A/N: Just a little AK drabble to tide everyone and myself over until I manage to finish my Kairi/Ghost!Axel two/threeshot. Or my AK stepsibling fic. Whichever. This is my little totally-not-cannon take on the infamous beach scene.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"And luckily she still can't stand the sight of a boy"

– x –

He comes to her in the afternoon heat, black and red offering her something she never wants to forget. The sand is rough against her skin, slipping into her shoes as she turns towards him and his acidic eyes.

"I can give you what you want," he says, lopsided smirk in place. "I can give you what you need."

The sea breeze reminds her of unreal boys. "You don't know what I need."

"I know what you want," he purrs, and raises his gloved hand to her. She steps back and grabs her arm, where once, long ago, someone else with gloved hands grabbed her mind and grabbed her and tried to get away. "I know exactly what you want, Princess."

Her smile never quite reaches her eyes and now it seems even farther out of reach. "Don't you have other things to do?"

"I've got orders I won't follow, doll, and a guy I'm more than missing."

She bites her lips and hums. "Sounds like love."

"Sounds like a nuisance," he replies, and as his hand gets closer, the wind blows harder, the sun burns brighter, and she wonders if something about this man is turning her world into colour. "Come with me. Take a chance. I've got what we want and I know how to get it. Don't you ever want to live a little?"

His smirk is wider and his steps are longer and he's so close she could reach out and press a hand against his chest. Sand sticks to her ankles and the back of her neck is damp with sweat. He chuckles and everything is blinding and – and she isn't ready to see again. Her smile is brittle this time, cracking at the corners as she says, "How do you know I'm not already dead?"

The smirk falters, the expression wavers, and then he grabs her wrist and says, "Because, baby girl, I know what ghosts look like."

Her fingers curve around his hand. "And what do they look like?"

His lip curls as his grip tightens and it's not entirely unpleasant as he sneers, "Me."