Chapter 1

The day began like any other. I was awoken from a peaceful slumber by the raucous sound of two distinct, but equally obnoxious alarms. Reaching beneath my pillow, I pressed the snooze button on one before grabbing my cellphone from the bedside table and shutting it off without a glance. My sheets had somehow wrapped around my feet during the night, and I kicked them off, rolling out of bed almost robotically. Snatching a pair of khaki pants from where they lay crumpled on the floor, I slipped them on before stumbling down the hallway to the laundry room, where most of my clothes were haphazardly strewn across the washer, the floor and hanging out of the laundry basket on the dryer. I rummaged around for a bright orange uniform shirt and pulled it over my bare chest despite the fact that it hadn't been washed in days.

Shuffling towards the kitchen and rubbing the last remnants of sleep from my eyes, I grabbed an orange visor hanging off the back of the sofa and secured it atop my head. Skipping breakfast, I headed straight for the front door, pocketed my phone and apartment keys and left. The bus was set to arrive at the corner stop any moment, and since my brother had taken a rare day off, I had no choice but to catch it. I might've tried asking Haynor or Pence, or hell, even Olette for a ride had we spoken more than a few words to each other since graduation. But we hadn't, and I couldn't find it in myself to make any effort to salvage whatever was left of our nearly life-long friendships.

The bus came to a lurching halt just a few blocks short of the baseball field. I hopped off and began to traverse the sleepy streets of Twilight Town, shoes scuffling across pavement below. Cicadas buzzed to life and the occasional car rushed by as the rest of the city began to rise. A hollow feeling swirled in the deepest pits of my stomach that I didn't have much time to dwell on because, damn, it was hot. Wiping beads of sweat from my forehead with the back of a hand, I pressed on.

The clock upon the wall read nine twenty-five AM as I hopped over the counter of the concession stand, uniform shirt clinging to my body with sweat. I was early, which was something I'd grown accustomed to, thanks to my brother, who had an insatiable need to arrive promptly each day. Settling onto a stool off to the side, I pressed my back against the cool, cement wall and waited.

It was almost the exact schedule I'd followed every morning since summer began. My existence was one monotonous day after the other. Not one thing had changed since graduation when my Dad helped find part-time jobs for both my brother and I through an old college buddy. It wasn't only that I needed the money. I was desperate for something, anything, to pass the time, to keep busy so there wasn't a moment left to think or to feel. A baseball stadium wouldn't have been my first choice, but I didn't exactly care. It was a means to an end, and anywhere I wound up would have been just as bland and stale.

There were four of us crowded into that tiny space, like sardines in a tin can, every day the team was in town. Dealing with ungrateful customers that came in endless droves was a dauntless task in and of itself without the sweltering heat from the kitchen that engulfed the entire stand as the day wore on. The ancient television set and portable fan that rested in opposite corners were small consolations. They offered some sort of solace when days got too hectic.

After sitting on that stool for an eternity and nearly falling to the floor twice because I couldn't keep my eyes open, two girls burst through the back door, giggling and clinging to one another. Neither paid me any mind as they set about tying their aprons. After one last whisper into Kairi's ear, Naminé turned around.

"Good morning, Roxas." She looked me over and adjusted the visor atop her platinum blonde head. "How are you doing?"

I shrugged, my head lolling to the side as she shoved a wad of paper napkins into the dispenser on the counter.

Naminé was beautiful, and not just because her skin shone like porcelain, or because her eyes were the clearest shade of blue. She was kind in ways not often recognized. She cared deeply about people, about the world, about the squirrels she would feed sandwiches to in the park. It was easy to like her. She talked to me like a person, even when I didn't answer back. She acknowledged me when I faded into the background like wallpaper. She was sunshine and rainbows in my world of perpetual gray, and sometimes I hated her.

"Where's Sora?" Kairi asked, auburn locks whipping about as she craned her neck this way and that. With one final, dramatic twirl, she sent a box of plastic spoons clattering to the floor. Cursing, she bent down to pick them up.

I rolled my eyes. Kairi'd had an obvious, desperate crush on my brother for as long as I could remember. They'd met in the seventh grade, which was about the time Sora and I had begun to drift down separate paths, and had been inseparable ever since. It wasn't enough that she attended the same university and followed him back to Twilight Town each summer. No. She had to go ahead and get a job at the same place, as well. That's because as annoying as she was, Kairi took life by the balls. She had no qualms with doing whatever it took to get what she wanted. And what she wanted most was unfortunately my brother.

Sora, however, remained blind to her feelings, despite being nineteen and a year older than me and supposedly wiser. He wasn't stupid. He was just innocent, and it endeared him to people. Unlike me.

There hadn't always been such a stark difference between the two of us, but time has a way of changing things. And time despised me. Sora grew into his perfect, brunette spikes, which always did exactly what they were supposed to. My hair stayed a lopsided mess, even when I'd mustered up enough energy to care. His body had become toned and tanned from years of playing outdoor team sports, while I was more on the lanky, malnourished side. His eyes, though the same shade of blue, were inviting and warm. Mine were listless. Sora had left the year prior to attend one of the best schools in the country – Hollow Bastion University – on full scholarship where he was studying marketing. I struggled through my last few years of high school and was to attend Twilight Town Community College in the fall, with no clear career goal in mind.

I was just going through the motions, existing simply to exist, while the entire world was Sora's for the taking. He had so much to live for, to strive for, that it hurt when I thought too deeply on the subject. Everyone loved my brother, and with good reason. His mere presence could lighten up the darkest of rooms, and people yearned for him when he was gone. Life was just so damn simple for him that I doubted he even knew what it meant to feel broken or lost.

"He has the day off," I said, sitting upright on my stool and watching the minute hand on the clock tick even closer to ten. Kairi's face fell at the news, but she didn't have a chance to reply.

"The lucky bastard." A gruff voice sounded from the kitchen and I twisted around to see Xigbar prepping for the day. The man was nothing short of an enigma. His most consistent story was that he was a retired chef, but the patch over his right eye and gnarly scar that spanned the length of his left cheek told a different tale.

He was followed by a tall, intimidating man with black dreadlocks hanging down his back, who entered though the kitchen door. Xaldin was a man of few words, and that was something I could respect.

"Wish I didn't have to stick around this shithole today." Xigbar grumbled, slamming an oven door. He twisted a knob on one of the various stoves that separated the kitchen from the front of the concession stand and stepped back to allow Xaldin to line the griddle with frozen hamburger patties.

"I can't understand why he didn't tell me," Kairi said, more to herself than anyone else, as she picked up the last of the spoons and tossed them onto the counter. "We talk every night, you know. I should have been aware." She fished her cellphone out of the front pocket of her apron. Frowning, her fingers moved at lighting speed across the screen as she typed out what was, no doubt, a message to my unsuspecting brother.

We were in the Tigers' stadium so it wasn't all that surprising when, moments later, a pitiful excuse for a tiger mascot walked up to the counter and nearly collapsed. The thing had seen better days, that's for sure. The fur was knotted in places, and the once vivid orange had faded to piss yellow from years of the sun beating down upon it. The head was too large for the man inside, and I was positive they'd been using that exact same costume since the place first opened.

"Bad day?" Naminé ran a hand across the matted material, as if it might soothe the person inside. A muffled groan was the only response.

"Bad day?" Kairi sneered, gathering the spoons and shoving them into a canister. No one had bothered to even wipe them off, and I almost pitied our potential customers. "The day hasn't even begun, so you better suck it up, Zexion," she said, rearranging a couple spoons and folding her hands atop the counter.

The mascot head was removed to reveal a man with uneven lavender hair, slick with sweat and stuck to the sides of his face. He fanned himself with a fur covered paw "It's hot…as hell in this…thing," he managed to breathe out. "I need water."

Zexion was quite the introvert, preferring to spend breaks alone with a book in hand, and I thought that was probably why he chose to hide all day inside a costume. He was quiet at times, but also blunt and straightforward and the first person to tell someone exactly what they needed to hear. He was a wonderful listener, adept at understanding people's unspoken thoughts and emotions, and one of the most intelligent people I'd ever met, rivaling even Sora.

"You say this all the time." Kairi's hand crept back over to the container of plastic spoons, and she fixed them to her liking before plucking one from the bunch and waving it at Zexion. "Why don't you just quit?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know." Zexion said, tone sarcastic as he reached for the cup of water Naminé slid towards him. He lifted it between both hands, and took several gulps. "It couldn't possibly be because I need the money or anything. Some of us have tuition to pay, you know?"

"Don't bother." I finally spoke, casting a furtive glance at Kairi. She placed the spoon back in the canister, regarded her work with a furrowed brow then picked the very same one back up and found another spot for it among the bunch. "She's only here for one reason, and it's got nothing to do with working for a living."

Zexion sputtered, lowering his glass and staring wide-eyed at my spot in the corner. "I uh, sorry, Roxas. You just kinda surprised me." He glanced down at the counter where Naminé was wiping the water he'd spit out and swept a fur covered arm across the far end of the surface where she couldn't reach. "I forgot you were he-"

His words were cut short, as a blonde man of considerable height and energy barreled down the hall and slammed into him, sending Zexion, the head of his costume, and the cup he was holding straight to the floor. Movement ceased and mouths hung agape as everyone watched the last of the water splash down upon the mascots head.

"Are you guys ready for another fun-filled day of baseball?" The blonde guy, dressed in an identical orange shirt and khaki's, pumped his fist in the air.

"A little help here, Demyx," Zexion's weary voice sounded out from somewhere behind the counter and without a glance, Demyx reached down and pulled the man to his feet.

Zexion cleared his throat, running a paw through strands of wet hair. "Thanks..."

"Well, are you?" Demyx ignored the drenched mascot next to him and looked at each of us, one by one, eyes shining with genuine excitement. It remained quiet, aside from the sound of hamburgers sizzling on the griddle. "The Tigers are going to kick ass today! I can feel it in my bones."

Demyx worked up front in the ticket booth, and once everyone had gained admittance, he was free to wander around the stadium, assisting fans with whatever they may need. It was perfect for him because he was helpful, talkative to a fault and hyper as any five year old child who'd eaten all of their Halloween candy and washed it down with a bag of sugar. He could be serious when the occasion called for it, but it was rare to see Demyx without an infectious grin splitting his face.

"We don't even get to experience the game," I said, hopping off my stool. In a few short minutes the place would be filled to the brim with hungry baseball fans. "Nothing is exciting from back here."

"We have fun sometimes." Kairi's eyes drifted to the empty space between her and Naminé as she bit her lip to keep from smiling. "It's not all bad."

I wanted to hurl.

"Demyx, shouldn't you and tiger boy hurry your asses along?" Xigbar spoke above the sounds of the kitchen. "We're about to get swamped with customers, and we actually have important jobs to focus on."

"Hey!" Zexion thrust a furry paw in the cook's general direction, pouting. "I'd like to see how you do walking around in the ninety degree heat in..." He trailed off as it took him a couple tries to grab the costume head from the floor and slam it down on the counter. "This thing."

It went silent for a moment before Xigbar threw his head back and cackled. Zexion narrowed his eyes. A man dressed head to toe in a decrepit tiger costume was hardly frightening.

"He's right, anyway," Demyx said, grabbing a hold of the mascots arm and tugging him towards the exit.

Zexion let out a yelp and attempted to loosen the blonde's grip on him to no avail.

"You're simply going to ruin my costume, Demyx," he protested, and I couldn't help but snicker. That thing was already past the point of no return. Naminé nudged me in the side with her elbow, but seemed to share my amusement, if the grin hidden behind her palm was any indication.

Ignoring Zexion and sending a salute towards the concession stand Demyx shouted over his shoulder, "Catch you losers on the flip side!"

"They're so in love," Naminé sighed once the two men were out of sight, tossing an apron my way. Stunned by her words, I barely managed to grab a hold of it.

"What?"

"Tch. Oh, honey," Kairi stepped over and placed a hand on my forearm. "Are you really so blind?"

"I'm not blind!" I defended, jerking away from the girls touch, lips pursed in irritation. "It's just, Demyx...and Zexion... What?"

"Ain't he the cutest thing?" Xigbar chuckled, as he stuck something in the oven. "And almost as clueless as that brother of his," he said with a pointed look in Kairi's direction.

"It's written all over their faces," Naminé said, clasping her hands beneath her chin. "Surely you've noticed, hmm?"

Cocking her head to the side, she smiled at me before turning around to start a conversation with Kairi and Xigbar. Their voices became nothing more than background noise as I lost myself in thought. It's not so much that I cared about a potential romance blossoming between Demyx and Zexion. Although, they were about as opposite as I thought two people could be. I just hadn't seen it coming, even after weeks of skulking in the corner and silently observing my surroundings.

Though she'd never be so blunt, Naminé had said it all with her gentle words. I was kind of pathetic.

"Six dollars for a large soda!?"

"What do you mean you're out of nachos?"

"Three cheeseburgers and two orders of fries, Xigbar, please!"

Chaos had begun, and the overweight woman standing on the opposite side of the counter, shouting in my face, did little to improve my already sour mood.

"I apologize, ma'am," I said through gritted teeth, long since abandoning the cordial smile we were supposed to have plastered to our faces. "But I don't come up with the prices, I just peddle this slop."

"Well, you know, this is simply ridiculous," the woman said, ignoring every word spoken and putting her hands on her hips. "I've been coming here for years, and I can't believe this."

My knuckles were turning white from the tight grip I had on the counters edge, and I exhaled a deep breath. I'd been trying to reason with the woman for five continuous minutes, and nothing was penetrating that empty brain of hers "Would you like to talk to the manager?"

"What I would like is for someone to fix these absurd prices!" Her face twisted in rage, eyes bulging as she heaved a shuddering breath, and I knew only one of us was going to come out of the battle alive.

"Ma'am," I said, tone abrupt as my patience was running desperately thin. I wanted nothing more than to tell her to go screw herself, to throw my hands up and leave the bitch standing there, but I couldn't. My father had gone out of his way to secure the job for me, and besides, I'd already grown accustomed to the daily routine. I didn't enjoy it, but I needed it.

"It already costs a fortune to get in this place. It's robbery to charge five dollars for a damn pretzel, and I won't stand for it!"

She slammed a fist atop the counter, causing Naminé to start and nearly drop an order fries. The entire area fell silent, and the canister of spoons Kairi had so meticulously put together teetered along the edge of the surface before falling with an echoing clatter to the floor below. The redhead's eyes widened with what appeared to be a murderous rage as she gazed upon what had become of her hard work. Her fingers twitched at her sides, head snapping up an instant later as she focused squarely on the woman across the counter. Leaping over the scattered spoons, she leaned over the surface and let the woman have it.

"Listen up, lady." The manic grin upon her face had the woman taking a careful step back. "We aren't here to be your punching bags, and we don't want to hear your tragic life story. Now, I'm going to try to explain this to you one last time in a way you can understand. Then maybe it'll sink in, huh?"

"We," she gestured to each of us in the concession stand, enunciating slowly, "don't have any control over the prices. So you're taking your anger out on the wrong people, wasting, not only our time, but your own and all the people standing behind you who already understand this simple concept."

The woman placed a hand over her chest, taking another little step backwards. Her indignant expression had morphed into one of humiliation, and I couldn't help the smirk tugging at my lips.

"If you really want to keep moaning and complaining, I suggest you take it up with the owner, Cid. In fact..." Kairi grabbed the phone hanging from the wall, her fingers poised over the numbered buttons. "I could call right now, tell him Kairi sent you. Whaddya say?"

Deafening silence stretched across the area once again, the faint crack of a bat filtering in from the field. Then the woman spun on her heels, sprinting down the hall and out of sight. A chorus of cheers broke out that rivaled the thunderous applause happening in the stands, and Kairi took a bow. She winked at me before bending down to gather the spoons once again and, maybe for the first time, I found myself grateful for her presence.

The atmosphere calmed afterward, and minutes stretched into mind numbing hours. By the time the later innings of the game rolled around, the crowd had thinned out, and we were left with nothing to do but watch TV.

I wasn't what anyone would consider a baseball fan. Sure, I'd been to all of my brother's games during his short-lived little league career, so I knew a few of the basics, but stuff like balks and passed balls were completely lost on me. It wasn't until I began working at the stadium that I discovered how gripping the game could be, especially when faced with the task of serving endless lines of demanding customers.

"Ha! Strike three!" Naminé rocked on her heels, clapping her petite hands together in rapid succession. Her lips were turned up in a radiant smile, and she angled her head to glance back at Kairi. "He's such an amazing pitcher."

Kairi shot her friend a look. Dropping the pen she'd been using to doodle on a spare napkin, she spoke the words we all knew to be true. "You're only saying that because you're in love with him."

Naminé's cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "Am not!"

Kairi scoffed. "You totally are."

They were talking about Marluxia, number 11. He was the Tiger's best pitcher, which honestly wasn't much of a compliment. He was decent, maybe even good, but the way Naminé gushed, you'd have thought he was the next Cy Young.

"Axel's coming up," Naminé said, eyes glued to the screen, so she missed the pair of knowing glances Kairi and Xigbar exchanged.

"He's zero for three today," Xaldin commented, stuffing a leftover bag of pretzels into the freezer. "A base hit would do him well."

"Don't count on it," Xigbar replied. "That guy's useless with a bat."

"I'd like to see you get out there and try, Xiggy," Kairi said, arranging the condiment bottles by what appeared to be size.

Xigbar bristled and damn near growled at the nickname, but Kairi didn't even blink. She waved a dismissive hand in his direction, expression focused and determined as she moved to fiddle with the straw dispenser. "All I'm saying is it's probably not as easy as it appears. Plus I think you'd look rather cute in the uniform."

All eyes were drawn back to the television screen as the umpire let out a boisterous "Strike two."

Most of what I'd known about baseball, I'd learned during my time employed at the stadium. Technical, things like pitch types, base stealing, field positions. I didn't have the foggiest idea about the kind of skill one needed to posses or the amount of determination, will and sacrifice it took to play the sport. I didn't know what exactly made someone a great baseball player, but I was sure whatever it was, Axel Sommers, number 8 and shortstop for the Twilight Town Tigers, did not have it.

He was skinny as a rail, and I was convinced, had he ever managed to hit a ninety-five mph fastball, his lithe arms would snap clean off. He hadn't done much of note since the summer began, and watching his batting average plummet whenever he stepped up to the plate was painful. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when, after three straight swings and misses, Axel was slumping back towards the dugout.

"Told ya!" Xigbar boasted.

At the end of the day, I was torn between hanging around for a bit and getting home as soon as possible. Exhausted as I was, heading back to my tiny apartment alone with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company somehow held less appeal than cleaning. Kairi and Xigbar's animated voices drifting from the kitchen were almost soothing as Naminé and I worked in silence up front.

"Man! We totally could have won that game." Demyx bounded towards the stand. Zexion, sans the tiger costume, trailed behind him, and I froze, unsure of how to react.

"They were down by eight runs in the final inning," Zexion said, as the duo reached the counter. "It was a lost cause."

"Oh, ye of little faith," Demyx clapped his friend on the back. "The baseball God's work in mysterious ways!"

Naminé looked back at me before running out to greet our coworkers. Demyx slipped an arm around Zexion's shoulders, and I couldn't help but stare.

"So..." Demyx gave the mascot's arm a firm squeeze before letting his own fall to his side. "Roxas, do you need a ride home?"

"Oh...uh..." Shaking my head, I dropped the rag I'd been wringing around my fingers into a bucket at my feet. I glanced at Zexion out of the corner of my eye. He and Naminé were chattering about something I couldn't hear. Clearing my throat, I looked back to Demyx. "Sure...yeah. Sure."

He watched me for a moment, hesitant. "Ok, then," he said, giving me a thumbs up. "Cool."

He walked back over to Zexion and Naminé as Kiari came flying out of kitchen. She hurdled over the counter and nearly tackled Demyx to the ground when she wrapped her arms around him.

I kicked a stray spoon under one of the kitchen's stoves before hanging my apron over the hook on the back wall. Ignoring the aching in my chest as I listened to my coworkers laugh among themselves, I pulled the visor from from my unruly blonde hair and hopped onto the counter.

"Guys!"

I'd only draped one leg over when the voice called out, and I raised my head to see Cid ambling down the hall, approaching the stand with four uniform clad baseball players in tow.

"How are ya'll doing on this fine afternoon?" He greeted, coming to a halt before us. He grinned from ear to ear as I remained awkwardly straddling the counter. "I know, I know. This has been a long time coming, and you guys have been doing such wonderful jobs that I decided it was about time for a treat."

He stepped aside, arm outstretched towards the four baseball players, as if unveiling a prize we'd just won.

"Meet, well, some of your Twilight Town Tigers."

Four pairs of eyes stared blankly at the group of us as Demyx waved and bounced on his toes, face brimming with excitement.

"Pretty sure you already know these guys' names and all, but I'm gonna go ahead and properly introduce 'em," Cid said, slapping the guy directly to his right on the shoulder. "This fellow right here is Cloud Strife– plays left field."

Cloud nodded across the way, his perfect, blonde spikes bouncing in tandem. Toned biceps peaked out from beneath sleeves of a vibrant orange Tiger's jersey, muscles flexing as he shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of worn uniform pants. His jaw remained set, face a stoic mask as my coworkers stumbled over their words in greeting.

"This handsome dude over here," Cid paused to chortle at the eye roll given by the next guy in line, "is our catcher, Riku Farron."

Riku's aquamarine eyes peered at us through wisps of silver bangs, one corner of his lips raised in a lopsided smirk.

"'Sup," he said, twirling a baseball mitt around one finger.

"And, of course, there's the star pitcher of the Tigers, Marluxia Atchison." Cid pointed at the man standing further down the line.

Several strands of Pink, shoulder-length hair fell into his face as Marluxia's eyes roamed the entire length of Kairi's slender form. From the curve of her lips to blue painted fingernails, no single inch of her body had been left untouched by his predatory gaze. Naminé fiddled with a ring around her finger, eyes glued to her feet, as Marluxia continued to ignore everyone else in favor of our redheaded coworker.

"Well, there ya go," Cid said, interrupting an atmosphere that had turned oddly tense. "Feel free to—"

"Hey, wait just a damn minute!" a voice at the very end called out. Cid sighed.

"I was hoping to spare ya'll from this one, but he insisted on tagging along." There was a melodramatic gasp, and Marluxia tore his eyes away from Kairi long enough to share hearty laugh with Riku. "Last but not least, this is our shortstop, Axel Sommers."

When I turned to the man in question, our eyes locked, blue into striking green, and my heart skipped a beat. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat, breathing no longer automatic as everything faded away until all I could focus on were two diamond-shaped tattoos beneath impossibly green eyes.

How? How had I never noticed those before? How had I never noticed those eyes? Even hidden beneath the shadows of a baseball cap or hundreds of feet away on the other side of a camera lens, those eyes would surely still be shining.

"You might want to remember that name," Axel said, lips curved into a suggestive grin, and my world tilted on it's axis.

"Wha-" I squawked out, breath hitching in my throat as I lost my balance and toppled backwards off the counter. Limbs flailing about in a pathetic attempt to stay upright, I hit the hard, concrete floor, with a dull thump. There were a few startled gasps, and I heard Naminé cry out, followed by, several pairs of rapid footsteps and the sound of a door swinging open and hitting the wall with a crack.

Wrenching my eyes shut, I ignored the pounding in my skull and wished on all the stars that weren't yet visible in the afternoon sky or from beneath the stadium's roof that I could somehow turn back time.

After all, the day had begun like any other.