This one is different form the last one and more like what most of these will be, and instead of being based on the entire song, it's only based on a few lyrics from it, which i have listed. Also, I have limited knowledge on anything of the medical variety so I kept that part of it pretty vague since it's really not what this short story is about.

Down and Out by The Academy Is...

"The writers weren't kidding about how all good things must end.
Then again some things are far too good to go ahead and let go."

"The writers weren't kidding about the good things will live in our hearts."

Life was great for Axel. He had a steady job he enjoyed going to and made good money at it, a nice car to drive to work in everyday, a new home with three bedrooms and a nice big backyard for the children he dreamed to have someday, a cat that took care of any mice that wandered into their home and liked to snuggle while he was watching tv, but not when he was reading.

But best of all was the reason he had all those things. Roxas. The light of his life. The blond haired, blue eyed firecracker who had wedged himself right into Axel's heart. The one that had inspired Axel to finish high school when he was sure it wasn't worth it. The one that had found a way for him to do something he enjoyed and make good money at it. The one who twisted his stomach every time Axel caught his oh so blue eyes, made him laugh when he was feeling down, and slaps some sense into him when he tries to do something stupid. The one who stole his heart away and will never give it back. Their first date, that didn't start as a date, was something Axel could never forget.

Axel sat up on the clock tower as the sun sunk low in the sky. Avoiding his family, his friends, his teachers, his homework… It just didn't feel worth it anymore. He wasn't good at school. He struggled for every grade, all by himself, holed up in his room late into the night. His parents couldn't care less if he went to school, got good grades, or did anything with his life at all. As long as he didn't interrupt their drinking and gambling they didn't care what he did. His friends were little better. Zexion got his grades effortlessly and didn't understand why Axel couldn't do the same. Larxene was only interested in playing horrible pranks on everything that moved. Demyx was just floating by, playing his music at every gig he could get.

Axel sighed. He envied Demyx. He wished he could just make it through high school and move on to what he really wanted to do. But his designs were nothing to brag about. He had many times been told he wasn't good enough, he didn't have the eye for design, he wasn't cut out for it. He sighed again. "Maybe I should just quit high school and work at dad's shop. Obviously I'm not good enough for anything else."

"That's quitter talk, Axel." Axel spun around to find the source of the voice to find that blond boy that he had seen several times at school. Roxas. That junior who had lots of friends; who got along with his teachers; who was top of his class.

"So what if it is? What's it to you?"

"Well, I think you have a lot more potential than working in some mechanics shop." Axel looked Roxas up and down, almost like he was crazy. He was kind of small, probably around 5'5", almost a foot shorter than Axel, and thin. His face was still rounded from childhood, but was starting to get that mature edge to it. His sunshine blond hair was complete bed head, like "I just had sex", and Axel wasn't sure if it was planned out or he just woke up that way. And his eyes. A bright blue that rivaled his favorite ice cream treat, and full of… hope.

"You don't know me." Axel finally told him.

"No, I don't suppose I do. But I would like to. And I have seen some of your drawings. I think there is potential there. You just need… the right inspiration." Roxas gave Axel the most genuine smile he had ever seen.

"And what, you think you're that inspiration?" Axel snorted at the thought.

"I don't know. But I think it's worth a shot, don't you?" Axel watched Roxas again, unsure of what to think of this kid. He didn't even know Axel, not really, and yet he wanted to help him, wanted to… be with him? Axel just didn't know what to make of the whole situation.

"I suppose… it can't hurt." Axel finally told him, looking back at the setting sun. They simply watched in silence until the sun had dipped below the horizon and Axel scowled at it. "I hate sunsets."

"Why?"

"Why not? The sun, that brings light, and life, and happiness to the world is gone. It leaves us everyday to hide behind the rest of the world, leaving us in darkness for hours." Axel scowled more until Roxas laughed, a light, happy laugh that had Axel looking at him like he was crazy.

"Well with that outlook I can see how you would hate sunsets." Roxas explained. "There is so much more to a sunset that just an ending. Even the sun can't be with us always; it has to go shine for those on the other side of the world too. But it doesn't just leave us to fend for ourselves. It tasks the moon to look over us while it is away. It may not be as powerful, but it does it's best. And best of all, in every sunset there is a promise." Roxas watched the rapidly darkening sky with a wide smile and a gleam in his eye. "A promise to return because nothing good truly ends, it only has to go away for a while. It'll be back. It'll be there for you. Always."

Roxas was truly the most amazing person Axel had ever met. In a single night, he turned Axel perspective on life and of himself around. He helped Axel finish high school, and gave him the inspiration Axel needed to push his art and designs to a new level. He was offered an internship in his last month of high school and was working fulltime by the end of the summer. He got his own apartment, away from his poisonous parents, and took Roxas out every Friday night. Some nights they would see a movie – at home or at the theatre – some nights they would go out for dinner, and some nights they would just sit up on that clock tower where they met, where Axel's life changed, and just watch the sunset, and know that tomorrow it would be back, and everything would be okay.

Axel opened the door to his new home, kicked off his shoes, dropped his keys in the little basket, scratched the cat's head as he passed and went to search for the light of his life. He found him in the kitchen, cutting up ingredients for whatever he had planned for dinner. "Hey babe," Axel said with a kiss to Roxas' forehead as he took his spot next to him at the counter to help prepare their dinner. "You started without me again, I thought we cooked together."

"We do cook together, I just wanted to get things started. Dusk wouldn't leave me alone, she really wanted to be feed, so I figured since I was in here already to get her food around, I might as well start on ours as well." Roxas pointed at the fluffy gray cat that was purring contently among the plants like a jungle cat who just ate its fill. "She'll probably be back over here to hit you up for treats."

"She's going to be a tootsie roll with all those treats she wants to eat." Axel chuckled. Once their food was finished and Dusk was given a few treats for her hard work lounging in the sun all day, they sat down at the little dinning room table to eat. About halfway through his meal, Axel noticed Roxas was mostly just picking at his food and looked like he was about to fall asleep. "Babe, why don't you go to bed early tonight, you look exhausted."

"Hmm? Oh… yeah I guess. I'm sorry." Roxas sat up as if he was trying to convince Axel he wasn't as tired as he seemed.

"It's fine. You've been busy recently." Axel smiled.

"Yeah. On top of trying to get that promotion at work, Sora and Marluxia won't agree on anything. I swear, sometimes I think they think it's their wedding, not ours." He chuckled softly.

"Slap some sense into those pansies. Tell them to get their own rings and have their own weddings because this one is yours." Axel laughed.

Roxas twisted the simple metal band wrapped around his ring finger. "Yeah, but I think Sora has been dropping hints on Riku a lot recently."

"Hints? More like huge signs pasted all over their little apartment. If Riku hasn't seen them he is more blind than I thought."

"I think he just wants to wait until our wedding is done and out of the way. He just likes making Sora wait for things because he knows how impatient he can get, but the longer he waits the more the loves it in the end." Roxas shook his head. "Anyways, I'm gonna take you up on that offer and go to bed early."

"Alright. I'll take care of cleaning up before coming to bed myself." Roxas got up from his seat to give Axel a quick kiss before disappearing down the hall to their room, Dusk at his heels. Neither of them really thought much about how tired Roxas was that night, or even how tired he continued to be the following weeks or the lack of food he ate, until he collapsed in the hallway leading to their bedroom one night and Axel had no choice but to call the ambulance.

"He has what?"

The doctor was silent for a moment, a sad look on his face. This was always the hardest part.

"Cancer."

"He needs a transplant, but there is no guarantee that it will help, and that makes it hard to get an approval. It could take a while, if we get it at all." The doctor explained.

"We're the same blood type. I'll be the donor." Axel quickly said.

"Axel…" Roxas voice was quiet, weak. "You don't have to do that."

"Yes I do Roxas. You're everything that's good in my life. I can't just let you go like that." Axel held Roxas hand, taking his seat at the edge of the hospital bed once again. "I can't give you up without trying." His voice was thick, trying to control his emotions.

"If you're sure about this, we can do the transplant tomorrow." The doctor said.

"I'm sure."

"The transplant seemed to help… for a while. I'm afraid he isn't going to make it though. He's getting weaker and weaker."

"Dusk misses you. She sits in your chair all the time, meowing."

"Make sure she doesn't turn into a tootsie roll for me, okay?"

"Roxas… please don't talk like that."

"We have to face it Axe. I'm not going to last much longer." His breathing was low and shallow. "I'm sorry… I won't make it to our wedding. I don't mean to stand you up like this." He laughed a short, breathy laugh.

"Roxas…" Axel chocked on the name. "How can I do this without you? You're everything to me."

"Well… you know what they say." His breathing was getting more labored and it became harder to speak the more he did. "'All good things must end'."

"We were just getting started… why did it have to end so soon?"

"That's just the way life goes, Axe… But just because it's ending, doesn't mean I'll be gone for good. Remember what I told you about the sunset? The good things live on… here," he reached out to press a hand over Axel's heart, a sad, weak smile on his face, his deep, labored breathes interrupting his words. "I'll still be there for you Axe… so don't give up… don't let this ruin you… you're a wonderful person… I'll be there… in every sunset… you live… to see…"

Axel looked away from his Light, out the window, where the sun was just meeting with the horizon. The once steady beeping that filled the room was getting slower and slower. He turned back and brushed his fingers across the soft, cool skin. "Close your eyes Rox," He finally let a tear slip down his face, "The sunset has come to take you away."

A sequel can be found in Chapter 16: Sunrise