There's nothing from their past friendship that Roxas can compare this to, but the solid form of Axel in front of him and his arms around him tells him that this is real, it's true, it's not some illusion or awful joke that really, he knows Sora would never play.
There was a time, when he'd walked away from the castle for the last time, that part of Roxas believed he would never talk to Axel again and he'd thought he was fine with it, because how can you be friends with someone you don't trust? Later, when they'd looked at each other across the basement room of DiZ's mansion in the digital town, he'd felt regret. For forgetting, for not being able to do anything but forge ahead to whatever fate awaited him, for everything that had happened between them. It was only when Axel was gone from the world and no other chances remained for them, no matter how small, that he'd felt everything they'd lost all at once. Roxas had wanted to howl with grief and rage but he'd channeled those emotions to force his way into Sora's world, instead.
But that was a long time ago. There should have been no trace of Axel to save by the time the storm came.
Eventually, he loosens his grip and lets go, pulling away to confirm again with his eyes what his heart already knows.
"How can you be here?" He looks from Axel to Sora and back, eyes wide and confused, cheeks still wet with tears. "I was there, when you...I saw you fade away!"
no subject
There was a time, when he'd walked away from the castle for the last time, that part of Roxas believed he would never talk to Axel again and he'd thought he was fine with it, because how can you be friends with someone you don't trust? Later, when they'd looked at each other across the basement room of DiZ's mansion in the digital town, he'd felt regret. For forgetting, for not being able to do anything but forge ahead to whatever fate awaited him, for everything that had happened between them. It was only when Axel was gone from the world and no other chances remained for them, no matter how small, that he'd felt everything they'd lost all at once. Roxas had wanted to howl with grief and rage but he'd channeled those emotions to force his way into Sora's world, instead.
But that was a long time ago. There should have been no trace of Axel to save by the time the storm came.
Eventually, he loosens his grip and lets go, pulling away to confirm again with his eyes what his heart already knows.
"How can you be here?" He looks from Axel to Sora and back, eyes wide and confused, cheeks still wet with tears. "I was there, when you...I saw you fade away!"