I do not own ^^


Roxas woke up slowly at the morning. His eyes were heavy, like he was having enormous weights in them. The blonde groaned soggily and stood up to have a cold shower, so that he would wake up, but stopped at his door when he heard footsteps wander past his room. Roxas frowned. What did aunt Tifa want from Sora's room?

Roxas walked to the corridor and yawned when he entered the bathroom, but halted when he heard something

"UAAARGH!" Okay, that was Sora. Roxas turned around and ran to the brunette's messy room just opposite the bathroom. It was very hilarious.

Riku stood there Sora's blanket in his hand and Sora was pressed against the wall in his pajama pants, his face horrified. Roxas stared the silverette and Riku looked at him innocently.

"What? He slept like a rock and I just ventilated a bit. Then he jumped up and hit his head to his night lamp. My purpose was pure! I did nothing wrong…!" The silverette was holding his laughter and his voice was very strangled because of it. Roxas grinned to his cousin who was still panting his eyes wide open from shock against the wall. Roxas bursted out laughing.

"Riku, you need to come and wake him up more often. I have never seen such a fast movement from him at the morning." The blonde was still chuckling when he entered the shower, his mind wide awake.


Sora was sulking the whole way to school. It didn't bother Roxas and Riku; they both knew that Sora wasn't really angry to them. They laughed and chatted the whole way and when they entered the school building Sora joined them. Roxas grinned to himself, when Riku was obviously relieved when Sora started to talk again.

In the second floor they parted ways, Sora continued to fourth floor where the chemistry class was and Roxas went with Riku to wait the art teacher to come in the second floor. They sat there and didn't talk much. Then Roxas remembered Sora's yesterday night's confession and snickered a bit to himself. Riku's head snapped to him in a second. He looked at the blonde raising his brows a bit.

"Something you want to share?" He asked me a confused smile lingering on his lips. Roxas smirked evilly.

"Nah, nothing that is worth mentioning. " Roxas looked out from the window. He knew that Riku most probably knew that Roxas was thinking about his brunette cousin, but Roxas wasn't going to tell him a thing. Riku has to figure Sora's feelings all by himself.

"Hey did you hear…? Axel was fighting with Xigbar just now on the courtyard…" Roxas's head snapped immediately to a little group which was talking anxiously to each other a few meter from the blonde and Riku.

"Yeah, I saw it. They were absolutely furious about something, but after Axel nearly broke Xigbar's nose they somehow settled it out. It was so weird!" A chubby brown-haired boy with a headband said hiding his excitement very poorly. Roxas frowned and looked out from the window. He was curious. Why is Xigbar so angry to Axel…?

"You know, Xig, It isn't worth it. Demyx would have broken up with you even if Axel…" A low voice started, but Xigbar interrupted him.

"It is a principle question Xaldin. Axel betrayed me and now I betray him. Fair play, isn't it? Demyx is….I…I lost him already before this."

Roxas flinched when a sudden flashback flooded to his mind. Yes, the short conversation between Xaldin and Xigbar from last night! The blonde started to really review the incidents in the alley. Had Axel caused Demyx's and Xigbar's separation? Is that why Xigbar wants to hurt Axel? But why did they settle it so easily…? If it were Roxas he would have never forgiven so easily…

It was good that the art teacher arrived there, because Roxas was starting to have a screaming headache for all the thinking. They sat to their places and the teacher started a very boring lecture about human mind, colours and art. Roxas's eyes started droop and he startled when somebody poked at his side. Roxas grunted in pain and looked at Riku's annoyed expression.

"There is a note under your seat!" He mouthed and the blonde frowned. Roxas ducked to look under his chair and there really was a little crumpled piece of paper there. Roxas glanced at the teacher swiftly before he snatched the note. It had very small and neat handwriting in it and Roxas realised that it was from Riku.

Do you get what I and Sora meant last night by saying that stay away from him? This is how the things we call friends are to McCoy. Very easy to get and very easy to be disposed. The fight he had with Xigbar Moore was a clear indication from that.

Riku

Roxas read the note quickly before typing to the other side:

Yeah, I'm aware of that. Thanks for the warning, but I think I'm completely able of taking care of myself.

Rox

Riku clearly wasn't completely pleased with Roxas's answer, but let it go. The art teacher was writing the instructions to the board and Roxas groaned; Shit, they had to paint. Roxas liked to draw, and was pretty good in it, but …painting was a different story. Roxas didn't know how to hold a pencil, he didn't know how to mix the colours, he didn't know a thing! And now they had to choose two colours (which they have to specifically MIX) to paint something they like. Roxas went to draw paint canisters randomly from the rack and spread them to the table. Only then he realised what colours he had absently chosen. Oh shit, this was going overboard.

"Nice colours mister `I'm completely able of taking care of myself. `." Riku snickered and went to his place. Roxas sighed.

Green. There were three different shades of green and at least five different shades of red. Roxas stared at them blankly and turned to go change them, but on that moment their art teacher decided to come and praise Roxas's choices and forbid him to change them. The blonde was cursing heavily in his mind. He was cursing his teacher, the silverette beside him, himself and most of all the stupid Axel-redhead, which seemed to torture him even in his subconsciousness. Roxas growled to himself when he started to mess the colours with each other and the outcome was one VERY shitty-looking brown. The blonde was fuming. He took one shade of green and red and squeezed them so, that in the end he had one shade of green and red in his palette and he was ready to paint. Riku frowned at him.

"You should have mixed them with each oth…"

"Yeah. I. KNOW!" Roxas interrupted the silverette and started to splatter the paint to the canvas. Then he got an idea. He looked at the drops in his canvas and joined them with each other with his pencil.

"Holy cow, an inspiration." Roxas whispered his eyes gleaming with excitement. Riku let out a burst of laughter and continued his own painting while Roxas started to paint his with a furious frenzy.


It was…kind of good, for Roxas's painting and now the blonde walked a few steps further and looked at it. It had a big, red tiger lying in long emerald green grass. The tiger's fur was made to look soft, but very rugged at the same time. The eyes of the feline were warm amber, and they looked a bit sad. Roxas was very pleased. Riku looked at the painting approvingly.

"It is quite good! Do you paint often?" He said ducking a bit to see the track of pencil in the tiger's fur.

"Actually, not at all. I hate painting, but this one turned out to be surprisingly good." Roxas smiled widely and started to wash his pencils in the sink just when the bell rang.

"I can wait you." Riku smiled and took my painting to the area which was occupied for drying paintings. Soon the walked out from the classroom and Roxas glanced his watch.

"Don't we have lunch now?" The blonde asked from his silverette friend who looked at his watch.

"Yeah, but we can't get seats anymore from the canteen; we are so late that we have to wait a bit." He said calmly and strode along the corridor Roxas behind him.

"RRIIIIIIIIKUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUU !" There was this horrible yell and suddenly Riku was lying on the ground, hyperactive brunette sitting on top of him. Roxas's ears were yelling hosanna and he rolled his eyes to Sora who was grabbing Riku's collar and speaking with abnormal speed.

"GUESSWHATGUESSWHATGUESSWHAT!"

"Well I'm just exploding from will to know." Riku rolled his eyes mimicking Roxas's gesture and grinned to the brunette in front of him.

"I GOT EXCELLENT FROM MY MATHS TEST…! GOSH, I'M SO HAPPY!" And suddenly Sora had wrapped his arms around Riku's neck and hugged him ferociously. Roxas let out a little chuckle; Riku's expression was priceless.

"Hey, I'm going to go visit the teacher's lounge. I haven't got my test yet." Roxas waved and hurried to the staircase. The blonde snickered when he thought about how this little…accident would affect them. Roxas hadn't even done that maths test; he had been in Bastion high for less than a week, for god's sake. Still, the blonde had to congratulate himself from his devious "Leave The Lovebirds Alone For Half An Hour" –plan. Roxas was still smiling smugly to himself when he arrived to fifth floor, having no idea what he would do there.

Then he heard it. He turned his head towards the direction where the sound came and suddenly he had gotten himself something to do for half an hour. Roxas jogged along the empty corridor and stopped in front of one specific door. He pushed it a bit and peeked in.

It was exactly like déjà Vu from yesterday. Roxas listened how the familiar sounds floated in the air and filled it with different emotions. Only different thing from yesterday was that now, Roxas's attention wasn't fully in the music. He was following the player: His every movement, his fingers, his hair, and his eyes how they glided in the surface of the keys. Before the blonde even noticed, he didn't listen the music anymore. It was only background music to him. He just looked at the redhead who was completely unaware of his company. Roxas sat to the near by chair and that's when Axel noticed him. The blonde jumped up when the redhead's gaze lingered in him, and flushed scarlet. Axel sighed heavily after a moment.

"I told you to stay away from me." He said, but didn't sound rejecting at all. Roxas was confused.

"I…I can go. I'm sorry to interrupt your playi…" Roxas started, but Axel interrupted him.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Stay." Okay, now Roxas was even more confused. He looked at the redhead, curiously. Axel lifted his eyes from the notes he set to the note stand.

"I want you to hear this. I made it myself."

Roxas sat back to the chair. Axel started to play, his hands running along the piano keys, and the sound was very happy, cheerful. It lasted for a long time, but cold vibes started to run along Roxas's spine when the melody started to grow more and more menacing. Suddenly it was so scary and sad that it dreaded Roxas. The blonde childishly squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the music to stop. But it just lasted and lasted. Finally the blonde couldn't stand it anymore. Images started to flip in his eyes like a movie.

"Please! Stop it, I can't…I can't listen to it anymore…" Roxas pressed his palms on his ears and he felt how the melody stopped. He opened his eyes slightly and flinched to Axel's expression.

It was angry. It was sad. It was confused and most of all, it was hurt. The blonde looked at him trying to force words out of his mouth, but nothing came out. He didn't get it. Why was Axel so…defenceless now? The redhead stood up.

"So you don't like it. Why? Is the melody bad? Or is it just from your taste?" Roxas blinked few times and it took him several minutes to answer. He cleared his throat a bit.

"I…I didn't like the melody. It was too…sad, too…scary it just…I can't explain it but it brings back memories from my…past." Roxas avoided the emerald green eyes and stared at the floor instead, but lifted his gaze when the redhead strode past him to the corridor his shoulder back hanging in his hand. The blonde turned around.

"You make amazing music, but you need somebody else to listen to them…! I'm not the best listener to you…" Axel turned around, his eyes cold, but then he smiled a bit, but this smile was cruel, mocking.

"It was a song that only you can hear the right way." Axel turned and walked to the staircase. Soon he had disappeared and Roxas's worries seemed to increase. Somehow, this seemed to be a final meeting to them. The blonde sighed: The headache was pestering him again and he started to walk towards the canteen. Probably lack of blood sugar.


"Roxas, you don't look so good." Sora said, worry apparent in his tone. The blonde flinched and looked around. He had fallen to his thoughts once again and blinked a few times before he realized that Sora was talking to him.

"Oh. I'm just not hungry." Riku glanced at Roxas briefly from his place beside Sora

"Roxas, you are pale as sheet you know. Maybe you should go see the nurse." The silverette furrowed his brows when Roxas shook his head vigorously.

"I'm completely okay, just not hungry. Excuse me, I have my biology books in my locker. I will get them before the next class starts." Roxas stood up and took his tray to the tray stand.

Roxas walked along the corridor, barely seeing where he was walking. The blonde had been lying back there. When they had been eating his headache had been increasing and constant nausea hindered him beside his headache. Roxas arrived to his locker, but unfortunately somebody was standing in front of it already.

It was Demyx.

Roxas looked at him suspiciously. The sandy blonde absolutely had something to say, but why didn't he just say it. He just fidgeted there, opened and closed his mouth for a long time before Roxas had enough.

"Just say it already! I won't bite you. If you don't have anything to say, would you please get the hell away from my locker? My class is going to start in a minute." The blonde glowered the another one and Demyx flinched and finally started to talk.

"I...I wanted to just warn you. I'm sorry if I seem to be intruding your life, but…but….look where you wander and avoid Axel." Demyx seemed to be very relieved that he got it out from his mouth, but Roxas wasn't.

"…What do you mean by that? Is he having some KillRoxie-plan going on?" The shorter blonde stared at the taller one confused. Demyx sighed.

"I can't tell you exactly what is he going to do, but…I…have known him for quite a long time and he is absolutely planning something so stay away from him. Or the third floor where he has the rest of his classes." Demyx stepped further from Roxas's locker and started to walk towards the canteen. It took a few long minutes from Roxas to wake up from his thoughts. The blonde rolled his eyes to himself when he collected his biology textbook from the locker. Already three or four remindings to stay away from the redhead: It seemed that Axel didn't have very good reputation around here.

Roxas walked to the biology class, few minutes late. The blonde muttered an apology to the annoyed teacher and sat to his place. Riku and Sora looked at him worriedly when he closed his eyes for a minute. The headache was truly getting unbearable. Roxas tried to focus to all the geographic facts which the teacher told about canine's environment, but it was turning out to be pretty hard, when all the little sparks were flying back and forth the big map beside our teacher. Roxas groaned and begged for the school day to end.


Sora and Riku were chatting about something when they got out from the class. Roxas didn't really pay attention to their conversation until Sora almost yelled beside the blonde's ear.

"THE EARTH IS CALLING ROXAS! DO-YOU-RECALL?" Roxas almost jumped out of his skin and the brunette snickered to himself. Roxas rolled his eyes and continued to walk.

"Hey! Rox! You didn't answer me!" Roxas turned to face his cousin, his nerves finally breaking down from all the pain he was in right now.

"Sora. I. Don't. Care! Can't you open your eyes even a bit and see that I'm not in the mood for your stupid ideas…!" Roxas whispered with a poisonous tone and ran to the staircase not caring where he was running. Up and down, right, left, up again and soon after that again right, left, and down. He just turned randomly from somewhere and finally stopped when he realized that he was in a full corridor, disoriented. There were no familiar faces around and Roxas started to walk forward. Then he realised that he was in the third floor, but how he managed to get there was a mystery.

Roxas scanned the corridor with his blue eyes and realised that he just had to walk to the another end and he would get to the more-familiar corridor, which led straight to the staircase. The blonde started to walk forward, relieved. That would have been just his luck to get angry with his friends and five minutes later give them a call so that he would find his way out of the building. Roxas walked briskly forward, until he really was starting to realise where he was.

And those green eyes made him remember.

Roxas realized that this was the third floor, which Demyx warned him about. The blonde took a few steps back, when Axel stood up and started to walk towards him, his eyes cold and jaw line tight. Roxas turned around his breath hitching in his throat. He hadn't not even once before felt scared near the redhead, but now the warningbells were alerting him to run. And fast.

"Hey! Rox-ass!"

Roxas halted in the middle of the corridor. What had the redhead called him…?

"Hey Rox-ass, what the hell you are doing here? Stalking me aren't you?" Axel said with an amused tone and few of the bystanders bursted out laughing. Roxas's hands were shaking and purely from embarrassment. Okay…so this was what Demyx meant. Roxas turned around slowly to confront those cold, mocking eyes of Axel who was now about ten feets away from him.

"You know, you won't get to our group, even if you wanted to." The blonde stared at Axel. What was he planning? Roxas hadn't not even once suggested that he would want to…

"Or you won't get to our group with your attitude problem." Axel's eyes glinted and he turned around to face the whole corridor and yelled loudly.

"I hereby am going to announce that this little Rox-ass here is shallow, cunning and doesn't care about anyone else than himself. So be on your guard!" Axel grinned at the smaller blonde who was just standing there, a horrified look on his face.

"You disgust me; you have a shitty personality, with shitty talents. Everything in you is so fucking annoying that it makes me MAD! The redhead yelled and Roxas's ears rang. His vision was getting blurry and the headache was increasing.

"It is not true…I never…." The blonde's voice was weak and Axel stared at him mercilessly.

"I can't even say how much you annoy me. Just get out of my sight."

Roxas started to pant. His breath was getting stuck to his windpipe. His chest hurt like hell, but it wasn't because the lack of breath: It hurt so much deeper than that.

Axel could have broken Roxas's leg, his wrists and ripped his fingers and toes of, but it wouldn't have been nothing compared to this. The blonde felt how his legs started to grumble under him and his vision darkened.

Shit, why didn't I listen to everybody?


Sora ran along the corridor with Riku and followed the yells from far away. Shit, It was McCoy.

"Sora, don't do anything reckless. Axel is…" Riku started but Sora glanced at him angrily.

"Oh, yes, I know what he is if he hurts Roxas." Sora growled and the silverette fell silent.

They arrived to the end of the corridor and looked to the new passage. Sora's eyes widened when he saw it. The big redhead was glowering at the blonde who was absolutely at his breaking point. The brunette saw how Demyx arrived to the scene and yelled something at Axel, but Sora didn't hear. Roxas's legs broke down, and the brunette didn't see him falling to the ground. He ran towards the redhead and loaded all his fury to this one punch.

Axel stumbled a few steps and looked at the panting Sora before him, his face blank.

"DON'T YOU DARE TO HURT MY COUSIN! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT HE IS SICK? AND STILL YOU GO AND BITCH TO HIM LIKE IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY NORMAL!" Sora felt how Riku pulled him back from his shirt and turned around furiously.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! RIGHT NOW I DON'T CARE THAT WH…"

"He is having fever…!" Demyx yelled from his place on the ground and everybody turned to look at him.


Axel groaned heavily from his place at the principal's office, where the enraged teacher had sent him after he had heard what the redhead had done. Axel banged his hand heavily to the wall beside him and uttered a moan, from physical pain as much as from mental pain. This wasn't what he wanted.

This wasn't what he wanted at all.


So, here is the third chapter. Took a bit longer to write and still it is shorter than the other chapters, but I hope you like it :))