"Well…I guess this is it," Axel stated, standing in front of the house with a single suitcase in his hand. "This is goodbye," he went on. He sighed. "I can't believe I'm actually leaving."

"None of us can," Naminé said. "We're gonna miss you, Axel."

He smiled. "I'm gonna miss you guys, too." He hugged the little blonde girl.

"Let us know what the city is like," Marluxia told him.

Axel smiled. "I will."

"Do you really have to go?" Naminé questioned.

"Yeah, I really do."

"But don't worry," Demyx began, throwing an arm around Naminé's shoulders, "he'll come visit us! Won't you, Ax?"

"As much as I can."

"Don't forget about us," Zexion added.

"Not even if I wanted to."

Then the redhead looked towards me. I was sitting on the steps of the front porch of the house, away from the rest of the group. I didn't care to say goodbye. Axel's leaving was the best choice for both of us. We both needed this separation. Now if only we could both realize that…

"Tell Roxas that I said goodbye," Axel told Naminé, even though he knew I could hear them from where I was.

"No," she denied. "You have to tell him yourself."

He shook his head. "He doesn't care to hear it from me."

I dropped my head after hearing that.

She sighed. "Fine."

"Thank you." He took a deep breath and quickly huffed it out. "Well, I guess now is when I actually start to leave. So goodbye everyone."

"Bye Axel," the guys all said.

Naminé hugged him again, tears forming in her eyes. "Keep in touch."

He kissed her forehead lightly. "Of course."

He pulled away and finally headed for the train station. And once he was out of sight, Naminé turned on me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she questioned.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in reply.

"You're letting him go!" she exclaimed. "You're actually letting Axel leave."

"Hey, this was his own damn choice!" I rose to my feet. "It's not like I told him to go. So don't go getting pissed at me."

"But you're still letting him go even when you don't want him to."

"You don't know what I want."

"But I do know, Roxas. I know you! Just like I know that you and Axel are supposed to be together."

"Now what are you talking about?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Axel likes you! You like Axel! You two are meant for each other!"

I shook my head. "You're crazy, Naminé. We were only ever best friends."

"Bullshit," Marluxia interrupted. "There was always so much more going on between you two."

"There really was, Rox," Demyx agreed in confirmation.

"So now it's time you admitted it to yourself," Zexion added.

I stared back and forth between the four of them, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "You're all fucking with me, right?"

"We wouldn't lie about this," Naminé denied. "Why can't you just realize it?"

"Because it's not true!"

"Yes it is!" She was almost screaming now.

"This was Axel's idea, but I agreed with it," I reminded them. "This is something that needs to happen. We need the time apart."

"Why?" Demyx wondered. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It makes sense to us."

"Well, help us understand," Zexion stated. "We hate being left in the dark and this doesn't make sense to us."

"It doesn't need to make sense to you guys."

"It's because you two are too damn stubborn to admit you like each other and you both have this crazy notion that being away from one another will make those feelings go away, too," Marluxia declared. "You're both scared."

"We are not!" I shouted.

"Shut up!" Naminé cut back in. "Ugh!" She buried her face in her hands. "I really hate it when two people who are supposed to be together have no frigging clue that they are supposed to be together." She was calmer again.

I thought for a moment. "Even if I did like Axel, it wouldn't matter; he doesn't like me, too."

Marluxia nodded, closing his eyes. "Yes he does."

"How do you know?"

Demyx shrugged. "Honestly? He's told us before."

"Wait, he actually admitted it to you guys?"

"Yeah, he told us pretty much right before you two got into this whole stupid argument," Zexion informed me.

"That's right, this stupid argument," Naminé confirmed. "So now what are you gonna do? Are you still gonna let him leave?"

I paused before recollecting myself. "It doesn't matter at this point," I spoke up again. "It's too late." I turned to go back inside.

"So that's it?" she called after me. "You're not even gonna try to stop him?"

I froze and looked towards the direction of the train station. And then, without thinking twice about it, I began to run.

I don't think I had ever ran as fast as I did then. And it still didn't feel fast enough. Who knew where Axel was by this point? Because if he was already at the station, then it could be too late. I couldn't let that happen, though; I couldn't let him leave. And so I continued to run as fast as I possibly could.

As I neared the station, I heard the whistle of the train. "No, no, no!" I shouted to myself. I ran faster and finally reached my destination. I burst through the doors to see the train leaving. "No! Wait!" I called, running after it. And then I don't know why I did—it's not like he would've been able to hear me—but I yelled, "Axel!"

It was too late, though. The train was gone and he was onboard. And I was left standing alone at the station.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, grasping my hair. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I ran my hands down my face, trying to relax. Finally, I let out a sigh, looking back in the direction the train took off in. "Goodbye Axel. I'm sorry."

I exited the station and began my slow walk home. I couldn't believe I didn't make it. I let out another sigh, stopping dead in my tracks. I was so exhausted now; I didn't want to move a muscle.

"Roxas," a male voice then softly said my name from behind.

My body stiffened. I knew that voice all too well. It couldn't be…

Then I turned to see those emerald green eyes staring at me.

"Axel! How are you—?"

"I didn't get on the train," he cut me off, taking a step towards me after putting his luggage down.

My blue eyes were scanning the ground to avoid his heated gaze. "Why not?"

He took another step closer to me. "I couldn't."

I finally looked up at him. "Axel, I'm so—"

"I don't care, Roxas," he cut me off again. "I don't want you to say sorry or to apologize or anything." He paused. "I just want you."

He kissed me then. Taken aback at first, I soon melted into the kiss. And it felt more amazing than I could've ever imagined.

"So…does this mean no more goodbyes?" I checked after pulling away.

"No more goodbyes," he promised.

I nodded. "Good."

He smiled. "Roxas."

"Yes?"

He leaned into me and whispered in my ear, "I love you."

I blushed lightly. "I love you, too."

Then Axel kissed me again and I kissed him back.

It was nice. Not saying goodbye, I mean. And I realized in that moment that nothing felt more right than to be held in Axel's warm embrace.