I've never gotten this many reviews for a fic before; so thank you all so very, very, very much. This one is kind of weird, but I like it because of it. Please ignore canon, because it has no business in this one. Hearts and happy faces to you all! (And please continue to let me know what you think of these! Please!)

(x) Date: 2006.07.23
(x) Author: Kuroi

(x) Pairing: Axel/Roxas
(x) Warnings: BL
(x) Kingdom Hearts II © Square Enix

Installment: 14
Word Count: 465

— D E V I L ' S . T R I L L —
"Still Time"

—x—

Axel pretends that he's real, sometimes. But he's not, and he knows this.

He smiles at Roxas and waves a hand before him, but Roxas gives no response and only looks through him, so he stops after a while. He laughs lightly, knowing that Roxas isn't really ignoring him—Roxas is just preoccupied with who he is and what he is and Axel understands that at times like these, Roxas doesn't want to talk anyway.

"I'll talk to you later, then," he says cheerfully and places a hand on Roxas' shoulder. Roxas doesn't answer, but Axel wasn't expecting him to so he removes his hand and walks away un-discouraged.

It's later, and Axel sees that Roxas is speaking to someone that he doesn't know—he wonders who, and calls out to Roxas to ask. Roxas still doesn't answer, and Axel wonders if he didn't shout loud enough for Roxas to hear. He decides not to interrupt again, though, because Roxas doesn't like it and he remembered this time.

Demyx is practicing with his sitar when Axel goes to find him, and he sits quietly—uncharacteristically so—wondering why Demyx hasn't stopped to say hello. Maybe Demyx hasn't noticed him, Axel thinks to himself, and so he grins his normal grin and claps Demyx on the back in greeting. When Demyx doesn't double over with the force of the blow, Axel realizes he's grown stronger and wonders when and how it happened. He says, "Wow, Demyx, I'm impressed!" and drapes his arm over the other boy's shoulder.

But like Roxas, Demyx doesn't respond either, and Axel is confused. He doesn't feel ignored—Demyx allows his arm to remain over his shoulders, but says nothing in return and only continues to practice. Axel thinks it must be awkward to play the sitar like that, and so he removes his arm and walks away.

He returns to Roxas, now, and as Roxas is alone, Axel thinks—hopes—that he will want to talk again. "So how is everything, Roxas?" he asks conversationally, "You didn't talk to me yesterday, so you'll have to talk a lot to make up for it today!"

Roxas remains silent for a long time, and Axel knows he's just thinking of the right way to phrase his answer. He doesn't know why it would take so long, but Roxas is Roxas and sometimes Roxas does things that Axel doesn't really understand and so he just accepts it without a word and waits patiently.

He never does receive an answer. Roxas turns and walks away, and when Axel runs ahead of him to block his path and demand a response—or at least a word of acknowledgment, Roxas walks right through him and Axel suddenly understands.

Axel died, and no one sees him anymore.

—x—

-end-

For my darling Mocha-koi, for being a great koi and stuff and being so awesome when we met in RL and etcetera. Still in Holland, still writing gen-rated pr0n, love me? Let me know what you thought, please!