Author's Note: Back up and running once more! Thanks for all your wonderful reviews, everyone. People keep saying they're surprised I don't have more…hmmm…

Oh, I love writing this stuff…it makes my heart race, and I know what's going to happen. Hahaha…

Seven. Him

Roxas

Days turned into weeks, and, before any of us knew it, the weeks turned into one month, than two, and the season slowly faded to summer. Kairi had only gotten taller and brighter, and so had Namine. I got a girlfriend, a sweet, bright girl named Olette. Sora got a therapist.

Sora was nothing like any of us remembered. Each time we thought back to when he was the happy, smiling, goofy Sora we all had known, our vision was replaced by this new Sora, who barely ever bothered to crack a joke anymore. It saddened me to see it—it was like something had forced Sora to grow up faster than he could handle.

Suddenly Sora was no longer a carefree slacker. He was an adult. He only did adult things, like watching the news and mom's daytime soap opera, Denied Passions, while consuming a bag and a half of potato chips. This would then be followed by Sora running down to the beach, using his small wooden sword to bash the hell out of some rocks while he cursed a name we didn't dare admit we'd heard him use.

Of course, I was the only one who seemed to know what that name really meant. Kairi and Namine and Olette—who frequently followed me for lack of anything better to do—seemed to think that He had become a scapegoat for Sora. Sora had just chosen a random name to curse, and that name had been His.

The four of us sat on the porch then, like we always did, trying to figure if we had enough money to go see a movie or not.

"What should we go see? Destroyers of the Universe?" Kairi grinned evilly, making claw-like motions with her hands. "It's supposed to be the scariest movie ever!"

"Scary?" Olette squeaked. "Roxy, will you hold my haaaand?"

I smiled. "'Course I will. That's what your big, bad boyfriend is here for, right?"

Kairi looked from Namine to me to Namine again. "But who's gonna hold our hands?"

"Can't you hold each other's hands?"

Namine pouted. "I guess. But it'd be better if we had a boy to go with us."

"Sora?" Olette asked quietly.

Kairi shook her head. "He wouldn't want to. He's so…out of it…lately. It's like he's not even the same person anymore!"

"He's not," I sighed. "There was…something…that changed him. It happened right after the concert, I think. I'm not sure if it was what I think it was, but if it is…" I gazed towards the horizon, where several dark clouds were swirling, preparing for a storm. "Then we're going to have quite a problem on our hands."

Kairi sighed and bopped me on the back of the head. "You're speaking in riddles, Roxas. What happened at the concert? I mean, what do you think it is?"

I shook my head. "It's our secret. I'm…not allowed to say." I laughed softly. "Besides, I don't want to scar you girls for life."

All three of them sighed and averted their eyes down to the beach, where Sora was still beating out his frustration.

"Movie?" I questioned.

Their faces lit up. "You bet!" they chorused.

Of course, their interrogation of me wasn't over yet. They'd bring it up again later, when I was in more of a talkative mood. And, as was expected of me, I would spill the beans. But that would be later.

When we saw the news trucks across from the movie theater, we didn't think much of it.

"Fire," Kairi said.

"Bank robbery," Namine replied.

"Naw, probably a kidnapping," Olette retorted.

I shrugged. "Whatever. Let's just get our tickets, alright?" I said quickly, pulling the three gawking girls away from the street and underneath the canopy of the theater. "Three, please?"

The punks behind me in line began to argue while the woman printed up our tickets.

"Do you think we have enough money for this?"

"We should, if you didn't spend too much on the beer, dumbass."

"Hey, it was expensive beer! Besides, is it my fault we don't get paid enough?"

"Whatever. Just shut up and order our tickets already. I am so not missing the preview because of you two."

"Anyone care to bet on how the movie ends?"

"No, Luxord. We don't care."

And on it went. I sighed, paid for the tickets, and dragged the three girls—who were still gawking at something—inside the theater.

"Ohmigod!" Olette screamed once we were inside, earning her a complementary shushing from the other moviegoers. "Was that really—?"

"I think so!"

"Holy crap, what's he doing here?"

"Vacation?"

"No, I don't think so. Hey, maybe they're shooting a video!"

"Why would they shoot a video here? If they wanted to shoot an island video, they'd go to a real resort where—"

I sighed, pulling the girls into the front row of seats. "What the heck are the three of you talking about?"

"Didn't you see?" Olette gasped. "He's here!"

"He—?" I frowned. He? Who the hell was He? And why would they be squeal over…then it hit me full force. Video shooting, the news van, all of it.

"No." I said flatly. "No. He is not here. Please, tell me you were mistaken. He really, really can't be here. If he's here and Sora—" I clamped a hand over my mouth. I had forgotten I wasn't allowed to mix those two together in a sentence.

"Sora what?" Kairi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Roxas, is there something that—"

"Hey." The voice that cut Kairi off was confident, and had a swagger to it I almost didn't like. Almost. It also made my heart beat like crazy. I didn't know the voice, nor did I know how it connected with an image in my mind. Still, the voice just seemed to fit, somehow.

My breath quickened. I had almost forgotten. If He was here, that meant his crew would follow. And along with his crew came—

"Name's Axel," the guy said, sticking out his hand. "Can we sit here?" he asked, gesturing to a few empty seats at the end of the row.

"S-sure," I stuttered. "Go ahead."

He eased himself and the large soda he was holding into the seat next to me. My heart was pounding so loud and so fast I was sure Olette could feel my pulse quicken through my hand.

I had to remind myself of several things, the first and foremost being that I had never received a reply to the letter, nor had I ever included a photo of myself with it. He didn't know who I was, or what I had done, or that we were even connected to each other.

"So?" he asked slyly. "What's your name?"

I gulped. "Roxas."

His facial expression didn't change, but his eyes glimmered. "Roxas," he said, stretching out the syllables. "That's a rather…unusual…name."

"I could say the same for you."

He laughed at that. My body tugged. I liked his laugh. It was cocky, but there was something to it that suggested he actually found what I said funny. "I suppose you could."

The theater dimmed, and I looked down the row. I didn't exactly recognize any of the rest of the crew except for Axel. But that was a good thing, I decided. He wasn't with them. The girls probably were imagining things, or they had seen his crew and his bus and assumed that he was here. The latter seemed pretty likely, actually. Girls can get over-the-top sometimes. I blame hormones.

The screen flickered and the previews blared to life, advertising things for sale, the theater snack stand, and finally the newest movies. The previews were my favorite part of the movie, actually—they kept me guessing more than the movie itself.

There was a rustling from the end of the row. Someone else had arrived, it seemed. I turned, straining to see who it was in the semi-darkness. The light from the projector caught a strand of white hair, and it gleamed in the light.

No. Oh, shit. Fuckshitcrapshitfuck…I had never been one for language, but still. Sometimes it was necessary.

Axel moved down a seat, and Riku was suddenly standing next to me.

"Hey," he said. "Can I sit here?"