Urgh, i suck at first chapters, you have to introduce everyone and I'm shit at that. Sorry, it will get better, I promise! Italics are poor Roxie's thoughts,
I corrupt him a bit in this fic :3 and he seems to like the f word like me :) It sounds like your average fanfic but i promise there are many surprises in store! Thanks, reviews make me smile and you'll get a mention ! Later chapters will be longer, prommy. Will contain drugs, angst, violence, many profanities, candy fluff and (possibly) lemon later. You have been warned. Lyrics are Bon Iver's, not mine, please listen to them.

Disclaimer: I own NUTTING, other than my awful grammar. Forgive me.

The edge of a knife

Chapter 1

Roxas and Sora Strife were average people. Average lives, average school, average grades. To an outsider anyway. Teenage years are a struggle for many, others claim it to be the best years of their lives. Most say it's a mix of both that makes it so memorable. It changes everyone, some subtly and gradually, others in the blink of an eye. No one could of warned the Strife brothers of the burning storm that lay ahead of them. Living on a knife, it's how we live everyday. But the edge can be infinitely wide and so very sharp. That's why few venture there. They were just normal, average. Of course. They'd never have anything to do with the edge of the knife. Just like everyone else. Six degrees of separation. That's all it takes to become intertwined.

"The wretched desert takes it's form, the jackal proud and tight

In search of you, I feel my way, though the slowest heaving night "

"I don't know what to do Nams, he just doesn't seem to understand that I…"

A bell on the door jingled as another customer set foot in the cafe.

Sora stopped mid-sentence, looking a bit sheepish. Two boys approached them, one with honeycomb coloured hair and eyes like the sky, the other with long silver hair, aquamarine eyes slicing through.

"We'll finish talking later, yeah?" Namine said softly to her brother when she saw the two boys waving over to them.

"Hey bro, what's up?" Roxas asked, honey locks swaying when he saw Sora's downcast eyes, punching him in the shoulder playfully.

"Hey." Riku, the silverette, said in greeting, giving a soft smile. Sora looked up and immediately whatever was bothering him disappeared into thin air. Riku just had that effect on him. They had been best friends since diapers and were practically joined at the hip.

"Hey guys, I ordered the usual for us already!" Sora said, grinning widely. "It's on me today!"

"Jeez Sora, what's gotten you into such a good mood?" Roxas asked, smiling at his brothers exuberance.

"Well… actually, the cafe has given me a huge discount for the week, I introduced them to a few guys who could like, perform some nights here, and apparently it's increased their customer numbers considerably, this is their way of thanking me, and boy do I love it! I had like…four chocolate milkshakes today… heh heh…this is my fifth in fact! Boy does Tifa knows how to shake that milk!" Sora chuckled to himself, eyes having a short spasm as he sipped his straw, the sticky treat running down the plastic cup.

"She sure does." Riku noted lightly.

"Oh shit… no sleep tonight." Roxas sighed to himself as he ran a hand down his face, knowing Sora was even worse with the influence of sugar in his system. Riku looked at Roxas and laughed a little, smirking almost cruelly.

"What are you lookin' at? Asshole. I don't know what your laughing about. Your putting up with him tonight as well." Roxas scolded.

It didn't matter really, Riku practically lived at their house anyway. He didn't have a great time at home, his dad was barely there and his mother left when he was young. Him and his brother, Zexion, spent pretty much all their time at friend's houses. Roxas and him treated each other like bickering siblings. They'd had their fair share of bad moments, but it was obvious there was a mutual respect and caring for one another, and obviously, Sora was more than happy to have Riku around 24/7. They were a pretty unusual family, but they were a tight knit bunch who would never betray one another.

"Oh… yeah. Well... shit." Riku's smirk disappeared instantly as he looked at Sora who was shuffling nervously from one foot to the other and shaking slightly.

"Ho kay Sora, i think thats quite enough for today." Riku said, snatching the drink from the brunette and taking some for himself.

"So, what was it you were saying about 'performers'?" Namine inquired gently.

"Oh well, basically-" Sora paused and flinched a little when tiny droplets of milkshake flicked his way. Riku and Roxas were busy squabbling over Sora's forgotten cup and in the process were spraying chocolate droplets everywhere. Namine gave them a stern look. She was Roxas' and Sora's kind and gentle sister, a year younger than them. But she seemed wise beyond her years, and theirs. More often than not, they'd confide in her, and she'd give them the best advice they could ask for.

"Calm down guys, Sora kindly ordered for you both already, and is now in the middle of a sentence." Riku and Roxas shut up and behaved themselves immediately, knowing Namine would not tolerate them ignoring anyone. Namine was just like that, always making sure everyone had their turn for everything, and getting quite angry if they didn't.

"Continue, Sora."

"Well, You see Demmy? He's like, super good at guitar right, coz I saw him practicing while I was waiting for Riku at lunch and stuff. And then it got even better, some dude was singing with him, and they sounded amazing! Like totally professional! Demyx and the other guy… what's his name… Axel? Anyway, they thanked me for my compliments and told me they'd been wanting to start performing properly for a while now. Anyway Tifa keeps bugging me about fixing up this place and I told her I know just the thing!" Sora finished, having paused about once in his sporadic dialect that was so very… Sora.

Demyx was Zexion's "friend." Everyone knew they weren't really just "friends" but the pair refused to say anything on the matter. Tifa's caffe was like a second home to the Strife family and their… tag-alongs. The place was cozy and did the best milkshakes and coffees around. However, without enough money for publicising and doing up the place, business wasn't always great and Tifa, a 'well endowed' woman in her early twenties, pretty much relied on the Strife family for income. It was rundown and a little drafty, but the tattered red sofa pushed up against a corner felt like home to the boys and Namine.

"Well, Where are they?" Riku asked.

"Actually, they're playing outside today, they should be here soon."

The gang continued laughing at Sora and joking amongst themselves when their drinks finally came. Zexion joined them later, wanting to watch Demyx, obviously, even though nobody would dare say it to the stoic bluenette.

Soon after, they could hear the gentle sounds of a muffled song through the glass.

"In the swirling, curling storm of desire unuttered words hold fast

With reptile tongue, the lightning lashes towers built to last."

The strifes, Zexion and Riku took their drinks and went to sit on the sparsely laid out seats outside the cafe. Sora started going on immediately about how he'd "told them so" after he'd seen the impressed looks on their faces.

They were good.

Demyx, or 'Demmy' as Sora had dubbed him, had a look of pure bliss on his face as he picked almost effortlessly at the strings, his fauxhawk swaying lightly in the breeze. The man next to him also had a guitar, and sang softly and tenderly into the mike. His voice was raspy, like he usually sang at the top of his lungs, and was toning it down. But it was also soft and melodious, changing at all the right times. He was quite an eccentric looking character. His mane of red hair stuck out everywhere in a flamed disarray, while under his eyes he had two black upside-down tear shaped tattoos, contrasting against his pale skin perfectly.

It was only when he opened his eyes, that a small frame in the audience felt a sudden jolt.

They were green. Greener than anything in the world. Greener than life, sparkling, slicing through your soul like a blade.

"I did not come to steal

This all is so unreal

Can't you show me how you feel now

Come on, come talk to me."

The gang watched them, happily enjoying the warm, summer breeze and the gentle harmonies carrying them. When Namine realised Roxas had not taken to sitting back like the others and enjoying the song, she looked at him with concern.

"Roxas… Are you okay?" Namine asked tenderly, placing a delicate hand upon Roxas' shoulder.

Roxas didn't reply, he was too busy thinking about what this man could do with just his eyes. Jaw slack, he watched as they glistened in the sunlight, his smile making them curve slightly as he grinned over at the gang, noticing Sora and silently thanking him for the opportunity. When his eyes met Roxas' however, the grin turned to just a smile, not quite reaching his eyes, and Roxas knew at that moment that the young man wasn't just looking at his face, but into his soul. Only his eyes could do that. A young man he met so long ago. A rendezvous on a dark night so clearly imprinted in his mind. He swallowed, once.

"I can imagine the moment

Breaking out through the silence

All the things that we both might say

And the heart it will not be denied

'Til we're both on the same damn side

All the barriers blown away"

Twice.

Until a pale hand slapped over his eyes.

"Roooooxas! Wockass!" Sora squealed, loud enough to make Demyx and Axel look at him, quirking brows amidst the singing. Wockass was what Sora called Roxas before he could pronounce his name, it often got Roxas out of his strange dazes.

"Jeez Sora, what?"

"We were trying to get your attention for like, the better part of this song! You were really spaced out man!" Sora explained, a bit loudly, more like shrieking than talking. He did have the sugar of four and a half milkshakes in him after all.

Roxas looked a bit sheepish for a second and looked way, hoping the slight blush on his cheeks that was slowly spreading to his ears didn't show too much.

God Rox, quit acting like a prepubescent girl. I'm fuckin' 17. I'm not 11 and he isn't a Jonas Brother. And I'm not a girl. And I'm not gay. Sora's just been talking about Riku so much I feel like I'm gay as he's gay enough to split it between us… He's just rubbed off on me a little…That's all… Yeah. Fucks sake if this memory is real then this guy could be-

"It's okay to think someone is beautiful you know?"

Namine said it so quietly. But Roxas heard it loud and clear as a siren. Roxas' eyes widened as he gave Namine a careful look, lips gently parted in surprise, but not enough to show the others. She smiled gently at him, like she always did, a special smile she only gave to her brothers. Silent understanding as blue met blue. She looked off into the distance like she knew something no one else did, hugging her shoulders absently.

"I said please talk to me

If you'd just talk to me

Unblock this misery

If you'd only talk to me"

The duo gave a final strum on their guitars. Demyx stood up first, giving a polite and modest wave as Axel did the same, the tall man seemingly towering over the audience. They stepped off the small platform in front of the stairs to Tifa's Caffe and made their way over to Sora and the others.

It was only then that Roxas noticed how many people had gathered round them, cheering and clapping. He could see Hayner, Pence and Olette, sitting at a table applauding, old school friends who he waved to briefly. He saw Zack, Aerith, Leon; neighbours and best friends with the Strife family. The 3rd and oldest Strife brother Cloud with Tifa and a red-haired guy who looked startlingly like Axel that Roxas had never seen before. He saw various people he knew but didn't really know. From school, and just from living in Twilight Town for so long. Mostly it was just random citizens going about their average lives, willing to take a few moments to enjoy a song. However, on the furthest table from them, was a pink-haired man with sunglasses on. Roxas quirked a brow. He'd seen some strange characters. Hell there was a guy with god damned tattoos on his face coming up to- Shit, fuck they're coming over, why am i sweating, shit fuck I don't-

"You guys were a-maze-ing! Wow you have to perform again!" There were various other oh-my-gods and hyper words of encouragement from the wide and red-eyed Sora but Riku quickly stepped in to save the poor men's ears from bleeding.

"Hey guys, sorry about him, he's had one two many milkshakes today." Riku sighed apologetically. Demyx didn't seem to mind, Axel looked a bit perturbed however.

"Is he always like that? The kids worse than Dem on ice pops… and I'll tell you that's bad." Axel said, pointing a slender finger at Sora's swaying figure, who was now muttering about… Jelly beans?

The thought of Demyx high on ice pops and Sora muttering about jelly beans was enough to send Riku and Axel into a laughing fit, sighing at their friends antics.

"Pretty much. Yeah. I'm Riku by the way, you guys were great. You know Sora, this is his younger sister, Namine, and his twin, Roxas." He said after recovering from the both disturbing and amusing mental images of Demyx and Sora on sugar at the same time, introducing the family to Axel in Sora's place. The chocolate haired boy was now singing kids show tunes with Demyx. Uh-oh.

Namine smiled softly at Axel who waved back with a small grin. Roxas was staring at the extremely interesting pavement that seemed like a whole new world right now.

"Hey, kid, you okay? You look a little pale? Roxas right?" Oh shit he's talkin' to me… do something Roxas.

A hand curled around his shoulders as Axel stooped to Roxas' eye level. This guy was tall and it didn't help that Roxas was a shortie anyway. "I don't bite you know." You can fuckin' bite me all y- What the FUCK?

Roxas had to internally scream at himself to stop the bad baaaad thoughts and be a man before he looked straight into Axel's deep green eyes and said,

"I'm fine, sorry about that, I'm just really tired."

Is that it? No witty line? No ironic phrase to get him thinking? Nothing to make him think "wow this guy is interesting." I'm so fucking average sometimes it's sickening. Why am I even thinking so-

A memory flashed before Roxas, of emeralds floating in the darkness. And then, nothing.

Axel chuckled like he was laughing at some kind of inside joke with himself as his hand fell away from Roxas' shoulders. Roxas felt suddenly cold as he realised that Axel's hand was very, very warm.

Now he's laughing at me. Just great.

"Alright blondie, if this is how your bro usually is then I'm not surprised you're a little tired. But next time I wanna see a smile on your pretty face okay? Come on Dem, we've got a train to catch! Thanks again Sora! We'll see you guys on Thurs. Thats when we're next performing, catch ya later." A cheshire-cat grin spread across his face, matching his acidic eyes.

They sprinted off, obviously late for something, but not before Demyx quickly kissed Zexion on the cheek and Axel ruffled Roxas' hair.

After they'd gone, Sora huffed a little about the comment on him making Roxas tired. Riku laughed at Sora before tackling him in a headlock. Sora laughed nervously, looking a bit red. Namine sighed and gave Roxas a knowing look, as she dragged them home, Roxas and Sora on each arm, Riku at Sora's side. Just an average day.

Roxas just let himself be pulled along by Namine, thinking about the way Axel had ruffled his hair… the words he'd said.

"But next time I wanna see a smile on your pretty face okay?"

Fucking jerk, I'm not "pretty."

And 'blondie'? That better not become a regular.

Even so, he couldn't help grinning at the thought of the encounter. It scared him. It excited him. Axel wasn't average, he was far from it. He was so out of the norm, Roxas burned for that. Roxas burned for a distance memory, it filled him with anger, fear, and more than anything else, desire.

(Shut up stop thinking about him shut up shut up)

Thinking, drinking in every detail of that small memory. And he'd only met the guy once, seemingly.

Well… shit.