Author's Notes: Thank you for keeping up with the story! Here's the next chapter!


The Runaways (Roxas, Xion, and the Organization side of the story)

Chapter 49: It's Like A Dream…You and Me:

His eyes slowly opened to the bright scene around him. He gazed toward the sky to see white, falling petals. When he looked down, he saw himself wearing a white, buttoned up shirt. It seemed formal and something he wouldn't usually wear. When lifted his eyes, he saw a woman in front of him. Her long veil and white wedding gown floated gently by the breeze of the wind. She held a bouquet of multi-colored flowers in her hands. Roxas's body froze as he watched the woman advance toward him. Even though he couldn't see her face, there was something about her that was beautiful...

He snapped out of his stare and looked around. He found himself standing on the beach back home. In the distance, the skies were filled with dark colors like purple, crimson, and black. The mainland had complete faded away and the only place left was the beach he stood on. In front of him were white wooden chairs, but they were all empty. Finally, he turned his attention back to the woman in white. Through her veil, Roxas could see her smile. It left him voiceless. Was this really his wedding…? The woman stopped inches away from him and turned her body toward him. He stared at her, still unable to see her face. "Roxas…" her voice echoed.

Nervously, he lifted the bottom of her veil and placed it behind her head. The woman grinned at him as she closed her eyes. "Xion!" He felt his chest tightened. This was it. As he stared down at her, he could feel his nervousness start to fade. It was the woman he loved. The only person he loved more than anyone. His lips curved into a smile. There was no need for him to be scared. He wanted to be with her. "Xion..."

Xion slipped her hands into his as she stepped in closer. "I love you."

Roxas smiled more. "I love you too…"

Her face moved in closer to his. "I want to be with you…now and forever."

His hand cupped the side of her cheek. A tear escaped from her eye. "Yeah…I want that too." He enclosed the distance between them and sealed their union with a kiss. They were there alone in their world together. A world they both longed for...

It was all a beautiful dream…

In his bed, Roxas opened his eyes to the darkness around him. At first, it made him nervous to think about Xion that way and wondered why he had a dream like that. Once he calmed down, he stared up at the ceiling. It truly was a beautiful dream…

Later that morning, Roxas leaned himself against the kitchen counter in his apartment. He waited around, restless. The same thought crossed his mind. Was it happening all over again? They were already in the next step in their relationship with living together. So far, neither one of their families had figured out that they were. Now he wondered if things were about to change again and if so, would they be ready...

His fingers tapped against the wooden surface as he tried to be patient, but there was no use. Suddenly, he heard the door to the apartment open. When he stepped out of the kitchen, he saw Xion walk toward him. Her calm facial expression didn't tell him what he wanted to know. It had only made him more confused. She stopped in front of him and leaned back against the counter. "Well…" Roxas said anxiously. He had to know for sure. Xion shook her head as she closed her eyes. "No? Are you sure?"

She lifted her head toward him. "That's what the doctor said."

Roxas grabbed her hand as his mind started to travel to the worse of places. "Then… what did he say was wrong?"

Xion smiled for comfort. "Don't worry. The doctor said that I wasn't pregnant. He figured I was sick because he had seen signs of the flu. That's why I couldn't get out of bed much. As for my time of the month being late…, he told me that it could have been caused by stress or something like that, but I'm okay now. Everything's back to normal." Roxas sighed with his eyes closed and leaned back against the counter on his hands. Xion turned the faucet on and let the water run. She decided to help out since Roxas seemed stressed enough waiting for her to get back. She figured he got distracted from finishing the dishes.

There was a look of concern on his face. "Sorry about this... It's my fault that I got us so worried. We got caught up in the moment and then the wrapper broke and when it did, it was already too late. I-."

She placed a little bit of soap bubbles on his cheek and poked him with the tip of her finger. At first, he closed his eyes before he looked over toward her. Xion smiled to assure him it was fine. "Don't start again. You know how you get when you think you did or didn't do something involving me." Xion placed her hands at her side. As soon as she felt her wet hands soak through her clothes, she wished she hadn't. "Roxas. Remember. Whatever happens with us is something we'll get through together."

Roxas chuckled and pointed toward her hands. "You do realize your hands were wet when you put them there, right?"

Xion closed her eyes, embarrassed. "I know…" she moaned.

Roxas laughed, which Xion joined in. He was already feeling better. He used to be the one who would try to cheer her up, but now she was the one always cheering him up whenever he was down. She could always find a way. Xion returned back to washing dishes. Roxas looked over at her. "You don't have to do that, you know… It's supposed to be my turn this week."

She continued working. "I know. I don't mind. You just seem…really stressed lately."

Roxas crossed his arms. "Yeah. Another unexpected pregnancy is enough to scare anyone." Then, Roxas realized what he said. He hoped that he didn't upset Xion. He gave her a concern look, but Xion didn't react. She just continued to clean the plate in her hand. At that moment, he wondered what she was thinking. He calmed down a little. "So? Did you ask the doctor about the other thing?"

"Well…" Xion turned to him. "The doctor checked me out and he told me that I was okay. The miscarriage shouldn't affect us having another baby. He's known a lot of couples who have gone through the same thing and were able to have kids just fine." Afterwards, she returned back to cleaning.

Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her waist, which she was surprised. She looked back as Roxas leaned his head on her shoulder. "Good. I just want to make sure that you're happy."

Xion turned around in arms and looked up at him, concerned. "I want you to be happy too. Do you…want a family with me? I mean-."

Roxas smiled and pressed his head against hers. "As long as it's with you, I don't mind. I guess… it wouldn't hurt to have a few. I was used to the idea when you talked about it a few years ago when…" Roxas rubbed the back of his head. "Never mind…"

"You mean…when I was going to have a baby?" Xion filled in for him. He didn't want to make her sad again by thinking about the past. Instead, Xion gave him a smile. "Roxas. It's okay. The past is the past. We have to move on from it eventually and we have. It's okay to talk about it."

Roxas sighed silently in relief. He went on Xion's other side and began helping her with the dishes. She was surprised, but then smiled. The two finished the dishes and soon made their way to the couch. Roxas lied down and Xion lied down in front of him with her back turned from him. His arms wrapped around her, tired. He breathed out as he closed his eyes. "Sorry I couldn't go with you today."

Xion held his arm around her. "It's okay. Everything's fine now." Soon, things became quiet between them. Roxas gave into sleep and Xion followed after.

The world around them started to disappear. No longer could they see the homeland of Destiny Islands. All that was left was the beach they were on. The rest was covered in the darkness that was closing in. Roxas lied on the sand of what was left on the beach. The water rolled near his feet. He ignored the desolation around him to focus on the one thing that mattered in his world. A hand held onto his and waited for the final moments before the world would fall into darkness. He smiled at the woman who had made him happiest. In return, she smiled back at him. Neither one of them were afraid as long as they were together. "Xion."

Xion turned her head and brought her face closer to his. It didn't matter if they were the only ones as long as they were together. "Stay with me like this forever?"

Roxas smiled and nodded. "Yeah… I will."

Roxas's body jumped as his eyes shot up. His reaction made Xion wake up. She looked back as she could hear him breathe hard. Concerned, she turned more toward him. "Roxas? Are you okay?"

At first, Roxas didn't realize that he woke up Xion. He relaxed a little so that he wouldn't worry her. "It was nothing. Just a dream. I didn't mean to wake you."

She rested her hand on his cheek, which comforted him. "Was it a bad dream?"

Roxas thought about it. It didn't seem like a nightmare. The world was gone, but all that was left was them and they were together. He shook his head. "No. Just go back to sleep."

Xion took his word for it and lied back down. Soon after, she fell back asleep. Roxas leaned his head on her arm as he thought about the dream again. It wasn't like the dreams he had before. This one and the night before seemed intense yet there was nothing to be afraid of. He was there with Xion, someone he cared for very much. It was a world with just the two of them. He began to wonder if his dreams were meant to tell him something...


"Yo!" As soon as Roxas opened the door, he saw the bright grin of his red-haired friend. He waved his hand. "How's it going?"

Roxas turned away as he seemed lost in thought. "Hey Axel."

Axel tilted his head a little, curious. "O...kay..." He closed the door and plopped down on the couch. He looked back at him. "So? What's up?"

Roxas sat beside him. "Nothing much."

Axel leaned forward. "Are you sure? You seem kind of…out of it."

Roxas's eyes traveled down. "I've…just been thinking a lot."

Axel leaned back against the couch as he put his hands behind his head. "All right! What's on your mind?"

Roxas lifted his head toward him. "It's about Xion. I've been having these weird dreams about her and-."

Suddenly, they heard the door open. Behind them, they saw the raven-haired girl of the conversation step in. At first, she was surprised that the door was unlock, but once she saw Axel, she figured he must've stopped by early. She smiled toward them. "Hey guys!" She placed the brown bag she had in her arms on the counter.

"Hey!" They both greeted her.

Xion stopped in front of them and looked toward Axel. "How's it going?"

"It's all right. Just been busy." Axel looked between the two of them. "It doesn't help that I don't go to school with you guys. I don't get to see you anymore."

"It was bound to happen at some point. It just happened to be now," Roxas replied.

Axel sighed as he crossed his arms. "I guess…" Then, he leaned forward on his knee as he looked serious. "Anyway, there was something I wanted to tell you two. I'm sure you heard that the head of the organization got caught and sent away right?" The two glanced at each other and nodded. "Turns out the rest of the organization got sent away as well." Roxas and Xion reacted with surprise. "Yeah… Everyone who was involved got sent away."

Roxas looked uneasy. "But what about you?"

"After you two decided to be my friends again, I left them too."

Xion looked worried. "They didn't hurt you too, did they?"

"Nah…I was more careful. Maybe if they didn't get caught as soon as they did, I wouldn't have been so lucky."

"So everyone's locked away?" Roxas asked.

Axel nodded. "Yup…" As he looked serious, he lifted his eyes to Xion. "Larxene is gone too, so you don't have to worry about her anymore." His eyes lowered. "She'll end up paying for what she did."

Xion breathed in. In a way, it came as a relief. Now she couldn't hurt anyone else. She sat down on the floor in front of them still stunned. Roxas breathed out as well. He had the same thoughts as her. Now Larxene could finally pay for what she did. After she relaxed slightly, Xion looked over at Axel. "The important thing is that you're safe."

Axel placed his hand on the back of his head. "Just lucky I guess…"

Xion smiled a little and stood up. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Axel replied.

"I'm going to put away the stuff I bought. Then, I can make us something. Be right back." Afterwards, she stepped into the kitchen.

They watched as she walked away. Then, Axel turned his attention back to Roxas. "So what was it that you were telling me earlier about Xion?"

Roxas shook his head. He didn't want to discuss it yet with Xion nearby. "Never mind. It's nothing."


The next day, Roxas sat at an empty table on campus alone. Xion had class, so it gave him time to think. He leaned his head on his hand as he stared down. He thought about his dreams again with just Xion and him and what it could be trying to tell him. A sigh left his lips. Maybe it was just subconscious, but he still couldn't help but think about it. "Hey little brother!" Roxas turned his head surprised to see Sora head toward him as his hand waved in the air. Since they went to same school together and lived in the same apartment building, it was easy to find him. Afterwards, Sora sat down in front of him.

Roxas gave him a dull stare. "You don't have to call me that you know…"

Sora let out a grin. "I know." Then, Sora noticed the troubled look he had on his face. "What's wrong?"

Roxas wasn't sure if he wanted to say. Sora continued to stare at him until Roxas sighed and gave in. "Nothing... I was just thinking."

"About what?" Sora asked curiously.

Roxas's eyes traveled down toward the table. He thought about his dreams again. "Well… I just been thinking about these dreams I had lately of me and Xion. I'm trying to figure out what they mean. In all of them, it's just me and her alone together while it looks like the world is about to end."

"Whoa…" It sounded a little scary, but despite that, Sora smiled for comfort. "It could just be a dream." Then, Sora noticed someone familiar nearby. At first, he was surprised, but then smiled and waved wildly. "Hey…! Vanitas….!" Vanitas stopped at the familiar call. Once he saw who it was, an embarrassed look came on his face. Sora wouldn't stop waving. "Hey! Come over here!"

Every part of Vanitas did not want to go over there, but it was too late to disappear now. He sighed with his eyes closed and walked over. He sat down between Sora and Roxas. "What do you want dork? I was getting ready to go back to my apartment."

Sora closed his eyes as he grinned. "Hey big brother!"

Vanitas leaned his head on his hand. "Don't call me that."

Sora pouted. "Awe…! You never spend any time with us?"

Vanitas glared toward him. "There's a reason for that." Then, Vanitas noticed the tense look on Roxas's face. Out of curiosity, he gave in. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing..." Roxas whispered.

An idea came to Sora's mind that might help. "Come on Roxas. Maybe Vanitas could help."

Vanitas arched his eyebrow as he looked between them. "Help with what?"

"Well…" Sora began.

"I've been having these dreams lately." Vanitas and Sora turned their attention toward Roxas who stared toward his hands. "I'm in this world alone with Xion. It's only us two."

Vanitas shrugged. "So?"

"Yeah. What else happened?" Sora asked.

Roxas looked between them. "Well in one or a few of them, I think we were… getting married."

Sora grinned and patted Vanitas on the shoulder. "Well if it's about getting married, then Vanitas is someone you should talk to!"

Vanitas closed his eyes, annoyed. "Don't touch me…" Nervously, Sora pulled his hand back. Vanitas shook his head. "Why did she have to tell everyone we were engaged…?" he muttered.

Sora smiled. "She didn't. Aqua told Kairi and Kairi told me."

Vanitas crossed his arms against his chest. "I knew she would."

"Come on... You wouldn't tell your brothers?" Sora asked.

Vanitas shook his head. "No."

Tired of the back and forth, Vanitas turned his attention to Roxas. "You love the girl, right?"

Roxas blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Um…? Yeah!"

Vanitas ached his eyebrow. "Are you really looking for what your dreams mean or a sign?"

Roxas stared at him surprised and curious. "A sign?"

"Either you're making a big deal over nothing or you're thinking about something else. Probably just being with her," Vanitas pointed out.

Sora nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

Roxas gave a nervous look. He didn't usually talk to Vanitas about personal things since they didn't hang out, but his words had really made him think."...What made you want to propose to Aqua?"

"I-." Before Vanitas started, he glanced over at Sora who kept grinning at him. The last thing he wanted to hear was Sora comment something sweet. He sighed. Despite not wanting to hear the teasing, he still wanted to help Roxas. He turned more toward him. "Because I wanted to. We've been together for a long time, so why wouldn't I? I didn't want anybody else."

It had made Roxas think about Xion and him. They had been together for years now and gone through a lot. Even through it all, they loved each other. When he thought about their future together, he couldn't imagine one without her, but he had to ask himself was he ready to stay with her forever? Roxas stood up, which Vanitas and Sora looked up at him. Roxas pressed his fist against his chest. What he planned to do next felt right. "You're right."

A confused look went across Vanitas's face. "You could sit back down and tell me what I'm right about."

Roxas relaxed and sat back down. Right away, he smiled. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I was looking for a sign. I think I know what I want to do now. Thanks Vanitas."

Inside, Vanitas was surprised. They hadn't always gotten along, but that was the first time he heard him say 'thank you'. Sora grinned. "See! I knew Vanitas would be able to help."

Vanitas sighed as he got up. "Shut up Sora..." He glanced over at Roxas. "So…? What are you planning to do?"

Roxas let out a confident smile. He was more determined than ever. "You'll see." Vanitas stared at Roxas as he tried to read him. He already had an idea in mind of what Roxas was up to, but he would just have to find out if he was right. Below, he noticed Sora still smile toward him. He rolled his eyes and left to head back to his apartment. Afterwards, Roxas stood up and went his separate way from Sora to head back to his own apartment with Xion.


A few weeks had passed, Xion walked into the apartment and headed toward the bedroom that Roxas and her shared. Roxas stepped out of the kitchen as he smiled. "Hey!"

Xion jumped, scared as she stopped. She didn't expect him to already be home. "Oh! Roxas." She smiled a little. "I didn't know you were already here."

Roxas headed toward her. "I wanted to surprise you. Let me take you out tonight."

Xion stared at him as she wondered what made him plan one. "Oh?" She took a moment to think whether or not she already had something planned. Then, she looked up toward Roxas. "Sure! I would love to."

Roxas smiled, happy. Xion went into their room to drop her stuff off and change into something nice and casual like he wore. She changed into a thin strapped black dress that stopped short of her knees while he had on a white collared shirt and beige pants. After they left the apartment, Roxas took them to a small restaurant to eat where they talked and laughed. By the time they got out, night was already upon them. Roxas led them to a park where there were a lot of people around. Xion looked around curious as to what was going on. Then, she turned toward Roxas. "Roxas-?"

He answered her question with a smile. "Just wait and see." He held onto her hand as he made his way through the crowd. He managed to find a clear spot for them to sit on the edge of a brick wall, where there weren't as many people standing around and a good view to watch.

Xion wondered what would happen next. "Roxas? What's going on? What are all these people doing here?"

Roxas gazed up toward the sky. It seemed that the show didn't start yet. "Just watch."

While they waited, Xion turned her head and smiled toward him. "Thank you for dinner tonight. It was really nice."

Roxas rested his hand on top of hers. "Yeah…" he whispered.

Xion had been curious all night with their sudden date. "So? What made you want to go out tonight?"

"Well we're usually busy, so I thought it would be nice to spend more time together."

Xion nodded in agreement. She leaned her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed. It was nice just to sit there alone with him. All of a sudden, they heard a loud explosion. Instantly, Xion sat up and saw fireworks burst upwards and the sky became filled with different colors. Xion grinned in excitement. "Wow…" Around them, they could hear people awe in amazement.

Roxas continued to gaze up at the sky as he smiled. Then, he turned his attention to Xion. The way the night sky lit up her face and the smile that curved at her lips made him filled with happiness. While she was focused on the fireworks, his hand reached toward his pocket. "Xion?"

Xion was still entranced by the lights. "It's really pretty, isn't it?" As she turned to him, their eyes met. Her head tilted toward the side with a gentle smile on her face.

"Yeah..." Roxas gazed into her eyes as he became caught in them. He moved in closer. Her eyes lowered to a close as he kissed her. Their lips moved slow and sensual. The noise of the world grew silence. For a moment, it had become just like his dream. The only ones there were him and her. After a little time, they split apart, letting the rest of the world back in. The fireworks were still going on in the distance. Xion stared at Roxas surprised. There was something different about their kiss just now. She couldn't describe it. Then, she turned her attention back to the fireworks. Maybe she was reading too much into it. Roxas reached into pocket and figured now was a better time than any to spring his surprise. All of a sudden, he felt Xion scooted in closer and leaned her head against his shoulder. At first, the move made him hesitate, but soon he relaxed. He took his hand out of his pocket and leaned his head against hers. He decided to watch the rest of the fireworks with her. There would be plenty of time later.

After it was over, Roxas walked with Xion hand in hand as they headed back to their apartment. Xion grinned. "That was really great Roxas! How did you know about the fireworks?"

His lips curved into a smile. "Well… I heard it was an annual thing around here and I thought it would be nice to see."

Xion glanced down at her feet as she kicked her leg up a little. "Yeah... I guess we haven't really gone out on a lot of dates before this." Roxas stopped and made her turn around. He wondered if now was the right time to do what he planned, but it still didn't feel right. Curious, Xion stared into his eyes. "Roxas?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing." He leaned down and kissed her for a few seconds.

Afterwards, they walked away and made it back to their apartment. Xion stepped inside and headed toward the couch tired. She let herself fall back. Her body sat upside down as she let her back lay on the seat cushion and her legs hung off the top of the couch. Roxas smiled and joined her. The two turned their heads toward each other and let out a smile. Xion placed her hands on her stomach. "It was a really nice night tonight."

Roxas placed his hands on his stomach as well. "Yeah." His eyes traveled toward the side. Everything had gone perfectly tonight, but he still didn't do the main thing he wanted to. He wondered if he should, but knew that he really wanted to. He looked over toward Xion who stared up toward the ceiling. Roxas reached over and grabbed her hand. "Xion…?" She gave him a curious look. His eyes traveled down. "You remember a long time ago when we said we wanted to run away?"

She wondered where he was going with this. "Yes."

Roxas lifted his head toward her. "Well… I guess I've been thinking a lot lately... Even though we couldn't really run and it's us together now, I guess…I guess I always want it to stay that way."

Xion grabbed onto his hand tighter and smiled to assure him. "Yeah. Me too."

Roxas stared up toward the ceiling as he let his head lean back. His dreams came to mind again. "In a world of our own..." he whispered.

Xion looked up as well. "Yeah. It could be that way."

Roxas reached into his pocket and pulled out what he had been hiding the whole night. He kept it out of Xion's sight. "Now I know a way of how that could happen even more Xion."

Xion turned to him surprised. "How?"

Roxas stared into her eyes with a sincere expression. "Marry me." At his words, her eyes instantly widened. He lifted his hand from his side to reveal a black box. Her breath shortened more. He opened the black box and took out a ring with a heart shaped stone and silver band. Xion watched as Roxas slid the ring on her finger. Her mouth hung open, speechless. She stared at the ring before she looked at Roxas who still waited for an answer. Then, Xion moved in closer to him and leaned her forehead against his. Both of them closed their eyes as their fingers were intertwined. "This would be a world of our own. Just between us."

Happy and slightly teary eyed, she smiled. "Yes." In return, Roxas smiled back. Their eyes lowered to a close. In the silence of their living room, they were happy just to have time with each other.


Later, Aqua stood near the kitchen with her phone pressed to her ear. Instantly, she smiled, excited. "Congratulations! I'm very happy for the two of you!" After she exchanged a few words, she hung up her phone and went over to Vanitas who sat on the couch. She sat down and leaned back against his arm that was on top of the couch. "Guess what?!"

Vanitas arched his eyebrow toward her. Whatever she heard over the phone seemed to make her really happy. "What?"

Aqua grinned. "It looks like Roxas and Xion are engaged now! Just like the two of us." Vanitas closed his eyes as he smirked and leaned back against the couch. His prediction was correct about what Roxas was up to since they spoke all those weeks ago.


Thank you for reading! I'll be back to update soon!