Was it Fate? -Akuroku-

Was it Fate?  -Akuroku-

His mind seemed set. He was going to abandon the organization… and me along with it. Was he really going to leave me?
Just like that? Did our friendship mean nothing? Nothing at all?

I tried to remind him of the danger, of what he was leaving behind.
“If you get on their bad side, they’ll destroy you!”
The reply that I received sounded depressed; a lost soul searching for an answer to its existence.
“No one would miss me.”
I could feel the water droplets gradually forming at the corners of my eyes, but I had no heart, therefore, I could not cry. I had no heart, therefore, I could not love.
I wanted…. so badly… to understand this pain I was feeling. Perhaps I was trying to convince myself that I could, once again, be human.
Who was I kidding?
“That’s not true!” I finally managed to regain whatever sanity I had left, but it was no use. I slumped against the wall and hung my head in shame, defeated. “… I would.”
I wondered if he had heard me. After those last few words left my lips, I knew then that these new feelings inside of me… they were something a human being, unlike myself, would call love.
I loved Roxas… it sounded like a crime; to love someone when you didn’t possess a heart to love with. Did that mean a heart was not necessary?
“… What?”
The beautiful voice echoed through my ears and quickly snared my attention, my head rising to find the blonde staring at me with confused eyes.
I froze. What could I say?
“Axel?” He called my name, but I could not bring myself to say anything. What would he think of me if I told him about these feelings? Would he reject me? Did he feel anything for me?
My instincts took over; I turned and ran. My chest felt like something was trying to burst out of it, like it was on fire, even stronger that the flames I harnessed within myself.
“Axel! Axel!!” I could hear him calling after me, and judging by the way it didn’t seem to fade, I assumed he was chasing after me. There was no way I could turn around and confess my feelings for the blonde.
“Please…! Axel, wait! Hold on a minute!” He seemed to be coming closer. Since when did he get so fast?
It seemed like the faster I ran, the closer he got. Perhaps it would only be a matter of minutes before he would be upon me.
I turned a corner, hoping to loose him within the series of complex alleyways. Then… I stopped. Pressing my body tightly against the wall, I panted and waited for Roxas to run past.
He never came.
Raising my eyebrows, I took a chance and peered around the corner, but could find no sign of him. Where did he go?
“Yahh!” Suddenly, I was tackled from behind, falling to the floor with a growl as I writhed to look behind me.
He had caught me. Out of all the times we used to race each other, he’d never been able to keep up with my spectacular speed… until now. I finally turned face up to find Roxas with a hand on either side of my head, pinning my body down. His azure eyes were amazing, just looking at them made me want to reach up and touch his face.
“Axel…” the blonde hissed through his teeth, leaning forward so that our noses were only inches apart, “why… what did you mean back there about you being the one to miss me?”
I wanted to tell him so bad, but my mouth could only open and close without a sound. I wanted to tell him how I felt… I wanted to tell him… that I loved him.
“Say it!” This time he growled, making me flinch.
“I…” I tried to find the right words to explain this… this absurd feeling, but could not grasp them. “I…”
“I said say it!”
I began to cry… for the first time in my existence as a Nobody. The feeling of soft trails of salty liquid felt like it was trying to carry me away in the raging waves of a river. I was… actually crying…
I finally managed to croak out, “You… Roxas, you wouldn’t understand. We… we nobodies can’t feel anything, yet here I am crying. Why? Why are these god-forsaken tears racing down my cheeks? Why… why does my chest ache so badly?”
He stared at me blankly, probably wondering the same questions I was asking.
“… Can we not feel happiness? Sadness? Anger?” I wept, trying with all my might to stop the flow of tears.
My breath hitched in my throat as Roxas gently reached up to trap one of the racing tears with his forefinger, lifting it up to examine it.
“Axel…” he whispered this time, looking from the crystalline teardrop to my own face, “… are you… trying to tell me…-”
“- … I love you… too much for my own good,” I finished, trying again to fight back the tears. “I don’t know… but I bet if I did have a heart, these feelings inside would, without a doubt, be classified as love.”
There was a pause as Roxas stared at me long and hard, as if he was searching my face for something he wished to possess.
And then he did what he least expected him to do.
He kissed me.
Oh… the feeling of his soft lips on mine was enough to drive me insane, and I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around his neck. Even though the tears were still falling, I no longer felt distressed or lonely. This sole action Roxas had just performed told me he understood to some degree… and perhaps he felt the same way.
Was… it destined to be like this?
… Was it fate?
… Or something else?
When he finally broke away after what seemed like eternity he smiled at me… and for some reason, he was crying too.
“Axel… Now I understand what you meant back there… and you have no clue… how long I’ve wanted to do that. I was afraid that you would never speak to me again if you found out how I felt, so I tried to hide them… but it didn’t work. The feelings only came back stronger. I decided then… that it would be best if I left the Organization.” Roxas briefly looked away. “… I was wrong.”
It was my turn to smile. “And for once, I’m glad you were.”
My eyes once again met with his before our lips connected for a second time. He tasted so sweet… so pure…
“Axel…” the feeling of his breath on my skin made shivers crawl up my spine, “… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, doll,” I smirked against his caressing lips. “I’ve got an idea that I think you’ll really like.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s run away from the Organization together; just you and me.”
The vibrant cerulean orbs above me widened. “Are you serious?”
“It’s a plan… Got it memorized?” The grin on my face grew even bigger.
“… Yeah.” Roxas smiled back.
Once again, our lips met in a tender kiss; we were now as one, now and forever.
And not once would the candle in our souls burn out.

~Owari