Kit: ...wtf? WHY IS IT UNDERLINED?! DD:

Tily: Experiencing technical difficulties.

Kit: Damnit! *bashes keyboard*

Demyx: You're still ill, we'll take care of it. *Guides Kit back to her room*

Tily: Kit's still not well so I'll change the underlining problems disclaim this. She owns only the story, the characters belong to Square, including Demyx who they've lent to us. Maybe we'll keep getting special guests for a while. ^^

Enjoy!

"Hey kiddo, I guess Sephiroth gave you your job back huh?" Cloud greeted his brother as said blond walked into the house and Roxas nodded.

"Riku told him what happened so it was all fine," he sighed with relief, "thank God, I don't think I could go job hunting again."

Cloud laughed, " by the way, gramps won't be home for a few hours so you'll have to make something if you're hungry," he informed Roxas who nodded.

"Listen Cloud," he said and his brother stopped on his way up the stairs. "I… I'm going to go see Reno, could you tell granddad where I am if he gets home before I do?" he asked and the older Strife nodded.

"No problem kiddo, I hope you get some answers," he said and Roxas smiled before leaving and making his way to Reno's house.

Roxas was nervous, what if Axel was there with him? He didn't really want to face the younger redhead right now, not after what Xigbar had told him. Roxas just hoped Reno was home and could give him at least a little information, perhaps if Reno knew what was going on, Roxas might find the idea of going to see Axel a little less daunting.

He was nervous as he knocked on the door, he could hear loud playing music and assumed Reno was home alone, and since said long haired redhead answered the door -with a rather shocked expression- he guessed he was right. "Roxy, wow didn't expect to see you," Reno greeted.

"Nice welcome back, it's nice to see you too Reno," the boy joked though he was still more than a little anxious.

"It's good to see you honest, just unexpected. Come in," he finished and the blond smiled as he entered the house and Reno closed the door, finally leading him over to the set of sofas and turned off his music. "What brings you here? You miss me?" Reno smirked and Roxas rolled his eyes, he should have known this guy would never change.

"Actually I-" the blond began nervously and took a deep breath to calm himself down a little. "I wanted to ask you about… Axel," he finished and Reno audibly sighed.

"I should have known, and here I thought you really just missed me," Reno joked but understood Roxas' lack of humour right now. "What do you want to know? Though to be honest I know about as much as everyone else." This piece of information made Roxas' hopes drop dramatically, maybe he shouldn't have brought this up, he might get worse answers than he was hoping for.

"So, you don't know where he's been going either?" The blond asked and Reno shook his head sadly.

"Not a clue, he's been leaving for days on end for about five months now, he comes here sometimes but it's rare and he hardly ever answers his phone," Reno sighed, his brother was so troublesome. "I don't know what else to tell you Rox, I've seen him more since he stopped drinking but it's only every two to three weeks."

The blond could feel his heart break again little by little. Had he caused all of this? Was it his fault? "I know what you're thinking," the redhead continued and Roxas looked up at the man, "it's not your fault Roxas, Axel's never been able to handle things well, he became a pyromaniac when I left, that was his way of dealing with things for a while. He'll go back to normal, especially if he knows you're here."

"I'm.. not so sure about that anymore," Roxas admitted and he could feel tears welling in his eyes, even if Reno was trying to reassure him it wasn't really helping the blond feel better about any of this. "X-Xigbar told me," Roxas continued, "that Axel's been with someone… a girl."

"A girl?" Reno questioned and the blond guessed he really didn't know anything about that after all. "You mean Xion?" Roxas' head shot up and Reno shook his head, "Rox, she's-" but the man stopped, neither he nor Roxas moving as the front door clicked open and a voice the blond hadn't heard in the longest time drifted into the room. Laughing.

Roxas' first thought was one he scolded himself for. One more selfish than he ever thought he could be. 'Why is Axel laughing?' Is what he thought and he hated himself for it. Axel had every right to be happy, to laugh and smile and do what he wanted. So why was Roxas so jealous? Was it because he wasn't happy himself?

The next thing Roxas did was stand, he couldn't be here anymore and as he looked up he felt every part of him crumble and his soul crack. He was right after all. Axel was with a girl, a girl a little shorter than Roxas with short, jet black hair and bright blue eyes. She was pretty, and Roxas couldn't deny that everything about this was making him die inside.

No one spoke as the group just stared, mostly at Roxas. One look of curiosity, one of hope and the other of complete surprise, was he really here? Axel couldn't believe his eyes, though the look on Roxas' face told the younger redhead that the blond was taking this situation completely wrong.

"R-Roxas." Both boys were wide eyed, Axel's with shock and Roxas' with naked hurt.

This… wasn't happening. But they both knew it was, the look in Roxas' eyes hit Axel hard and before he could explain the blond spoke.

"I'm sorry," he started, and the statement made the redhead wince. No, Roxas couldn't say sorry. "I just came to see Reno, so I'll be going now," the blond almost whispered as he dropped his head and made his way past Axel, the redhead frozen where he stood.

"Axel." His name brought him back to earth and Reno gave him a stern look. "Now."

With a nod the younger redhead turned and walked after Roxas. He had to see him. Had to explain, it wasn't supposed to be like this! "Roxas, wait!"

The blond didn't stop though, he made his shaky legs carry him home as fast as they could though he wasn't sure if that was enough, Axel had always caught up to him. Always. "Please Roxas, please wait a second."

"No," the blond answered, crushing his stinging eyes together and he couldn't stop the sob that left his throat. He couldn't stop anymore. This was it, he was allowed to cry now. "I'm sorry, Axel. For everything, and you don't have to worry anymore, you have your own life-"

"No."

"I won't be a burden in it anymore-"

"Stop."

"We can forget now."

"Stop it already!" Axel finally shouted and they both stopped walking.

Roxas didn't turn to look at the redhead as his tears stained the pavement below him and there was only silence. This was all so wrong, but he couldn't let Axel feel guilty, he had to let him be happy.

He had to let go. For Axel.

"Goodbye," the blond whispered and ran. Ran as fast as he could as Axel called his name but he ignored it. He had to get home. Had to get away so he didn't have to face this.

"Rox?" Cloud questioned as his brother came bursting through the door and ran up the stairs to his room, Cloud's eyes followed the boy in complete confusion before there was a knock at the door and the older Strife opened it to find Axel panting in front of him.

"Cloud, I need to see Roxas, please," the redhead begged.

"I'm sorry Axel, I don't know what's going on but I know my brother and I can't let you in, not when he's like this," the boy said though he wished he could let Axel in, but from past experiences, Cloud knew that was a bad idea.

"I need to see him Cloud, this is all wrong," Axel continued to plead but the blond could do nothing.

"I'm sorry Axel," he apologised before closing the door, leaving the redhead alone and more heart broken than he'd ever been. They'd both promised, they said they would be together when he got back, no matter what and Axel would keep that promise even if it killed him. He'd see Roxas again, make everything right again. He had to. For both of them.

"Roxas?" his brother said as he knocked on the door. It had been two hours since Axel and Roxas had seen each other and the blond had ran home crying, and Cloud couldn't stand seeing his brother like this. "Do you want to tell me about it?" He asked as he walked to sit on Roxas' bed where the boy had buried himself under the covers.

"I was wrong," the younger boy's voice cracked, "I thought everything could go back to normal. I was so stupid," Roxas whispered.

"You're not stupid Roxas," Cloud promised his brother though he knew it wouldn't really help. "If Axel loves you, you'll see him again, I promise," the boy said and hugged his brother as Roxas sobbed, holding onto that last piece of hope.

A/N: Tily: If Kit wasn't ill I'd kill her right now for this one.

Kit: No you wouldn't, I have more writing to do!

Demyx: Anyway she needs reviews so Square will give her another special guest so don't forget to leave some. ^^

Kit: They'll also make me feel better. Thanks guys. 3