Letters From Liars – Chapter One

'Three weeks. It's been three weeks since you got posted in the East. Three weeks since I last saw your face. I swear, it feels like three years! Three years since I last heard you laugh. Three years since I last looked into your eyes. God, Roxas… I can't take it anymore. I miss you so much it physically hurts. Everything reminds me of you. I was patrolling the slums just yesterday and I ended up in that park. The one where I first met you, do you remember? It's still full of those beautiful white lilies you love so much. I just stood there and stared, thinking about how you looked that day, how your hair flew into your face on the breeze. Riku had to punch me, just to get me to realize that shots were being fired (just a misunderstanding, Rox. We're all fine).

It's not fair that Riku and Sora, and Demyx and Zexion, all get to be together, while we get ripped apart. I worry about you so much. The East is dangerous and it scares me to think that you're there. At least Zexion always knows Demyx's situation, always knows that he's okay and that he can keep him safe. I can't and it terrifies me, Rox. Please, PLEASE, for the love of God, my heart, and my sanity, please, stay safe. Promise me you'll stay safe? I love you, Roxas. Remember that.

I love you, Axel.'

I reread the letter for what must have been the millionth time. There were parts where the ink had run, leaving little grey splotches painting the page. Whether they were from my tears or from Axel's, I couldn't tell. I knew exactly how he felt. I missed him so much it felt like I'd break down. Like my heart would turn to dust and I wouldn't live anymore. It felt like he was on the other side of the world and the very real chance that I'd never see him again scared me to death. At any moment, either one of us could take a bullet and leave this life behind. I just really hope that there is a heaven so that, if there ever happened, I know I can be with him again. I love him, more than my own life.

I clutched the letter to my chest, like I was trying to absorb the words into my body as the tears streamed down my face, sobs breaking out from my chest, shattering the steady rhythm of my breathing. I heard Demyx calling my name and hurriedly folded the paper along its battered creases, pressing my lips to it once before sliding it back into the pocket halfway down the leg of my camouflaged cargo pants, fastening the clasp and scrubbing at my eyes just as Demyx opened the flap of the tent.

My squad, Squad XIII, had been posted approximately 10 miles from the Eastern barracks along with squads III, IV, VI, IX and X. Squad XV was supposed to be arriving today, along with fresh supplies, the mail and new orders as well as news from the Western Front, the barracks and Grand Central. Our orders come straight from Xemnas (we're supposed to refer to him as General Donovan because he's our superior, but Axel and I have known him since we were kids. It feels weird saluting him and calling him 'sir' when he's the one who used to buy us ice cream and shove pencils up his nose so we'd stop crying).

"Hey, Rox, Squad XV just pulled in and, man, wait until you hear-" Demyx's bubbly voice broke off as his eyes finally landed on my tear-stained face. I sniffled quietly as the sound of rustling fabric filled the tent, then the snap of metal on metal as the zipper collided with its other half.

'When will I see my other half again?'

I felt the canvas of the military stretcher shift as Demyx sat beside me, silently wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me close.

"Axel?" He asked quietly.

I nodded, trying to stop the tears that were still leaking down my face. "What if he'd gotten hit, Dem? What would I do then?" I could hear the panic in my voice. '…shots were being fired…' It doesn't matter how many times I read those words, it still makes my heart clench and body grow cold. I don't care whether it was a misunderstanding, a deliberate attack, or he just got caught in a cross-fire. I could've lost him!

Demyx could see the hysteria rising in my eyes and slapped me across the face before gripping my shoulders tightly.

"Roxas! Pull yourself together man!"

I dropped my head, avoiding his eyes as I tried to push the sting of my cheek to the back of my mind. He was right, of course, but he didn't understand how it was for me and Axel. By the time his letters reached me, telling me he's safe, he could be captured and tortured, or stuck behind enemy lines, or shot… Demyx always knew where Zexion was.

A gentle hand cupped my chin, rough fingers softly coaxing my face up. Demyx's tone was softer when he spoke again, sweeter.

"Rox, he said he was fine, right?" I nodded reluctantly.

"Then he's fine, isn't he?" A small, almost knowing smile graced the dirty blonde's features.

"But what if he's not now, Demyx?" He sighed softly and removed his hand from my face, standing up.

"Anything could've happened in the time it took for the letter to get here-" An exasperated huff interrupted my hysterical ranting.

"Honestly, Rox! This is AXEL we're talking about! He ain't stupid and he sure as HELL isn't gonna let anything happen to him that'll jeopardize his chances of seeing you."

"But-"

"And he's got a good team, Roxas. They're not gonna let him get shot! Think about, Blondie! Riku took a serious risk, snapping Axel out of his daydream so he wouldn't get hurt! Riku knew he could've taken a bullet, but he still took that risk! Don't worry, Rox," Demyx crouched in front of me, his calloused fingers gently kneading mine. "He'll be fine. They'll keep him safe, and we'll be back in Central in a week."

I sniffed again. "Ok, Dem. But wha- wait. What!" My head snapped up as Demyx's cheeky grin split across his face.

'Did… did he just say?...'

He tapped a finger to his chin in mock thought. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget to mention that we're being sent back to Grand Central? King Bradley's orders. We're being replaced by Squa- urg!"

Demyx didn't get to finish his smug sentence, seeing as I tackled him a crushing hug that sent us both sprawling.

"Man, Roxas. You sure are heavy for such a shortie!"

"Shut up!" I giggled. I couldn't keep the stupid grin from stretching across my face. I was going to see Axel in just one week! Only seven days! I couldn't wait. God, just to be able to lay eyes on him again would make me the happiest man alive. Who gives a flying fuck if I'm currently in a warzone? I was going to be with the love of my entire existence in just seven little days!

I jumped off Demyx and started rummaging under my stretcher for the pen and stack of paper that I always kept there. I had to tell Axel! I just wish I could be there to see his face when he gets the news. On the other hand, Colonel Mustang might kill himself. One Sora is a big enough handful as it is. I don't think he could handle TWO hyperactive freaks hugging everyone. I could already see them both attacking 'Mr Frowny Face' (as Sora calls him) with bone crushing hugs… at the same time.

I heard Demyx chuckle again as I sat on my stretcher, uncapping the pen with my teeth.

"You've got half an hour, Rox. We need to get packed, briefed and be ready to move out by 0600 tomorrow."

I wasn't even listening to him anymore. Wasn't aware that he'd headed back outside until 20 minutes later, when I'd finished my letter and looked up to search for an envelope. And even then I had a face-splitting grin plastered across my features.

"Oh, Riiiiiiikkkuuuuuuuu!" An overly excited brunet burst into the mess hall, skipping over to where his silver-haired boyfriend sat with a very depressed looking redhead.

Axel had his head resting on the table, forehead cushioned by his folded arms. He groaned as Sora bounced over to the table. He really couldn't deal with him being all lovey-dovey with his boyfriend right now. It hurt too much.

Riku gave him a sympathetic look as Sora jumped into his lap with a bubbly "hi!" and the grin he reserved just for his silver-haired 'other half'. Riku gave him a quick peck in greeting, his arms wrapping around the boy's waist as Axel groaned again.

"And hello to you too, Mr Grumpypants!"

Rolling his eyes at the stupid nickname, Axel let his head fall back into his arms. It wasn't his fault he found it hard to be happy when a certain blonde was halfway across the country.

"Leave me alone, Sora." He mumbled into the metal table top. "Stop being so fucking happy."

Sora just raised an eyebrow in response, his grin morphing into a smug smirk. Riku watched the two in confusion.

"Well then," Sora reached into the back pocket of his cargo pants, casually producing an envelope and examining it. "I guess you won't be wanting this letter from Roxas, which I'm sure-"

His teasing was cut short as the Axel's head snapped up. He grabbed the envelope from the brunet's grasp with speed of light. The two men across the table looked genuinely shocked, but Axel paid them no heed as he ripped into the envelope with the intensity of a starving man. He tore the pages from their confines, gripping them tightly in his trembling fingers and started to read.

With a choked sob, the pages drifted from Axel's fingers, settling silently on the cold metal of the table. Riku glanced at Sora, worried, before reaching out and slowly lifting the paper, holding it so that both he and the boy in his lap could easily read the scrawled words written hurriedly in blue ink.

Axel,

I'm coming home! Can you believe it? We just got posted back in Central and we'll be there by Friday! I can't wait to see you again. I miss you so much I feel sick, Ax…

Riku placed the letter back on the table. He could feel the tone of Roxas' writing shifting to something more personal that he was sure Axel would rather they didn't read. Sora was clapping and bouncing happily on his knee, squealing in delight.

Ignoring his boyfriend for the moment, Riku glanced at Axel, raising an eyebrow at the frozen redhead. He was staring, unseeing, at the shiny surface of the table, his mouth slightly agape with shock.

"Uhh… Axel? You okay?"

Green eyes shifted, slowly focusing on the man in front of him. Riku's words didn't even register in Axel's mind. Roxas was coming home. Roxas was coming home!He'd be back in Axel's arms on Friday! Just four little days! He could hold out for four days, right? For Roxas, of course he could.

Axel's face stretched into a huge grin, wider than Sora's when he was on a sugar high. The redhead stood suddenly, leaping over the table and tackling the couple across from him, laughing as they all fell to the ground. Riku looked thoroughly shocked, while Sora just squealed, giggling as Axel crushed them in an overjoyed hug.

….

Across the room, Colonel Mustang sat with Lieutenant Hawkeye and Brigadier General Huges. He glanced up from his coffee when squealing laughter and the clatter of a chair hitting the linoleum reached his ears, his brow dropping to a scowl when he spotted three of his subordinates on the ground, hugging and giggling.

'Don't they know there's a war going on? Idiots. They'll never get promoted at this rate.'

He turned back to his companions at the sound of a deep, rumbling chuckle. Huges was grinning as he watched the trio on the other side of the mess hall, his eyes shining with laughter. Even the lieutenant had a small smile on her lips and a gentleness to her usually hard eyes. Roy just rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee.

'Fools'

….

'Urgh… four more days.'

Roxas glared at the oppressing clouds as he trudged through yet another murky puddle. Of course, it just HAD to rain the day before they reached an actual road, instead of the insufferable dirt track they were stuck on. Literally. The supply truck that was taking Squad XIII back to Grand Central was currently bogged in about three feet of mud. Hence, the entire squad plus the detail were currently knee-deep in the suffocating gunk, trying to dig the damn thing out.

'God dammit! At this rate, we'll never get home.'

Roxas cursed Kairi moaned about her socks being wet. It was surprising how much of a diva that girl was when she'd killed more people than Roxas could count.

'Why is it that snipers always think they're better than everyone else?'

A huge clump of mud smacked into the side of the blonde's face.

'Including their superiors?'

Roxas was wiping the sticking filth from his cheek when movement caught his eye. They were in Deep Jungle, about halfway to Grand Central, and the twisting muddy track was surrounded by thick vegetation. They were in an incredibly vulnerable position, should they be discovered by enemy troops.

Blue eyes swiftly, but effectively, searched the surrounding trees, looking for any signs of danger. If Zanarkand troops decided now was an excellent time for bloodshed, Roxas' squad was screwed. Royally. Only the blonde, Lieutenant Havoc and the detail had their rifles on them, slung over their backs. Everyone else's were in the truck with their packs, where they'd been sitting before the truck decided it wanted to have a mud bath.

"Hey, kid." Havoc squelched his way over, clapping Roxas on the shoulder. The blonde didn't acknowledge him, his fingers playing across the muzzle of his gun, ready to swing the rifle around at a moment's notice, his sharp eyes picking through the undergrowth.

"What is it, Blondie?" Havoc's tone was light. Evidently, he hadn't sensed Roxas' tension. "Come on, kid. Let's get this damn thing outta the mud and back on the road. I wanna get home!"

Roxas was just about to turn back to the truck when a flash made him whip back around. His rifle was cocked, finger on the trigger, barrel trained on a bush about five metres away. Deep breath. Eyes sharp. Another flash, the sunlight filtering down through the clouds and foliage to reflect of dog tags, effectively condemning the enemy. A single bullet left Roxas' rifle, the golden shell falling to the mud as the dog tags were stained with blood.

That one shot was all it took. Within the space of a heartbeat, bullets started showering down on the group digging out the truck, until their instincts and training kicked in. Edward started yelling commands as Havoc and the detail moved forward, Roxas moving back to surround Demyx, Zexion and Edward as they worked frantically to free the tires. Kairi disappeared into the back, retrieving her rifle before training it on the trees.

The truck lurched free just as the detail fell, leaving Zexion's back open to the fire. As the squad was retreating into the back of the truck – Roxas and Havoc walking backwards so they could continue shooting while Kairi covered them – Zexion cried out, gripping his thigh as he fell to the mud.

"ZEXION!"

"Demyx! NO!" Kairi grabbed the frantic blonde, yanking him further into the truck.

"Go!" Everyone but Havoc turned to Roxas, shock plastered on their faces.

"GO! Get outta here! I'll hold them off!"

"ZEXION!" Demyx was screaming, fighting against Kairi's hold.

"I'll look after him, Dem, I promise! Just GO! Leave Zex's gun and my pack and GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!"

Thirty seconds later, Roxas was crouching in front of his teammate, a rifle, his pack and two canteens by his side, a retreating truck at his back and bullets showering down as Havoc's fire grew rapidly distant.

'Axel…'

…..

Tadaaaa! I'm actually quite proud of this one :P Yes, it is a crossover of KH and FMA, but meh! I don't really care if that's weird *3* So, let me know what you think?

And no, I haven't given up on SMS, I just have all these ideas for other stories, but none for that one :/

Till next time! *gives ice cream*