Scream Until Your Heart Stops

I love the fact that so many people are like "This needs so many more reviews!" and then don't come back.

Chapter 10 - Promise

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"No! No! Th-This can't be his! It just can't be! No!" Axel cried out, a new wave of tears rolling down his cheeks as he fisted the memento that Demyx and Zexion had brought back to him. The slate-haired teen had gone inside to be with his mother, leaving the other three to wallow in their sorrow.

"Axel?"

"Just leave me alone, would you?"

The younger blonde gazed at his love in shock, not used to being snapped at. Demyx put his hands on the younger's shoulders. "C'mon, maybe that would be a good idea. Let's go see how your mom is doing."

Roxas allowed himself to be led away from the redhead, moving as if in a trance. He was even more surprised when his mother gave him a smile when he walked into the living room.

"M-Mom?"

In the woman's embrace before he even realized what was going on, Roxas snuggled in close to her. "Oh, Roxas! I'm so glad to see you're alright. We're leaving." The youngest blonde pulled back, away from her.

"What?" He gaped towards Zexion where he sat on the couch, eyes fixed on the flooring. The elder blonde woman also had her eyes averted, fiddling with a seam in her shirt. "Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Roxas, it isn't safe here, honey. We're going to move in with your aunt in Radiant Garden."

"What?! No! Why?!"

"She called this morning. She wants us to be safe. You know this isn't the best environment to raise a baby."

The blue-eyed boy had fresh tears welling in his brilliant orbs, shaking his head. "I-I'll stay here, then."

"No, honey, you have to go. We're leaving tomorrow morning."

Roxas backed out of the woman's reach. "If we live that long!" He spun on his heel, racing back up the stairs, flinging himself through the door and onto the roof, collapsing a few feet away from Axel. The redhead was oblivious to the presence until muffled sobs perked his ears.

"R-Rox? Rox, if this is about me snapping at you ... I-I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry."

The blonde shook his head lightly, making sure he was shielded from the redhead. "R-Rox-as? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm moving."

"What? Where to?! When?"

"Aunt Larxene's place tomorrow."

"No! No way! Rox, you can't leave me too! Can't you just stay here?"

Again the blonde shook his head. "I want you to come with us."

"Eh... Y-You know I can't, Rox. That Lark wants to wring my neck. What about Demyx? Where are they going?"

"I-I ... I don't know. But, you can ... you can stay here. I want you to take care of the house. That way ... you know I'll be back."

The blonde shuddered when he felt arms wrap around his shaking shoulders. "You won't ... forget about me, will you Rox?"

"I promise I won't be gone long enough to. I promise."

Axel was in front of him, pressing their lips together, each feathering brush another promise. Pulling Roxas closer, Axel deepened the kiss, forcing Roxas to remember him while he was away. By the time they had broken apart, each had fresh tears in their glistening eyes.

"Axel, I love you. I love you and I don't want to leave you. If I leave you, you'll die. You'll crumble and turn to dust with the rest of the world."

"Everything will be fine. I promise. We'll see each other again. Send that blasted bird over every once in a while."

"Cloud wouldn't listen to me. I know he wouldn't."

"Find another way to contact me?"

"Roxas? Roxas, honey! Are you in here? Roxas?"

The blonde cringed at the worry in his mom's voice. "O-Out here," he called, snuggling closer to the redhead for his protection. The blonde woman peeked out through the door before stepping onto the shingles.

"Roxas, honey, you need to get your things packed. I've changed my mind. We're leaving the minute you're ready."

"What if I refuse to get ready?"

"Then you are coming without any of your things. At the latest, we're leaving at five thirty. It's two o'clock already."

The blonde woman disappeared back through the door. "Axe, I'm not going. I can't leave you."

"C'mon, babe. Radiant Garden is still safe. I want you to be safe. I don't want you to leave either, but these things have to be done."

"So, you're on her side?"

Axel didn't answer, just hauled the blonde to his feet and forced him to get ready. The two of them threw the blonde's clothes and worldly possessions into suitcases in silence. Neither Demyx nor Zexion made an appearance, knowing that this was something that the two needed to do on their own. Finally, an hour and a half later, Roxas had everything he needed lodged in compartments and in pockets. Only one thing remained that he was taking.

Roxas ran the raven feather through his fingers.

Carrying two items each, Axel and Roxas made their way down the stairs. More luggage was strewn about the entryway. Demyx had his back resting against the wall, staring at the remains of his best friend's life.

"So, it's really happening?"

Roxas nodded. "Y-Yeah, I guess."

"We'll miss you."

"I'll be back, I promise."

Demyx smirked slightly. "I have faith in that. Zex and me and my mom are gonna move in with an old boyfriend of my mom's. He lives in North Twilight. We'll be there until they say we can move into that house we bought."

"So, you guys are leaving me too?"

Axel didn't even try to hide the icy hurt in his voice. Demyx's lip quivered as he gazed up at the redhead. "It is not of our own choosing, Axel." Spinning on the spot, Axel turned to glare at the slate-haired teen that had come up behind him. A snarl rumbled in the throat of the redhead.

"You bastard. What do you care if I'm stuck here all alone?! Maybe ... Maybe it'd be better if I did die. If I die, I'll be alone. Just like Reno. That's what you want, isn't it, you sadistic bastard! That's why you didn't force me to go get him! That's why you didn't keep at me! It's your fault that Reno's dead! It's your fault that I'm still alive!"

Roxas was shocked at the outburst, but managed to grab hold of the redhead before he lunged on what the smaller blonde thought to be one of his friends. "Axel, calm down! Please! Zexion didn't mean anything bad by it!"

"Calm down? Rox, how the fuck am I supposed to calm down?! First it was being scared for this asshole's life, then my brother dies, and now you're leaving me! The people I care most about are just leaving me to rot here on my own! How would you like it?! Knowing that you have no one?!"

The redhead was shaking uncontrollably, looking as though he were about to collapse. "I'll still be here, Axe."

"No! You'll be half a world away!"

"Now, that's an exaggeration! I'm only a few hours away. And Demyx is only a short walk. It's no different, Axe. I promise you."

"How the hell are you supposed to keep that promise, Rox? Hmm? Tell me! Tell me how it will be the same!"

"I-I don't ... I don't know."

The redhead reeled, facing Roxas once more, ripping his hands out of the blonde's grasp. "Of course you don't. How could you?!"

Roxas was horrified. Never before had he seen Axel so riled up, so bloodthirsty. A small line of saliva trailed down to his chin from when he had whipped around to face his love. "Rox, how could you know?" It was a sob. Finally, Axel's will was beaten down by his fatigue and he collapsed into the smaller blonde. "I'll miss you."

"I know."

"Roxas, if you're done, we need to get going. The train will be leaving soon."

"Why do we have to go?"

"We've already been through this."

The elder blonde woman appeared in the door frame. "You boys help them with their luggage, alright?"

"Yes, Mum."

"Of course."

Zexion brushed passed the elder teen that was so close to attacking him, grabbing a few of the bags before pushing out through the door, Demyx close behind him. Axel and Roxas stayed back for a few minutes.

"I-I can't. I can't say goodbye."

"Then don't. Say 'see you later'."

"I'm not going to the station, Rox. I can't. I'm worthless. I can't do anything."

"It's alright, Axel. No one's expecting you to."

"I-I'm so sorry. I-I don't know ... what came over me earlier."

"I'm sure that Zexion is the one you should be apologizing to, not me."

"I know."

"Then why don't you?"

There was a pause, Axel lifting himself back away from the blonde, glad that everyone else had filed out to leave the two to their goodbyes. Axel pressed his lips to Roxas' once more. "I love you, Rox. Hurry back to me."

"I'll try."

"Roxas, hurry up! Come on!"

"Bye Axel."

"No! Not bye. 'I'll see you soon, Axel!' That's what I want to hear."

"See you, Axel."

"I'll miss you, Rox-as."

The blonde was pulled impatiently through the front door. Axel raced up to his new bedroom, flying through the door as the tears washed over his face once more. Too much, too fast. Everything was crumbling away. "I'll miss you, Rox."

--

A Letter From Cloud

--

He moans against my lips.

"And you thought that would make me hate you?"

"I-I don't see why you wouldn't. I hate myself."

"Cause you couldn't stop him?"

"Exactly."

A small whimper betrays his lips as I move away. Trailing a finger up to silence the whimper, I straddle his legs. "You couldn't do anything to save them, Leon. You could have done for them about as much as I could have done for my dad."

"I could have told someone! I could have ..."

"Tell who? It would have been your word against his. Last time I checked, he's a really powerful general and you are his pawn."

"He was torturing them!"

"What would you have done differently?"

I sit, causing him to stiffen, drawing in a sharp breath. "I would have saved them. I wouldn't have killed Kadaj."

"How would you save them?"

"Oh, Cloud, why can't you just let it go?"

"Because you can't."

There was a moment's pause between us and through our silence, motors revved and voices whooped. The noise sends a chill up my spine and you take me in your arms, cooing soft words into my ear. Those voices ... they sound so ... vaguely familiar.

A shrill warning, a piercing scream, wings beating ferociously against the ground. "Roxas?" The black bird flung himself into the sky, over the treetops. I scramble up and out of Leon's embrace to watch where the menace streaks off to but shiver once more when I hear a crash in the trees. "Quick, clothes." I manage, grabbing at the littered clothing spread across the clearing.

"Cloud? What's wrong?"

"Can't you hear? Someone - or at least something - is coming. Through the trees."

"The same that passed?"

"Most likely. Now hurry."

I toss his discarded jeans over onto his head, pulling on my own, doing an odd little "Oh-my-god-I'm-flipping-late-for-a-very-important-date" dance. Just as I latch the waistband over my hips, the first intruder flitted through the brush into our secret copse.

"What do you want?" I hiss, cursing the distance from myself and safety, as well as the idiotic idea of leaving behind our weapons. Leon leaned his head back against the tree trunk behind him.

"We've come to see if you are the duo that search for Master Xemnas. Answer, woman. Are these the two?"

The woman that had been on the deck appears at the edge of the clearing. "Yeah, that's them."

"Very well. You may leave." The man turns back towards me. "Tell me, why do you want to see Master Xemnas?"

"It's our job. Now, if you don't mind, I was right in the middle of having a good time." Leon stood, uncaring of the fact that his boxers hung haphazardlyover his slim and narrow hips. The intruder faces the brunette, a smirk edging onto his lips.

"Ah, of course. I get to deal with a tough punk. Who're you working for?"

"I'll give you a hint. Heartless."

Taken aback, the soldier in front of us started, drawing himself back from the brunette before a large sneer graces his lips. "You know what? That's all we needed to hear. Grab 'em, boys!"

As if appearing from thin air, five soldiers materialized around the outside ring of trees. I feel a pair of hands grab my shoulders and another hand weave into my hair, pulling back hard. "Leon!" I cry when I see him fall to the ground after being hit in the back of the knees. I am forced to the ground, my face being shoved into the lush grass. A knee is pressed between my shoulder blades and a hush rolls over my ear.

"It won't hurt. That bad. I promise. We'll be nice."

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To Be Continued

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That last line there just made my heart flip over. Since I know what happens. -shudder- Tell me what you think, kay?

All the love that we found, standing on the rooftops, waiting till the bomb drops - Rooftops

The Lost Prophets

~xbuttonsx~