Holding Half of my Heart

Twelve

"Please come with me! I don't want to go alone!" Axarhs had been begging Demyx to go with her to the Station Tower for three minutes.

He sighed, "this is a you and Axel thing. Why do I have to go?"

"I already told you! After what happened yesterday...I just don't want to be alone with him. Please come with me?"

"Don't talk about that," he growled. "After you told me what he did I wanted to beat the life outta him."

She smiled at how protective he was-her conversation with Xemnas flooded back into her mind. Remember this: the next time you interact with another Organization member-whether it's good or bad-they can't feel happiness, sadness, love, guilt or regret. No matter how much you want them to.

"Pretending," she whispered.

"Are you listening to me? Earth to Axarhs!" Demyx shouted.

"Huh? Oh! I was listening!" She lied.

Demyx laughed, " I said I'll come with you, but if Axel tries anything I swear I'll-"

"Run! Run away!" She mimicked.

"Will not!" Demyx laughed. "Ready to go?"

She took a deep breath and nodded, "I think so."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I'm not as weak as everyone thinks. If Axel tries anything I'll make him regret it."

—

Axel sat on the Station Tower; Sea-Salt Ice Cream in hand and waiting for Axarhs. He'd stayed up all night attempting to piece together what he wanted to say, but everything he came up with turned into a jumbled mess. He felt a portal open to his left; he glanced over and tried to keep from shouting, "no one invited you, Demyx." He growled.

"I did. I didn't want to be alone."

He sighed and patted the empty spot next to him. Axarhs looked to Demyx who nodded reassuringly. She took the place offered to her; Demyx not leaving her side.

"Try this; it's Sea-Salt Ice Cream. Roxas and I would sit up here and eat it all the time." He handed over the light blue treat.

She took a small bite before offering some to Demyx; who declined. "Giving me ice cream doesn't change what happened yesterday." Axarhs said before taking another bite.

"I know that," he whispered, not taking his eyes off the forever setting sun. "What I did yesterday is unforgivable. I just got so angry with everything you were saying-the truth really does hurt. Even for Nobodies, but anger doesn't justify my actions. Every time someone brings up Roxas, I run away like a child-just like you said. I wanted him to come back so bad that...I did something horrible" He brushed a strand of hair away from his face and Axarhs could see his bright green eyes.

Axarhs finished the last bit of ice cream, "what did you do?" She asked with concern. Demyx leaned over and watched Axel intently.

"I..." He took a deep breath, "do you remember that boy Sora?"

She nodded, "from the Underworld and Halloween town. What about him?"

"Roxas is his Nobody. After Roxas left the Organization, a man named Diz and another named Riku kidnapped him, erased his memories and sent him to a fake Twilight Town to live until they could merge him with Sora again. I went to the fake town several times, hoping he would come back with me, but he refused and merged with Sora. I kept telling myself that I would bring him back no matter what, but the only way to do that would be to turn Sora into a Heartless, which is what I intended to do at first. I went to the Destiny Islands-Soras' home world-and kidnapped Kairi, a girl he really cares about. I thought if I could lure him out, I could turn him into a Heartless and Roxas would come back."