Happy Reading! for the last time

CULT

Handing in his resignation form, Zexion had never felt lighter. No scratch that, he had felt lighter than this at one point but… that had been when Lexaeus was still alive. So he hadn't felt this light in a year and he hadn't felt this satisfied. Cleaning out his desk and being given friendly parting words from Adams, it suddenly felt real to him. He really did just hand in his resignation form, he really did just clean out his desk, he really did agree to accompany his friend on his hair-brained journey to live inside a cult.

Zexion shook his head, trying to clear himself of the thought unless he, god forbid, started to actually think about it.

It wasn't that he thought it was stupid…just well, it was stupid. It was… completely irrational, it was unlikely and he was pretty sure Axel hadn't actually thought about his plan at all beyond quitting his job and leaving for the cult. Axel wasn't exactly forthcoming with information and Zexion wasn't quite sure he wanted to know more. The one and only time he pressed for details, Axel just smirked at him and said he would take care of it.

Besides the vague information that Axel would 'take care of it', he didn't know anything. Not how they were getting there, what would happened when they got there, how they were supposed to slip off the face of the planet and have no one come looking for them, or, and his heart skipped a beat at this one, if they were found, or, and this is the one that he spent the most time thinking about, what he should pack.

When the ex-agent came home, Paco jumping from the fur covered couch and twist his tail around Zexion's legs, Axel didn't look like he was 'taking care of it'. It didn't look like he had even moved from his spot on the couch, staring at some dumb TV show. The redhead only gave a distracted hey, not even looking over to him.

For some reason this really bothered him. Zexion's mouth twisted a little bit, though he figured he couldn't expect anything more. Axel had moved out of his apartment and had nowhere else to go while Zexion took care of his own unfinished business. But to see him just sitting on his ass, looking like he hadn't moved all day, really pissed him off.

"Well," he started, staring pointedly at him. "I quit my job today. I also gave the landlord last months rent. What the hell did you do today?"

Now Axel looked over at him, both eyebrows raised over his wide eyes in a 'whoa! Someone's PMS-ing' look. "Um, okay, don't get pissy at me. For your information, I've been making paper trails all day so that when we split the other government dogs won't pick up on us for awhile. I haven't just been sitting on my ass all day, jeez," Axel scoffed. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"…oh."

"Yeah." Axel sighed, shaking his head. He pointed at his friend was who starting to take of his shoes and loosen his tie. "You need a chill pill. I told you I would take care of it."

And take care of it Axel had. It took more effort and more time he wanted to put into it but he was satisfies with it's end results. It wasn't easy to make it look like you didn't really drop off the face of the planet and were really taking an extended vacation to the coast. It wasn't easy to make it look like you kept on doing your thing for an entire year.

While Zexion went to work for a week before turning in the paperwork, Axel had been hacking into every system he could to fake the receipts and tickets and general purchases. They were all superficial and would only technically exist in the government's data base. Axel was sure he did a good enough job to even fool himself for awhile.

And when the trail ended? Well, by then no one would really have a clue where to even start looking for them. They, he, Zexion, and everyone else, would be safe. He made sure of it.

He flicked off the TV and set his green gaze onto his friend and now fellow soon-to-be runaway. "Good to hear about the landlady. I wanna leave soon."

Zexion balked, started mid-step on his way to his kitchen, almost stepping on his cat. "Tonight? But--But." he looked around his living room, thinking of all the things he had to do to get all of his things out of the apartment. "What about all my stuff?"

"I already got rid of most of it. Clothes, hygiene stuff, anything that had your name on it, everything that had your DNA on it. I completely crashed your computer," Axel said casually. "The TV is too heavy and I don't think the couch will be a big deal. Food's all tossed," he called as Zexion started heading toward the kitchen. "I packed what we would need."

The shorter of the two stopped, all reason for even moving about gone. Axel sat and watched the television idly. All of his stuff was gone. No trace of him anywhere. Pictures, he saw now, were gone, magnets he had on his refrigerator were gone, everything was gone. It was like he was never here. Axel had truly taken care of it. Any choice to back out now was gone, they were really gonna do it.

Zexion walked back and plopped down next to his one remaining friend and after a long silence he asked, "…So. How are we getting there again?"

And Axel smirked.

---

Walking, it seems, was the only suitable way to get there they needed to be. Even though it took around two hours to get there by car. Axel was kind of sure they would make it before nightfall. Maybe, possibly before the sun set.

It did not bode well for Zexion's feet, nor for his arms as Paco refused to walk alongside him brought along for the trip because, well, he would not leave his fat and spoiled, de-clawed cat all alone in the city. He was growing heavier by the minute.

"Axel," he whined, Paco purring in his arms as they walked down the busy street. "Do we really need to walk out of town? Can't we just take a cab?"

"Cab can be tracked," Axel insisted, adjusting the strap of the lone duffle he carried. Inside had the only things they were bringing into their new lives, that is, food. Axel took pride in the fact that he literally had nothing of his old life holding him back from going forward. He was free to go forth and be the Axel he wanted to be once again.

"Not after months have gone by. No one has that great a memory. Besides," he huffed, adjusting his hold on his cat as he squirmed. "The cabs from downtown don't have cameras or anything. There'll be no trail to track."

Axel didn't even looked like he considered it, just kept walking swiftly, running sneakers hardly making a noise against the sidewalk. They were both dressed casually, maybe more outdoorsy than the rest of people out in the town. But they wouldn't stand out. Axel was wearing a hat and Zexion had pinned his hair back. They looked like civilians. They wouldn't be picked out in a line-up or even given second thoughts.

The redhead huffed and changed direction, figuring out how to get where they needed to get fast. With use of a cab, he figured, and being dropped off where the suburbs started turning into the country, the time spent traveling would be cut immensely.

Zexion smiled, knowing he won, but said nothing, following him silently wherever he may lead and hoping that he really was making the right decision.

If the cabs could in any way indicate exactly where they came from, this one did a very accurate representation of downtown. Rank, nearly falling apart, and manned by a surly man around forty who looked like all he really wanted to do was to run the cab right into a building. He also represented the city well when he didn't bat an eye at their strange destination and immediately started driving, not saying a word.

The tall, if in bad condition, buildings zipped by at a much faster rate than if they tried to walk through it. Zexion watched as his city started to fade into the background, mentally saying goodbye as the buildings started to get smaller and slowly changed into a more suburban area. No one said anything the entire car ride and Zexion figured Axel was thinking the same thoughts as he was, that they were really going, they were almost there.

Watching the homes fly by, passing neighborhood from neighborhood, the ex-agent started to worry. What was Axel's plan? What would they do if it didn't work out? Would they really be accepted? Axel was one thing, the members already thought he was a member once too, but he? Zexion had never stepped foot in the place, would they let him in? What would he do if they didn't?

He was working himself into a fit, worries and bad thoughts filling his head as Axel sat calmly next to him. He didn't look like he was worried at all, like he was in control of the situation and he knew it. This sated him, but Zexion had questions he needed to be answered, his curious mind wouldn't let him be left in the dark anymore. If there were going to be problems, he needed to be aware of them and he needed to get a plan going for just in case. That's just how he was.

Minutes passed just like the scenery and they were nearing toward the place where Axel told the man to drop them off. As an old gas station right before the suburbs started switching to farms and into the country, it was the perfect place to start their journey on foot. Only thirty minutes had passed and the sun was still above head but was gradually slinking down. It would set in perhaps five hours and he and Axel had miles upon miles of country land to trek across.

Both car doors slammed as they got out and it sounded obnoxiously loud in the surrounding quietness. The trees and fields looked slightly ominous and Zexion gulped, tightening his grip on his purring cat as Axel threw more money than was needed at the cab driver. He emptied all of his bank accounts earlier so he didn't see why not.

The redhead watched the cab and when it was a good enough distance away he started moving, taking long strides, excitement and impatience evident in his walk.

Zexion waited until he caught up with his friend and kept his pace for a long moment. He didn't quite know where to start so he just opened his mouth and said it. "What's your plan?"

"Whaddya mean, what's my plan?" Axel kept his gaze straight on forward, intent on the road before them.

"I mean, what's your plan?! How are we gonna get in there this time? What are you going to say when they ask where you've been? What are you going to say about me? What are you---"

"Well, obviously," Axel interrupted, glancing at him shortly. "We're gonna go through the front door. I'm gonna tell them I had to get my friend. All of which is true. Just follow my lead and everything will be fine."

The slate haired man huffed, angry at being interrupted and at his vague answer. "But what will you say? They're going to want more than that. Have you even prepared what you're going to say? What will you do if they won't accept us?" The agent saw how Axel stumbled in his step, how his shoulders tensed and Zexion's eyes narrowed. "Have you even thought about that?"

"They'll take us in," Axel insisted, looking at him straight in the eyes. "They will."

"How do you know?"

"I just--" Axel hunched his shoulders in a shrug, eyes going up to look at the blue sky. "I just have faith that it will. Trust me, if we plan the entire thing out, script what we say, they'll pick out that it isn't sincere. They'll know if we planned it. Just-- we'll take it a step at a time. I'll flip if they won't take you in," he promised. "Everything will be fine."

Axel's continual promises that everything will be fine somewhat soothed him, but the worry Zexion had in his gut didn't go away.

They walked for hours, Zexion's feet felt swollen and ached with every step he took. Besides the occasional gentle breeze that shook up the trees and the odd car that passed them, all was quiet. Zexion had no idea how far they had traveled or how much farther they still had to go. The sun was a little lower in the sky.

When he thought his feet be bleeding Axel finally announced that they could take a break and sat down on the grass next to the road. He looked weary as he set the small duffle bag down and dug through it, sighing.

Zexion set Paco down, the cat venturing off a little ways before he preceded to give himself a bath. Axel looked at it, shaking his head and smiling. He offered an apple and said, "Why did you bring that thing anyway?"

His friend huffed, taking the fruit. "What else could I do? Paco's a lover, not a fighter. He wouldn't be able to survive on the tough streets of upper Twilight."

"He might cave to the peer pressure of the other cats and get into hard drugs, join a gang," Axel laughed, winking. "Right?"

"Right." They both quieted, chew on the food Axel had brought.

"Hey….I just…I know not having a big master plan isn't your style. Thanks for…I dunno, believing I can handle this. I can. I know I can. If we just wing it, it'll work into place, I know it will. I…I was on pretty good terms with some higher ups. I'm almost positive she'll pull some strings," Axel nodded to himself, thinking of the ways he could make everything work out, confident in his ability.

"That's good. I…It just makes me nervous, This whole thing does, Axel, I'm not gonna lie to you," Zexion confessed into his apple. "I think this whole thing is pretty illogical. But…I'm willing to see it through. Is it really such a good place?"

Axel grinned, leaning back and looking up at the sky, fond memories coming back to him. "Oh yeah. It's…paradise. It's like life used to be, should be. Before phones, and terrorist attacks and wars and drugs and evil. Everything is just peaceful. You won't have to worry ever again. That's just how they roll there. It's the only place I want to go now…."

"Do you think I'll…god, I feel like an awkward teenager right now," Zexion laughed. "But do you think I'll fit in good ther?. You've been through weeks of it, you know what to expect, but…will I survive there?"

"They'll make it so you will. Everyone looks out for each other. I'll see to it that you find your niche. No one will let you fail here. As long as you try to work it out it will."

"I hope it will."

They only rested for fifteen minutes, enough time to gulp down some food and some water. Zexion picked up his cat and Axel took out a map and they started walking again, a little more confidence in both their steps now. They walked for what seemed like days, monotonous scenery making time blur together until neither were sure just how long they'd been going. But they knew where they had to be and that made them keep going, every step a step closer.

And then the came to their destination, the map in Axel's hands being correctly read and had led them to the correct road. The path was beaten down and easy to follow, winding to steer clear of trees and leading to an iron gate surrounded by tall hedges.

Axel took a deep breath. "This is it."

The sun was set, moon giving them ample light to scale the greenery. With a thump they both landed on the other side. Zexion, standing up, was stunned. They were here. They were there, standing right on the soil. From a distance he could sort of see the outlines of homes, tents, and there were so many of them.

Eyes wide, he could only follow as Axel starting toward the mass, a little breathless as he tried to keep up with Axel's fast, excited pace. Every nervous flutter in his chest must have been matched by a pleasant, anxious one in Axel because the redhead had the most hopeful, joyous smile on his face, eyes glittering. The beaten path before them swerved to the left, off and around to the side of the bundle of houses but Axel disregarded it, heading straight.

Coming closer, Zexion could see that the tents were made out of cloth and the homes came in all the colors of the rainbow. The effect was sort of carnival-ish, looked bright and fun and carefree. Freedom in being simple.

Just as they entered the massive maze of multi-colored tents, Axel grinning wider than ever, looking around like he was a kid back in a candy store, there was a gasp.

Both of the ex-agents whipped their heads around, locating the person immediately for she stood only feet away.

A woman, Zexion vaguely recognized her as the girl who was taken in the same time as Axel but couldn't think of her name, was staring at them wide-eyed, blinking. Soon enough, as the cogs churned in her head, the expression turned bewildered and incredulous and then changing into trepidation and increasingly alarmed. She looked like she was about to shout.

Axel shot her a pleading look, ducking his head down to look into her eyes. "Larxene. Please…" he begged, letting his desperation show on his face. "Please, sister."

Larxene, the business woman who once looked as icy as her heart surely was, softened at his tone, distress on her face turning slowly into compassion and worry. She looked at the redhead, looked straight into his eyes, looking for any sign that his motives were ugly, for a long time, unwavering in her intense search.

Gradually, she nodded, casting a glance at the newcomer before looking again at Axel, the man who was brought here with her, her brother. Larxene grabbed his wrist. "I'll take you to Aerith. C'mon. Let's go before anyone else sees you."

---

Quickly, for Larxene forced them into a run among the maze of colorful tents, he and Zexion were sitting before Aerith, her tired and surprised face glancing at them both before she herded them into her home, telling Larxene to head straight home to get a good nights rest.

She stared at them solemnly and Axel felt the need to duck his head sheepishly under her intense gaze, feeling quite like a child who was being punished. Aerith gave no hint as to what she was thinking, keeping her face blank for a long moment while she stared at them, taking in their appearance, their clothes, the guilty look on Axel's face and the worried one on Zexion's. She even briefly studied the cat who was purring next to Zexion.

When she spoke, it was softly, but had a commanding undertone that demanded they listen.

"I was worried about you," she said. "No one knew where you went. Roxas was in hysterics."

At Roxas's name Axel started, light green eyes shoot up to her dark green, hopeful but tragic, like the world had stopped turning. After a while, where Aerith met his gaze solidly, saying with her eyes, yes, you did that, you're at fault for this, he averted his gaze and she continued, giving Zexion a curious look.

"You leave for weeks and then you come back with another man. What am I supposed to think of this?" Axel balked, opening his mouth indignantly to explain that they were just friends, but she held up a dainty hand, commanding his voice to quiet.

"I already know what you're about to say and frankly I believe you. But the fact is that you've left the congregation without permission, without even telling anyone, and now you're back. And with an outsider, not chosen by me nor anyone else who has the authority. Axel," she shook her head, looking at him like he had two heads. "How could you do such a thing?"

"I had to," he said, meeting eyes with Zexion briefly. "He's my friend and he's suffered too. I couldn't just leave him there. Aren't we supposed to help those who are in need? He was in need. I helped him."

Aerith's eyes narrowed. "If he needed such help then why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you voice your opinion before you ran off? Why didn't anyone ever know of this before now? Quite frankly I'm not sure if I believe your story."

The redhead huffed, losing his cool under her harshest words yet. "Well, quite frankly I'm not sure if I care what you think of my 'story'. Where is Ansem? Where is the Wise Man? It's his decision, not yours."

The brunette woman bristled, looking angry and like she wanted to snap but she sighed eventually and was quiet for a moment, looking toward the sky and closing her eyes. "Ansem… Our leader has left us. May his soul be resting in paradise." When she opened her eyes again she looked strongly at Axel, in control. Axle noticed for the first time that she was wearing pristine white. "So no, Axel. It IS my decision and I would request that you close your mouth and just listen."

When he did, after a long stare-off in which Axel lost miserably, Aerith regard Zexion who had been watching the whole exchange quietly, wondering what he got himself into. "Who are you?"

"Um. I-- My Name is Zexion Gray. I'm one of Axel's friends…."

"And why do you deserve to be here, Zexion?"

He paused, blinking at her question, wondering if she was being mean. Her clear soft eyes said nothing but didn't seem to have malicious intent in them either. "I….I… I don't think I do?" He offered weakly. "Axel said that this was a place that…you could let things go. But I don't," his brow furrowed and he was mostly talking to himself. "I'm not sure if I even want to. I mean---it's complicated."

"Indulge me them," she loftily said, disregarding his somber tone with a small cock of her head.

He paused, brow furrowed as Zexion regarded her and as he thought of what he should say, not wanting to give away too much. "I… Axel and I…We lost a friend a year ago. A great friend," he said weakly. Great was an understatement when talking about Lexaeus. "I watched him die…. I never got over it. It's always been a shadow hanging over me, every second of the day. I made my choices based off what I thought he would want all the time and I'm just now realizing how miserable I really was. This is really the first decision I've made for myself. Maybe I don't deserve to be here," he told her, glancing up to meet her calm, wise face. "But I'm here."

Aerith's face gave nothing away as she digested his words, picking up on the genuine sorrow. Her dark green eyes glanced over them, picking out every detail to support her next words. "Indeed. You're here. But how did you come to be here? The trail from Twilight City to here is very, very long. Especially on foot," she pointedly looked at their dirt covered sneakers. "It would take hours. And that's if you knew where you were going. But, Axel, you've only been on the ride once. There's no way you could have possibly known all the paths to take, all the winding roads to follow, or know when you've made it."

"There's something you're keeping from me," Aerith said, eyes narrowed, mouth set in a hard line. Both men forced their faces blank. "Who exactly are you two? The truth, this time."

"Aerith," Axel floundered, trying to find a good excuse somewhere, something to say, some alibi, another lie to tell her.

"Don't lie to me. Don't you dare lie to me. After what you've put me and Roxas and everyone else through worrying about you, after we gave you a home, after he gave you his heart, don't you dare lie to me."

Again at his name, Axel's heart broke, guilt completely riding him. She was right, after all. After all the lies he already said, all the fake smiles while he documented everything they said, after being a spy in their perfect world, it would be disastrous to continue keeping them up, especially when he just wanted to leave that whole life behind him.

"My name is Axel O'Hara," he said slowly, watching as Zexion's eye went wide when he realized Axel was going to tell the truth, gulping. "And I…I'm a former agent of the FBI…"

And so he told her everything. Axel was surprised at how easy it was, to get everything off his chest. Aerith didn't say a word the whole time, listening with guarded eyes the entire time, nothing giving away her true thoughts and feelings. Here and there Zexion would but in, telling her that every record of Sunshine Fields was inaccessible to the public and that none of which had anything that would incense another agent to investigate again.

When they were done, after Axel told her that his mission was over and he had to leave or else things would be suspicious, after he told her he planned to come back anyway and brought Zexion with him, things were quiet.

The redhead and his friend fidgeted under her cool stare, her silence somewhat cold and distant.

Then she sighed, a sounded almost like she was breathing out all her worries, thoughts, anger, sadness. When Aerith looked at them she offered a slight smile. "You know… My husband, whom, well I guess you already know this but, my husband died a long time ago… He used to call me Aeris." Brown hair, out of her usual braid and flowing free, swung as she slightly shook her head and smiled to herself. "It's… Sort of a joke. We met when we where children. My mother used to own a flower shop and his mother would come in a lot. They became friends easily when they realized that they had children around the same age.

"Well, when I met him, Zack had just lost his front teeth. He couldn't say my name right. He said 'Aeris'. It became his nickname for me and he continually used it even twenty years later," she smiled sadly, eyes going off into the distance. "If I had know what would happen, I would have… I would have cherished those moments with him even more. But what can you do?" Aerith, who normally looked so happy and peaceful in general looked like she might break, the smile on her face not fooling anyone.

"I loved him and he died. That's just what happens sometimes. And every time I go back into that city, the place where he died, I sometimes tell people to call me Aeris, just to hear it once in awhile, just to relive that little part of my life again just so I know that it really happened. Sometimes I hate that city with a passion," she laughed. "I hate it so much that I can't wait to leave, to come back here where I'm Aerith all the time. I understand your actions, somewhat.

"Not perfectly of course," Aerith frowned, eyes becoming hard again. "I don't think I will ever be able to look at you the same way, knowing you spied on us, gave away our names and our life. And also knowing what you've done for us. If you hadn't, if it were someone else. We might not be here. You've saved us."

"I…" Axel searched for the right words to say but found none. What do you say to that? What could he say that wouldn't sound insincere?

"Thank you," Aerith sniffed, wiped her nose on her sleeve. "You've saved all of us, truly. I can't see any reason why I shouldn't accept you back into our lives considering what you've done, what you've given up to be here."

"So we can stay?" Axel exchanged a breathless smile with his friend, both dumbfounded at their luck, at the way the pieces fell together at the last second. "Zexion too?"

Aerith nodded. "Yeah. Yes, I would be happy to let him into our life as well. Don't worry," she said kindly. "I'll get someone to take good care of you. We don't let our brothers fall through the cracks." With several pops in her bones, she stood up, offering a hand to Zexion and leveling a heavy stare at Axel. "I can look past your crimes against us but I have to acknowledge these crimes too. And you have to as well. Go find him, Axel," she said solemnly as she took Zexion by the wrist, gently leading him outside. "He's been waiting."

The brunette then smiled gently at Zexion, who was quite worried about leaving Axel all of a sudden. "Never fear. You'll see him again soon. Come, we must find Demyx. He'll mentor you for the next few months until you can stand on your own feet."

Axel almost wanted to laugh, knowing how Demyx's and Zexion's personalities would clash horribly or greatly together, but he was too distracted by his own thoughts to really think about it, sitting cross-legged for a few long moments, worried out of his mind.

On one hand, he was dying desperately to see him, to see Roxas, and on the other he would do anything to not see him. Axel bit his lip, thinking of the way Roxas must have looked when he saw that he wasn't there that morning, how he must have felt after he discovered Axel was no where to be found at all. He thought about the days that had come after, how each one was another day that Axel didn't come back to him.

The days added up, Axel thought. Roxas must hate him for leaving without a word, for not saying anything, for abandoning him in the middle of the night.

Oh god, the redhead fretted, what Roxas must think of him.

Roxas could hate him, Roxas could despise him for the rest of their lives, but he couldn't not go to Roxas, he couldn't not run out of Aerith's home.

He couldn't not break out into run through the maze of colorful tents, trying to remember his way back to the one place he really felt at home.

He couldn't not be hopeful as he turned a corner and saw it, lighter than the others, brighter like the beacon it was.

Axel couldn't not go to Roxas, couldn't quell the loud beating of his heart if he wanted to, couldn't do anything that didn't bring him back to Roxas eventually.

Unlike what he feared, Roxas was not up, didn't immediately know when Axel was at his door, fully awake with scathing remarks for the redhead that cut deeper than any knife could. It was well into the night and everyone, which included Roxas as well, were sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware.

Roxas didn't stir when Axel came in, slight flutter of the cloth loud to his own ears as it fell back into place. He didn't murmur or suddenly awake when Axel knelt down, looking intently at him, face scrunched up as he tried to hold back the surge of emotion that suddenly flooded him. Roxas didn't open his eyes when the redhead caressed his face nor when he pushed back a lock of soft hair that fell into his eyes.

It was only when Axel took a deep breath, calming himself and stomping out all if his nerves, and lowered himself down until he and Roxas were side by side, nuzzling the crook of his neck and pulling him a bit closer, did Roxas stir.

It was just a slight grumble, even deep in his unconscious protesting to being moved when he was sleeping so peacefully, but it was enough to bring him to consciousness or at least half-consciousness. Slowly, Roxas blinked opened his eyes several times, eventually ending up with them more closed than open, squinting into the dark.

Roxas didn't exactly know what was going on, but he sort of knew that there just was something going on. He squirmed, mumbling incoherently and felt the body next to his, arm draped over his waist and the hot breath on his neck. When he turned his head around, it was slowly, lethargically, and Roxas was blinking stupidly as he tried to comprehend why exactly Axel was suddenly laying beside him.

The blond turned fully around, clumsily moving to face Axel, flopping down with a dull thump when the deed was accomplished. Blue eyes stared at him, blinking slowly once, twice, three times before he whispered loudly, smiling a little to himself, "Am I dreaming?"

Axel scooted forward, knocking their foreheads together gently, noses almost touching at the angle, and staying there, looking into sleepy light blue eyes. "No," he whispered, leaning forward a little to brush their lips against each other. "No, you're not dreaming."

"I missed you," Roxas confessed, eyes closing, calmed by Axel's answer and close to falling asleep again. "I thought you weren't coming back."

The redhead placed another short kiss, this time to the top of his nose. "I keep my promises. I'll always come back to you, Rox. Always."

Roxas said nothing back, chest rising and descending at steady intervals as he faded back into sleep again. His eyelashes fell against his cheeks in a just short of stunning way. Axel pressed his lips against his eyes before tugging the blond closer and falling asleep too, at peace, at home.

---

"Brothers, Sisters, please welcome back our brother, brought back to us. And welcome in our new brother come to us anew…"

Final chapter. It's done. Thanks to everyone who read this, to everyone who kept reading it, to everyone who reveiwed and even to everyone who didn't review. You all rock and really made this fun to write. Really, without you guys, this probably wouldn't have made it this far at all. I wish it would have gone a little farther but towards the end of writing the last few chapters I really just lost 60% the passion for it. This was my lesser loved baby, but I still loved it. I'm so glad I'm gotten this far with it and I'm so glad it's done. Thanks for sticking with me, I'm gonna miss all of you, and wow, I really cannot belive its done. I'm gonna be churning out some one-shots next, so keep an eye out for those, if you want.

Little explanation: for those of you wondering, the Sora/Riku part was in there a bunch of chapter ago as a little forshadowing. Sora fell in love with riku, axel fell in love with roxas, sora had to leave the mission, axel had to leave the mission, Sora eventually left everything to be with Riku, and Axel left everything (except for zex) to be with Roxas. Juts a little plot device I guess, to get things moving. because after sora left things went to shit with Kairi which put a strain on Zexion and her leaving and never coming back was really a deal breaker for when axel wanted to leave and asked him to come with. UMM. Yeah.

I have finals next week. Ew. So the next(last!!) chapter of Summer Boy, for those of you who read that as well, will be delayed as I have to study my buttocks off in order not to fail. It'll be up maybe next sunday? Hopefully.

SO. Review, please, tell me if you hated it, if you like it, if it was okay, if you want it to continue for three more years (not gonna happen), or if youre just happy Axel and Roxas had a pretty good ending. I know I'm kinda Ansem's dead. I always thought he was a douche most the time.