I really don't have the time to be writing this, but you know, the real world can stuff it. :p

(Also feel kinda guilty for writing my own ideas lol, but I'll try not to talk about What If on this anyways)

So I'm trying to catch up to KH plotwise because I don't have time (or a 3DS for that matter), to play stuff. And this quote just jumped out at me, saying WRITE ME INTO A STORY so. Here it is. And the only really way I could see doing it is AU high school (I'm gonna age them as seniors), which is definitely not the usual place my brain takes things.

Obviously don't own KH, or I wouldn't be writing this, ne?

"talk" think ((mee))

Why the Sun Sets Red

"Bet you don't know why the sun sets red. You see, light is

made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors,

red is the one that travels the farthest."

~Axel, 358/2 Days

"Class, this is Roxas. He just moved here, so try to be civil." Roxas stared straight ahead while the teacher introduced him to his homeroom. When prompted, he moved to sit in the only available seat in the classroom.

"Don't make such a serious face; you might get stuck that way," said a voice from behind him.

Roxas turned around to see a vibrantly red-haired teen grinning at him. "I'm Axel," he said with a smirk.

"Nice to meet you, Axel," Roxas said while slowly turning around to pay attention to class.

-((after class))-

As soon as the bell rang, Axel stood and approached Roxas. "So where is your next class?"

Wordlessly, Roxas showed him his schedule. Axel smiled. "Sweet! I have most of these classes. Would you like me to show you around?" Axel said, gesturing for Roxas to walk out of the classroom first.

"Why not," Roxas replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Sensing the hostility, Axel backed off a pace. "I don't have to if you don't want me to; I'm sure you can figure it out," he backtracked.

Roxas mentally berated himself. "No it's fine, it's just-I'm sorry," he rambled, following Axel to his locker. "I'm…really wary about making new friends," he said cryptically.

"Ouch, bad memories, huh?" Axel said, leading Roxas to the science lab. "No worries, you happen to be with one of the most accepting guys in school," he winked. Arriving at the classroom, he led Roxas over to a table with two other residents.

"Roxas, this is Sora," Axel gestured to a brown haired boy trying to balance his pens into a tower, "and Riku," he gestured to a silver-haired boy who was poking Sora in the side, trying to mess him up.

"What did we tell you about picking up people from the lost and found, Axel?" Riku said, grinning and putting out his hand. "Nice to meet you; it's about time we added someone else to this motley crew. Sora!" Riku said, poking Sora even more insistently, "be polite and say hello, or I'll sabotage you further."

Sora looked up from his task. "Who's this?" he asked.

Riku rubbed his hair. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings," he said, winking.

"I'll pay attention when someone gives me a reason to," Sora said, shifting into 'flirt-mode' flawlessly.

Axel cleared his throat. "Before you and Riku start making out and cause a scene, say hello." Sora finally focused on Roxas and smiled brightly.

"Hello!" he said cheerfully as if nothing happened, "nice to meet you! I'm Sora." Roxas, not knowing how to reply, shook his hand. Luckily, class chose that moment to begin.

-((after class))-

Roxas couldn't help but stare as Riku and Sora continued to openly flirt on the way to their locker. While waiting for the two to switch books, Roxas watched them, laughing and messing with each other.

"Find something interesting?" Axel said lightly, pulling him out of his reverie.

"…Why aren't they getting….harassed?" Roxas said, question heavily-laced with personal experience.

Axel focused his gaze on the happy couple. "They were…at first. Everything was uncertain in the beginning…but everyone learned quickly that they'd have to go through me," Axel said, cryptically, protectively.

Roxas absorbed that information silently; Axel tousled his hair playfully. "The same goes for you, Roxas. I don't want you to feel afraid here, got it memorized?"

Roxas smiled. "Got it."

-((a few weeks later))-

"Let me get this straight," Roxas said as he piled out of the backseat with Sora. "We drove three hours to a lake?"

"Yep," Axel said, getting blankets and towels out of the trunk.

"When we live 20 minutes from a different lake," Roxas continued.

"Yep," Axel replied, walking towards the beach.

Roxas looked to Riku for an explanation as he helped unpack the car. "When we were little, Axel's father would drive us out here before it got too cold for a day at the beach. He insisted we drive out here, saying it was 'less polluted.' We all knew he just wanted to make the trip special, so we never cared. After he died, we just continued the tradition," Riku supplied.

"…Oh." Roxas said, not knowing what to say. "…I don't think we fulfilled the 'before it got too cold' part of the bargain," he said, already feeling fall on the early September breeze.

"You don't have to go in the water if you don't want to," Riku replied, approaching the blankets Axel had set up.

"Of course he does!" Axel argued, "it isn't that cold yet! It's barely September!"

"I'm a freeze baby," Roxas said, watching with a small shiver as Sora already ran into the water, diving under. "I'll just watch—"

"You're going in that water whether you like it or not," Axel said winking before hefting Roxas over his shoulder, carrying him over to the water.

"Axel, Axel! Axel stop that, what—" And without further ado, Axel dumped Roxas into the (partly) freezing water. Roxas surfaced, sputtering and glaring. "Axel!"

Axel looked innocent; Sora nearly drowned because he was laughing so hard.

Roxas let out a battle cry before flinging himself at Axel. Axel, caught off guard, managed to catch Roxas but couldn't keep his balance; the two fell backwards into the water. Axel pulled them up to the surface, laughing. Still holding onto Roxas, he grinned. "See? That wasn't so bad."

Roxas glared at him.

"Besides…it's warmer now right?" Axel said, tightening his grip slightly.

Roxas' cheeks pinked. "…Yeah."

The two were broken out of their reverie when Sora threw a beach ball at them. An impromptu game of volleyball began once Riku entered the water, and the moment was forgotten.

Or at least ignored for the time being.

-((fastforward))-

"This is awesome," Axel said, laying out on the towel to dry next to Roxas. Riku and Sora lay on the other, fast asleep.

"Definitely," Roxas agreed. "Axel…" Roxas started, losing his nerve.

"What?" Axel said, sitting up to look at him.

"…Thank you," he said, looking away. "For bringing me into your group of friends. I had a hard time of it at my other school, and I was afraid it would be the same here."

"Don't worry about that," Axel said fervently, "You're one of us now. This is your special spot now just as much as it is ours."

Roxas smiled before closing his eyes. "Thanks, Axel."

-((a few weeks later))-

"Hey there Roxy," Axel said, putting an arm up on the locker next to Roxas'. "Ready for lunch?"

"Just a sec," Roxas said blushing slightly, grabbing books from his locker. As soon as he was done, Axel shut the locker before wrapping an arm around Roxas' shoulder to steer him in the right direction.

"Axel…" Roxas said warningly with a tinge of self-consciousness.

"What?" he said innocently. "You're new here, and the walk to the cafeteria is long and winding," he smirked.

"I've been here for quite some time now; I think I can manage," Roxas said dryly. Reluctantly, Axel pulled his arm away.

The two arrived in the cafeteria and quickly found Sora and Riku already eating.

"Anything good today?" Roxas asked, putting his books down. Without waiting for an answer, he headed to the food line before the rush arrived. Axel, who brought a lunch, sat down at the table, staring at Roxas as he left.

"Why don't you just ask him out already?" Sora said, inhaling his spaghetti.

Axel stared at the two blankly.

Riku gave him the 'oh-come-off-it-already' face. "Axel, we're not blind. Just because you aren't as obvious about it as we are with each other, doesn't mean we can't tell you're clearly interested."

Axel sighed. "I don't know if he's ready…he seems too scared," he said. "I don't want to push him."

"Don't be afraid!" Sora chimed in, "It'll turn out alright in the end, just like it did for us!"

Riku and Axel traded a significant glance. Sora still didn't know what really happened that the school suddenly became so accepting of the two.

"Just go for it!" Sora continued.

"Go for what?" Roxas said, returning to the table.

"Extra credit in History," Axel said, citing the one class he and Roxas didn't have together before changing the subject.

-((later))-

Roxas sighed happily as he approached his locker. Time for the weekend! He waved to Sora and Riku, who had lockers close to his, before opening his-

A pile of tacks rained out of his locker and onto the floor.

Sora, who was facing Roxas, was the first to notice something was wrong. "Sora, what—?" Riku said, turning around.

"Seifer," Sora whispered.

"What's the matter, fag? Something wrong with your locker?" Seifer taunted as him and his gang approached Roxas at his locker.

"Not again," Riku groaned, moving to step in. Sora held him back brieftly.

"Don't beat him up like you and Axel did last time, promise?" Sora said, concern evident in his eyes.

Riku's eyes widened. "How did you—"

"I'm not stupid Riku. Now go help Roxas." He said, concern growing as Seifer grew closer.

"Go ahead, get your stuff," Seifer continued, now at Roxas' locker. Roxas stood frozen, unable to move or reply. "I said, get your stuff!" he repeated, shoving Roxas into the neighboring locker.

Just as Riku was about to step in, a shout was heard from further up the hallway.

"Seifer!" Axel shouted, approaching rapidly from up the hall. "What the hell?" He put himself between Seifer and Roxas, pushing the former back. "Leave him alone. Did you forget what happened last time?"

The smirk dropped from Seifer's face. Riku took this as his opportunity to come stand next to Axel.

"That's right," Axel continued, stepping forward. "Leave him alone, Seifer, unless you want a repeat."

Seifer looked away. "He's not worth my time anyways," Seifer said, walking away with his group.

Axel sighed in relief. "Don't worry, Rox, he won't-Roxas?" he turned around, but Roxas was nowhere in sight.

"He took off down the hall," Sora said, coming over to the pair.

"Let's go find—"

"Shouldn't you guys be getting to class?" a teacher said nearby, eyeing them. They had no choice but to go off to their next class.

-((after school))-

The instant class was over, Axel was out in the hallway. Roxas hadn't come to the last few classes of the day. Riku and Sora met Axel at his locker, also concerned.

"We couldn't find him anywhere," Sora said while Axel dialed his phone.

"He was really freaked out," Riku commented, still looking in case they might miraculously find him.

"He was bullied at his other school," Axel supplied, taking the phone away from his ear. "He isn't answering his phone either."

"Do you think he went home?" Sora hypothesized.

"I don't know," Axel replied, "he seemed really upset. He probably went somewhere he felt really comfortable…." Suddenly, Axel had an idea. He already started walking away as he shouted over his shoulder, "You guys go to his house; call me if he's there!"

Sora looked puzzled. "Where's he going?"

Riku shook his head. "No idea. Come on."

-((3 hours later))-

The sun was going down as Axel parked his car by the lake. Getting out of the car, he noticed a familiar figure sitting by the water with his arms wrapped around his knees. Wordlessly, Axel approached him and sat next to him. They sat that way for a few minutes in companionable silence.

"…They threatened my life," Roxas said finally. "They threatened me, and my family had to leave the state. I thought it would be different here."

Axel took his hand, not knowing what to say. "…People can be terrible," he said finally.

"Why'd you protect me?" Roxas said brokenly.

For a moment, Axel was silent. "A long time ago, when we first started high school, Seifer and his gang bullied me incessantly. I was afraid if I came out of the closet, told them I was gay and to go fuck themselves, they'd hurt me. So I never said anything about it to anyone, but soon enough Riku and Sora noticed. We talked together about it, and it brought us closer together," he continued, staring out into the water.

"Things got even worse when Riku and Sora fell in love with each other. They were scared to even touch each other in school, let alone be proud of who they were. Riku and I talked about it, and we decided to stand up for ourselves. We ambushed Seifer and his gang one night and beat the shit out of them," he said, emotionless. "We didn't want to do it, and we knew it was wrong, but we had already tried going through our parents."

"Seifer never said anything about it, but he stopped coming near us. Sora and Riku came out, and we've been happy ever since."

Axel turned his gaze to Roxas, holding his hand tighter. "High school sucks. It is really hard to be different, especially in the town we live in. But I protected you, Rox, because I want you to stay here. I want you to feel safe here. And besides…maybe if you feel safe, I'll finally be able to practice what I preach and feel safe about myself too…right, Roxas?"

Roxas looked at him in confusion. "But you're always so confident at school…"

Axel smiled bitterly. "That's a new development. I was always happy with fighting for Sora and Riku's happiness. I was planning on taking my bullying in stride until we graduated, but then Sora and Riku….I wanted them to feel happy and safe. But I never…I still couldn't fully feel safe, even after Seifer left us alone. Before you came here, I still struggled with myself at school. I had gained the tentative acceptance of my peers, but not from myself."

"But if we work through this together, there's no reason to be afraid…right?" Roxas said, taking Axel's captive hand and wrapping it around himself.

Axel pulled Roxas in closer. "Right."

They sat like that for a few more minutes. "Roxas?" Axel said finally. Roxas looked up, and Axel leaned down to kiss him softly.

"Thank you," Roxas whispered against his lips. Axel kissed him again.

"No, thank you," Axel said, holding him tighter.

-((End!))-

…Yeah. Guys, I'm not advocating beating up people to gain acceptance, but I am advocating acceptance. I have too many gay friends, and kids can be cruel. Too cruel. So stand up for yourselves okay? People are idiots.

::hugs::

~freaky-hanyou