Disclaimer: I don't own these people. so yeah
Warning: huh. Nothing bad really actually in this one.

Oh and anyone who doesn't know what "Stockholm syndrome" is; the simplest way I can put it is when a 'victim' becomes emotionally attached to their 'captor/abuser.' For reasons as to stay alive, or stay unharmed. C: (also if anyone has a better grasp, feel free to share.)

Italicized words are characters thoughts. Mostly Roxas's.

" parenthetical italicized words are emphasized words."

Centered italicized words are Axel's flash backs. Just Axel's.
This will come in handy later.

Now onward!


"Well, they do say," The red-haired man groaned as he lent into the back of his pickup truck, ripping the tarp away, "if you feed a stray," his gloved hands reached out and scooped up the blonde boy sleeping peacefully, "it'll follow you home." And with that hot breath ghosting over the blonde's cheek he started to stir, groaning at the blaring morning sunlight. The red-head wasted no time in depositing the small form on the thick iced over snow with a loud thump. Dusking his hands off when the task was done.

The blonde yelped up at the sudden contact with the cold air and even colder snow, "what the hell!?" he yelled, flopping around in the snow like a fish out of water, all his limbs flying everywhere as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. White and pale blue and then a flash of blood red out of the corner of his eye. His head snapped up to see the same man from the night before looking back at him, yet another cigarette dangling off his lips.

"I noticed you… in my truck, and kid, last thing I need are cops up my ass for kidnapping. So get lost." He jerked his thumb to the highway full of cars passing by lazily, not even sparing a second glance at the two on the side of the road.

The blonde stood, brushing off snow and sending a weak glare at the tall stranger. "What?" he sputtered, "This is the middle of nowhere! I don't even know when, let alone where the next World is. I don't even know the names of any of most the other worlds! How can you just leave me here?" his eyes darted around to the highway, back to the dead trees on the side, and finally to the red-head's face which held no emotion at all; completely blank.

"That's not my problem, kid; I'm not the one who decided to be a stowaway." Smoke came pouring out of his nostrils with every word. He flicked the ash away and shifted on his heels.

"It was cold. And I have nowhere to go now and I don't have any money or anything, what was I supposed to do?" he felt heat rising to his cheeks every time his voice got caught in his throat, making his voice sound as if it were still cracking.

"Go home to your parents, use a payphone and call the cops to take you home, something. If you're going to run away from home at least be smart about it." his eyes still didn't hold any emotion in it, but his voice carried the same tone a parent would use when scolding their child.

Roxas's blue eyes met with the white snow dejectedly, "I've no parents to go home to. I'm an orphan. "

"Sucks for you… now beat it. I'd like it to not look like I came all the way out here to abandon some kid like you." He tossed the cigarette butt to the snow, watching the last of the small flame eat away at the snow before sizzling away.

Roxas huffed, crossed his arms and tossed a glance back at the older male, "you're an ass," a gorgeous one, "and that's exactly what you're doing. I might not know very much about the law, but I know it already looks like you've abducted me, so now you have no choice but to take me with you."

The red-head let out a chuckle, "blackmail doesn't really go over that well with me, so you might want to watch your mouth, kid." Despite the previous laugh his words were growled out between perfectly white teeth gritted together in a sickening smile. Roxas almost backed down, but his fear weighed heavy on his limbs and locked him in place. Everything inside of the blonde told him to run and to get away from that man, because no one should be able to pull off that set of facial expressions all at once. Roxas tried to hold his gaze but he was quick to let it drop to the ground again, falling silent as the man walked the few steps to the beaten up door.

The blonde swallowed down his fears as he took a step towards the red-head, watching him get in the car and roll down the window, spitting in the snow, "YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME HERE LIKE THIS! IT'S NOT RIGHT!" he shouted shaking at the knees. He knew this man was trouble, just by the look in his eyes, the way he was completely calm and livid all at once and how easily he flitted between the two, but Roxas couldn't stop himself from being drawn to it all. The car rattled to life and started up down the Road. Roxas took off after him, not being able to keep up in the deep snow and heavy clothing, which was just being a hindrance rather than keeping him actually warm. "HOW CAN YOU JUST LEAVE ME HERE LIKE THIS? I'LL DIE OUT HERE!" he caught the flickering of green eyes in his rearview mirror through the back glass. "PLEASE! JUST TAKE ME WITH YOU!"

Please, just take me with you.

The truck abruptly halted, and a smile broke out onto the blonde's face as he ran up to the car and let his frozen fingertips fiddle with the passenger side door for a moment too long. The red-head rolled his eyes before flicking the lock open and the blonde clambered in, smile still on his lips. "Now before you get ahead of yourself, kid. I didn't change my mind because you said you would die; guilt trips also don't work on me. I did it because you were making a scene, and someone saw my face." that wasn't the real reason why, but the red-head didn't need Roxas to know that. Roxas nodded and with trembling fingers clicked his seatbelt in place. His feet hardily touched the ground and he was sure he was sitting on expired food or important paperwork as he shifted around. The seats were made out of a material he didn't recognize and the same smell of burnt out birthday candles, ashes, and oil invaded his nose. A simple worn out radio sat falling out of its home and the high dashboard was covered in a random assortment of cigarette boxes, gum wrappers, and bloodied napkins. As soon as his eyes settled onto the blood he cringed, ready to choke out more bile. The car rumbled to life again as it slowly pulled back out onto the main highway.

"My name's Roxas." he nearly whispered, and the red-head eyed him in passing.

"Didn't ask for your name, kid."

"Not a kid."

"Didn't ask that either."

Roxas shifted in his seat again, not knowing really what to do, "I'm hungry." He stated more to himself than anything.

The red-head let out a snort, tossing him a stick of mint gum, "there's a box of doughnuts in the glove box, and when you're done shove this in your mouth, you're breath is rancid."

"I threw up last night…" Came the blonde's weak response as he took the gum and fiddled with the glove box until a box of glazed doughnuts came into view. His mouth watered at the sight of real food in what felt like forever, he swore he dreamt of food the night before. He couldn't remember his dream, but he was almost sure. The red-head grunted in response as he kept his eyes on the road. "So uhm… what's your name?" he didn't receive an answer so he swallowed down another doughnut, and sipped carefully at his water bottle. "Where are we going?" still nothing, except now the red-head started tapping on the steering wheel. "Why are we going?" the rhythmic tapping picked up and Roxas opened his mouth to speak again, "why were you in that bar last night?"

Axel cut an icy glare in his direction, "My name is Axel. We are going where ever the hell I feel like going. And we're going because I need that money those little 'bars' provide, and to avoid getting spotted. Got it memorized?" when Roxas kept his lips sewn closed he continued, "good. Now keep your damn mouth closed. I'm not in the fucking mood to play twenty questions with a fourteen year-old."

"I'm seventeen." The blonde whispered under his breath, about to say something more, when he noticed Axel's nostrils flare and a heavy sigh escape his body. Roxas opted for watching him carefully. Eyes trained on the Road, high cheekbones with a scab forming just under his tattoos, and locks of uncombed hair cascading beautifully around his shoulders. Roxas tilted his head when he spotted the engraved roman numerals on the side of his neck through the strains of sun-dyed-copper hair, wondering what would make anyone want to have such a thing branded into their body. VIII. Such a strange thing to get done. Before he could stop his mouth was opening on its own accord, "why's that on your neck?"

The red-head's hand instantly flew up to the spot where the number resided, wincing as he did, as if touching it still caused pain, "none of your damn business." Roxas flinched at the anger in his voice, shivering at how cold he felt. How cold is it anyway? How's he not cold. Then Roxas noticed the simple grey flannel unbuttoned hanging limply from his form. Roxas felt frostbite creeping in on his fingers and toes just at the sight of the red-head almost looking like he was too hot as he rubbed one last time at the number. His thin fingers held onto the steering wheel again wrapped in worn out leather gloves. Roxas quickly recalled how he wasn't wearing them when he… when he burnt that man's face off. The blonde grew ill as the image flitter across his memory, begging him to purge everything in his stomach. But he couldn't do that; he wouldn't let himself be over taken by that feeling. He needed to keep the food down. He didn't know the next time he'd be able to eat, or even when they would stop so the blonde could relieve himself. Roxas grit his teeth together and looked away sharply, fearing if he looked at the red-head too long he catch him staring and force him out. So his blue eyes settled lazily on the snow falling to the ground below in a haze as they drove past.

He contemplated counting them like he did back home. Who am I kidding, that place wasn't a home. It was barely a house. Or maybe he would have named them; giving each little snowflake their own personal back story to go with it. Anything to pass the time really. He squinted down at the blearing whiteness and he felt funny just staring out at snow and not doing anything, but regardless he watched the outside world pass by, smiling at the strange feeling he got deep in his gut when he would forget that he was actually the one moving. He breathed out against the window watching it fog up and doodling a small smiley face in the corner.

He pictured his old friend Olette scolding him for leaving finger prints on windows, and then he pictured another blonde like himself, Hayner telling Olette to relax and let them have some fun, and then Roxas frowned. I won't ever see them again. He swallowed and readjusted himself in his seat, carving out each and every nook and cranny of this truck he was in and the person sitting next to him in his brain. He didn't know for how long, but this was his new home and he needed to get used to the cold as stone man next to him, and the draft the damaged door let in, and even the uncomfortable silence that settled around them and cuddled up to the blonde, breathing down the back of his neck forcing the hair there to prick up. Maybe if he tried his luck just a little bit more, he'd find what he needed, and get where he wanted to be. He didn't know exactly where that was either, but he desperately wanted to be there. His cold finger tips brushed past the photo paper in his pocket as if it gave him comfort knowing it was there, and he didn't need to even look at it. He contented himself with smoothing his greasy fingers over the corner of it and watching the things pass him by for many hours, even when his eyes grew numb to the color white.

Hours passed like that. The change in scenery had the blonde shooting up right in his seat, eyes searching for anything that indicated where they were, but to no avail. "What's your problem kid, you look like a damn scared rabbit?"

"I— I just wanted to know where we were." He slumped back in his seat when a small motel came into view on the side of the road and no response. The building looked dingy and dirty, and not at all appealing, but what did Roxas know about appealing? Nothing. And yet, he eyed it in disgust, taking in all the brick with Mold resistant to the cold growing in all the cracks, and paint peeling away, and how warped all of the wooden doors to the rooms looked, and how dingy the ugly floral curtains looked from a distance, insuring they were hideous up close and personal. They pulled into a spot on the side of the building, Roxas wrinkling his nose when the smell of something sickeningly sweet and filthy wafted through his nose. It reminded him of how that bar smelt, only ten times worse when it was accompanied by the wet dog smell that just hung in the air.

Axel stepping out of the truck and put a cigarette to his lips, the flame catching almost instantly, taking a small grey book bag with him from under his seat, "I'm gunna take care of some business in here. I don't give a fuck what you do around this rinky-dink town, but if you're planning on staying in it for the long haul, be back before sundown. I'm leaving then. And I'm not waiting up for your ass, got it memorized, kid?"

"Roxas." he said defiantly, earning him a large puff of smoke in his face, and a growl before the red-head disappeared off out of view. Did he have a room reserved or something? The blonde shortly got out of the car noticing that although the red-head to took the keys with him, he didn't bother locking the doors, so neither did he. He tucked himself further into his coat trying to keep out the cold as much as possible as he surveyed the small town. Motel, gas station, fast food joint, an abandoned looking church, a few houses, a few pale people, but mostly nothing. Roxas had heard about these places. They were little places between the worlds. They didn't operate on any laws and the people were a little backwards in their thinking, and outsiders weren't welcomed. He headed off in the direction of the gas station pulling the picture out of his pocket. Maybe I'll get some answers today. He glanced down and the color-faded photograph in his hands.

The man in the photo looked exactly like Roxas, only exception was the slightly longer hair, and the girl… she was drop dead gorgeous, and her pregnant belly did nothing to impair that fact. Her long black hair and smile radiated out from the picture, both hands held lovingly over her belly. They were both in white shirts and blue jeans, and splattered in paint. They were standing against a brick wall of a school with a mural of a fantastical pirate ship. And these high schooler's faces frozen in time were his parents— His nameless parents. The only thing he ever had of them.

If it wasn't for this picture, he wouldn't even know what they look like; he'd grown up in that forsaken orphanage all his life. He turned it over tracing his fingers over the running black ink. "To: my baby, Roxas. Mommy and daddy loves you. Never forget." It was the only reason he knew what his name was. He scoffed at the soft script, if you loved me why did you give me up? It wasn't a fair question; he didn't care. He tucked it back in his pocket as he crossed the street, he might have felt bitter whenever he read the back of the photograph, but deep down he knew he loved these people with all of his heart, and he just had to know who we was and who they were, and why they kept such a huge part of his life out of the fine print on the back.

The blonde scuttled into the gas station and wondered around a bit, taking note of the lack of cameras over head and inattentive person manning the front counter. He took his time scanning the isles of the empty place, trying not to drag attention to himself, as he spotted the small hygiene section. He was quick to grab a travel sized toothbrush and toothpaste tube. It had nearly been three days since the last time he brushed his teeth, and he could still feel the bile eating away at them. Wish I thought it through. Wish I brought a bag. He grumbled as he fingered the rusted knob of the restroom, pushing back the heavy door and breathing in the horrible gas station bathroom smell. He frowned as he turned the sink on, water spraying everywhere in the broken faucet getting his navy colored Coat wet. He cursed lowly shaking his head and with shakingly numb fingers undid all the packaging and proceeded to brush his teeth. Ten times. He brushed until his gums grew swollen and started to bleed, which caused him to gag and the whole routine to start over again. When he deemed his mouth clean enough he tucked the stolen goods into his pocket and strolled out, casually stuffing whatever food he passed into his pockets, and left without a word.

A break in the clouds and watch on his wrist told him it was the late afternoon, and even so the sun didn't look like it felt like setting. He found it strange that in the winter the sun didn't set earlier. Roxas stopped keeping track of time as he stumbled over person after person, stopping and asking them if they had seen the people in the photograph, or if they knew where the school was or anything. But no one knew a thing or no one said a thing to him, just walked away shaking their head murmuring, 'degenerates.' Occasionally he ran into a person who simply stated they knew nothing, but wished him the best of luck.

After an exhausting day of asking for his parents, not even having a name for them, he started on the trek back to the motel. The sunset was muted a cold pink and orange and the snow picked up again, cutting his skin with the help from the wind. He drew his nose down deep in his coat's collar breathing in the warm pocket of air that formed between his shirt and his coat. He couldn't feel his fingertips any more as they grasped absentmindedly at food lining his coat pockets. No one knew a thing. I don't think I'll ever find them. He sighed dejectedly as the neon red Motel sign came into view, contrasting with the now dark night sky. He was a little late, just a little, maybe Axel had run late, maybe he lost track of time too, not noticing when the sun had set, and maybe he was still safe. He held his breath as he broke into a light jog stopping in the parking lot. He's still there. He's got to be. I'll freeze to death if he's not.

Axel wouldn't leave him. He couldn't leave him. He let out his breath as it tangled in the frosted air as he took heavy steps to the curb. He was swamped with feelings he didn't recognize and it didn't make any sense as to why his eyes refused to see what he was looking eyes darted crazily around the parking lot trying to search out for the red-head and the truck. His head started spinning and his world started caving around him, noises around him didn't make any sense and the lights started flicking in and out of view, fading from one iridescent color to the next, but he couldn't stop himself. His stomach twisted and curled into tight little knots as it finally struck him; the truck wasn't there to be seen. Shouldn't have expected him to be here; should have known better. And he was right, he should have known better.


Oh, by the way. This isn't going to be a happy story if you can't already tell. It will have its happy moments though. So yeah… oh! And any stone left unturned will be well… turned, but if anything confuses you or something, just ask. I don't bite.

And there you go my lovelies (:
anyway just saying that these chapters have been outlined thoroughly, and I have no intention of keeping the chapters a consistent length. So if it takes me 900 words or 9,000 to get across what's happening in a chapter that's exactly what will happen. C: bear with me.


To my reviewers whom I am already in love with:

NakanoHana: aha thank you c: I do get carried away with giant paragraphs when no one's speaking, and it is rather donting to look at, so I broke them up more this chapter. Hope it helped c:

Guest: aw gee thanks, I hope it gets better too :D

ewonsama: eeee, all your reviews make me oh so very happy c: so thank you

BlissfulGP: gosh, you make me blush with your compliments. / and I hope I continue to captivate you.

Pleased reader: at first I read that as 'appalled' instead of 'applaud,' so I was completely confused by the rest of your review. Aha. But I got it right. Thank you and I hope you keep loving it.