La-li-ho! Hey guys! I'm so happy, thank you so much for the reviews! And for adding my story to your favorites and alert lists, and even who just read, thank you! You guys made me really happy. This chapter was meant to be online so much time ago, but every time I tried to finish it, something would show up and not let me (including when my uncle's computer just FROZE and I lost about middle of the chapter I had already written, making me take so much more time to finish it because I had that feeling "it's not so good as before".

This chapter is longer than the last one. It was going to be even longer, but I decided to cut it where I did 'cause it would be too much information. The good side is that the next chapter will be on in much less time, maybe even tonight!

Oh, and a little warning: when Zexion make he's first appearance in this chapter, his hair will not be as the original in the game, but much, much longer. Don't worry though! Soon his hairstyle will change to the game's one.

DISCLAIMER: Nopes... I don't own it... I don't own Kingdom Hearts, nor Final Fantasy, nor the music lyric that appear in this chap... I don't own anything, I don't even own an ipod!

Chapter Two: Welcome to Hell (or Heaven?)

The blond took another glance at the window. The strong sunlight and the clean sky matched perfectly with the calm, deep blue sea, and the shiny colors of the islands under him: some small and full of green; some bigger with tons of tourists overcrowding their beautiful beaches; and one huge major island, the center of the Destiny Islands archipelago and where his plane soon would be landing. A city surrounded by water. And palm trees. There where palm trees.

'This is gonna be hell.'

"OMG, OMG! I can't believe we are so late!" the smaller brunette said while running through the airport entrance.

"It's all your fault Sora! If you know you have problems waking up, you should have slept earlier!" said the older brunette who was running beside Sora, looking extremely fretful.

"Shut up Leon! You were the one meant to fill up the car's gas tank! It's your fault the car stopped in the middle of the way!"

"I would have done it if I didn't have spent so much time waking-"

"Could you both please shut up and gimme a little help looking for the boy?" Laguna shouted as he glared at the two boys.

"Sorry dad." Sora muttered, looking at his feet. He could tell his father was very nervous, something that hardly happened, and he felt guilty, knowing it was partly his fault they were almost two hours late for picking up Roxas.

Leon only crossed his arms in his chest, scanning the mass of people and baggage crowding the airport. It was the last weekend of summer vacation for almost everyone, so tourists were going back home while natives here coming back to the islands after their own trips. Then he realized one thing. "Dad, you didn't tell us how Roxas looks like."

Laguna blinked at his older son. Then blinked again. "I forgot to ask this to his guardian."

The two boys blinked at their father.

"Oh how nice. Really totally nice. Lemme tell you something dad, I don't remember anything about him at all! How are we supposed to look for 'im?" Sora said, anxiety getting the best of him. Starting to feel a little desperate, Laguna looked at Leon, Sora doing the same.

Leon sighed. "Ok, let's think coolly. He is a boy, age sixteen, and if I remember correctly, he had blond hair and blue eyes, and looked a bit like Sora. Twilight Town is not that close from the sea and has a cool weather, so I believe his skin is not very tanned. Also, if he is the son of mom's twin sister, he must have some similarity with her. And he is probably with a lot of baggage, since he is moving, but we can't be sure he already picked it up. I think we have enough to start."

Laguna and Sora smiled, admiration filling their eyes.

"What would be of us without you, Leon?" Laguna said, patting the boy on the back. Then he grabbed both his sons by hand and started pulling them close to him into the crowd. After fifteen minutes or so, despair started filling their hearts again. That's when Sora screamed.

"Hey, look! Could that be Roxas?"

His father and brother looked at the direction he pointed. Sitting slovenly on the floor at a corner of the terminal, a short and thin blond seemed lost in his thoughts, staring through the glass wall at the outside of the airport, a huge black and red checkered suitcase beside him.

"Hm...maybe. Let's get closer." Leon said, and they began walking toward the boy, for having a better look of him.

"I don't know... he has an...uncommon style, huh? The Suzan I remember was that kind of person who really hated anything different from the traditional, so she probably wouldn't be very happy with a son dressed that way..." Laguna said.

The boy was listening to music in his black ipod, one of the earphones in his left ear and the other resting in his right shoulder. He was wearing a skin-tight black and white striped sweatshirt with an unbuttoned black vest on top of it, and a white button with "I'M A MESS" written in black, pinned on his left side of his chest. His dark-red pants had loads of silver safety-pins with connected chains, and hanged from the boy's hips letting some skin visible. The blond was also wearing black leather boots, a four-row studded belt, and a thin black chain in his neck with a silver padlock as a pendant, as well as a lot of silver rings and chains on his arms. His spiked blond hair was messy but still styled, and he had an apathetic look in his pale and dispirited face.

"Yeah, and he is so...gloomy." Sora complemented.

"He just lost his family and then spent two months locked in a hospital. Of course he is gloomy!" Leon said churlishly. He used to take comments about style and fashion very personally, himself having an uncommon leather-based style of clothing.

"Oh, true, I forgot." the younger brunette said with his right index finger at his lips.

"You forgot? You forgot? That's the damn reason he is here!" Leon replied, irritated.

"Boys, let's just go and see if it's him or not, we're wasting time." the taller man stalked until he was beside the blond, who didn't show any sign of noticing the approach, still staring outside through the glass wall on his left side.

"Oi! Uh... are you Roxas?"

The blond looked at his right and stood up. He was so short that he could be misunderstood with a 12-years-old boy by an inattentive person. With an emotionless tone, he replied, while turning off his ipod and shoving it inside his pocket.

"Indeed I am." The boy hold a "whatever" pose, but it broke in a second as a flying brunette tacked him to the ground in a joyful hug.

"We finally found you!" Sora smiled to the still shocked blond under him.

Recovering himself a little, Roxas shoved the slightly taller brunette away from him, glaring while standing up.

"Do NOT touch me! What is your problem?! Are you retarded? I don't even know you!"

Once again the blond was surprised. He expected the boy to reply him or give some explanation, but instead he saw the brunette's blue eyes (so similar to his own, he realized now) fill with water, and with his blushing face down, he said in a sincere tone "Sorry, I was just happy we finally found you...We were late because of me and I was afraid you had gone away... I'm sorry to jump into you, people always tell me to stop doing it, but I do it without thinking..."

"Uh...okay." Roxas said without knowing what to do. The boy changed so fast from complete joy to extreme sadness, and ketp talking and talking, it was giving him a headache. Or maybe it was just because he hit this head on the floor.

Laguna stepped forward and looked at Roxas.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long, we had some problems getting here and then we took some time to find you. I'm your uncle Laguna Loire, this" he pulled Leon by the arm, to stand by his side "is my older son Squall Leonhart Loire, but everyone calls him simply Leon. And this" he put the other hand on Sora's left shoulder "is my younger son Sora Loire, he is sixteen too and is in the same class as you in your new school."

Roxas said nothing, picking his suitcase up from the floor. 'I can't believe I'm staying with these guys.' he thought.

Laguna and Leon looked at each other and then turned again for the blond.

"So, let's save the talk for later and head home then, I'm starving to death." Laguna said picking Sora by the hand and heading to the entrance of the airport.

"I will carry this." Leon said grabbing the suitcase strap. The blond hold no objection, shoving his hands inside his pockets, reaching the ipod in one of them and turning it on. He let the earphones rest on his collarbones, but could still hear the loud music. Now was playing one of his favorites: Kotodama by Kagrra,.

"Kami sae nemuru yami yo no shita ni tada hitori mukau negai wo daite"

(This darkened night even the gods would sleep, I embrace the desire to face it alone)

The blond kept following Laguna, while his mouth silently sang the already known lyrics and his eyes scanned the crowd of people aimlessly.

"shiroi koromo ni kono mi wo tsutsumi hitotsu no omoi wa hametsu ni mukau"

(My only thoughts turn to destruction, with my body enshrouded in white clothes)

His attention was caught by an interesting group of about eight people. Most of them had uncommon hairdos and were wearing mainly black. They looked like some sort of gang.

"Anun no shita ushitora no koku surudoi hikari wo tsukitateru"

(Ushitora engravings beneath the storm clouds pierce through the sharpened light)

Mildly interested, Roxas kept staring at the "gang", which seemed to be following a tall and impressive looking woman in dark clothes. Right behind her, a sandy-blond with something between a mohawk and a mullet as a hairstyle was talking to a blond girl whose hair formed two antennas like a cockroach. They stopped to wait for another person whose face was hidden by a piece of paper.

"noroi wo nigiru akai kono te wa sonata no mune wo eguru deshou"

(I seize the sutra and as I do, bore a hole in your chest with reddened hands)

And the stalking blond boy couldn't take his eyes off of that person. Roxas looked at the redhead, his mouth a bit agape. ´He has the most amazing hair I've ever seem´.That was the first thing he thought.

"Unmei wa ima wa toki wo koete meguru nuku omoi wa shakunetsu no honoo e"

(Destiny now crosses over time, and my thrashing thoughts to the scorching flames)

For some reason he didn't know, Roxas wanted really bad to see the redhead's face, but the other kept reading the paper with attention, while his friends waited for the "result" of whatever he was searching in the piece of paper, or so it seemed. The petite blond continued studying the redhead's features.

"Kanawanai koi wa tameiki ni kumoru nagaredasu kono namida wa chi ni kawaru"

(My forbidden love becomes dim with sighs, while my flowing tears turn to blood)

The redhead's bony and very tall form had an unique beauty. He was wearing only a white tank top and tight faded jeans ripped at both knees, and an old pair of black Converse on his feet. The black belt on his hips seemed to be taking some effort to keep the jeans "on". In the boy both wrists, studded wristbands could be seen, as well as fingerless black gloves on his both hands, and a black leather dog choker on his neck.

"Shiroi koromo wa shinku ni somari kono inochi mo mata hakanaku chiru"

(My white clothes now dyed crimson red, your life still ephemerally floats down)

Roxas was almost reaching the airport entrance when he saw the redhead jump in place and shout something to his "gang", pulling the paper down. The blond saw a thin face with high cheekbones, the skin even more pale than his own. The pretty mouth was now forming a smirk, the nose was small and well-shaped, little black tatoos in the form of teardrops could be seen under the eyes.

"Hitomi wo tojite saigo no toki wo mukaeru sono shunkan semete"

(You close your eyes to meet your last hour, and in that instant at least)

And the eyes. The most pure green eyes. The redhead lifted his face, and their gazes locked. The surprised jades met the deep sapphires, and they didn't know what was going on, but just couldn't pull away.

"subete wo wasure honno hitotoki sonata no mune ni warawa wo daite"

(May you forget everything for just this time, as you press yourself to me)

Roxas didn't even notice he had stopped walking. And the redhead also didn't notice his friends were calling him. They were totally captured by the other eyes, as if no one else existed, just them, and the most important thing in the world at the moment was getting lost in those pair of windows to the other's soul.

"Unmei wa ima wa toki wo koete afuredasu omoi wa tomedonaku nagare"

(Destiny now crosses over time, and my overflowing thoughts run on)

"Hey, Roxas? Are you ok? Let's get out of here at once." Leon's deep voice wake the blond from his reverie, and he broke eye contact with the redhead, feeling he was blushing.

"I'm fine." Roxas replied, angry with himself for the predicament, but still glancing one last time at the redhead before exiting the airport, Kotodama in its last notes.

"tamashii wa kiesaru kotonaku raisei wa sonata ni ai sarete mitai"

(And as your soul vanishes easily from this world, I hope you'll love me in the next one )

"Axel? Ooooi, Axel? Is anybody there?" Demyx said while shaking his friends's body.

"What, Dem?" the redhead replied still a little airy after locking eyes with a certain blond.

"What? What do you mean by what? We've been calling you for sometime now, and you keep not answering! Let's go, Paine will eat our asses if we're late for picking her mum and this Zexy-guy up."

"Demyx, you know what? I just decided." Axel said while stalking behind the rest of the group.

"Decided what? You' re not gonna make me help you rob a supermarket again, are you? You know I get too nervous " Demyx said with some fright in his eyes.

"No,nothing like that! Ijust decided that it's gonna be him. The person that I want. He is the one who will help me keep going, and who I'll fight for. He's the opportunity the destiny is giving me to change my life."

"But... if it's the destiny that is giving you the opportunity, how can you just decide who it's going to be?"

"Dem, I just understood it all now. My destiny was always there waiting for me. It's all about choice. I want to live. I want to keep going. I want to fight, to believe and have a place in the world. And only I have the power to really change my live. So I choose to catch the opportunity to fight for that person. I decided it's gonna be him." Axel said with a smile, his eyes gleaming for a moment.

"I'm glad to hear." Demyx smiled softly at his best friend."But who the hell are you talking about? Who is him?"

"Oh, the blondie I just saw passing by."

"HUH? What? You saw him passing by? Just like that? It's someone you don't even know?"

"Yep." Axel smiled, shoving his hands inside his pockets.

"Axel! You can't just pick someone randomly like that and decide he is gonna be yours or whatever, even if it was love at the first sight."

"It's not like that! It's... I don't only want him to be mine, I kinda want to be his too. But I don't think it can be called love at the first sight, it's not like that. And don't look at me like this,I don't really understand too, I haven't even talked to the boy... But I didn't choose randomly! I just, know it's meant to be him. I feel it. Those blue eyes..."

"Ax, you really surprise me sometimes. And that's a really big deal, since I've known you for so long. Oh, I think they're here!" the sandy-blond said as turning to his group, Axel by his side.

Paine was coming toward them, with a beautiful slim woman with long jet black hair by her side and a short skinny person behind them, barely visible.

"Oh dears, I'm so glad you all came!" the woman in her late thirties said, clapping her hands and grinning widely. "P-chan sweetie, why didn't you tell me little they all would come?" Paine rolled her eyes, annoyed by the nickname, and just ignored her mother, looking to the group. "Guys, this is my brother Zexion." she moved to the side to turn the boy behind her visible.

Dressed simply in old jeans, dirty white sneakers and a black hoodie way to big for him, the boy slowly lifted his face. Demyx gasped as the sight of the Zexion's face. It's was pretty and delicate, but was full of cuts and bruises, and a really bad wound was found in the left side of his mouth. His slate-colored hair was very long, almost reaching the boy's waist, and without a form, some falling in the boy's face. His light-blue eyes where sad and full of sorrow, and red probably for crying and lack of sleep. When those eyes met the pious Demyx's, he forthwith looked back to the floor.

"Let me introduce you to the gang later, you must me hungry, let's eat something." Paine said to her brother. Their mother, softly playing with her younger's son hair, complemented. "And after lunch I can cut your hair sweetheart, I suppose it wasn't cut since the last time you were with us..." her eyes filled with water "and also get new clothes to you, I think you may find something your size in you sister's store, while we don't go shopping. And we also need to take care of your bruises..."

Feeling her mother would begin to cry any moment, Paine changed the talk back to the previous topic. "Now let's get out, it's awfully crowd in here."

The older woman took Zexion by the hand and the group went outside. "What about you all have lunch at our house?"

"We don't have anything ready there mom." Paine said.

"Oh, Demyx can cook for us, can't you dear? I miss eating your food so much. You didn't stop by any time during summer!" the woman said with a beautiful grin in her red lips.

"It's because I've being working a lot this vacation, but I'd love to cook! Actually I really miss cooking, I almost don't have time for it anymore..."

"So it's settled!" the woman bounced and clapped hands in a childish way. "Lil' Dem here is the greatest cook ever."

The sandy-blond blushed a little at the comment, and quickly glanced at Zexion, noticing the smaller boy was studying him with his sharp-but-sad eyes, hidden behind his long bangs.

Roxas looked distrustful at the food in front of him on the table.

"Is this edible?" he said with a lift of eyebrows.

"Don't worry, it's ugly but the taste's ok." Leon said while sitting beside the blond in the kitchen's table.

"Yeah, dad's food always looks weird, but it's actually good!" Sora said at the opposite side of Roxas in the table, in the middle of a chew.

"Sora! How many times I've told you not to talk with your mouth full!" Laguna said, sitting next to his younger son. "Just eat without looking at it Roxas. After some time you'll get used to it."

'I doubt it.' he thought, but tried the food anyway. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. It wasn't his mother food. After two minutes, he felt as if he couldn't pull anything inside of him anymore, and stopped eating.

"Leon, you have something planned for this afternoon?" Laguna asked.

"Not really."

"So could you help me cleaning the guest room for Roxas? It's stuffy with magazines, books and boxes everywhere."

"Sure."

"And Sora, what do you think about taking him for a walk around town, show him where's the school and other places he should know?"

"I think it's a great idea! I'll ask Riku to go with us!" the boy said excited.

"I don't really want to go out." Roxas said without looking at anyone.

"Oh don't be silly, you won't have anything better to do here, and you need to get an idea of where you're gonna live from now on." Laguna said with a smile.

Roxas pondered arguing, but discovered he didn't have the strength for doing it with anyone at the moment. 'It's not like I really have a choice. If it wasn't for that stupid promise... I could have ended with this months ago. I don't want this place, I don't want this people. I don't want to keep waking in the morning...'

"Where's the bathroom?" the blond asked, standing up.

"I'll show you! Then we can brush our teeth and go out." Sora said cheerfully, his plate already empty. He stood up, grabbed his and Roxas's plates and placed it on the sink. Then he did a "follow me" motion to his cousin and both went upstairs, entered the bathroom and Sora gave Roxas a new toothbrush Laguna had already bought for him and they did their hygiene. Roxas didn't say a word during the whole time.

"We're finally here!" the woman said with a wide smile, while closing the house's front door. "Too bad Xig, Din and Marly couldn't stay with us for lunch, huh? Now let's all help preparing things for lunch. Larxy, could you please bring Zexion's suitcase and these boxes upstairs? You're the strongest one here."

"Sure thing, Kiki."

"Lu, please set the table, you already know where everything is." the said man nodded. "Axy, you could help Lu set the table, but try not breaking anything this time ok?"

"I swear that plate was alive!"

"Yeah yeah, sure. Demmy, the kitchen is all yours. Oh, and Zex sweetie, maybe you could help Demyx? While I clean your room."

Zexion looked from his mother to Demyx, eyes lightly wide, and nodded. The two boys went to the kitchen, where Demyx opened the refrigerator thinking about what to do and feeling constrained, while Zexion looked around, studying the kitchen of his new home.

"So... what you wanna eat?" Demyx asked glancing the other boy, cheeks pink.

Surprised with the question, Zexion lifted his face quickly and looked the taller blond in the eyes. "Anything is fine for me."

Demyx felt shivers through his whole body as he heard the boy's voice for the first time, and blushed mildly. "You don't want anything?"

"I don't know. It's the first time anyone asks me what I want in seven years." he answered without thinking, regretting immediately. He didn't want anyone to pity him.

"So you should start thinking about it, 'cause I don't take 'I don't know' as an answer."

Zexion felt the flush in his face, surprised with the blond's words, and decided to answer heartily. "What I really want is to get rid of this hair." he said, fingering his hair with disgust in his face, his gaze distant as if he was remembering something. Demyx then closed the refrigerator, opened a drawer and took from the inside a big silver pair of scissors. "So let's take care of this first."

The slate haired widened his eyes a bit at the sight of a smiling Demyx with big scissors in hand. "You... you really don't mind?"

"Of course not! If it's something that's bothering you so much, we need to get rid of it at once. Now, I think it's better if I cut the biggest part first, then you water it a bit and I finish. Sit here." He pulled a chair from under the kitchen table and Zexion obeyed him. "You don't need to worry, I've done this sometimes before, my friends always ask me to cut their hair when they're out of money to go to a hairdresser."

"I'm not worried." Zexion said as he felt the blond touch in his hair. Demyx was surprised with how soft it was, and thought it would be waste cutting it all, but it was Zexion's choice.

The bluish-gray locks started filling the floor, and after some minutes of silence, Demyx spoke again. "Here. The biggest part is already cut." Zexion's fingers started searching for his own hair length, and noticed it was between his chin and neck. He looked up to find the blond's eyes, and with the tiniest of the smiles, he said. "Thank you."

"Oh bu-but it's not ready yet!" Demyx said nervous as he felt the heat on he's face, dangerously waggling the scissors. Trying to mask it, he turned his back to the boy. "Now I think you could water your hair here in the sink while I prepare the lunch."

Zexion looked curiously at the boy's back. 'What's this warm feeling I'm having with him? I don't feel nothing like this in so many time...' Then he decided to do what the sandy-blond told him to, taking off his hoodie and staying with his top dressed only in a white tank top.

Demyx decided to prepare his specialty, the so called "quickly made and quickly devoured ham and cheese lasagna" when he saw he had all the necessary ingredients. He was so used to do it that his hands moved almost automatically, and he couldn't resist but keep glancing at Zexion while the said boy washed his now much shorter hair in the sink, drops falling in his bruised face and neck to end in his tank top. 'He is so beautiful... How could his father do something like this to him?' Afraid of being caught staring, Demyx turned his attention to the lasagna, which was almost ready to go to the stove.

Zexion finished washing his hair and looked at the other boy. 'He seems to know what he's doing... I wonder what else he's good at.' He glanced at Demyx's frowning face, bluish green eyes narrowed in concentration, and than at the boy's long and slim arms and fingers, fast preparing the pasta. 'He is so cute...' Then Zexion widened his eyes at his own thought. 'I just thought he's cute? I think that's the first time I ever think something like this about anyone... So many things changed in this seven years... but this boy... is making me feel welcome.'

"It's ready to heat now, it should be ready in twenty minutes. Zexion, lemme finish your hair now"

Zexion was blushing. Even if not knowing why, Demyx couldn't help but shrill.

"OMG so cute!" when he realized he had said it out loud, the blond blushed even strongly.

'You're the cute one here.' Zexion thought returning to the chair, not looking to Demyx face, more embarrassed than he had felt in a long time.

Trying not to think about the odd moment they just shared, Demyx once again took the pair of scissors in his right hand and started cutting the slate-colored hair, now more carefully and giving the hair some style. When finished, he was really satisfied with his job. Placing the scissors on the table, Demyx squatted a little so his face would be in the same height as Zexion's.

"You look..." Demyx stretched his hands toward Zexion's face, and fingered a bang that was falling in it. "You're so beautiful." the blond smiled as Zexion blushed slightly. "I think this hairstyle looks perfect in you. Lemme just..." Demyx saw some of the hair he cut in the face of the smaller boy. When he touched Zexion's face to take it off, he barely had time to see the boy's widened eyes as he was shoved to ground by him, who stood up so quickly that the chair he was before also fell.

Seeing in Demyx's worried face his wide shocked bluish green eyes, Zexion sighed, trying to calm down. When the blond spoke, he's voice came a little strangled. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, that's not it." Zexion closed his eyes and kept breathing slowly, his heart pace returning to normal.

"What was it then?" Demyx said on his feet once again, and closing his distance with Zexion, and leaned toward the boy to look directly in his eyes, his hands resting on the table behind him. "What did your father really do to you, Zexion?"

"Hm...Roxas?"

"..."

Sora attempted to start a conversation with his cousin for the third time since they left his house, and once again he received the same answer. None. Then he grabbed his mobile from his jean's pocket, and dialed a number extremely fast. After only a couple seconds, Riku's voice was made heard. "Sora?"

"Hey, Riku. My cousin's here. I'll show him the neighborhood, and then I was thinking about taking him to the ice-cream parlor in Destiny Beach, in about half an hour, wanna come?"

"Sure."

"Ok, see you there." Sora finished the call and closed his mobile. "Riku's my best friend since we were very little. I'm sure you'll like him!"

Roxas glared at Sora, but the latter didn't seem to notice.

"He is the most incredible person I've ever met. He can do just about anything! He is sooo cool, and very intelligent, great in all sports, and is so beautiful! With that shiny silver hair, and his aquamarine eyes always have that sharp look that make me shiver... I mean, not me! The gi-girls, he makes the girls shiver, not me!" Sora blushed, realizing what he was saying.

Roxas lifted his eyebrows. "So you don't like him only as a friend." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Am I that obvious?" Sora asked, embarrassed.

"Do I really have to answer this?"

Sora looked down, his face still pure red.

"And you haven't declared to him yet, but something is already going on between you two." Another statement.

Sora widened his eyes at the blond's facility to read him. "No I haven't but... how could I? I mean, it's not normal is it? A boy liking another one this way? Isn't it weird?"

A/N: That's it guys. Sorry, Roxas and Axel "actual" meeting didn't fit in the chapter, it would get too big, you guys would get tired. Sorry if it's still kinda boring, I promise more action next chapter though!

Please keep reading and reviewing. I'm doing my best to not committing grammar mistakes or typos, but it's kinda hard when I'm not in my own computer and this one don't have spell check.

A great new year for you! I hope I can write much more in 2008 than I did last year... -.-/