Title: Sandbox
Characters: Roxas-centric. Featuring Sora, Olette, Hayner, Pence, Seifer & co., and Setzer.
Rating: G
Notes: Inspired by cygna_hime's "Second Chance" prompt at kh_drabble on LJ, but unfortunately too long for the challenge. I'm working on forcing myself not to obsessively go over and edit things, so it's far from my best work, but I really hope it's worth the few minutes to read. :) Remember to drop a review with your thoughts!
Sandbox
"Come on," he says, out loud, because no one else is around to hear him anyway, and it's less weird for him. "I came here for you."
I'm done here, Sora. I'm happy how we are.
"Not as happy as you used to be. Look, just give it a shot, and... and if it doesn't work out, we'll leave, okay?"
So—
"—ra!"
He looks up, disoriented, and is startled by a shock of green—familiar, but not.
Olette frowns, slowing to a stop in front of him. "Sorry... I thought you looked like someone I knew, but it must have been the light." She doesn't sound entirely convinced by her own words.
"That's okay," he mutters, awkwardly. He tries to call Sora back, before this bad idea turns into a worse one, but his other's already gone, doubtlessly having dived back into the manifestations of memories locked deep within their mind, as he sometimes likes to.
"What's your name?" she says, tilting her head to the side, as if trying to look at him from another angle and prove her intuition right.
"Roxas," he says quietly. "Just wanted to see what was back here. I'll go now."
"Wait."
There's another voice, and Roxas winces, because his hurts just a squeeze more than hers, and it's enough.
"Roxas, right? You know Sora, don't you?" Hayner asks, in one of those rare moments where his usual confidence takes a back seat and he's unsure and hesitant.
Roxas is reminded starkly of the first time he 'met' the boy: five years old, Hayner accidentally mowing down his sandbox castle with his plastic truck, and the resulting brief scuffle before they had both been given a time-out. Hayner had apologized, eventually, and Roxas had forgiven him. Eventually.
(and then they became best friends, because for little boys, saying, "Sorry for ruinin' your castle. It was kinda stupid-lookin' anyway," and "That's 'kay. Wanna help me make a new one?" is enough.)
"What makes you think that?" he says, trying not to sound too conspicuously wary.
"Just got a feeling." Hayner shrugs, though he's still giving Roxas the same look Olette did. "Sorry to keep you."
"It's fine. See you around."
Roxas walks away, left to wander the streets of a city whose shadow he once knew better than he perhaps ever knew his own.
x
He spots Seifer in the sandlot, talking animatedly with the rest of the Disciplinary Committee, and he's careful not to make eye contact or walk particularly loudly, the least of which is typically enough to grab Seifer's attention and win him a few witty taunts.
Seifer doesn't give him a second glance, so neither does Fuu, Rai, or Vivi, and Roxas exhales a small breath of what he thinks is relief. He keeps walking.
x
Pence is at the ice cream stand, no doubt ordering four—
(three)
—three perfectly dyed, perfectly salted sticks of sea salt ice cream, and Roxas waits patiently in line, figuring that if Sora was fully determined to keep him here, he'd at least enjoy some part of it.
"Thanks! Whoops, sorry, didn't see ya—Sora?"
"It's fine," says Roxas again, skilfully ducking the ice cream being waved about dangerously in Pence's left hand.
Pence blinks, and of course, gives him the same look Olette and Hayner did. "Hey, you're not Sora. Sorry 'bout the mix-up."
For some reason, Roxas smiles at him. "Don't worry about it. Enjoy your ice cream."
"Thanks, you too!" And as if it was as simple as that, Pence heads back up the street to The Usual Spot.
Roxas knows he's going to tell Hayner and Olette exactly what happened, and spend the rest of the evening trying to figure out if Roxas is who he says he is, and what he's doing there. His smile fades.
x
As usual, Setzer is sweeping around on the platform in front of the train station, occasionally scribbling autographs for the troupe of giggly girls trailing his every step.
Roxas glances at him, and they exchange a fleeting mutual acknowledgment, and then Roxas disappears past the doors of the station while Setzer charmingly writes his name (and number) on a young woman's arm before she faints into his arms.
x
He sits on the front ledge of the clocktower, the best seat in the house for the dazzling sunset blanketed by orange, and in that moment, he forgives Sora for forcing him into this.
"Hey!" Sora's panting as he flops into place beside him, but shoots him a bright grin nonetheless. "How'd it go?"
"Took you long enough," says Roxas, watching him carefully, and Sora just rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly; they both know which memories he's been chasing after. "It was good."
"Good, huh?" Sora raises an eyebrow, then leans back on his hands and stares out at the horizon, smile easily brightening again. "That's good."
"Thanks," says Roxas, after a pause.
"Not at all! Wow, this is a great view, huh?"
They watch the gilded horizon, unchanging and warm and safe.
"Ready to go?" Sora glances at him, offering a hand.
"Yeah." Roxas takes it.
fin.