There was a split second between seeing the kid and thinking 'What in all frozen heck-' and falling in love.
It's the same reaction for most people when they see Sora, of course. Brunette and skinny, tanned and laughing, dancing in the sunlight - even when it's night. It was night then, close to the twilight hours, heartless rushing like rivers through this dark little city.
Like butterflies, the creatures flitted between lamp-posts, sniffing. At that point, he didn't know what they could smell.
And outside Sora kept on dancing, unaware of the black-haired boy watching him through the window, nineteen and only watching because he couldn't tear his eyes away. His door was locked, barricaded in this empty town. He didn't know it couldn't help.
His mother and father were gone, his friends dead or simply lost in the tide of people who ran. He knew his guitar-plucking friend was somewhere in that rush of little beings, and for a moment, Lea tried to spot which one - before, of course, the key ripped them cruelly to pieces and scattered their nonexistent entrails all over the ground.
Sora turned and saw him. He stared - just for a second - and blinked quickly. His mouth moved.
Lea could only stare and shake his head - and feel that sensation when everything went blindingly white and he could see nothing except blood behind his eyes when they rolled back into his head, and the pain that was making him feel so empty.
And Lea became Axel.
So he wasn't surprised when that dancing boy returned, less light shining in his eyes, and Axel loved him, too, different as he was. Roxas didn't dance - he didn't laugh or sing. But when they were alone, for the briefest, closest moments, he loved harder than Axel imagined Sora ever could.
No, not surprised at all.