Driving down to Riku's house, Roxas had no idea how he was going to get his car back. He'd lost it fair and square in a race, that felt like it had taken place at eternity ago. He hadn't been in the town long back then, and less than a month a later, he was already on his way back out. He was far more composed now than he was earlier, the beers he had been drinking beginning to wear off. He'd struggled over his decision to leave, but now, had resigned himself to it, telling himself it was for the best. Not for him though, but for Sora. Roxas shook the thought of the brunette out of his head, still terrified it would make him want to stay. He turned a corner in Sora's car, following the directions some nobody at school had given him, trying to think of a way he could give it back to the boy he loved, if he ever woke up.

Pulling up to the curb, Roxas saw his car, sitting in the driveway of a large house. It was quite the opposite of what Roxas had expected, and he had to admit that he was a little shocked. The grass was a dark shade of luscious green, and it seemed as though there wasn't a flower out of place. It certainly wasn't a place that anyone would have expected Riku to stay. Nevertheless, his car was there, and Roxas had no choice but to go and knock on the door.

It took a while for the door to be answered, as he heard shuffling feet slowly getting louder, as a tall figure opened the door.

"What the fuck do you want?" Riku asked, holding a pair of crutches underneath his arms.

Roxas wished he could of pretended that the site of him wasn't pleasing, but a smile fought its way onto his face, his dimples becoming visible. He had an overwhelming wish to find out who had beaten him up, and give them a hug, regardless of who it was. And then, to rub the salt in his wounds even more, he wanted to kick his crutches from underneath him, and watch him fall to the ground; payback for his years of torturing Sora. But, firstly, he needed his car. He couldn't escape without his car.

"I want my car," he said, in a defiant, confident tone, "and you're going to give it to me."

"Fine, whatever, it's not like I can drive any time soon anyway."

It had been a whole lot easier than Roxas had expected, and, as Riku handed the keys over to him, he was cautious, and couldn't shake the thought out of his mind that Riku had some hidden motive.

"So, what the hell happened to you anyway?"

"Sora didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what? Riku, what the hell is going on?"

"He did this to me. That's all you need to know."

Sora did this? Then I guess he really doesn't need me at all anymore, he can handle himself.

Roxas felt relieved, and somewhat better with himself and the fact he was leaving now, knowing that, if Sora did ever wake up, he wouldn't be completely helpless. He sat in the drivers seat of his car, and just realised how much he had missed his baby. The smell was different now, but as he lit a cigarette, he knew it wouldn't be long until it smelt like home. Taking out his list, he scribbled over the top line, preparing himself for the second thing he had to do.

…...

Sora had been stopped by around 4 different doctors, all of them performing tests on him by asking him stupid questions, and shining various lights into his eyes. When the lights were turned off, he was left with shapes and colours floating around his vision, as if they were actually part of the world. He'd protest, beg, scream, but still they wouldn't let him leave. No, he'd been in a coma far too long for that, it would take another day at least until they sent him home, probably longer, since both he had Roxas had refused to tell them anything. Kairi had stayed at first, devising a plan with Sora about how he would ever know where Roxas was. But Sora knew Roxas, better than anyone else, and he knew he wouldn't, couldn't, leave without tying up a few loose ends. He thought of the short time he'd been with Roxas, and everything that had happened, and couldn't help but smile. Yes, it'd been dangerous, and yes, Sora was so dangerously and intensely in love that he had overdosed because, a day without Roxas was just too much to bear. He didn't particularly want to leave his small, homely town, where he'd always felt like a stranger, but it hadn't taken him long to realise that no matter where he was, as long as he was with Roxas, he was home. Now, being held captive in a place that was supposed to help you live, Sora felt a desperate need to find the blonde boy who had changed his life. Together they'd made a short list of all the possible places they thought he could be, and Kairi was already out looking. It was surprising, how helpful she was being. Sora figured it was her way of making up for years of ignorance and intolerance towards Sora, and, obviously, because of her guilt over forcing him to take her to Terra's. Either way, he was grateful for the help, and would make sure she knew it, if they ever found Roxas.

It'd been around two hours now, and Sora felt as though he was being watched. He'd moved out of his own private room, and into a busy, loud ward. Nurses walked by, giving him sympathetic and apologetic looks, but never once going to talk to him.

Jeez, you'd think I was dying or something.

But the busyness and high volume had been exactly what Sora had needed. Here, there were around fifteen patients, all of them shouting and screaming, in panic over the illnesses they had. Nurses were running everywhere, sweating, their faces showing the enormous strain they were under. He didn't have enough time to look for any clothes, so, as quietly as possible, he walked away from his bed, and through the ward until he reached the entrance. Squinting at the bright light before him, Sora walked into the warm, soft heat, wearing nothing but a hospital gown, determined to find Roxas.

…...

Admittedly, he was nervous. In fact, if Roxas admitted it to himself, he'd never been so nervous in his entire life. Regardless of the fact that he was his brother, Cloud was not a man to be messed with. He had a short temper, and a reputation that made most people, smart people, stay away from him. Roxas had no idea how he was, or if he was even still alive. But something told him that he was. A man such as Cloud would never succumb to death as easily as that. Besides, Roxas had checked his pulse before he'd left, and Cloud was fine.

He pulled up outside of his house, and stared at the door. There was a shadow in the window, walking up and down. It was Cloud. And Roxas had learnt that when Cloud was pacing, he was agitated. He wanted to turn and drive away, and forget about his stupid list, but Roxas knew that he'd regret it if he did. Instead, he walked up to the front door, but was surprised to hear a woman's voice, in a scolding tone.

"I mean, it's like you don't care if you ever walk again!" Roxas heard her shout as he walked in, looking around the room. He noticed her first, a pretty brunette who, right now, looked as though she was angrier than Cloud could ever be. She turned to Roxas, and then back to Cloud, before looking again an Roxas.

"Wow, you two look alike. I guess this is the infamous Roxas?" She asked Cloud, who merely nodded. Roxas wondered why he was sitting down, allowing a woman that, as far as Roxas was concerned, neither of them knew, shout at him. But Roxas looked on in silence at Cloud, before it hit him that he wasn't sitting down on the couch, but next to it, in a chair. A chair that had wheels. Stepping back Roxas felt as though he couldn't breathe. He shook his head in disbelief, not wanting to acknowledge the scene before him.

"It's okay," Cloud was telling him, as he wheeled himself closer, confined to his chair, "I forgive you."

Roxas didn't know what to say. He was frozen, a thousand thoughts running through his mind.

Oh god, did I do this?

Is he paralysed?

Will he ever walk again!

He could feel his nerves, his fear building up inside of him, the tension too much for his thin, fragile body to take. His pale skin turned red, his eyes filling with a salty liquid. He willed himself, no, more than that, he begged himself not to cry. He'd done more than enough of that at the hospital, and was surprised that he was any tears left. But still they came, running down his cheeks as the female gave him some tissue.

"Roxas, listen to me, it's okay." Cloud told him. Roxas had no idea why, but he was different. He was...tranquil. Calm. Content.

"No it's fucking not!" Roxas roared back, "You're in a god-damn wheelchair and it's my fault!"

"Roxas," Cloud said again, in a calm tone, "It was my fault. I'm much bigger than you, and it was wrong of me to attack you. I understand that now. Besides, it's thanks to you that met Tifa."

The girl then sat on Cloud's knee, stroking his hair. "You see, I called an ambulance after you left because I just couldn't move my legs. And the paramedic, well, that was this pretty young thing here."

He was beaming, so full of life, which crept the hell out of Roxas. He'd never seen Cloud like this before, and it was scarier than any drug dealer or thug could ever be.

"Right," Roxas said, sure that Cloud had lost his mind, "well, I only came to say goodbye, I'm leaving."

Cloud simply smiled, and held his hand out, wanting to shake his brothers, showing him that he gave his blessing for Roxas to leave. Roxas took it, albeit cautiously, but shook it nonetheless. He was about to walk out of the door, to leave his only family forever, when he was stopped by Cloud shouting his name. As he turned around, he saw Cloud nod at Tifa, who then handed him a small, but heavy black suitcase.

"That's everything," Cloud told him, "all the marijuana we have left. You're going to need it more than me, at least until you get a job. Because that's what I've realised Roxas, that to live happily, you have to live honestly."

Roxas felt overwhelmed, like the man standing, or rather, sitting, was now a completely different person. He dropped the suitcase and ran to Cloud, embracing him. After a little while, he pulled away, picked up the suitcase, and walked out, without looking back.

…...

Sora was cold. Actually, that was an understatement, because he was actually so cold he was sure he'd catch pneumonia. But he supposed that's the price you pay for escaping hospital and running out as fast as you could. Still, he knew he needed to get some clothes, and no matter what he'd learnt with Roxas, he still felt as shoplifting was out of the question. So he weighed up his choices, and realised he'd had have to go home. He needed to pack anyway. Kairi had promised him she'd get in contact with him somehow, although neither of them knew exactly how it was going to work. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realised that their plan wasn't really the best. He had no idea where Roxas could be, and had only suggested a few guesses. But something inside of him knew that he would find Roxas. He couldn't explain why or how, but he just knew.

His house was empty, which Sora was grateful for. The last thing he needed was a confrontation with his mother. He would miss her, he was sure of that, but he'd already made his decision to go. He raced upstairs, feeling rather faint, and proceeded to pack. But the more energy he spent on folding clothes, the fainter and more distant he felt. Then came the pain. It was a sharp, stabbing pain in his head, which made him jump backwards onto the floor, writhing around in pain, screaming for it to stop.

Which it did, eventually.

He refused to allow himself to worry about it, and instead finished packing, before making his way downstairs, suitcase in tow. He was about to walk out of the door, never to return, but was stopped by a small photograph on the wall. It was him, as a small child, being cradled by his mother, who had never looked to happy. He took it off the wall and placed it in his suitcase, before running into the kitchen, grabbing a paper and pen. He needed to explain to her what was happening, she deserved that much.

Mom,

I can't tell you how grateful I am to have had you as a mother. You've given me the best childhood anyone could ask for, and for that, I thank you. I'm sure you're wondering where I've been for the past few days, but I honestly believe it's better that you don't know. I just want you to know that I am safe, and that I am happy. I'm in love with a boy, and we've left together, for a life where we can be free from the constraints of society.
Please, don't blame yourself, like I know you are bound to. I could never ask for a better mother, and I swear to you I will call you from time to time, to let you know I am okay. Who knows, when we have a nice place of our own, you could even come to see us. I love you so much, Mom, and please don't worry about me.

Love always,
your son,

Sora x

He finished writing, and left the paper on the table, racking his brains, trying to think of where Roxas could be. However, he was interrupted by the somewhat familiar feel of his leg vibrating, as Sora took out his phone. It was kairi, who told him that his car had been left at Riku's, and that she would wait there for him. It was in that instant that Sora knew where Roxas would be.

…...

"Can I get you anything? A coke? Tea? Beer?" Axel asked, pretending to care about the blonde boy in front of him.

"Have you heard about Sora?" Roxas asked, ignoring Axel's question.

"I heard he was missing."

"And that's where he'll stay, to you." Roxas threatened. He needed to make sure that Axel never again attempted to contact Sora or his family, which was the whole point of the final task on his list. Cloud's generosity had allowed him to cross off money too, which meant he was ahead of schedule.

"Roxas, do you really think you can stop me? Don't be so naïve."

Growing with anger, Roxas stood up.

…...

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kairi asked, full aware that this was the last time she would see Sora.

"No it's okay Kairi, I know where he'll be. Thank you for everything."

They embraced, somewhat awkwardly, as Kairi got into her own car, and drove away. Sora watched the car disappear, before heading to his own, excited at the thought of seeing the boy he loved. Before that, however, he had one thing to do. He drove to a garage, and showed the owner his car. It was within walking distance to where he thought Roxas was, and he knew that he'd have no need for it anymore. He was given a large pile of crisp, clean notes, before giving the owner his keys, and began to ran towards the house.

As he got closer, he could hear screaming and shouting, as a loud crash echoed onto the street. He ran in, not caring about the courtesy of knocking, and headed for the direction of the noise.

He rushed in, and was horrified by what he saw. There was Roxas, being strangled by Axel, who was violently banging Roxas' head onto the floor. Sora ran to the larger man, trying to pull him off, although he was quickly knocked back onto the floor. Roxas was still struggling, gasping for breath as the large hands around his neck gripped ever tighter, causing him to turn even paler than usual.

Sora ran into the kitchen, his instinct telling him to pick up a sharp carving knife. He wasn't thinking at all; it was as though his senses had completely taken over him, as he rushed back into the lounge, and plunged the sharp object into Axel's back.

He screamed, but his tight grip on Roxas' neck did not falter. Sora walked closer yet again, and stabbed at the redhead violently, until he finally let go and fell, with a loud thud, onto the floor.

Both boys stood motionless, staring at each other as they caught their breaths, neither knowing how to break the silence.

"Y-you're awake!" Roxas exclaimed, gathering all of his strength to stand up and embrace Sora tightly. There, they stood, in silence, before Roxas pulled back and kissed Sora roughly.

"You didn't think I was going to let something as silly as a coma keep me from letting you leave, did you?" Sora joked, his mind refusing to allow him to acknowledge the redhead unconscious on the floor.

They both laughed, unable to fathom how lucky they both were. Words somehow seemed inappropriate, as Roxas led Sora by the hand to his car, both of them ignoring the man who had almost killed one of them.

Roxas took Sora's suitcase and put it with his own, before opening the door for Sora. He got in the car himself, and looked at the brunette, amazed that he was here, with him.

They had no idea where they were going, but neither of them cared. It didn't matter, because they both knew that as long as they were together, they were home. As the car away drove from the house, neither of them looked back. They didn't need to.

They were free.

Well there it is. I decided to end it here, because, I don't know, I guess I didn't want it to get stale or boring. I'm sorry for the long wait, I wasn't sure whether or not to give them a happy ending. So what's next for me? Well, if you're interested, I think I'm going to write a few short stories, maybe for kingdom hearts or Death Note. However, I am strongly considering a sequel, and would be honoured to know if you wanted one, or if you wanted to leave these characters in peace. It's been amazing writing for you, and to everyone who reviewed, this story is dedicated to you. You've brought back my passion for writing, and it's something I will always be grateful for. x