The sound of his cell phone buzzing on his bedside table makes Roxas bury his face even deeper in his pillow. He groans. He doesn't want to talk to anyone. He wants to be left alone so he can sleep the time away to the next day. As if sensing this, the phone stops ringing and Roxas snuggles further into his blankets.

His phone starts to vibrate again.

With sigh of acceptance, Roxas opens his eyes and rolls over. After a few fumbling attempts he manages to pick up his phone. The caller ID tells him it was Namine and he reluctantly answers her call.

"Roxas! I've been trying to call you for hours!"

"Oh," Roxas says sitting up and yawning. "I just woke up."

"Roxas, it's 2 in the afternoon."

Roxas response is to merely grunt in reply to this.

"Do you have plans today?"

Roxas nearly falls off his bed from the shear force of the wave of sadness that hits him at Namine's words. "...Namine."

"I know you don't have plans with him like you want, but what are you planning on doing today?"

"Well..." Roxas looks longingly at his bed wanting to curl back up and wake up tomorrow like today had never happened.

"And moping around doesn't count! I'll come pick you up. Just because he's away doesn't mean you should be alone. I'll ask Xion if she wants to hangout with us as well. We could go to the mall, or beach, or maybe we'll take a drive in the countryside. Whatever you want to do."

"Namine, I-" Roxas tries to protest, but before he can Namine continues.

"I'll be at your house in 15. Be ready!"

With that she hangs up and Roxas drops his phone on his bed. Maybe this won't be so bad. At least Namine and Xion could take his mind off things.

Roxas stands, running his fingers through his hair as he makes his way to the window and throws open the heavy curtains. Bright sunlight suddenly floods the bedroom and he blinks quickly to keep his eyes from watering. Turning away from the window he pauses to stare at his bed. The large bed is all messed up on his side, but the other side hasn't been touched. Roxas gently trails his fingers over the blankets that haven't been slept in in months and lets his hand rest on the pillow. He lifts it to his face and breathes in deeply. Months ago, it had still smelled so much like him, but now the scent is faint and soon it will be gone altogether.

Roxas puts the pillow back on the bed, noticing the small tear stains now on it. Wiping his eyes on the back of his hand, Roxas turns away from the bed and walks across the room to the dresser. He passes the Classic Cars calendar that he had picked out. Today, August 13th, is circled in bright red sharpie and a large heart had been drawn. Roxas stares at it, remembering back to when he had done that. That had been before the deployment.

Tears blur his vision and as they begin to fall, Roxas runs back to his bed. He snatches up the picture that is on the bedside table and slides to the ground. Leaning against the bed, he pulls his knees to his chest and hugs the small picture frame to his chest. For minutes, he lets sobs wrack his body until he calms enough to uncurl from his fetal position.

He sets the picture on his lap and starts twisting the ring on his finger back and forth. It has become a habit in the last few months. He'll twist the ring and think of the words engraved on the inside.

Be mine, forever and always.

For the first time today, Roxas lets himself look at the picture in his lap. It is of him standing beside his husband. His husband was dressed in grey green combat fatigues and his flaming red hair had been pulled back in a tight ponytail. This picture had been taken exactly 6 months and 8 days ago. It had been the last time they had been able to touch; right after, he had gotten on that plane that took him so far away. As sobs escape from him once more, Roxas runs a shaking finger over the figure in the picture.

Axel.

…

That is how Namine and Xion find him. Curled up on the floor beside his bed in his pajamas with Axel's picture clutched tightly in his hands. With much reluctance and fighting from Roxas, the two girls are able to get Roxas off the floor and into the shower. Once she hears the water turn on, Namine whips out her phone and presses the 2 speed dial. The other end picks up right away.

"Riku! Hi! Okay listen carefully I gotta be quick, Roxas is just in the shower... Yeah we're still here. That's what I'm trying to tell you! You gotta hold everyone off for another half an hour. You think you can do that?... Good! Okay, see you at 7...Love you too, bye."

Namine ends the call just as the water in the bathroom turns off. Xion looks at her curiously and Namine smiles back. "Plans are still right on track," Namine says quietly and Xion smiles happily.

A few minutes later, Roxas walks out of the bathroom dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants. "Roxas!" Xion cries.

Roxas jumps slightly. "What?"

"You can't wear that today. You look like a bum," Xion says shaking her head in disapproval.

"Why does it matter? I don't care," Roxas replies crossing his arms.

"But we do," Namine says and before Roxas can protest, she and Xion begin raiding his closet looking for more suitable clothing.

…

Twenty minutes later, Xion and Namine are dragging Roxas to Namine's car now dressed in black jeans held up by a black and white checkered belt and a zip up red sleeveless vest that doesn't quite reach the top of his jeans. As Namine pulls out of the driveway and takes off down the street, four cars that had been idling around the corner quickly pull up and park outside Roxas and Axel's house.

Out of the first car come Sora, Riku, and Kairi carrying a laptop, speakers, and projector. The doors of the second car open letting out Terra, Aqua, Ven, and Zack each holding on tightly to a handful of colorful balloons. Demyx and Zexion climb out of the third car with plastic cups and plates. Hayner, Pence, and Olette are in the fourth car and join the group laden with boxes piled with bags of chips and other snacks.

They all wait while Riku unlocks the front door with the key Namine had given him. When the door swings open, Riku turns back to the assembled group with a smirk. "Operation: Scare the Crap Out of Roxas is a go."

"Riku!" Kairi says swatting at his arm as she walks past him and into the house. "We're not calling it that."

"I think it's good," Sora says as he follows her into the house.

Kairi hits his arm as well. "It has to be something romantic like... Operation: Cupid's Arrow."

Riku pretends to barf behind Kairi's back and Sora can't help but laugh.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi are in charge of entertainment and had been able to carry all the equipment they need from the car in one trip, but the others have to go back for more. Back at Terra's car, Terra and Aqua lift the banner they had made out of the trunk and carry it inside while Ven and Zack gather the streamers and tape they had brought.

Terra and Aqua return to the house to find Riku alone, fiddling with the laptop. "Where are Sora and Kairi?" Aqua asks as they lean the rolled up banner against the wall.

"I sent them to the garage to find an extension cord," Riku says. He then adds. "That was five minutes ago."

"You'll never get anything done if you let those two go off alone," Terra says laughing.

Riku glances at him. "I don't think you will have any better luck with Ven and Zack."

Terra and Aqua turn around, surprised to find that Ven and Zack hadn't followed them inside. A quick glance out the window finds the two of them pressed together under a tree in the front yard, the boxes of streamers and tape all but forgotten on the ground. "I'll go get them," Aqua says with a sigh.

Demyx, Zexion, Hayner, Pence, and Olette come in just as she goes out and head to the kitchen with their boxes of food. Roxas and Axel's house is set up nicely for parties with the front door opening right into a wide open room with couches and a TV at one end and a large kitchen on the other. As the group of five head for the kitchen, Sora and Kairi come running back in with huge smiles and bright red faces. They run right over to Riku and Terra.

"He just texted me he landed!" Kairi says happily waving her phone in their faces. It buzzes again and she pulls up the new text. "Mom and Dad are there and they told us to have fun tonight."

"Great!" Riku says as Terra walks over to Aqua who is leading a smiling Zack and a pink faced Ven into the house. After telling them the news, Terra moves on to the group in the kitchen. Riku turns back to Kairi. "Tell your brother to wait for our signal." Kairi nods and begins typing furiously on her phone.

"Alright people!" Ven calls bringing everyone's attention to him. "My little brother has been a pain in my ass for days with all his moping so tonight we're gonna get revenge on him. Tonight we're gonna scare the crap out of Roxas!"

Everyone cheers accept Kairi who pouts and mutters, "Cupid's Arrow," under her breath.

As everyone gets to work on their assigned task, Riku turns to Sora and Kairi. "Plug the laptop into the socket behind the couch with the extension cord." Riku goes back to fiddling with the laptop, but looks up when neither of them move. "You forgot to get the cord didn't you?"

"We'll go get it now!" Sora says grabbing Kairi's hand and pulling her back towards the garage, but Riku stops them.

"No way. You two stay here and try and get the projector working," he says heading towards the garage. "I'll find the cord."

…

"So are you and Axel planning on Skypeing tonight?" Namine asks innocently already knowing the answer Roxas will give.

"No," Roxas says sadly as he stares out the window of the car as they speed down the highway. Namine and Xion had insisted on going to the mall all the way in Traverse Town which is nearly an hour drive from Roxas' house. "He's been out in the field since last Thursday and he won't be back to base until Friday," Roxas explains.

"Oh, that's too bad," Xion says as Namine takes the Twilight Town exit off the highway.

After glancing quickly into the back seat where Roxas is still staring out the window, Xion sends a quick text to both Demyx and Zexion.

10 minutes out. Everything set?

A minute later Demyx texts back.

Ready to rock!

Xion covers her mouth to hide her smile and listens to Namine try and pull Roxas into a conversation. Roxas however refuses to say more than a couple words in response to her questions and soon silence descends on the car.

"Here we are," Namine says as they pull onto Roxas' street. His house is the third one down with the empty driveway and all the lights inside off. "Why don't Xion and I stick around and make you dinner?"

"You guys don't have to-" Roxas tries to say, but is cut off by Xion.

"We want to, Roxas," Xion says with a smile.

The three of them walk up to the front door and Roxas fumbles with his keys for a moment before unlocking the door. He steps into the darkened house first with Namine and Xion following behind. Slipping his keys back into his pocket, Roxas feels along the wall for the light switch and turns it on.

"What the?" He says seeing balloons and streamers hanging on the walls.

"SURPRISE!"

Roxas jumps a foot in the air in shock as all his friends suddenly appear from behind the couches and rush at him. Hayner is holding a video camera and it is trained on Roxas. They all laugh at the look on his face and Ven steps forward pulling Roxas into a hug. "Happy anniversary bro!"

"What?...How did you...What?" Roxas stammers and everyone laughs again.

Ven releases him and lets Roxas look around. Balloons and streamers were on every wall except one where a projector had been set up showing a slideshow of pictures from Roxas and Axel's wedding one year ago today. When Roxas turns around to look at the banner above the front door that read "Happy Anniversary", Kairi hid behind Sora and quickly sent out a text.

Now!

Roxas turns back to the group completely speechless. They all grin at him as he finds his voice again. "How...how did you all get in my house?"

He joins in laughing with them this time. "You can thank Namine for that. She planned this whole thing," Riku says with his arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks Nam," Roxas says smiling for the first time all day. The doorbell rings and Roxas turns around surprised while everyone grins even wider. "Who else did you invite Nami-"

As he opens the door he freezes with his mouth hanging open. Standing on the front stoop is Axel dressed in his fatigues with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. "Happy anniversary Roxy," Axel says taking a step inside.

"Ax-Axel?" Roxas chokes out reaching out a shaking hand to touch his chest and make sure he is real. He feels the steady heartbeat of his other half that he hasn't felt in so long. "Axel!" Roxas jumps into his arms. Axel drops his bag as he returns the hug, tears of happiness leak out of his eyes as he is finally able to hold the love of his life again.

Axel gently tilts Roxas's head up and looks deep into his watery bright blue eyes before leaning down and pulling Roxas into a passionate kiss, not caring that all their friends are watching. Roxas kisses back with so much longing it makes Axel cry a few more tears. An eternity later they break apart and Roxas takes a step back with the biggest grin on his face.

Still smiling he punches Axel in the shoulder. "What was that for?" Axel asks rubbing his shoulder.

"You could have told me you were coming home!" Roxas shouts. "You told me you were out in the field! I was worried sick!"

"I'll make it up to you later I promise," Axel says with a wink.

"Axel!" Kairi shouts running forward. She pulls him into a tight hug and he happily hugs her back.

"Hey little sis," he says kissing the top of her head. "I've missed you."

Kairi releases him as the others come forward to welcome Axel home as well. Roxas stares at his husband happily as tears fall down his face. He suddenly turns to pull Namine and Xion into a tight hug. "Thank you, both of you. Today was the best. I couldn't ask for better friends," Roxas says in a tear stained voice. Namine and Xion hug him back and then pull away as Ven quiets everyone down.

"Alright! Alright!" Ven shouts and everyone turns to him. Roxas feels an arm snake around his waist and he leans back happily knowing it is Axel. "I would say Operation: Scare the Crap Out of Roxas was a complete success."

"Wait what?" Roxas asks and everyone laughs.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say I can't wait for the party tomorrow," Ven says and everyone cheers and starts to head for the door.

"Wait we're not having a party tonight?" Axel asks confused as he looks around the decorated room.

"I mean we could all stay if you'd like," Ven says. "We just thought that you and Roxas might want to be alone tonight."

Roxas glances up at Axel who smiles back at him. "See you all tomorrow," Axel says pulling Roxas into a kiss.

The others watch and laugh until Roxas starts undoing Axel's jacket. "Out, out, out!" Ven cries and they all rush for the door.

Axel's jacket falls to the floor soon followed by his undershirt. Axel has Roxas' red vest off in seconds and quickly picks up Roxas who squeaks in surprise, but wraps his legs happily around Axel's waist. Axel carries Roxas to their bedroom as they continue to make out and drops him on the bed. Axel climbs on top of Roxas, intertwining their fingers, and leans down so their faces are inches away.

"Happy anniversary Roxy."

"Happy anniversary Axel."

HAPPY AKUROKU DAY!

The title, When You're Gone, is from Avril Lavigne's song "When You're Gone". The story wasn't really based off the song, but it's a sad song about missing someone you love so it goes with the beginning of this story.