Job hunting, as it turned out, was harder than Isa had anticipated it was going to be. When he'd been young, before he and Lea had lost their hearts, he'd known exactly which university he'd wanted to go to, and what career he aspired for. Now, ten years on and not even being able to say he'd finished the legally required level of schooling let alone high education, that plan was well and truly out the window.

Fortunately, there were plenty of job listings – both here in Twilight Town and out in other worlds. Unfortunately, they all demanded a certain level of experience that Isa simply did not have to offer. As it was, he'd spent the better part of the morning making the most of the silence borne from all his housemates having gone out for the day to adapt his resume to an unfamiliar job market.

But, three hours in, it was becoming hard to concentrate through the pervasive feeling of being watched.

Isa glanced up from his laptop. Across the dining room, standing by the kitchen bench, was Roxas. He and Xion had gone off to spend the day with their local friends. Isa hadn't expected them back until evening. And yet here Roxas was, staring at him with such a complicated expression that Isa didn't have a hope of understanding it. Xion was nowhere in sight.

After a minute in which they only stared at each other, Isa's patience wore thin.

"Yes?" he asked.

Roxas blinked, as if coming back to himself, and his face closed off into a scowl. Isa was ready for him to leave the room without a word, and so was surprised when, instead, Roxas went and joined him at the table, albeit in the furthest possible seat. Without acknowledging Isa at all, he started fiddling with his gummiphone, and otherwise gave no further indication that he even realised Isa was still there.

And Isa, bemused but not unused to Roxas' preference to ignore him where possible, returned to his resume, already brushing it off as a strange but otherwise isolated incident.

The new school term would be starting soon. They'd yet to really discuss what they would be doing, beyond an unspoken agreement that the children would be enrolled in a school somewhere. Most likely, they would want to attend the local one; that way they would already have friends, and they wouldn't have to worry about sneaking around with the corridors to go between worlds, or explaining why they lived in a town that no one had ever heard of. Either that, or they would attend the school on the Destiny Islands with Sora, Riku, and Kairi. And likely also Naminé, he mused.

Lea hadn't expressed any real concerns about it, though Isa suspected on the first day he'd be as emotional as any parent dropping their toddler off for the first day of kindergarten. Isa, on the other hand, did not share his outlook.

"Their current level of education is abysmal," he told Lea that night, after Roxas and Xion had gone to bed. "They will require at least some level of tutoring before they're enrolled."

Lea glanced over at him from where he was slouched on the couch, watching an old sitcom rerun. He'd recently taken to binge-watching shows that had been on when they were teenagers that they'd never gotten to see the end of.

"They're plenty smart," he argued.

Isa would not refute that. They had both been rather slow to begin with, but they'd adapted surprisingly quickly, and before long they'd been demonstrating intelligence Saïx had not expected from them. "Being smart and being educated are not the same."

Lea, of all people, having spent an entire year answering very basic questions, should've known that.

Lea pulled a face that indicated that, yes, he did know that. "Know any good tutors?"

Fighting a smirk, Isa tilted his head and said, "Vexen appears to have done a reasonable job teaching Zexion."

Lea straightened so that he was sitting properly. "Do you want the reasons why that's a terrible idea organised alphabetically or chronologically?"

"I wasn't aware you knew the alphabet." Then, before Lea had a chance to make a comeback, "You can relax. It was a joke."

"Your sense of humour is a joke," Lea muttered.

They lapsed back into silence, broken only by the show still playing in the background and its laugh track.

"What about Ienzo?" Lea eventually said.

Isa turned back to him.

"He's probably the most educated person I can think of that, you know, is also a decent person. And I mean Zexion was kinda creepy, sure, but even then he was still kind to Roxas. And the kids like him."

It probably was one of their better options, if they didn't want to hire a stranger. The only person Isa could think of who'd be better suited was Ansem the Wise himself, but that idea didn't even need to be voiced. Ienzo was a perfectly good candidate, and being a similar age to Roxas and Xion would help them feel more at ease around him.

"I'll contact him tomorrow, while you and the children are in Neverland," Isa decided.

Lea frowned at him. "You're not coming?"

"I hardly see a need to spend the day flying around."

"Because it was Xion's turn to choose and she's never done it before."

"You say that as if it has any impact on me."

"Isa," Lea said.

"Besides," Isa continued, ignoring the expression on Lea's face, "at least one of us needs to organise the paperwork for their enrolment. You should ask them which school they wish to attend."

"Isa," Lea repeated. "Do you not want to go because you don't want to spend time with us, or because you think we don't want to spend time with you?"

Isa hated how easily Lea could still read him, even after all these years. Especially when he still hadn't quite adapted to this new person Lea had become. The Lea he'd grown up with had changed when he'd become Axel. The Lea in front of him now was closer to that old Lea than Axel had been (until that last year, when Roxas and Xion had come along, anyway), but there was still more than enough Axel to throw Isa off. They'd both been right that day. They'd both changed.

"I have no objections to spending time with the three of you," he said at length.

"But you think we have a problem with you?"

He knew Lea didn't. It was only because of Lea that they were sitting together now, under the same roof. And Xion had seemed to have forgiven him, or at least moved on. Roxas was... well, Roxas, and Isa never expected anything different, but even he had grown more tolerant as the weeks turned into months, even if he still didn't quite trust him.

But knowing something and actually believing it were two different things. And even now, having had it affirmed to him several times that he was wanted among them, it was hard not to feel like a third wheel sometimes.

"Don't make problems where there are none," Isa told him. A non-answer. But the truth was too complicated to explain, anyway.

"Fine," Lea said, not sounding like it was fine at all. "But you have to promise to come next time. It's my turn to choose, so you're not allowed to skip out, got it memorised?"

"Fine," Isa agreed. And they left it at that.

Two days later saw the children off with the local kids again. Or, at least, that's what they'd announced over breakfast. Just after midday, Roxas was back again, Xion nowhere in sight, and that same convoluted expression on his face as before.

"You're back early," Isa commented when all Roxas did was stand in the doorway and stare.

He immediately looked away. "I know," he said curtly, but any attempts at indifference were ruined by the fact that he was still loitering just outside Isa's bedroom door.

"Did you need something?"

"No."

Isa stared at him, at a loss. He could think of nothing that would prompt Roxas to act like this, especially with Isa, of all people. "If you're looking for Lea, he's downstairs."

He'd been asleep on the couch, last Isa had seen, and was never opposed to one of them joining him. And Roxas did look tired.

"I know," Roxas repeated.

What was a polite way of asking what, then, Roxas could possibly want from him? They were always more or less civil with each other in the absence of any real fondness, but this was definitely beyond the bounds of their mutual unspoken truce.

"What are you doing?" Roxas asked after a moment.

Isa glanced down at the paperwork spread out across the desk beside his laptop. "I'm assisting Ienzo with creating the documents you, Xion, and Naminé will need to attend school." It had been Ienzo's suggestion to include Naminé in their preparations. Isa had had no objections.

Roxas grimaced, as if Isa had told him he was preparing missions for them again. "Can we... do something else?"

'We'? Frowning, Isa swivelled his chair around to properly face him. "Did you have something in mind?"

Roxas shrugged, shifting awkwardly. "Something inside?"

Isa considered him for a long moment. There was very clearly something wrong, and it reminded him strongly of the way Xion had reacted when he'd found her outside Station Plaza that time. Evasive. Not wanting Isa to pry.

"The dishes require washing," Isa started slowly, unable to think of anything else.

He belatedly realised that the prospect of chores would likely remind him how much he disliked Isa's company, and send him away to be antsy where no one could keep an eye on him, but Roxas actually relaxed at the suggestion.

"I'll dry?"

Yes, there was definitely something not right here. And it only became more pronounced when, later that afternoon, Xion returned home with Olette, and instead of joining them or heading out to find the other two boys like he normally might, Roxas requested to help with the remaining chores, and then, even after Olette had gone, to assist in preparing dinner, despite it still being early.

The memory of the night Roxas and Axel had attempted to cook for them flashed before his mind's eye. "Perhaps we should get takeout."

The Bistro was always busy in the evenings, and tonight was no exception. Thankfully, Isa had had enough sense to phone ahead with their order, so it was ready by the time he and Roxas walked the distance between Sunset Terrace and Tram Common (and without a single complaint that the corridors were faster). They had exchanged few words, with Isa spending most of the time trying to find a way to ask what was wrong without outright asking, and Roxas avoiding his eye.

They collected and paid for their food without issue, but as Isa turned to head back up Market Street, the distinct absence of following footsteps gave him pause.

When he glanced back over his shoulder, it was to find Roxas still standing at the top of the steps leading to the Bistro's courtyard, staring out towards the town wall.

"What is it?" he called.

Roxas turned back to him briefly. "What are they doing?"

Isa followed his line of sight. Through the archway overhanging the tram tracks, he could just make out the forms of Roxas' friends – Hayner, Pence, and Olette – running in the direction of the tunnels. They were carrying butterfly nets, and blue bats that Isa had come to learn were the weapon of choice in the local Struggle matches. He watched them until they disappeared from sight, and then let his attention return to Roxas.

Roxas met his gaze evenly, visibly confused and still waiting for an answer. Isa didn't know what to tell him.

"Why don't you ask them?" he settled on.

Roxas made the same grimace he had when Isa had mentioned school, and hurried to close the distance between them. "Axel and Xion are waiting," he said brusquely, and hurried towards Market Street.

"Did you get into an argument with them?" Isa guessed. What else could the issue be? It didn't explain why he'd been hanging around Isa like a shadow, but it would provide some insight into why he seemed to be avoiding them.

But Roxas simply shook his head.

Lea and Xion were curled up on the couch by the time they made it back, a blanket tucked around them as they scrolled through a list of movies offered by the local streaming service.

"It was fun," Xion was saying. "They said I should sign up for the tournament."

"Are you going to?" Lea asked, still flicking through the options.

"I think so. Will you come watch?"

"Obviously. I'm not gonna miss watching you beat up all your friends with a plastic bat."

They both looked up as Isa and Roxas entered the room, faces brightening at the sight of the plastic bags of takeout containers. Isa took his usual place on the far end beside Lea, and started handing out the meals.

"Are you going to sign up for the Struggle thing, too?" Lea asked Roxas as he took the handful of plastic forks Isa had given him, and passed one to Xion.

Roxas blinked at him. "No."

Isa handed him a container. There was still a gap on Xion's other side where they'd saved him a spot, but instead of taking it, Roxas loitered indecisively before lightly kicking Isa in the leg.

"Move over," he said.

Isa raised a brow. He couldn't get any closer to the arm rest than he already was. If he wanted to sit next to Lea, then it wasn't Isa who was going to have to move.

Xion, as if reading his mind, slid down to the other armrest, and Lea quickly scooted after her. Roxas sat down, nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with Isa, leaving a noticeable gap between himself and Lea. Isa met Lea's bewildered eye above Roxas' head.

At least he wasn't the only one who had no idea what was going on.

"Do you think Roxas is avoiding me?"

Isa, leaning against the headboard of his bed, glanced over the edge of his book to watch Lea flop down over his legs. If he hadn't looked so pitiful, he would have given in to the urge to kick him off. Instead, he set the book on his nightstand, and said,

"I'm sure I wouldn't know." He'd seen very little of Lea over the last few days, given how busy job hunting and preparing for the children's schooling had kept him. The children had also been spending more time than usual with their other friends, no doubt wishing to make the most of the remaining time before their vacation ended.

"The other day he flinched when he saw me in the hallway," Lea continued.

Unusual behaviour for Roxas, who didn't startle easily after so many fights with the Heartless. Then again, 'unusual behaviour' had become something of the norm recently, hadn't it? "Did you have a fight?"

Lea rolled onto his side so they were facing each other. "Not that I can think of?"

"Then I very much doubt it has anything to do with you. He's been acting strangely all week. Even when you're not here, he's been rather... clingy."

A heavy frown settled on Lea's face. It was a picture of the confusion Isa had long been dealing with. "Clingy how?"

"He's been returning home early without explanation, and seems to prefer my company over that of people he actually likes," Isa explained.

"He does like you, Isa," Lea said with the patience of someone who was repeating themself for the thousandth time. Isa thought it was rather unwarranted.

He raised a disbelieving brow.

"Okay, well he's warming up to you, then."

"Today we did the dishes together, and then the rest of the housework. At his request."

"Yeah, okay, something is definitely not right here."

He wondered if this is what it had been like for Axel in those early days, before he'd inevitably gotten attached. Isa was sure, though, that whatever the case, he did not enjoy being followed around anywhere near as much as Lea did. Or at all, if he was honest. If it was a sign that Roxas was willing to put the past behind them the way Xion had, then perhaps it would be tolerable. But his contradictory attitude had made it very clear that that was not the case.

"Has he said anything to you?" Lea asked then.

"Nothing relevant," Isa said. And not for wont of trying, either. He had clearly gotten his stubbornness from Sora.

Lea hummed unhappily. Isa would suggest that he try talking to Roxas himself, given the greater likelihood of success, but if Roxas really was avoiding him, that wasn't going to work.

He thought back on their interactions over the last couple of days, trying to come up with anything that could be a clue to the problem. He'd been avoidant when Isa had suggested he go join his friends, and he'd had the same expression when...

"He seemed uncomfortable when I mentioned the preparations for their schooling," Isa reported. "And didn't want to interact with his other friends."

"Why would...?" Lea trailed off. For a long moment he stared down at Isa's blanket. If he didn't know the control he wielded over his element, Isa might have been worried that he'd set it on fire with his gaze alone. Then, without warning, his face slackened with realisation. "Oh."

"Oh?"

Lea sat up, one leg dangling over the side of the bed. He ran a hand down his face, his expression morphing into simmering anger. "If I didn't have, like, morals now, I'd burn that bastard till not even the ashes were left," he hissed.

Isa stared at him. For a moment, it was as if he'd become Axel again. But when he finally turned back to Isa, the ferocity had muted to something slightly calmer.

"How many days are left until the new term starts?"

Isa had no idea what this had to do with anything, but, "Three. They'll likely need to spend the entirety of the first semester in tutoring, and then enrol in school for the second semester."

"And when did the weird behaviour start?"

The first time Isa had noticed it had been... "Four days ago."

"Seven days."

"A week, yes," Isa agreed, still lost.

"The digital Twilight Town," Lea shook his head. "They locked him up in there for the last seven days of summer vacation. I'd bet munny this is a PTSD thing."

Then the 'bastard' Lea had been referring to was most likely Ansem the Wise. Isa supposed it made sense; Roxas had been growing increasingly on-edge and clingy the longer the week dragged on, and had been avoidant of almost everyone except Isa. It did not explain why he'd latched onto Isa specifically, however.

"Who knows?" Lea mused when he voiced his confusion. "Does it really matter?"

It very well might, but Isa would concede that right in that moment it didn't. What mattered now was what they were going to do about it.

"Take him off-world for the next few days," Lea said, not looking at him. "Make an excuse if you have to. It'll probably be easier for him if he's not in Twilight Town."

"I have to finish the preparations for their tutoring. Ienzo is expecting me." And wouldn't it be better for Roxas to go with someone he actually liked? Lea, for instance? Isa couldn't see how being stuck with him for three days would do anything to help Roxas.

"I can handle that," Lea immediately countered. "I'll even take Xion with me. We can go back to that fountain she likes."

"And where do you suggest I take him?"

"I dunno. Anywhere that isn't the Islands or the Garden. And don't go anywhere near Sora."

Isa wondered if avoiding Sora was to Roxas' benefit or Lea's. Saïx had known that Roxas had ultimately returned to Sora after Axel's failure to recapture him, and if this really was PTSD related, seeing Sora now would only exacerbate the problem. But Axel had become very attached to Roxas over the year he'd been in the Organization – had given his life in the pursuit of getting him back, even. It was hard to imagine there wasn't some lingering distress at the thought of them being anywhere near each other normally, let alone when Roxas was like this.

And on that note, this would be the first time either of the children had been away from Lea for more than a day since they'd gotten their hearts back. He'd become less anxious about separation the longer time drew on without incident, but it had still only been just over a month. Three days apart, even with the knowledge that they were both safe, was going to be difficult.

What about you, Isa wanted to ask. But he already knew the answer. And Lea waved away any concerns before he could form them with a declaration that he was going to bed.

They announced their intentions over breakfast. Lea had gotten up significantly earlier than usual, and though he didn't say anything, Isa knew it was because he didn't want to miss the chance to see them off. Regardless that Isa would not have left until he did.

Both Roxas and Xion knew something was going on. As Lea had said, they were far from stupid, and Lea pouring all of them a bowl of coco puffs without a single complaint from Isa was more than enough to tip them off.

Xion eyed Isa carefully as she took her first bite, as if waiting for the moment he would chastise her. When he didn't, she side-eyed Roxas, who merely shrugged and shared none of her hesitancy.

"What's going on?" she asked, setting her spoon down.

Lea and Isa turned to each other.

Are you going to tell them or should I?

"Um," Lea started awkwardly. "So, uh, I need to go to Radiant Garden today. To see Ienzo."

Roxas and Xion frowned. "Okay?"

"And I figured we could stop at Fountain Court on the way, Xi, if you wanted to come."

Xion brightened at the prospect. "Okay!" But then the frown was back, and she glanced over at Roxas again. "What about Roxas?"

Isa watched as Lea's expression grew conflicted. As he'd thought, this was harder for Lea than he was letting on. And Roxas and Xion were picking up on his unease.

"I will be heading to a world called Prydain for the next few days on an errand," he cut in, sparing Lea from having to break the news. "Roxas, your help would be appreciated."

He'd expected disinterest, at the very least. Perhaps even an argument. He had not expected a complete lack of hesitance.

"What's the errand?" Roxas asked.

Isa had spent at least an hour after Lea had gone to bed planning it all out: where they were going, what excuse he was going to give, how they would fill three days... In the end, he'd settled on the most obscure place he could think of – a world called Prydain that the Organization had known of but never utilised. And for the excuse,

"There is a rare herb that only grows there. Scrooge McDuck mentioned a desire to add a new recipe to his restaurant that requires it, and is willing to offer considerable reimbursement to anyone able to locate it."

It was no secret that the job hunting had been unsuccessful so far, or that Isa, at least, was concerned about their finances. And Roxas was unlikely to talk to Scrooge at all, let alone bother to fact check.

"Like a mission, right?"

More like the sort of mission that Saïx would occasionally assign to Demyx, but Roxas didn't need to know that. "I suppose."

"Okay," he shrugged.

And that was that.

Isa had thought breaking the news would be the hard part. That is, until it came time to actually leave. Roxas and Xion shared none of Lea's anxiety, but they were empathetic enough that his attempts at concealing it didn't work in the least.

"Is he okay?" Xion whispered to him as Lea drew the hug out longer than strictly necessary. Roxas, at least, didn't seem to mind.

Isa slung the backpack he had prepared over his shoulder. "He has separation anxiety."

"Oh." Xion fidgeted. "Maybe we should go together, then."

"Time will not allow for that," Isa shook his head. "Stay with him, and he'll be fine."

Finally, Lea let Roxas go, giving Xion the opportunity to say her own goodbye.

"I'll take care of him," Isa promised, when Lea came to stand beside him.

"I know," Lea said. "He'll take care of you, too."

Which was probably true. Isa had only summoned his claymore once since he got his heart back, and without the intention of using it, but Saïx had certainly not been a push over. Still, in terms of raw power, Roxas well and truly eclipsed him. But what Isa might comparatively lack in fighting prowess, he made up for in maturity and experience.

"We'll call tonight to check in."

"You'd better." Lea pulled him into a hug that Isa, surprised, took a second too long to reciprocate. "Don't die on me again."

Isa was fairly certain they had nothing to fear from the locals of Prydain. If, for whatever reason, things got even slightly out of hand, all they had to do was open a corridor to somewhere else.

"I don't intend to."

Prydain was something of a primitive world, compared to some Isa had seen. Similar to the Kingdom of Corona, Enchanted Dominion, and Dwarf Woodlands, there was nothing in the way of electronic technology, but the locals made up for it with clever inventions that well suited their way of life.

They exited the corridor into a secluded alley of a town. There was a castle looming in the distance. It was likely, then, that this world utilised some type of feudal system. Their first step, he decided upon seeing the locals bustling about their lives, was to find some clothes. Their current ones, while well-suited to Twilight Town, would make them stand out here.

"There's no rare herb, is there?" Roxas asked before he had the chance to inform him of the plan.

Isa looked down at him. Roxas met his gaze evenly. If he was annoyed by the deception, he didn't show it. If anything, he only looked confused. Maybe it wasn't too late to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Even if it did take three days to find a plant, there's no reason we wouldn't be able to go home at night." Hm. Definitely smarter than Isa had given him credit for. "And Mr McDuck posts all his odd jobs on the bulletin board. I've never seen anything about finding ingredients."

Isa sighed. Well, that had been short-lived. "No, we're not here to find a herb."

Roxas nodded. He'd already known the answer. "Then why are we here?"

Isa retreated further into the alley, where there was less chance of them being overheard. "Because this is an unfamiliar world, and no one knows us here."

If Roxas had had any ideas about the real reason for their trip, it was clear from the way he frowned that this was not it. "What?"

"Would you rather we return to Twilight Town?" Despite what Lea said, and despite that Isa agreed with him, in the end it was ultimately Roxas' decision. And no one would know what was best for him better than himself.

Roxas' attention slid over to the mouth of the alley, where they could hear the chatter of what was probably a market. He heaved a sigh. "We're here cause of me, aren't we? You noticed."

"It was admittedly difficult not to."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise," Isa immediately retorted, and Roxas looked up at him again in surprise. "It's not your fault, and I wouldn't be here unless I wanted to be. If anything, I should be the one apologising. I know I'm the last person you would want to be stuck with."

That strange, contorted expression was back. Isa had as much luck identifying it now as he had the last few times. "But you hate me?"

Isa stared at him. "I don't hate you."

Roxas very clearly did not believe him.

"My behaviour as Saïx was derived from personal issues, not because of anything you or Xion had done," Isa said, turning away. "I apologise."

When the silence drew on uncomfortably long, he dared to look back to Roxas. He was watching him, still with that same unreadable expression. "Huh," he said.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Okay. He supposed it was better than the reaction he'd been expecting. "May I ask you something?"

Roxas eyed him dubiously. "What?"

"Why me?"

He thought, for a moment, that he would need to explain himself better. But Roxas, suddenly avoidant, crossed his arms defensively, and Isa knew that it would not be necessary. "It helps."

"Helps?"

"You weren't there," Roxas confessed, like it was a terrible secret.

He wasn't there? What did that...? Ah. The digital Twilight Town was the cause of all this, which Roxas had only confirmed. Saïx had never been to that town. The closest he'd gotten was sending Axel on the Organization's behalf. Which, in hindsight, might be why Roxas had been avoiding Lea.

"A lot of things have been happening that also happened then," Roxas continued when Isa didn't speak. "But you weren't there. So you're like... a reminder that it's not happening again?"

Proof that his life wasn't a simulation.

"I keep thinking that I'm... that at the end of the week, instead of school starting, I'm just going to..."

Disappear, back to Sora. Like before.

And that was, perhaps, why he'd chosen Isa over Xion, despite her not having been there either. The memories of her destruction and subsequent return to Sora were no doubt still fresh in his mind.

"But then I run into you, and it... helps."

"I'm sure it goes without saying that we would not allow a repeat incident," Isa said. "But I understand that anxiety is rarely logical."

Roxas nodded, clearly uncomfortable, eyes suspiciously wet. "I know."

"Since we're here, we might as well explore the town," Isa, taking pity on him, changed the subject. "Unless there is somewhere else you would prefer to go."

Something changed on Roxas' face, and Isa immediately knew he was going to regret the suggestion.

"You didn't come with us to Neverland the other day," he said slowly.

Oh no.

"I was preoccupied with other things."

"You missed out on flying!"

"There was no regret on my part," Isa tried, but Roxas was already opening a corridor. He supposed the regret he was feeling now was more than enough to make up for its earlier absence.

At least he wouldn't have to spend three days looking for herbs.