Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts either! Jeez, what do I own... a sexy blue riding hat. Yeah.
A/N: OK, this is a songfic, and it's AkuRoku. Axel's POV. I like it a lot, even though it's kinda sad. Please review, even if it's just a little 'Yay, well done' or 'Boo, you suck'. Flames will be used to burn jellybeans. Also, if you're a quick reader, put on 'Rooftops' by The Lost Prophets! The paragraphs should go with the timing, apart from maybe the ending.
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When our time is up,
When our lives are done,
Will we say we've had our fun?
I smirked at Roxas as we hid behind the wall, and held back a snigger as Marluxia's screams echoed down the hall. I had to admit, he sounded like a girl. And he really loved that scythe. Shame we had to paint it yellow. With smiley faces. And the words 'I heart pie' all over it. Those were the times when everything was so fun and carefree, when Xemnas's 'master plan' seemed a lifetime away and the troubles of being a Nobody belonged to some one else.
Will we make a mark,
This time?
Will we always say we tried?
Roxas never objected to being dragged along on all my pranks, but he never seemed to enjoy them either. Not as much as I enjoyed them, anyway. He was so distant, and always spacing, and quiet. He would look at me with those understanding eyes, an almost sympathetic look on his face, and say a few words and walk away. It didn't really get on my nerves too much, but finally I had to find out what was wrong with him.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
This is all we've got now,
Everybody scream your heart out.
I found him at the top of the tower in the world that never was. The rain and the wind sliced into his cheeks and his neck because he was always far too stupid or preoccupied to put his hood up. He was shouting something, and he had his fists clenched. He looked angry, even though I only saw him from behind.
"Why are you doing this to me? You always rain on me!" he screamed to the sky, and I took a step back. I didn't know whether I should say something or keep listening.
All the love I've met,
I have no regrets,
If it all ends now,
I'm set.
That wasn't the last time I saw him on the roof, but I never had the courage to speak to him about it. I just kept up with my antics and he just played along, and even though I tried to hide it... I think he knew all along. I was playing a prank with him once, and I grabbed his wrist to run away, and he yelped, so I just gave him this confused look. Before I could even say anything, Saix stormed over all covered in the treacle and feathers that had been my prank.
Will we make our mark,
This time.
Will we always say we tried?
I went into his room one day, to find out if he was going on my next mission with me, because they'd become so frequent I had no spare time to spend with him. I found him at his desk, tears rolling down his cheeks and onto the paper. He stuffed it into the drawer as soon as he heard me come in, but I went over and pulled him into a hug anyway, because that's what I was always there for.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
This is all we've got now,
Everybody scream your heart out.
Standing on the roof and writing in his room had started coming before me. It was annoying, and one day I pointed it out to him.
"Sorry," he muttered, and I could tell I'd upset him, though I don't know how. And then he walked away, back into his room, and locked the door so I couldn't follow him. I wanted to know what was wrong, but suddenly he was so cold and distant it was like I could actually feel something again - sympathy?
Standing on the rooftop,
Waiting till the bomb drops,
This is all we've got now,
Scream until your heart stops,
Never gonna regret,
Watching every sunset,
Listen to your heartbeat,
All the love that we've felt.
We didn't care, watching all those hearts fall to the ground again, after all Xemnas's hard work - that we'd done, obviously. He turned to me and looked up and there was a puzzled look on his face.
"Axel? Do we have hearts?" I was caught off guard by the question. I'd never really thought about it before, to tell the truth, but it was a valid question.
"I don't know," I told him finally. I frowned down at him as he placed his hand over where my heart should probably be. "What are you doing?"
"Checking," he said quietly, resting his head to my chest. I wasn't really sure what to do, until he looked up again, ocean blue eyes shining. "You do, Axel. You've got a heart."
Standing on the rooftop,
Waiting till the bomb drops,
This is all we've got now,
Scream until your heart stops,
Never gonna regret,
Watching every sunset,
Listen to your heartbeat,
All the love that we've felt.
I found him on the rooftop again. He was staring up into the sky, silent. His shadow was cast right down across the ground and onto the wall next to me by the low moon.
"Why do you taunt me?" he asked quietly, and I assumed he was speaking to the sky again. "It's so cruel, and I don't think you even realise." It was then that I started to think that he might be talking to me, rather than the world in general. "No feelings, no regret, no heart, no love. But... I do love you..." I left him alone on the roof, his back turned to me.
Scream your heart out.
Scream your heart out.
Scream your heart out.
Scream your...
He was writing in his room again, and hid it in his desk drawer like usual, so I sat next to him. He had this funny look, like he was sad and happy at once. But... he can't be either, really. Can he?
"Do I have a heart?" he asked me, voice trembling, and I blinked.
"I don't know," I said again, and he took my hand, placing it where his heart should have been. I could feel a steady beat under my palm. "Yeah. You've got a heart, Roxas."
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
Standing on the rooftops,
Everybody scream your heart out.
This is all we've got now-
All those memories... so strange. He was strange, too. But it didn't matter, because it was fun. I lie on my back, and breathing becomes a little more difficult. That kid's staring down at me with sympathy in those familiar eyes... ocean blue. It's not the same sympathy Roxas had, with that tired sigh deep inside somewhere, dying to get out - it's innocent, childish sympathy, and he's really sorry for me. It makes me angry, but there's not really any room for too many thoughts right now. I lift my hand, hoping this'll be the end of me.
"Go," I whisper, and my body melts away. But I hear something, before I die. His voice.
"Axel," he says, and I'm finally happy.
You made me feel like I had a heart. A heart to love with. And I loved you, Roxas.
Everybody scream your heart out.