It's been nearly two years since I saw him last, but oh, those memories, that visage… how they still haunt me. At first glance, he seemed just like any other person, and his scar was liable to throw you off at first, but once you looked past all that, he was a real person. And I loved him for it.

I admired how he was bold, and how little scared him. Gentle but firm, Leon commanded attention. He was straightforward, always getting right to the point. Granted, what came out of his mouth was usually not particularly eloquent, but it still sounded kind of nice. In retrospect, it sounded like what I've unconsciously come to refer to as 'Squall'.

To me, he'd always seemed a bit on the angsty side. But he told me he was happy, so I accepted it. I guess he was lying, though, because why else did he leave? Without even a single note or explanation, he melted out of my life; faded away. And I hated him for it.

The Leon I knew was anything but a coward. But the way he'd gone… That could only be described as cowardly. As the days passed by, I fell more and more into confusion, until I was reduced to this trembling, quavering mess you see now. The one who slides a razor blade across his wrist frequently, so that he can escape from the horrors of this world. A world without Leon.

----- + -----

I've just tried to stop a wound from bleeding when there's a knock on the door. This isn't the first time I've cut, but never before have I had difficulty staunching the blood. When Naminé told me that I wasn't meant to exist, that was the first time. After that, it happened every once in a while. And when Leon left... it turned into a habit. Something I did frequently. Then I discovered I couldn't stop. It's like I'm addicted. I don't know, maybe I am.

The knock on the door comes again; louder and more insistent. I get up, still bleeding. I'm staggering, I'm woozy, and I think I'm beginning to lose my ability to comprehend things. The journey to the door seems further than ever before, and the world is starting to fuzz at the edges. Somehow, I manage to get to the door and pull it open.

"Roxas." I know that voice. I know that face. I know these arms around me.

Tears are rolling down my face. "Leon," I whisper, "You came back."

And that's when the entire world fades from view, leaving me there, alone, knowing nothing. Except that…

… He came back.

MidnightxStar would like to say that she in no way owns Kingdom Hearts. Sadly. D: