Despair

Don't be afraid. Don't be sad. Everything's much simpler than you could ever imagine.

We all have the same problems at one point in time.

We all have one like you.

"I hate this," Roxas grumbled into his pillow for the hundredth time.

Axel sighed, watching silently as his best friend mourned tragically into the pillow.

On his bed

Thus making the pillow, his pillow

It was a good thing that he was such a good friend and didn't mind letting him stay there. Axel was a good person, and a good friend. He would never do something like that.

Then again, there was also the incredibly strong theory that Roxas could very possibly tear his arm straight out the socket if he so much as tried to touch him right now. And Axel was very attached to his arms. Arms, contrary to common belief, were incredibly useful nowadays.

Still, best friend meant obligations, and obligations were obligations, thus requiring Axel to at least attempt to cheer up the despairing blond; by the safety of the door of course. "Come on Roxas, it couldn't possibly be that bad—"

"Shuddup Axel"

Voice muffled through the abundance of pillows, the only sing that Roxas gave of still being alive involved watching his blond spikes rise and fall against his shoulders whenever he breathed. Roxas grumbled pitifully again and buried his face further in. "Go away"

"Stop being such a drama queen."

Oh dear, there went the mouth filter. Might as well dive into the pool of sharks, since he'd just condemned himself to a life of being pinned to the doorframe like mistletoe. If he was lucky, Roxas would launch himself at the redhead and tear at his eyes instead. Those weren't half as useful as arms. On the other hand, Axel was fairly attached to his sight too. Biting his cheek, he continued despite the fear. "It was just a girl—"

"Four"

Axel hesitated. What the hell did four mean? Was it some kind of code he was supposed to understand? Expected to know? Come one Roxas, this was difficult already. "I beg your pardon?"

"Four Girls, Axel."

It was rather amusing, how he'd awkwardly stuck his butt sky high while his face remained planted firmly in the feathery mass. If it had been any other sort of situation, Axel would have laughed.

"There were four girls. Kairi was the first, and she didn't give so much a care for me as she obviously does for Sora—"

Axel scoffed. "Kairi's a little tramp, you don't need her."

"Naminé ran off with that one weird guy that we all thought was gay and owned the flower shop, living happily ever after somewhere named Radiant Gardens…"

"Naminé was always…" Axel fought internally for the correct word. She was a nice girl. Not a tramp like Kairi. Even if they both wore stupendously short dresses. "Unpredictable."

Yeah. That completely explained everything. Way to go Axel.

"…There was that odd stalker girl at the mall, who followed me around for a month…"

Axel shivered involuntarily at the uncomfortable memory. She had been a sweet girl, nice and honest. Much too honest sometimes, in a naïve way. But yes, highly creepy.

"…And now, Xion."

Ah, the main problem. Axel struggled for the response to the curveball known as women problems. "Roxas, Xion…Xion is…She…Well; we both knew Riku had a thing for her in the first place…"

Roxas sat up, his back facing the doorway. "That's just it though," He muttered quietly, posture defeated as he resumed his moping. Slumping over on his side and nestling into the pillow again, he sighed. "They all either fell for another guy or just liked me for all the wrong reasons."

The blond rolled his face into the pillows, knees curling against his chest and hands fisting around small sections of the spreads beneath him. He cringed. "Why isn't there a middle ground? Where is my middle ground? It's not fair. I can't even do anything about it—why am I the only one with this problem? Why do I get No-Man's Land while everyone else gets a safe spot on the other side of the battle? They get a bridge and I get a wasteland. Why can't I leave it?"

The room was all but silent with Roxas' frustrated sighs. Quietly, Axel made his way over to the bed (mind you, his bed), grabbing a rolled up blanket on the way. Spreading it evenly across his curled up friend, he sat down soundlessly. Taking a deep breath, words started to form against his lips.

"Because…"

He bit his lip, hitting a snag in his thoughts. He tried again.

"Because…"

"You don't even know," Interrupted Roxas wistfully. "Why? What were you going to say? Life's not fair? They don't know what they're missing?"

Axel almost smiled. Too bad this was the time to be serious.

"…Because no one is brave enough to stick around the so-called middle ground. It's No-Man's Land. If you aren't careful, you get shot and wounded. No one can help you up. It's a scary place, and not many are brave enough to even attempt it. Who likes getting hurt?"

Roxas frowned inside his mess of pillows. "You're terrible at this motivational crap."

"Not a lot of people are brave like you."

Axel smiled, fairly sure that Roxas was scowling by now.

"Not a lot of people can take the heat." He leaned back and fell lazily against the mountain of marshmallow cushions. "Girls and Guys like to go around. They take the bridge, because they see the storm of bullets and fog of dust and get scared. The bridge is easier. People like you and me stick to the warfare—we get shot at by the ones on the bridge, because they can't see who is trying to ask for help. It's a terribly tiring process."

"The rewards are small and few. Doesn't that make the accomplishments we make seem all the more worthwhile though?" Axel chuckled, rising up. Tucking his friend in jokingly (Roxas snorted heavily as he felt a pat on his head), he started heading for the door. There were Senior Papers to write after all, and the pen didn't write by itself. "Not a lot of people are brave enough to venture out to see you."

Not a lot of people are brave like me.


I know that this is only the second chapter and I'm awfully new on the sight, but well, Reviews do make my day. Tell me, what can I improve? Typos? Did you like it?