?"

"I… I live by the Twilight Town Theater." Roxas said barely audible. "It's pretty far from here though…" Who was this guy? Why did he help him? Why did he wish to continue helping him? These questions swarmed through Roxas' mind, but he know none of them would be answered. He couldn't find the strength to ask any of them, keeping them locked up inside, as he did with everything else.

"I don't mind; just want to see you get home safely." The man began walking, Roxas held close in his arms. "By the way, the name's Axel."

The blond once again looked into those captivating green eyes. "Roxas..." He muttered softly. "My name is Roxas."

Axel smiled. "Well Roxas, what's a kid like you walking around town this late?"

"I've always done it, and I always run into that group… They've never caught me until now…"

"That doesn't explain why though."

Roxas didn't respond. He just met this guy, why is he already trying to pry into his life? Axel assumed Roxas didn't want to talk anymore when he didn't respond, so the rest of the walk was quiet except for the occasional shout of the other people who were still out. He kept on walking until he reached the theater, where he stopped and asked Roxas for directions to his house.

"So, now where do I go?"

"Just put me down now, I can walk the rest myself."

"What?" Axel asked confused.

"Put me down, I don't need you knowing where I live. I don't know you." He squirmed until Axel put him down. Roxas turned looking at his savior more closely. He found he wasn't really a man at all, two, maybe three years older, still a teen like himself. He had wild spiky red hair, and below those stunning green eyes were tattoos, in the dark he couldn't exactly tell the shape, but they seem to be tear shaped. He was tall and skinny, but you could still see the muscles even through the long sleeved shirt he was wearing.

"Well, since you won't let me take you the rest of the way home, can at least give you my number, in case something happens again." Axel took out a piece of paper and started scribbling what Roxas assumed was his number. When he finished writing, he handed the paper over to Roxas. "Please, consider calling me. I can help you."

Roxas was unsure what 'helping' Axel was talking about, but he seemed honest enough, maybe he would at least try to call, but, he doubted it.

"So, will you call me?"

"Maybe…" Roxas said while taking the paper. "I really have to go now though. Bye." Without even waiting for a response, he quickly turned around and ran, running as fast as he could, far away from Axel.

"What a confusing boy..." The fiery redhead whispered to himself. He turned around and began walking back to his own place, thinking about Roxas the whole time. What was that kids problem? Wandering around Twilight Town this late into the night. He should know that he would be an easy target for all those pervs out there, so why would he risk it. Then Axel remembered the look on Roxas' face as he carried him that far. Almost completely blank, not really showing any sort of emotion. Even his eyes, barely showing the fear he was sure to have felt. Axel knew there were people like that in this world, unwilling to let anyone see anything, keeping everything locked away deep inside where no one could hurt them. He knew because, he had once been like that, but, he was never that closed off.

"Wonder what his story is..." He muttered to himself entering his building. Axel had no one to help him during that time in his life, he had to learn himself that not everything would harm him, that his life the way he was living it was unhealthy. No one should have to live like that.

Axel quickly swung the door to his apartment open, walking into his room slowly. Instead of just jumping into bed, falling into the sleep he needed, he walked to the sliding door window to his balcony. the redhead looked out leaning on the railing. The town that could be beautiful and ugly at the same time.

"Roxas..." Axel spoke softly, as if trying not to wake the sleeping neighbors of the building. "What is your story..." He wanted to know what could have possibly happened to make him so, locked up inside himself. So closed off from the world, so, disconnected from everything... Everyone. Axel needed to know, and also, he had the urge to provide the help that he never had. He may not know the boy, hell, they just met, barely even spoke the whole time walking to the theater. Even if Axel had tried to make more conversation, Roxas probably wouldn't have spoken very much.

The red head sighed deeply closing his eyes, letting the cool wind hit his face. "Please Roxas, let me help you."

Roxas reached his apartment not too long after he ran away from Axel. He was out of breath, panting heavily, chill of the night air stinging his throat. He unlocked his door and walked inside. Empty as usual. No one ever home, not since what happened all those years ago..

Visions of hurt and torment immediately entered Roxas' mind.

"Get away from here Roxas!" His mother cried loudly, unable to escape the grip of the unknown man.

Roxas sat there next to the bosy of his dead father, tears staining his eyes, fear preventing him from standing up, running away like he should.

The blond shook the thought from his mind. Don't think about that now…

He stripped of his clothes leaving them strung across the floor as he walked towards him room. He set the temperature to 84 degrees, preparing himself to sleep through the cold night.

Roxas quickly collapsed on his bed, immediately wrapping himself in the covers, trying to forget everything that happened tonight. He closed his eyes blocking all his terrible memories from his mind, hoping to fall into nothingness, praying for another dreamless night.