Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, it belongs to Disney and Square Enix. No money has or will exchange hands.

Authors note: This is a continuation of my Re-edited and proofed story. Still no major changes. Credit to beta's past and present.

Chapter 2

"How's it coming along?"

Naminé looked up from her sketch book so see Riku entering her room; he wasn't wearing his cloak and instead seemed dressed as though he were a normal teenager who belonged to the carefree world of Twilight Town. But both of them knew differently, neither were or ever could be normal.

"Not as well as DiZ would like… but I'm getting there, slowly. Things have been getting easier with you here." She told him with a smile, shy as she was and dark as Riku supposedly was Naminé still couldn't help but feel relaxed in his presence.

"I'm not really doing much," he told her, scratching the back of his head for something to do. Complements made him nervous… Naminé made him nervous, perhaps it was because of her powers but something about her seemed so familiar that there had been several points he was sure he was close to figuring out why. But something always seemed to get in his way, like waking up from a dream so close to the conclusion.

"I think it helps Sora that you are here… you're his friend and having your heart so close helps me to fix the patches in his memories… at least the earlier ones."

Riku sat himself on the table right next to where Naminé was drawing.

"But you're having trouble with the rest?" he asked unable to mask the edge of fear in his voice. It had been months now and his best friend still slept on in the mansion basement.

"It's a lot harder than I expected… DiZ says he has a theory as to why but he seems reluctant to share, just spends all of his time in the lab working on his computer," she explained, shading the edges of the Paupu fruit of her latest drawing.

"Kairi," Riku commented softly as he looked at the picture of his distant friend. "At least she's safe from all of this." he motioned around the room.

"You must miss her." Naminé said quietly, keeping her blue eyes focussed on her drawing rather than her friend.

"You're right, I do. But it's better for her to be back home, away from the madness. Even if sometimes I wish she was here with us. Maybe with a princess of heart around this could all be solved faster?" He chuckled at the thought. Knowing Kairi had most likely already played her part when she saved Sora in Hollow Bastion.

Naminé just smiled and braved looking at Riku directly. "I'm sure she'd want to be here if she knew Sora was even missing, But like you said it's probably safer this way… I have to believe DiZ knows what he's doing – even if I don't like it."

"Do you know how long it will take you to finish restoring him?"

Naminé shook her head. "No, there really is no other way to tell… if I can't do this soon then I don't know what DiZ will do…. Anything to retrieve the 'Hero of the light' and bring about the destruction of the nobodies."

"Naminé?" Riku placed a hand on her small shoulder, once again getting her to look at him. "You're my friend, regardless of the rest of them… you saved me in that Castle and I owe you my life for that. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you – or Kairi or Sora. Okay?"

She nodded, knowing if she were whole there would have been tears brimming in her eyes at his moving gesture.

Roxas was sat in the Rose Garden that had once been Marluxia's favourite part of the castle. He had been on his way to the library but after hearing the soft strumming of Demyx's sitar he'd decided to rest there instead.

The other nobody had smiled when Roxas sat down and turned to face him, his fingers never ceasing in their movements and the look of concentration never leaving his eyes.

Roxas was aware that he had two choices laid out before him and he'd be forced to pick one soon but at the same time he realised that neither of them were what he really wanted. On one hand he could continue to hold his silence and fight for a cause he wasn't sure he knew enough about to believe in so that he could stay with Axel…. Or he could leave to find his answers on his own – hopefully being able to return to Axel's side when it was over.

But what Roxas really wanted was for he and Axel to be left alone, separate from the rest of them with their own life – heart or not. He didn't want to be haunted by dreams of the boy Sora… didn't want the keyblades. The only thing he had ever wanted was Axel, red hair, green eyes, tattoos, fire – everything.

They had been told that once they had their hearts this would all be theirs. Roxas doubted it and he knew Axel shared his view.

"You ok, Roxas?"

Roxas snapped out of his reverie and looked up at Demyx, he was sat upon the edge of the fountain that marked the centre of the Rose Garden's courtyard. He still played quietly, just audible above the rush of the water behind him.

"What?" Roxas asked, unaware of the previous question – only of the sudden change in sound.

"I asked if you were ok, you look kinda troubled." Demyx fixed him with a gaze that looked almost human and Roxas wondered if it would be easier to live the way he did – believing without proof that he had a heart.

"I'm fine, just waiting for Axel to get back." Roxas only hoped he sounded more convincing than he looked.

Demyx was silent for a minute, weighing something up before he finally spoke again.

"He cares for you Roxas." But Roxas said nothing, simply looking at Demyx as if he expected him to continue. "He would and has done everything for you that he can."

On some level Roxas knew this, it had always been something unsaid but there had been times when Axel had come to bed injured on his return from Castle Oblivion and would give Roxas no answer other than to pull him close and hold him in his sleep. But to hear it said by someone else gave it a whole new meaning and something started to well in the place his heart should have been.

"Demyx…" It wasn't often he could find the musician in such a serious mood and yet he couldn't quite seem to word what he wanted to say. "I don't want him to have to… I don't want Axel to suffer because of me, it's not –"

"I never said it was fair, but he cares for you, you couldn't stop him from doing these things even if you tried." He paused, finally silencing his instrument. "Axel wouldn't want me to tell you this, but I've seen that look in your eyes before and it cost that person his existence so I think I have to." He sighed. "If you leave he will follow, regardless of the cost to himself and I know from looking at you if it were the other way around you wouldn't hesitate to do the same."

"I don't…"

"Whatever it is that troubles you Roxas, you should tell him… if he's going to follow you anyway and face the wrath of the rest of the Organisation, isn't it best for you to do it together?"

Stunned into silence Roxas sat there staring. Demyx was right – perhaps for the first time since he had known him the sitar player had made sense. It didn't bring him closer to either of his choices… in fact it pushed them farther away. He suddenly found he didn't care about the risk of asking… if Axel denied the information then at least he had tried.

"Any requests?" Demyx asked, seeming not to like staying serious for any long period of time.

He shook his head in response, leaning back against the wall as Demyx started playing the first thing that came to mind.

Riku, concerned for Naminé after the recent round of instructions pushed upon her by DiZ, had decided to stay with her for the remainder of the afternoon.

She had said very little, working tirelessly whilst Riku sharpened her blunted pencils and replaced any crayons that had been worn down. Both of them could sense the others fear - aware of DiZ's plans and their inevitable destiny to follow his rules and his orders.

Riku almost envied Naminé and her diminished emotions, he didn't believe her to be emotionless but put it down to the fact that she was no normal nobody, her abilities some how made her different from the rest of them. At least that's what he told himself day after day. He didn't want the fear and doubt that wracked his heart every time he thought of his sleeping best friend, he didn't want to miss Kairi as much as he did.

"Riku... have you been into Twilight Town recently?" she asked, placing her yellow pencil neatly next to her sketch book.

He looked up at her, the only sound in the room was the sound of a sharpening pencil in Riku's hands.

"Yeah, but only when it's dark. DiZ doesn't want me to be seen."

"Me neither…"

Riku looked at her then, trying to catch her eye but she seemed reluctant. he placed the sharpener on the table and leaned over to put his hands on top of hers.

"He has his reasons, there is no way to tell if the Organisation are still around here."

"Marluxia is dead, everyone aside from Axel - who freed me in the first place are gone," Naminé told him, her voice as harsh as it was sad.

"I know, but the rest of the organisation are still out there. It's not worth the risk of you being hurt." She looked at him then, shocked blue eyes meeting his as he spoke. "But if you want I'll take you out with me tonight. DiZ will be with his computers anyway so we won't be found." He wasn't entirely sure what made him say it, he almost hadn't but he couldn't stand the sight of her so crestfallen.

"Riku…"

"I promise, nothing will hurt you, not as long as I can protect you."

Naminé nodded carefully, a small smile returning to her face as she turned her hands under his to lace their fingers together.

When Demyx had told him Roxas was looking for him in the Rose Garden Axel had been somewhat surprised. By his own admission Roxas was none too fond of flowers and had avoided that particular part of the castle since his arrival.

He'd approached carefully, mindful of whatever mood Roxas would be in when he found him, but relaxed when he saw him sat with his head rested against the stone wall. His eyes were closed and his hair blew gently in the breeze that settled in the garden, but he looked peaceful - a lot more so than Axel remembered him being in the past few months.

He settled himself down next to his friend, reaching out for the free hand that lay limp at his side, Axel had considered the idea that Roxas had been sleeping until he felt him squeezing his hand and watched crystal clear blue eyes reveal themselves to him.

"Demyx told me you wanted me."

Roxas smiled nervously and leaned into his companions warmth, the wall behind him having turned cold since he'd been there.

"I want to talk to you about something… I'm just not sure of where to start." His voice was quiet but Axel heard him clearly and an odd sort of trembling started in the place his heart should have been.

"Alright," he said calmly, moving their joined hands into his lap. "But I'm going to guess this isn't the sort of conversation we should be having in this castle."

"No, no it isn't." Then for a reason Axel couldn't understand Roxas released his hands and climbed awkwardly into his lap, legs straddling him and head coming to rest on his chest. Axel caught the look in his before they descended and he looked defeated, weighted down by a burden Axel was unsure he could lighten.

Even so he shifted against the wall to get more comfortable before closing his arms around Roxas, feeling his unsteady breathing settle as he tightened his hold. He wondered how much good it was doing though, Roxas had been slowly descending further and further into himself and Axel remained uncertain as to whether or not he was to blame.

The evening air was cool in Twilight Town, the first signs of Autumn were setting in but even the crisp wind couldn't deter Axel and Roxas from their usual stop at the ice cream vendors before escaping to the seclusion of the clock tower.

Both had changed their clothes in favour of something more fitting for the occasion, Axel in a black shirt and hooded jacket and Roxas in his white chequered jacket over the normal trousers and black organisation shirt. His mood had improved in the hours since they had sat in the garden together, only finally moving when Axel could no longer feel his legs.

Axel's hand hadn't left Roxas' since the moment they'd left the castle, it was as though he was holding on for whatever life he had, as well as give the other some form of reassurance - whatever that may be.

And sat on top of the tower, waiting for Roxas to speak, his thoughts raced faster than he could reason with. The fear of what might be coming, the inevitable conversation that lead to Roxas leaving overwhelmed whatever thin grasp of emotion Axel was capable of.

"I've been dreaming." Roxas said, his eyes focused on the view before them and idly biting at his ice cream.

"Oh?"

"Of a boy named Sora, his best friend Riku and the girl he cares for, Kairi." He still didn't turn to face Axel, he could sense the tension simply by their entwined fingers.

"Roxas…." He could sense it, the foundations starting to fall from underneath him, he didn't know what to say or what to do…. Xemnas had promised nothing short of death if he betrayed his secretes to Roxas and he wondered what would become of the him if he did find out.

"I know what your orders must have been…. and I don't want to know all of what you did in that castle, the fact that only you returned says enough." Roxas was looking at him now and his eyes appeared softer than Axel had expected. "I Know that you can't tell me everything but I know this all has something to do with Sora and I think it has something to do with me as well…"

"What would make you say that?" Axel met Roxas' eyes again and it seemed no animosity lay there, no anger. He didn't know what to make of it.

"The Keyblade, Sora has a Keyblade. In my dreams I've seen him use OathKeeper and Oblivion. I've heard his name around the castle and I think you know more than you're allowed to tell me."

"Rox-"

"Let me finish," Roxas cut him off firmly, moving so he was straddling the ledge, he threw his ice cream below them and took Axel's free hand in both of his. "You know who Sora is and for some reason Xemnas won't let you tell me." He took a deep breath. "If I could choose I wouldn't have the Keyblades, I wouldn't have the dreams and I would follow you wherever it leads. But there is something else going on, Xemnas is using me - he's using us and I don't know how much longer I can stay here."

"Everything I did Roxas, everything has been for you," Axel told him honestly, voice cracking as he waited for the inevitable.

"I know and now I have to ask you to do something else."

"Ask me?" Discarding his own ice cream Axel brought his free hand to join the rest, this hadn't been what he was expecting and he allowed a flicker of hope - as much as he could feel.

"You say you'd do anything for me Axel but I can't be kept in the dark anymore, I need you to tell me about Sora, why we're connected… what I'm doing here and why I'm so important to Xemnas."

"I don't know why you're so vital to Xemnas' plans, other than your Keyblades…" Axel turned and sat the same way as Roxas with very little effort, but he released his hands to grip the other boys shoulder. "But you'd better be sure about this Roxas - once I tell you that's it. I can never take it back."

Their eyes locked together and Axel was sure he'd never seen Roxas so determined before. "Please Axel, I want to know." The silent knowledge that if it didn't come from Axel, Roxas would find the information somewhere else, no doubt without him.

Axel was silent, but along with the relief that Roxas wasn't planning to leave came the fear that after hearing what Sora was to him he would leave anyway. With a heart Axel would be screaming, but with a heart this wouldn't be taking place anyway so there really was no other course of action.

"Axel?" Roxas asked, their knees brushing together.

"I'll tell you everything I promise...but first…" He ran a hand through Roxas' short messy spikes trying to make sure during whatever followed that he would remember this. He leaned in to place gentle kisses on his face, fingers playing with the stray hairs that brushed his neck. Roxas sighed softly and his hands found their way to Axel's chest taking a firm hold of the shirt he wore.

Roxas' eyes slid closed as Axel's lips closed over his, warm and soft and everything he had come to cherish. He understood the meaning behind the action and welcomed it and the arms that wrapped around him. They were careful, resting as they were on the ledge of the tower but somehow Roxas ended up seated in Axel's lap, lips parted and moaning softly whilst Axel moved them, effectively making sure they ended up on the floor of the clock towers balcony. He was aware the time for talking was drawing near but it wasn't there yet, he also suspected that Roxas needed this just as much as he did - if the hands that slipped under his shirt were any indication.