The wind cuts over the manicured grass and through brilliant crimson spikes layering over broad shoulders. The freezing air wraps around his lanky frame like wire biting into his skin, making him aware of where he's going with every step that he takes. The trees loom over him with branches stretching out desperately, their budding branches trying to shelter him from the moonlight. His plain black tennis shoes stomp softly on the pathway that he hasn't walked along since that day, that bright sunny day where everything seemed to hit him all at once.

He stops beside a row of gravestones, knowing where to go only by memory. The organ in his chest thuds painfully, wanting to leap out of his throat as well as the contents of his stomach. Nothing about walking over ground where the dead lies sends any comfort to his already tormented mind, everything about this situation sending chills down his spine. From his pale countenance shine emerald eyes dulling with every second he's in the vicinity of the headstone he stands before; the sight of the gray stone makes his breath come out in raspy, shallow pants. His toes curl slightly from their sheath and his left hand curls into a fist inside the pocket of his deep azure jeans.

He knows he'll never find another that compliments him as well as the one he had. No matter how much they fought, argued, and spat insults at one another... they were in love, so deep in love that they couldn't get out. They fell harder than meteors from space and dug themselves into a relationship with no success. That success... that peace was wanted, desired... craved far too badly. The compatibility they wanted tore them apart.

The redhead turns his face up to the sky, eyes shutting as his mind tries to clear the images away. As he stands still as a stone he can almost feel those lost arms wrap around his middle while a face presses into the middle of his back. He can feel as the other takes a gentle, shuddering breath filled with fear and want while barely coherent mumbles reach his ears, "I love you Axel."

He refuses to let the tears roll down his cheeks any longer, having felt as though he can't possibly cry any more than he has. The words he wants to say remain choked up in his throat, the glands swelling with sadness and grief that will never go away. His heart shatters even further as he kneels down on one knee, inhaling deep and swallowing hard as he tries to look at the engraved letters. The single red rose in his right hand is held loosely before being draped down on top of the petite headstone, much shorter than some of the others around it.

Axel reaches out, the engravings of the name rubbing roughly against the pads of his fingers; acting as daggers stabbing into him with each letter he passes over. The letters dig the realization into him even after a year having passed by. He stands up from his position and lingers mid turn, not wanting to leave but unable to force himself to stay any longer. The more time he spends in front of his stone only embeds the other into his mind; the touch of fingers on his skin, lips on his cheek, and the smaller wrapped securely in his arms.

As he turns his back he suddenly feels a wave of regret washing through him. Questioning thoughts rage through his mind like fire ants, burning all other thoughts to dust the second they touch them. He brings a hand up to run through his hair, a shaky breath passing over his pale lips. He wonders if he had been more thoughtful, more openly concerned about the other's feelings...would he still be here with him.

For a moment he can't move or speak, only breath as he can clearly feel arms wrapped tightly around him. He can swear he feels the breath brushing against his ear and fingertips running down his arms as those shorter arms fall away from his. Axel chances his fragile state of mind to glance over his shoulder to see only the red rose sitting atop the headstone. He bites at his lips and forces his legs to continue to move forward, mumbling more to himself than to his lost lover, "Happy Valentine's Day, Zexion."

"You too Axel..."

All he can do is flinch at the words and to save himself from drowning he's forced to believe that his mind chalked that cruel joke up on him. Axel walks away with a shattering determination to hold himself together, not chancing to look back any more and he misses the shimmering air besides the grave caressing at the red rose.

Tis for a contest over on dA... A V-Day contest. ^^; And I don't have very good memories of V-Day so to take away some of the upcoming stress; something sad and of my KH-OTP~

It's Early. But Happy Valentine's Day you lovely readers! Thank you All~!~!