As always, the sky shone only dully, the light of kingdom hearts somehow opressive as it glowed so high above. Roxas sighed and dug his hands into his pockets, sitting quietly on the curb as he looked up at the world above him. Doing this made him feel so tiny, so insignificant, his experience equal in size.

He could think now. His mind was almost wiped clean under the watchful eyes of their one last hope, unshielded by the windows inside their headquarters. It almost scared him to think in this empty, endless space.

He felt the warmth of Axel before there was a hand on his shoulder and someone sitting beside him. He didn't look in the other boy's direction, instead leaning into the hand slightly and relaxing his shoulders. Axel looked up at the same spot as he was, strangely solemn. Of course, all things must end eventually.

"Whatcha doin', kid?"

Roxas smiled. "Just thinking. It's quiet out here."

"Mm, and you're a regular Ghandi." He laughed. "Well what're you thinking about?"

Roxas sighed. "How small I am." He rolled his eyes when Axel started to giggle, and hit his friend without looking at him. "One-track mind or what? I meant the whole of me ...compared to all that out there."

Axel sniggered but stopped laughing, draping an arm around Roxas' shoulders. "Well that's easy, isn't it? It's not your size...it's what you manage to do, despite it."

"Who's Ghandi now?" Roxas wriggled in vain against the warmth of that arm. "Anyway, you would say that - you're tall."

"Psht. Not so tall that I can't see you, am I?" He tried to make the tangling of his fingers in Roxas' hair look absent-minded, but only gained a 'look' from the blonde when he brushed the back of his neck. "Sorry."

"M." The question tingled at the back of his mind, and finally - after it'd been weeks of this strangeness - Roxas asked what'd been on his mind. "Why do you do that?"

Axel took one look at him and jumped away, withdrawing his arm. "...I..." He couldn't really explain. "You looked cold."

"Even if I was, why do you do it?" He reached up a hand to the back of his neck, unconsciously smoothing down the strands. "Playing with my hair's not gonna warm me up."

Axel looked down at his hands, scooting away a little. "Why are you asking? You've never asked before."

"I dunno." Roxas turned to look at him. "But why?"

The redhead bit his lip. "I...I like it. I like feeling close to you."

"Why?" Roxas almost whispered, dreading the answer would confirm his suspicions.

Axel grinned, looking at the sky. "Surely you're not gonna make me say it, Rox?"

"Say it." They faced eachother and Axel gave a tired, worn smile.

"Alright. I, young sir, most definitely more-than-like you."

"And?"

Axel just kissed him, leaving Roxas barely stunned when he pulled away. "And I'm sorry."