AN: So I've had a few things going on so shoot me i'm late. I've managed to avoid my dad for the most part recently so that's a good thing. I recently moved so im still straightening things up and I've also started school out here... I decided using Ventus as Roxas' middle name. Don't worry, Ventus himself will still be in the story. I have met someone like that. His name's Brendan who, coincidently, has the same middle name as I do (Joseph). Er, only as his first name. Aqua is based off my absolute best friend, Krystal, who even after leaving us, I still keep close tabs on. Terra, would be another close friend of mine named Paul, who lives in my hometown. This is a direct continue from the last chapter. People may flip about this but meh. So um... I guess I'll get right to it then.

Chapter 10
Hazy Days & Foggy Minds

Roxas snuggled closer to the brunet next to him. His head pounded furiously, every tiny sound causing him to winch in pain. His ears rung with a high pitched whistle. He shut his eyes tight, begging sleep to take him once more, and so it did. Roxas seemed only to blink before he felt the boy next to him rise. Roxas popped his eyes open to see the boxer clad boy stretch his arms out above his head with a loud yawn. "Sora," Roxas groaned as he slowly scooched himself up into a sitting position.

Hearing the other's voice, Sora rushed to Roxas' side, practically jumping back on the bed. "Lay back down, Roxas. The doctor told you to rest, remember?" He placed a hand on Roxas' chest, gently pushing him back down.

"Doctor," Roxas asked as he went to rub the source of his pain, only to feel bandages in place of hair.

"Yeah, remember? Dr. DiVito told you to rest today." Sora went back under the covers, pulling them over the two.

Roxas simply looked at him confused. "When was this," he asked in a drowsy tone. He could hear sleep beckoning his name.

"You really don't remember?"

Roxas gave him a nod, followed by a look of confusion. "No. I remember Aunt Larxine driving us home... Grandma, Cloud and you were yelling something... And then I went to go lay down. Did something else happen?"

"Yeah... Quite a lot as well." Sora shifted slightly. "After you went to lay down, we got you up and rushed you to the hospital. Y' know, Ocean Brook. You were bleeding pretty heavily. Dr. DiVito came and treated you. Everyone was in a panic. You really scared us! I volunteered to watch over you last night." Sora brought Roxas's head to lay on his bare chest. "You seemed pretty alert... Guess I was wrong."

Roxas giggled a bit. "I'm a little shocked."

"Hmm?"

"We've slept together a million and one times and you haven't noticed I talk in my sleep sometimes?"

"You do?"

"Yup."

"Just like your mom, huh?"

Roxas' smile deflated a bit at the mention of his mother. "Yeah..."

Immediately realizing his mistake, Sora apologized. "Sorry... I know that's a sore topic. It just slip and-"

"No, no, it's ok." Roxas gave a soft smile. "Your right, I am a bit like my mom."

Sora gazed at Roxas' smile. It wasn't the mask he'd put on at school or around his and Sora's friends, it was a genuine smile. "The best of her anyway."

Roxas sat up. "Hey... Can you get me some Advil?"

Sora nodded and got up. "Be right back."

Once he was sure Sora was out of ear shot, he stood, stumbling slightly. He made his way over to his dresser, opening the bottom draw to reveal hundreds of pictures, each one in an old folder or packet. Some were never even opened after they were developed. Roxas grabbed the first packet he saw and brought it over to the bed. It was labeled "1998-2008." Roxas smiled. These were pictures from before he lived in Twilight Town. Back when he still lived in the Land of Departure with his mother. He remembered each moment ever spent within the walls of that apartment. Each tenant, his friends, his family members, his school, and even his old room. Roxas could still picture the blue walls decorated with planets and worlds of all kinds. The glow in the dark stickers placed on the ceiling around the room, the toys stuffed in the chest to the corner of his bed, the large box television that once sat atop his dresser.

He began to shuffle through them. One was of him, his mother, a blue haired girl, and another brunet boy with long straight hair. He remembered them well. He had grown up with the blue haired one known as Aqua, in the apartment building where they once lived. They were practically siblings. The brunet, Terra, was a boy Roxas had met on his first day of elementary school. He still kept in close contact with Terra. As for Aqua, that was a tad more complicated.

Their parents, both single mothers, had had a falling out. Aqua and Roxas, however, still exchanged letters in secret. It was hard, but once in a blue moon (no pun intended) their paths would cross, and they would talk and catch up on recent events. It was hard, considering the distance apart they were. But the two would always find a way. Be it a school program that offered a field trip to the area the other was in or meeting half way in, say, Hallow Bastion. They always found a way. No matter what. True friends. The type that last a life time.

He found yet another. A school Polaroid photo. The back was labeled Roxas V. Strife. The V stood for Ventus, a middle name only his friends from the Land of Departure ever knew, or used. With the exception off James of course. Roxas soon heard footsteps coming back. He made no effort of even turning to face the door. He soon heard the cheery voice of Sora. "Hey, sorry for the wait. Cloud held me up in the hall. I got your Advil!" He noticed the photos in Roxas' hand. He sat next to him. "Reminiscing, huh?"

Roxas seemed to be pulled out of a trance, jumping at the sound of Sora's voice. "Y- Yeah… You got me thinking about her."

Sora leaned over, stilling a peek. "Isn't that the time that woman in the gold car came out and started yelling at me, you and Aqua?"

"Ahaha! Yeah. I went to fetch the Frisbee and waited for the car to pass. Instead she comes out and curses us out."

"We called her the 'Gold Bitch' till the day she moved out."

"Hahaha! Then we saw her at the pool and cannon balled on her."

"Yeah!"

Roxas and Sora went into a fit of laughter.

Sora handed Roxas the small red pills. "Your head still hurting," Sora asked.

"Killer head ache, but otherwise I'm ok."

"If you think I'm letting you out today, you've got another thing coming."

"Yeah I know, Mr. Protective." Roxas gave him a playful shove.

"Aw, shut up," Sora said, returning the jester.

Again they shuffled through the photos. Here was a familiar one. A small, seven year old Roxas, running around in a diaper in his old apartment, Sora doing the same thing right next to him. A laughing Aqua could be seen in the background. The photo was labeled "Two big babies, December 21, 2005." Sora and Roxas both blushed. "Remember this," Roxas asked. Sora only nodded in response, a goofy smile on his face.

The two had been all over the place that day with the excitement of the soon to come Christmas. The tree had been decorated, the whole place was decked, head to toe in decorations. Reefs, mistletoe, stockings by the window sill. Even the bedrooms were dressed in jolly attire.

Sora and Roxas simply refused to sit down. Jumping on the couches, running through the quite hallways of the complex, knocking on everyone's doors, throwing candy canes at anything that breathed, spider climbing in the halls of Roxas' apartment, anything you could think of and then some.

No matter what punishment Ms. Strife had given them, they simply served their time patiently and went right on back to their mischief. So, to make a lasting memory, Ms. Strife said to the two "If you two act like babies, I'll treat you like them." With that she ran down to the store, bought a package of diapers, and had forced the two bra- boys to wear them for the rest of their Christmas vacation. Even that, though didn't stop the two from misbehaving. Every year, Roxas' mother would take out this exact picture as a reminder. It never ceased in succeeding to make the two blush bright red.

"We should really burn this," Sora suggested, half-jokingly.

Roxas only sighed. "Wouldn't do us any good. Your mom and dad have a copy. So does my grandma, my grandpa, Clou-"

"I get it, I get it! It's useless." He gave a soft laugh. "Besides," he continued. "You look cute in that anyway."

Roxas blushed in response. "S- Shut up. At least I didn't use mine on the first day."

It was sora's turn to blush. "W- Well… Whatever."

Again the two laughed before yet again shuffling through the photos. They landed on a much later photo. It was of Roxas, Aqua, and Terra. The last day they spent together. All in one room. They had spent the day at Terra's.

"Hey Rox, whatever happened to Aqua?"

"Our parents had a falling out…. Aqua and I left on sad terms… That's the whole reason I moved to Twilight Town in the first place."

"But you'd tell me stories about seeing her after you moved."

"We still managed to meet. School trips, secret phone calls, letters, you name it. I haven't talked to her in a little over a year now…"

"Oh…. Wow, I'm almost glad she moved. I might not have had a chance with you if it were for her."

"Oh, sure you would have! She's more like a sister then a lover."

The two yet again laughed. The rest of the day went on like this. Looking through photos, Sora being over concerned with Roxas, junk food, T.V., torturing Cloud. A perfect day.

No concerns. Pure bliss.

AN: there you go. This one really took me forever to write. School got in the way, not to mention problems at home and more. I'm glad I managed to squeeze this out. I looked back at some previous chapters and realized how bad they really are. Spelling errors, grammar errors, stupid mistakes. I may rewrite this in the future, to be honest. Well, now I have to start on chapter 11. Not too sure when that'll be here… Anyhow, review, review, review! Me loves reviews! Also, do you guys think I should rewrite this? Leave a response in the reviews. Feel free to pm me at any time, I love hearing what you guys think.