I'm really terrible at this publishing thing. But hey! We get to meet a few more characters and the plot heats up a bit. So that's a plus, right?Please enjoy the chapter.

-DS

Saving Roxas

Chapter 3: A Decade Hasn't Changed Your Smile

"So, Axel," Naminé said, finally settling down in her chair at the table. "Kairi mentioned you were job hunting at local hospitals?" She set her hands in her lap, turning her full attention to Axel from across the table instead of digging into the food on her plate.

Hayner and Kairi didn't seem as polite, Hayner picking up an overstuffed tortilla shell and shoving it past his lips. "You a doctor?" he asked, voice terribly garbled around his mouthful of food. Kairi elbowed him, looking as if she wanted to shout "Manners!" but instead tried to shove a hard-shell taco into her own mouth as daintily as she could.

That is to say, not at all. Xion found it quite amusing, laughing happily at Axel's side when her shell snapped in half and the taco's contents collapsed onto her plate.

Axel watched Hayner elbow her back, the two descending into a silent argument for Xion's amusement. "Are you a doctor, Axel?" Naminé pursued, years of practice urging her to ignore the scene unfolding beside her. Axel followed her lead, setting his fork down and leaving his taco salad untouched.

"Not really," Axel began, touching the top of Xion's head and jolting her from her amusement. "I studied psychology. Got myself a bachelor's in business management and finished my master's in psych this year. Been lookin' for a job since April." Axel watched Xion fondly, touching her hair gently before pulling her over for a quick peck to the forehead.

"I cheered him on!" She bragged, squeaking when Axel pulled her even closer in a half-hug.

"I imagine it was hard won?" Naminé continued, picking up her own fork to poke at her own taco salad. "Raising a daughter and going to school, that is."

"I had a ton of help!" Axel laughed, scratching at his cheek. He couldn't begin to thank everyone for helping him, especially his parents. Letting them live out of their home and caring for Xion as they cared for Axel despite their circumstances. He was forever in their debt for everything they'd done for him. "Worth it, though. I'm expecting to find something real soon."

"That's good news!" Naminé said, looking to Hayner as she chewed and waited until she swallowed to continue. "Hayner's been working hard on his doctorate, too. When were you graduating again?" She turned her full attention to Hayner, innocent expression giving pause to his ravenous hands as they tossed every possible topping onto his taco.

"Winter," Hayner recited, swallowing thickly as he topped his taco in a much more controlled manner. "Lawyer," he supplied, catching the curious expression of Axel's face. "Cyber law," he added with a wink, wrapping the soft shell together. "It's gonna be a money magnet~!"

"Don't look down on salesmanship! That's real work!" Kairi slapped her hand on the table top, looking at Hayner as if his proclamation was a challenge. When he leered right back, Axel knew it was a popular argument. Especially when Naminé only sighed, shaking her head in defeat.

"And what do you do, Naminé?" Axel asked, pulling her attention from Kairi and Hayner as they dropped into yet another argument. "If you don't mind me asking," he added, hoping he wasn't stepping where he wasn't. She brought it up, after all. It must mean it was a sensible subject to ask her about.

"Art therapy!" she answered, Axel feeling as if he could have easily called that one. The smile on her face was blinding, as sweet as he remembered. She'd started wearing her hair differently though; her blond hair was pulled back in a short braid. She was just as pretty now as she was then, and Axel felt he understood the answer to the biggest question plaguing his thoughts: Why did Roxas choose Naminé?

"My goodness, did he fall asleep again?" Naminé sighed, staring over Axel's shoulder to get a better look at the main hallway and staircase. "And here I'd thought Roxas would be so excited to talk with you again," she muttered, setting her fork down and pushing her chair back. "I'll go and get him. He has to eat, at least."

When she left the room, Kairi and Hayner calmed down enough to resume eating. Well, calm enough to resume eating and launch into staunch criticism of their missing roommate.

"He's acting so weird," Hayner groaned, stabbing at some tomato pieces that slid free from his taco. "Honestly, Axel, he'd not usually this anti-social."

"Did he get in trouble?" Kairi asked, looking over Axel's shoulder with thinly veiled concern. "I know his boss lit into him over the Rockwell thing, but he doesn't usually sulk."

"Rockwell?" Xion asked, tilting her head in confusion that mirrored Axel's own. He'd just been unable to say anything at the mere mentioning of Roxas's name.

He still found himself in utter shock that he was really in the same house as him, and yet still so far away from him. He had so many things he wanted to ask him, but all Roxas had done was quietly lead him to the extra bedroom. He'd excused himself shortly after that and closed himself off in what Axel assumed was his own room.

"Ah, Roxas studied finance." Kairi waved Xion off, reaching across the table and tousling her hair. "He's a financial advisor at this big firm in the downtown area. Roxas made a bit of an overestimate and lost the Rockwells a lot of money."

"And he got in trouble?" Xion looked apologetic, twining her fingers in the hem of her shirt. Axel could see the concern in her expression and he was filled with pride at her strong showing of empathy.

"Yeah, but he's learned his lesson—"

"There was no lesson to be learned, Kairi." Roxas's cold, clipped tone filled the space behind Axel. He'd be lying if he said he didn't jolt in his seat, whirling at the sound of his voice.

He was dressed differently than before, fitted out in cargo shorts and an old t-shirt that had seen better days. His hair seemed to be in its usual messy spikes, and Axel knew enough of what his bedhead looked like to confirm that he hadn't been sleeping until now. His features were bright enough, but the look in his eyes indicated a deep-seated rage that came across to Axel as killing intent.

"And what would you call it, huh?" Kairi leaned across the table, cocking her head to the side in a challenge—a habit learned from her brother.

"Chance," Roxas replied, turning his gaze directly to Axel. "It was just bad luck."

Axel knew he wasn't talking about this case anymore. A lump formed in his throat, preventing him from responding—to either the polite conversation on the surface, or his underhanded jab—and he just turned to face forward again.

He kept an eye on Roxas from the corner of his eye, paying particular attention to the way Naminé led Roxas by the hand to his seat at the head of the table. There, he was nestled between Axel and Naminé, and it was clear who he'd rather spend his time looking at. But that knowledge didn't make it hurt any less when he couldn't catch those beautiful eyes.

"But you did make up for it, right?" Naminé posed, handing Roxas a plate of empty taco shells. "You worked all night last week!"

"I earned him double what he lost," Roxas informed the table, keeping his eyes focused solely on the tacos he was preparing. "I promised I would make it up to him, and he believed me. Luckily, I didn't make a fool of him," he added, Axel crumbling under the painful weight of his every comment. "He didn't have to wait very long, either."

The bitterness in Roxas's voice was palpable, and it made Axel's stomach churn.

"That's just because you're such a hard worker!" Naminé reached to pinch his cheek, Roxas's sullen aura cracking a fraction.

The ease of her movement led Axel to believe that their relationship was not at all new, and that hurt more than the idea that their relationship had been recent. How easily she was able to break through that shell filled Axel with mild jealousy, recalling days where he'd do similar things to break Roxas from his frustration or sulking.

All it took was one touch, one word, one goofy expression, and Roxas was smiling too. Only now, Axel was convinced that very idea would drive Roxas further into himself. He was glad Naminé was here to ease the suffering his presence caused.

I just wish I could talk to him, Axel thought, bringing his fork hesitantly to his lips. Even if it's just to apologize…I'd be satisfied with that. Unfortunately, Axel wasn't very hungry anymore.

"Hey! No lovey-dovey looks at the table!" Hayner yelled, slapping his hand repeatedly on the table top. Naminé and Roxas jumped back, Naminé giggling nervously while Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. A faint smirk played on his lips—apologetic in nature—but enough to send Axel's heart into overdrive. "That includes you, Axel!" Hayner called out, jolting Axel from his reverie. He felt is face heat immediately, enduring the pointed looks from everyone at the table.

All except Roxas. He simply averted his eyes to the table cloth.

"Leave Nami alone, you animal!" Kairi faux whined, pulling Naminé into a hug and keeping her prisoner there. "She's taken; happily, I might add~!" Naminé laughed again, pushing Kairi away playfully while righting herself in her chair.

"H-How—"

"How long have you two been together?" Xion cut Axel off, leaning on the edge of the table for leverage. Axel was once again filled with relief, unsure of how he'd be able to handle this situation alone. He touched her hand on the table top, moving to pet her hair in an instant.

Axel couldn't openly thank her—especially when the girl was none-the-wiser regarding her assistance—so he settled on this. He made a mental note to buy her ice cream later.

"Hm…how long has it been now?" Naminé held her finger to her chin in thought, swaying her head from shoulder to shoulder as she thought. "I mean, I've liked him since high school, but we lost track of one another for a while there. Jeez…" she trailed off, closing her eyes and dipping her chin to her chest.

"Three years and seven months," Roxas supplied, surprising everyone at the table. Silence descended on the dinner table, but Naminé was the first to break it with a gentle clap of her hands.

"How sweet; you remembered!" Naminé leaned over the table, planting a chaste kiss to his cheek. She clutched his hand. "You're honestly too good for me, sometimes, Roxas~!" she praised, turning to Xion in an instant to repeat the exact time frame. Hayner teased Roxas for remembering in such detail, Kairi elbowing him in Roxas's stead. Xion just gushed about how cute it was that they had been together so long.

Axel, for the most part, was silent. There wasn't much more going through his mind than "She's seen it": She's seen Roxas smile, she's seen Roxas's sleeping face, she's seen his tear-streaked face, she's seen his angry face, she's seen his confused face, she's seen—

She's seen it all…even more than I have.

Axel's chest throbbed, but he worked up all his courage to lift a hand. He could feel everyone's eyes turn to him—and why wouldn't they?—because Axel had yet to lift his head. He was too focused on the crumbs on the table cloth, barely aiming his hand as it came down on top of Roxas's shoulder.

Roxas, for his part, was relatively unfazed. Yet, Axel could clearly feel the way his entire body tensed like a coil. He could feel the trembling of his skin beneath the thin layer of cloth that separated him from the scarred skin Axel knew was still there. The evidence that he once prized Axel's life over his very own.

Axel's throat felt like it was being squeezed, but he still managed a smile when he finally lifted his head. "Congrats, Roxas! Naminé is one lucky girl." He offered the second bit to Naminé directly, unable to look Roxas in the eye for very long. Not when there was such distrust glittering in those cerulean depths.

"More like Roxas is one lucky guy!" Hayner leaned over the table, swatting at Roxas and engaging in a short slapping match. His rough movements to meet Hayner half-way dislodged Axel's hand, and he retracted it like it was burned. He didn't agree or disagree with Hayner's statement, returning to his dinner. No one paid much attention to his sudden silence, not even Xion. She was far too busy talking to everyone at the table about popular tourist destinations.

He half-listened to her inquiries, but found himself unable to devote his whole attention to the conversation. All he could think about was the pain in Roxas's eyes when he praised him, and he couldn't fathom why. Did he not want Axel's blessing? It wasn't like he came here expecting to just conquer Roxas's feelings and steal him away back to Twilight Town…

But maybe he had?

Some dark, hidden part of him that still relied on the childish logic of his high school days. In some ways, Axel supposed he had hoped Roxas would have been alone, like he was. It was jarring to think that Roxas had been with someone as sweet and kind as Naminé for three years. That was a long time for anyone to be together, he supposed.

Axel and Roxas had barely been together for one.

And what had Axel done in the past three years? Graduate from school and raise a child, that's what. That isn't to say he'd been completely chaste since Sinon's death—after all, he was only human—but there had been nothing substantial. Axel hadn't been ready for anything substantial.

He felt disgusted by his own, traitorous thoughts. Why couldn't he think about something else? Why couldn't he ask Naminé about the work she does? Why couldn't Axel work up the courage to develop a deeper connection to Hayner over the pains of graduate school? Why couldn't Axel look at his cousin—who was like his sister—and ask her how her day had been before he arrived?

Why do I want to know how many others came before Naminé in our decade apart?

"Excuse me," Axel muttered to the table cloth, picking up his plate and cup before tottering to the kitchen. Nobody paid him any mind as he passed, nothing more than Naminé instructing him to rinse the plate clean and place it in the sink. He took his sweet time doing it, listening to the loud voices from the dining room as Hayner launched into a lengthy speech on the wonders of the butterfly garden on the west end of the city.

I suppose I can edit my resume again, Axel considered, habit driving him to pick up the sponge on the side of the sink to begin scrubbing the plate. Just in case my latest interviews turn up blank. He poured soap onto the dish, scrubbing gently as he thought about other ways to occupy his time.

Anything was better than thinking about the cold way Roxas had observed his hand. Treating it like some sort of fungus with the audacity to touch him.

"Do you wash the dishes of everyone you visit?"

Axel jumped, nearly dropping the plate into the sink. "N-Not really. Force of habit," he stuttered, eyes flicking towards his left where Roxas stood.

He set a pile of plates on the counter, looking just as uncomfortable as Axel felt. Up close, he could see Roxas's skin had darkened some since they were last together. His hands were larger than he remembered, too; his fingers long and thin, like a pianist's.

Which he is, Axel remembered suddenly.

"An odd habit. Then again, you were always a weird one," Roxas continued, voice low as he spoke towards the bread basket. His arm lifted to rub the back of his neck, and he fully turned his back to Axel to reach for the banana tree on the counter beside them.

"My, uh…my dishwasher never works." Axel found it difficult to speak, his throat closing up in response to the overpowering scent of Roxas's cologne. It was enough to make Axel fearful that he was allergic, even if he knew it was all in his head. "I'm lucky if it can survive a load. It's just safer to hand-wash."

"Makes sense," Roxas concurred, turning around and keeping his eyes centered on the yellow fruit. An awkward air blanketed them both, Axel hesitantly reaching for the pile of plates beside Roxas. When the other jumped, Axel yanked his hand back in fear. They finally met the other's gaze, recognizing a mutual discomfort reflecting in their eyes.

Yet, Roxas's discomfort soon gave was to annoyance, eyebrows scrunching together as he looked toward the kitchen window. "You aren't wrong," Axel blurted at last, surprised and terrified that he was still able to talk. "About me being weird."

Roxas shifted a little crossing his arms in what Axel could only identify as defensive. Instead of shutting his mouth like an intelligent man, he continued to allow word vomit to spew from his mouth.

"You know that better than others," Axel finally snatched a plate, clutching it between two hands like a lifeline. "You always called me out on it, too; never letting me do anything too strange in—"

"Axel."

The tone Roxas used was enough to silence him in an instant. It felt like he'd pulled the plug on a speaker somewhere, and even if Axel could move his mouth, the words would be inaudible. He bowed his head in an instant, feeling his heart rate pick up its rhythmic pounding against his rib cage. His breath wasn't far behind, seconds stretching along like years in Axel's suddenly turbulent thoughts.

Oh, you've royally screwed up now. Just look at what you've done! You've made him angry after he finally started talking to you! Worthless! Failure! Idiot—

"Axel!" Roxas hand was on his forearm, and his sights narrowed to that singular point. He watched that hand clenching the bare skin of his arm, right above the faint white lines of scars he'd rather forget.

They stayed that way for a solid thirty seconds, the laughter and conversation from the dining room the only source of noise. At length, Roxas let go of his arm, picking his banana off the counter once more and turning his back to Axel.

"You shouldn't dwell on the past," Roxas instructed, stopping an arm's reach from Axel. "It's over and done with, so don't bring it up again."

With that, he vanished back into the dining room. Axle watched after him, torn between respecting his wishes and chasing after him. He didn't want to dwell on anything, he only wanted to address it. He wanted to apologize, at the very least!

All Axel could do was stand in the kitchen, unable to breathe as his chest was filled with lead.

"Not again," Kairi mumbled, fingers loosely clutching the edges of her mug. Axel glanced towards her, letting Xion work through the next math problem with his example for reference. She sat on a couch in the living room, seen through the doorway of both the living room and main foyer. Still dressed in her pajamas, Axel had to wonder when she actually had to go to work.

"What happened this time, Kai?" Hayner called, looking up from his laptop. He sat opposite Axel and Xion, utilizing the length of the table to lay out his printed reference materials.

All morning, Axel wondered if the Hayner he saw before him was really the same Hayner he'd gone to school with. The idiot kid who despised school more than anyone he'd come to know; the kid who—at the very mentioning of homework—complained of imaginary ulcers.

Yet here he was, wearing thick-rimmed glasses with hair hanging limply against his forehead. From his observations, Hayner only seemed to wear various sweatpants and hoodies inside the house. His reddened eyes screamed for another cup of coffee, expression serving as a general warning to any unsuspecting person to keep away. Yet, his words were inviting enough.

"Some sort of standoff happened in Twilight Town last night," Kairi called back, Axel watching as she set her cup on the side table to pull her legs into her chest. "Three dead, and six more wounded."

"It's getting out of hand," Hayner agreed, eyes shifting towards Xion. Axel followed his gaze, seeing the concern in her bright blue eyes. He touched the top of her head gently, ruffling her hair and keeping her eyes centered on him.

"Don't you worry," Axel intoned, hearing the screeching of a chair as Hayner snatched his own near-empty cup of coffee to join Kairi in the living room. From his vantage point at the table, he could barely make out the details, but their stances were enough to inform him of the grim particulars of the news story.

I really have to think about moving.

"I wish they wouldn't watch such depressing things in the morning." Axel and Xion both looked towards the doorway towards the kitchen, watching as Naminé strode into the room with two steaming plates of breakfast. "Sorry it's not very complex. I'm used to everyone eating cereal or oatmeal."

"I told you that would have been fine," Axel protested, accepting the plates. Xion sat up in her chair when the smell hit her nose, pushing her school work aside to make room for her plate. "Really, you didn't have to go so far."

"You're our guests!" Naminé argued back, turning back towards the kitchen. "Besides, Xion is a growing girl and needs plenty of nutritious foods!" she reminded, Axel rolling his eyes at the declaration. He supposed she had a point, but he felt guilty for her working so hard when she had to leave for work soon.

She was already dressed in white cropped pants, a mint-green blouse with billowing sleeves complimenting the aqua-blue paint on her nails. According to Kairi, she only ever emerged from her bedroom dressed for the day. She worked a relatively nice schedule of eight to four, which has her home before everyone else on any given day. Naminé even had the weekends off.

Axel was almost jealous of her schedule.

"What are we gonna do today, Papa?" Xion wondered, pulling Axel from his musings. She'd already polished off a good portion of her eggs, diving into her bacon without any hesitation. "With everyone off to work and all?"

Axel pushed his own eggs around his plate. "Good question. I suppose I should see if I can find a good rental company. Get us a mode of transportation."

"I know one hell of a mechanic!" Kairi sang, nearly skipping into the dining room. She seemed to have completely recovered from the depressing morning news—or she was simply too good at hiding her true feelings. Whatever it was, Kairi seemed in good spirits as she let her elbow rest on top of Axel's head.

"Is that so?" Axel didn't bother to shake her off, blinking in annoyance as Xion giggled into her toast.

"He owns a car shop that doubles for a rental place a half hour from here. Does free state inspections for lasagna dinners, too." Kairi pulled back, smiling down at Axel. "I don't have to be at work until nine-thirty. Want me to take you?"

"Did you forget your car's impounded, idiot?" Hayner chided, dropping his fist on top of her head as he passed. She winced in response, and Axel was positive it wasn't from the smack. "I can take 'em," Hayner tossed over his shoulder, waving his hand as he entered the kitchen for his third cup of coffee.

"Really?" Kairi sounded genuinely excited. Suddenly racing after him, she tackled his back before he could get to the Keurig. "Are you serious? You're willing to leave the house?"

"Anything to keep you from driving my car!" Hayner argued, batting her face away from his own. "'Sides, she could use an inspection. Been a while since I used her," he added, softer, scratching his cheek awkwardly. Kairi watched him for a moment more, reaching out to set her hands on either shoulder. She didn't say anything, and Hayner wouldn't look at her either. In the end, she just nodded her head and walked away.

Axel was certain there was a story there, but he wasn't going to pry. It didn't seem like his business in the first place.

"Well, you've got yourself a chauffeur!" Kairi bragged, sliding into the seat beside Xion. "You should ask him to take you to the butterfly garden. He hasn't been there in ages, but I'm sure he'd have a blast!"

Axel didn't comment on her focus on Hayner instead of all three of them. If anything, it confirmed his suspicions that Hayner hadn't left the house in quite some time.

"It sounds like fun!" Xion agreed, smiling brightly as she wiped her face with a napkin. "Does he know of any other cool places?" She continued, grasping her glass of orange juice in two hands.

Kairi launched into a string of places that Hayner—as well as anyone in the Radiant Garden-area—would be familiar with, but Axel couldn't hear a single thing. While absentmindedly pushing his eggs about his plate, his eyes caught a flash of yellow that pulled his immediate attention.

Roxas stood just through the doorway in the foyer, dressed in a suit. The black material of the jacket and pants provided a truly shocking contrast to his pale skin and bright blonde hair. Axel noticed his hair wasn't in its usual spikes. Instead, the locks were tamed back against the top of his head, a few rebellious pieces hanging over his forehead.

He pulled at the cuffs, eyes downcast. The light of the foyer caught his eyelashes, still as long as they had always been. Yet, as Axel observed this—as well as Roxas's look of surprise—he hadn't realized he'd gotten out of his chair and walked over to him. The smell of his cologne was just as intoxicating as the night before, a mixture of dark spice and something citrus that Axel found addictive.

Unlike the night before, his throat had yet to close up. He wasn't scared or nervous, even when Roxas's eyebrows pulled suspiciously.

"Axel." It was more a statement of observation than anything else, and for a second, Axel wasn't sure how to respond. He did what came naturally, reaching with his hands to straighten Roxas's tie.

The other gulped audibly, stiffening up like the starched collar on his crisp white dress shirt. His eyes didn't leave Axel's, even though he had yet to pull his gaze from the light blue fabric. For a fraction of a second, he was tempted to ask it he purposefully coordinated his outfit to match the accents of Naminé's, but he refrained.

He said the first thing that came to mind. "Kairi snores surprisingly loud." Axel came to discover this after sharing the wall with her the previous night, spending more time staring at the pristine, stippled ceiling than actually sleeping.

Roxas, to Axel's surprise, actually cracked a small smile. "Yeah, she does, doesn't she?" The sound of his soft, huffing laughter was no louder than a whisper. Still, the sound had Axel's entire body tingling, hands shaking at his sides from a surge of adrenaline. "You should hear her when she's got a cold. The neighbors have!"

He laughed a little louder this time, amused by his own joke in a way that was finally familiar. Axel could remember each and every joke Roxas had made in their short time together, laughing the loudest at his own every time. He'd teased him relentlessly for it in those days, much to Roxas's annoyance.

He was glad that feature hadn't changed at all.

Unfortunately, distraction led to more word vomit.

"You know, a decade hasn't changed your smile."

Roxas joy vanished instantly, expression fading like a cascade of water. First his eyebrows—scrunched together in laughter—shot high into his hair line. Then his eyes that had been closed and crinkled flew open in surprise. Lastly, that beautiful smile that he could so clearly recall from their days together was replaced by an open-mouthed gape.

It took a second for Axel to realize just what he'd said, but by the time he registered his mistake, it was already too late to take it back. They simply stared at each other in rivaling discomfort, Axel's more from embarrassment while Roxas's was from something else. He didn't watch him for long, especially when hurried footsteps came from the direction of kitchen.

"Sorry for the wait!" Naminé called, slowly as she approached the duo. She held up her hand triumphantly, offering a plain black lunch bag. "This way you don't have to worry about leaving the office today. It's nothing fancy, but I didn't want you to sustain yourself on vending machine chips."

Roxas accepted the lunch bag in both hands, but he soon dropped his hands to his sides as if the lunch was fifty pounds. "Thanks, Naminé, but you didn't have to," he mumbled. Naminé closed the distance and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek.

"Of course not!" she agreed breezily. "I wanted to!"

"Lucky you," Axel muttered, resentment lurking beneath the quiet praise without his own permission. Thankfully, Naminé didn't seem to pick up on it, moving her hands to adjust the lapels on Roxas's suit jacket.

"Sorry to interrupt the good friends." Naminé's lips quirked weirdly, tilting her head with her eyes slipping closed. "But this is your first time seeing him looking so spiffy, right? He was the first of us to get a job, you know! So proud of him," she hummed, Roxas shying from her praise as well as her touch. He squirmed under their combined attention, looking every bit a caged animal.

"It is," Axel agreed, nodding his head after sucking in a deep breath through his nose. "He looks good. Highly professional," he tacked on, afraid of putting Roxas off further with innuendo. Naminé just hummed again, trying in vain to slick back the few strands that still grazed his forehead.

"Remember, six-thirty," she repeated, Axel eyes narrowing in confusion. Roxas repeated her words, bending down to press his lips against her cheek. He offered her a farewell, completely ignoring Axel as he all but raced for the door. Naminé waved after him, wishing him well before turning her attention back to Axel. "He must still be tired."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's been rather tight-lipped to you, hasn't he?" Naminé pointed out, the directness of her observation like a punch to the gut. He was left speechless for a full minute, Naminé touching her fingers to her chin in thought. "I would have thought he'd been more excited to see you again. He talked about you all the time when he moved back here."

"R-Really?" Axel stuttered, starting forward as Naminé turned her back to him. He still thought about me? He spoke of me? Naminé nodded her head, looking over towards the dining room where Kairi and Hayner were engaged in yet another heated debate over the most popular tourist destination in the city.

"Anyway, maybe he'll feel better tonight since he'll have Sunday off," she suggested, Axel taking half a step after her as she moved back down the hall.

"What is tonight…if I can ask?" He hastily added the last bit, afraid he might be encroaching on some territory that he, a near-stranger, had no business knowing. Yet, despite the numerous scenarios Axel considered in the short time between his asking and her answer—ranging from an outraged sneer to a full on admonishment—she merely laughed.

"Yours and Xion's welcome dinner, silly! Didn't Kairi tell you?"

Axel's expression fell in an instant. "No. She didn't."

If there had been any lingering doubt that Hayner hadn't been out of the house in a long time, it was confirmed now. Within minutes of driving down the high way, Hayner had managed to press every button other than his air conditioning fan speed as well as nearly run four stop signs. Axel was certain that Hayner had failed to use a turn signal at every turn or lane change, earning them orchestrated horns from annoyed drivers.

That is to say, Axel was relieved when they finally reached their destination.

"There it is," Hayner announced, pulling up along the curb. "Doesn't look like much, but it's a hell of a business. Run by a good man, too—erm, men."

"Men?" Axel parroted, opening his door at the same time as Xion. As he climbed out of the well-used compact, he gazed at the business in front of which they'd parked. It was one of many, Axel quickly noted, Hayner having driven them through one of the industrial complexes that they had passed on their way to the house the previous day. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to the organization of the business, which Axel was pleased to note was the sole flaw of the city thus far.

"This is it?" Xion skirted around the edge of the car, coming to a stop at her father's side. She cast a worried glance toward Hayner, still looking a little green from the "evasive maneuvering" Hayner pulled after missing his turn.

"Yep." He motioned for them to follow. "He'll probably be in the shop, so we'll head around through front. Don't want to set a bad example during his working hours."

"You know him?" Axel asked, taking Xion's hand in his own and chasing after Hayner's quick steps. He looked uncomfortable in the crowded street, especially dressed in a hoodie and jeans on such a bright, summer morning. He looked over his shoulders frequently, eyes never lingering too long on a single subject.

"Are you worried, Hayner?" Xion spoke up, skipping forward a bit to try and catch Hayner's attention. When she brushed his arm with her hand, he visibly jumped back, glaring wide-eyed at her clenched fist. They all paused, even some of the passers-by watched them with curious eyes. That only proved to make Hayner squirm, spinning on his heel and racing for the stone steps that led away from the small parking lot and towards the adjoining house.

Axel didn't call after him, only catching Xion's hand to keep her from following. There was an obvious story there, but he didn't want his daughter making him feel worse. He simply followed after him, casually glancing at the cars and bikes parked here and there along the length of the paved driveway.

Prices were designed in bold, original font of varied colors across the windshields. Surprisingly enough, the designs failed to look tacky, giving the lot more credibility than the usual mom and pop auto dealership. There were three large garage doors that blocked Axel's view of the inner workshop, graffiti-like designs leading prospective customers towards the stairs Hayner had retreated to seconds before.

Again, they were such tasteful designs, Axel wondered if the mechanic here had hired a professional.

When they reached the stairs, Axel took Xion's other hand and helped her gracefully hop up every other step as she walked before him. Hayner stood awkwardly by the door, rubbing his arms near constantly and skimming the street. As they approached him, he knocked on the door.

There was no immediate response, other than a very muffled "Read the sign!" command from someone inside. Hayner proceeded to ignore the request, beating on the door a little harder while Axel and Xion did as they were asked.

While it was hastily put together, Axel and Xion both could detect a real attention to detail in the cursive writing. There were even pictures in the corners of the paper.

Business hours canceled today.

All appointments will be rescheduled.

Thank you, and sorry for the inconvenience!

"Sora! Open up; I know you can hear me!" Hayner roared at last, losing his patience more rapidly than Kairi had last night. His fist pounded the delicate wood of the door, but Axel was far more preoccupied with the name than the plight of the creaking door.

"S-Sora?" Axel sputtered, the locks on the door tumbling loudly as if in response to the exclamation.

"You know him?" Xion looked to her father, but before he could offer a proper response, the door flew back on its hinges and a brown blur tackled Hayner nearly off the porch.

"Gyah—S-Sora! Lay off!" Hayner protested, batting at the oppressive hug but managing to only get himself squeezed tighter. Of course, this lack of oxygen was the only thing Axel supposed was the reason for Hayner's sudden loss of fight. Instead, he stiffly pat the top of Sora's brown spikes, and peeled himself free.

"I'm sorry, Hayner! I know you don't like affection, but I just got so excited!" Sora amended, bowing deeply in apology. "Forgive me?" he pleaded, leaning closer with bright puppy dog eyes. Hayner reared back defensively, looking truly trapped—which was a fair assessment, Axel supposed—trapped between Sora and the edge of the porch.

"J-Just get me a coffee, okay? Then we'll be square."

"Easy-peasy!" Sora laughed, cutting himself short as he finally recognized they weren't alone. "Eh? You…wouldn't happen to be Axel, would you? Axel Lea?" he questioned, stepping closer and leaning up into Axel's personal space. "Ah, you are, aren't you?" he answered without getting a response, suddenly seeming sure of himself as Axel's gaze flicked to the side. "Definitely!"

"How can you be so sure?" Axel countered, crossing his arms and leaning down to get into Sora's face. He tried to be intimidating, but Sora's expression remained completely normal: a bright, happy smile with sparkling blue eyes.

"Because Axel Lea could never look me in the eye for long," Sora reminded, throwing his arms out suddenly to pull Axel into a hug. "It was always so fun to tease you in middle school!" he explained, Axel's cheek blazing as red as his hair at the reminder of those days.

"How can you even remember that far back?"

"Because it was super cute, duh!"

You were super cute, Axel thought bitterly. Everyone in his class had been enamored by Sora in those days. Everyone wanted to be his friend and talk with him, but Kairi as well as another of his closest friends had been an effective deterrent. Axel only talked to him because he sat so close to him, and back in those days, he'd been blinded by someone as open and kind as Sora.

His very smile had been filled with warmth…and it was still the same. Holding him in his arms, he could tell that Sora was still the string bean he'd been in school. Yet, for all of his lanky limbs, there was subtle muscle lurking just beneath. He'd grown a little taller since Axel had last seen him—their high school graduation—putting him to about his chin.

When he pulled back, Axel got a better look at his face. Sun-kissed skin still covered the expanse of his body. A body, he noted happily, that still dressed like a college-aged surfer dude. He wore black cargo shorts to his bony knees, as well as a red tank top and some chain jewelry. White sandals covered his feet, but they looked a couple sizes too big for his feet.

"Ah, forgive my rudeness, m'lady!" Sora bowed theatrically, holding out his hand to Xion. "And who might you be?" She blinked rapidly, holding tightly onto Axel's plaid shirt. Not that he blamed her, of course. Sora was difficult to handle by his friends, much less a total stranger. She hadn't gotten an adequate warning.

Still, for all his flamboyant tendencies, Xion seemed to warm up to him rather quickly. "Xion, sir." She took his hand, Sora pulling it lightly up to his mouth and kissing the back of it. Her cheeks flushed, Axel rolling his eyes at the look of sudden infatuation in her eyes.

"Sora's just fine, m'lady."

"As is Xion."

Axel chuckled at the look of surprise to cross Sora's face. "Two can play your game, Sora."

"It would seem so!" he agreed, standing back up and placing his hands on his hips. "Come on in. That lazy bum just came downstairs. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you too." Sora led them inside, shutting the door behind them.

The inside felt rather spacious, but that was only because it was a loft. The door led them towards a small, wooden desk with a computer set up as well as a slew of papers and boxes. Sora was quick to divert attention away from it, saying they were between secretaries and Sora was trying to pick up.

To the left of the door was a narrow hallway with railing that hung above the spacious garage. Axel couldn't see much from his standpoint, but he could see some hydraulic lifts with cars suspended on them. Straight ahead was an even narrower hallway, adjacent to a set of stairs that led up to yet another floor of the home.

"Sorry it smells like grease." Sora led them forward, taking them straight into the small kitchen and dining area. The room was covered in floor to ceiling cabinets of a cherry wood, each covered in another strange design that labeled what was found inside. There were some designs that were completely blacked out, others covered in layers and layers of paint to cover mistakes or blemishes. Almost like someone was practicing the font.

The stove was covered in dirty dishes and pots, the counters as well. Snacks and empty ready-meal boxes littered the counter, and the only clean area was the Keurig on the far counter. Standing beside it nursing a steaming cup of coffee was the aforementioned "lazy bum."

"Rikuuu~!" Sora whined, racing over to his side and forcefully pulling on the man's arm. "I said to get dressed first, didn't I?" he chastised, drawing attention to Riku's current fashion statement of boxer briefs and a white tank. Axel was quick to shield Xion's eyes, but he was afraid it had been too late.

Not that she hadn't seen Axel in the same state. It was just inappropriate to see another man in such a state. "Why the hell would I bother dirtying a pair of pants? I'm just gonna put on my coveralls—"

"I said they weren't clean yet!" Sora snapped back, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder towards Axel and the rest. "As you can see, we have guests."

"Ah," Riku hummed around a bite of a pop-tart. His eyes roved over the three, pausing on Xion for a moment longer than the rest. "There a pair on the washer?" he asked, walking off to the side and into another narrow room that was more crammed than the hallway. Sora sighed. Not bothering to answer as he herded his guests into seats at the small table near the room's only window that offered a rousing sight of the mechanics shop.

Xion was astounded. "It's huge!"

"It only looks big because there're only two cars in there," Riku called, returning to the room with a pain of baggy sweat pants. "Otherwise, it gets pretty crowded when me and the guys are working down there." He came to a stop beside Xion, holding out a hand. "Riku Hokani."

"Xion Lea," Xion took his hand, looking genuinely bewildered to be treated so normally after meeting someone like Sora. He quirked a small smile, turning his attention to Axel.

"It's been too long, Axel. Can't believe someone thought you'd make a good parent." Axel met his outstretched hand with a firm smack, pleased to at least have a normal greeting after all the hugs he'd received in the past day. "I feel bad for Xion."

"Jackass," Axel snorted, pleased to see the other was still his usual, sardonic self.

"You're lookin' well. Haven't changed a whole lot, 'sides the hair, anyway." Riku pointed to his own which was cut shaggy and falling a little past his ears. "Me too."

"I'm just a little too lazy these days," Axel excused, pulling on a limp lock of red hair that was too short to join his pony tail. "I'm assuming work keeps yours short?"

"Yep." Riku slid into a seat at the table, Sora returning with a cup of coffee for Hayner and Axel both. "Easier to clean the grease out, anyway. But enough of that." He took a long gulp of his own mug, Sora offering a cup of orange juice to Xion while he nursed one himself. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?" He directed the question at Hayner who'd been relatively silent since meeting with Sora.

"Can ya inspect my car?" Hayner posed at length, not looking Riku in the eye as he asked.

Sora's face twisted up, looking to Riku nervously. He didn't share the apparent and growing concern, nodding his head and holding his hand out for the keys. "No problem there."

"Thanks." Hayner seemed relieved to be passing the keys off, scratching the top of his head when he took his hand back. "Also, can ya hook Axel up with a ride? Kairi's request."

"I'd have figured she'd need one," Riku huffed, Sora hiding a chuckle behind his hand. "But yeah. I've got a few rides for rent, if you're interested." Riku finished the last of his coffee, looking to Axel expectantly. "Wanna look now, or would you rather finish your coffee?"

"Now's good," Axel agreed, pushing his chair back and rubbing the back of Xion's head. "You stay up here with Hayner and Sora. I'll be back in a few."

"Pick a nice one, papa! I wanna stand out!" she called after him, Riku smirking as Axel clenched his fist in pride.

"Some of these are new," Axel commented, running his fingers over the bright blue paint of the compact he was inspecting. Riku nodded off to his left, collapsing into a wheeled stool with his hands on his knees. "You buy them from other dealerships or the companies?"

"People sell to me," Riku amended, pointing to the car Axel was inspecting. "That one there? Mother of three sold that to me when she learned she was pregnant again." He pointed to another car behind it, a midsized SUV. "A single dad wanted a bigger car; said he wanted to be able to car pool kids to school."

"You buy them for cheap?" Axel wondered, moving away from the few cars inside the garage to stare at the undercarriage of another proper up on a lift. "Wow," he breathed, blinking in wonder as his eyes trailed over the various pieces of machinery that he could still name. It'd been years since he tinkered with an actual car.

"Some," Riku responded, cryptically clipped as always, kicking off the ground and riding the stool to a computer stationed near the wall. "I buy according to their budget. Tough times, you know?"

"Tough times," Axel agreed, walking over to Riku's side. He watched him click around on the screen, bringing up document after document while his fingers flew over the dirty keyboard. Axel let his eyes wander a bit, tracing over the gritty, paper-printed photographs of Riku and Sora pasted over the computer's frame. There were a few with Riku's family, people of a similar appearance that Axel had never truly known; there were even some that featured Kairi, Hayner, and Naminé.

Axel stopped near a picture of Sora and Roxas together, Riku's disgruntled expression making an appearance in the bottom portion. It looked fairly old; the edges frayed and the colors dulled. Of course, based on their appearances, Axel could have easily deduced the age. Sora had the same goofy grin as before, a decade barely maturing him at all.

Not that Axel cared much for Sora and Riku. He was simply drawn to the image because Roxas was smiling.

"I do rentals, but depending on how long you'll be staying, I might recommend you buy a cheap one and sell it back." Riku left a document on the screen, a hand shooting out to snatch a small package off the messy metal table. He spun around, giving Axel a serious look. "How long you in town?"

"Two weeks." Axel watched as Riku opened the package, shaking out a single stick he soon identified as a cigarette. "You smoke?"

"It's calming," was Riku's simplistic reply. Axel nearly laughed at the cleverly hidden cigarettes hiding in a small box of pocky. "Do you mind?"

Axel made a face, but ultimately shook his head. "Is it really wise to light up near all this gasoline?" he teased, leaning against the table as Riku withdrew a lighter from the box. Riku lit it on the first try, bringing the flame to the cigarette hanging loosely between his lips.

"I'm a careful man," he reasoned, speaking around the cigarette and fixing Axel a bored expression. "Two weeks brings you to about $200 total, but if you don't put too many miles on it, you'll get a discount."

"Not bad," Axel mumbled, leaning his head away from the smoke even as Riku politely turned to exhale. "I'd have figured it'd've been steeper."

"Cheapest in the city," Riku boasted, pointing a thumb back at his chest. "It's good for business to keep it cheap. 'Sides, a lot of my customers aren't exactly rolling in cash. Too much trouble to own a car, anyway."

"Expensive parking?" Axel joked, laughing a little until he noticed Riku's grim expression.

"Try car bombs."

An uncomfortable silence blanketed the two. Riku smoked in silence, Axel staring guiltily at his shoes. He figured such tactics hadn't made it to a city like Radiant Garden. They were common enough in the dilapidated parts of Twilight Town and other economically-depressed communities. Axel knew he shouldn't be surprised, considering the news just this morning.

"It's not as frequent here, and especially not in this part of town," Riku explained, tilting his head back and watching the smoke billow in the air. "Still, people get nervous when it happens close to home. Rentals go up, sure, but no one wants to buy." He weakly jerked his head towards the garage doors and the lot of cars just outside. "I used to have one or two out there at a time."

There were at least eight, if Axel recalled correctly.

"Sora loves it, though," Riku dipped his chin, nearly obscuring the suddenly fond glimmer in his eye. "Gets to practice all sorts of things for my 'advertisements'."

"Sora designed those?" Axel was intrigued, recalling Sora had been a member of the art club—like Naminé—but he was unable to recall a painting. If anything, Axel could almost remember a conversation in which Sora proclaimed he was only a member as a mascot, promoting the club and cheering on its members.

"Yep." Riku held up a hand, showing off an intricate, line-style tattoo of Sora's name on the inside of his wrist. "He's crazy about designs and is always practicing them. He drew this one sometime while I was asleep‒"

"That's not a tattoo?" Axel yelped, reaching blindly for Riku's arm and pulling the "tattoo" up for inspection. "Did he do this by hand? I thought a professional had done it—"

"A professional did do it, in a manner of speaking." Riku pulled his arm back, rubbing the red marks on his forearm. "Sora's a graphic designer. Hadn't he bragged about that yet?"

"No," Axel replied, peeking over Riku's shoulder to look at yet another design peeking out from behind the strap of his tank top. "He's good…did he do the designs outside?" he pressed, Riku gesturing to a wall of breathtaking scribbles and graffiti-inspired art on the far wall of the shop.

"He did all that, too," Riku scratched the side of his head, looking up towards the catwalk that led to their living arrangements. "You should see the bedroom walls." Riku closed his eyes, sighing through his nose. "Or his office walls."

Riku shook his head, looking at Axel again. "Anyway, you interested in one of these cars?"

"Do you have bikes? I'm feeling a bit…flashier than a Prius." Riku nodded turning back to his computer. Axel's eyes kept wandering to the wall, and eventually Riku waved him off in permission to explore. "Thanks."

Axel strode over to them, traveling a few yards from Riku's station. Axel traced his fingers along the designs, following disconnected lines and blotted out mistakes. He found the remnants of a stylized cat, covered with unfamiliar fonts and logos that utilized various features on the cat.

"Like a mad scientist," Axel chuckled to himself, looking over his shoulder. "He do this with spray paint?"

"He does it with all sorts of stuff!" Riku hollered back, having since disappeared from his work station. Axel searched the open floor for him, spotting him along the back wall where a line of tarp-covered lumps stood against the wall. "The guys get a kick outta it, especially when he pulls out the ladder!"

"Guys?" Axel echoed, finally noticing the multitude of computer stations in the already cramped garage. He jogged over to Riku's side in time to see him pull the covering off a beautiful, bright-red motorcycle with room enough for two.

"Three full-time, and a handful of part-timers." Riku patted the sleek leather of the seat, glancing at Axel's expression for approval "Like the one you had in high school, right?" The cigarette still hug loosely from his lips, Axel tracing his own hands over the motorcycle with reverence.

When was the last time I felt one of these?

Axel ran his hands over the handles, Riku's smirk widening at the obvious show of attachment. "We have a winner?"

"Yes, please," Axel nodded, Riku nodding once before gesturing Axel to follow after him back to the computer.

Must've been back when Sinon was in the hospital, Axel reminisced.

He'd been reluctant to rely on his parents for money, selling his own bike to cover the medical expenses and working double shifts when he could. In the end, he had no choice, but he'd never gotten around to buying another. He'd borrowed plenty from his father, but continually denied his urging to simply take it.

I always wanted to buy my own.

"Xion will be pleased?" Riku suddenly asked, hesitant to hand over the pen to confirm the rental contract. "I'd hate for you to upset her." His lips turned upwards at the end, feigning concern. Axel just glared, telling him to be quiet before snatching the pen and signing along the line.

"If she's mine, she'll love anything with two wheels," he muttered.

"If she's yours." Riku chuckled, shaking his head as he tossed Axel the keys.

"Yeah. If."

Axel's foot hooked the kickstand, pressing it out as he came to a stop in a relatively close parking spot. "This the place, Xi?" Axel called, shouting to be heard over the rumbling of the engine. The bike had only come with the one helmet, shielding Xion's entire face from view as Axel was soon reminded.

She leaned away from his back, pulling her phone out with one hand and bracing herself against his back with the other. It was unnerving not being able to see her face. Axel, genuinely put off, reached back to lift the visor when he couldn't take it any longer. Her stunning blue eyes were revealed to him, staring intently at her phone screen before meeting his own.

"This is the place Aunt Kairi mentioned," Xion affirmed, holding up the screen for Axel to squint at as well. He scanned the lengthy message for a moment; skimming away the unnecessary and superfluous comments Kairi was prone to making, and hacking it down to the basic facts. He confirmed the name mentioned to the name on the restaurant and killed the engine.

Xion was a pro at removing the helmet on her own, used to taking sunny day drives all over Twilight Town and the surrounding areas on rented bikes. Axel should have been more alarmed that his nine year old look more at home on a motorcycle than she did on a manual bike, but there was a strange pride in it. At least she couldn't hop on and off on her own.

Axel took her hand in his, leading her across the street where a long line was trailing out the door. Xion whistled at the sight, Axel feeling no less surprised by the apparent popularity of the steak house. In addition to the line, there were a ton of people mingling and walking around on the sidewalks as is, and it was far too crowded for Axel's tastes.

He scooped Xion up into his arms, weaving his way through the crowd as she clung to his neck. "Look it!" She pointed ahead of them, highlighting the towering structures of the town's history in the distance. It looked like a castle to Axel, but he was certain that wasn't the case.

Whatever it was, it was surrounded by tall fountains; colored lights shone onto the jets to make the droplets sparkle in color. Even from the great distance it was breathtaking, Xion pulling on his hair and confessing her ever growing desire to be there in person.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I promise!" Axel pat the top of her head, steering clear of another father with a similar idea to carry his child. He considered reaching the open door a miracle, trying his best to avoid the annoyed glares of the jostled patrons. He made a motion to apologize, but was soon cut off by a shrill shout.

"Axel!" He turned, gawking at the sight of Kairi waving her arms like a mad woman just past the hostess's station. "Over here!"

"Aunt Kairi!" Xion cheered back, racing from Axel's side to collide against her side. Axel offered an awkward wave to the hostess, feeling heat crawl up his cheeks at the way she stifled her laughter. "Papa, look there! They've already got a table!"

"So they do," Axel breathed, reaching Kairi's side and taking Xion's shoulders in his hands. "How long were you in line?" He turned his attention to his cousin, glaring in response to her smug grin.

"Not telling~!" she sang, patting his shoulder before snatching Xion's hand. "Come on! We just ordered some appetizers. You're so late." She directed the last bit to Axel, earning nothing more than a noncommittal shrug as they approached the table.

"Blame your piss-poor directions," he countered, Kairi stiffening. She spun quickly to hit him, but there was no real malice behind it.

"You're so rude!"

"I think you mean truthful."

"Kairi, stop bein' mean to Axel!" Sora yelled, jumping up from his seat and racing over to greet Xion. "Been a while, hasn't it, m'lady?" He fake bowed, taking Xion's hand and kissing the knuckles sweetly. She giggled, twisting side to side to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Just a few hours, Sora—"

"They felt like years, fair lady!" he called dramatically, pulling her hand along and leading her to the table. "You have to sit beside me to heal the pain of our distance!" His head nearly spun the whole way around, gaze zeroing in on Axel like a targeting program. "You, too, 'cause we barely got to talk before."

"Right, right," Axel nodded, Kairi chasing after Sora and engaging in a boisterous argument on who would sit beside Xion. He watched them with interest, talking stock of their little section of the restaurant.

They were in a private room, but the din of the popular restaurant wasn't completely gone. Two tables had been pushed together in the center of the room, covered by two pristine white tablecloths. There were three small bouquets of flowers down the center, reflecting the bright lights of the chandelier.

Sora sat closest to the doorway leading inside, Riku sitting at the end. They were both dressed well, silky dress shirts and dark pants. Yet, for all of Sora's erupting enthusiasm, Riku sat silently, playing around on his phone and occasionally ordering Sora to quiet down. Xion sat beside Sora with Kairi on her right.

Hayner sat at the other end of the table, back to the wall with a view of all the doorways. Upon closer inspection, Axel noticed thin, black cords hanging from his ears, connected to his phone where he seemed to be playing some sort of game. When Kairi leaned over to tap his arm, he jumped a bit before looking at her sincerely. She gestured toward Axel, and Hayner followed up with a weak wave.

Axel waved back, not quite sure what to make of his behavior.

"Oh, Axel you can sit right there!" Naminé suddenly stood, showing off her tight black pencil skirt and cream colored blouse. The expensive looking jewelry that dangled from her wrists and ears sparkled in the light, distracting Axel from her initial instruction until she pointed to the seat beside Riku.

"Thanks." He nodded his head, watching as Naminé pushed her drink closer to Hayner's end and took the open seat there.

Then it occurred to Axel that someone was still missing.

"He'll be back in a minute." Naminé leaned over the open seat between them. She spoke as if she read his mind, smiling broadly at Axel's nervous grin. "Yes, you're that transparent. Roxas just has to talk to the manager for a bit."

"Why's that?" Axel asked, desperately trying to ignore the way his heart fluttered at the prospect of sitting beside Roxas. He didn't want that to show on his face, especially with Naminé on his other side.

"Well," Naminé opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. She glanced over her shoulder at Hayner and quickly shifted to the seat she'd left open for Roxas. Axel watched her approach with caution, leaning closer to her level when she gestured him to.

"You see," she began, "Hayner has a bit of a…problem." She looked back to him, Axel watching as Kairi took his phone to play a round of the game. Hayner watched after her, but continually lifted his gaze to scan his surroundings. "I'm sure you remember the hostage scare at the Twilight Town Station."

Axel nodded solemnly. How could he or any resident of the town forget that day? Xion had been so small at the time, but Axel and Sinon both refused to go to the station for three years after that. It was that incident that led the town into the decline it still faced today.

"Hayner had been visiting his family," Naminé continued. "He was just trying to catch the train home—"

"He was part of all that?" Axel was truly surprised. Not that he could have known; the identities of the fifty had been kept secret all this time.

Naminé nodded glumly. "Now, Hayner…doesn't really like to go outside. In fact, this is the first time we've got him out of the house in a couple months." Axel was speechless, Naminé folding her hands in her lap. "He doesn't leave unless he has to, and it's almost never voluntary. Except for today!"

Axel felt a little honored, knowing Hayner had braved his fear just to drive them to Riku's shop. "So is this celebration dinner for three?" Axel teased, trying to lighten the mood a bit. It worked, Naminé chuckling a little and nodding her head.

"Roxas wanted to know if we could close the doors. Give Hayner some peace of mind to eat."

"That's pretty nice of him," Axel muttered, sighing wistfully. "He do it on his own or did his pretty girlfriend put him up to it—"

"I'm capable of making my own decisions, Axel."

Axel spun in his seat, eyes widening at the sight of Roxas just behind him. He still wore his clothes from earlier in the morning, but he'd since ditched the blazer and rolled up his sleeves. His hair was still slicked back, and Axel had to admit he looked so mature that way. More mature than he was, anyway, and he was the one with a child to look after.

"Roxas!" Naminé called, glancing at Hayner and Kairi quickly. "What did the manager say?"

"We can close it once the food arrives. Any earlier than that and it will cause the servers trouble." Roxas informed, striding behind their seat to catch Hayner's shoulder and tell him the news. Axel was surprised to see how easily he'd removed the earbud, considering he hadn't offered Kairi the same. Hayner nodded stiffly, smile strained as Roxas rubbed his thumbs into his shoulders to try and sooth him.

Axel recognized that gesture well. Roxas used to do the same for him, a trick he learned from his uncle—Sora's father—Leon.

When Roxas tried to take the seat beside Hayner, Naminé was quick to stop him. "Hold up! I thought you'd prefer to sit beside Axel!" she gushed, Axel choking on his coke at the sound of his name. With the painful prickling of his throat and stomach, he had to wonder if he'd been drinking needles.

"Ah—" Roxas didn't bother hiding his disappointment. "Wouldn't it be better if I sat beside Hayner?" Axel had to agree, recognizing the aura of relief that now surrounded Hayner. Kairi seemed to be at better ease as well, resting a hand on Hayner's shoulder as he finally removed his headphones and stuffed them in his pocket.

"Hmm," Naminé hummed pensively, Axel feeling like he had to say something to seal the deal.

"Roxy's right, Naminé." He jerked his head towards Hayner. "See? He looks way better now that Roxas is here." Roxas made a face at the nickname, Axel wincing a little at the ice of those blue eyes while Naminé gazed at him.

"Then…maybe you should sit here?" She grabbed her drink, switching it with the coke they'd ordered before he'd even arrived. Axel tried to argue, Roxas doing the same, but she simply silenced them both with a sharp look. "Axel, switch seats with me! Riku's been avoiding conversation since he got here, so it's about time I pull him in, anyway."

Riku's head snapped back, swallowing thickly.

But he did as he was told, standing so Naminé could simply slide along to his seat. Now he was across from his daughter, but she was deeply engaged in conversation with Sora who was drawing complex line designs on the back of her hand. Kairi's whole attention was fixed on Hayner, keeping his eyes on her and away from the open doorways.

Which left Axel only one other person to speak to.

Someone who was currently emitting an aura of "don't talk to me" so strongly, Axel was certain it could be felt by the whole table. Maybe even the whole restaurant. He tried not to let it bring him down. It wasn't like this was new to him. He could handle something as simple as being ignored.

"So—"

"Please, don't talk to me."

That stung a little, Axel winced. He reached for his cup, lifting the coke to his lips and taking a long, drawn out sip. He glanced around the table, hoping someone had ended a conversation, or were at least willing to let him join another.

This atmosphere is painful.

Yet, Axel couldn't bring himself to be beaten here.

"Your manners are impeccable as ever, Roxy," Axel muttered, staring ahead. A victorious smirk pulled on his lips at the indigent huff that came from beside him.

"Don't call me that," Roxas commanded, but all Axel heard was a challenge.

"Roooxyyyy~!" Axel drew out, propping his elbow on the table and looking at Roxas's annoyed expression.

This banter was familiar to him and recognizable. He was comfortable in this place, mostly because Roxas was acknowledging him to exchange these quips. Even if it was a glare, Axel was happy to see his own face reflected in his eyes.

"And you're as insufferable as ever," Roxas countered, fingers tracing the rim of his own glass. His mouth turned upwards, however faintly, like he was fighting the urge to smile. Axel laughed at the sight, looking to his own drink.

"Xion tells me that all the time!" he offered, glad to roll with the punches if it got Roxas to finally smile.

Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. Roxas's expression fell entirely, and his eyes were suddenly trained on Xion. Axel sat up a bit at the obvious scrutiny of his daughter, not sure if he was relieved that Roxas was acknowledging her or alarmed. There was an indescribable emotion in his eye, but just as quickly as it had formed, it was gone.

Roxas stared at his cup. "She looks nothing like you," he offered in a small voice. Axel was surprised to hear such a tone come from such an expressive person.

"People say that a lot," Axel admitted, looking to Xion with a smile. "Good news, huh? I'm enough of a freak as it is; I'd hate it if it were genetic." He laughed, hoping Roxas would join in. He brushed against Roxas's arm in jest, but he was rigid; immovable. His glare continued to intensify to the point Axel feared the tablecloth would burst into flame.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed, and Axel had to stave off the imaginary blood-flow at the ease of his masked insult. "But she's yours, isn't she," he added, voice dripping with poison.

"That sounds more like an accusation than a question, Roxas," Axel retorted lowly, no longer amused. "Don't take such a tone when discussing my daughter, all right?" he ordered, not expecting much of a response. He reached for his cup again, fully expecting Roxas to completely ignore him now.

Yet—as with this entire conversation—Roxas did the opposite.

"Why did I think you'd changed?" he muttered, violently kicking his chair back and storming off. The action startled everyone at the table, especially Hayner. He nearly jumped to his feet, eyes wide as body tense with the urge to flee. Kairi caught his arm, Naminé jumping to her feet as well to try and chase him down.

Even Riku bothered to look, having lazily been playing on his phone when it happened. Sora and Xion looked just as surprised, Xion's colorful hand covering her mouth as Naminé followed Roxas out of sight.

Then, almost comically, all eyes fell to Axel. They demanded explanation, but Axel had nothing to offer them. Even he had no idea what just happened.

What could he mean? Axel wondered, dropping his gaze to the drops of condensation that fell to the tablecloth. What did I…say?

"Sora!" Thankfully, everyone's attention turned towards the doorway, Naminé standing just under the threshold with a tight face. "He says he's okay, but…he didn't look okay at all." She reasoned, taking a few steps towards the table. Sora was already standing. "He went into the bathroom, so I can't—"

"I'm on it, Nami!" Sora promised, touching his hand to Xion's head. "I'll finish that when I get back, kiddo—"

"I'll go!" The hell am I saying? Axel's own eyes widened at the sound of his own voice. The hell I will! I don't even know what I did to piss him off! "I mean, it was me who said something, after all," he awkwardly explained, Sora and Naminé both watching him with skeptic eyes. Can't really blame that unease, can I? "Really, I don't know what, but…I-I should go."

"Axel—"

"Besides!" Axel was quick to interrupt, gesturing to Xion like he just remembered she was there. "A great artist shouldn't abandon his work half-way." It was a weak reason, even to his own ears, but it was enough. Sora eased himself back into his seat, Axel rising out of his own.

"Just…um." Naminé caught his arm before he could leave. However, before she could say anything, she simply shook her head. "Never mind. Thank you, Axel."

"Don't mention it!"

Don't thank me yet, either.

When Axel reached the bathroom, he was both surprised and relieved that it was empty. A part of him had to wonder what the chances of that were, considering how crowded the restaurant was. But he had more important things to worry about, and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

He had to find Roxas. An easy task, considering he was the only one in the bathroom at the moment. Axel walked along the—admittedly—pristine tiles to the only closed bathroom stall.

"Roxas—"

"Why are you here?"

Axel was suddenly really glad there was no one using the urinals. Otherwise, this would surely be awkward.

"You freaked everybody out leaving like that," Axel answered, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall beside the line of stalls. "Naminé and Sora were pretty worried," he added, quick to continue before Roxas opened a retort. "Gave Hayner a run for his money, too."

Roxas was silent; shuffling footsteps was the only thing he could hear. "I didn't mean to upset anyone."

Axel huffed, shaking his head. "Right. Of course. Then if you're done having a hissy fit, maybe you should go apologize—?"

The door flew back on its hinges, revealing Roxas's scowl. He must have been ruffling his own hair, because it was falling back into its usual style. The spikes partially obstructed his eyes, but Axel would have had to be blind to miss the fire in them. His jaw was clenched tight, and if Axel focused enough, he was sure he'd hear the grinding of his teeth.

"Did I ask for your opinion, Axel?" He spat his name, like an unsavory afterthought, storming past him towards the sink. Roxas was even careful to make sure he purposefully bumped into Axel as he passed.

Still, Axel was a champion of letting it roll right off his back. The lasting effect of being a punching bag for a decade.

"I suppose not!" Axel agreed, turning to follow with a triumphant smirk. "Consider it a free, additional service—"

"Is this all a game to you?" Roxas roared, slamming his hands onto the counter top. He'd left the faucet running, the noise drowning out the sound of Axel's suddenly racing heart. Roxas glared at him through the mirror, and Axel was certain if looks could kill he'd be dead one thousand times over…and he had no idea why.

Axel didn't know how to respond, not sure where the sudden line of questioning had come from. "I—no, it's not a—"

"So stop acting like a child."

Excuse me? "Are you kidding me?" Axel countered, voice tinged with a bit of hysteria. Roxas had yet to break eye contact, but he'd at least turned off the faucet. That left their voices to echo powerfully in the tiny room, and for that Axel was both pleased and terrified. "Are you seriously telling me that I'm acting like a child? After all the shit you've given me since I came here?"

"I never said I was perfect," Roxas replied tersely, finally breaking eye contact to find the paper towel dispenser.

"I would hope so! Because you sure as hell aren't, Roxas!" Axel yelled, more out of frustration at his own outburst than Roxas's. After he'd been telling himself time and again to roll with the punches, the minute Roxas raised his voice, he was gone. "Shit!" he cursed, bringing a hand to his face and fiercely rubbing his fingers between his eyebrows. "I didn't mean to—"

"You haven't changed at all, Axel," Roxas muttered, wiping his hands carefully. "And that's…really frustrating, you know?" There was a peculiar edge to his voice. It sounded tight, like Roxas was struggling to get the words out. Like he was trying to get something painful out.

Axel should have known to back off, but he just pressed on.

"What are you talking about?" he snapped, throwing his hands out before pointing them to his chest. "Everything's changed, if you hadn't noticed! I'm college-educated, I have a job, I have a shitty apartment, and I have a—a daughter, and I'm—!"

"And the fact that you don't get what I mean says it all." Roxas finally turned to face him, voice rising to match the look of utter pain that contorted his face. "It never ceases to amaze me how completely idiotic you can be, Axel. You've never understood me, have you?"

Axel actually choked on his words, suddenly speechless.

"Fuck!" Roxas growled, turning his face away from Axel. For a second, he looked just as surprised as Axel, if not a little apologetic. "Forget it. Neither of us have time for this now. Just pretend that I got sick and—"

"Hold up!" Axel caught his arm, keeping Roxas from retreating through the door. "We have plenty of time for this. To talk!" he pressed, tightening his hold when Roxas tried to pull free. "I want to talk with you! I'm sorry I yelled just now, but what I really want is to apo—"

"Well, I don't!" Roxas screeched, pushing Axel's chest with his free hand. He was much stronger than he looked, but Axel was already off balance by his words. Axel stumbled back, hand falling away as Roxas took a defensive stance on the other side of the small room. Though he could reach out and touch him, it felt like miles had just erupted between them.

Axel had no idea how to cross them.

"Honestly, this is ridiculous! We're both above squabbling like children," Roxas continued, touching a hand over the red mark left from Axel's grip. "I would have been satisfied to never look at your arrogant face again. Just my luck, I guess," he muttered darkly. "Do us both a favor, and stop pretending we're still friends."

Axel couldn't think. There was nothing in his mind other than the fact that no one had heard them yet and come to investigate. And what would he do if they did? He would have to say something then—to Roxas, to whoever came in, to their friends out there if they got into trouble here—but there was…nothing?

Absolutely nothing came to mind, and that chilled him to the core.

He always had something to say. Smooth talking was his specialty, his only weapon and the one he'd honed for years. Being rendered speechless felt like being chained from head to toe, tossed in a room with a blindfold over his eyes.

He felt lost.

"And don't have any perverse fantasies that those days were anything but miserable for me!" Roxas spat, and something within Axel broke.

And the water rises. He felt like he was drowning, tongue disintegrating to a sludgy mixture of sand and water. It filled his throat like cement.

"Let's not talk unless we have to. I don't want anyone asking…unnecessary questions," he instructed, turning his body towards the door. "I'm sorry I unloaded like that. It was…well, I was hoping to do this quietly."

Roxas's tone didn't have an ounce of sincerity, but it was the last thing on Axel's mind. He struggled to get air to his lungs.

"I'll head back first," Roxas explained. "If anyone asks, I'll tell them I got light-headed. You can come up with your own excuse, right?" With that, Roxas left.

Axel fell against the sink, bracing his hands on the shiny porcelain before clawing at his chest. He couldn't see or hear anything over the ragged, crackling wheeze of his breath. It really felt like he'd been bound to something, and if he didn't escape he would die.

But he knew he couldn't fight his bonds for much longer. Axel could barely stand. Yet, the water was rising too fast. If he didn't act fast, he'd slip into the abyss before long…

And he was strangely okay with that. It took too long to calm down. I'll need a better excuse than taking a dump. He dabbed the cold sweat from his face. Pushing the bathroom door open with the intention of getting some fresh air before returning to the table.

However, once he was outside, his phone gave a shrill screech from deep in his pocket. The number was unknown to him.

From: Axel

Need you outside.

Kairi frowned at her phone, hiding it in her lap so as not to draw to much attention to it. Hayner was in the middle of explaining the mechanics to some new app he'd discovered to Roxas, engaged in a match with Riku at the other end of the table. Meanwhile, Sora and Naminé were having a heated discussion over the placement of art in schools while Sora continued to doodle designs up Xion's arm.

Xion, however, was watching Kairi and her phone. Noticing this, she shut her screen off in a hurry, but the damage had been done.

"Is Papa okay, Aunt Kai?" Xion asked, gazing wide eyed at Kairi's face. She hoped she was making a pleasant expression, but she knew she couldn't hide her concern for long. It had been a while since she got a message like this from Axel.

In fact, she'd only ever heard of such messages. Reno was usually the one he called.

"Of course," she confirmed at last, petting Xion's hair. "Your Papa just gets lost in his thoughts sometimes. Then he just wants to blurt everything out like a mad man! Totally inconvenient." She puffed out her cheeks, earning a giggle for her efforts. "Pardon me a minute."

Kairi pushed back from the table, touching Hayner's hand as she went in case he got worried. As she approached the door leading into their room, she gave a wistful sigh as two waiters carried their dinners after her. Still, she figured it would be easy enough to box up her own meal, as well as the one Xion ordered for Axel.

Once outside, she crossed her arms at the howling wind. Her light sweater did nothing to stave off the sudden chill; the emptiness of the crowded streets made it worse. Kairi walked along the sidewalk, following the cracks and crevices with her eyes until she stumbled across a familiar shape on the ground.

"You could get hit with a car," Kairi chastised, coming to a stop just above Axel's current position on the curb. "There are perfectly good benches that way," she promised, nodding her head towards the courtyard of the restaurant plaza.

But Axel was quiet, clutching his cell phone in his hand. His head hung low, the failing sunlight giving rise to shadows all over his face. It gave him a much more somber expression than she had ever seen on him. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight.

Kairi collapsed onto the curb beside him, Axel giving a hollow chuckle. "Thought I was gonna be roadkill?"

"Those benches are terrible, anyway." She waved her hand. "You're always one move away from getting a splinter in your ass."

"Like the swings at the park?" Axel chuckled, Kairi smile widening a bit at the memory. "You cried so loudly, Aunt Claire thought we'd pushed you off," he recalled, showing a rare, but sincere smile. Kairi blushed at the memory, phantom pain blooming in the back of her thigh.

She bumped his shoulder, laughing at the memory. "Forgive my trauma! I was eight, jack ass!" Axel avoided her next bump, lifting his arm and twisting his body to capture her against him instead. Her laughter tapered off, the sudden hug throwing her off guard, despite how relaxed the embrace was.

She didn't chance glancing up, staring at the pebbles on the ground. "That was one of my favorite days growing up, because he wasn't home," his voice faltered near the end, tight with an emotion she knew too well. Her fist clenched in her lap, hidden from view between her legs.

Just hearing the pain in Axel's voice when he spoke of that man filled her with rage: rage at her mother for doing nothing and at herself for not understanding. She pulled her lip back between her teeth, chewing hard when Axel continued.

"The next day, he promised to take me to see you; let me buy you that clip you still wear as an apology. To the day, I have no idea why he…let me do that." His voice trembled, and Kairi knew he was crying. That just made her even angrier, because Axel was supposed to the strongest person she knew.

He never cried when she could see growing up, despite all the pain he'd been exposed to since birth.

"Why are you talking about him?" Kairi asked at last, surprised by how difficult it was to get her voice to work. Her throat was tight, lips and tongue like lead as she spoke around the mounting anger and sadness. "It's not good for you—"

"He's dead."

Kairi forgot what she wanted to say.

"Alec Jackson is dead…and I'm so lost," Axel choked, lifting a hand to cover his eyes. Kairi finally gathered the courage to face him, lifting her head as well before wrapping him in her arms. "He was a bastard! He treated me like shit, but he was still…all those times he'd…I shouldn't feel this way, right?"

Kairi's felt a piece of her heart break off with each choked sob. She held him close, beyond thankful for the empty streets. Rocking him slowly, she combed through his hair and rubbed his back. Honestly, she had no idea how to take the news herself, remembering the few interactions with the man that she'd had.

I was so young back then…I didn't understand a thing.

She remembered Alec was handsome, but there had been a certain air about him. A mystery, she supposed, always filling her with the urge to go closer while something rooted her feet to the spot. She'd only learned of his cruelty when he'd been arrested, and the seething rage she'd harbored for the man who had so damaged her beloved cousin blinded her from the reality of it.

Alec was still Axel's father. "It's only natural to feel this way," she muttered, feeling tears prickling the corners of her own eyes. "He was your father, after all." She kissed his cheek, wiping at his tears.

Axel chuckled, reaching for her face. "The hell are you crying for?"

"Because I'm emotional, you ass!" She laughed, wiping at her own eyes. They sat for a bit, their pride leading them both to gather their composure in silence. Soon enough, Kairi's thoughts began to wander, finding more memories she'd rather forget. Thinking back on all the signs she'd been too young to see—much less understand—made her feel even worse.

And it could only be worse for Axel. "Come on," she commanded, standing swiftly. "We're going on a drive."

Axel had reared from her, not expecting her to suddenly spring from the ground. "Hah?" He scrutinized her as if she'd just suggested they go on a murder spree, shaking his head and gazing at his feet. "I'm sure dinner has arrived by now. The others will—"

"Come on!" Kairi pushed, pulling at Axel's hands and dragging him to his feet. At that moment, the street lights finally took over. His face looked so gaunt from the new shadows covering his face, and his eyes were red. "Do you really want to eat mediocre steak around all those people?"

Kairi wiped at a few of the stray droplets on his cheeks. "Let's go for a drive, Axel." She pushed again, but this time Axel followed after her diligently.

"How lame," he scoffed at length, grinding the tear drops still on his hands into his pants.

"Not really." Kairi pulled Axel along by the wrist, leading him straight to his own motorcycle. "If you ask me, the strongest men know the benefits of crying." She swung her leg over the bike, glancing over her shoulder and patting the spot behind her.

Axel just looked confused. "Since when did you—"

"Reno is my big brother," Kairi simplified. Axel seemed satisfied, climbing on after her and offering the keys to her outstretched hand. "Besides, Reno used to drive me around town on his bike whenever I was sad, so…" She started the engine, Axel's face suddenly turning downcast. "Just seems right."

Kairi faced forward, kicking at the stand as she backed the bike out of the spot. Axel didn't hang on to her like she'd always done to Reno, but his hand found her shoulder soon enough. For balance, she supposed, but there was something about the way he held her there that made it seem like more.

His grip was tight—near painful, if she were being honest—but Axel had his privacy.

She weaved through traffic easily, zipping through the roads she knew so well and taking Axel on an informal tour of the vast city of Radiant Garden. The whole drive her phone was constantly buzzing, and she soon realized she'd be in for a treat when she got home. They didn't return until midnight, barely saying more than a few words in the countless hours they'd spent together.

"Jeez," Kairi groaned, finally pulling her phone out to check the damage. "It's like they had nothing better to do." She dreaded sorting through every message, call, and voice mail—not to mention the verbal berating that probably awaited her just past the door. "If Xion's mad, just blame me—"

When they reached the porch, Axel pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. He didn't say anything at first, keeping Kairi's face buried in his chest. Before she could start smacking him to get some air, he finally loosened his grip and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks, Kai."

Kairi smiled, hugging him right back. "No problem, Ax!"

Suddenly, all 50 unread texts, 23 missed calls, and 13 voicemails were a little less daunting.

"It's done," he confirmed, pulling the phone from his ear. He gazed back at the prison once more, propping his elbows against the open car door with a tight lipped frown. "With this, I sever all ties to you," he continued, turning his eyes to the man beside him. "Take me to the station. It's time to proceed."

"Sir, should we not—"

"We haven't the time for superfluous mourning," the first man snapped, sitting in the backseat of the car. He waited until the second man shut the door after him, scuttling back to the driver's seat.

But even as they drove off, he couldn't draw his eyes from the prison, still in uproar over the assassination. "You could never hide from me, Alec," he muttered, bringing his fingers to his lips. He kissed them gently, lifting them towards the roof of the car as they passed the prison's gates.

"Buona note, mio re."

A/N: The last bit there is a Google translation. It means (roughly) "Good night, my king." (correct me if I'm wrong, internet.)

But yeah! For those of you who read the original, things are getting a bit different now, huh? That's just because I gave a lot of thought to everyone in this story and how they all connect. But if you have any questions, I'll be happy to explain.

To those who're new, what do you think so far? I'm working diligently on getting everything caught up, and soon everyone will be on the same page! So if you feel like you're missing something, don't be!

To everyone, let me know your thoughts on everything! I'm curious to see how you feel about my story, as well as my style. Or just how you're doing in general. I'm a very friendly person.

Oh, I almost forgot! I think I might start rewriting select scenes from Saving Axel (mostly because it would take way too long to overhaul that whole story). If that's something you'd be into—or if you have a burning desire to see a certain scene done better—shoot me a message, and I'll see what I can do!

Until next time!

-DS