For Hours, For Miles, Forever, For You

Like clockwork, this always happened.

Roxas wasn't sure why or how or even when it started, but he always, inevitably, ended up outside Axel's bedroom when the thunder crashed and the lightning lit up the sky.

He didn't even have to knock this time.

"Just get in here," Axel called.

Roxas pushed into Axel's room, wincing reflexively when lightning light the small room from the large window in the far wall. "How did you know I was there?"

"You're always there," Axel said, although not without a wry grin. He was laying sideways on the bed, his head hanging over the mattress, looking at Roxas upside-down. His hair was a mess but his eyes weren't tired; it didn't even look like he'd been asleep, to be honest.

Roxas huffed and crossed the room, crawling onto the bed next to Axel and planting himself so his back was to the window. "You just heard my footsteps in the hallway," he muttered.

"Oh, I'm given away," Axel replied, draping his arm over his eyes. "How is it that you're still afraid of thunderstorms after all this time?"

Roxas shrugged, wrapping his arms around himself as he shivered. "I don't know. How come you're always awake whenever it thunders?"

"Because I know I'll have to comfort you," Axel replied, moving his arm to look up at him again. The humour was evident in his eyes, which was funny, because, like fear, they weren't supposed to be able to feel anything.

"Oh, right," Roxas muttered, rolling his eyes. "I don't see you comforting me, actually. You're just laying there like a log."

"Hey, you're a big boy now." Axel propelled himself into a sitting position with a grunt, shifting around to sit next to Roxas. "You still want me to hold your hand when you're scared?"

It was sarcastic, so sarcastic, but Roxas leaned into Axel's warmth in lieu of an answer.

"Alright," Axel said simply, and he wrapped his arms around Roxas like he had been expecting that answer nonetheless. "You know," he said, "the first time you ever experienced a thunderstorm, I found you running through the hallways and I held you until you fell asleep in my arms."

"Really?" Roxas mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Mmhmm. That was the first week or so, back when you were kind of vacant, still out there. You had no idea what was going on. You've hated storms from the very beginning."

Roxas hummed, flinching at the crack and roll of thunder that exploded around the Castle. Why did it have to storm so much here?

Axel's grip tightened around him and Roxas felt himself being pulled into his lap. He didn't protest the idea and instead curled into Axel's warmth, hiding his face against his chest.

"Maybe it has something to do with your past," Axel said.

"Maybe," Roxas muttered. He wasn't in the mood to talk about pasts he didn't remember. He wasn't really in the mood to talk at all. He was exhausted and his stomach hurt.

Axel pressed his lips against his temple. "Hey, you're shaking so much that the bed is, too."

Roxas cracked his eyes open slightly, looking up at Axel through dusty-blonde eyelashes.

Axel smiled gently, his fingers splaying out against the small of Roxas's back. "Everything's all right. We're safe."

We. Roxas sighed heavily, closing his eyes. He tilted his head up slightly. Axel's lips met his halfway, a soft peck on the lips that sent tendrils of something dark and warm and comforting into his body.

"Alright?" Axel asked.

"Yeah," Roxas murmured.

"Alright." Axel pulled away slightly, resting his chin on the top of Roxas's head. "Oh, I've got it!"

Roxas opened his eyes again, eyebrows furrowing. "Got what...?"

"Hang on a sec." Axel shifted and Roxas felt him move, but his friend's grip just tightened so he didn't fall and a moment later, Roxas was subjected to darkness consuming his vision. "There. You can't see the lightning this-a-way."

It took a slow moment for Roxas to realize that Axel had grabbed the blanket and pulled it over their heads. "Oh..." The smile fell onto his lips easily. "That's good," he admitted.

"I know I am," Axel replied, so sure of himself with laughter in his voice.

Roxas rolled his eyes, shuffling a bit to get into a more comfortable position. It was darker and cozier under the blankets, each breath of theirs combining into a humidity that seeped into the panicked parts of Roxas's body. His eyelids were drooping on their own accord.

"Don't keep yourself awake, now," Axel said. "I've heard rumours there's a great big Heartless roaming Agrabah. Either you or Xion'll get assigned, I'm sure."

"Oh, great," Roxas mumbled, his eyelids falling shut. There was still thunder in the distance, but it seemed a lot less imposing when Axel was near. As it always did, no matter what the problem was. "Thanks," he mumbled, remembering.

Axel leaned his head against Roxas's. "Hey, it's not like I had anything better to do. I was waiting, actually," he muttered.

"Great," Roxas muttered again.

"I was looking forward to it," Axel added, kissing his forehead.

"Liar," Roxas mumbled.

Axel laughed. "Let's continue the argument later today over ice-cream, yeah? Right now, you need to sleep."

Roxas yawned in response.

Axel chuckled and fell silent.

Roxas was on the edge of unconsciousness when something clicked into his mind and ended up on his lips. "Axel...?"

"Uh huh?"

"... Why weren't you asleep...?" Roxas mumbled. He was too tired to open his eyes or expand on the question, but he was curious why he hadn't even looked tired when he'd walked in.

"I told you," Axel said quietly. "I was waiting for you."

The words filtered through to his consciousness, but exhaustion clouded his mind and mouth. He smiled faintly before crashing into sleep made peaceful by Axel's warm and steady presence.

Warm and freaking fuzzy. That's all.

I do not own Kingdom Hearts (or Aladdin). They belong to Disney and Square Enix. Thanks for reading!