Roxas watches as Axel throws himself back into dancing, watches him swallow down his guilt and find something worth living for again, worth being part of whole-heartedly, and doesn't know what to think. Part of him can think of nothing but his sister, beside him, but even that is a complicated thought, because whilst her leg may be in plaster, her eyes are alight with fire, with desire, with a beauty which he thought was lost to her forever. In watching Axel dance, she seems to take a part of her old life back, to regain strength, and Roxas can not damn him for giving her the chance to feel joy. However, what he feels is slightly different, watching Axel dance like he's forgotten what can happen if he slips up, like he's forgotten that actions have consequences. He's beautiful, and all Roxas can think of is him on his knees, mouth stretched obscenely wide, enthusiastic, wanting it – he wants to see that in a different situation, wants it to be his turn, to worship with his mouth what he can not find the words to describe, what he can not see as anything but beautiful, lithe, strong and brave. He sees what all his dance partners see, now, why Naminé looks at him with such love, such adoration. It is impossible to watch Axel dance and not fall in love with him, Roxas believes, impossible not to want to know what that passion is like when it's directed at you, rather than choreography, line, poise and position. Instead of imagining that body stretched out beneath him, he begins to think of years sat in the stalls, years of watching, years of stage doors and late-night taxis, years of knowing when that smile hits the stage, that it's all for him. These are all dreams he had before, with Naminé, and it feels like a dark betrayal to want to make these plans with someone else – but Axel is the only person with the same soul as she has, with the same determination, the same need to dance, more than anything else. Perhaps, he thinks, it's less of a betrayal, and more adapting to reality. It's not perfection – but it's there, and it's enough.

Naminé turns seventeen in hospital, the metal plates holding her ankle together having got infected, and Roxas turns seventeen right beside her, clutching her hand. She's been trying to dance, the doctor says, and it's stopping her from healing; she insists that she hasn't been doing anything of the sort, just stretching a little, just trying to press the muscle back into shape, but that's too much, too. Roxas has to hide a smile as she folds her arms across her chest and stares imperiously at the doctor.

"I'm a ballerina, doctor, six months out of dancing, and I'm not just old, I'm out of shape, too. I need to keep my muscles moving."

"Not if you ever want to walk again, you don't."

"What good is walking if I can't dance?"

The doctor has no answer to that, just walks away, shaking his head about crazy dancers. Roxas grips her hand a little tighter, and they grin at each other, but both silently agree that her stretching sessions have to stop. Roxas knows how hard this is for her to agree to, but he feels walking is, for now, more important than dance.

In the next couple of days, a few people come to visit; Xion, a dainty, dark-haired dancer who used to be one of Larxene's hangers-on, but feels awful about what they did to someone who was simply talented and determined, Axel, because he can't stay away, and then someone who is something of a surprise. Roxas looks up when he sees red hair, already smiling for Axel, but the figure is diminutive, female, and has a hesitant smile on her face. She walks awkwardly, using a stick, and approaches the bed.

"Hi. Naminé, right?"

Naminé's face lights up.

"Oh, my god, Kairi Debruchev? I mean… you were… you were spectacular. It was such a shame. I saw you dance the Ballerina in Petrushka, you were just… so amazing."

Kairi smiles.

"That must have been five years ago now. How old were you then?"

"Twelve. It made me even more determined to be a ballerina, to dance forever."

"No one dances forever."

Naminé looks crestfallen, staring at her leg.

Roxas grips her hand a little tighter, and Kairi looks at him for the first time.

"It's good you've got someone." She says, softly, "Someone to look after you."
"What happened to Sora?" Roxas asks, because he knows the story, of course he does, anyone with a passing interest in ballet knows that.

"He left." Kairi says, bluntly, "He decided that neither Riku nor I were worth his time, and Riku had no need for a ruined ballerina, not when there were so many others to choose from."

"This is my brother, Roxas. He's helping me. He understands ballet."

"No one who isn't a dancer understands ballet."

"You'd be surprised." Roxas says, with a smile. He gets up to leave, then, to leave the two of them to talk, and Naminé squeezes his hand before letting go.

"Get some sleep." She says, gently, "Go talk to Axel. Do something for yourself."

Roxas just smiles and shakes his head. She doesn't know that looking after her is the most he can do for himself, right now. She is his world, and whilst it is unbalanced, he can do nothing else but stay with her.

Axel, however, is a different beast to anything Roxas is used to. The two of them spend a lot of time together now, because Naminé doesn't need looking after all the time, and relentlessly drags Roxas to all the rehearsals. Axel isn't needed for a lot of the chorus dancing, so when those are being blocked out and practiced, he slides into a seat next to Roxas and spends time pointing out mistakes with Naminé, leaning his warm body across Roxas, lean and lightly covered in sweat from dancing, and he grins at Roxas, so carefree, like he doesn't even remember what was between them. Roxas remembers, though, and finds himself pathetically grateful that he never went into dance, because the tights would hide nothing, do hide nothing, and he'll never admit to anyone that he spends the time when Axel is dancing half-watching his steps and half-watching his ass. When Naminé goes to physiotherapy, Roxas finds himself back at the rehearsal, watching Axel move smoothly across the stage. He's lost in the music so much that it's a surprise when Axel sits down next to him.

"No Nami today?"

"Physio. I thought I'd come and watch anyway."

"You like dance, don't you?"

Roxas rolls his eyes, because he knows what's coming.

"No, I never took it up, I danced when I was a kid but I never had the flexibility, and it's Nami's dream anyway, but yes, I like watching it."
Axel laughs, a rich, rolling sound.

"Guess you've had that enough. No, I was going to ask if you've ever tried dancing with an experienced partner. You know, just a few steps here and there, nothing too fancy."
"Not really. Never really had the chance. Never really wanted to, to be honest."

"Why not?"

Roxas shrugs.

"It was her thing, not mine – I just like the beauty of it."

"So no dancing for the other twin."
"Not yet, no." Roxas says, grinning as Axel leans in closer.

"We should. You know, sometime."

Dance, he means, they should dance, they should try dancing together. Roxas isn't exactly a two left feet sort of guy, but he's certainly not got any skills if he's compared with someone who could be a professional in a year or so. It'll be weird, probably, and Axel will laugh at him, because Naminé always did, to see him dance ballet, but it might be fun, too, and Axel laughing is a glorious sight to behold.

"I'd like that." Roxas says, and means it. He's been watching Axel dance with his sister since he was five. He thinks he might have been waiting that whole time for his chance to try it.