Kingdom Hearts 1. Chapter 1

Sometimes I wonder why I even exist.

I'm treated like dirt by everyone around me, especially my father. According to him, I'm worthless and a mistake. Nothing I do is ever good enough and I'll never be able to be as perfect as my older brother, Cloud. You see, Cloud is absolutely flawless; he's the most popular guy at school, star of the football team, has a beautiful girlfriend, gets the highest marks.. the list goes on and on.

Unfortunately, I'm the exact opposite. I'm painfully shy and I have a difficult time talking with other people. I've always loved painting and being by myself, but my father has constantly told me that I'm a freak because I enjoy the solitude. Also, I'm extremely frail and weak, which is why I've never had any interest in sports. I'm really small and get sick all the time.. This is another trait my father hates about me.

_"Why can't you be strong and tough like your older brother? I swear, you're so worthless! Stop being such a freak!"_

But I've learned to accept the hatred I receive. I knew that I was different, that there was a reason why I wasn't like my brother. But even though I accepted all of my flaws and differences doesn't mean that everyone else was as understanding. Because my older brother is so popular and well liked, everybody at school refuses to talk to me. It's like I'm shunned because I'm not good enough. So I've honestly never even had a friend before.

My insides have always felt numb, though I've gotten used to it. I guess it's because I've never felt anything else before in my life. I can never remember feeling happy, or wanted..

As I walked home from school, I decided to take a small detour and head to the park. It's not like I had anywhere else to be, plus it was totally deserted. I sat down on a swing and rocked slowly, back and forth. I admired the cherry blossom trees that were in the distance as I slowly closed my eyes. It was a warm day, with the rays of sun shining brightly on my pale face. I didn't particularly like the brightness, but the sun did feel nice as it warmed my face.

"Hey, loser!"

I opened my eyes and spotted my brother walking towards me.

"You know if you're late for your chores you'll be in trouble, Roxas. Since father won't be home for a while, I guess I'll have to punish you for coming here instead?" Cloud said wickedly.

I knew what was coming. Whenever I did something wrong, I got hit, punched, you name it. Getting beaten was supposed to make me be "more obedient" as my father says. On occasion, my brother beat me as well. It was when my father was gone so I never had any proof. Cloud is so much stronger than me, and he always beats me like a ragdoll. He's not stupid, though. Every punch is always in an area that no one can see. I closed my eyes and flinched, expecting the usual.

A few seconds passed before I realized nothing had hit me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw that there was someone else in front of me, blocking Cloud's fist. He looked around my age and had the craziest hair I had ever seen before. I noticed that he also had the most stunning green eyes I had ever seen.

"Who the hell are you? Mind your own business!" Cloud shouted.

"Tsk, tsk. You're really rude, y'know? And why would you even think about hitting him? You're twice his size, coward!" the guy replied.

I watched in awe as Cloud pulled his fist away angrily. No one ever stood up to Cloud!

"You got lucky, loser. And you better hope I never see you again, freak, or I'll kill you!" Cloud said to my mystery rescuer.

I felt my body tremble and shake from fear, knowing that Cloud would definitely find me later and hit me even harder. Although I had escaped getting beaten for now, I knew that Cloud had a terrible temper and would dish it out later. I tried to keep my tears from falling so I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of the guy who just saved my neck.

"Hey, blondie, are you ok? You're shaking.. does that guy hurt you?" He asked softly.

I weakly nodded and tried to avoid his gaze. Before I could say anything I felt him push my long shirt sleeves up and watched as he gasped and looked at me, terrified at what he saw. I had scars, gashes and horrid bruises covering my arm. He then carefully lifted up my shirt and saw the burns on my stomach, as well as how my ribs were protruding slightly from my skin. I felt so ashamed and couldn't even speak to this guy.

"It's alright, you're safe. Try and calm down, don't move too quickly ok? My name is Axel, by the way." He said soothingly.

Axel..

This guy, Axel, softly grabbed my hand and led me over to a bench to sit. He asked me about my brother, why he was so hostile, and then he actually asked about _me. _Nobody had ever had a conversation with me like this, so I was nervous. I kept stuttering and looking away, unable to act normally. Why was Axel being so kind to me? Everyone else ignored me or made my life a living hell. Was I dreaming? I had to have been dreaming, because I knew it was impossible for someone to actually care for me.

"So, Roxas, would you like to go and get a bite to eat with me? My treat." Axel smiled.

"I, um.. I can't. See, I have to get home soon. And.. I don't deserve to have anything bought for me. I'm so sorry." I said timidly.

Axel stared at me with a look of worry and concern. I was so confused as to why he hadn't screamed at me yet like everyone else, because I had turned down his offer. I can just imagine if I had said no to my brother or father. That would be the worst beating of my life, no doubt. Also, there was no way I could have Axel buy me something. I don't deserve anything..

"Roxas? Here, look at me. I _want _to buy you something to eat, it looks like you haven't eaten in days. And you most certainly do deserve it. There is no way in hell that I'm letting you go back to a place where you're ruthlessly beaten and hurt. I promise you'll never get hurt again. Ok, Roxas? Just trust me, blondie." Axel said, smiling.

Axel helped me up before I could protest again and held my hand tightly as we walked. Not a painful kind of tight, but like he was afraid that if he let go, I would die or something. I don't know why but I felt a flush of warmth flow through my body being near Axel. Even though I had just met him, I swear it feels like I've known him my entire life. A feeling of safety and comfort surrounded me, something I had never experienced before. Surely I would wake up from this dream soon..

Before I could think again, we arrived at a small cafe. Axel gently told me to sit at a table and went to order our food. A huge feeling of guilt filled my body; knowing that I was having something bought for me made me feel absolutely terrible. I don't deserve to eat, and I honestly don't deserve the kindness I'm receiving from Axel. He was a complete stranger, yet he made me feel like I actually mattered. There goes another pang of guilt through my body.

"Here, Roxie. I got you a coffee, fruit salad, sandwich and a parfait. There were so many different choices I couldn't pick just one, y'know?" Axel laughed.

My face fell at the sight of all of the food in front of me. My conscience felt guilty at the thought of Axel buying me one thing, but he had gone and bought me all of this himself. I felt tears spill down my cheeks and looked down so I wouldn't meet his eyes. Axel then moved closer and put his arm around me to comfort my crying, all the while trying to find some tissues for me.

"A-axel, I can't accept all of this! This p-probably cost you so much.. you're being so nice to me and we j-just met! I can't.." I sniffled.

"You know, I'm not sure what it is, Roxie. We've only known each other for what, an hour? But I feel like I need to protect you. You're the kindest, most sincere guy I've ever met, and you don't deserve to be treated the way you do. You need to eat, though, Roxas. If you go much longer without eating right you'll get sick. Now open up, say ahh!" Axel said teasingly.

I opened my mouth as Axel made me eat. To be honest it felt wonderful to have real food in my body after so long. Whenever I'm at my house I had to sneak food from the kitchen when my father and Cloud were asleep. I was never allowed to eat meals because I wasn't "good enough," and it would go to waste if I had any. This is why I'm so small and weak. The food I eat at school barely keeps me going. I was surprised at how good I felt after eating the food from Axel. When was the last time I had fruit salad? I sure as hell couldn't remember, so I enjoyed it while it was here.

"See? You feel better now, huh? And I'm happy that I made you happy. So no feeling guilty, 'kay?"

"Oh, and you're going to stay with me Roxie, no ifs, ands, or buts about it! Got it memorized?" Axel said with a grin.

Staying.. with Axel? Of course I would be ecstatic to stay with him, to be far away from my father and Cloud. But I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they found me. Or if they would hurt Axel. I couldn't live with myself if Axel got hurt because of me. Axel seemingly read my mind from my worried expression and ruffled my hair.

"Don't you worry, Roxie. They won't be able to find us, I promise."

Hearing what Axel said sent a rush of warmth through my body. I felt happy for the first time in my life. It was difficult to explain the feeling, but I never wanted it to go away. I'd be safe, and I would be with Axel..

That thought alone made my heart skip a beat.

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><p>Ok, so I know this was really sad. Poor Roxas.. :(<p>

But! I wanted to try my hand at writing a more serious/dark story. This is my first attempt, so please be nice if it was terrible! I know it seems a tiny bit unbelievable but I do like how it came out. Axel is so sweet to Roxas!

I have some more ideas to continue this, but I might leave it a oneshot. I haven't decided;)

I hope you enjoyed it, lovelies! xx


	2. Chapter 2

Was it all a dream? I think.. I think I dreamt that a really kind guy named Axel saved me from being beaten by Cloud, and then he took me to a cafe where he bought me this huge lunch. Of course it had been a dream. Why would anyone ever be interested in me or try to help me? I didn't even want to open my eyes because I knew I would be met with the same dark walls as usual if I did.

Wait; do I hear birds chirping outside? There have never been any birds around my house before. My father was a pretty ruthless hunter and we lived in the city, so why are there birds outside singing? I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was in a different room. Warm sunlight shone through the window and drenched me with a blissful feeling I definitely wasn't used to. And this room wasn't dark at all! It was a really beautiful red color with lots of nice decorations and furniture. This bed was amazingly comfortable, too! Ok, now I'm sure I'm still dreaming. Where am I..?

"Oh, good! You're finally awake, Blondie." I heard a velvety smooth voice say.

I looked up and saw Axel smirking at me from the doorway, holding a tray with a rather large breakfast on it. He walked towards me and set the tray down next to me, plopping himself on the edge of the bed.

"I hope you slept alright. You looked like you really needed a good night's rest."

"I did, thank you.. Um, Axel? I'm not dreaming, am I?" I asked timidly.

"Hm.. I don't think so. Here, let me check." Axel said, leaning over and pinching me.

"Ow! Why did you do that?" I said angrily as Axel was laughing his butt off.

"You're too funny, Roxie. Eat up and then meet me in the kitchen, okay?" Axel said, leaving with a wave.

My stomach growled loudly and I instantly looked down at the food in front of me. There was a plate stacked high with pancakes soaked in sticky sweet syrup and strawberries, bacon, eggs, potatoes, a side of fruit and a huge glass of orange juice. I had never eaten this good in my entire life! I began eating so quickly I thought I would be sick, but I couldn't help it. This food was so insanely delicious! I cleaned the whole tray of everything and finished off by gulping down my tall glass of orange juice. Sighing happily, I got up and looked in the mirror that was next to the bed. I still looked sickly and frail, but I noticed I was smiling. For the first time in my life, I was actually smiling..

I ventured out of the room and towards the kitchen when I saw Axel cleaning all the dishes and putting them away. As soon as he saw me, he smiled and motioned for me to sit on the squishy couch that was situated in the living room.

"Hope you enjoyed the breakfast. I had no idea what to make you so I cooked a little bit of everything!"

"Oh, it was perfect, really. Thank you so much, it's the best thing I've ever eaten!" I said graciously.

"Glad to hear it. So, anything you're curious about? Or any questions? If you're going to be staying here, I want to make sure you're comfortable and happy." Axel said to me.

"I can stay?"

"Of course you can! What, you think I'm going to kick you out and make you live on the streets? I invited you to stay, Roxie, and you're staying for good." Axel said, smiling.

I felt that jolt go through my insides again. What was that feeling? Shaking it off, I proceeded to ask Axel about 100 different questions at once. Where was this place? How old was Axel? How can he afford everything? What can I do to help him? Could I go to school here?

"Slow down, slow down! Alright, this place is called Radiant Garden. It's about 20 miles away from Twilight Town, but it's really secluded and hard to find. I'm 18, and a senior at Radiant High School. Of course you can go to school here, Roxie. You're a sophomore right? And I can afford everything because my parents died a few years ago in a car crash. Everything was left in my name, so this house is mine now that I'm 18. And you can help me by being happy, Roxie." Axel said, taking a breath after answering all my questions.

Wow.. I couldn't believe that Axel's parents had died. He was so unbelievably sweet and kindhearted, and he just took me in without knowing a thing about me! I was still in shock over everything that had happened, but I did know that I loved being around Axel so much. All he wanted was for me to be happy..

Was this what it felt like to have a friend?

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><p>AN: So cute:) Axel and Roxas make me so happy. Since I got a lot of requests to continue this story, I've decided I will! So expect to see a lot of new chapters added. I hope you all like it so far and please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in the future chapters. Thanks for reading lovelies! Have a wonderful night:)


	3. Chapter 3

"So, Roxie. Tell me a little bit more about yourself." Axel said, sipping at his coffee.

What more was there to tell? I had already told Axel all about my father and brother and about the miserable life I had before. I was actually pretty curious to learn more about Axel but I thought it would be rude of me to ask him out of the blue, so I proceeded to tell him anything else I could think of that he might be interested to know.

"Um.. let's see. My birthday is on Christmas and I'm a Capricorn. I don't like scary movies, and my favorite color is light blue."

"No, I didn't mean that, Roxie. Not that I'm not interested in those things, but I meant more about your past. What happened to your mother? I mean, if you're alright with talking about it." Axel asked softly.

My mother.. I had very few memories of her, if you could even call them that. All I could remember was that she was really beautiful and kind. Which always made me wonder why in the hell she married my father, seeing as he's the complete opposite. He's a monster, cruel, ruthless, psychotic, insane.. you get the picture.

"My mother passed away when I was a baby. I don't have any real memories of her because I was so young. But I have seen pictures of her, and she was quite beautiful. I got my blue eyes from her, and my blonde hair, too. Even though my father has blonde hair and blue eyes as well, his features are much.. darker. My brother seemed to inherit that from him, no doubt. My mother's name was Namine. She was the one who named me when I was born. She seemed to fall terribly ill about a year after I was born, and she then quickly passed away. Of course, my father blames me for her death. That's why he hates me so much and why he's so ruthless when he beats me. I do miss her very much, and I wish I could've gotten the chance to meet her." I explained, averting my eyes from Axel.

"You don't blame yourself for her death, do you Roxie?"

"Well.. I used to. After hearing something so much you start to believe it, y'know? But the more I thought about it, I kept thinking it would've been pretty hard for me to have done anything to hurt her. I was only one year old. My father refuses to talk about it when I tried to ask him a few years ago, so I'll never know for sure what happened to her. I know she's in Heaven though, and I hope that she's watching over me. Before I met you, Axel, thinking of my mother was the only thing that got me through everything whenever my father and brother hurt me."

Axel looked at me with his brilliant emerald eyes, his face full of hurt and concern. I suppose it's a lot to hear for the first time, but I know that he was just in shock over the matter. I smiled softly to try and urge him to change the subject, which he thankfully did.

"So, your father; what's his name?"

"Seifer. Seifer Almasy."

"Are you serious? I had no idea your father was a lawyer! And Seifer Almasy at that. He doesn't have the best reputation around here." Axel said surprised.

Of course, that was no shock to me. My father had ruined the lives of so many innocent people, all for money and an attempt to gain power. If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that I wanted nothing to do with my father or to be anything like him. He really was a terrible person, and money had blinded him from seeing anything else in his life. I would help people when I was older, to make others happy and also to try and make up for what my father has cruelly done to so many people.

"So what about you, Axel? Do you have any other family?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah.. I have a little sister. Her name is Kairi. I haven't seen her in a really long time, though." Axel said quietly.

"Axel?"

"I'm okay, Roxie. Don't worry. I'm just sad.." Axel answered, his features softened.

I instantly regretted asking Axel that question. For the first time I saw him with a look of pure sadness on his face. He was always so happy and warm.. had he been covering up his sadness for my sake? Before I said something else that would upset Axel, I thought intently on how I could make Axel happy again and cheer him up. While it was definitely a long shot, there was one thing I could try and do. But I would have to find out some more about Axel's sister before I could devise a plan. After everything that Axel has done for me, I had to do _something. _Because in all honesty, if I had never met Axel, I would have definitely died.

Axel saved my life; so I'll do whatever it takes to save a part of his.

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><p>AN: Thank you again for all your reviews, I love you all:) I'm so happy you all are enjoying the story. More chapters coming soon! I hope everyone had a lovely Halloween and that you all got lots of candy :D


	4. Chapter 4

_Be cool, Roxas. Keep it casual like you're just curious to know more about him._

I couldn't have Axel knowing what I was up to. I wanted to surprise him as a thank you for being so unbelievably kind to me and for saving my life. I may be really shy and quiet, but I can be sneaky when I need to be. I exhaled quietly and went ahead with our conversation, trying to be as calm and collected as possible to throw Axel off.

"Thank you again for everything, Axel. I really can't thank you enough."

"Don't mention it. It's nice to have someone to talk to again. And you're too cute for your own good, how could I possibly have you staying anywhere else?" Axel smiled, ruffling my hair.

"You really haven't had anyone to talk to? You're so nice and funny, it's hard to believe you don't have a different posse of people here everyday! I mean, I've never met anyone who's more genuine and caring in my entire life."

"Well, I do have friends, but I don't talk to them like I talk to you. I just don't share a lot with them. I keep my walls up y'know? Some things are better left unsaid. And I like others not knowing everything about me. I don't know what it is about you, but I trust you so much. I don't even think twice when I tell you private things about me."

I felt myself smile knowing that Axel was comfortable enough to share important things with me.

"You really are the first person to ever say that to me, though.. It's kinda weird hearing something so nice, to be honest. Definitely not used to hearing anything like that. Thanks, Roxie." Axel smiled brightly.

It struck me as a bit odd that Axel was shocked to hear a nice compliment. Why hadn't anyone ever told him how nice he was? Now there's even more for me to uncover. Curiosity killed the cat.. good thing I'm not a cat, I suppose.

"Axel? You said you're not used to hearing compliments. How come?"

"I don't wanna bore you with all the details, Roxie. Long story short, me and my uncle Reno do not get along. From what you've said about your father, it sounds like he's got the same personality as my uncle. He's the worst person, and I'm so happy I don't have to live near him."

"Well I guess we're one in the same for having complete assholes for our relatives. He didn't hurt you or anything, did he?"

"No, nothing like that. He knew that I could have easily beaten the crap out of him if he ever did. I just know things about him that nobody else does, stuff that could get him in a ton of trouble. He despises me for that because he knows all of his secrets aren't safe."

"So why don't you turn him in? I mean, if I could have gotten away from my father and Cloud on my own, I would've years ago!"

"He has custody of Kairi."

My heart sank. So this was why he couldn't see his little sister.. If Axel turned him in, his uncle would know that it was Axel who did it. Since Axel is the only one who knows all of the stuff he's done. I can't even begin to imagine what this guy could have done. From the way Axel has been talking about him, he sounds totally dangerous and ruthless. Just like my father. My heart sank even more for Axel's little sister, Kairi. To have to live with such a scary individual and to never be able to see her big brother, and on top of that, her parents were dead!

"Alright, I don't wanna depress you with anymore of my sob stories. We'll talk more later, okay? Hurry and shower and get ready, we've got to get you registered for school." Axel said, helping me up.

We certainly had gotten to know each other pretty quickly. I guess there would be more time to talk later. That gave me more time to figure out how I was supposed to find where Axel's uncle lived, and how to get in touch with Kairi somehow. But I had to hurry and get ready. I was pretty excited to go with Axel to his high school; at this school, no one would know of my brother, so maybe there's a chance I could actually enjoy going to school for once. I was so used to being completely ignored at my old school that I always dreaded going, even more than I dreaded going home. I had a new home here, though. A place where I loved to be.

Heading to the bathroom, I hurriedly got in the shower, rushing to wash up and rinse out my hair. The suds from the soap and shampoo cascaded down my body and into the drain. I sighed happily at how nice the steam and hot water felt, but quickly shut off the tap as soon as I was all rinsed off; I had time to enjoy a long, hot shower later. I grabbed the fluffy towel and dried off before returning to my room. I still found it weird to think of this room as my own. My eyes darted over to the dresser where I spotted some clothes, which were very neatly folded.

"Did you see the clothes on the dresser? That's my uniform from a few years ago. I thought it might fit you, but you'll need to blend in when we go since everyone is in uniform. Hopefully it's not too big on you, Roxie!" I heard Axel laugh from outside the door.

After trying it on, it was a bit baggy, but it fit well enough. The school uniform consisted of a long sleeved dark blue dress shirt and red tie, and navy colored dress pants. Glancing at the mirror, I thought it looked nice against my blue eyes. Hopefully I would gain a little bit more weight to fill it out, since I still looked pretty skeletal. My hair had already air dried, so I ran my hand through it to fluff it a bit. I was all ready to go!

Axel smiled as I walked from my room to the kitchen. He had his uniform on as well; the dark red color of the tie went nice with his own crazy hair color.

"I never thought I'd meet someone who was skinnier than I am! I'm glad it somewhat fits, though. We'll get some more meat on your bones eventually. I'm stoked for you to see the school, Roxie! I think you'll like it." Axel grinned.

As we headed outside, the sun shone down brightly as I happily followed Axel. My heart was beating anxiously as my thoughts wandered every which way as to how this new school would be. But I wasn't scared. I had Axel with me, and I knew nothing bad would happen today.

In all my life, things were finally looking my way for once.


End file.

Kingdom Hearts, Hurt-Comfort, Romance