Title: Longing

Author: phoenixTales06

Summary: Joshua watches Neku with his friends, wanting to have what they have, but he's the Composer. He can't afford to have attachments or relationships.

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You video game. Square Enix and others do. I do not make money on this either.

Notes: Heh…. this is my first The World Ends with You fanfic. I know that I am supposed to be updating my Harry Potter fanfics, but my muse wants me to do something else, apparently. I can never win against my muse, folks. Anyway, I hope you guys like this story. I am actually halfway through Joshua's chapter of the game, so I kind of understand his character. A little. *laughs* This story might feature yaoi, just so you are warned.

(((((Longing)))))

Sanae Hanekoma rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the gray-haired kid in front of him. The boy was pressed up against the glass of his shop, lilac eyes drinking in the sight of the four kids hanging out by the CAT mural close by. His eyes were especially on the orange-haired kid of the group.

"You know, you could go out there, J," Sanae said gently. "Neku would be pleased."

"Would he?" the boy murmured, not moving from his perch. "He doesn't forgive me for what I did to him."

The barista let out a bitter laugh. "Honestly, J, would you, if you were in his shoes? How could you forgive someone who you befriended and turned out your friend was the one who put you in the Game?" The gray-haired kid was silent. "Besides, Neku trusts you. Forgiveness will come but only if you make the time to see him and let him know you."

"You know more than anyone that I can't do that." Without taking his eyes off of the younger orange-haired kid outside the shop, the gray-haired boy placed a long-fingered hand on the glass.

Sanae sighed. "You could quit being the Composer. No one's stopping you. Joshua, you are not too old to change your life."

Joshua finally turned away from the window and lilac eyes met with dark eyes. "And you know that I cannot simply up and leave Shibuya, not the way it is. I have given too much to this city to leave it."

Sometimes, Sanae would forget how much the supposedly younger kid in front of him was truthfully older than he looked. It was easy to forget as well that Joshua went through as much as he did, even before he died and entered the Game as a player nearly one hundred years ago. Considering how screwed up the Games was back then, the Producer didn't blame Joshua for becoming Composer when he was asked to take up the post. Since then, the Games are more organized and fair.

The dark-haired barista settled for a shrug. "It's your life, J. One day, you'll regret letting him slip through your fingers."

Joshua's lips parted into a smirk and he turned his eyes back to staring at Neku, who was in a headlock with Beat, his third partner in the Game. Rhyme, Beat's sister, and Shiki, Neku's first Game partner, were laughing as Neku squirmed in Beat's embrace. "Who said that I'll be letting him slip through my fingers, Sanae?"

Sanae blinked owlishly. "What are you planning now, boss?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see, my dear Producer."

((((_The End_))))))

Joshua is so much fun to write but at times he can be very hard to do as well. From what I caught from the video game, Joshua is very eloquent and intelligent, if not manipulative. Sanae wouldn't dare interfere with his plans, as was evident in the World Ends With You game.

Thanks for reading this! This is my first time dabbling in the world of The World Ends With You. I may not be too familiar with the characters but I hope I at least made Sanae and Joshua stay in character.