Matinee
By Ionai
Chapter 1
If a student were to make a choice on the main building's second stairway at Twilit County Boarding School, if they were to climb to the third floor, they'd find one more stairway still - a stairway that led to nowhere. It was a small observation platform on the corner of the building, carefully guarded by iron railing on two sides. It overlooked the staff parking lot while nicely hiding the observer. While incredibly tempting for anyone seeking solitude, it was a hell spot during the day, catching all of the slowly setting sun's glory.
At night was when it became the perfect place to ruminate and break curfew. Roxas used it for this at least twice a week, provided that there weren't others using it for 'afterhours activities'.
Roxas leaned against the wall and watched the clouds slowly obscure the light of the waxing moon. His standard navy blue tie hung loosely but still knotted from his neck, and he'd removed the school jacket to feel the faint evening breeze. The night air was already settling his frazzled nerves and calming the nervous energy caused by caffiene, exams, school day drama, and worries about a certain cotton headed relative.
He winced. That last one still bothered him.
He'd recieved a phone call three days ago during his first period. It was strange how they pulled him out of class to answer it on the principal's private line. It was stranger to hear the hysterical question from his Aunt.
Have you seen Sora?
No, he hadn't.
Yes, he'd call if he heard anything.
No, he had no idea where Sora could be.
Sometimes Roxas wondered if his lies would catch up to him. Other times, he was glad no one seemed to notice.
Sora had left home two days before the call. Roxas knew this because Sora said goodbye in person on the front lawn of Roxas's dormitory building, shortly before stepping into a spaceship made of gelatin and shooting off into the night sky. The thought itself made Roxas feel insane. It was probably for the best that he'd neglected this detail over the phone. Better his Aunt think her little boy ran away to have a homosexual escapade with the silver haired neighbor(Who was also missing) than to know he was flying aerodynamic jelly through space to...do what again? Something about keys, talking animals, missing hearts, and the powers of darkness? The whole story flew over Roxas's head with the rest of Sora's lightning speed chatter.
There wasn't a whole lot Roxas could do about it here on the mainland. The Destiny Islands were too far away to even give his Aunt emotional support.
Roxas sighed and looked up as the moon reappeared from behind the clouds.
"Too nice a night to resist breaking curfew, huh, Roxas?"
The boy stiffened at the intruder's playful tone and turned his head sharply towards the stairway. "Yeah, it is," he said slowly.
The other moved up the stairs onto the platform and strode forward to look out over ROXAS'S view. Roxas almost expected the man to fall over the low wall with the way half his tall body leaned out into empty space. Most people made Roxas seem short, but this person, even while leaning half over, was still able to look at Roxas straight on. Which he did - with sharp, curious green eyes that made Roxas think of...think of...but there was nothing.
"You couldn't have been waiting for me, now...were you?" The man had a way of talking that raised Roxas's heckles, like there was some insulting subtext beneath his words. His words were mocking, yet something seemed almost...hopeful about them.
Roxas put his back against the rail, while still attempting to keep himself facing the strange man. "Are you...a new staff member," he asked - somewhat pointlessly. He took a moment to really look at the stranger. While not young enough to be a student, there was a certain wildness about his appearance that didn't inspire much confidence. The nondescript black clothing contrasted sharply with the wild red hair, framing a face with...wait, hadn't he seen something on his face? A trick of the light, maybe, because there wasn't anything particularly strange about the man's face...why did tears come to mind?
The red haired man gave a humorless laugh. "Ouch. Deja Vu." He stopped leaning out into space, standing up to his full height, his eyes gazing off into the distance. Despite his relaxed stance, Roxas could see the man's gloved hands gripping the rail tensely. The man shrugged in a sharp, swift manner, reminding Roxas of a bird. "I really should have expected this." It looked like Roxas was going to have a crazy, and soon depressive stranger on his hands, but was surprised when with a sigh, the stranger turned back to him with a comfortable smirk spread across his face.
"So, Roxas, we'll do this your way. Why don't you ask me how I know your name? I think you're dying to know." Did that man just wink at Roxas?
"I-"
"So glad you asked! Well, fastest way to put it is we've met before. But, uh, you won't remember, I take it." The man scratched his face absently, looking quite sadly puzzled despite the smile lingering on his face.
The blond shook his head, feeling like he was in a daze. For reasons he couldn't understand, it felt almost natural just letting this man talk. "...What's your name?" There - one coherent thought, one question that was his.
The man's eyebrows rose as he dropped his hand from his face, and his eyes had a faraway look in them, like they were seeing something other than Roxas. He focused again and shot the younger man a hesitant, but calculating look.
"I think...we'll save that for last."
With that final word, he abruptly turned and left Roxas out on the balcony, confused and bereft.
Note: This was supposed to be a oneshot, but my lackadaisical way of writing bit me in the ass. I think there's one or two more chapters after this one, just as short.