A/N: Yeah….This story is progressing quite well, so far. Makes me happy to know that so many people like it! Yeah, so….What to do now? Well, I have come to realize that I have a dilemma: How many more chapters until we move on to the Kingdom hearts 2 plotline? Well, I have no idea what to tell you guys, because I don't even know that answer ^_^; Heh, while I try to figure that out, please enjoy another new chapter!


End of the day~Day 153~

"All by yourself again?" Axel asked Roxas as he and Hope both rounded the corner of the tower.

"Yeah."

Hope and Axel walked over to him and sat down on the edge, both pulling out their ice cream. It was silent for a moment, until Axel spoke up. "They've been keep me and Hope busy lately. Xion, too."

Roxas stared down at his lap and sighed. "Yeah, no kidding."

"C'mon, what's with the face?" Axel asked, Hope frowning at Roxas while he did.

"What face…"

Hope got up and moved over to sit on Roxas's other side, grabbing his face and hooking her fingers onto the corners of his lips, tugging them up into a smile. "I don't like it when you frown, Roxas. It makes you look like a lost little puppy!" Hope explained, pulling the younger boy into a comforting hug, letting him go for Axel to ruffle his hair.

As comforting as they were trying to be, he still didn't cheer up.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Day 171~Love~

"I cant…believe…we have to stay here all day…and train!" Axel struggled to keep his balance as Hope vented her anger out on the punching bag while he held it. Today, they had been scheduled for an all day training session with each other, much to Hope's objections. To Hope, she no longer needed training, when she had already gone through it and finished it 6 years earlier. She wasn't a baby, she was a grown woman! The thought of being treated and viewed as a child still made her scream, causing her to throw one last forceful punch at the bag, amazingly not knocking Axel backwards into a wall. Hope panted silently for a moment before looking at Axel. "Your turn…"

Axel nodded his head, switching spots with Hope and making his hands into fists. "Better hold on tight to it."

"Aren't you going to take your coat off first?" Hope asked, quirking an eyebrow up, "I mean, don't you ever get hot wearing that thing all the time?"

He smirked. "I don't get hot. I'm already hot as it is!"

She rolled her eyes. "Ha-ha, Axel."

He grinned, shedding off his coat and throwing it off to the side, throwing a quick punch at the punching bag, not even making Hope lose her balance. After only five hits, he was already exhausted. "Man…this is really tiring…"

"Maybe if you stopped eating so much sea salt ice cream, you would be in better shape." Hope stated, earning a glare from Axel.

"I'm in the best shape there is! I can do any physical challenge you throw at me!" As soon as it came out of his mouth, he instantly began to regret it. "Wait, no-!"

"I'll be right back!" Hope exclaimed, running out and coming right back, her iStereo and iPod in her hands. She moved over to the wall and plugged it, docking the iPod onto it. "Since you think you're in the best shape there is, then I want you to do the easiest exercise workout there is: Dance."

Axel's jaw dropped. "But Hope, you know I cant dance!"

"Axel, remember what I always tell you when you say that? It's as easy as pie!" Hope exclaimed, "Just watch what I do. One foot here, and one foot there. Left, right, stomp, stomp, spin, and clap! See? Now you try!"

Axel groaned, but stepped up next to her none the less, repeating the steps she had shown him slowly, getting each one right. "There, I did it! Can we stop now?"

"You can, but I don't want to!" Hope exclaimed, running back over to her iStereo and pressing play, a fast song coming on. Axel moved off to the side while Hope spun around, moving her body and swaying her hips around with the beat. She had always been flexible, being able to run fast and move fast. It was her speed and flexibility that made her a great fighter, so maybe her dance workout was what always helped her. Without even realizing it, Axel began to watch her intently, to the point where he was practically ogling her. It wasn't until she tripped and fell flat on her face that he snapped out of it and ran over to her, kneeling down next to her and rolling her over.

"You ok?"

She opened her eyes and laughed loudly, "Oh my gosh, that was so much fun!" She continued laughing as she sat up, Axel staring at her strangely as she hugged him while she laughed.

Axel didn't really understand exactly why she was laughing so much, but decided to embrace the moment of hugs by hugging Hope back, causing her to go quiet, and the silence she was giving off wasn't very good to Axel. "What?"

She pulled away from him and shook her head. "Nothing, except I'm all sweaty and gross, so I really would suggest hugging me."

Axel laughed. "Never stopped me before, has it?"

"Well, no, but-" She was cut off by him pulling her up to her feet.

Axel smiled at her, staring into her eyes and getting lost in them for a second before looking over to the clock, realizing that it was about time for them to go meet Roxas in Twilight Town. "Wanna go and get ice cream?"

"Nah, you go on ahead. Think I'll go take a shower." Hope said, heading towards the exit, only turning around again and pecking the pyro on the cheek quickly before running out.


Roxas rounded the corner, looking up to see just Axel already sitting on the edge of the tower, ice cream in hand. He laughed as Roxas walked over. "Hey, here comes the hard worker."

Roxas plopped down next to him, staying quiet for a minute before turning to look at him. "Xion around?"

Axel shook his head, a frown making its way onto his face. "Haven't seen her."

Roxas' face fell. "Oh."

"Somebody's gotta talk to that girl." Axel stated, figuring that only one person could probably get through to Xion, that person being Hope. He was just about to suggest it to Roxas, when the blonde spoke first.

"It's her choice if she wants to come join us or not."

'Guess that idea is out…' Axel thought, scratching the back of his head. "I guess that's fair."

"Axel, I need to ask you something." Roxas stated, staring out at the horizon.

"What's up?" The red head asked, taking a bite of his ice cream, frowning when he didn't get an immediate answer. "Did something happen?"

Roxas shook his head. "Nah, it's just …This is gonna sound stupid," Roxas mumbled under his breath before turning to face Axel, who was taking another bite of ice cream. "Do you know what love is?" The blonde blurted out.

Axel's eyes grew wide as he spat his ice cream out, turning to gape at Roxas. "'Scuse me?"

Roxas began to explain. "I found out about love on today's mission-that it's something powerful."

Axel looked away from him and smiled what many would could consider a sad smile. "That's true. It is. But I'll never get to experience it…"

"Nobodies can't love?" Poor innocent little Roxas…

"You need a heart, man."

"Right."

"Love is what happens if there's something special between two people." Axel explained.

"You mean, like, if they're best friends like you and Hope?" Roxas asked.

Axel's cheeks flushed a light pink as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, you can care about your friends, I guess, but that's not what I'm talking about."

"So then…love is like a step above friends?"

"Yes!…Well, no. There aren't "steps"…" Axel was beginning to wish Hope had come so she could've explained it.

Roxas frowned. "I don't get it."

Axel scoffed bitterly. "What does it matter? We'll never know the difference."

"If I had a heart, do you think I could love somebody?" Roxas asked.

"Once Kingdom Hearts is complete, you'll be able to do all kinds of things."

"That's good….Hey, Axel?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think…do you think that if you had a heart, you'd love Hope?"

Axel smiled softly, "Y'know, kid…When I had a heart, I did love Hope."

"Really?"

"Really…had this whole thing planned out on how to tell her and everything. But…never got the chance to because I lost my heart before I could."

"Oh…when you get a new heart, do you think you'll love her again?"

"Who knows…I guess I'll just have to wait and see…"


A/N: It seemed kind of short, but I guess that's my opinion. So, hope you enjoyed! LATER TATERS!