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Roxas felt suddenly stiff, what in the world was Axel talking about. Roxas felt him come closer to him. It was a familiar feeling, but he couldn't know exactly why it felt like this. Feeling Axel's warmth was some how pleasant and easing.
But Roxas couldn't take it too long, this feeling was too weird. He knocked Axel's grip off his shoulders. "What are you talking about? Hell and back? You're not making any sense!" he said with annoyance in his tone. Roxas didn't do anything to Axel...did he? All and all this was frustrating him.

Roxas eyes became more alert, "...When you what?" He felt an ice cold shiver freeze his spine. So something did happen while he was gone. His expression turned from frustration to attentive. Roxas starred into Axel's eyes, he wanted to know more. He spoke with a deep breathe, "Axel...what did you do?"

Roxas lips slowly moved, "You..died?" Roxas knocked his head forward, he felt like something hit him hard. His mind started screaming and aching. Roxas grabbed his head in pain. He tried to keep his balance as his mind kept blowing him with torture. He eventually got a slap with a flashback.

It was through the eyes of Sora did he saw this. Axel's sacrifice for him...his words were so painful. It hurt him emotionally, but it's not possible, he would need a heart for this, right?
"I wanted to see Roxas...he was the only one liked...he made me feel like I had a heart...you make me feel the same..." The last moments of what Axel says to Sora before he died. It was all just too painful for Roxas. After Axel disappeared into the darkness, Roxas snapped out of the flashback.

Roxas stared up at Axel, not aware of the tears glistening down his own cheek. Roxas spoke his voice shaking, "I saw it...just now...I saw what Sora experienced...with you...and..." He held his hands up and touched Axel's face. He wanted to make sure he was real. "But...you're here...how did you..?"

"Roxas!' Axel shouted, grabbing the trembeling boy by the shoulders. He watched Roxas clutch his head and watched his expression twist in pain.

And suddenly, Roxas was calm again, and Axel realized how fast his pulse was racing. What the hell happ-

Roxas was crying. Axel's eyes widened in surprise and his clutch on the boy tightened as Roxas told him of how he saw him die, or something along those lines. Axel was too anxious and surprised to comprehend the words properly. His expression softened, despite his blood running faster, when he realized Roxas was crying...for him.

His posture stiffened as he saw the hand reach up and feel his face. The warm that radiated from the hand distracted him, and a few seconds passed before he processed the question Roxas had just asked him.

"..it's..." he put his hand over Roxas', "...a long story." One he'd rather not repeat to Roxas at the moment.

Axel unconciously reached out his hand and wiped away one of Roxas' tears. He smiled tenderly, which was an expression only Roxas could bring to his countanence. A sad laugh rose in his throat.

"I wouldn't have had to do anything if your other hadn't been so..." Axel paused, observing Roxas' embarrasment at crying in front of him. There was something he needed to know first.

"...so, you heard? You heard...what I said?"

"I was hoping the words would reach you somehow...it's a shame that they hadn't..."Axel said quietly, grinning slightly at the redness spreading on Roxas' cheeks.

He couldn't help it. The feelings were coming back, and they were shoving him to the limit. This boy was what he had lived for, had died for, and he hadn't haggled with the Lord of the Underworld himself just to be a nobody again.

Reaching his hand behind Roxas' head, gently grasping the rough blond locks, he quickly pulled Roxas into a tight embrace.

"I meant it, you know," he whispered.

"Do I seem like the kind of guy who'd lie to you?" Axel chuckled. His mischevious smirk hid the genuine smile he was inwardly wearing.

Axel idly fingered Roxas' hair, and his shoulders dropped slightly as the tenseness in his muscles gradually relaxed.

In the Organization, once he'd become so attatched to Roxas that he couldn't let go, he was quick to stealthily hide any actions or words that expressed how whole he felt when around XIII. Now was his chance to let go; running and hiding so cowardly was against his nature. But should he really take the chance while Roxas didn't remember everything? He also wasn't one to blindly rush into action without any cunning.

"Silly. You never could take a hint."

Axel's pulse raced faster when he felt himself being hugged back by Roxas. He gently squeezed the boy, and let his body enjoy the shared heat that moved between them.

Does he really...?

Axel slowly pulled back from the hug, regretting the loss of contact, and leaned down so that there faces were level. His hand still gently clutching Roxas' hair.

Axel hadn't realized until know, but despite how right his life was starting to feel right about now, something was definately wrong with this picture. He knew how he managed to get a second chance at life, but...

"What are you doing outside of Sora?"