The Beginning of what could be the End
But in that instant, he prayed to God that the boy he saw wasn't Roxas.
Axel stared in shock at the event before him. Oh, how he wanted to avert his gaze, to turn around, close the door and walk back in to a happy scene. However, nothing, no thought or action, could tear Axel's gaze away.
Roxas. Fading away. Pouring out the darkness that filled him from deep gashes in his flesh.
Axel walked- no, ran- forward and attempted to gather the frail and dying form in his arms. He stared down at the face of Roxas, into saddened and morose eyes. Axel couldn't even whisper his name. All he could do was stare.
No. God, no.... Roxas, I... I-
"I love you, Axel..."
Roxas's voice was barely above a whisper and extremely hoarse. Axel felt tears well up in his eyes at those soft words. He placed a hand on the boy's face and ghosted his fingers over his lips. Roxas, on the other hand, tried to wrap his arms around Axel's waist. He was too weak, however, and his arms just didn't move for him. He tried to whisper Axel's name again but was hushed by one of Axel's fingers pressed gently to his lips.
"I... I love you, too, Roxas," Axel finally managed to say, his voice cracking with emotion.
"Why d-did you..." Roxas began to say.
"Why did I leave?" Axel cut him off. "I did that because... I, uh.... I was scared, Roxas."
Roxas's eyes widened a small fraction at the last part. "Scared, Axel...?"
"Scared. Of what I said, what I did, what I should've said, what I should've did.... Scared of all of it."
Axel placed a hand on the back of Roxas's neck and lifted his head up so that they were almost face-to-face. He pressed their foreheads together and said, "And now I regret that fear."
Axel pressed his lips to Roxas's and closed his eyes. Roxas did the same. However, there was one large difference between Axel and Roxas in that instant:
Roxas would never open his sky blue eyes again.