What… is this?! Roxas asked himself, his icecream tasting bitter in his mouth. Ignoring the taste and object, he stared out across the unfamiliar town, towards the sunset. Is this… what it means to be "lonely"? He dropped his icecream, uncaring, and brought his hands to his chest. Why did I run off like that? I wonder what Axel's up to… What was it he said? "I'll always be there to bring you back! We're best friends – time to get that memorized. You can't leave!" Silence and light surrounded the town. He didn't know where he went – he'd just ran away. Will Axel miss me? I wonder why he was so desperate for me to stay? …How can I feel so cold in full sun? I wonder if this is how Xion felt… Xion. A dull ache throbbed in his chest at the thought of her, something catching in his throat. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. I'm glad I kept this. It's been so useful lately, what with all the Dusks around. Sighing heavily, he leaned forward slightly, closing his eyes and resting his chin on his knees. "Axel…"

A flash of silver burst from the shadows, lodging into a stunned Neoshadow's forehead. It blinked in surprise, melting soon after, the chakram falling to the ground with a series of dull clinks before returning to its master's outstretched hand. Axel grunted in grim satisfaction, flipping his chakrams up and watching them disintegrate in a shower of sparks above his head. Taking a last, forlorn look at the clock tower, he stepped through a Darkness Corridor, moving on to the next world. Relief washed over him as he scanned his surroundings, looking up to find a familiar figure.

"Hey! What're ya doin'? You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here!" Roxas started awake, momentarily forgetting where he was, slipping over the edge of the building with a fearful cry. He jerked to a stop as he was slammed into the wall, groaning as he was hoisted back up by his hood. "Easy now, Roxas. Don't scare me like that!" Axel pulled the shaky boy into a long hug, supportive at first but then warm and comforting as they relaxed into each others arms. They each breathed a sigh of relief, Axel now resting his chin on the blond's head, mumbling into his hair. "Sorry, what was that?" Roxas asked, unaware of how tightly he was gripping to Axel's cloak. Axel pulled back and looking him in the eye, gently removing the clingy hands from his person, clasping them in his own between them. His emerald eyes glittered with unshed tears that Roxas didn't notice. I thought I'd lost you… he wanted to say, but instead shook his head, pulling his hands back and looking away. "It's nothing. So, are we going?"

Roxas couldn't help but smile at the thoughtful look on the redhead's face and his hasty reactions. "You're pretty goofy, ya know. Where to?" Axel's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Hey, I'm not goofy, okay?!" Snapping out of his mood swing, he blinked twice, a shocked, confused expression clouding his features before grinning and tossing his crimson locks back over his shoulder as he turned to leave. "How about my place?" he asked casually, lazily gesturing with his hand as a Corridor of Darkness appeared against the wall. Roxas slowly nodded in response, hypnotized by the rhythmic swaying of Axel's hips. Glancing back towards him, Axel caught his stare and smirked. He leaned in a way that accentuated his slim figure and rested one hand on his hip, the other towards Roxas with the palm up, beckoning. "C'mon, cheeky boy! You stare any longer and I'll hafta charge ya!" he commented with a wink. Broken from his trance, the boy turned a deep shade of pink and ran through the portal with his head down, hoping Axel wouldn't notice. He blindly ran through the twilight-blue scenery, Axel's soft chuckling seeming to surround him from all sides before he leaped through a deep, purple wall.

Roxas subconsciously moved over and collapsed on a couch, expression blank as his thoughts raced behind his eyes. What was that about? Was Axel serious? No, he couldn't have been. He's been a tease for as long as I've known the guy. But what about my reactions? We're just friends, right? Axel has always made me feel, but… were they always this strong? He fell asleep from exhaustion just as Axel appeared.