Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.
Rated:
T+ (15+)
Pairings: (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud
Chapter Word Count: 5,163
Total Word Count: 34,076
Beta'd by: Karinta24

Authoress Notes: Major writer's block has been eating my brains, which is why this chapter took so long to get out. I apologize for the delay, but it's been tough with summer college and beauty school... But I will prevail! Please enjoy the chapter (Which happens to be my longest, so far!)

IMPORTANT NOTE: As of October 7, 2010, this story is on a hiatus due to lack of ideas for this story. I apologize for inconvenience, but I have written myself into a hole that I'm not sure if I can write myself out of. I may come back again to work on this fiction, but there is a good chance that this might be the last chapter of Beneath the Blue Sky posted up. I hope I can be forgiven, and I hope my future stories will be able to make up for the incompletion of this story.


Chapter Nine: Sea Salt Blue and Absent Carmine

The next few days were uneventful, but at the same time, they held a lot of meaning. To begin with, Naminé still had not returned to school and that fact, alone, was driving Roxas insane. He had an answer to the riddle that she'd asked him, and now he wanted to discuss these facts with her. She knew that Axel and his friends were involved with Organization X, or at least had previously been. How would she have known that, and what was the danger in them? Wouldn't Hayner, Pence, and Olette have warned him if there was something wrong with the few times he'd had lunch with the Resistance? And what did the Resistance even mean? What did they represent for Organization X? What did Naminé know?

What was even worse, though, was the fact that Axel didn't return to school, either. After the day they kissed, Roxas hadn't seen Axel. When he texted him to ask where he'd been, Axel wouldn't reply. Roxas even went as far as calling Axel, but the older teen made the excuse that his phone was dying when Roxas asked the question. It hurt Roxas a lot that Axel wasn't being honest with him.

Wednesday and Thursday, Roxas had spent his lunches with Nio. The young freshman had spotted him by himself in the school hallway on Wednesday, the day after they'd met, and she asked if he'd like to have lunch with her. By Thursday, Roxas just waited until Nio came down the hall, and said no words as he walked with her to the cafeteria. Now, it was Friday, and he found himself in the hallway, his hands shoved in his pockets as he waited. It would be easy to just go suffer lunch with Sora and the others, but since Kairi and Riku started eating lunch with the group, he felt the distance between himself and his brother become even larger. Sora had all these friends, and Roxas felt isolated because he wasn't as social and charismatic as his twin. He had honestly tried to reach out of his comfort bubble, but he found that the Usual Group wasn't a group that he could reach to. He found it more comforting to be around Axel's group, Naminé, and Nio than to be with his brother and his friends.

"Roxas?"

A small voice broke Roxas from his thoughts. He blinked as his gaze fell down to meet a set of blue eyes. He couldn't help but feel a tug at his heart when he saw her eyes, because they reminded him so much of the blonde haired artist. The black haired girl blinked curiously up at him, tilting her head to the side before she frowned.

"Are you okay, Roxas?"

"Yeah… You ready to head to lunch?"

Nio watched him for a moment longer before she sighed and gave in, nodding to him. They walked in silence down the quiet corridor before turning the corner. The noise from the cafeteria could be heard from that corner and only became louder as they got closer to the doors. They went inside and found a short line. Once they had their food, they went back out into the hallway and made their way out to the outside courtyard. There were a few students scattered about, but they found somewhere to sit and started into their lunches.

"Roxas?" The blonde looked up at the girl. "Are you sure you're okay…?"

Roxas paused before shrugging, scooping some rice and chicken onto his fork and bringing it to his mouth. He ate the food before setting it down on the wall they were sitting at. "I guess I am.."

"What's wrong?"

Roxas glanced up at her before he shrugged again and looked out at the other people in the courtyard. "I'm… just a little homesick." Which was the truth, kind of; Roxas missed the simplicity of his home in Destiny Islands, where he wasn't mixed up with things like Organization X, and wasn't hurting people, like Naminé. He looked up when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"It's natural to feel a little homesick, especially the longer you're away from your old home… But, I think you'll eventually become more used to Hollow Bastion." Nio offered a smile. Roxas stared at her for a moment before he mustered up a smile, nodding to her.

"Yeah…"

"Hey, are you busy after school today?"

Roxas shook his head, though he was a little confused by the question. "I don't think so… Why?"

"Well, I got free passes to go see that new movie, Breakfast at Daisy's, and I honestly don't know who really to take, because I'm still new here, myself… So…. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go with me." She looked up nervously as she asked before her eyes widened and she flailed her arms in a defensive manner. "As friends, of course!" She quickly clarified.

Roxas blinked at her as he thought over the request. Nio watched him, nervousness clear in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. She prepared to open her mouth and tell him to forget about it and it was stupid of her to ask, but he beat her to it.

"Sure, I'll go."

Her eyes opened wide. "R-really?"

"Yeah, why not? I have nothing else to do." He smiled at her, and she blinked at him once before a huge grin spread across her lips.

"Awesome! Did you want to meet at the theatre?"

"Hikari Theatre, right?" Nio nodded and Roxas gave a nod in return. "Yeah, we can meet there."

"Awesome! I can't wait!" She gave him another grin.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

That evening, Roxas prepared himself to head out for the evening. He changed into a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt under a button-up black over shirt. His black-and-white checkered wristband was secured on his left wrist, and his pointer and middle finger of his left hand were adorned with a black ring and a white ring, respectively. He pulled on his sneakers and shoved his cell phone and wallet into his pockets before he left the bedroom.

It was Friday, so naturally Sora was out with friends. It was different to see Roxas leaving on a Friday night without his brother, so naturally, Megumi blinked in a confused manner when her son started walking toward the door to head out of the house.

"Where you going, Roxas?" She asked curiously, leaning across the kitchen counter. Roxas glanced back at his mother with a bored expression.

"I'm going out with a friend tonight. She invited me to see a movie with her. I shouldn't be out late."

Megumi's eyes widened the moment she heard the feminine pronoun. Was her darling little Roxas going out on a date? Roxas saw the glint in his mother's eyes and quickly made it to the front door, escaping out it before she could ask him any more questions. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets as he walked through the lawn and onto the side walk. The sky was in the western portion of the sky and would most likely set by the time he met up with Nio at the theatre.

It took him about ten minutes to get there on foot, and when he arrived, he found he had gotten there before her, because she had told him to meet by the statue outside the theatre. He walked over to the statue and leaned up against it, patiently waiting for the girl to arrive. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of how this reminded him of school. And when he saw her, she smiled at him like she did in the school hallway and waved before picking up her pace to stand in front of him.

She was dressed in a white blouse that had a black sash below her chest that tied in the back, and a band of black material around the bottom of it, and a jean skirt that came to her mid-thigh. A pair of black and white striped leggings wrapped around her legs and a pair of flats covered her feet. Her smile was bright as she approached him, bringing her hand up to adjust the black-and-white flower hair clip that held her bangs away from her eyes.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not at all." He looked her up and down before laughing. She frowned a little and looked down at her outfit, trying to see if she accidently forgot to put something on, or if she had something on her.

"What are you laughing at?"

"We're dressed the same."

Nio looked between their clothes, and noticed the similarities between their outfits. While they were wearing their own variations, they both had black and white patterns on their clothes, and he wore jean-pants while she wore a jean-skirt. She couldn't help but giggle as she, too, noticed this.

"Wow, I guess great minds think alike." She joked as they started to head toward the doors of the theatre.

"Definitely." He said with a smile as he stepped ahead to grab the door. Nio giggled again and gave him a mock-curtsy before heading in through the door. He followed her in and she walked up to the ticket counter to give the passes to the clerk. The clerk gave her two tickets to the movie and Nio came back to join Roxas. She had planned to head straight for the proper theatre room, but Roxas stopped her as he looked at the concession counter.

"Let me get you something, since you used your pass to get me here."

"H-hey, it's okay… You don't have to."

Roxas looked over at her, offering her a small smile and shaking his head. "Yeah, I know, but I want to. Makes it even between us. Come on." He nodded his head toward the counter and started walking over. The girl blushed a little before sighing and following him. Roxas paid for them to both get drinks and they headed into their proper theatre.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

After the movie, they took a walk through the new-town area. Life was bustling despite the late hour, such was the Zanarkand District of Hollow Bastion. They talked about the movie while they walked together, passing the different shops and the people that were out and about. Nio was laughing at something Roxas said when she noticed a shop up ahead, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh! Look, it's the ice cream shop!" She looked at Roxas. "How do you feel about ice cream?"

Roxas shrugged. "It's okay. Did you want to go get some?" When Nio nodded, he smiled and they walked together up to the shop. Nio went ahead inside and her eyes were anxiously scanning the overhead menu. Roxas followed her over and rose an eyebrow as he, too, started looking, but his eyes were immediately drawn back to the girl as she squealed happily.

"They have it! I can't believe they have it!"

He blinked at her before slowly looking back up at the menu. "They have what now?"

"There's this REALLY good ice cream that I used to eat a lot back home in Twilight Town. You HAVE to try it!" The girl ran up to the counter and smiled up at the cashier. "Two Sea Salt Ice Creams, please!" She asked for. It took a few minutes, but she paid for the two ice creams and brought one of them over to Roxas. The blonde haired boy looked down at the blue frozen treat before taking his plastic spoon. He poked it before looking up at Nio, who was looking at him with expectant eyes. He looked back down before taking a deep breath and scooping some of the ice cream onto the spoon. He plopped it into his mouth and ate it.

His eyes lit up. She was right; this was pretty good! Nio grinned when she saw the boy continue to eat it, and she joined him, eating her own, as they went outside to go find somewhere to sit down and enjoy their treats.

"So, you like it?" She asked, a joyful smile placed upon her lips. Roxas nodded and the smile only grew. "I'm glad! Not many people are able to eat it, but it's a popular desert that we used to eat in Twilight Town."

"Kind of reminds me of the Paopu juice we used to drink back in Destiny Islands."

"Oh?"

"It was pretty popular, but it was only available in the summer, when the Paopu fruits were overpopulating the islands. The rest of the year, they were pretty rare, and they were saved to be picked by men getting ready to propose to their girlfriends."

"Why did they have to get a Paopu fruit to do that?"

"Back on the islands, the Paopu fruit itself is a representation of destiny. If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what."

"Ohh, how romantic!" The girl gushed, and Roxas couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sure, something like that." He continued to eat his ice cream as she smiled. There was a comfortable silence that fell between them as they ate their ice creams together. And soon enough, they were finished and walking through the Zanarkand District once more.

"It's getting pretty late…" Nio commented as she looked up at the dark sky. Roxas looked up as well, and he couldn't help but wonder if Sora had made his way home yet, if he was to return home at all that night.

"We should probably be getting back home." Roxas said as they came upon a street that led back toward the neighborhood districts. Nio nodded and they were about to continue walking when they heard the sound of a low whistle behind them. They both turned and Nio squeaked as Roxas raised an eyebrow at the person behind them. He was quite tall with long black hair tied back in a ponytail, numerous silver streaks running through his hair. But what was really odd about this man were the scars on his face, and the eye patch over his right eye.

"So this is the guy?" The man said and Nio ran up to him, hitting his arm.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on our little protégé, of course." The man said with a smirk and he looked back over at Roxas. "He's pretty scrawny. Are we sure this is the one?"

"Ugh, you're going to be the end of us." The girl rolled her eyes and turned to look back at Roxas. "I'll see you at school on Monday, okay? My brother and I must be getting home." Nio grabbed the man's wrist and started dragging him off.

Roxas blinked at the scene, unsure of exactly what had just happened, but he sighed and shook his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Oh well, at least they were already headed in the direction of his house. He focused his eyes forward and continued the journey back home.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The rest of the weekend had passed by extremely slow for the blonde haired Irino twin. He had been restlessly waiting for his phone to vibrate and for it to be Axel, asking to hang out or something, but no such thing happened. He felt pretty pathetic, but he couldn't help but want Axel's companionship, even after their embarrassing encounter almost a whole week ago.

The first thing that signaled that that Monday would definitely be different from the past few days was the fact that Naminé was in class when he arrived to art that morning. He blinked a few times from the doorway before slowly entering the room and making his way to their shared desk. She was back to drawing, but her hair hid whatever was on the paper, and her face. She didn't stop drawing until the bell rang, and she snapped her sketch book shut as she slid it into her purse and pulled out a second one for class. It was then that Roxas was able to see the dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept in over a week.

"Are you okay?" Roxas finally asked when the bell rang to signal the end of class. The girl looked up at him, as if startled by his voice, but let a smile slide upon her lips. She gave a nod as she stood up, collecting her things and shoving them into her purse.

"Of course I am, Roxas." It had been a while since he'd heard that soft spoken voice. The girl noticed that he was still staring at her, a frown set on his lips and she widened her smile. "You worry too much." She shouldered her purse and turned to leave. Roxas stepped forward and touched her shoulder, causing her to turn with slightly wide eyes.

"I know what Axel's group and I have in common." He suddenly said, as if his mind had wired straight to his mouth without pausing to think it over. Her smile slowly faded until she was biting her bottom lip, looking forward so her back was to the boy.

"How…?"

"I talked to Axel about it."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Even after I told you to stay away from them for that very reason." She looked back at him, her eyes full of worry and concern. "They're dangerous, Roxas. They're part of Organization X, and that whole group is nothing but trouble."

"I know what Organization X is, Naminé. And besides, Axel and his friends aren't even active members." Roxas knew it was a long shot, and he hardly even knew what he was talking about, but Naminé didn't seemed convinced.

"What all do you know about Organization X, Roxas? Obviously not enough, or you'd understand why I'm so concerned for your safety."

Roxas stepped back lightly. She pinned him there… What did he know? He only knew the little things that the Usual Group had told him, and Axel refused to say anything on the matter. He was left in the dark, while everyone else knew something he didn't. His hands clenched into fists as he tried to control his temper.

"Then how about someone just fucking talks to me, instead of leaving me in the dark all the time? If this is all so dangerous for me, then how about someone explains what I'm supposed to be avoiding?"

Naminé just looked at him, suddenly at a loss for words. She finally diverted her eyes to the ground and let out a soft sigh. "I can't tell you yet… But I promise that the time will come soon."

He tightened his fists before grabbing his things and storming out of the classroom, leaving the pale girl to stare after him with sad, pained eyes.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I so bombed that test!"

Nio sighed as she rested her chin on her knees, ignoring her lunch that set half-eaten next to her. She and Roxas were enjoying another normal afternoon of lunch, and it was the first time they'd gotten to see each other since Friday. Nio picked up her bowl and took a few more bites of her chicken before looking at the boy next to her.

"Are you okay, Roxas?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she tried to get a btter look at his face.

"Just… a little ticked off at some bullshit going on."

"What happened?"

Roxas shook his head and sighed. "It's a long story… But the point is, people keep telling me how dangerous everything is, but they continue to dance around exactly what's so dangerous about it all. They won't give me any details, and I'm beginning to wonder if this whole Organization X bullshit is just a big ruse or something."

Nio's eyes widened and she set her food down to take his arm with both her hands.

"Don't say that, Roxas. Organization X is really, really bad… Their members would really hurt you if they heard you speaking bad about them."

Great, even the other transfer student knew about Organization X. He glared off to the side. "Then how about someone explains what's so bad about them?"

"They're like a cult, only accepting people with certain qualifications. Once you're in that cult, then there's only trouble. You lose all of your other friends and you begin working for their leader, causing trouble around the city."

Roxas looked up at her with a confused frown. "How do you know?"

"I know some people associated with the Organization. They were perfectly fine people until they joined up. Rumor has it that they're given special drugs to make them obey the Organization's leader." She shuddered. "It's creepy!"

Was that really all that was so bad about Organization X? Naminé and Axel made it sound like it was so much more… But why would Nio lie to him, unless she was just misinformed. But at least he got more answers out of her than the two people who claimed to care about him so much.

"Whatever… I just want them to leave me alone. I haven't done anything to provoke them."

"It's the X that draws them to you, Roxas. It's like a beckoning call to their superior. He's… pretty nuts." She gave a laugh, picking up her bowl again. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. Just stick around me! I'll keep you company when your friends are being mean." She gave him a bright smile before digging into her bowl, happily eating the mixture of rice and chicken.

Roxas just stared at her for a long moment before giving a small smile and nodding, turning back to his own bowl of food.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

When Roxas thought that the day couldn't get any longer, it certainly did its best to prove him wrong. As the school day came to an end, and Roxas walked out of the school, he ran straight into a pair of breasts. His eyes widened when he stumbled back, but the front of his shirt was grabbed and he suddenly met hard, electric green eyes. She stood tall, glaring down at him before turning and starting to drag him away from the school. He stumbled as he let out a yelp, but managed to keep his balance as he reached his hands to in an attempt to draw her hands away from him.

"Wh-where are you taking me?" He managed to asked, looking up at her with slight fear clear in his blue eyes.

"Axel wants to talk to you." Larxene snapped back at him. "Now shut up and walk." She let go of him, but kept walking. He paused for a moment, swallowing hard, but when she turned to glare back at him, he quickly moved his legs to start walking again.

Roxas was led out near the football field, and there, standing beneath the bleachers, was Axel. He was leaning up against one of the pillars that held up the bleachers, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the ground. He looked up at the sound of footsteps and stood straight when he saw Larxene approaching with Roxas. The girl stopped walking, but when Roxas went to stop as well, she reached behind him and shoved him forward toward the red head. With that, she turned and stormed off, leaving the boy alone with Axel.

Roxas watched her leave before he turned to look at the taller male. Axel's glare didn't falter, and it made Roxas feel a little nervous. Why was he looking at him like that?

"Who's the girl you've been so buddy-buddy with lately?" He asked, his tone cool and even. Roxas frowned; what did it matter who he'd been hanging out with?

"Her name is Nio. She's my friend that I've been having lunch with, since no one else had really been around." The blonde shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well, you should stop. She's nothing but trouble."

Anger coursed through Roxas and the boy looked up to glare at the red head. "Oh really? Because I seem to hear a lot of that lately." He snapped. Axel's glare only narrowed as he stepped forward.

"I'm serious, Roxas. Something's not right about her."

"What would you even know? You haven't even met her before!"

"I've seen her with members of Organization X."

"Yeah, and I'm friends with Organization X members, too."

Axel let out a frustrated sound as he threw his hands up in the air. "I told you that we're no longer part of that shit."

"If Nio is such a bad person, then tell me why, Axel. Start telling me the truth, damnit!"

Axel suddenly stormed forward and grabbed Roxas by the front of the shirt. He turned to pin the boy up against the pillar he'd been previously leaning up against, and brought his face close to the boy's. Roxas's heart leapt into his throat, and he was sure that he'd stopped breathing as he stared up at Axel with wide eyes.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe, Roxas… I don't want to lose you to these people." Axel said, his voice much gentler than before.

"Keep me safe from what? Lose me to what?"

"Organization X will not rest until you're marked, just like the rest of us. They want to lay claim to you like they did to all the rest of us… I… I don't want anyone else to claim you… but me."

Roxas's eyes widened when he found Axel's mouth on his. His whole body froze as he tensed up. But Axel continued to move his lips sensually against Roxas's, slowly and carefully. He moved back to speak gently against Roxas's lips.

"I can't even begin to explain why I'm drawn to you, why I have this incredible urge to protect you and keep you by my side… But sometimes, it gets so bad it just wants to explode from my chest… Ever since I met you, I've seen visions, and I can't get them out of my head… All I know is they have something to do with you."

And Roxas knew exactly what Axel meant. He had those same dreams, and he felt that strange pull that drew him to Axel. He let his blue eyes slowly slide shut as he relaxed against the taller male, moving to step up on his tip toes and connect their mouths again. Axel pushed him further against the pillar, one hand sliding down Roxas's arm until it met his small hand, and he connected their hands, lacing their fingers together. His other hand moved to touch Roxas's waist, pulling him close. Roxas reached up and buried his fingers through that thick red hair, pulling Axel's mouth closer to him.

When they parted, they were both breathing harder, and they stared into each other's clouded eyes for a long moment, saying nothing and just remaining in their tight embrace. Slowly, Roxas brought his hands down to press against Axel's chest, but he didn't try to push the man away. Rather, he let his fingers curl and clutch the material of the shirt.

"Jealousy." Axel finally said, causing Roxas's eyes to shoot up and meet his. He looked confused and Axel chuckled. "I was jealous that you were spending so much time with this girl… I mean, sure, I do think she's a little suspicious… But… I couldn't help but feel jealous over how your attention was focused on her."

"Well, you were gone for almost a whole week, Axel… What was I supposed to do, eat by myself?" Roxas asked, a pout gracing his lips. Axel smiled and leaned down to gently kiss the pout away before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry… I just… I didn't know how to talk to you after what happened last week… I needed time to gather my thoughts…"

Roxas gazed up into deep green eyes and he bit his bottom lip lightly. Had it really been almost a week since he'd last experienced Axel's lips pressed against his? And had it really taken him only a week to accept what had happened, and embrace it again?

"This is all so confusing, Axel… We've hardly known each other two weeks… Yet here we are…"

"I think there's something more that's drawing us together… I don't know what it is, but I plan to find out someday."

The sincerity in Axel's eyes was all the comfort Roxas needed as he brought his hands up to pull Axel back down. Their lips connected again and they remained that way for a long time, just accepting each other's warmth and letting their hearts connect.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Axel took Roxas home and they stood on the front porch, their hands connected as Roxas looked up at other male.

"How about you come eat lunch with Nio and I tomorrow. I'm sure she wouldn't mind." The blonde offered. The red head bit his bottom lip, but upon looking down into those blue eyes, he couldn't find the heart to say no.

"I guess I could try…" He muttered, though he couldn't help the small smile that slid on his lips when Roxas grinned.

"Awesome. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Axel nodded and Roxas leaned up to gently press their mouths together in a quick kiss. Then, Roxas turned and walked into the house, leaving Axel to stare at the closed door for a long moment, before he smiled and shook his head, turning to leave and head in the direction of his own home.

Sora was playing his handheld game device again when Roxas came into the bedroom. The brunette glanced up at his brother and raised an eyebrow when he saw the content smile perched on his twin's lips.

"You sure look happy." He commented, to which Roxas shrugged as he kicked off his shoes and fell down on his bed.

"Mmhmm…" Roxas replied distantly as his eyes slid shut. So, okay, maybe not all Mondays were that bad…

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Everything is falling into place, and, to be honest… I'm a little scared. I've been told that this was inevitable, and there's nothing I can do to stop certain events from occurring… But at the same time, I just don't want to see the final product. My heart beats faster and my breath catches at the thought of having to bring that pen to skin one last time…

Will I be forgiven for what I do? It's doubtful… Even if I give everything, I will be hated for the things I must do, and the sacrifices I must make. And in the end, I don't know what would break my heart more…

The new beginning draws near.