Finished at last! It's been a long time since I've started this story lol. Once again, I'm not sure if I like the direction it went, but it's been a fun first story. And I want to thank everyone who stuck through with it!

I'm sure this wasn't the ending you expected or wanted, for which I apologize, but this is it. And whoever once commented that this story never really became an actual Roxas&Axel story, I completely agree... I'm not sure what this would be considered lol.

Note, I did finally write a real summary for this story.... about time, I know. I also wanted to let you know I have a one-shot written, well, mostly written, and ready to go for posting. I might wait a while before I do publish it though, because I need to work on my other two stories and I feel a little wierd because I have never written a oneshot before lol... anywho, stay alert for those if your interested.

Thanks to my reviewers.... you guys are amazing.

Chapter 28
Final Answer

What I need now is an honest answer,

To make things better.
You can see now my hands are tied,

And I surrender
So i'll wait here for your final answer,

Your final answer
Is there love without hate?
Is there pleasure without pain?
I have seen all my mistakes
I cast you out, but now, I want you back
So light me again, cause my heart is turning black

Roxas

When you went home I could barely think. I wanted you to come back so bad.

Those words were ringing over and over in my head. But why? Axel had said that line to me when I was about fifteen or sixteen years old. Why was it so vividly standing out in my mind? I couldn't obtain any peace or quiet, no matter what I did.

When you went home I could barely think. I wanted you to come back so bad.

I let out a small string of curses and collapsed on my bed in irritation. What did this mean? Why am I feeling like I'm going crazy?

Tomorrow would be day fourteen, and as much as I wish I could just easily except this, seeing as I knew it was coming, I was actually restless and stressed out. Axel was leaving again. Damn... how many times had I said that line to myself? Too many, that's for sure.

I wanted you to come back so bad.

I was beginning to pull out my hair in frustration. It was as if I was trying to tell myself something. But what? What was I trying to point out? Was it serious? It felt that way. It felt as if I needed to figure this problem out as soon as possible. Like I was running out of time...

I could barely think.

Well, I can barely think right now! I'm killing myself attempting to decipher this.

Where were these thoughts taking me-

Oh!

I stood up suddenly, almost surprised at my own conclusion. Looking wildly around the room, I began to shove everything in to bags.

Olette

It was a cloudy and rainy day. So much so that the street corners were flooding and my yard was nothing but a swamp. This information was very strange for the fact that it hardly did anything but pour out sunshine here in Twilight Town.

"This blasted rain is going to drown my tulips." My mum bustled from the kitchen and in to the living room, staring dejectedly out the window. Her flowers were indeed beginning to droop beneath the weight of the water, leaning rather pathetically to the side in a way that didn't look quite normal. "Poor things." She frowned, pressing her fingertips against the glass.

I rolled my eyes and reminded myself not to think about the fact that my mother was talking about her plants as if they were people. Did anyone else's mothers do that?

"Oh, honey..." My dad called from the kitchen, "they'll be fine!"

I chose this moment to escape to my room, which appeared to be perfect timing, seeing as the woman was now beginning to talk as if she herself were the flowers, giving each one little voices and all.

There was a pattering of rain on the roof, and I lay down on my bed with a bored sigh. Today was Day 14, and Roxas was supposed to be calling me any moment to let me know that Axel had left, and he would probably be needing my moral support soon.

But instead of a ringing cellphone, there was a knock at the front door. My mother shouted something like, "I'll get it!" and I wondered who the heck would possibly be out in this weather.

"Olette." Roxas was standing in my doorway, soaked through and dripping from head to toe. I gasped and ran to grab a towel, wrapping it around his shivering shoulders like a worried mum, "Rox! What are you doing here? I thought you were going to call me when..."

He shook his head, which caused drops of water to spray across my room, and laughed nervously, "I know, I know... but I'm going to do something kind of crazy."

"What are you talking about?"

His eyes turned down to his wet socks and back up, "I've been up all night... thinking."

"About?" I finally noticed a damp folder in his hands.

"About what I could do to control this situation." He began to pace, "I could let him go, of course, but we both know I probably wouldn't see him again for a year or more."

Assuming he was talking about Axel, I nodded to help him continue.

"I could try to move on with my life, but I've already tried that and it's just about impossible."

"Yes, yes." I was growing impatient.

"Then it hit me!" He snapped his fingers for emphasis, "I'm so blind.. how could I not have seen it before?"

"Seen what?"

"I mean, it's so obvious!"

"What is!"

"And I'm not about to let this get messed up again. I'm going to take charge this time and do something about it."

"What are you doing, Roxas?" I grabbed his arms tightly and shook him, "I'm going mad, please just tell me."

He laughed and brushed me off, a dazzling smile lighting his features, "I'm going with him."

"To the Imperial City?" I was a little astonished. I actually hadn't been expecting that.

His blue eyes sparkled and his cheeks rose with another triumphant grin, "I almost feel like this is what he's been waiting for all along. All those years and times he told me I was too young... I think he meant it in more ways than one. I mean, he's probably wanted to leave this place forever, but he was way too scared to leave me behind. And since I was too young back then, he could never drag me with. I was still a kid. Why else would he have returned just to tell me how much I've grown up and then explain how he's moving again?"

I nodded. It made sense.

"If he really didn't want me for good, he never would have returned so many times. I bet each time he figured I'd be mature enough to follow him, but really I wasn't. So then he waited another couple years and tried again. It's all coming together now!" He was beginning to babble to himself with his excitement, hardly making any sense at all. I nodded encouragingly and allowed him to ramble on.

"This does seem logical."

He stopped his pace and turned to me, "Right... so the reason I'm here. I've come to say goodbye."

"Oh!" I staggered back, surprised, "You're leaving today?"

"Yes," He rubbed the towel against his wet hair, "I need to find Axel."

"Wow," I whispered, "So quickly."

"There's nothing left for me here." He whispered back, frowning a bit, "You've been a good friend."

I nodded and sat on my bed, staring off. I was in shock at the speed of his actions.

"Maybe I can come back some time and visit?" He added hopefully, tossing the now damp towel in to the hamper.

"I'd like that." I tried to smile, but something was bothering me, "And what if you're wrong with your guess?"

"If I'm wrong then I'll be back to see you later tonight. If I'm right then, well, I guess you'll know, huh?" He began backing towards the door, "I'll call you. Let you know how things are going."

"Right."

"Wait!" He suddenly stopped, holding out the wet folder in his hands, "Can you hold this for me? I'm not really sure where I'll turn up, and these are some of the things I never want to lose, you know?"

"Sure." I grabbed it and set it aside, on to my bed.

He waved as a quick goodbye and I sighed once I heard the front door click shut. All my thoughts instantly turned back to the stories Roxas used to tell me. About his parents, running away, Traverse Town, the hotel, Axel's fits of anger, Demyx' and Zexion's fight, and everything else he had ever shared with me. I'd only known him for a little bit, but I felt as if I'd been right there beside him since he was eleven.

Turning my attention to the purple folder next to me, I gently reached out a hand to pull it open, smiling at the pictures I'd once seen my first day at Roxas' apartment. I had no clue who had drawn the pictures or what they were of back then, but now I could guess each one easily. On top was a black and white sketch of Roxas, sleeping in a bed somewhere I didn't recognize. Beneath that was a drawing of Zexion, leaning back against a wall and staring closely to the side. Next was Aerith, Leon, and Yuffie, sitting down in a court yard and laughing. It was a birds eye view, and I wondered if the artist had been sitting in an upstairs window when she drew it. There was a whole stack under those three, and I pushed it away. Another time I'd look at them.

--

I napped for the rest of the day and when I woke, it was near eleven at night. I eagerly checked my phone for any missed calls, but there was nothing. Axel had accepted Roxas. His theory had been right, I guess.

Moving to glance out the window, I accidentally knocked over the blond's folder, spreading the sheets out all over the floor. With a low curse, I got down on my knees and began to gather them again. A smaller and more wrinkled paper caught my attention, and I immediately reached out to take a closer look. It was mostly done in black, but the figure's eyes held a little color. It was a picture of Roxas... and Axel... together.

It must have been one of her last drawings, because under each of Axel's eyes were two identical triangles. I remembered that Roxas told me he hadn't seen them until four years after he met the redhead, meaning it had to have been between the time Roxas left Traverse Town and Namine's death.

Axel was holding Roxas against his chest, the blond looking as if he was putting up a slight struggle.

She must have figured they'd get together all along.

Or maybe she hadn't... maybe she was just doing a simple drawing. Who could really know... Nothing seemed certain anymore. People can come and go, kids can grow older without warning, and sometimes, if properly helped, a person may find the direction their life has always needed to go; but the troubles didn't make the journey any less desirable.

My phone went off with a shrill ring, notifying me that it was Pence who was now calling. I eagerly gripped the little flip phone in my fingers before propping it open and answering with an enthusiastic, "Hello?"

"Olette!"

Roxas was now on his way, alongside Axel no doubt, and every other person I'd met through my friendship with the blond had settled their lives as well.

Maybe it was time to focus on my own life...

"Hey Pence! Did you finish your math homework?"

END

-Jaspen