Open Your Heart – Never

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for sexual situations

Disclaimer: If Kingdom Hearts were mine, Isa and Lea would be happy together right now. So obviously, nope, not mine!

Author's Note: At first I was gonna end this after the first part, but it was so short that I decided to add the other part. Also, I'm a sap. That might have something to do with it too.

If you have any CC, please share and I'll listen. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 06-25-13

There were certain things they never said. It wasn't that they didn't still feel them—or at least the best they could without hearts—but rather, it just didn't seem appropriate to in their state. How could they rightly say "I love you" when they were filled with such uncertainty and emptiness?

Saix knew, however, that he'd loved Lea with every bit of his being when he'd been complete. And perhaps that meant the parts he hadn't lost still loved Axel. But even if it were true, he couldn't say it.

Not now.

Not when their plans demanded that no one know they were partners. And since Xemnas done through Zexion had known the inseparable Isa and Lea, they had to be very careful. Perhaps not so much now that Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion had perished, but they couldn't let their guards down. Unfortunately, Saix found Axel t be far more distant after his return from Castle Oblivion—and much more genuine in his "friendship" that he was supposed to be faking with Roxas and the puppet.

Sometimes he didn't care if it was true or appropriate—he just wanted to say it, to have Axel say it back, to know the man he'd once given his heart, body, and soul to cared about him more than a couple of children—!

Even if it was a lie. He was willing to take the lie.

But he never said anything. And as he kneeled dying, reaching out for the heart he longed for so much, that was his biggest regret.

"Come on Isa, wake up… You can't leave me."

Those were the first words that drifted into Isa's consciousness. He couldn't remember much—only that everything hurt and those words made him happy. Happy! Yes, he felt genuine joy at that familiar voice, not some vague feeling of how he wanted to feel but weighed down by a dark emptiness. No, this was certainly real.

Slowly, things came back to him. He'd been struck down by the keyblade-wielder, then… It was mostly blank, but he could hazily remember a force controlling him. But then someone had called out to him…

Lea! Lea had tried to reach him, and when he'd started to succeed, Xehanort had attacked. And with every ounce power he'd had, he'd broken free and shielded Lea from the assault. He couldn't recall anything after that, but it was no wonder if he'd been so badly injured.

He could hear Lea now, begging him to awaken, and Isa wanted to jump up and tell him it was fine. Everything was fine because they had their hearts back and everything could go back to the way it had once been!

…But could it? He wasn't sure. They'd both done and said things that were inexcusable, hearts or not. If he woke up, would he and Lea be happy again, or would he have to spend the rest of his life knowing that he'd lost the person most precious to him? Was it even worth fighting? It would be so easy to just succumb to the pain and sleep forever…

"Please Isa! I can't lose you. I need you… I love you!"

At those words, he knew his answer.

He could never give up on Lea. They'd been through too much—loved each other for too long—to stop now. So he pushed through the darkness, waded through the pain and temptation to sleep forever, until he could feel it. His light. All he had to do was open his eyes, and—

"Isa!" —and he'd see him.

"Lea." His voice was rough from disuse and he knew he must look and sound horrible, but Lea was smiling so brightly that he knew it didn't matter. If they were switched, Isa knew that he'd always find comfort in Lea, no matter what. In fact…

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lea whispered as he helped Isa to sit up, and then gently embraced him. "But what are you thanking me for? I should be saying that to you! You saved me Isa…" Isa smiled, enjoying the warmth Lea not only brought to his body, but to his heart.

"For always bringing me back to the light."

It was all right if Lea didn't understand, because they had the rest of their lives to be together, to learn and grow from their mistakes. Even though Isa knew they still had a long road ahead of them, it didn't matter. Lea and Isa were back as one, and they'd never let anyone or anything tear them apart again.