Chapter 4


As promised, Xion stopped visiting him. It was hard at first, knowing that his best friend had left him but Roxas thought it was only fair. He had left her once too, back when he graduated high school. Nobody had expected it, especially since Roxas wasn't the one to make choices without explaining himself. However, what his friends didn't know was that the decision was made on an impulse. It was the spur-of-the-moment type of situation, with Roxas hastily shoving all his wrinkled clothes and prized possessions into some olive-colored suitcase. Then, he left his apartment complex, the one he shared with his parents, and he never looked back once. The only person he bothered to contact was Sora, the only person other than Xion who was so close to him.

But Xion didn't leave him without any thought. Instead, she was threatened not to associate with Roxas anymore. It was either disappear from Roxas's life or be assassinated by some crazed psychopath. Even though it stung a little to have Xion gone, it was probably a smart choice for her to avoid Roxas. Roxas didn't want any danger coming across Xion and he definitely didn't want it to be his fault.

Despite all that, Xion told Roxas that she was being blackmailed by someone that sounded familiar, by a man, and apparently he knew Roxas. That alone alarmed Roxas, made his blue eyes widen so huge in panic until they threatened to fall out of his eye sockets. But then, that letter... When he read that letter, he was scared shitless. With his heart leaping all the way up into his mouth, Roxas was in cold sweat, gaping at the letter that was still in his shaking hands.

Roxas had shaken his head frantically, trying to deny what he was seeing, and ripped the paper to shreds. He didn't care if he was making a mess in his apartment because it was already a pig's den, a clutter of junk on the floors. Dragging his heavy legs to the couch, Roxas dropped his body onto the lumpy couch and just stared up at the ceiling in a daze, still startled by the revelation. What terrified Roxas wasn't that some demented person followed Xion home, nor was it the fact that they were insane enough to cut off a piece of her hair.

No, what scared Roxas the most was that the person initiating all this was a guy. It was impossible for Roxas to deny that simple factor, especially with the letter and Xion's phone call. Roxas knew he couldn't pass it off as a coincidence, no matter how much he wanted to ignore it. Xion told him that the person was a man and Roxas always believed Xion.

That would mean that his little "secret admirer" was some sick bastard. Throughout the whole month, Roxas had always imagined the person behind all the love letters was a girl, probably some random giggling teenager who thought Roxas was a decent-looking male. However, in reality, it was a guy behind those girly letters. It was odd, realizing that all his letters were written by a male. Soft, delicate writing, feminine colors, cutely drawn hearts and sugar-coated compliments all pointed to a girl. None of the gifts made Roxas assume they belonged to some guy, even though a girl sending a guy flowers might've been a bit strange when it should've been the exact opposite.

When the letters started threatening him about Xion, Roxas did notice the angry handwriting which definitely appeared as if it had been written by a guy. Red, harsh messy handwriting and it also got straight to the point. No sugarcoating words or drawn hearts for the young blond at all. Instead, it was just a very mean letter written to scare him. All Roxas remembered was that he arched an eyebrow in confusion, acting as if he wasn't "terrified" at all when he crumpled the paper up and tossed it in the garbage. Maybe if he was acting a bit more cautious, maybe if he actually bothered telling Xion what happened, she would've been safe from any danger.

But now, it was too late and Roxas was growing more and more aware that the person who has been telling him he was utter perfection was a damn guy. And not just any normal dude, fuck no because it couldn't have been that easy, instead it was some mental case that decided to break into his ex-girlfriend's house and terrorize her until she was too scared to tell anyone anything. The thought of it upset and panicked Roxas... a lot.

Roxas wasn't gay and the current problem was definitely not going to change his mind. He liked girls and only girls- which meant that no man, no matter how fucking hot, was going to alter his decision any time soon. He didn't like girls for their boobs or big butt or whatever reason most people adored them for. Instead, Roxas loved how they always listened and they weren't so insensitive about it, more particularly Xion but now, she wasn't coming back.

Cleaning the ripped paper and the tuffs of black hair on the floor, Roxas realized that Xion's driver license was still lying on the floor. Picking the card up, Roxas groaned when he realized a certain thing.

He needed to get this back to Xion somehow... which meant he was going to confront her.


March 16- Day 31


Today was the day Roxas was planning to return Xion's driver license. Roxas already discussed his situation with Sora, although he left out some explicit details. Well honestly, he basically just lied to Sora, telling his cousin that Xion had left her driver license at the restaurant and that he needed to return it. Sora only frowned, before suggesting he could return it since they work in the same building. But Roxas insisted, shaking his head at the offer, telling Sora that he needed to be the one to return her driver license.

Sora only narrowed his eyes in suspicion, before smiling and telling Roxas he understood. Roxas just grumbled under his breath, informing Sora it wasn't like that. So after that discussion, Sora appointed a meeting between the two of them on a Sunday which was today. Sora took off the day, notifying Roxas that he was able to drive him to the café where he set up the meeting. Roxas took the offer, thanking Sora.

So here Roxas was, sitting in Sora's passenger seat, nervously tapping his foot. Sora had turn the radio up, singing along to some Taylor Swift song, which was incredibly grating to listen to. The café was at least thirty minutes away from his apartment but it was closer to where Sora and Xion were currently living. It was closer to where his parents lived and he actually remembered the café. Roxas and his other friends were always buying drinks and spending time together in the shop, except for Xion because she didn't like coffee. So Roxas a bit surprised when Sora told him the place they were going to be meeting at.

"Twilight Café" looked the same as it did a few years ago when they finally pulled up in the parking lot. Roxas slammed the door and walked towards Sora's side of the car, knocking on the window. Sora rolled down the windows, turning down the music so he could hear Roxas's words.

"I appreciate you driving me here, Sora." Roxas thanked, watching Sora grin at him.

"No problem, just call me when you're finished chatting and stuff. I'm assuming you'll be here for a while unless you want to just hand Xion her license and drive back. But if not, I'll be down the street at Riku's house." Sora stated, bobbing his head to the soft music. Roxas only rolled his eyes at the display, before glancing around him. Everything looked exactly the same from when he was a child, especially the old fashioned telephone booth next to the café.

"It's fine, you can go spend some time with Riku. I have something to talk about with Xion." Roxas uttered, feeling nostalgia kick in the moment he turned to face the café, the place where he hanged out with his friends on a few occasions. "So, does Riku live in the same house after all these years?" In the back of his head, Roxas remembered that Riku lived in this small house with his parents in this tiny neighborhood just five minutes away. Sora used to take him there when they were in high school to talk about stuff or play some games. But Roxas always had a feeling that Riku never really appreciated his company, especially when they were in school. They were so many embarrassing moments where they walked by each other and only spared each other awkward glances before parting ways.

"Yeah he does and his room looks exactly the same. Haha, he actually still has his action figures lying on his desk. Imagine how weird that would be to explain whenever he brings a lady friend home." Sora grinned, clearly amused at the thought of it. Roxas chuckled, finding it hard to visualize Riku, his cousin's mysterious friend, owning childish toys. "Well, have fun."

"Yeah, you too." Roxas responded, as he turned around and started walking towards the café. Feeling anxious, Roxas entered the shop, hearing a ding resonate throughout the shop. Glancing around the familiar walls, Roxas noticed that there were at least twenty people in the shop, which was different from the five to ten customers he was used to. Finding no raven-haired girl from where he was standing, Roxas wandered further into the shop before deeming Xion wasn't there yet. So he took a booth in the isolated corner of the café.

Roxas couldn't help but feel nervous, especially from the last conversation he had with Xion. The only major reason why he wanted to discuss some things with Xion is because he wanted to confirm what she experienced. Also, Roxas wanted Xion not to be scared of any danger befalling her. He wanted to tell her that she was going to be safe, that there was noting to be concerned about. However, Roxas couldn't really confirm that at all.

Time was passing by quickly and Roxas kept glancing at his phone, worried that she might've forgotten. The time Sora set was five o' clock but it was now twenty minutes past five. Roxas had to wonder if Sora mixed up times or if he gave Xion the wrong café name. Honestly, Roxas wouldn't have been very surprised if that was the case.

Just when Roxas was starting to get impatient and call Sora to just take him home, someone uttered his name but it wasn't Xion's soft voice. Instead, it was very low and right away, Roxas knew it belonged to a guy. Startled, Roxas glanced up to find a man with hazel eyes, dressed as an officer. Roxas only stared for a few seconds before his brain made the connection. Then, he bolted up from his seat in shock, eyes just gaping at the view.

"Hayner..." Roxas gasped out, as his heart started to race at the sight of someone so familiar from his past. Hayner only regarded him with an unwelcoming gleam in his eyes, a stiff frown on his face and a formal nod before sliding into the booth across from Roxas. It was a huge difference from how Roxas remembered Hayner and there was definitely a lot of names to remember Hayner by. Fiery. Reckless. Bold. Hayner was usually that certain kid who was always trying to find some adventure in their boring lives. He was the one to spice up the dull parties with a huge grin and a huge bottle of beer.

But this Hayner, who was acting so cold towards him, was so different from what he was used to. Maybe this was just a sign that Hayner was still mad at him for bailing all those years ago. It made Roxas more nervous than before and a bit more terrified to be currently dealing with someone who used to be close to him. Then, when Hayner mumbled his name again, Roxas felt like dashing out of the café because he was starting to feel guilty.

"Roxas... So, how's life been?" Hayner questioned, sounding a bit too sour as he spitted out his words. Roxas bit his lip nervously, taking a shaky breath in. There was so many ways Roxas could've answered Hayner. He could've answered it sarcastically with a "fucking faaaantastic," just like he used to back in the day, his words mocking. Then, Hayner would punch him in the shoulder with a jolly laugh, rolling his eyes at the sardonic smile on the blond's face. After that, Roxas would be laughing along, his sharp, bitter smile turning genuine because he wasn't really the one to act snide, even on bad days. Or he could answer the question with a polite smile and a fake response, telling Hayner how well life has been turning out for him. Even though it really wasn't with how horrible his life has been so far.

"Life's been okay." Roxas answered, turning his eyes away from Hayner, facing the window, faking interest in the old building that was blocking most of the view. Hayner scoffed and then there was silence, awkward and unpleasant. Roxas heard Hayner grumble quietly to himself before calling a waitress to their table, deciding to buy a drink. Hayner whispered his order, demanding a macchiato. The woman scribbled down the order and then she asked Hayner if he wanted anything else. Roxas was surprised and whipped his head to stare at Hayner when he heard him ordering a peppermint hot chocolate, which was one of Roxas's all time favorites. When the waitress walked away, Roxas was quick to hoarsely whisper at Hayner, "I can't really pay for that. I didn't bring any money..."

"My treat.." Hayner grumbled out and Roxas tried opening his mouth to protest but then he saw the frown on Hayner's face and decided to shut up. It wasn't like he had any money to give Hayner nor did he felt like calling Sora for money to pay his friend back. Sora was already working too hard and Roxas would feel bad if he ended up taking money from his cousin.

"Alrighty then..." Roxas mumbled, once again diverting his attention away from Hayner. It wasn't until the drinks arrived that Roxas bothered talking to Hayner. "So, I'm guessing Xion was the one to tell you I was gonna be here?" Even though Roxas already knew the answer, he wanted Hayner to confirm it. However, Hayner stayed silent, taking large gulps of his macchiato while Roxas took small, little sips of his peppermint hot chocolate, keeping his eyes locked on Hayner, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, she did say someone arranged a meeting at this particular café the other day and when I asked who, she didn't bother telling me.." Hayner quietly said, slowly narrowing his eyes at Roxas. "I didn't exactly find out who until this morning... Xion told me it was you and really, I didn't believe her at all. Honestly, why would someone who left us in high school bother contacting us at all? But she kept begging me to go visit you in her place and told me to tell you that she couldn't make it and that she was sorry. Hell, if it weren't for Xion, I wouldn't even be here right now." Hayner was furrowing his eyebrows together, his lips in a tight frown, slightly glaring at the blond who was taking sips from his cup. Roxas only pursed his lips in discomfort, shuffling around uneasily as Hayner stared daggers into him.

"I just needed to discuss something important with Xion, that's why I decided to meet her here. Um- and well, it wasn't like I was never planning to come back because I knew eventually that I had to... face everything again." Roxas softly responded, unable to meet Hayner's piercing gaze.

"And when were you planning to do that? A hundred years from now?" Hayner scoffed, rolling his eyes at the statement. Roxas shook his head in reply, as he took a huge mouthful of his hot chocolate, relishing the sweet and sugary taste of his drink. Roxas knew Hayner didn't believe him and even if Hayner was scorning him in a crude way, he was making a good point. Roxas probably wasn't making any preparations to ever come back to his hometown in a long, long time. Hayner took Roxas's silence as a yes and scowled bitterly.

"I-I.." Roxas started but then stopped, deciding to take on another subject, trying to make the mood less tense. "So, I heard that you were an officer now? You look good in a uniform.. I bet you're helping enforce the law now, right? Quite amazing of you, Hayner, it was really unexpected..." Hayner's mouth twitched, as if he was forcing down a proud smile. But in the end, Hayner failed and a huge grin overcame him, looking entirely smug as he smirked at Roxas. Roxas relaxed a little, feeling a bit better at the display of pure delight. Hayner was easier to deal when he was in a good mood.

"Yeah, I guess it surprised everyone but they knew the reason why I chose the job. Remember how I loved to start fights in high school? Well, a few months after you disappeared, I was looking for a job and I bumped into this drunk guy. I started a fight with him, not that I remember what it was about but whatever. Turns out the guy had a knife on him and stabbed me in the gut the moment I socked a fist into his mouth." Hayner grumbled out, grimacing at the memory. Roxas scrunched his face, frowning worriedly at the thought of his friend being in danger. "Well, luckily for me, an officer was nearby and the moment I yelled, he came to investigate. The instant he found me on the ground bleeding, he fired a shot."

"Wow," Roxas whispered in awe, mouth gaped open. "I never knew that happened to you... Well, I'm glad you're safe now." Hayner suddenly frowned, snapping his head towards Roxas and narrowed his eyes.

"Of course, you wouldn't know... You weren't here for the last five years, remember?" Hayner interjected harshly, glaring softly at Roxas, who could avert his eyes away guiltily.

"Yeah, sorry..." Roxas mumbled, avoiding eye contact from his frustrated friend. It wasn't like Roxas had tried to remind Hayner about how he suddenly vanished. It was Hayner's fault for bringing it up.

"So, please do tell me," Hayner asked mockingly, a permanent scowl laying on his face. "Why did you arrange a meeting with Xion?" Hayner's face then turned more serious, his piercing eyes drilling their way inside of Roxas, who froze the tiniest bit. The blond hesitated, wondering if Hayner knew what happened to Xion and if he should even mention it to him. Who knew what Xion wanted him to say.

"I.. needed to return something to her." Roxas whispered. "The other day, someone followed her home..." Roxas watched Hayner cautiously, dark blue eyes narrowing slightly when he noticed the blank expression on his friend's face. "I'm not sure if she told you... but she was scared to death. The guy tried to hurt her, Hayner." Roxas felt a bit irked when Hayner's face remained in the same expressionless state as before. He at least expected Hayner to show the tiniest bit of concern. So, Roxas began to irritably growl out with a feral scowl, "Hey, are you even listening to me? I just told you-"

"Yeah, I heard you." Hayner mumbled distractingly, waving Roxas off with a mere flick of a wrist. "She told me the other night about what happened..." Roxas frowned, feeling a bit confused at the distant look on Hayner's face. Pursing his lips, Roxas decided to ask Hayner if he bothered to do anything.

"Well, did you do anything?" Roxas questioned. "You're a cop, right? I'm pretty sure what that guy did was probably illegal. Seriously, that was just fucked up. Xion didn't deserve that, especially getting her hair chopped off. Please tell me you did something, Hayner. You're her boyfriend for god's sake!" Roxas was starting to grow a bit disturbed by Hayner's impassive face. But then, Hayner started frowning, appearing to be troubled.

"I tried... but Xion wouldn't say anymore. Plus, there wasn't much evidence in the house." Hayner stated, eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "The only thing I managed to get out of her was his appearance." Instantly, Roxas was perplexed, confusion swirling around in his blue orbs. From what Xion told him, he sort of thought Xion didn't even took a glance from the guy. "Apparently, he had a lot of bright red hair and I don't know, stunning green eyes? Then, the only thing she said was, 'Doesn't he sound familiar, Hayner? He sort of reminded me of someone we used to know!' That was pretty much the end of our conversation."

"Familiar?" Xion sort of said the same thing to him over the phone but he didn't really try to understand her words. He never heard of someone with bright red hair before. It must've been dyed... Hayner only frowned thoughtfully, before mumbling.

"He did sound familiar but I told her to ignore it. It'll probably never happen again... It was probably best to move on and pretend it never occurred." Roxas felt infuriated at Hayner's words, as he slammed his fists on the table, watching people peek in their direction curiously. Their eyes lingered a little too long for Roxas's taste but he decided to ignore it and growl at Hayner.

"What the hell do you mean 'ignore?'" Roxas felt frustration kicking in, as he scowled at Hayner. People were definitely interested, probably wondering why there was someone yelling at a cop in their local coffee shop. "What if he comes and harms her again?!" Roxas was practically yelling right now in anger. Hayner only stared at him coldly, his frown turning ugly.

"Let me worry about Xion. She is my fiancé, unlike you... Don't act as if you're that important to her." Hayner scoffed, his frown turning into a triumph, bitter smirk. "I mean, you were only her boyfriend for one year." Roxas could feel his mouth drying up as his eyes widened in shock. If Roxas wasn't so surprised, he probably would've decided to pummel his fist into Hayner's face for that ugly statement.

"You're her... fiancé?" Roxas felt his face flushing, feeling the need to go stuff his face in a bucket of ice cold water and attempt to drown himself. Instead, he opted for licking his lips nervously, averting his eyes away from the sharp glare of a stiff Hayner. "She never told me she was getting married.. I-I never saw a ring on her finger." Roxas quietly mentioned, taking a glance at Hayner's hands and noticing the small ring adorning his ring finger.

"Why should it matter to you? Unless, you were planning to steal her away from me?" Hayner stared at him coldly, not looking amused at all. Roxas felt himself flinch away from the remark, and his tongue shriveled up as he wasn't able to reply back. Sure, Sora teased him about hooking up with Xion physically but he never allowed himself to humor his cousin's idiotic thoughts. Roxas only intended to stay friends with Xion so it stung... a whole lot when Hayner implied him wanting to get back together with Xion.

"No.. I would never... -I swear I would've never... I-I-I..." Roxas stuttered, not knowing what to say to that. He was literally lost for words.

"You know Xion missed you a whole bunch when you left. We all did.. But she missed you the most which was pretty much clear when all she did was cry for you every single day. She was depressed.." Hayner growled out, throwing his face into his hands in frustration.

"I didn't know..." Roxas whispered quietly, his heart beating quickly from the guilt he was feeling. Hayner looked stressed and very, very tired. Dark circles were under his eyes and he looked dazed.

"We all missed you. But you know what, eventually we all moved on. We decided that the best thing to do was to forget you and we did! So, don't come back now! We don't need you in our life ever again!" Hayne spitted out, words slapping Roxas across the face and all Roxas could do was stare down at his drink with wide, bewildered eyes. "You understand?" Hayner growled out in that pretentious, gruff voice you'd expect to only hear from officers.

Sharply, Roxas nodded, not even daring a glance at Hayner.

That was it. There was nothing else to talk about. There was absolutely no point in trying to woo Hayner into coming back. Roxas wasn't stupid, he knew when he wasn't wanted or needed. So, all he needed to do was reach into his pocket and hand Hayner the driver license. Then, he'll be on his way. But why did Roxas feel too nervous to do so? Maybe it was because staring into his friend's eyes reminded him that he wasn't looking at Hayner's bright, joyous eyes. No, he was staring at a stranger... It was unwelcoming and reminded him nothing of his friend. Roxas bit his lip anxiously, before rising from his seat. Walking away from the table, Roxas threw Xion's driver license rather carelessly at Hayner, before leaving the coffee shop.

After he did so, Roxas leaned against the building, breathing deeply to himself. He closed his eyes in thought for a minute or two before deciding he should try to call Sora. Just as he was pulling out his phone, Hayner walked out, gripping Xion's license in one hand. Roxas paused scrolling his contacts list when Hayner locked eyes with him. Hayner scowled, walking past Roxas with a glare. Roxas tried to ignore the deep frown that was making it's way out but in the end, it slipped out.

"I hope you have fun living your sorry life." Hayner muttered. Roxas's left eye twitched in anger, before he yelled out to the hostile blond.

"What the hell is your problem!? How many times do I have to apologize before you even start treating me like a civilian? Seriously, Hayner, what the fuck happened to you? Are you having abandonment issues? Because if you are, you can just tell me and we'll fix this!" Roxas yelled out. He was just tired and he did not need Hayner's behavior to start screwing with him. Was a cop even allowed to treat someone like this? If not, Hayner was doing his job horribly.

"My problem is that you left us. Not only did you screw up your own life but you messed with ours! You've changed too! Heck, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you?! Maybe you were the one who hired that guy to go harass Xion?! What, did you get off on that!? It makes sense! Why else would you have Xion's license!?" Roxas could only widen his eyes at Hayner, as anger started to kick in. What preposterous accusations! Why the hell would he ever do that to Xion? But it's not like Roxas would ever be allowed to explain himself. Hayner probably would've just called him a faggot for trying to tell him he was receiving love letters from a guy.

Instead of explaining himself, Roxas decided to stride up to Hayner and punch him across the face harshly. Roxas didn't really know what he was doing but he was hoping it would've knocked some sense into Hayner. Maybe he was trying to reenact the old days whenever he was allowed to slap Hayner for saying the stupidest things. But all Roxas knew was that he probably fucked up badly. Because the old days were at least five years ago and this scene was now. Roxas should've known better than to ever smack an officer.

Because the next thing that happened frightened Roxas a lot. Instead of scowling moodily like the old days, Hayner opted to shoving Roxas against the brick wall and slamming his face against the hard, rough walls. Roxas let out a pained grunt, gritting his teeth together so hard it felt like he was about to chip off his teeth. Hayner was yelling obscenities into his ear, challenging him to do that again. Roxas felt his two hands being held together behind his back by Hayner and he could only groan in pain. Instantly, Roxas felt frustrated, as small tears prick his eyes but he willed it away. There was no way he was gonna cry over being manhandled by his friend. However, Roxas couldn't help but feel betrayed and hurt.

Hayner was treating him like a criminal. His old friend... acting as if he was a thug. Roxas didn't know what stung most, his aching, hurting body or the feeling of Hayner stabbing him from behind his back.

"Y-yeah, I won't hit you again. Just let go of me." Roxas gasped out and then he was released from the crushing grip Hayner had on him. They stared at each other for a moment. Roxas, who was holding his bleeding nose and Hayner, who was staring nonchalantly at Roxas. Gripping his nose tighter, Roxas turned away, not able to stare at his friend any longer, much less attempt to talk to him. Then, Hayner left, reaching his car and driving away.

Angrily, Roxas reached into his pockets, trying to find his phone, before realizing he dropped it when Hayner decided to attack him. Slightly horrified, Roxas grabbed his phone and cried irritably when he noticed it was cracked. He tried tapping it but the phone wouldn't respond to his touch.

Crying out loud in annoyance, Roxas had no other option other than to walk to Riku's house.


It was frustrating for Roxas to stroll to Riku's house with his nose bleeding. Especially when it took him thirty minutes... By the time he reached Riku's house, it was almost dark and Roxas was utterly exhausted. He wanted to go home and sleep forever. Today wasn't worth it. He should've just enjoyed his only day off lazing around in his apartment. It shouldn't have been his problem that Xion lost her driver license. Heck, she could've just gotten another one.

As he knocked the door, Roxas could only scowl bitterly at the memories of Hayner. He didn't know his friend grew up to be such a prude. As the front door opened, Roxas could feel his annoyance rising even higher. Riku always pissed him off but it probably had to do with the silver-haired disliking him for no absolute reason.

"Yes?" Riku asked blandly, face straight with no emotion and it reminded Roxas about Hayner's own hostile face. Roxas suppressed the urge to bash Riku's face against the door because that would've probably been rude.

"Tell Sora I'm ready to leave." Roxas stated sourly, before turning his back on Riku and heading to Sora's car, deciding to wait outside rather than attempt some ill conversation with Riku. It wasn't long before Sora rushed out with a silly grin and his usual wink. Roxas only stared back bitterly, not in the mood to humor his cousin. Sora must've sensed the mood because he wiped off his huge grin and frowned.

"What happened to your nose? Did something happened with Xion?" Sora questioned worriedly but Roxas didn't answer back, only waiting for Sora to unlock the car so he can slip inside and sleep. Sora took the hint and turned on the car, observing Roxas closely as he entered the passenger seat.

The rest of the car ride was silent.


March 28- Day 43


It was nearly the end of his shift. There was only thirty minutes to go before he was allowed to leave the fast-food restaurant and since it was nearly closing time, there were barely any customers ordering. Although, there were definitely plenty of customers in the booths, chowing down on their greasy hamburgers and salty french fries. Roxas didn't mind it though. He preferred staring at nothing rather than taking orders from some ill-mannered customers.

Since his meeting with Hayner, Roxas grew to be a bit irritated during work. A frown that was usually stuck in place during work days would developed into a scowl whenever he was taking orders. A few customers were uncomfortable by the dark look and would often complain to his boss. Ms. Allen had only stared at Roxas with concern before pinching his cheeks, telling him to brighten up. So, Roxas did, placing on the sweetest smile. But inside, Roxas felt bitter.

The love letters started coming back. Girly handwriting and sugary words were the same as before but all it did was make Roxas feel ill. His stomach would lurch and the urge to vomit was held back. The bright, vibrant flowers were there too but the only thing Roxas did was throw them straight in his trash bin. Roxas wasn't happy at all. Whenever a letter showed up, he would go hide under his covers because all it did was remind him of the night where he was threatened about Xion. It was sick. Heck, he felt sick.

However, despite all that, Roxas wanted to know. He needed to know who was behind this all. He didn't have much clues except for a few big ones like the hair color or eye color or the way he was suppose to be 'familiar'. There was another hint but Roxas wasn't so sure about it. It was the day where Roxas first met Xion. Sora mentioned that someone was watching them intently. Roxas definitely needed to ask Sora about that.

So, the moment Sora entered the restaurant with his charming wink and smirk, Roxas left his post and grabbed Sora's arm. Roxas pulled him outside so that no one was able to overhear their conversation. Sora only responded with a surprised blink to which Roxas ignored.

"Sora, I need to ask you a favor." Roxas muttered lowly, staring at Sora with serious eyes. Sora frowned, curiously staring at Roxas before nodding slowly. "Remember the night when Xion and I first met?" At Sora's second nod, Roxas continued, his voice whispering. "Well, I need you to point out who was staring at us. If he's not in there today, tell me the next time you visit but I need you to tell me no matter what."

Sora looked reluctant, as his face twisted into some sort of grimace. However, Roxas squeezed his arm tighter, whispering coolly, "I need to know." After that, Sora didn't appear as hesitant but there was still a small frown on his face.

"He sits in the corner of the restaurant... Next to the other exit and I think he sits there everyday." Sora murmured, before taking a glance back into the restaurant. Then, he sharply glanced back at Roxas, swallowing. "Yeah, he's sitting there right now."

"Was he staring at us?" Roxas asked, resisting the urge to follow Sora's previous glance. Sora only shook his head in reply.

"No, I think he's reading a newspaper or some journal. I can't tell." Sora pursed his lips, looking reluctantly at Roxas. "Why do you need to know?" Roxas sighed a little, shaking his head.

"I'm planning to go ask him something." Roxas replied. "What does he look like?" Roxas was curious. If Sora told him bright red hair and green eyes, then Roxas would have to confront this guy. If not, Roxas would probably disregard him as some random creep.

"He looks like... he has a lot of red hair. I think he's really tall too but pretty skinny. He doesn't look weak though." Roxas immediately frowned, feeling troubled by the description. This meant Roxas would have to confront the guy and ask him if he was really the one that was causing all these profound problems in his life. Thinking about it made Roxas feel nervous..

"Oh okay." Roxas mumbled. Sora frowned at Roxas, mouth firmly pursed in worry. However, Roxas smiled weakly. "I'll be fine, Sora. Also, why don't you drive home right now? I'll take the train back home. No problem." Sora opened his mouth to argue but Roxas only shook his head and firmly stared at his cousin. "It's fine! Just go home, Sora. You look exhausted." Sora pursed his lips in concern before sighing, reluctantly agreeing.

Then, Roxas was walking Sora to his car, smiling as Sora revved up his car. Waving his goodbye slowly, Roxas watched as Sora left his sight. After that, Roxas entered the fast-food restaurant once again, hearing the chattering of all the kids. Roxas took a glance at the clock and noticed he only had five more minutes of his shift. However, a quick peek at the register revealed no customers. So, he decided to retire early and removed his apron. If there was more customers, one of the workers would be able to attend to it.

Taking a deep reassuring breath, Roxas turned to the table Sora had pointed out. Right away, Roxas pondered on why he never noticed the flaming red hair that literally screamed "NOTICE ME!" Maybe it had to do with the fact that Roxas was always day-dreaming during work. As he took a step forward, Roxas noticed that the guy was reading a newspaper which was kind of weird because nobody except old people seemed to do that sort of thing.

Roxas felt his heart beat faster as he walked closer, wondering if he should ditch. But didn't he want answers? Sure, he did but he was too nervous and panicky. It mostly had to do with the fact that there was a possibility that this was the guy that was assaulting him for about a month. However, he ignored the anxious flutters and continued on, placing on his placid front with his composed face.

Then, he took a seat across from the red-headed fellow. Roxas couldn't help but stiffen a bit when the guy froze and quickly flickered his light green eyes over to Roxas. The guy's face was blank at first before a small flicker of surprise appeared in his green eyes. In a small millisecond, the guy widened his eyes but then it was gone. The redhead's face became expressionless once again, except for that tiny shred of amusement in his green eyes. Roxas only furrowed his eyebrows together in anxiety, a small frown appearing on his face.

It was a silent for a moment, with Roxas observing the guy and the guy doing the same. Though, Roxas narrowed his eyes after a second as realization struck him. This was the same guy that bumped into him and spilled his soda all over him a month ago. Roxas recognized the emerald green eyes. However, the man wasn't dressed in the same suspicious hoodie from a month ago. Instead, he was dressed in a neat, expensive-looking suit. It looked awfully out of place in the middle of a cheap fast-food restaurant but Roxas paid it no attention.

"Hello," Roxas said cautiously, watching the man's piercing gaze. "I'm Roxas and I've been meaning to ask you this." The guy only blinked innocently but the all-knowing smile on the redhead's face urged Roxas to continue on. "Have you been writing letters to me?" Roxas only felt the small buzz of awkwardness when the man said nothing. However, he still gazed back as confidently as he could until the guy chuckled. After that, Roxas's brave act faltered and a small, nervous frown began to appear.

Then, the redheaded guy opened his mouth to reply back.

This was the moment where Roxas met Axel for the first time in his life. Well, at least from what he remembered.


Okay, I'm in a rush but I want to post this chapter right now so I'm gonna make this quick. I AM SO SORRY for updating a few months later. Schoolwork is a fucking bitch and you guys will probably have expect chapters coming 1-3 months later. Sorry if you guys aren't interested in this story anymore but I hope you guys continue to read. I'm so busy with life so the only time I'll probably update a lot is during summer break. There's a few things bothering me in this chapter but I'll deal with it later. I need to go now so I'll fix grammar mistakes later tonight.

By the way, I might have to change this to M-rated but I don't know. What do you guys think? It already has violence and cursing in it. It might develop to something bigger later on so yeah. Might change it later so expect to find this in the M-rated section.

BYE! I hope you guys review. Thanks for being patient! :)