Neon
Roxas watches Axel as they fight, tracking his fiery rival with his eyes.
His movements are fast; almost too fast, but Roxas has beaten him before and he'll do it again.
Axel reminds Roxas of neon.
It's a ridiculous premise, of course, as any idiot can see that Axel is like fire.
And Axel is like fire.
But he's like neon, too.
Bright.
Bright like a shock of red hair.
Bright like a shining turquoise eye.
And neon is fast, riding electric currents.
That's how Axel is today. Fast. Fast because he's angry.
He's angry at fate, he's angry at Roxas, and he's angry at himself.
Because he thinks he's a coward.
Axel is in love, and he can't tell the object of his affection the way he feels.
He views this as weakness.
It broke Roxas' heart when he found out at first. Axel wasn't just in love; Axel was in love with him.
The redhead has never said anything, but since he realized what was going on, Roxas can tell.
He heard it the first time Axel came to Twilight Town. The skepticism in his voice, refusing to believe that the blonde really didn't remember him.
Heard it again in the excitement in that same voice, when Roxas had lied to him about regaining his memory.
Saw it, finally, in his eyes, as the light dimmed, and Axel realized that he would never have Roxas back. Not only would they never be lovers, they were no longer even friends.
And now Axel is fighting him because he thinks it will take some of his pain away.
It makes Roxas hurt, too.
It would be a lie to say that Roxas was not attracted to Axel. He is like fire, hot. But, also like fire, he can burn.
And like neon, he is enclosed in a shell. Axel lives in the past, and he probably wouldn't let Roxas in now if he tried. Axel wants his best friend back.
But Roxas doesn't want to be what Axel wants him to be.
He wants to stay in this town, with his friends.
The other boy knows this, too, and he's fighting with everything he has to take Roxas with him.
One last swing, and the battle's over.
"Let's meet again, in the next life." Axel says it softly, his eyes pleading with the blonde.
Roxas nods. "Yeah. I'll be waiting," he says, trying to soothe the redhead's aching heart.
Axel smiles, but it is bittersweet.
"Silly," he declares in a somber tone, "Just because you have a next life…"
He fades.
Axel always reminded Roxas of neon.
It all burns out eventually.
fin