"Xion!" Roxas' voice instantly perked up as his friend sat beside him on the Clock Tower roof.

She smiled at him, and took a bite from her sea salt ice cream.

"Where's Axel?" Xion asked curiously.

The blond shrugged. "Beats me. But if I had to guess... I'd say snoozing the day away."

The raven haired girl giggled. "You're probably right about that."

Roxas took a bite from his own popsicle, staring out at the setting sun. They'd done this over and over again, but this time was different... they were wearing normal, street clothes, and no longer did they belong to Organization XIII. They were free to live their lives as they pleased.

"Hey, Xion?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't get to say goodbye before."

Xion's eyes met his. "It's okay... you don't need to apologize."

Roxas sighed. "I feel like I do... my last words to you were kinda... dumb."

He scratched the back of his head nervously. She looked at him in confusion.

"Oh? You sure you're not being too hard on yourself?"

Roxas shook his head.

"No... I'm not for once."

Xion... who will I eat ice cream with?

Roxas winced as the words played in his head. He couldn't believe he'd said that while she was... disappearing from his arms... from his life.

"I... I wanted to tell you something... something important..."

Xion turned to him.

"I'm listening."

Roxas felt his body become hot all over. How was he supposed to... say this? As he gazed into her eyes, and studied her face, he knew he had to tell her... somehow... but he couldn't seem to find the right words. He wished he had been able to talk to Axel before this. The redhead always knew what to say when Roxas was baffled on something.

"Roxas? Still with me?" Xion's voice broke him from his racing thoughts. She waved her hand gently in his face to wake him up from his trance.

"Y-Yeah... sorry."

"And your ice cream's melting... better eat up."

"Oh..." Roxas began to bite into his popsicle hurriedly as it was in fact melting down his hand, creating a stickiness along his fingers.

Xion giggled. Roxas felt heat begin to radiate in his face, and she noticed his face was beginning to redden ever so slightly.

"Roxas... tell me what you wanted to say before. I'm here now."

Roxas swallowed the ice cream in his mouth before responding.

"Xion... I..."

The more her eyes stayed on him, the more nervous he got. He knew what it meant... or at least he thought he did. But... saying it was an entirely different feat.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and let it rest there.

"You can tell me... we're friends, remember?"

Her words, as kind as her nature, were one of the various reasons he'd fallen for her.

Roxas still couldn't quite find the words just yet. And as he stared at her, he had a sudden idea surface to his head that he couldn't shake.

Am I... crazy?

He swallowed.

Maybe... but I...

I won't know until I try, right?

The blond reached out and grabbed Xion's shoulders. She looked surprised, but her gaze did not shift from his.

"Xion... " He murmured her name softly before leaning in to capture her lips with his own. She was unresponsive at first, but just as Roxas began to appreciate how soft her lips were, she began to respond, kissing him back and wrapping her arms around him. Her hands delicately caressed strands of his blond hair while his massaged her back gently. And of course they both tasted salty and sweet, like the frozen treat they ate any chance they got.

As he pulled away for air, Xion was smiling back at him, her face a bit flushed.

"That was..." Xion murmured.

Roxas scratched the back of his head, eyes narrowing shyly before meeting hers again.

"Really nice..." Roxas finished for her.

"Oh man... I sound corny, don't I?"

Xion giggled. "It's okay... I wouldn't have it any other way, you know."

Roxas grinned, cupping her cheek.

"For the record... that's how I wanted to say goodbye to you."

Xion's smile only grew from his words.

"Well... we don't need to say goodbye anymore, do we?"

Roxas shook his head, removing his hand from her face. The two turned back to the setting sun, their hands naturally finding their way to each other's, fingers intertwining.

"Well, what do we have here?" Axel's voice chimed, as he came from the left side of the Clock Tower, sitting beside Roxas' figure.

The two blushed, hands pulling apart instantly.

"Uh... well..." Roxas' tone was flustered.

"Hmm... it's about time you two." Axel smiled from ear to ear, gazing at his two dear friends.

Roxas and Xion smiled, and reached for one another again.

"Just... promise not to make me feel like too much of a third wheel, okay?" The redhead said, gently nudging Roxas' shoulder before taking a bite of his own sea salt ice cream, still grinning.

Axel laughed and Roxas and Xion soon joined in.