game; Kingdom Hearts
pairing; Hayner/Roxas & Axel/Roxas
warnings; curses, shonen-ai, violence
disclaimer; I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters used.

i

The air's so fresh and the sky's so blue and the sun never sets in this charming but oh-so-busy town, kind faces and angry frowns in a crowd of people constantly moving wherever Roxas turns, but oh if life isn't good when he's running among the crooked streets lit by sunshine or climbing the clock tower despite the small fear soaring within his stomach or eating sea-salt ice cream that tints his lips blue-

(Hayner, Pence, Olette and himself - a complete circle, an inseparable group, best friends and everything in between).

He really can think of nothing but the undeniable taste of happiness in its purest form, fluttering in his gut like butterflies, spreading throughout his body to his very fingertips, travelling with the rhythmical pumping of his blood, luring his plush lips into smiling and it's all because of the three people sitting next to him, backs pressed to the soft layer of grass covering Sunset Hill and curious eyes staring at the sky; so wildly open, so fully exposed, so untouchable and never-ever-ending.

("Full of possibilities", Olette remarks with a serene smile).

("The world is ours", Pence agrees, laughing proudly).

And it is - it is it is it is - so Roxas lets his baby-blue orbs lose to gravity and drop heavily, breathing in the peacefulness, the content nature their surroundings seem to have adapted and he's thinking that life has never been better than now.

Hayner's hand accidentally brush against his as the older boy fidgets in an attempt to find a more comfortable position.

"I hope summer break never ends", he mutters quietly, as if only Roxas is supposed to hear.

ii

Somehow, it's always been there; it's just that Roxas never really gave it much thought. Now, he considers it impossible to miss - from the way that Hayner walks to the way he speaks, the way his mouth crooks pleasantly to the way his ringing laughter resounds, the way his kind hazel eyes blink at him from behind thick lashes to the way his tanned hands that repair skateboards and beat Seifer's lackeys and fix his dad's car cradle him oh-so-gently, Roxas is fully sure of the fact that they are meant to be.

He can't honestly think of any other person more fitting for him, no matter what the rest of the world(s) has to say about it.

Of course it's a bit strange that Olette and Pence can stay oblivious even though Roxas and Hayner have been hanging out more than before, sneaking out and meeting up in the middle of the night and 'ssch, be quiet/shut up/oh, for fuck's sake, someone could see/hear/walk in on us'but oh, the excitement and the anticipation is always much too enticing as Hayner pins him down on the empty football field, away from the frantic traffic and sirens and trains departing, away where it's comfortably silent.

Everytime the older boy touches his lips to Roxas', it's as if an inner peace soothes the tension and the numerous doubts that have somehow nestled themselves into the dirty-blonde boy's mind, and it's enough (really) because Roxas thinks that this must be what it's like to be in love, starry skies and lingering promises muttered under the covers when Hayner's dad works out of town and yeah, yeah, it will all work out just fine, cross my heart and hope to die, you sap.

iii

The headaches have only been increasing lately and Hayner being constantly pissed off doesn't exactly help, nor do the weird dreams insisting on haunting him and occupying his mind from sunrise to sunset and he's tired; tired of lies and excuses and the traitorous time that is slipping through his fingers like sand, time that's trickling away without a care for his chaotic feelings and there aren't many days left of summer break, he recalls Olette observing.

Hayner asks him to come by the Sandlot later that day and Roxas accepts even though he can't remember why, although he's sure Hayner mentioned it. They fight and yell and decide to let their fists take over the conversation, pent-up frustration and well-hidden fear bottling up and eventually exploding until there's nothing but the scattered pieces, left on the ground as if waiting to be picked up. They're both scared and selfish and desperately trying to hold on to one another - Hayner because it's all he's ever known, Roxas because he doesn't know if he'll survive all of this alone.

Night eventually falls, even in a town where twilight is eternal.

Hayner smiles at him from across the other side of the Struggle Arena - what, you still worried about that? - and the small flicker of hope dares to ignite its flame within Roxas' body again, the warmth radiating off of that tiny fire enough to warm the frozen parts of disbelief inside of him.

Time, however, betrays him once again and lets him catch up with an 'old friend' or so the coat-clad figure claims, confident smirk and piercing emerald eyes matched by wild red hair being the only thing that comes to Roxas' fuzzy mind once Universe releases its breath again.

He cries as he falls asleep that night, too confused and much too lonely to even want to reach for the vibrating cell phone that announces his seventh missed call from Hayner.

iv

Axel tells him a lot of things in a short amount of time, and he's not sure he understands even half of it - the redhead, however, doesn't look as if he's in a hurry (but he is, and they're gonna kill Roxas, and if not they're gonna kill both of them, and there's not enough time-) as he continues to show up at the most indecent hours to further infuriate him with that laid-back posture and hunting gaze, begging Roxas to remember something that's not his to recall in the first place.

Roxas refuses and he screams and he begs for this to just stop, prays for his old life to continue peacefully in the same steady pace as before, but Axel just watches him with cold green eyes from underneath the black hood, the teardrops tattooed beneath each eye seem to actually flow down his pale cheeks in thin streams ("you only have one life and it's not this one").

Hayner asks him to step by later to talk, but Roxas declines and forces an almost-convincing smile - "How about tomorrow, instead?"

As he manages to aggravate the redhead for what must be the hundredth time by running from him yet again, Axel brings forth his chakrams, fire encircling them like spirals, spinning dangerously fast and then, something deepdeepdeep within Roxas desperately cries out as he sinks to his knees, overwhelmed by the devastating need trying to claw its way right through his body.

"Axel, Axel", he manages to pant as the other kneels next to him, true concern showing in his features despite the knitted eyebrows, "I've missed you", and the words aren't his, they're forcing their way out of his dry throat but it causes the redhead to draw in a tight breath as he rubs his temple, not able to push the boy away as Roxas seeks the other's lips with a passion he didn't know he possessed.

"Don't do this to me, Rox, don't- have.. have you really? Do you really remember?"

And something is swimming beneath baby-blue orbs, flickering in blurry monochrome, searching for a way to form an age-tainted image, a memory, but it dies before it even makes it to the tip of his tongue (what was he expecting himself to say - i love you?) and he shakes his head reluctantly before passing out, Axel's unnaturally green eyes narrowed in disbelief being the last thing he sees, along with the feel of lean fingertips on his bicep burning his skin, nails digging into his arm with a regret so bitter it makes him cringe.

"I told you this would happen", he thinks he discerns Axel's suddenly chilly voice, "I told you the Organization would-"

And the black before his eyes is too tantalizing to resist.

v

Hayner wakes up with a strange feeling in his gut, kind of like he's forgetting something - dismissing it as something unimportant like feeding the dog, though, he leaves the house and finds himself in the Usual Spot minutes later, Pence and Olette already there to greet him.

They ramble on about what the three of them should do on the last day of summer break, eyes shining with joy as they come up with crazier and crazier ideas, most of them involving Seifer's gang - Hayner, for some reason, can't force his trademark-grin to reach his eyes and it's kind of unsettling; besides, the feeling from before hasn't faded and just what can it mean?

Suddenly, he remembers a call that he was supposed to make, and he scrambles to find the cell phone tucked safely in his pocket like usual, ignoring the weird looks sent by his friends as his fingers find the small buttons, dialing a number he doesn't remember memorizing and pressing the small device to his ear, chest heaving from some illogically based strain.

A sharp beep that seems to stretch out for eternity is his only answer, though, and he releases a breath he doesn't remember holding, suddenly feeling completely drained.

"I can't believe summer break's ending", Olette muses from the couch, "It feels like we made plans about what we'd do during it on the very top at Sunset Hill just yesterday!"

"Yeah", Hayner mumbles, more to himself than anyone else-

(and why does his skin itch like it's on f i r e ?)

vi

Naminé draws as she watches over the worlds, watches over the hero, watches over his princess and then she draws some more; endless pages and crayons too bright and something beneath her much too fragile ribcage - no, not fragile like a human's, perhaps, but fragile enough that she breaksbleedshurts when MarluxiaXemnasLarxene's in a bad mood; not so fragile that she can't be put together again, though, limb by limb and bone by bone - and Naminé doesn't know what to make of this newfound inspiration.

Of course she knows who it is before he's even stepped through the door, lingering in the shadows behind the small creak where the door's been left open like he loves to because such is his nature, after all; mysterious and luring and enthralling and dangerous, but she's never seen so much color before; red and green and black and blue and yellow and redredred and he would probably make a pretty little picture, tucked inbetween the pages of her sketchbook.

"Axel", she speaks, back to the older boy who sets his jaw because, "you know I can't do what you'll ask."

"It's not right!" he yells, slamming his fist into one of the concrete walls and she can see something burning beneath the enchanting green, something achingly human that calls out to her on so many levels and Naminé bites her rosy lip because all she ever does is hurt people, even if they don't have a heart.

vii

The boy standing in front of him is nothing but completely out of place-looking with those too small shorts on and the hair that's standing in spikes, stubbornly defying gravity, his eyes so endlessly blue as they stare back at him in a friendly manner, lips pulling into a sincere smile as he bids them farewell.

Hayner can't stop himself, doesn't know how to force the question back before it's slipping through his lips but he has to know-

"Hey, Sora. You sure we haven't met before?"

The brunet frowns in a thoughtful matter, humming softly and Hayner finds himself holding his breath without a reason; there's nothing familiar about this boy, nothing that connects him to anybody Hayner knows and yet it's there; painfully obvious and hurting deep inside, as if the fragments of his heart are being forcefully pushed together, scarping against one another.

"Positive", Sora eventually replies, "Why do you ask?"

And Hayner's shoulders slump if only a little, a sudden rush of disappointment sweeping over him but not without a brush of surprise; where is the reason for his irrational behaviour? He decides to shrug it off - as usual as usual you always do that - and offers a smile that the boy hurriedly returns.

"I dunno."

Olette is just about to brush past him, a sweet scent of perfume being the warning, but before any of them can make another move, something wet and shiny slips from Sora's eye, trailing down his soft cheek ever-so-slowly. Hayner's chestnut eyes widen as it locks onto the tiny and fragile-looking tear, the sorrow the boy's experiencing - no matter what may have caused it - vibrating within Hayner too, pumping in time with the blood in his veins as he longs for bringing the other into his arms.

He never does, though, and he doesn't question the urge either, because Olette beats him to it.

"You okay?" she asks, forest-green eyes worried.

("last call-out, I repeat, last call-out, the train departures in one minute")

"Y-yeah. Don't know where it came from.. pull it together!" he says with a reassuring smile, wiping the small tear away and shaking his head lightly with a look of genuine surprise beneath those sky-blue orbs.

"Right. See ya!" he promises - it's a promise it's got to be please say it is - and before Hayner can even open his mouth, the boy is on the train, a single door separating them and the blonde feel as if the whole world just came crashing down around him, like his chest is being ripped apart in an agonizing pace. Hayner presses his fingertips against the glass, capturing the other's gaze and not letting it go; Sora's eyes look sad, like the very ocean is roaring its sorrow within them, and as he raises his hand to meet Hayner's through the almost non-existent barrier he mouths something-

("the train is departing, I repeat, the train is departing")

-and then he's gone, just like that; a boy Hayner doesn't even know, a boy that touched him deeper than anyone has ever before all in a couple of minutes-

He'll miss you.

Damn it all, Hayner wants to scream and he doesn't even pretend to try to hide the tears flowing down his face like narrow rivers, his heart thumping like its intentions are to pound through his ribcage and he doesn't understand how he can possibly miss something that was never there in the first place.

iix

Roxas finishes Axel off in a manner that could even be called lovable had you been able to see through the well-built facade shooting up around him like a mental shield; the redhead lays sprawled on the ground, but there's a content smile planted on his lips even as blood starts to ooze through them. His eyes never once leaves the smaller boy's, not even when Roxas curls up against his torn chest and cries until he loses the breath he doesn't even need to stay alive.

Roxas never returns to Twilight Town again; it's kind of ironic that the town is Sora's creation, made up out of the chains crossing Sora's mind and belonging to no one but Sora. It doesn't matter; it doesn't matter at all, Sora can have Twilight Town and all of the other worlds if he so pleases; Hayner will stay Roxas', no matter what or who or where.

The news that the town has completely disappeared from the map along with all of the inhabitants reaches him eventually, but he doesn't even twitch.

Roxas smiles and Roxas is happy (as happy as you can be when lacking a heart) because soon, he will be reunited with both Axel and Hayner.

(in a n e v e r ending summer break).

ix

A/N; enjoy the weirdness I came up with laaaate last night. because, you know, it could totally happen!