Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Author's Notes: Thank you again to those who reviewed. School is finally over so now I can fully dedicate my attention to this fic. Sorry again for the long wait.

Well, enjoy!

Touch the Sky

Chapter Three: Fate

When her eyes opened she thought she was staring at the sky, it was so blue. But it wasn't the sky at all, not really.

It was a boy. He had her propped against his chest, hands gently supporting her shoulders.

"Steady now," he said at her ear when she wobbled. "You were out cold a while ago. Are you alright?"

She didn't answer right away as she finally took in her surroundings. She… was at the beach shore. How did she wind up here? To her dismay she could not draw a memory. Now that she thought of it, she could hardly remember a lot of things, least of all where she'd come from. They were all blurs and shapes of no actual recognition.

A hand to her face brought her immediately back to focus. She blinked back at the boy.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" he asked. She didn't know how to respond to that, she wasn't quite sure if she was even alright at all. She simply looked down at her lap. As if sensing her distress, he added reassuringly, "Don't worry though, my friend went to get help; he'll be back soon."

All she could do was nod.

"What happened, do you remember?" he asked gently. "Where did you come from?"

She looked at her settings again, at the sparkles in the sand, the movement of the water as it washed over the shore, before looking back at him. His blue eyes exhibited an uncommon presence of warmth that made her feel safe. She found she could trust this boy to keep her safe.

"…I don't know," she whispered, and despair hung to every word as it sunk in. "I don't remember anything…"

000

When Kairi regained consciousness, she found herself in her room, tucked beneath soft sheets and clothes changed. Beside her a chair had been drawn, as though someone had been sitting next to her while she slept. She stared out at the window, which was slightly open; she noticed the sun was at high.

That's when it occurred to her that it was morning. Startled, she sat upright, ignoring the sudden rush of dizziness and nausea and looked about her, feeling completely lost. What time was it? She thought, panicked. What day was it? How long had she been asleep for? How did she get here?

She heard a click go off inside her head and she instantly remembered: the party, the boy at the corner… his blue eyes on her as he approached her… and then blackness; everything after that was just darkness.

What exactly happened? She wondered, pressing her face into her hands. She was confused. Had that all happened or had that been a dream? She couldn't remember. It had all happened so fast.

When the door to her room opened, she saw her parents standing outside; relief washing over their features at the sight of her awake.

"Oh, Kairi, we were so worried about you," her mother cried, coming quickly to hold her.

Her father came by her bed side; his face tired yet evidently happy. It was so rare of him to be at home at this time; he was usually quite busy from the mornings till all the way into the evenings that sometimes Kairi would go a few days without seeing him. But the fact that he was even here at all brought warmth to Kairi's heart.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine," she replied, then, looking at her mother, who was still holding her, she said, "Mom, honestly, I'm okay."

She reluctantly pulled away; however, she still kept one of Kairi's hands in her own, almost as if to reassure herself.

"I know, it's just… you were asleep for so long, I thought—"

"W-What do you mean I was asleep for so long?" Kairi said, alarmed. How much time did she lose exactly? "What happened? I want to know. And what's the time?" So much for trying to remain calm, she thought, mentally wincing, but the need for answers was just too overwhelming.

"It's eleven in the morning, dear," said her mother, soothingly, rubbing her hand.

"It's the tenth of July if you really want to get specific," said her father, chuckling, but ceased his hilarity altogether when he caught her mother's eye.

"You fainted at the party the other day, remember?" her mother went on, reaching over to push a strand of red hair behind Kairi's ear. "You gave us quite the scare when the manager at the ice cream shop told us you'd collapsed and were sent to the hospital."

Eleven in the morning? Kairi felt her heart sink. It was barely two when she'd gone to the party with Selphie and Rinoa and suddenly it was the next day?

"I was out… for that long?" said Kairi, aghast. Then she gasped when she realized something else, "Oh my God! It's eleven? I'm late! I have to get to school! Denzel—"

"We informed the school what happened," her father cut in before she could immediately fling herself out of bed. "They called his family to tell them you won't be in today."

Kairi nodded, relaxing a little. She was still jittery, but she forced herself to remain composed when she looked at her parents again. "So, then what happened?" she asked.

"The doctor told us that you were fine and that nothing was wrong," said her father and Kairi could hear the relief seeping into his words. "He blamed it on the heat waves the island has been getting these past two weeks, and probably fatigue as well—"he gave her a quick and weary look, "Don't think I don't know you've been sleeping late, Kairi."

"Kairi!" said her mother, disapprovingly. "Just because it's summer and you're on vacation it doesn't mean you're allowed stay up passed twelve."

It wasn't that she was sleeping late, Kairi thought to herself. It was just she was having a little trouble falling asleep every night, that was all. Apart from the weird dreams she'd been having, her concern for Sora was only growing stronger every moment he was away. Images of him getting hurt (or worse) would continually plague her mind and it was enough to keep her up half-way through the night. And it didn't help that she missed him. It was why she stayed up late so late almost every night, to occupy her thoughts with something other than worry and longing… just until she could finally fall asleep without any more difficulty.

Of course, she could not explain this to her parents and mumbled a forlorn, "I'm sorry" instead.

Her father's eyes softened. "Not to worry. You're not hurt at least. Just keep that in mind next time." Kairi nodded. "And I know you've rested enough and are probably ready to get off this bed—" his wife gave him another meaningful glance and he hasted to add, "—but just to be on the safe side your mother and I feel you should stay in bed some more."

I feel fine, she wanted to tell them, but judging by her mother's expression there wouldn't be any room for arguments.

She sighed. "Alright."

"You should probably also call Selphie and Rinoa later on," said her mother, her face lit with amusement now, "They've been so worried about you."

"Yeah, Selphie hasn't stopped calling ever since we brought you home from the hospital," her father snorted. "I think it would be a big relief for our phone bill if you called her up first."

Somehow Kairi was not surprised; her lips curved into a smile. "Yeah, that does sound like Selphie," she said.

"Are you hungry?" asked her mother as she stood up. "I left some food by your bed just in case." By the night stand there was a tray of buttered pieces of bread, cut slices of apple and a glass of water. "I didn't give you too much right away in case you got sick again, but please do eat something soon."

Kairi nodded. "Thanks, mom, don't worry I will," she said.

"Okay." Her mother leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Get some rest, okay, sweetie?" she said before shuffling towards the door.

"If you need anything, just give us a shout, alright?" said her father, kissing the top of her head.

"Okay."

They gave her another glance from over their shoulders before closing the door behind them.

I am a little bit hungry; she admitted after a moment's pause and reached over for a slice of bread from the tray. She was much hungrier than she'd anticipated and within minutes had emptied the rest of the bread slices and had gulped the last of the water.

When she was finished, she was left again with nothing to do.

She supposed she should call Selphie, just to get it over with, although she briefly hesitated when she picked up the phone, her fingers poised at the starter numbers. Knowing how her friend would immediately react, there would hardly be any opportunity for Kairi to get a single word into the conversation. Selphie would go ballistic then wheedle and question and go on and on until either one of them had to go; Kairi was both amazed and amused as to how someone – or anyone for that matter – could keep up a one-sided exchange without thinking twice about it.

As she dialed the number, it only took less than two rings before the other line had been picked up and a flustered, groggy voice spoke through the mouthpiece:

"Hello?"

Kairi took a deep breath. "Uh, hey, Selphie, it's—"

"Kairi!" She was more alert now. "Oh my God, I've been so worried about you! Are you alright? What happened? Is everything okay? Are you in—"

"Selphie!" Kairi cut in before her friend went on a vocal rampage. "I'm fine. Relax. Everything is okay."

There was a sigh of relief on the other end. "Gods, Kairi, don't do that again, do you hear me?"

"I'll try not to," said Kairi, sheepishly. "I didn't mean to worry you guys."

"Tell me about it. You scared the living shit out of me when you just suddenly collapsed like that. Although I think Tidus freaked out the most," said Selphie, a tad amused. "He kept thinking you'd died or had gotten poisoned by the ice cream or some other ridiculous thing like that."

Kairi stifled her laugh with her hand. Poor Tidus. He never was very good at handling high-stressful situations.

"I guess it's a good thing that blond-guy caught you when you fell. You could have seriously hurt yourself," said Selphie.

"Wait, what?" said Kairi, startled. "What blonde-guy?"

"That blonde-guy at the party, remember?" said Selphie, as though she could hardly believe Kairi could forget such an important detail, "The one who just couldn't take his eyes off you? Does that ring any bells?"

The fact that Selphie was suddenly all giggles again should have given off warning bells that Kairi should quickly cease this conversation altogether, however, she was in another world of her own.

Her heart had quickened, beating rapidly, because she did remember that boy and the way he'd been staring at her that entire time. It was as if she was the only person in that room, the only one in the world who truly mattered at that moment. She involuntarily shivered, remembering the look on his face as he approached her. She couldn't describe it nor how it made her feel.

Just when she thought she'd been hallucinating, felt inclined into believing he had merely been a figment of her imaginations… he turned out to be real. She hadn't been dreaming after all. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so relieved to know that.

Then she remembered his eyes, so deep and blue… so much like Sora's eyes that Kairi couldn't help but shiver again.

Selphie's dreamy sigh brought Kairi back to her senses. She could just imagine her friend rolling on her stomach, clutching the phone to her ear, a wistful smile on her face.

"He was so cute," she gushed. "Although, if it wasn't so obvious he was only interested in you, I'd have made a move on him already." There was a hint of envy in her tone.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Selphie, you're being silly," she said, shaking her head. "He doesn't even know me."

She tried to squish down the incessant feeling in her gut, the one that kept making her think of Sora. Kairi did not want to see Sora in this blond-boy. They may have the same shade of colored eyes but that did not mean she had to suddenly believe he was Sora. He wasn't.

She had never seen this boy before in her life. It was just one minor mishap that was all. She had been thinking about Sora and missing him, terribly, for months now, so of course it was only natural, only expected, that she'd suddenly project her image of Sora onto somebody else right? Especially when they looked so much alike as it was. It could have easily happened to anybody… right?

"Well, he sure didn't look at you like he didn't know you," said Selphie pointedly.

"What do you mean?" said Kairi, trying to mask her alarm with neutrality, but the incessant feeling in her gut only twisted and coiled faster at the agreement of Selphie's words.

"Kairi, seriously," said Selphie with a scoff. "Would someone who didn't know you go as far as to ride all the way to the hospital with you?"

"What?" said Kairi, blinking. "He… he came with me?"

"Yes! Oh I wished you could have seen it," said Selphie gushingly and Kairi knew she was in for the full, detailed account on what had happened.

Normally, she would have been a little apprehensive about that – Selphie could go on for hours – but as it were, she was curious too… perhaps a little too much.

"He was making his way over to our table and that's when you suddenly fainted – I've never seen anybody react so fast before! He caught you the moment you fell and carried you so you could lie down. He didn't leave your side until he made sure you were alright.

Everyone was freaking out, of course, but he took charge and ordered the manager to call the ambulance. And even when they got there, he still refused to leave you. He argued with the paramedics until they finally agreed to take him along." Selphie sighed again, like she was watching some romance movie and the leading man had just done something she thought was particularly romantic. "Of course, Rinoa, Tidus, Wakka and I just had to make sure you were alright, so we went straight to the hospital, and you know what we saw?"

"What?" said Kairi, whose voice was only a whisper now.

"You were lying in bed and he was there in the chair right next to you, just watching you sleep," she said, and Kairi got the distinct feeling Selphie was grinning like a love-struck fool on the other end. "It was the sweetest thing ever. On any normal circumstance, anyone who did that would be immediately labeled as some kind of creep and then booted out of there, but not him. I don't know, it was different with him… the way he was looking at you, like he was afraid you weren't going to be alright or even wake up… he had the most adorable look on his face when he saw us – like he was hoping it would be the doctors or something," said Selphie with a little laugh, "I think his concern was really genuine. It was quite sweet actually.

"Then your parents came along with the doctor. Turns out you were probably suffering from fatigue and the heat and that it wasn't anything to be worried about. The look on that guy's face – yes, I was still watching him to see what his reaction would be and he looked so relieved to hear that. Apart from your parents, of course, but he was just so relieved about it. Then he finally decided to leave—"

"What? He left?" said Kairi, abruptly. "Just like that?"

"Yeah," said Selphie, thoughtfully, with some confusion of her own. "It was pretty strange. He didn't even offer us his name when he passed us or anything. He just looked at you, seemed to be satisfied that you were in good hands, and then left."

"Oh…" said Kairi, quietly, unable to say anymore. Selphie's words had imprinted the events into her head and the more she thought about them the more at a loss she was.

Just who exactly was this boy? From how Selphie had described him he didn't sound like a bad guy.

What she couldn't understand was why a complete stranger would go to such lengths to ensure her safety. Did he really know her? Selphie seemed to think so. Kairi bit her lip as she racked through her brain for anything she could remember of this boy, only to find she had nothing. She didn't know him, but that didn't mean he didn't know her… right?

She knew right away she had to find him, at least to thank him for his kindness if nothing else. He had done so much for her, even if they may not know each other after all; it was the least she could do, she thought firmly. And maybe if she saw him she could finally understand certain things about him, like why she suddenly felt as though she knew him.

Remembering him, remembering his eyes – blue eyes that made her think of Sora – it was only piling onto her confusion.

She wanted to meet him to straighten out her own confusion once and for all. She wanted to prove to herself that what she saw in his boy previously was simply a coincidence, an exaggeration. All these jumbled thoughts of him and Sora were only giving her a headache. At least this way, if she talked to him she would no longer be confused and she'd finally be able to discard her earlier sentiments as a momentary sign of weakness on her part, purely accidental and easily fixed.

"Hey, Kairi, are you still there?" echoed Selphie's voice through the phone.

"Oh, oh yeah, I'm still here," she stammered, remembering she wasn't alone.

"What's the matter?" said Selphie, sounding worried again. "Are you feeling sick? Are you going to faint again? If you are, you should hurry and call your—"

"I'm fine, Selphie," said Kairi, reassuringly. She was getting tired of telling people that. "I'm not sick and I'm not going to faint either."

"Then why were you so quiet?" she said.

"I was just wondering about …that boy," said Kairi carefully. "How come I've never seen him around before? Is he new, do you think?"

"Maybe. Or he could be a tourist," Selphie suggested, not really concerned by the small, petty details. "What does it matter anyway?"

"I…I want to meet him," she admitted softly, "But I don't know where to start looking."

"Maybe you'll run into him again," said Selphie, perhaps a little too eagerly for Kairi's liking. "I mean you did faint just when he was about to come talk to you."

Kairi shook her head. "But if I don't know where he is then how will he know where I am?"

"I don't know," said Selphie, not the least bit ruffled. "The funny thing about fate is: if you're really meant to meet a person your paths will find a way to cross each other no matter what."

Fate. When it came to such things, Kairi felt she should not have expected anything less.

After all, it wasn't dumb luck that brought her to this island when she was just a little girl; it hadn't been just coincidence that she was a Princess of Heart and the two boys she befriended were future wielders of the Keyblade. It wasn't chance at all that the Heartless came to this island and the three of them were whisked away to face some grand evil.

No… somehow that had all been destiny in the making.

000

To say Roxas was waist-deep in a lot of trouble was an understatement.

After the Princess's unexpected collapse and trip to the hospital, he had gone back to his quarters to give his report… or at least what was supposed to be his report.

He had never heard so many expletives and threats pointed to end his life in such a short time before. It would have been quite amusing if Roxas's own patience level wasn't already spliced in half by the day's events. It wasn't as if he'd chased the Princess halfway across town for fun, he had wanted to tell them and would have if they hadn't kept cutting off his every opportunity to explain himself.

"Should have known we couldn't leave this mission to you—"

"You're too much of a kid to handle this—"

"Really hopeless. I ain't so sure why Xemnas gave you this mission anyway—"

Roxas had simply gritted his teeth, painfully hard, to keep himself from lashing back. It would only make things worse for him, he knew, considering the position he was in. And when they began questioning him, the need to snap grew more tempting, however he remained with his eyes, pinched with bottled fury, on the screen and replied to their inquiries at point blank.

"So, let's get this straight again from the top. You found the Princess at a party." And to make things more irritating they had Xigbar interrogate him, the bastard.

"Yes." His voice was cold.

"And just as you were approaching her she suddenly… fainted?"

"Yes." Again, how many times had he answered this?

"So you take her to the hospital and just leave?"

"No," Roxas growled impatiently, "For the millionth time, I said I made sure she was okay first before I left." Were these people just idiots or were they somehow losing their hearing? "And she is okay, I made sure of it—"

"And how do you know that? You left—"

"Well, the doctors said—"

"I don't give a flying shit what the doctors said. Your job was to find this girl and stick with her like glue and that's what you've got to do. Do you understand?"

Roxas set icy blue eyes away from the screen. His hand, which had been gripping the table-top counter, was turning white from the strength he was exuding on it. He had to tear his hand away before he winded up breaking it.

"No.13, I said do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," he muttered, glaring at the table.

"You better. I'll put you on standby. I'm going to transfer you to another line."

As soon as he was gone, Roxas exhaled the angry breath he'd been holding. "Mother fuckers," he hissed to himself, but found he was too dog-tired to put any more of the usual vehemence than he would have liked.

He was exhausted and worn, and not simply from the physical exertion he'd undergone, but the mental strain he'd suffered too. Constantly assuring himself, over and over again, that Princess would be okay and that her sudden fainting wasn't due to anything serious was enough to drive anybody crazy.

He had been scared shit out of his mind when she fell like that. He had reacted on instinct; using his lightning speed to catch her just before she could hit the floor.

When he looked down at her, it had taken all his rational strength to keep calm. She wasn't moving; her eyes shut tight as if it were going to stay that way forever. He had cupped her cheeks in his hands, first to make sure she hadn't gotten injured while falling and second, to assure his own frantic mind that she really was alright. He had been a tad relieved to find warmth still there on her skin and a pulse beating steadily at the side of her neck when he'd checked. At least she was alive and knowing that had pulled Roxas through some of his fears.

Without another thought, he had scooped her up into his arms (was surprised by how light she was and how easy it was for him to do it) and her head rested against his shoulder, her hair brushing his chin. He brought her into the back and settled her on the small couch that had been there; he made sure she was comfortable enough before turning to the manager and ordering him to call the hospital right away.

And he… never left her side. Her friends had remained close by, looking just as worried and whispering amongst themselves, but he didn't pay them any heed nor did he acknowledge they were there. He didn't take his eyes off the Princess.

Watching her sleep had brought something – he didn't know what – but a definite something from the back of his mind. A tingling, horrible feeling that was desperate, felt helpless and gut-wrenching. There was something about watching her sleep, so unresponsive and frail, that had made his throat close up and his chest twist painfully. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought he had seen – no, lived – this scenario once before… not very long ago.

But by then the ambulance had arrived, placed her on a stretcher and had put her gently inside the van. Roxas made a move to follow but the paramedic had stopped him.

"Sorry, only family are allowed to come," he said. "Are you family?"

"No, but—"

"Then you can't come along," said the paramedic firmly. "You'll just have to wait."

But that wasn't enough, Roxas thought, surprised to find that it really wasn't. He caught sight of the Princess, fast asleep and still so vulnerable – no, he couldn't. Roxas gritted his teeth. He wouldn't.

"I'm coming along," he said with a resolute firm of his head when the medic made signs of protesting again, "I'm coming along and that's final."

He argued long enough with the paramedic that his partner, exasperated and impatient, finally waved his hand at the both of them. "Oh for Pete's sake, Liam, if the kid says he wants to come just let him come already!"

Roxas rode all the way to the hospital, his eyes still trained on the Princess's face.

And at the hospital he did the best he could to make sure she was alright and comfortable – fluffing her pillows, tugging the blankets to her side, brushing stray hairs from her face… but even that had left him frayed and feeling hopeless.

Sitting by her bedside, waiting and wondering if she would ever wake up… it had been the longest thirty-five minute wait of his life. When the doctors had finally come in, he had sat up instantly, waiting, anxious and still and fearful all at once. When they said that she would be alright and that it was only due to fatigue and the heat, Roxas didn't think he had ever felt so relieved before; he could feel his breathing return to normal.

He left shortly after. He would have been more satisfied in his self-assurance if he could have stayed with her until she made signs of waking up, but he knew he couldn't stay. Besides, her family and her friends were there with her. She was safe and that was all that mattered. He trusted them to take care of her while he was gone.

As he left the hospital, he couldn't help but wonder where this sudden… over-protectiveness had come from? It certainly hadn't been there before.

It's because we need her, he had thought after awhile. It would be pointless to bring her along if something bad were to happen to her. Yeah…that's it.

However, even that line of thinking – as rational as it was – did not keep the doubts from spreading through his mind.

The beep on the screen momentarily brought him back to the present again, and this time, instead of haughty and annoying from the other end, Roxas was greeted by hard steel and cold velvet and a pair of unfeeling yellow eyes. It had Roxas straightening up from his seat.

"Xigbar tells me the Princess of Heart was sent to the hospital today. Is that correct?" said Xemnas.

"Yes," said Roxas with a nod.

"Tell me precisely what happened exactly," said Xemnas, as he leaned forward into the screen.

"While I was approaching her, she just collapsed," said Roxas, doing his best not to think about his emotional ordeal during that time. Xemnas was staring at him, as though he were silently studying him. Roxas remained where he was, unflinching.

"And that's all? She just… collapsed?" the Superior prodded.

"Yes, that's all," said Roxas, confused. What exactly was Xemnas searching for? "But she's safe, at least," he added, wondering if Xemnas cared enough about whether or not the Princess was safe.

"I see." Xemnas's lips were a thin line, but his face was positively expressionless. Then he lifted his eyes and was staring at Roxas, curious. "And you?"

"Me?" Roxas repeated, jerking in surprise. "What about me?"

Xemnas's lip curled slightly. "Did you experience anything… out of the ordinary since you've arrived there?"

Roxas frowned. Something tickled the back of his head, like a memory. He briefly remembered the conversation he had with Axel earlier that morning and what he'd told him:

"It's just… this place. Everything here… I don't know what it is, but there's something about this island … it's doing strange things to me."

But that had all been in his head… right? It wasn't real. He was only thinking these things out of spite for being assigned this mission. It wasn't as if it was true… right? There was no way Xemnas could have possibly known what was going on in his own head. Right? Right?

Still doubtful, Roxas kept his voice neutral and his face void of any expressions.

"Unless you count getting a heat stroke out of the ordinary then no," he said, keeping his blue eyes trained to amber. "Why do you ask?"

The curl on Xemnas's lip neither lifted nor depressed. "Just curious is all," he said. "We wouldn't want you to be incapacitated on this mission, now would we?"

Roxas didn't know whether he should agree or not. The way he had said that… as if he was suggesting something else entirely… Roxas wasn't quite sure, but he didn't trust what was behind that tone.

Xemnas seemed unconcerned by his lack of response. "I expect you to make an actual, full report the following night," he said, and this time cold steel and smooth velvet had returned, "No excuses."

"Yes, sir," replied Roxas tersely.

"Oh and Roxas?"

Roxas could have groaned, but held his tongue. Inwardly, he was pleading for the end of this conversation.

"Yes?"

"Do keep in mind we are expecting the Princess back no later than two weeks from now." Xemnas's eyes penetrated Roxas's gut like acid. "And judging by today's performance it would make one question whether or not you are truly capable of fulfilling this mission."

Lava, scorching and intense, was burning his chest, wanting desperate for release. Roxas got the hint.

"I'll bring you the Princess, just you wait," Roxas all but snarled into the mouthpiece.

Xemnas smirked. "See to it that you do."

And the line went black.

Beyond irritated and angry, Roxas slammed the laptop down with such force he was sure he chipped the screen. He didn't care. Instead, with heated determination he found the Princess's files he had stashed underneath his bed and began poring through each and every single page. He was going to prove all those bastards wrong if it was the last thing he'd do, he thought.

So for the better part of the night, Roxas spent plowing through paper after paper until he could literally recite every detail by heart while ignoring the persistent drooping of his eyes which grew more frequent as the hours passed.

At some point in the night, however, his body must have decided enough was enough and opted for some shut eye, despite Roxas's stubborn refusal. He had barely been aware of falling asleep because the next thing he knew he was waking up to sunlight and paper madness all around him. The fact that he had slept in the clothes he'd worn the day before did not go unnoticed by him.

"Oh you're awake. Finally, geez…" said an exasperated voice, startling Roxas who had been in the process of getting up.

He tried not to groan when he saw Axel, sitting by the computer table, a cup of coffee in his hand. To think, with the number of times Axel had showed up to greet him good morning, he would have been used to it by now… or at least be a bit more tolerable.

Axel gave him a dry expression in return. "You could at least pretend to act like you're glad to see me."

Roxas grunted. "Bullshitting is never something I thought I had to do with you, Axel," he said, and Axel chuckled darkly.

"Touché," he relented.

Heaving himself off the mattress, he rubbed at his eyes to wipe away the sleep.

"You've got drool on you face by the way," said Axel, by way of passing, still staring at his coffee cup.

Roxas made a face at him, but sure enough, he felt a dab of wetness at the corner of his mouth when he traced his fingers over his cheek. The wet blotch on the surface of his pillowcase did not help cover up the evidence either. Impatiently, he rubbed it away and grabbed himself a cup of coffee. He was never very fond of the taste – hated it in fact – but he suppose if was ever going to get through the rest of the day without keeling over he was going to need triple the amount.

"And what brings you here this morning?" said Roxas, cutting to the chase. He took a sip from his cup and did his best not to cringe at the bitter taste against his tongue. Ugh. How is it that Axel could chug this down like he was inhaling it through his nostrils? It was disgusting. Roxas gradually took another sip.

There was a pause before Axel slowly muttered, "It's passed noon already, Roxas."

Really?! More awake now, he glanced up at the clock. 2:10. Well… damn, he thought, for once, a little flummoxed.

He turned back to Axel, a little weary now. "Is that why you're here?" he asked. "To scold me for sleeping in?"

It impressed him, sometimes, how promptly he could muster the sarcasm despite running on less than the usual sleep. He was sure, if Axel wasn't looking at him so stern and so seriously at the moment, he'd have found it amusing too.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Geez, I'm sorry, mother, it won't happen again. Why can't you—"

Axel cut him off, sharply, "Roxas, I heard about last night."

Roxas stiffened automatically as he immediately recalled the unpleasant events of the night before. Remembering them was still sore on his ego and it wasn't something he wanted to be constantly reminded of let alone discuss, least of all with Axel. Not if his friend was only here to give him another lengthy dose of how his performance was "less-than acceptable". He turned his back and faced the wall, ready for the confrontation.

"What about it?" he said, more coldly than he intended.

"First of all, I'm not here to lecture you if that's what you're thinking, so you can quit acting like an ass already," said Axel shortly, snorting.

Roxas glanced over his shoulder and saw Axel was smirking. It made the tension on his shoulders loosen slightly, but he couldn't help smiling back nonetheless.

"The Boss-man must have said something outrageous to make you pissed enough to look like a dog that was caught out in a storm or something," said Axel, unabashedly.

"Do you always have such an eloquent way of putting things?" said Roxas dryly.

But as he passed by the mirror in the washroom, he realized Axel's descriptions weren't that far off. He really did look like he'd been standing out in a storm: his hair was messier than normal and there was a distinct shadow that ran beneath both his eyes; his shirt had many creases and wrinkles where he had moved and slept on.

"I'd rather not talk about last night, okay, Axel?" he sighed, shaking his head. "Right now, I'm still trying to resist the urge to strangle something and I'd rather not kill you if I can help it." Funny enough, Roxas meant it.

Axel wasn't intimidated though. "I wasn't going to ask anyway," he said, evidently amused. "I heard enough from Larxene and Demyx already to write a novel about it."

Roxas scowled. Figures this would end up as the top subject for gossip matter. "Whatever," he muttered.

"Seriously though, no offense, but you look like hell – what did you do: drink yourself into a stupor?" said Axel, wryly eying Roxas as he drank the last of his coffee.

"If only it were that easy," he replied bitterly. "No, I was up late reading the rest of the Princess's files."

"Speaking of the Princess," said Axel casually, "that was pretty bold of you to ride with her all the way to the hospital like that."

Roxas felt a spike of his anxiety from earlier. He'd rather not remember that either.

He shifted in his spot, half uncomfortable, half defensive. "Yeah, well, we need her don't we?"

Truthfully, Xemnas – or anybody for that matter – hadn't even told him why they needed the Princess in the first place. They were likely not to tell him anything anyway so asking would be pointless. During the passed several months he had worked for this organization he was quick to learn that they only filled you in on what you were required to know; in other words, in what they only wanted you to know.

And while Roxas generally opposed some of the missions he'd been assigned to, as well as the tactics involved in their succession, he'd done them all despite his preceding sentiments.

"If anything had happened to her it would mean more trouble for me." Then he remembered telling Xemnas about the Princess's condition and the man didn't even bat an eyelash. "I mean you guys wouldn't be breathing down my neck all the time if she wasn't so important, right?"

"How do you know we don't breathe down your neck just to piss you off?" said Axel, innocently and earned a not so graceful gesture from Roxas's middle finger in return. The redhead laughed. "Well, c'mon, we have a lot of ground to cover if we want to make up for your 100 years of beauty sleep." He got up from his chair.

"W-What? What do you mean?" stuttered Roxas, pausing in his step.

Axel just grinned, and there was something almost perpetually sinister about that smile that was making Roxas very nervous. "Roxas, didn't you want to know the reason why I'm here?"

And suddenly, Roxas wished he had been in a stupor.

000

And this had brought Roxas to his current situation: huddled behind a bush with Axel in front of the Princess's house.

If Roxas wasn't so immediately against this plan in the first place, he would have stopped to admire how amazing the structure of the house was – it wasn't huge by any stretch but it was definitely bigger than the rest of the houses in the block; pristine-white all around with beige-shuttered windows and doors. There was a garden, rich in green and flowers, and a small fountain similar to that of the school's.

However, Roxas paid little mind to the details.

"Axel, this is stupid – what if we get caught?" he hissed.

"For the millionth time already: we won't get caught. Now will you just sit still? Your constant moving about is driving me nuts."

"And how am I supposed to relax with you…s-spying with those!" He pointed. Axel was peering through the bushes with a pair of binoculars. "Do you realize how bad that's going to look if we're caught? We're could be accused of being peeping toms!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist," Roxas made an undignified sound, "I'm just waiting for the right opportunity, that's all."

"Opportunity? What opportunity?" Roxas echoed and ducked as a couple walked passed them. Once they were gone, Roxas glared at his best friend. "Oh, you mean an opportunity to get caught?"

Axel put down the binoculars. "Oh for the love of all things holy," he said, exasperated, "how many times do I have to say—oh, shoot duck!"

They duck their heads in time as a girl came jogging passed them, frowning slightly where they were hidden, however, did not look twice when she rounded the corner.

"You were saying?" said Roxas heatedly, but Axel simply ignored him and took up his binoculars again. He groaned, slapping his forehead. "Axel, just go already. As much as I appreciate you helping me out, I really don't need it. I can do this on my own."

Axel continued to ignore him.

Roxas made an impatient noise. "Axel, you're being a real pain in—"

"Oh, you're the one being a pain in the ass," Axel said, glaring at him this time. "If I left it up to you, you wouldn't even be here right now—"

"You mean I wouldn't be hiding in the bushes like some creep—"

"I told you, we're waiting for the opportunity—"

"The opportunity to do what? Spy while some girl is changing?!"

"Why is it everything I do automatically make you assume it's something perverted?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Gee, I don't know, Axel, you tell me."

Axel opened his mouth to argue, but then something in the distance caught his eye. "Just shut up and look over there."

Roxas glanced up the road. A woman with short brown hair was coming down the street, her hands full of bags.

"And you want me to be her handyman is that it?" said Roxas deprecatingly. "Be a gentleman and help her carry those bags to her house?"

"Look more closely," said Axel.

Roxas frowned but squinted to get a better look. He'd seen that woman before, he thought slowly as she came closer and closer to where they were huddled. Then it dawned to him.

"That's… that's the Princess's mother," he said.

"Exactly," said Axel, grinning smugly. "And that, my friend, is the opportunity you've been waiting for."

"It is?" said Roxas, blinking. He looked at the woman, but couldn't seem to understand what his friend was getting at.

"Dear God, Roxas, I knew it was hot here but did the heat officially fry your brain or something?" said Axel disbelievingly.

"Or maybe it's because I'm hanging out behind a bush with you," Roxas retorted.

"Just think about it!" said Axel, eagerly. "What better way to see the Princess than through her parental unit?"

"You mean you want me to…" he glanced at the Princess's mother again and swallowed, "But how?"

Axel was still grinning as he stood up. "Just leave it to me."

Alarmed, Roxas stammered, "But w-what are you going to—"

Axel shushed him. He waited before the Princess's mother to make it to where they were hiding before he plummeted himself against her, startling both her and Roxas and she cried out in surprise and dropped her bags.

"Oh, sorry about that, Ma'am," said Axel cheerfully, as he jogged on the spot. "I didn't see you there—"

The woman stared at him incredulously, not that Roxas could blame her. He suppose if some bright red-haired stranger came out of a bush, claimed to not have seen him when there was just no way he could have missed him then he'd be wondering if this man was an idiot too.

"Well, see you later then!" said Axel brightly, turning to jog ahead.

"Wait," said the woman, stumbling a bit, only to falter and drop to her knees, "can't you… wait! Please, I need—"

"Sorry, I'm kind of in a rush!" Axel gave Roxas a pointed look (one that meant Roxas owed him now) before he was running up the street. As he disappeared, leaving the woman in midst of fallen grocery bags, Roxas couldn't help but feel a jab of remorse for her and annoyance towards his friend.

But it gave Roxas the 'opportunity' he'd, indeed, been looking for, so while the woman was busy trying to pick up her things, Roxas carefully and quietly came out of his hiding spot in the bush.

"That horrible, horrible man," she was muttering angrily, just as Roxas stopped beside her and cleared his throat.

The unexpected sound had sent her into another state of surprise and she winded up dropping the bags she'd just picked up all over again. Roxas inwardly cringed.

"Oh!" the woman said, staring at him. "Oh, I—"

Roxas took a deep breath and gave her an easy smile. "You look like you could use some help." He held out his hand to her.

The expression the woman gave him was so grateful that it made Roxas feel even worse about the whole ordeal.

"Thank you so much," she whispered as Roxas helped her to her feet. She rubbed her hands together and huffed, "Some guy just ran into me and didn't even stop to help—oh you don't have to carry all of them, dear, my house isn't that far from here."

Roxas shrugged. "It's okay," he said. "I'll carry them to your door. Where's your place?" He pretended to look around.

The woman pointed at the white house across from them. "That's it, right there," she said.

Roxas nodded appreciatively. "That's a beautiful house you've got there," he said.

"You think so?" she said excitedly, walking beside him, "I just had the exterior fixed. The garden is my current project right now. I've been meaning to set up another fountain somewhere or perhaps a patio—"

As she chatted away, Roxas felt a spark of excitement rush through him. It was different from the nervous rush he'd felt when meeting the Princess for the first time. He wasn't certain of the change, but he knew the cause for it:

Yeah, he thought, he was going to prove those bastards wrong… one way or another.

"There you go," he said as he put the groceries down into her hallway. "Can you manage?" he asked kindly.

The woman nodded. "Yes, I think so." She smiled at him, her brown eyes twinkling. "Thanks again, Mr…?"

"Fujioma Takeru," he said easily, before taking her hand and kissing the top of it. He smiled at her. "But you can just call me Takeru."

The woman flushed, both from embarrassment and from flattery. "Alright, Takeru-kun," she said. "I'm Maia… the Mayor is my husband."

"Ah, Mrs. M," said Roxas, nodding as if in understanding, "explains why this house seems different from the rest." He nodded again. "Well, it's a pleasure meeting you, Maia."

"Wait, Takeru-kun," she said and he paused by the door. "Since you helped me and all, why don't you come in side and stay awhile? Have some tea?" she said, smiling.

Roxas's lips curled upward. "Sure."

000

Kairi didn't know what she was expecting when her mother suddenly called her down. She had thought she had wanted her to stay in bed.

She supposed moving around the house was a way better option than sitting in bed for the rest of the day. She jogged down the stairs, calling, "Mom?" but receiving no more than the echoes of her laughter coming from the kitchen. And from the sounds of it, Kairi frowned, she wasn't alone. "Mom?"

She pushed the drawing doors. Her mother was putting away the groceries, chatting animatedly about something or other, but that wasn't what had suddenly frozen her to her spot. No.

Sitting casually on one of the chairs was a boy – a boy with tousled, sunlit hair which only looked too familiar to Kairi, as she slowly, blankly, approached.

Her mother turned around and spotted her. "Oh, Kairi, there you!" she said but Kairi barely heard her. "Oh, Kairi, this is Fujioma Takeru—"the boy turned around and Kairi almost gasped—it was him.

It was the boy from the ice cream parlor, the one who had ridden with her all the way to the hospital, who had gone through great measures to look after her—the exact boy whom she'd been searching for. His eyes were as blue as she remembered them, so much like the sky… so much like—

"Takeru-kun, this is my daughter, Kairi."

The boy—Takeru—stood up and casually made his way over to her. His walk, his forming smile and the way his eyes just wouldn't leave her face—Kairi had a distinct, fleeting second of déjà vu.

She couldn't find it in herself to say anything as he stood before her, several inches taller than her as the smell of his shirt, like wind and sea and soap, everything she liked, threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't look away either.

His face, his eyes, his smell—almost everything about him—was screaming Sora at her, and yet there was something relatively different that made her hold back. His eyes, despite how bright a blue they were, there was still something in them that was clouded and dark and just off.

"Kairi," said the blonde boy, his voice low and deep.

He kissed the top of her hand and gave her the softest smile she had ever seen, and Kairi felt something in her heart snap and break.

"It's nice to meet you."

And somewhere in the distance, Kairi thought she heard someone crying.