"I can't," Roxas shook his head, the heat of the blush had long since left. Axel silently watched the blond unfold, there was no need to react, Roxas was doing enough for both of them. "My mom's going to wake up, and then I'll be gone. And I'll be gone, and I'll be leaving everyone here behind. I can't," he was stumbling over his words, he knew what he felt, but no language could reach the meaning behind it all.

Finally the redhead tipped his head back, looking down at Roxas, "I graduate soon, you graduate soon. Who says you going back with your mom is the end of our, everyone here's, existence?"

Roxas finally stopped. He hadn't thought about it like that, he'd been so hung up on the present. He'd been so caught with the current happenings and all the previous ones, that he forgot there would be future ones. He knew, and he'd told everyone there, Cloud, Axel, Tifa... he'd told them all how he'd wanted to change things but he wasn't able to. Well part of not being able to is age, which would change with the future.

Blue eyes grew, he jumped into Axel. The redhead's hands dropped the tiny bag, being lost in the moment, and he caught the blond easily. "Yes! That's it," Roxas couldn't control himself, he grabbed hold of Axel's face, holding the pale warmth still as he leaned forward and planted a kiss. But it wasn't a simple peck, it lingered. It started innocently, but as Roxas let the heat seep in, his mouth opened, working with the redhead who was now moving his own. The heat he'd felt before was nothing more than a gentle breeze compared to what was now consuming him.

The longer the kiss lasted, the more intense it became, and blissfulness took over. There was no longer any thinking, only doing. And everything felt so natural, there was no fighting with Roxas' or Axel's emotions, instead they embraced everything they were feeling as if they couldn't get enough. The heat was intense, even for Axel, and everything the blond did seemed to add to that heat.

Kissing was a wet inferno neither of them had experienced quiet like, and for a brief second, with all the self control he had, Axel pulled back to take in the blond. As he pulled back Roxas fluttered his eyes opened. Blue eyes glowed against his red cheeks, and Roxas wanted to be embarrassed, he normally would spit out some stupid comment, but he didn't want to, what he wanted was more.

More of Axel, more of the heat, more of the energy flowing throughout his body like an electrical current. Axel's eyes met Roxas' and it sent a shiver down the younger's spine. The redhead was in control with the putty in his arms, and neither of them minded.

"Is that a yes?" He teased the blond, ghosting over his lips.

"Here's to the future," He caught the redhead's lips, rekindling the flame.

The temperature picked up, right where they had left off, and now other parts were moving besides the muscles in their faces. Everything was starting to build up, and then there was a knock on the door.

"Roxas," Tifa's tone froze Roxas. He pulled back, the heat gone as anxiety surged through his veins. "I need you to open the door."

Axel saw the shift in Roxas' body, the tone wasn't hitting him the same as Roxas but it was concerning either way. Slowly Axel moved towards the door, hand in hand with the younger, guiding him along as he opened the door.

Tifa's face hit another concern for the taller boy, "I need you to come out into the living room." Her arm gestured for them, but she didn't make eye contact or seem to be in a hurry. Roxas was beginning to drag his feet, and Axel realized the hand in his was shaking, as if knowing something they shouldn't have known. Axel's heart dropped when the reached the living room.

"Roxas," a man in a police uniform began speaking, but he was cut off by another unwelcomed guest.

"Your mom is dead." it was Zack.

All eyes turned to glare at the dark haired man, all except Axel's. Green eye's watched as Roxas stopped breathing.

"Before," the police officer began again, "Before your mother passed, she had a few custodial changes made. She requested an order of protection against Cloud and Tifa." Roxas looked around the room to the two shocked individuals, "And, in light of that, has granted Zack," he gestured to the least liked person in the room, "Residential custody of you. Take your time, but we're here to escort you out of here."

The blond finally took a breath, violently shaking his head, "No, that's bullshit. I don't believe you," his gaze shifted to the dark haired man, "It's your fucking fault," Roxas lunged towards him, fist drawn back, his body shaking with long overdue anger, but was stopped by a slender arm.

"Roxas, Roxas," Axel attempted to get through, "Stop," He turned towards the police, "He's an abusive asshole, you can't make him go back with him."

"I'm sorry, those are the words in the papers, you are welcome to fight in court but for now, Roxas has to go."

"That's bullshit," it was Axel's turn, he stepped closer to the officer, getting inches from his face, tucking Roxas behind him. Spewing secrets Roxas had told him, surprising everyone, except Zack and Roxas.

The other officer attempted to speak kindly to Roxas, "Is there anything in your room you'd like to pack?" She gently pried Roxas away from Axel, who was too caught in the moment with anger himself to fight her.

Pack... Roxas looked up, making eye contact with the officer, and glancing around the room. He turned and ran to his room, slamming the door behind himself, locking it as quickly as he could.

He scrambled around his room, yanking his bed off the frame, throwing it against the door, grabbing out drawers from the built in dressers, and throwing even the clothes at the door. Grabbing anything and everything he could to keep the door from opening. He wasn't going.

He didn't want to leave. He was only leaving if it was with his mother. And they're trying to say she's dead? No, that was never an option. It's not true. He wasn't leaving with Zack. He wanted Axel. He wanted Sora, Cloud, Tifa, even Riku. He didn't want to leave.

Voices mumbled on the other side of the door, attempting to talk to the blond, but he wasn't listening. He ran to the window, he'd run away again. He'd run until they stopped looking for him and then he'd find his way back. As he slid the window open, he was greeted by a unfriendly familiar face.

And he felt an unfriendly familiar pain to his face, "Roxas, be careful! This way, we need napkins!" Zack yelled.

Roxas squeezed back tears as his face exploded with pressure. His blood smeared on his bedroom window that was no longer his, the dark haired man smoothing out the collar of the teen's shirt, as if he hadn't just yanked him into the window. Because Zack never caused anything, Roxas was always just the klutz.

"What the Hell did you just do?" It was Cloud that was storming around the house.

"I didn't do anything," Zack quickly defended, "Roxas must have been in such a hurry, that he didn't realize the window wasn't opened all the way."

Cloud let out a incredulous laugh, shaking his head as an officer stepped between the two men. "You pulled him into the window, I saw you!" Cloud was pointing fingers now, and if Roxas wasn't still trying to get over his physical pain, he'd have been shocked.

"Is that what you saw?" The officer handed Roxas the napkins, helping the teen through the window.

"Yes!" Cloud wanted to lunge at Zack, but Tifa was there to hold him back now.

"Then we'll step this way and fill out a report," The officer gestured to his vehicle. "We'll have to take Roxas to the hospital, but I don't think you really want to go through with this."

"Why the Hell wouldn't I want to?" Cloud was trying to keep his cool, for someone other than himself.

"It's a lengthy process... We'll have to escort him to the hospital, have a doctor look him over, take a statement from him, take a statement from you, and from Mr... Zack. And we'll have to find any other evidence to support your claim. But," he put his hands up as if to calm Cloud because he knew he wouldn't like the next part. "Either way, we have to send Roxas back with Zack."

Cloud took a deep breath, ready to explode, but Tifa stepped in. "No, we'll make it a note to file," Tifa took over with unknown knowledge.

The officer nodded, as if it was his idea, "Right this way," he gestured to the side, away from Zack.

Roxas stood shaking, covered in already dried blood. It was pleasant outside, but there was a breeze that kept creeping through his body, a whisper haunting him. There was no way any of this was real. His mother would get better, that was always the plan, she was never suicidal, she didn't have any of the signs... but a lot of people never do.

He'd just started to settle in, and now his life was over, again.

He was alone in the world, again.

He was a shell of a human, again.

He couldn't do this, he almost cracked last time, and this time he might actually break. The officer asked for his statement, but Roxas couldn't hear him through the ebb of despair he found himself in. His eyes slowly drifted up, meeting Zack's. His black eyes looked cold and dead, staring at Roxas without any emotion, not fear of the truth coming out, not fear of Roxas 'betraying' him, he was confident.

Even if Roxas told the truth, Zack would manipulate it. His words would be nothing more than the babbles of a depressed teen, lying to get what he wanted.

The officer moved on.

Like Cloud would, and Tifa, and Sora, and Axel... they'd go back to the life they had before him, and it would be like he never existed, again.

"Wait!" Roxas was climbing into the back of the car, accepting his fate, and Axel wasn't prepared for it. "Roxas," he wrapped the blond in his arms, rocking the both of them back and forth, kissing the top of his head as he spoke softly to the blond. "The future is full of change," His arms moved and before Roxas could ask he noticed the phone in his hand. "Take my phone, keep it hidden... keep in touch." Green eyes sought out blue, desperate for Roxas to believe him. "I will get you back."

Zack appeared next to the two, Roxas searching Axel's eyes, wanting to trust everything he was saying, but Zack began speaking. "Ready to go back home? It'll be fine, everything will go back to normal." There was nothing normal about how it was, and Zack knew it. Why did Zack care so much what happened to Roxas, why couldn't he just leave him there?

"Angeal is eager to see you to." He smiled like that meant something good, Roxas squeezed Axel's hands, he didn't want to go back to that. He didn't want to go back at all, at least not without his mother. His warm mother, warm like Axel.

His mother was warm like the morning sun, slowly rising in the sky, drying the condensation that had accumulated in the dark. Bringing light like spring, life pouring out of everything in sight. Silently comforting.

Axel was warm like a burning fire, keeping Roxas warm even though he was surrounded by snow. Engulfing him in silky flames, aggressively keeping the blood pumping through his veins.

And now he was going to be alone, without any warmth.

He climbed into the car, not wanting to think anymore.

It had been a car that had brought him there, and it was an identical car taking him away. The car ride was just as silent too, giving Roxas too much time to think.

Why would his mother make Zack his guardian? Why would she take him away from Cloud and Tifa? Why did she do it in the first place? His father and his wife had been apart of his life at such a young age, and his mother cut them out? That didn't seem right... They helped her out as she got her place, all ready for him and her.

For just him and her...

It wasn't long after they moved in that Zack joined them, moving himself in even though his mom didn't want him to. She didn't want Zack in their lives, but why did she keep him around? Why didn't she just leave?

He had more than enough time to get lost, and he did. Delving deeper into his thoughts he probed at memories long since forgotten, they were so vague that he couldn't fill in the blanks. Roxas closed his eyes, trying harder to summon memories, there was something there, in the back of his mind that was telling him there had once been a fight. There had been a fight between Zack and... her... but it was about Roxas.

The blond needed to keep prying at the nothing in his mind, otherwise he'd be forced to think about... her... and he would do that later,

Later.

Later.

Later.

Roxas would tell himself that until 'Later' didn't bother him.

What was she thinking, leaving him to Zack.

But wait, Roxas eyes grew wide.

That's all she was doing, thinking. She was unresponsive, she couldn't talk or move her hands, how was she supposed to have given Zack custody.

"How did my mom give Zack custody?"

"She signed the paperwork," the officer attempted to keep talking but Roxas cut him off.

"How, she couldn't talk or move, how was she supposed to sign paperwork?"

The officers sat quietly, looking out the window because they didn't want to be there either. "We don't know, that's something to ask Zack. We were given an order, and a signed paper. That's all we need to know."

More bullshit. The woman officer tried to comfort the teen.

"We're sorry for your loss, we understand it's a hard time for you right now, and a lot of it might not make sense to you, but-"

"Apparently none of it makes sense to you." Roxas was done with this conversation. Welcome to good ol' government. Everything gets done through the courts, but once that first paper is in place, it takes months if not years to undo...

Good thing he had a lot of time to do nothing but think.

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Trying to push this rough draft out as fast as I can, so I can go back and fix it all another time.

Like all my other stories.

Uploaded October 21, 2021