Disoriented Memories

He had it planned out perfectly in his mind. They would trek up to the clock tower, sea-salt ice cream in hand. One would dangle both legs over the edge, and the other would prop one leg up, resting his elbow on his knee. Watching the sunset and licking away at the slowly-melting ice cream, he would wait for the right moment. He would hug the other first, and then pull away slightly. The younger would be confused for a second, then shocked as their lips met. The sun would sink behind the skyline, and his true feelings would be revealed. None of this was supposed to happen.
  The younger wasn't supposed to leave the Organization, sending the other into a wave of would-be depression. He wasn't supposed to fight the older one, wasn't supposed to lose all his memories of his best friend. He wasn't supposed to rejoin his Somebody, and stay locked away in his heart.
  The elder of the two wasn't supposed to die.
  Axel gasped from the pain. He had set fire to all of the Dusks, the Nobodies who were once under his rule, and far exceeded the stamina he had. Axel was dying, and he knew it. Already he had told Sora what happened to Kairi, and yet the tiny brunette still defended him, was still by his side as he faded away.
   "You're… fading away," Sora whispered. Axel resisted the urge to laugh. He was stating the obvious.
  "Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. Not that Nobodies actually have beings, right?" Axel chuckled softly, even though the action sent painful waves coursing through his body. "Anyways, I digress. Go find Kairi."
  "Axel…" Sora paused, choosing his words carefully. "What were you trying to do?" Axel knew immediately that he was referring to the attack, not his kidnapping of Kairi.
  "I wanted to see Roxas." Axel would've smirked at Sora's shocked expression, if he wasn't trying to save enough energy to say what he needed to. "He… was the only one I liked. He made me feel like I had a heart," Axel continued. He could've sworn he saw Sora's eyes flash a darker blue, could've sworn he saw Roxas standing inside of Sora, but maybe that was just his dying hallucinations getting to him. "It's funny… you make me feel the same." He opened up the Dark Corridor with the last of his fading strength.
  Sora stared at him for a long, hard moment, then stood up. He looked back as Axel's back arched toward the sky and the redhead took his last breath, fading away into the darkness.
-50 Years Later-
  Axel stands at the gates of the Old Haunted Mansion in Twilight Town. Roxas is by his side, staring up at the mansion's towering gate. Using the pliers they brought with them, Axel swiftly cuts the rusting metal lock barring them from entrance. The iron wrought gate slowly creaks open.
  "Remind me again, why exactly are we going to the mansion that probably is filled with rot and mold?" Roxas mutters to himself. Axel smirks.
  "Pence's grandpa showed us the picture of him and his gang in front of this place, remember?  Pence's grandpa looked exactly like him. It was freaky," Axel rambles on. Roxas groans. "Anyways. There was that girl in the white dress at the window. We're looking for her," the redhead finishes.
  "I can't believe I let you drag me into this," Roxas grumbles. Axel chooses to ignore this comment. He grabs the shorter boy's arm and drags him inside the courtyard. A comfortable silence passes between them.
  I've known him for fifteen years now, Axel thinks, and he's still as adorable as he was back in pre-school. Axel had come out of the closet a year ago, but he still is clueless as to what way Roxas swings. Maybe I'll just have to find out myself, he decides, grinning evilly inwardly.
  Inside, the house hasn't fallen to decay as Roxas thought. There are a few cobwebs presiding in the corners, but otherwise the house is completely clean. They cautiously creep upstairs, staring in shock as they enter the supposedly haunted room.
  Drawings are everywhere-on the wall, scattered on the table, thrown haphazardly onto the floor. Roxas bends over and picks one up delicately, as if it might attack him. He drops the paper quickly, and Axel grabs it before it can flutter to the ground. On it, there are two roughly drawn stick figures standing side by side. Axel stares at it. The figures have red-spiked and sweeping blonde hair. He looks up at Roxas, figuring his face must look as horrified as Roxas'.
  "Did you put that here?" Roxas demands, his eyes wide. Axel shakes his head slowly, looking around the room. There are more drawings of people that the two know, but how could they be here? He picks up another drawing.
  "It's Sora, Kairi, and Riku," he whispers, handing Roxas the sketch.
  "We've never been anywhere like that," Roxas says slowly, flipping the drawing over. Axel smoothes out the sheets scattered across the room. Roxas shudders, setting the drawing down and quickly darting out of the room. Axel follows slowly behind.
  "How could somebody break into here? The lock's been there for fifty years," Axel asks to nobody in particular. Roxas only shakes his head slightly. Neither of them knows. They stop at the edge of the staircase.
  "Can we leave now?" Roxas pleads.
  "Yeah, this is creeping me out," Axel agrees, and they start down the stairs again. Axel stops at the edge of the stairway, absolutely stunned at the sight in front of him. Roxas bumps into Axel's back. The redhead slowly turns around, not answering the Roxas' questioning looks. He just pushes Roxas in front of him.
  Burned into the dark wood, a large heart is engraved into it, the words "Axel loves Roxas" in the center. Even in the dark room, Axel knows Roxas is deeply blushing. Axel's cheeks feel far too hot for comfort. The blonde turns to him.
  "Do you really mean that?" Roxas asks shakily, his eyes turned towards the floor. Axel thinks for a moment. Does he love Roxas? All of those shared memories, all of those good times. I've liked him since seventh grade, and I think I finally fell head over heels for him when we started high school. Yes, I absolutely love him.
  "Yes," he mumbled, quietly. Roxas looks up, questioning. "Yes," Axel repeats, louder this time. "I've loved you since high school. I can't help but get upset when I see you with other people, even if they're not even flirting or anything. I know you probably don't feel the same way, but I want you to know I didn't burn that message into the wall. I do love you, though, trul-" He is cut off as the blonde's lips met his.
  In another dimension (or is it the same place, only a different time?), two people watch the boys whisper their love for each other. They watch as chaste kisses are exchanged, and as the teenagers leave hand in hand.
  "Everything finally fell into place," one comments. The other nods softly, still watching the new couple as they make their way through Twilight Town. "Kinda makes you wonder how we would've turned out if we had hearts." He is swatted in the back of the head.
  "Well, even though we don't have hearts, they'll be able to feel what we weren't able to," the second whispers, finally looking away from the scene. "We've set it up for ourselves, so the next life will be perfect."
  The two stare off into the sunset. In the other dimension, the other time, Roxas and Axel, arms wrapped around each other, sit on the edge of the clock tower, watching the same sunset that they've always watched. Somehow, though, it seems just so much brighter when they have each other.