Summary: Axel's an ignorant aristocratic boy from one of the Four Families of Horizon's End (Rebirth, it was later renamed), and Roxas is a poor kid out on the streets...but was he always peasant? That is the question, isn't it. Alternate Universe: AnAkuRoku fic. Based in aVictorian Era twisted with a modern-day sort of thing. (weird no?)

Author's Notes: Finally...Chapter 1! I just finished it right now ;. I changed the rating from T to M...I realized how mature this fic was going to be so I upped it a bit. Just by writing this first chapter I realized it, haha xD! At one point in this fic I attempted to make it "funny". I tell you, though, I'm not a very funny-sort of writer...so...yeah. I'd also like to add that I am not an AerithxCloud fan (a pairing that can be seen in the prologue). I just thought Tifa would be more useful to the story than Aerith would. I'm more of a TifaxCloud fan, and not to mention, most of the pairings that I have put in this chapter...I don't quite agree with either. But, there are some out there who do like it, so this chapter's for ya'all! Don't let all these pairings decieve you...the main one is still AxelxRoxas.Hope this chapter doesn't bore. R+R, please!

Warning: You actually get to see somesexual references in this chapter. So that's a warning. Plus there's language. So yeah. Just a head's up. If you don't like yaoi, I don't know why you're here...cause this is an AkuRoku fic. Yeah...


Chapter 1: The Opposite Side of Town

"No—Hell no!"

The not-so-young heir to the Diamond mansion happened to be very infuriated by the news his father's servant had brought him only seconds ago. It's been a good five years since the horrible demise of the Family of Hearts. Yet truthfully speaking, the teen didn't quite remember much of what happened back then; all he knew for sure was the fact that he had lost his fiancée, Naminé, to some bastard who murdered her and the rest of her family. Despite the fact that this disaster happened quite a while back, it was affecting Axel's life, now, way more than it did back then. Loosing his beautiful fiancée put the redhead in a rather tight situation especially since his eighteenth birthday was closing in fast…

Damn Xigbar, damn his eye patch; he thought crossly imagining the smug grin across that old geezer's face as he had relayed this information to Demyx. It was imperative (according to Demyx) that he get himself hooked up with a wife, or at least one in waiting. It was tradition for one of such high status to have a fiancée. It made one look sharp—look sophisticated! If Axel were to remain fiancée-less, however, everyone in Horizon's Rebirth (the new name for the city) would have the privilege of laughing at him and his family whenever they walked by. And that, was the last thing Lord Xigbar needed.

"Hey, hey! No attacking the innocent bystander," cried Demyx, trying to protect his precious mohawk, "This was all Xigbar—"

"—'My Lord's'—"

"—Riiiight. This was his suggestion. Not mine. Got it? I don't know how I can put up with you two…seriously. You guys have the weirdest relationship on the face of the planet!"

The last remark went completely ignored. Crossing his arms, the redhead paced about the room in absolute annoyance. Axel was trying to figure a way out of this stupid situation. Impatiently, he stole an angered glance over at the piece of paper Demyx had recited the 'important' explanation from.

It lay there on his desk looking rather innocent…but the boy knew differently; ohh… how he wished he could light that blasted, idle thing aflame! His father's intentions must have been to either torture him for the rest of his humble life, or perhaps, the old geezer had grown weary of the under toned laughs from the idiotic Family of Spades. Everyone hated the Spades, anyway, so who cares about what other people think?

He shrugged his shoulders; I don't want to marry—

"Why Larxene?" cried the seventeen year old, grabbing onto the Demyx's shoulders, "Of all people…I'd rather marry you!"

Demyx could only shrug his shoulders in hopes that his younger master would release him, "I'm flattered, Axel, really. But you'd need to bring that up with your fa—with my lord. Besides, I'd have to decline your offer. Wouldn't want to be the root problem of your family's disgrace…you get me?"

The mohawked servant laughed at his own 'witty' joke, and seated himself on one of Axel's comfy sofas along the eastern wall of the room.

Despite Demyx's status as servant of the mansion, he rarely did anything servant-like. The others seemed to handle all the chores; the mohawk blonde and his grand sitar were merely there just to be there. If the Axel were to look at it from an awfully mean perspective, he would probably notice that this 'servant' was but a waste of space in their household. He, of course, was not that mean, but he had known this for the longest time.

Xigbar refused talk to him about where Demyx came from. Actually, Axel didn't seem very willing to find out about it anyway. He liked the sitarist's company; it gave him something better to do rather than just the normal routine every single day. And that was good enough for him.

Axel had no friends beyond his gates, and being home schooled, he hardly had any contact with other children his age. The nobles hang out with nobles, and the commoners hang out with commoners. You need to stick with your own kind. That's how he had been taught. The redhead didn't seem to like it at all, really. If he had it his way, he'd be out of this house in a heartbeat.

Demyx was the only person who'd ever listen to him and talk to him. He was an unwilling friend for, if given the choice, Axel knew, Demyx wouldn't talk to him like this. If given the choice, Demyx would go out on his own, spend time with his friends. The blonde hardly agreed with half the stuff the redhead suggested they do together. Doing fun stuff, like pull pranks and mess around, were not part of this 'servant's' resume. The sitar player was only there to talk to—nothing more.

"What's wrong with having Larxene as your fiancée?"

Axel stared in disbelief at him, "She's arrogant, a sadistic freak, a brat, a total snob, and a bitch!" he exclaimed, his tone progressively increasing with every word that passed his lips, "Oh, did I mention, a complete slut, too? She's all of my fucking pet peeves put into one! Is that even fucking possible?"

"You're doing it again," said the sitarist in his usual sing-y-song-y kind of voice, a grin glowing proudly on his smug face, "Cussing, I mean."

"FUCK!"

"Strike three. Yer out!"

Thanks the redheads high-toned fuming, Demyx managed to slip out of the teen's grasp and regain himself. The servant had had some influence over his master the passed couple years. The most apparent imprint he had left on Axel was in vocabulary…and he was dead proud of it too! Before the sitar player had joined the family, the young master had not even uttered a single cuss word before. He actually didn't know what the term 'to cuss' meant. That was, until Demyx came into the picture. These days, the boy said it at least five times every other hour; his days were never complete without something good to badmouth over.

"Just shut—!"

"Mhmm…?"

"—the door, or something…! ARGH!"

It was rather infuriating for Axel, really. Even though Demyx was quite pleased, he was definitely not. After the last incident at the Family of Spades' ceremonial gathering…Axel tried his best to limit the amount of disrespect he let slip from his mouth. To see Saix's (the Spade's most honorable advisor/heir) face twist into the oddest expression of disbelief imaginable was priceless. It was so good that several attendees at the event would have paid money to see it again! Had it not been for the circumstances, Axel, too, would have laughed at that time, but the harsh slap across the face prevented that. Afterward, the boy didn't hear the end of it from his father…the old geezer's hearty laugh still reverberated deep within his being. To be laughed at by Xigbar was the redhead's worst punishment. He would never get scolded, but…he was always made fun of.

"Where is the old geezer, anyway?"

"Out. Went hunting with Luxord this morning." Implied the servant-boy in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Axel was hardly surprised. The old man hardly did anything without the company of Luxord, a childhood buddy of his—Head of the Family of Clovers. Hunting happened to be one of their most favorite things to do first thing in the morning. Xigbar was always ecstatic about adding another head to his Wall of Game. "There are so heartless to claim!" he would bellow with a laugh; in essence the man wasn't going to stop until the head of every single species.

The redhead turned away from Demyx and headed for the door, finding that standing in his room doing nothing wasn't going to help change his predicament. He entered out into the newly remade hallway, and glanced down the west end of the mansion.

Demyx, who had hoped to get a few hours of shuteye on his master's sofa, eventually got up and followed reluctantly.

"Where are you off to?" questioned the sitarist, cocking an eyebrow.

"Somewhere. Since when were you so interested?"

Demyx shuffled his feet uncomfortably; knowing what he was going to say would reflect itself in the other's rage and anger again. He had done so well to get Axel's temper to drop almost completely, but he now had the feeling he was going to have to bring it up again…

"Xigb—Lord Xigbar wanted me to mention…" he began, fumbling with his fingers, "They're having a celebration…this evening…for your betrothal to-to-to Larxene."

Axel wouldn't hear it. The moment the word 'betrothal' left the other's lips, the redhead was long gone. He merely flew up his arms and walked away. Marriage was the last thing he wanted on his mind. Truthfully speaking, the guy didn't even want to get married! He could advise alone, couldn't he? The teen let an exasperated sigh leave him; he knew all too well that that wasn't the reason why he needed to marry. He needed an heir to pass on the Diamond lineage. To produce either a daughter or a son, it didn't matter, as long as there was someone to pass on the line…Man, why can't Kairi have that job?

Not knowing what to do or where to go, he firmly decided that seeing his cousin wasn't so much a bad idea. Whenever he had any troublesome problems he always came to see her…because, other than Demyx, Kairi was the only person who would listen to his ranting without interrupting him. She won't mind a visit, he thought to himself, a small smile forming itself across his weary face.

Kairi rather enjoyed her time spent with Axel; it gave her a bit of company in this large place. She was almost always secluded and by herself. The girl never came out of her room. She even refuses to speak a word, even to her closest cousin! Only a warm smile, a few hand gestures, and nod were the most Axel had seen from her ever since…ever since…when was that again?

Axel furrowed his brow, trying to think back again. Sora's death? He nodded hopelessly to himself, trying to remember the exact circumstance, that's got to be it! It was around the time of the Hearts incident, I know that…But damn them for causing all these problems!

The trauma of seeing the demise of the Hearts first hand most likely still haunted her. She had been extremely close with the Hearts, especially to one of the first son of the family: Sora. The two of them were practically inseparable! Axel wondered, most of the time, as to why Xigbar didn't make their marriage the official one instead of his to young Naminé.

Their murder—that event—changed her entire personality from a fun, outgoing little girl to a solemn, silent one. She is probably ten times more reserved than even Naminé was, or at least, what the redhead could recollect of the sweet girl.

After what seemed like only a few more seconds, Axel finally arrived at the foot of her enormously large, decorated double doors, an interesting fragrance of freesia seemed to linger about from within the closer he came to it. Promptly, he knocked, then opened it a little to peep inside. His emerald eyes peered curiously around the room for any sign of his younger relative. He didn't want to disturb Kairi if she didn't want any visitors, but in the next moment, a much smaller, redheaded girl was tugging Axel into the room.

He didn't resist her; instead, he eagerly followed her inside, closing the door quietly behind him. The fragrance was much stronger, now, but it didn't seem to hurt his nose at all. It was quite the contrary; Axel felt cozy and much more at home here than he did in his room even. How familiar this scent seemed to him…

Kairi tugged at his newly pressed, dress shirt and with rather cheerfully sad eyes, turned to look up at her elder cousin. She led him over to the center of the room where a small tea table laid waiting.

Her gentle eyes of purple seemed to comfort him in his angered state. He couldn't help but smile warmly back at her. He could never take his anger out on the girl no matter how angry he was. She was far too sweet and fragile to yell at; Axel was afraid she'd break whenever he raised his voice.

"Easy, there!" he teased watching as the girl forcefully motioned him toward the table. Once the she made sure Axel was securely seated, she sat in her own comfy chair opposite him.

Despite her weary, tired appearance, she was still very pretty. The dress she wore was especially elegant and seemed to flow with every movement she made.

The small table that stood between them held a number of different treats that Axel could hardly refuse to snag. Kairi, too, also grabbed for herself a number of truffles she had grown to like. They ate in mutual silence, and only periodically looked up at one another in acknowledgement.

Axel easily leaned back against the chair in satisfaction, licking his fingers mindlessly as he stared up at the painted ceiling. Eating was always a great way to relieve stress.

As silent as Kairi always was, she stared intently at her cousin, eyes studying his every movement with worry. The girl knew Axel well enough to understand exactly when he had something pressing on his mind. For one thing, the red head seemed to always come to her to talk off his problems—not that she minded, of course—but it was almost natural for him to pay a visit when he was feeling strained.

Curiously she waited, wondering what in the world could be bothering him now.

Tearing his gaze away from the acrylic painting above, his emerald eyes found Kairi's purple ones. He smiled weakly at her, trying to figure out what to say first:

"Don't give me that look, Kairi," he chuckled, pointing at her accusingly, "You'll look like an old lady sooner than you think if you keep doing that, ya know."

Kairi grinned at this, resting her chin on the table. A guilty look seemed to radiate from her pouty lips and scrunched nose.

"Heh. Think you can put up with me for another hour?"

She blinked approvingly at him; both eyes and ears were completely attentative to his every word.

"All righty, then," he confirmed, tapping his index finger against his knee, "You still remember Marl-y's sister, right? Well, that bitch and that idiot old geezer of mine, they…"


"'eyyy…blondie, mind getting yer ass off my lot?"

The blondie in question managed to wake himself from his nightmare, and sit upright. For a moment he felt a little lightheaded, his mind up in a daze. The fifteen-year-old boy could have sworn that the one who just kicked him was someone important, perhaps a high-ranking stuck-up aristocrat, or something. The impertinent voice and harsh jab to the side had literally caused him into a brief state of confusion and almost utter terror. Because of his whirling state, it wasn't until his eyes fully focused on man hovering over him that he realized who it was.

Noble…? the boy thought with a laugh, oh, that would be the day.

The fifteen-year-old had to suppress his obnoxious laughter by covering his mouth as he stared up at the rude man. Had it been a nobleman, sure, he'd get worried. The thing was, though, this neighbor that was hovering over him now…was far from being high-class. Actually, he was just a meager worker, and workers never had any shot at nobility no matter how hard they worked.

With a shrug, blondie simply laid back down upon the cemented sidewalk, sapphire eyes gazing back at the bleach-blonde worker who had woken him.

"G'mornin' to you too, Cid," yawned the younger blonde, blinking back teary eyes.

"Ha—?" the stout man, puffed at his meager cigarette then bent over to get a better look at the boy, "—Oh! Well, if it isn't Small Fry! Didn't recognize yah there for a sec'."

'Small Fry' had to stand up so Cid could get a better look at him. Over the years, the man's eyesight seemed to worsen a thousand times over, and he still refused to buy a pair of spectacles. He not only refused to believe he had bad eyesight, but he also found any sort of material that was worn to enhance anything to be weak.

Cid towered over the boy, his face leering down at him with his all-knowing smugness. Smoke from the cigarette breathed through each strand of the younger blonde's hair, causing his eyes to water even more than they were already.

Waving his hand impatiently 'Small Fry' swiped the cigarette from the other's mouth and threw it on the floor. "Quit that! " he stammered, his face pale, "You know how much I hate smoke."

"Temper, temper, Kid. No need to get all feisty-like," grumbled the man, pulling out another cigarette from his small shirt pocket. "Sorry for waking you up, but seriously, Roxas, yeh really can't sleep there."

"I don't remember this being yer lot," scoffed the boy, a bright, teasing smile evident across his face.

Cid raised a brow, "You got me there, but they have this new law…"

"Screw the law. I don't care. It's those damn aristocrats…"

Cid crossed his arms, walking around the boy inspecting every aspect of young Roxas. Despite the fact that he was dirty, ragged, and held the disgusting stench of onions, there was something about him that sent the message that this boy was more, or at least, had been more than just a mere peasant.

The guy even remembered the first time blondie first came into the slums. Roxas looked nothing like what he did now. He was a mess, of course, but he didn't stink or look this repulsive. Surely, the kid hadn't showered in over a week.

Cid placed the cigarette in his mouth unlighted, "Bad mouthing the folks yer brother claimed you two were from, eh…? If I remember correctly, you also tried to persuade me you were some noble-boy too."

"Drop it. I did that only once."

"Once, huh? Your bro did it a whole lot. Yeesh! And look what became of him! I'm sure you remember what happened to him. It's a good thing you stopped saying that kind o' crap! Imagine what could have—!"

"Whatever! Just shut it, old man!"

Roxas turned away from Cid, face twisted in anger.

The much older blonde scratched the back of his head and shrugged. He got the picture, and quickly backed off the topic. It was rather harsh talking about it first thing in the morning. That was probably the last sort of thing Roxas wanted on his mind. Cid even felt bad about reminding the kid about it.

Usually, it was all jokes and fun with little Roxas, but at times, he could be pretty serious. He was quite touchy about certain things, some more than others. The smoking habit happened to be one of the boy's major pet peeves, but talking about his brother…well, that was much more than just a simple pet peeve.

Roxas had been very close with his older brother, or at least that's how Cid saw it. He was a ditzy kid with brown hair and stunning sapphire eyes that mirrored those of Roxas's. They looked so much a like that, everyone knew them to be twins despite their difference in hair color.

Cid never knew the boy's real name, or maybe it had really been his name. Though, it wasn't the sort of name you'd usually want to claim yourself to be. Sora was the name Roxas had called him. It was an understandable name; surely, there were many Sora's out there. Unfortunately, though, that wasn't the picture Roxas's brother was trying to get across. He didn't claim to just be some peasant/middle class boy with that name. He claimed to be Sora. The Sora. The One who had been hailed as heir successor of the Heart's name!

The nerve of that kid! Trying to get everyone to believe that he was that child. The real Sora had, of course, been killed during the fire incident—every single-family member had been killed. Even Cloud, the most renowned swordsman in the city, had fallen at the clutches of the mansion's burning flames, so how could a mere nine-year-old survive just like that?

Sure, the bleach blonde hadn't been there to witness the burning up close, but there were many, many witnesses. There were even burnt corpses of each member photographed in the paper to prove that they were all dead! It was fraud. It was outrageous! Roxas's brother had nearly set Horizon's End at a turn for the worst by claiming such blasphemies. Cid had warned the child to take back everything he had claimed, hoping that perhaps, people would forget about it.

Roxas, himself, even begged his brother to stop after a while.

Standing up for what you believe is better than not. Those words echoed in the back of the Roxas's mind…Sora's voice, reassuring him that everything was okay, that things would go back to normal… To follow his heart. To never back down on it…

Sora had believed in his heart to the very end.

Even through death.

It was a public execution: one that neither Cid nor Roxas would ever forget. He was shot to death. An execution only saved for the most horrible blasphemies. Guns, of course, were prohibited within Horizon's End up until that point. That had been the first time in history that they held a public execution. The first time in history someone was shot for speaking out what they believed in. The first time in history a boy was executed…

Times had certainly changed since Cloud oversaw Horizon's End…things became much more hectic and much more eventful than before. There was no equal balance between the Families of Aristocracy anymore. With four Families there was a sense of stability, but now that there were only three…the balance was lost forever.

The Diamonds had always had their partnership with the Hearts. The Spades always had their partnership with the Clovers. But they were uneven now. Even with the so-called Family-Truce, they were still permeable. It was such a loose alliance that it was easy to see that all three families were struggling for ultimate power. They were all struggling for the position to replace the Hearts at the very top of the food chain.

Roxas shook his head, obviously aggravated. Just thinking about that, made the boy detest—even hate—the three Families. Those very same Families that Sora had protested and even tried persuading that they were from! They were Cloud's kids! They were the Heart's heirs! They had survived the 'flames'! It was true! It was true! They—he—knew the truth about what really happened that day…

Sadly, though, the truth was only to be known in Roxas's heart. No one would believe him, anyway. Plus, if he said anything…he might just end up… like Sora…he thought, closing his eyes thoughtfully, why'd he have to be so stubborn? He would have lived if only he…

"I'm off. Send my regards to Merlin, would you?"

The bleach-blonde man rubbed his chin questionably before replying, "Yeah, sure thing, Small Fry." Cid finally lit his cigarette, and took a puff before adding: "Take care, 'kay?"

Cid watched Roxas stalk off for a moment, before he came hobbling after him. A simple 'take care' just didn't seem to feel right. The man had known the kid for a good five years now…he almost felt attached to the little guy in a nonchalant way.

With a firm grip he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Roxas turned around, his bang slightly hiding his wide sapphire orbs.

"'Ey, you should think of getting a job, or something," muttered the old man, feeling relatively sympathetic with the boy, "Leon'll give you sumthing to do. Sumthing to live off of, at least."

Roxas considered it a moment, trying to remember who 'Leon' was again. There were so many people in the slums it was ridiculous! The boy could hardly remember any of their names no matter how many times they talked. And on top of that, every day there always seemed to be some new guy strolling around that he had never seen before in his entire life.

"Forgot what he looks like already?"

"No," Roxas lied, "Where's he now?" Smooth, Roxas, smooth. Act like you know what you're talking about.

The elder(ly) blonde broke out in a laugh, "You've never met the guy, Fry! I'm just playin' wit yah! He's a middle classman: A laid back brute that has a soft spot for brats like you. You'll find him hanging around Sound Street."

Roxas felt his face grow hot. Frowning, he stomped away from the older man.

Cid didn't follow this time. Only a shallow grin seemed to press oddly against his barely parted lips, "Might wanna wash up a bit before yeh go, though…Might scare the children."

The blonde shot the old man a fierce glare over his shoulder before turning the corner and disappearing from sight.

Roxas really didn't want to get a job, but with the new law implemented, it seemed the blonde had little choice in that matter. There seemed to be more and more laws coming down on the lower classes from those above.

It wasn't like life isn't bad enough already, he cursed angrily to himself as he strolled down the cement sidewalk ignoring the curious glances from rich couples strolling by. How he envied those who didn't seem to have a single care in the world. How he envied that life where everything you wanted was given to you…and you could waste it as you pleased. Roxas had had a mere taste of that life as a boy, but those days seemed long gone now. They almost seemed like a dream… sometimes he even questioned his own whereabouts. At times, he even doubted that he once was an heir to the Heart's name.

Back when his family was still in power, there was hardly anyone in the slums. The slums actually never came into existence until their downfall when more and more people began to loose their jobs. The next three years after, the blonde witnessed an increasing number of people living out on the streets and roaming about begging for food—much like he did. It became almost natural for anyone to beg…

Recently, however, there seemed to be fewer and fewer people found roaming or sleeping in the streets of the Middle and High Class districts. It had actually become an offence to sleep on someone else's property. It was punishable by death depending on how 'extreme' the case was. Being found sleeping on a newly paved sidewalk, for instance, could wind a person in a work camp or in prison even, depending on who caught you.

The disciplinary committee was the main force in charge of all punishments. It was they, along with a few members from the Families, who had put Sora to death.

If Roxas could, he would have all of their heads served to him on a golden platter! He wouldn't even feel one hint of remorse. Bastards, he scowled as he skirted around a tipped over garbage can.

His stomach growled loudly as his nostrils whiffed the familiar scent of rotten apple pie with cinnamon. Roxas actually had to bite his tongue to ignore the hunger the quenched him. He had grown very thin; if he were to remove his shirt one would probably be able to play xylophone on his bony ribs. He was just that unhealthy looking now.

His fatigue was what made him collapse on that sidewalk and fall sleep. He was extremely thankful Cid was the one who had found him, and not someone else. The blonde had made a terrible decision in lying there out in the open where people could see him. He might have gotten reported, or worse—deported! More and more people were seemingly 'disappearing' from existence. No one ever questioned why…but all of them seemed to notice when there was one fewer family in the area…

Roxas shook his head trying his best to shake off all the negative thoughts. He was still here, right? That's all that seemed to matter. As long as I manage to live through this damnated world, I'll manage; he told himself as he trotted off the cemented sidewalk and down a half-hidden dirt road whose old sign read: 'To Traverse Sector'.

The poor sign looked as through it would collapse. It appeared to shudder violently as the blonde quickly walk passed it and down the hillside road maneuvering through the variety of underbrush that seemed to have grown on the once clear path.

The blonde knew this path well. He always strolled down (or up) it at least once everyday. For one thing, poor teens (like himself) claimed the Traverse Sector of the Slums, and secondly, it had the safest waterhole in all the Slums (not that the adults knew that). Most kids liked keeping this specific waterhole to themselves…especially since it was the only water that wasn't contaminated by aristocratic junk that somehow managed to pollute only the Slums part of the Horizon's Rebirth.

Best spot to take a bath, do your laundry, and drink from. The water was, of course, separated into three sections to do those things. Roxas, himself, along with Pence, a friend, had constructed the actual model for these sections. It was actually a very advanced water system, which managed to recycle the water they used into clean water by using the stream water that came in and out.

Stupidity is probably the last thing someone would describe Roxas as. He was too bright for his own good! A mastermind, a genius! Call him what you will. The blonde would never believe it. He was also too humble for his own good…but despite that, he always managed to use what he had to his great advantage. His mind, for instance, was always put to good use.

Nearing the end of the path, the boy caught the distinct scent of pure, clean water along with a bustle of many other voices. There was a particular voice that seemed to stand out of all of the others though…

A particular voice that began screaming out at him the moment Roxas came into sight of the group of teens huddled about the open stand. Tifa's famous food stand. The best food stand in the entire area.

"Roxas! Roxas!" the boy called him over, "Hurry up! Your gonna miss it!"

Hayner was the boy's name, and he happened to be one of Roxas's close friends among their group. Both having about the same color of blonde hair, they sometimes managed to pull off being brothers to those who were gullible enough to believe it.

"Miss what…?"

Roxas found his spot among the relatively large number of people crowded around the small electronic device that was propped out on the Stand's counter.

"Since when did Tifa get a TV?" he questioned, mostly to himself, as he pushed passed Hayner to get a better look at the screen.

Hayner frowned at hearing his friend's drone question, "Look, if you don't like it—"

"Never said I didn't. It's just a question."

"Right. Well, it's not the television I called you over for," he continued, tapping his hand against Roxas's shoulder, "Have a look who's on it."

Confused, Roxas glanced back at the static-like screen trying to glimpse who it was that was speaking. From where he stood, he managed to make out a few words that the device was transmitting. Sounded a bit like a speech. Did something happen?

With a curt 'excuse me' to several people standing in his way, he finally found the front of the crowd after a bit of pushing and shoving that is. It took him a moment to regain himself after swimming through the sea of people before he could get a good enough look at the screen to recognize who it was.

The moment he caught sight of golden eyes that seemed to glint at him, Roxas knew who it was. His mouth fell open, eyes wide. Something that had not been there seconds before, burned deep within the boy. Hate. Anger. Revenge…

This is…!

"XEMNAS!"

Everyone within the blonde's vicinity jumped back away from him and the screen in complete shock. All the curious bantering came to a stop, and all eyes were on the fifteen year old who had suddenly lost his mind.

"Why the hell are you still alive?" he scowled, loudly. He actually intended to say that to himself. It were as though he had completely forgotten about his surroundings. Sapphire eyes glued to the screen, his teeth began to grind.

Roxas wasn't one to shout. He was virtually a quiet boy…so it was only obvious how surprised everyone was. Hayner, too, also seemed rather taken aback by the sudden outburst. His hazel eyes blinking nonstop, and his mouth agape as his stared at the back of Roxas's head in disbelief.

Sure, he had been aware that Roxas had a particular distaste for the Head of the Spades Family—Lord Xemnas—for as long as he had known him, but he had never thought his friend hated the guy that much. After all, the way Hayner saw it, Roxas's distaste for Xemnas as almost a complete obsession. His blonde friend always wanted to know what that man was up to. The boy was obsessed with the fact that Xemnas was still alive. Hayner had had to put up with countless numbers of rants that dealt with ways to kill the Spades…ways to destroy the Families in general.

Truthfully speaking, he never took these rants as being serious. Maybe a sort of joke, perhaps? There were some times Roxas would try make it funny just to get him involved…

But…now, Hayner began to doubt whether or not showing this to Roxas was such a hot idea.

Anger boiled deep within Roxas the more he watched the gray-haired, golden-eyed man move across the pixilated screen. The boy hadn't seen hide or tail of Xemnas since…since…!

"C'mon Rox, uhm…up for a drink or two?"

Roxas shot at angered look at Hayner without meaning to. Hayner, in turn, jumped back the moment he felt the horribly intense glare fall upon him. Strange shudders seemed to flood throughout every fiber of his being.

"R-Roxas?"

Roxas shook his head the moment he realized he had accidentally let his emotions get the best of him, "Er…" he glanced around at the number of faces staring blankly at him as though fearful for their lives. His own face turn the color of crimson, "I-I didn't mean…Uh…E-Excuse me."

At this, the blonde felt as though he had shrunk to the size of an ant as he moved out of the crowd in hopes of claiming some fresh air to cool his heated nerves. The spectators willingly allowed Roxas to walk passed them.

They look between each other then turned their attention back toward the TV, trying to get the sight of an overly angered Roxas out of their head. At least one thing was certain to all of them: They would never, ever get on that boy's bad side…

A little away from Tifa's Food Stand and out of sight from all those people, Roxas finally sank on top of a patch of soft moss that had conveniently grown on the top of a rather large boulder that overlooked the waterhole(s). He had eagerly climbed up it; it was his favorite spot after all. The view was beautiful in more ways than one. Just staring at the warm water made the boy long to jump in and give himself a good scrub—something he really needed.

After a good five minutes to himself, Roxas felt much more relaxed about the entire outburst incident. It was a good thing too, for both Hayner and Pence came walking around toward him. Pence had his fingers clasped around the other's left wrist as they walked.

The boy seemingly had to drag the nervous-looking-Hayner to go console their buddy.

"You gonna hog the usual spot all to yourself?" asked Pence, teasingly, looking upward at the blonde, "Mind if we intrude?"

Roxas shook his head, scooting over a bit to leave room for his two friends to lie around next to him.

With nothing better to do, he watched Pence's porcupine-like brown hair pop up from over the top of the boulder as he climbed the blasted piece of rock.

Despite Pence being the first one to start climbing, it was actually Hayner who got to the top first. The guy was pretty athletic even with being a little more on the scrawny side than Roxas. The second blonde rejoined the first on the carpet of moss barking off remarks back at the brunette who was still struggling to get up. Good thing the three of them were all good friends. The remarks were pretty harsh. Roxas actually had to (jokingly) punch Hayner in the shoulder to send the message that enough was enough ("Would like it if I called you scrawny?" retorted Roxas in a low tone.)

It took several minutes before Pence finally crawled toward them. He looked pretty exhausted. The boy collapsed onto his stomach with his cheek pressing against the surface of the mossy rock. Exercising just wasn't in his vocabulary, and neither Roxas nor Hayner were willing enough to sit down and lecture him about it. They'd tried that once before…the boy just wouldn't sit still for five minutes. It was virtually impossible to get anything across Pence if he found the topic uninteresting.

Roxas laid on his back, careful not to raise his arms in anyway—he was well aware with how badly he smelled—staring out at the tops of the trees that seemed to reach out toward the sky. Most of the Traverse Sector was located in the forest just on the outskirts of the city.

The number of trees and the fact that the location was so far away from the main streams of city-life was the reason why very few people visited it. Peasants and a few working class teenagers seemed to be the only ones that hung around this area. It was almost considered a sanctuary by everyone who found it home.

Roxas was one of them. He found this to be his haven. He even made his own house (more of a shack) here, right along side Hayner's. Pence was a little higher in ranks, class wise, than his two friends (for one thing, he still had parents who could work), so he didn't have his own little house/shack standing along side his friends'.

If given the choice, the brunette would have liked to build his own shack to add to the three that were already built side-by-side a little ways away from where they were now. He would have liked to join his three friends. None of them seemed to blame him for not staying, though…but the guy felt bad about not sticking around 24/7.

Just to be with Hayner, Roxas, and Olette… Pence would have been more than happy to become an orphan too. They, sometimes, had to convince Pence not to run away from his family. He was a lucky seed. They'd feel awful if their friend left just for their sake. Running away from the life that they wanted…At least it was a life a little bit better than the ones they were leading out in the open.

Roxas blinked, realizing that they were missing the fourth member of their group. The blonde had thought something was wrong with this picture the moment he spied his friends down below. There were only three guys here. There was supposed to be three guys and a girl. Not just three guys. It felt odd. It felt almost incomplete.

"Where's Olette?" He asked sitting up again just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

Pence looked up. "Bathroom," he answered, voice somewhat dreamy-like.

"Yeah…Diarrhea, I think…She's ate something funny earlier," Added Hayner with equal dream-like quality.

Roxas furrowed his brow, sapphire eyes eyeing his friends warily. There was something about this weird dream-like state that was somehow beginning to have an effect on him too the more he stared at them; "…Did you two eat something funny too?" Cautiously, he waved his hand in front of both of their faces in hopes of waking them from their dazed state. No avail. "Okaay…what did I miss this morning? What'd you freaks do to Olette?"

His two friends quickly snapped from their dreamy-state with a strange blush spreading across both their faces. This reaction caused a quizzical brow to cock upward on Roxas's part. Certainly he had missed something good for both Hayner and Pence to be embarrassed.

Hayner…maybe not so much. But Pence? –In the world did I miss now?

"O-Olette's fine with it." Said one.

"Y-Yeah…it's not like we forced her or anything." Said the other.

Roxas nodded, somewhat amused. "Is that so…?"

"Roxas…"sputtered Pence, voice suddenly lowering to a whisper, "…We did her."

Roxas blinked. "You what?"

"Threesome."

"…T-Threesome?"

"Banged her up, in clearer terms," muttered Hayner, trying to suppress his grin and self-satisfaction.

Roxas wasn't nearly as surprised as he thought he would be at hearing this. He was more surprised with the fact that he wasn't surprised more than anything else. The blonde merely sat there, eyes shifting from one friend to the other, curiously observing them. He was also trying to formulate how this…interaction…suddenly came about between them. How in the world had he not noticed any hint of 'goggily-eyes' between one another…or something? How was he left out of the picture? Why didn't anyone tell him about this?

"Since when?"

"Just this morning." Confirmed the both of them, heads bobbing like one of those bobble heads you place in your car.

"Both of you?"

"Yeah." The two said in unison, again, heads still bobbing.

Eyebrows curved up, in a slight bit of worry. "Olette was alright with this?" asked Roxas, wondering what the heck that girl was trying to prove. "She just doesn't seem like the type—"

"—Said she didn't like choosing—"

"—Said we could share her—"

Roxas nodded slowly along with their ever-bobbing heads, still not quite understanding exactly what the hell Olette was trying to do. Share her…? Roxas thought with a prominent frown on his face, that doesn't sound like the Olette I know. Actually, the Olette he knew was really sweet, nice, fun to be with, and not to mention very punctual about small things and doing right. Sounds more like a whore…or a slut… his mind told him.

The blonde coughed viciously as he tried shaking the thought of that from his head. He really didn't want to get the nice, saintly Olette replaced by a picture of the girl strip teasing in his head. It just didn't seem to fit. He would prefer to look at the girl the way he always looked at her. The nice little girl she's supposed to be.

Well, whatever she was, Roxas figured he wouldn't let that get in the way of their friendship. As long…as Olette doesn't try to seduce me…

"Rox…remember how we used to always fantasize how it would be like to do a girl?"

Roxas didn't deny it. He nodded, mutely. Trying to understand what Hayner was trying say.

"We could share Olette with you, too, you know," he finished, this time, his hazel eyes were serious. They stared intently into his friend's blue eyes.

"W-What?" gaped the blonde, eyes growing as round as plates. Where are you morals? Roxas couldn't help, but stare in horror at his friends. Share her…with me? Olette's not some—some— "Olette's not a fish market, guys."

Pence sat indian-style, lowering his head, feeling a bit regretful about what he did. Hayner, too, looked away from Roxas.

Talking about Olette like that, no matter if she agreed with it or not…was definitely not how you're supposed to talk about your friends.

"…Olette's—you know—the only good-looking girl around here," murmured Hayner, eyes still downcast.

"What about Tifa?" Roxas questioned, a wry smirk forming on his features again. He was trying to lift the mood, attempting to get the topic away from Olette. "You two went all googily-eyes whenever she walked by!"

Hayner chuckled, flashing his eyes at Roxas, "She's waay outta my league." He then crossed his arms, looking at the opposite blonde up and down, "You sure you don't wanna try her, though?" He said this jokingly, and Roxas didn't take it personally this time.

A sheepish smile seemed to press up against the blonde's lips, "Nah…Think I'll pass—"

"—What the heck are you talking about, Hayner?" interrupted Pence, grinning widely between the two of them. The brunette had been trying so hard to get back into the conversation, and this time around…he had a good comeback in mind. One that was just too good to pass up.

Both Hayner and Roxas glanced over at their almost forgotten buddy sitting just beside them.

"Huh?" Both blondes seemed to twist their faces, looking rather confused.

"Roxas doesn't go for girls," he said simply. At this, he glanced all-knowingly at blonde number 1, "Right?"

Hayner glanced over at blonde number 1 as well, looking rather stunned.

Roxas, on the other hand, looked like a deer staring at an oncoming car. The wind had been completely punched out of him. W-What that heck? Truthfully, he had no idea what Pence was talking about. He digged chicks. There were a few pretty hot girls out there…

"That's why you always do googily eyes at Hayner," continued the brunette, grin never faltering. He seemed pretty intent that what he was saying was true…even though Roxas, himself, didn't get what he was trying to say. "Don't give me that look Roxas! Olette actually agrees with me on this too!"

"W-What the hell?"

Hayner crossed his arms, "Oh…so that's why you were so enthusiastic that one time we did it."

Roxas shot the most horrified stare at the other blonde, "W-What are you talking about?"

"Whaat? You guys did it already?" gasped Pence, hand quickly shooting to his mouth, "When was this?"

"NEVER!" shouted Roxas. "Hayner's making it up!"

Blonde number 2 placed a hand on Roxas's shoulder, shaking his head. "No. I'm not." He said firmly, biting his lip nervously. "You were—we were drunk, remember?"

Roxas stopped. He thought—actually he didn't really want to think about it, but did anyway—for a while, trying to remember what the heck Hayner wanted him to remember. His mind seemed to sift through all of his memories like a little box full of pictures. It tossed one picture after another until it came upon one that…Roxas didn't quite remember being there.

Reluctantly, he tried focusing on that picture…the more he thought…the clearer the image became. Until it was complete…

"Shit. I remember now…" murmured the blonde, face turning beet red. "I-I-I…"

"Then my hypothesis is right!" squealed Pence, excitedly, "Wait till I tell Olette—!"

"—I am not gay!"

"I don't know about that, Rox," said Hayner, thoughtfully, his fingers rubbing against his chin, "I mean…you never were a Tifa-fan. Nor do you even want to do Olette…and plus, you were pretty willing that one night…"

Roxas looked between Hayner and Pence, complete outnumbered. "T-This isn't fair," he whined, gritting his teeth.

"Just admit it," laughed blonde number two, patting Roxas on the back then proceeding to rub at his friend's shoulder, teasingly—just to make fun. "You know I'm hot-stuff. Only an idiot could resist me." At the last remark his eyes befell on the brunette. He smirked. Pence got angry.

Roxas was far too shaken to notice that his two friends were almost about ready to duke it out. Sapphire orbs stared, dazed-like out at the waterhole in the distance…his only thoughts being: I'm not gay…I'm not…I'm not gay…it's not possible…I can't be…

He shuddered, trying to ignore the fact that Hayner's hand was still rubbing his shoulder and it felt somewhat comforting. Scratch that. More that just comforting. Woah. Woah… did I just think—Nah. Just my imagination.

Truth was. Roxas was in the state of complete confusion. So deep into it that he wasn't even sure if he was straight or not anymore. For all he knew, this could all be complete denial…

At the moment, though, the blonde completely shot those ideas with thirteen different hand pistols. If denial were the case (which is was), then Roxas figured he'd just stay in denial. That way, he'd be safe…right?

Oh, how he hoped that was right.


That was 19 pages long on Microsoft Word oo;...But anyways, that's Roxas's introduction. The little bit with HaynerxRoxas and Olettexeveryone else...well, sorta hit me as being appropriete for the story. Review...?

Next chapter: Roxas actually takes a bath and goes to meet this "Leon" guy (Ha! Like you guys don't know who he is)! Axel is forced to go to his own party! Yay! AxelxLarxene? Can Axel comeout of this without getting his throat slit or juice poisoned? Find out soon...!