Child Of Promises

Chapter fifteen

Sora stands infront of a large building with Axel, taking in the cheery looking facade. He would probably be in a better mood if it wasn't for several things:

When he had gotten home last night, Sora was greeted by his three friends who gave him some news that even now gives him a lead ball in his gut. The King couldn't wait anymore, Kairi had told him, His Majesty decided to do the one thing that Sora absolutely didn't want: he's having Sora's brother help him.

Then, Axel had somehow gotten his phone number and called him at Dick o' Clock in the god damn morning, insisting he tag along. Don't get Sora wrong, it's not like he doesn't like the ex organization member, he just doesn't know him enough to be on a friendly bases with him. Axel knows more about the orphanage though, so Sora seen his position as an asset at this time.

"They're not just going to give you the information," Axel had explained on the car ride there, "it's better if I talk to them, smooth them over so we can sneak into the back office to get what we need, got it memorized?"

To top it all off, Sora was starting to feel the pull of the bond. Once two halves of a soul meet, they very seldom are far apart. Love is almost a guaranteed bonus, but as Sora had told Roxas, it goes so much deeper than that. Sora has to try hard to keep his head clear, even more so now with such distance between them. Sora almost hopes that Roxas is going through the same pain, but he can't bring himself to be that spiteful; it just isn't in his nature.

"Ready to go in, or are you just gonna stay here and enjoy the facade?" Axel asks him, raising a brow at Sora's far off expression. Sora nods, bracing himself for what ever he may face while in there; according to the red head, it's a very different atmosphere when you're not on the outside looking in.

They walk into the orphanage and are greeted by a cheery room. White walls with colorful posters, toys littering the floor and children running around playing as an adult watches on. Axel shakes his head, grinning fondly at the children, "must be recess," he says.

The adult watching over them, a middle aged woman with brown hair pulled into a bun and circular glasses, notices them and pastes a smile on her face. As she walks over, her smile drops slightly when she seems to recognize Axel, who smiles and waves nonchalantly.

"Hey Miss Hart! Good to see ya' again," he says, a sardonic edge to his lips and tone.

"Axel Lea..." Miss Hart answers slowly, appearing to be uncomfortable, "to what do I owe this...visit?"

Axel shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "you see, my friend here wants to know about a certain someone? Remember a kid named Roxas Levenge?"

"How could I not, that demon was as infamous as you," the middle aged woman says bitterly. Sora raises a brow at the use of the word demon while Axel chuckles. The woman glances at him, "and who might you be?"

"My name is Sora Windham," he replies, the last name rolling off his tongue like nothing, "I'm Roxas' fiancé."

He grins as the woman gives him an unreadable look, "you manage to put up with him long enough to want to marry him? You must be a saint. But what do you want to know that he can't tell you himself?"

'Oh, the irony,' Sora thinks snickering inwardly, "well you see, I-"

"Roxas thought it would be better if Sora seen his papers," Axel cuts in, "Roxas has been working a lot lately, so they haven't been able to spend a lot of time together. He did mention that we used to live here and Sora asked me if it was okay to show him where Roxas used to live, maybe find out a bit more about him?"

"You can explore the orphanage if you want to find out how it is here," Miss Hart says flatly, "unfortunately all paperwork for the children, whether they still live here or not is completely confidential unless it's for certain circumstances; such as medical or if the person has been arrested."