Heh, once again, a late update... sorry! ^o^; Besides from being a slacker, I had writers block, a lack of info (which Finality solved for me) and exams are on, so wish me luck, cos instead of studying I wrote this... XD

~This chapter, many thanks (and a dedication!) are due to... *drumroll*... Tales Of Finality! ~ For helpful info on the American schooling system (among other American-type things)! :D This one goes out to you – thanks! Ah, school, a place of belittlement and narrow-mindedness beyond comprehension... But enough of this! There's a story to be getting on with!

~Disclaimer: It's Tetsuya Nomura's kingdom. I am merely a humble servant. The only thing I own is my dignity, and I'm afraid even THAT'S slipping... T.T (oh... I own this storyline. MINE.)

~Warning: Of course, as you should know by now, (and I'm sure you do) this story is AKUROKU! (cue inevitable squees) There will be yaoi in the future... but it's pretty tame for now, cos, well, I'm not sick minded enough to write something like that* while the characters are still this young...

*do I need to explain? XD

~Inspiration: does it count that I watched X-Men while writing the beginning of this? o_O OK, seriously, for some strange reason, 'Wonderful', from Rob Thomas. Nuthin to do with the story, though. Also, "I Knew I Loved You" from Savage Garden. Niiice song. XD

~POLL! Not the metal kind. Go to ma profile. Click it. Vote. YOU ARE THE INFLUENCE IN THIS STORY! What do YOU wanna see? Tell me! :D

OK, ENOUGH BLABBING! ENTER FLUFF LAND WITH A HINT OF SERIOUSNESS ON THE SIDE! (This one's got a scene especially for you, Finality! You know what it is! – PB&J and chocy milk!

XXX

Chapter Three: Promises Made Under A Crimson Sky

MARCH (A/N : As in, um, the month...?)

"...all - fault, you know."

"Don't cry sweetheart, mummy's here..."

"I heard it was a suicide..."

"Poor woman. What a disappointment - turned out to be."

"...Why don't you answer!"

"Don't cry...don't cry, Ax...A..."

"Axel?" The small blonde tilted his head to the side, blue eyes widening in confusion at the other boy.

"Huh?" Axel jolted a little in the cold, stiff swing seat, then winced as reality harshly let it's presence known through the pain in his nostrils.

'Man, that stings like a..."

XXX

Roxas looked on curiously as Axel cussed under his breath, gingerly poking the tip of his nose. Apparently it still hurt, because Axel was letting loose enough profanities to fill the swear jar in Roxas's lounge room three times over. Roxas knew that if he had ever sworn like that, his Aunt and Uncle would probably ban him from eating sweets EVER again, and it was only that fear that had stopped him from imitating his older brother, who was quite eloquent when it came to swearing – and so was this 'Axel.' Roxas kind of envied the older boy for that.

Roxas huffed to himself and leaned back in the swing. He was midway through uncurling his legs to kick off from the ground, when two small bursts of pain shot through his knees. Looking down, Roxas felt his bottom lip begin to wobble, and he remembered falling over earlier. Sure enough, blood seeped out of the grazes, a few of which were actually quite deep.

Not wanting to make a fuss when the boy next to him had much worse to deal with, Roxas attempted to ignore the pain, but he was given away when he tried to take a deep breath in – a sob crawled up his throat and poked it's way though his lips, surprising the red head beside him.

"Kid, you okay?" Roxas was too upset to acknowledge what Axel had called him once more, and instead looked at the ground, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Yep." Roxas felt a tear slide down his cheek as he nodded in response, and for the first time in his life, was shocked to find that he was actually embarrassed to be crying. He'd never felt that way before.

Axel gave a small half-smile and jumped off his swing, guessing the problem. "Sorry, kid. Never cleaned that up, did I? I hope you didn't infect it or nuthin'. Next time you're hurting, tell me - got it memorized?" Roxas didn't answer, turning his face away to hide from the red head. Axel didn't seem to mind, simply pulling more tissues out of his seemingly endless supply and leaning down in front of the blonde.

Roxas folded his arms and pouted, attempting to put on a brave face – though he didn't understand why. His Auntie had cleaned several cuts for him before.

"You don't have to. It doesn't even huwt." Axel hid a grin behind his hand, still kneeling on the ground, as he noted the blonde's recurring speech... er... problem.

"It doesn't 'huwt'? How come you can only manage your letter 'r' when it's in your own name, hm?" This time Roxas glared, turning to look at Axel right in the eyes, opening his mouth wide to snap back – but he didn't. When Roxas met Axel's eyes, a peculiar feeling came over him, and he couldn't remember what it was he'd being going to say – instead he recalled that earlier daydream of his... 'Green and... crimson...'

Roxas blushed and looked down at his hands, which were folded on top of his beige pants – though Spring had begun, it was still a little chilly. He hoped Axel hadn't noticed whatever it was that had had just happened to him, then frowned lightly.

'Hang on... what do I care, I just met-'

"Hey, kid-"

"Roxas!"

"Right, Roxas. Tell me if this hurts too much, okay?" Roxas nodded, silently vowing not to utter a sound, instead scrunching up his face as Axel wiped at his knees gently, attempting to clean away the blood.

"There we g- oh, man." Just as Axel had finished wiping the warm ooze, more had come spilling out of Roxas's left leg. "I think you stuck this one pretty bad. I'd band-aid it, but I don't have any. How 'bout you, kid?"

Roxas shook his head and Axel 'humphed' and sat back on the bark. After a few moments of silence, Axel sighed and leaned forward on the balls of his feet.

"Well, not much of a choice, then..." Roxas took this to mean he would have to deal with his leg how it was, so it greatly surprised him when Axel placed both hands at the bottom of his black long sleeved t-shirt – which was emblazoned with the words: "I can multitask – talk and piss you off at the same time" - and ripped it off along the bottom, forming a thin, long strip of material which he proceeded to wrap around Roxas's left knee.

"Eh? But, wha..."

"Hm? What's up kid? Impressed with my mad shirt ripping skills? I took classes, so don't feel too bad."

Roxas giggled while the red head fanned himself with one hand, a 'Yep, I'm that cool' look on his face, and then remembered what he'd been going to say.

"But, won't your mum get angry?" Axel's face dropped, and Roxas instantly knew he'd said the wrong thing.

"Naw... she's um...she's pretty cool about that kinda stuff." Axel smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, which were suddenly quite distant.

Roxas, feeling strangely panicky, piped up again in an attempt to draw the red heads attention back to him. "So, you won't get in twouble then?"

Axel turned his head back towards the small blonde, that absent smile still on his face. "Nope. I'll just throw the top out when I get home. Then again, if you make a habit of tripping over, I might wanna keep it handy, right?"

Axel smirked, and this time the emotion reached his eyes. Ignoring the spark of heat that erupted in his heart, Roxas crossed his arms and pouted, speaking in a huff, "I'm not gonna. So you can throw it out."

Shaking his head, Axel moved to get back up, but a small, tentative whisper stopped him in his tracks.

"...Thank-you."

Eyes glinted a joyous green, and pale pink lips pulled upwards over wolfish teeth.

"You're welcome, kid."

"Roxas!"

XXX

A half hour later, the sun was beginning to disappear, and a chilly Spring breeze was drifting through the air. Roxas and Axel had moved from the swings to the top of the slide after a frenzied race. They were now squashed side by side and watching the clouds in the late evening sky.

In his beige ¾ pants with grey accents and long sleeved black, grey and red long sleeved shirt, Roxas was pretty impervious to the cold. But Axel, he noticed, was beginning to shiver a little. Between the small, artful rips in his jeans that Roxas thought Axel must have done himself, and his t-shirt which was now ripped along the bottom, Axel wasn't exactly dressed to suit the chill.

Without a second thought, Roxas pushed himself up from the slide and clambered onto Axel's lap, ignoring the red heads protests.

"Hey, where are y- hey! Don't sit on me!"

"But you're cold."

"W-what?" If Roxas had have looked a little harder, he might have noticed the discomfort on Axel's face as he made himself comfortable, tucking his legs in-between the elders, both of their feet trailing down the tunnel like slide. (a/n: Remember the slide is like a crocodile? The bit you slide down is the jaws, so it's a tunnel. If Roxas leaned forward, he would be able to rest his head on top of the tunnel – and so he shall. :D)

Roxas leaned forward and rested his chin on top of the tunnel, apparently unaware of the awkwardness Axel was feeling, and spoke assertively, as if he were teaching Axel, "You're cold. Whenever I'm cold, Auntie snuggles with me. But we can't snuggle – that would be weird." At this point, Roxas stopped to screw up his nose, and Axel chuckled weakly, still feeling a little put-off. Roxas continued, "So, I'll just sit on you, A- A-..."

"Um, it's Ax-"

"Axel. I remember." Roxas twisted his head around and stuck his tongue out at the older boy, and they both laughed.

"Ok, ok, little Mr. Genius, no offence meant." Axel shook his head, the discomfort fading from his face. "So, what are you doing at a playground all by yourself, anyway?"

Roxas shifted uncomfortably on Axel's lap, and then stuttered out, "My... I'm King here."

"Yeah, we established that earlier. But why-"

"Buwwies." Roxas interrupted, and though it was just a single word, it surprised the red head enough that he was quiet for a moment, giving the blonde an opportunity to continue – but he didn't.

The two sat there in silence for a few moments. Axel leaned forward and sat one of his arms atop Roxas's head, then gently sat his chin on top of his arm, remaining wary of his sore nose. If someone had looked over at them from in front of the slide, they would have seen a strange small dog pile above the tunnel – Roxas's head on the bottom, then Axel's arm and face.

"...Hey, Roxas?"

"What?" The blonde's voice was quiet and meek, almost like he was waiting to be judged, or questioned, or otherwise met with disbelief. Like he expected it.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, you know. I-I'm... I'm bullied too. I mean, obviously. Well, not obviously, I just mean because you were there, you know, and, um, you..." Axel trailed off, not sure what else to say.

He sucked in a breath and attempted again, not sure why he was so agitated, "What I mean is, I don't care if you're bullied. That doesn't make someone less of a person, or weak, or useless, or any of the things they tell you! You're still you, you just have useless pieces of sh-" Axel paused, scratched his head awkwardly and continued, "Um, I mean, useless losers trying to bring you down. Don't listen to them, or believe what they say, and you'll be fine, ok?"

Axel smiled, satisfied with what he had said, then blinked in surprise as a small, blonde spiked head turned in his direction, and watery cerulean eyes met his own. "Oh, shi-"

This time his cursing was not stopped voluntarily, but instead through shock, as the boy didn't begin crying, as he had anticipated, but instead, hugged him tightly, wrapping his small, almost-chubby arms around the other.

No words were spoken, and an odd, not-quite-awkward silence filled the playground for a moment. The two boys sat atop the slide, unspeaking and uneasy. This was a very bizarre situation for Axel, who thought strangely back to the kindergarten teacher he'd had a crush on in when he was Roxas's age, and the time he'd seen her kissing her boyfriend behind the art building – after which he'd spent three days moping in his room, refusing to move.

She was the only person he'd ever felt some sort of strong feeling towards before – besides his parents – and he didn't like that he was thinking of her now, while a strange, not entirely un-adorable five year old gripped his waist like it was the last buoy left in the entire ocean.

Axel began edging slowly away from the blonde, attempting to escape his grip while he spoke, "Erm, Roxas, could you maybe let- WOAH!" Axel realised too late that he'd run out of seat to scoot back on, and was now falling back of the slide, held on only by the light weight of Roxas – who'd unwound his arms in fright when the frame he'd been leaning on began to cave – and on leg he'd wrapped around one of the bars at the top of the slide.

"Woah... woah... that was close. Hey, Roxas, help!" He stretched a hand up to the boy, who hesitated a moment, afraid of being pulled down himself. The red heads leg began to slip, and he shouted in panic.

Roxas stretched out a hand, determination now written on his face – but it was too late. Axel's leg slid out of it's position and he fell back to the ground, landing heavily on his back with a 'thump'.

"Axel!" Roxas quickly climbed down the few stairs – which, Axel noted, were only a metre off the ground. Huh. Hadn't felt like it.

"It's cool, kid, I'm fine..." (1) Axel attempted to preserve what little pride had left, brushing himself off and standing, that same fake grin plastered on his face. "How 'bout we just sit on those swings from now on, huh?" He winced, obviously hiding whatever pain it was he felt.

Roxas nodded vigorously in agreement. He didn't want to fall off a slide either.

He looked up at Axel, who was cussing once more as he pulled bark out of his short, tangled hair, pieces hanging from his clothes, and he felt a strange sensation bubble up in his stomach as he took the ridiculous image in. Before he knew what was happening, Roxas was laughing, loudly and crazily. For some reason, the situation suddenly seemed highly comical to him, and he was letting loose with the loudest laugh he'd had in a while, the sound building until he had tears in his eyes once more.

Wiping them away as the chuckles faded, Roxas found Axel watching him with a peculiar expression on his face, and he blushed lightly, not sure what to say.

"That's the most noise I've heard you make kid. I didn't think you had it in you!" Axel smirked, both amused and pleased at the effect he seemed to have on the quiet kid. He looked like he was about to say something else, but a cold wind blew through the park, whipping around both of them harshly, and instead he shivered, Roxas joining him.

"Wow, it's getting cold..." Axel looked up at the darkening sky, "...and late. I guess... you should probably head home now, right. Don't want your parents worried or anything."

Roxas bowed his head, secretly wishing they had a little longer. Axel was the first friend he'd had in a while, and they probably weren't even gonna see each other again – Roxas didn't go to kinder near where he lived, he went pretty far away – and there was a school near there, which he would, in time, be attending. If Axel lived in this area, he probably didn't go to that school, but a local one instead.

"Hey, chin up! And smile!" Roxas looked up in surprise as an arm snaked around his neck, and then widened his eyes as a flash went off – a photo!

"Wha- wh-!"

"Heh..." Axel stepped back and turned his camera around to check the shot. "Not too bad... nice expression, Roxas!" Axel sniggered and showed the picture to Roxas, who could only gape – much like he was in the photo, only there was no grinning Axel next to him.

"You... have a... camera?"

Axel sniggered again, and Roxas felt his face heat up. "Um, yeah! She's a bit roughed up, though, and old... that fall before probably didn't help, either... I need a new one, but I can't afford it, obviously... At least it still works, I guess."

Roxas delicately decided to neglect the fact that Axel had called it a 'she', and instead asked, "But how can you be allowed to use it?"

"Huh?"

Roxas tried again, "You're only... seven?"

"Yeah. Well, you know, like I said, Mum's good with, um... that. And I love photography, it keeps me outta her hair, too, so she doesn't mind... It's a win-win situation."

Roxas nodded dumbly, once more not sure what to say. He'd always been quiet at school, but people just took that as his nature. Rather, he was afraid of saying something weird, something he'd be judged for, so kept his mouth shut. It was safer that way.

"That's all you got? A nod? Come on Roxas; use your vocals, like before. I get the feeling you have a great voice in there; we just don't hear it enough." He grinned, but Roxas remained silent, simply giving him a weak smile.

Axel sighed and placed a finger on his chin in a mock thinking pose, as his other hand tucked his camera back into his pocket. "Man, I'm gonna have to find ways to get you to talk more, kid. It's just not good enough."

Roxas glared and spoke heatedly, "It's Roxas. Not 'kid', Rox-as. And what do you mean, anyway?"

"Heh, that seemed to work, 'Rocks-ass.' And what do you mean 'what do you mean'?"

"Roxas! And what I mean is, how awe you gonna find ways to get me to speak when I'm never gonna see you 'gain, huh?" (2)

Axel seemed taken aback, and when he spoke, it was without the barest inflection of doubt. "Who says I'm not gonna see you again? I can come back here, right? I thought it was a standing invitation!"

Now it was Roxas's turn to be surprised. "You... you wanna come back to my pwaygwound?"

Axel reached out and ruffled Roxas's hair with a smile. "Yeah. I like it here. I'll keep it a secret if you want, I don't care – as long as I can come back any time. Otherwise, I go world wide with this baby!" Axel pretended to chuckle evilly as Roxas raised an eyebrow, then began to laugh.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed, "But you can't tell anyone, alwight? And you're not a King. You're a..."

"Knight?" Axel chipped in eagerly, and Roxas nodded. "Yeah, okay. You can be a knight. If you don't tell."

"I won't. But you know, Roxas, you seem more like a prince than a king to me. King's are tall and strong."

Roxas pouted, about to protest, when Axel slyly added, "And married."

"OK, I'll be prince." Roxas stated firmly, as though he had thought it up himself, an Axel chuckled behind his hand.

"Right. Now head home, okay? You know the way?"

"Yeah. Two rows back, two trees right, through the hedge and toward the light." Roxas chanted. Upon receiving a strange look from Axel, he added, "My auntie's porch light. Once I'm through the hedge, I can see it."

The red head nodded. "Okay, but be careful."

"I will."

"And um, I guess one day we might meet back here sometime, huh?"

"Yes."

"Actually, who knows, I might head back on over here next week. You gonna be here? Say, Tuesday?" That was the same day as today.

"Mm-hm."

The two stood still for a moment, facing each other, neither one very willing to move. Axel coughed and scratched his head, trying to fill the now definitely awkward silence.

"...Axel?"

Said red head started and looked sheepishly at the other. "Yeah?"

"We are... I mean, I'm gonna see you again, wight?" A large grin broke over Axel's face as he reached down to clamp the boy on the shoulder.

"Definitely."

The two parted ways with a small wave, Roxas heading back through the trees towards his auntie's house, while Axel headed in the opposite direction, towards the main road.

When Axel reached the first of the evergreens, he turned back towards Roxas, hoping to catch a last glimpse of the bright blonde hair – but instead his eyes connected with the bright blue orbs that had been watching him all afternoon. They seemed to glow a little in the dark, and Axel felt himself smile at the sight, receiving a shy smile from Roxas I return.

With a final wave, they each headed off for their respective homes, both thinking of the days events – Roxas of how he glad he'd followed the shouts earlier in day and found the tough yet friendly red head, and Axel of how he might have actually met someone who wasn't a least semi-judgmental and how it was, 'Too bad he wasn't a chick.' (3) Then he realised how weird that sounded, and thought about the implications.

'Ew.'

XXX

Roxas shoved the PB&J sandwich down his throat, relishing the taste, yet at the same time, trying to stuff his starving belly. PB&J had always been his favourite sandwich, and when he got home, one had been waiting for him on the table with a glass of chocolate milk – Roxas upturned the glass into his mouth and half emptied it with one swig – and a small note, reading,

Dear Roxas,

If you find this and we're not home, it's because we're out looking for you since you stayed out too late, and you've come back to an empty house. If you find it and we are home, please don't disturb us, as your uncle has a difficult work project to do and I'm advising him.

Love, Auntie Miko

Of course, Roxas, being a five year old, couldn't read the note much better than he could pilot a jet, but seeing his name on the paper, he'd figured the food was for him and began gratefully guzzling it down, letting out only the occasional, "Yummy~!" or slurping noise.

He was use to having a quiet house and strange situations like this one to deal with –his Aunt and Uncle, to him, seemed a little strange and out-there – occasionally forgetting or disregarding important things.

Like the fact that five year olds can't read the word, 'difficult' that easily. Oh well.

As he continued to chomp heartily on his makeshift dinner, smears of jam wiped around his mouth, Roxas thought back to the days events once more, and wondered what the enigmatic and unusual red head was doing right now.

XXX

There was a quiet beeping noise as the photo printer ejected it's work, and long, slender fingers steadily lifted it up and held it high, admiring not only the stark reality of the photo but also the genuine expressions in it. Axel hated fake photos, all the posing and preparing – it was just an imitation of real life.

This one wasn't. It was good, he decided, good enough to be put in 'the collection.' As Axel flipped through the pages of his prized album quickly, careful not to make any loud noises or alert anyone of his presence, he thought back over the day, how it had started downhill, with him sure of receiving a beating, and how it had quickly turned around. He'd actually made a friend, granted a weird, imaginative, quiet friend, but Axel was pretty weird himself, and he figured the quiet would balance him out.

After placing the photo in a protective flap, he scrawled across the top next the text that read: 'Title', the word: Promises. He sat back and smiled.

'Perfect.'

XXX

Yay, done! This one took FOREVER to write, sorry for the delay! Sorry Finality.. . I'll try to be quicker, promise! ^^ Now exams are done *phew* And sorry for any spelling mistakes, I kinda rushed because I'd so badly missed the deadline... will be better, I promise! *whimpers*

So anyway, plz vote for the stories future, hope you enjoyed it, and PLEASE REVIEW! (Will give candy...?) XD

Love you guys, Velvet

(1) Just wanna note that Axel normally reverts to calling Roxas 'kid' when he's teasing, lying (or wants to divert attention) or is trying to look tough/regain some pride. Here, it's the latter.

(2) Ah, little kid slang at work. He spoke so fast, that 'again' was cut to 'gain'.

(3) Yeah, even at age seven, Axel is a PLAY-A. XD