a/n; contest entry for ana. 8D It's really, really weird. Sorry about that. It's pretty much just an excuse for me to torture Roxas mercilessly, because he's oh-so-very cute and I'm a ridiculous sadist. Please ignore the kind-of-AU-KH plot. xD It was heavily inspired by my replaying the beginning of kingdom hearts II. And I apologize for making Yuffie angst. I'm a horrible person. D:

DRESS YOUR WOUNDS.
are we as safe as the lie we let ourselves believe?

- x -

"That's it!" the young blonde exclaimed as half of the contents of his iced coffee spilled its way down his shirt, "I am completely convinced that being happy is only for the wealthy. Do you see him mopping up caffeine with a scarf? No. You don't. And why is that?" Making a sigh of disgust, he threw his damp scarf down onto the rickety table outside. "The answer, my dear friend, lies in his diamond encrusted watch."

An oddly dressed brunette girl proceeded to fall into a fit of uncontrolled giggles, the tie she had knotted around her head starting to slip over her right eye. "Roxas!" she managed to get out, "You look absolutely ridiculous!"

The boy named Roxas quirked an eyebrow, "says the chick in rainbow suspenders."

"Hey!" she shouted indignantly, "I thought you said that my fashion sense is cute!"

Roxas allowed himself a disarmingly genuine smile that rendered his friend momentarily speechless. "Yuffie, you know that I love the way you dress. I bought those rainbow suspenders for you, if you recall."

Yuffie turned a rather bright shade of pink and stared down at her hot chocolate. "Yeah…"

Pulling his laptop out of his bag and placing it onto the table, Roxas made a grunt of annoyance at a gaggle of teenage girls holding identical frappuccinos. They all glanced at him in a way that was most likely meant to be coy (but failed miserably) as their high-heeled boots shuffled down the sidewalk. His ex-girlfriend, Kairi, had been lost to such a crowd, which was the ultimate end of their relationship. So naturally, giggling teenyboppers caused him great discomfort.

"While your reaction is understandable…" his kung-fu fighting friend said, licking excess whipped cream off of the lid to her drink, "you might want to at least pretend to be a nice and totally not judgmental human being, so you don't come off quite as rude."

Roxas scoffed. "And you are the one telling me this? You used to make voodoo dolls of Selphie Tilmitt in the sixth grade!"

Yuffie grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "But Roxas, whatever do you mean? I am the poster child for emotionally stable young teenage girls. I start fundraisers for little kids, I bake cookies for senior citizens, and I even kick major butt on the school swim team! There's not a soul who doesn't love me and how very good I am. Despite the fact that, on several occasions, I have been known to make out with random drunken strangers at college parties. But that doesn't matter -- oh dear no. Because I am so very light and pure and filled with flowers! Yay flowers!"

Roxas took one look at her t-shirt that stated, My revenge is a dish best served right fucking now, tilted his head back, and laughed with no reservations, letting out a wild, swinging cry that spiraled straight into the stratosphere.

Yuffie felt her face heat up as she smiled into her sweater.

The two joked around for another ten minutes that slid off of the clock in sheets, grinning and flirting and enjoying life without truly noticing.

But as they both walked away onto the cracked city sidewalk, emerald eyes glinted as they watched from afar. A worn leather coat hung down to a pair of denim-clad knees, and a man slipped into a feral smile.

"It's only a matter of time," he said to himself and to no one, blowing smoke into the wind.

- - -

Sixteen years of Yuffie's life lay strewn across the carpeted floor in the form of multicolored DVDs. One particular case was open on the rickety coffee table, the words Yuf's Thirteenth Birthday sloppily scrawled in Sharpie on the plastic covering. On the television screen was a girl, giggling up a storm with a strange feathered party hat sitting atop her tousled brown hair.

Meanwhile, an older version of the giddy birthday girl sat comfortably between the cushions of an out-of-date gingham couch, and watched the memory with a slight frown on her face.

As the video played, the spectator bit her lip, her brows knit together into a small scowl. Something was wrong. She furiously jabbed at the rewind button on the little black remote, eyes trained on the TV set as though looking for something that didn't seem to be there. A memory that just didn't quite fit right.

Hold it. Pause.

Present-day Yuffie leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. There was a long picnic table dressed in cheap green plastic, and a generous pile of presents stacked on top of it. There was a group of adolescent girls and boys all gathered around it, and there was also a slowly melting birthday cake sitting proudly in the middle. Mom, step-dad, Tifa, Leon, Cloud, Sora… Everyone accounted for. Everything was just as she remembered it.

Except.

"Mom?" Yuffie called, brown eyes never leaving the still-frame image on the television screen, "Where's Roxas?"

- - -

The general hustle and bustle of the city outside did nothing to help him sleep. It was only ten at night -- still early! he whined -- but his body had given out entirely. Too many hours of tae kwon do, he supposed, and still something felt off.

With a groan, Roxas pulled his pillow over onto his face. Sleep deprivation sucked ass.

Sirens wailed and people argued and he could hear the annoying rumble of a shopping cart on pavement. He could've sworn he heard the sound of someone laughing outside his bedroom door, but that was probably just the hypersensitivity that insomnia always threw in. Grabbing his cell phone from the bedside table next to him, Roxas pushed the pillow off onto the floor. If he was going to suffer, he might as well get someone to suffer with him, and so he decided to call his brother, Sora, who just happened to be at a very public (and very drunken, although Sora was probably only drinking soda) party.

The keypad beeped as he punched the number for his brother's speed dial, and the tiny screen's glow hurt his eyes before he pulled the phone to his ear.

After a few seconds of ringing, Sora answered. "Hello?"

Roxas let out a long sigh. "Hey, there. Not getting too hammered, are you?"

There was a pause at the other end of the line, and Roxas could only hear the tinny of music and shouting voices until Sora spoke again. "Who is this?"

Rolling his eyes, the blonde pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, too tired to put up with any games at the moment. "Ha. Hilarious, Sora. Are you with Riku?"

"How do you know my name? A-are you a friend of Riku's? Do you need to talk to him?"

The sincerity in Sora's voice made Roxas freeze and his breath quicken. No freaking way. "Cut it out, man! It's me! You know, Roxas. Your brother?" Sweaty fingers gripped the plastic of his cell phone. He had to be joking. Right?

"Um, I don't know who you are, but I don't have a brother. So… I'll be hanging up now. This isn't a very funny joke, y'know."

There was a sudden crackle of static and the line went dead.

What?

Blood pounded in Roxas' ears, his phone having been dropped to the sheets on his mattress by shaking hands. This didn't make sense. He had just said goodbye to Sora as Riku picked him up not two hours ago! How could he have forgotten him in that little time? Sora didn't drink, and certainly didn't seem drunk on the phone -- his words didn't slur and he sounded more serious than he had in a while. So what…? How…?

Roxas sat at the edge of the bed, his hands curled into fists at his sides. "Shit."

"Now, now, now… Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Bright red hair and acidic eyes flashed dangerously in the darkened bedroom, the man that they belonged to smirking from his place at the doorframe. For a moment, all Roxas could do was stare, until his sense of self preservation kicked in.

Shooting up into a standing position, the seventeen-year-old boy backed up against a wall, shock still evident in his eyes. "W-who the fuck are you?!"

The stranger only chuckled condescendingly and began to slowly approach the blonde with a predatory grin in place. "Don't you remember?" He nearly purred, one gloved hand rising up to play with the hair at the nape of the younger man's neck. "It's me. Axel."

Just as he was about to place a swift kick to his attacker's kneecap, Roxas shivered involuntarily. The psycho named Axel noticed and leaned in uncomfortably close, feral smirk growing wide. "C'mon, you must remember…"

With a panicked cry, Roxas lifted his leg up to knock the red-head over, but Axel caught it just before his foot made contact and flipped him over onto the bed. "There," he said, kneeling so that he was straddling the frightened boy, "surely this must jog some memories."

Roxas made to sit up, but Axel pinned his wrists down onto the mattress. Every nerve in his body seemed as if it had gone into overdrive, and his breath hitched as the intruder moved his hips into a more comfortable position. "You pervert!" he managed to choke out, "How the hell did you get in here a-and what the fuck are you talking about!? I-I've n-never met you, I mean, I'm not even into guys!"

The man named Axel laughed again. "You sure? 'Cause I recall something entirely different."

Shifting his weight, Roxas used the man's temporary amusement as a distraction, and rolled him over so that Roxas was the one pinning him to the bed. "Don't be too sure, buddy. This isn't because I want you," he growled, his grip on Axel's wrists tightening, "it's because I want you dead."

"Aw, come on, don't be like that…" Axel sighed, wrapping his legs around the younger man's waist and turning him over onto his back again. "I know you like this a little bit. Besides, don't you want to know why your own brother has forgotten that you exist?"

At this, Roxas stopped struggling, his ice-blue eyes widening. "What do youknow about that?"

Above him, Axel grinned.

- - -

Yuffie furiously clicked through the various folders on her computer, searching through files and photos for a certain young man with messy blonde hair. A certain best friend who should have been in almost every picture.

But he was nowhere to be found.

When she had asked her mother why Roxas wasn't in any of the home videos, she had just looked at her daughter strangely and replied with a quiet, Who's Roxas?

After she realized that her mom wasn't kidding, it had taken all of Yuffie's willpower not to cry.

Who was Roxas? Roxas!? Only her best friend for the past six years of her life! Her confidant! Her soul mate! The man she had said she was going to marry in the fifth grade!

Letting out a scream of frustration, the brunette shut her laptop with a sharp 'snap' and looked blankly at the array of photographs and past yearbooks that lay across the floor. He was in none of it. Never mentioned, never seen. It was as if though he had never even existed.

Desperate, Yuffie grabbed her cell phone and flipped it open, scrolling through her address book until she found the number she was looking for. Calling… Roxas.

But just as she put it up to her ear, the familiar and ultimately unwelcome sound of I'm sorry, the number you are trying to call is no longer in use rang through the speaker.

"God damn it!" the young girl yelled, throwing her phone angrily onto the ground and putting her head in her hands. "I'm not crazy. I'm not! I just spent the entire freaking day with him! I'm not crazy!"

The doodled-on sneakers on her feet blurred as the tears began to fall. She thought back to school plays and dances and Halloween movie nights. Christmases and birthdays and end-of-the-year parties. Roxas had been there for every single one of them; his blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at her in every good memory that she had.

He had to be real. There was no other option.

Taking a deep breath, Yuffie stood from the crouch she had fallen into, and grabbed her set of keys to the apartment Roxas shared with Sora and Cloud. She was going to find him. She was going to prove that he wasn't just some figment of her wild imagination.

The cool metal of the keys bit into her clenched palm as she slammed the door shut behind her.

- - -

Even through the dark, he could tell that Axel wasn't bluffing. The white of his smirk nearly glowed in the slight blue light emanating from the neon sign outside the window.

"I know a lot of things, Roxxie boy," the stranger said with a wink, shifting suggestively on top of Roxas and grinning as it made him blush. "Unfortunately, this isn't as much fun as what I have in mind."

Roxas tried to control his breathing and glared up at his captor with fury in his eyes. "Cut the crap, okay? Just… just tell me whatever it is you know about that. Him not remembering me, I mean. You didn't do anything to him, did you?!" He attempted to spring up at this sudden realization, but all that did was make Axel press his hips down harder and tighten his grip on the younger man's wrists.

"Whoa, easy there…" Axel drawled amusedly, "The more you struggle, the more I have to pin you down, and the harder it gets for the both of us. Pun intended."

"Will you stop with the sexual innuendos, asshole?!" the blonde all but screamed, "I swear, if you hurt him - "

The intruder only rolled his eyes. "Chill, okay? I didn't do anything to anyone. I'm just here to bring you back. It's not my fault that your existence has to be erased in the process."

Roxas looked at Axel in disbelief. "W-what? Erased? Back where? What the hell are you talking about?!"

For a moment, something like sadness flashed behind Axel's cat-like green eyes, but he glanced away at one of the posters on the wall next to them before it could be properly identified. He let out a resigned sigh that ghosted across Roxas' neck, causing an electric current to run up his spine. "You really don't remember… do you?"

The tone of his voice made Roxas pause and his body relax underneath the older man's iron grip. Was he… was he telling the truth? "Why don't you help me remember. Tell me what's going on," Roxas whispered, "Please."

Axel's gaze snapped back to Roxas' own at the boy's soft plea, and something in his cocky demeanor seemed to break. His hands became gentle against Roxas' wrists, the pad of his thumb rubbing the back of the blonde's hand almost absently. There was a long silence until Axel finally spoke.

"You were a government experiment," he said, his voice flat. "You and I used to be partners in a secret division of the FBI, but one day you got tired of what we were doing. So you threatened to quit." Here, Axel let out a rueful laugh, "If only it was that easy."

Roxas couldn't breathe. His heart beat rapidly inside his ribcage, and shock enveloped his body like ice. "You're lying…"

Axel released the hold he had on the younger man's hands, moving into a sitting position. He turned his head and looked away. "No. I'm not. You see, when you told the others that you didn't want to work anymore, they got a little scared. You knew too much. You'd seen too much. And so you were traded. Your memories were swapped with fake ones, and you were input into a life that you had never lived. Strangers became family in less than a day. While you think that you have lived here all your life, it's really only been three months. None of this is real, Roxas. This room, these objects, this life," he nodded toward a now empty picture frame sitting on the table next to them. "It's all been digitally engineered as an experiment for some crazy ass project."

Axel bit his lip before continuing, "And now it's over. Done. Finished. It's time for you to come back, Roxas. That's why I'm here."

- - -

Yuffie rubbed her arms through her black knit sweater, mentally urging the taxi to drive faster. It was nearly ten thirty, and no one had answered when she called the apartment. She knew that Sora was out with Riku and Kairi, and that Cloud and Aerith had gone out to a late movie at Tifa's place. That meant that Roxas would be the only one home, and if he wasn't answering…

The young girl gave a tiny moan of panic, her legs moving nervously up and down. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't.

"You late for a party?" The cab driver questioned, glancing back at her through the rearview mirror. "Pretty girl like you prob'ly gets invited to a lot 'a parties."

Yuffie pulled her skirt down to cover more of her legs in a self conscious gesture, even though she was wearing tights. "Uh… yeah! And there's no way in hell that the party could start without me, so would you mind hurrying up just a tad?"

The driver coughed out a sharp, barking laugh that made Yuffie jump in her seat. The cigarette between his lips moved as he grinned cheekily. "Sure, little lady. Although I think we're already here."

She looked out of the window, only to see the familiar apartment building standing where it had always been, complete with the stray cat that lurked among the doorstep. Clutching the keys protectively to her chest, Yuffie turned to pay the cab driver and opened the taxi's door.

"You sure that there's a party goin' on here? Looks kinda dead to me."

Yuffie ignored the obnoxious man's words, only offered him a shaky smile and headed for the doorway.

Voices greeted her as she walked in, and a local resident stopped on his way out to say hello. "Good evening, Yuffie. Are you here to see Cloud?"

Not even bothering to give the man a response, Yuffie broke out into a run.

- - -

"I don't believe you."

Much to his embarrassment, Axel's face became hazy as Roxas felt a wetness gather at the corners of his eyes. With a strangled cry, he made to punch the older man, but his weak throw was intercepted by Axel's hand. Shoulders shaking with silent sobs, Roxas clutched the t-shirt under the red-head's leather jacket, trying to steady himself.

Suddenly, Axel pried open Roxas' fist in his hand, spreading his fingers apart and weaving them together with his. A jolt of electricity shot through his body from the hand that Axel held, and Roxas found it hard to breathe once more.

"Why… How do I know you're not lying?" The boy whispered, his voice cracking as he stared at their entwined hands, unable to form a logical reason as to why he wasn't pulling away.

Axel gently -- cautiously -- reached out to touch his cheek, but retracted his arm at the last second, letting out a shuddering sigh. "Because," he started, looking over to meet Roxas' gaze, "somewhere inside that brain of yours, you know. That's why you're sitting with me right now. That's why you're allowing me… to touch you," Axel held the younger man's hand up between them. "Because somehow, you do remember. Just not directly."

And Roxas couldn't bring himself to disagree. It was a nagging sensation in the pit of his stomach; a vague sense of déjà vu.

He knew Axel was right.

"Why?" he croaked, a sob caught in his throat, "Why couldn't you have just left me alone? I-I was happy."

A short spasm of pain flitted across Axel's face. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my decision. They decided that they needed you back. The reason they didn't destroy you in the first place was because you're indispensable. One of the best, everyone says. But…" he withdrew his hand from the young man's and as he looked away, a muscle worked in his jaw. "If you refuse to come back with me, I have orders to kill you."

And it was only then that Roxas noticed the gun in the waistband of Axel's jeans.

- - -

The apartment was almost pitch-black as Yuffie anxiously closed the door behind her. She could barely make out the sofa and kitchen area, and just as she was about to call out, she heard murmurs coming from where Roxas' room was supposed to be.

Her heart beat too loudly in her chest to understand what was being said. Walking slowly up to the door that was slightly ajar, Yuffie attempted to make herself as quiet as possible.

"You won't, right?" one of the voices asked, and Yuffie breathed a silent sigh of relief. That was definitely Roxas' voice. But who was he talking to?

"…No. You have to come back, anyway. There's nothing left for you here." This voice was unfamiliar, deep and certainly male. Yuffie heard a rustling of fabric, like somebody was moving. The strange voice spoke again, although softly this time. "I need you, Roxas. Come back to me. Please."

At this, the young girl froze. Who the hell would talk to Roxas like that? The tone of voice was much too intimate -- too sensual. Yuffie suppressed a shudder and gingerly pushed open the bedroom door.

- - -

Out of reflex, Axel jumped off of the bed and reached for the weapon concealed by his coat. Weakness replaced by a strong brick barrier; mask pulled on for the new arrival to see. His eyes burned through the shadows of the small white room. "Well, well, well… Who do we have here?"

Roxas watched his best friend carefully, scared out of his mind. Nothing would hurt more than to have her forget him. Nothing. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs, regarding the girl warily, like one would look at a startled animal. Her name almost threatened to slip past his lips, but he caught it just in time. Better not frighten her if she truly has forgotten his existence.

"What the fuck are you doing with him?!" She cried, placing her hands on her hips and shooting him an accusatory glare. "Who is he?! Have you been in a relationship without telling me about it?! What the fuck, Roxas?!"

Roxas blinked. Once. Twice. Even Axel took a step back from his protective stance in front of the boy.

"And I mean, what is up with you not answering your god damn phone? I've been calling like a fucking stalker, and nobody knows who you are, and I can't find any pictures of you, and it's just -- I mean, I - "

Before he could even comprehend everything that she had said, the self-titled ninja attacked him in a bone-crushing hug. "I'm not crazy…" she muttered to herself, and Roxas couldn't help but smile.

"While this is all very cute and sweet," Axel spat from where he stood by the doorway, "you shouldn't even know who this kid is. So before I go and murder Vexen for screwing something up, I need to grab the boy and go. Nice meeting you," he said sarcastically, grabbing Roxas' arm and pulling him away from the brunette girl.

Annoyed, Roxas twisted his arm out of the death grip Axel had it in and scowled. "No."

Axel clenched his jaw and slowly turned around to face the younger man, green eyes hard and cold like gemstone. "No?" he growled, "What do you mean, 'no'?"

For a moment, Roxas faltered at the pained expression on Axel's face; his gaze darted to the twitch of his mouth as he stared back, and Roxas' breath hitched until he looked away. "I mean no, I'm not going back with you. Not now that I know that Yuf still remembers me. I can't go back now."

Yuffie quirked an eyebrow and sat down in the desk chair nearby. "Go back where?"

But Axel had already lost it. Letting out a sharp yell of frustration, he took Roxas by the shoulders and shoved him up against the wall. Yuffie cried out as Roxas' head hit the wall with a dull 'thud', but she stopped in place when she saw that her friend wasn't fighting against it.

"You have to come back!" Axel shouted, his fingers digging into the flesh of Roxas' arms. "Damn it! Roxas, I - I've been through hell! Please don't - please don't make me -" he broke off and bit his lip, turning his head away and shutting his eyes. The gun in his jeans burned into his skin like a brand. "Roxas. I'm begging you… I can't do it. Don't make me…" his voice cracked and dropped to a whisper as he met the blonde boy's gaze. "Don't make me do it. I can't. I can't hurt you."

In a sign of resignation, the defeated man dropped his forehead to Roxas' shoulder and sighed.

And for the first time since she had arrived, Yuffie felt like she was intruding.

It damn near broke her heart, seeing this man -- this stranger -- hold Roxas the way he was. Every move that he made brought him closer to the boy, from the angle of his leg to tight grip of his hands. She had never seen him before in her life, but the conflicted look in Roxas' eyes as he raised a tentative hand to rest atop the man's head was enough to keep her still.

It wasn't until she tasted the salt on her lips that Yuffie realized she was crying.

Crying because for some reason, deep inside, she knew that she had lost him. It was a strange, panicking feeling that pooled in her chest like ice water and traveled upward through her eyes in the form of tears. She didn't know why, or what was going on… But she knew that he had to leave.

Standing up, the small girl's warm brown eyes settled on her best friend, who glanced up just in time to hear her say:

"Goodbye."

Cheeks glistening with love and loss, Yuffie wrenched open the door and ran out before her heart could stop her.

Roxas jerked away from Axel's hold, hands frantically reaching after her. "Yuffie!"

Axel used his arm to swerve him back around and slammed him against the wall again. "It's time to go," he said, voice broken and rough.

"No! I have to - I can't let her - Yuffie!"

"Roxas! She's gone! Leave it that way!"

"I said NO!" Roxas screamed, clawing at Axel's hands. If she was gone… He would lose everything. Everything. But…

The young man fell to his knees with a harsh cry, his captor falling down with him. Desperation bubbled up inside of him, welling inside his gut like bile. "Show me it's real," he whispered, "show me that if I leave with you right now, I'll have something left to live for."

Beside him, Axel shifted so that Roxas was pulled up flush against him, and began to breathe unevenly. Roxas shivered as he felt the older man place a hand against the small of his back, but before he could understand what was happening, Axel's mouth came crashing down onto his own.

The world was on fire.

There was nothing but heat and haze and heartache as Axel pushed him to the floor, a long suppressed groan reverberating through his body as Roxas emitted a little sigh. Slender hands wove through strands of red hair, and all Roxas could feel was the undeniable warmth that was Axel.

The familiar stranger tugged at the belt loops of Roxas' jeans, causing the boy to arch upward into the sudden contact, and Roxas moaned softly. Flame coursed through his veins as his touch became hotter, more insistent. It wasn't until Roxas slid his hands under Axel's shirt that the older man pulled away.

Roxas' eyes opened at the abrupt rush of cool air, vision slightly blurred.

"Shit, Roxas…" Axel choked out, his breathing labored and his shoulders tense with restraint. "I-I'm sorry. So, so sorry. I…" Words failed him as he watched the young man below him, blonde hair tousled and cheeks flushed pink with a desire he had yet to name. Axel's chest began to ache, and he felt the premature sting of tears. "You don't deserve this," he whispered, "it isn't fair."

Leaning up, Roxas silenced him with a chaste kiss. "Most things aren't. You know that as well as I do, but…" Sirens wailed in the distance, a harsh reminder of the life he couldn't live; the life that he was afraid to call his own. His eyes focused on the man above him, and something in his heart was jolted awake. "I think I…" Loved you.

He couldn't bring himself to say it to this man he knew, but didn't. Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong, and Roxas simply failed to understand why - why was he panting and yearning and crying for a devilish man with no proof to his words? Why was he lying there, straddled by someone he had recently proclaimed psychotic, clutching his chest as though it was about to rip in two?

He thought back to the expression on his best friend's face before the wooden door slammed behind her.

The sirens faded into the city sky of reflected-mirror light.

And suddenly Roxas realized that even though he had run away from the world that Axel was pulling him into, there was nothing left tethering him to this clothes-strewn bedroom with teenage-boy dreams. He suddenly felt too old and too tired to deal with a high school he had never attended, with a family that he had never been a part of.

So the blue-eyed boy raised a single curious hand to trace the answer on his lover's lips. "Take me back," he slowly sighed, and by morning, he was dead to the whole fucking world.

- - -

The steaming hot chocolate was bland on her tongue, searing and sharp and tasteless. She didn't know why she kept coming to that same familiar coffee shop on that same familiar street, that she had actually never been to before in her life. Sure, the music was good and the people were friendly enough, but it always made her feel worse to sit outside alone.

She fingered one of the straps of her rainbow suspenders (that she was soon told she had bought by herself last Halloween). Sora and the gang were getting harder to talk to, because everything they said made her want to mention Roxas. She'd laugh and start to say his name, but stop and change the subject before anyone noticed.

It was getting easier, though. Each day his face faded just a little, and the sound of his voice reduced its echo in her ears.

She was living her life the way it was supposed to be.

"Yuffie, right?"

Startled, the young girl jostled her drink, catching it in time before it spilled all over the small iron table. Black leather boots met her line of vision, dirty and scuffed on the pavement. The girl in question raised her gaze to meet the face of the speaker.

It was him.

The man with the unnerving acid-green eyes greeted her with a lazy smirk and a photograph whipping in the wind out of his outstretched hand. "I thought that you should have this. The one thing that's really yours."

Yuffie accepted the offering, her nose wrinkling together in confusion. It was a Polaroid taken on the day that Roxas left, his coffee-soaked scarf draped around his and her shoulders as they each made silly faces. The only picture she could remember taking recently of herself and her former best friend.

The thing that made him real.

But when Yuffie glanced up to thank the man, there was no one to be found. Just the sandy-haired man with the acoustic guitar and a tiny blonde girl drawing pictures inside.

He was gone.

"Damn boys and their damn disappearing acts," she muttered, laughing under her breath, pocketing the photo and smiling out into the city.