Work Text:
Axel yawned widely, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes.
"Tired?"
"It's the worst. Saïx has me working records late into the night," Axel said, stretching his arms out in front of him.
"Records for what?" Roxas asked curiously, doggedly matching Axel's sluggish footsteps as they walked. They had been walking for hours, it felt like; somewhere, in this twisted hedge maze, there was a target Heartless that they had yet to find.
"Eh, just stuff about C.O. and sightings around the worlds and things. Research." He shrugged. "The most boring part of working for the Organization is paper duty. Even recon is better than that. Today was a treat..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "At least, I thought it was, but it seems like we've gotten lost in here." He sighed heavily. "We won't make ice cream at this rate. Should we go out and come back in?"
Roxas shrugged. "I dunno. Is that gonna help us find our target?"
"Probably not," Axel muttered. "You think the thing actually exists?"
"Why wouldn't it?"
"I dunno." Axel yawned again. "Wild goose chase."
"We're not chasing a goose," Roxas said, eyebrows drawing together in a frown. "Are we?"
Axel laughed. "No... No, Roxas, we are not."
"I didn't think so," Roxas said.
Silence broken only by their footsteps crunching the grass below fell. Axel looked like he was falling asleep as he walked and Roxas didn't feel much better about the whole thing. Even if a lesser Heartless popped up, it would give them something to do.
Roxas's foot caught over nothing as he took another sluggish step. "Woah!" He went down before he had time to blink, throwing his arms out to protect his face from the ground.
"Roxas?" Axel stopped, coming back. "Are you okay?"
Roxas sat up, wrinkling his nose. "I think I tripped over my own feet."
Axel looked down at him for a moment before laughing. "Oh, Roxas." He offered his hand down to him.
Roxas rolled his eyes and took it, letting Axel pull him back to his feet. Only, once he did, he didn't let go, fingers twining around Roxas's.
Roxas smiled. He squeezed Axel's fingers. "Thanks."
"Mhmm," Axel hummed. He rubbed slow, absentminded circles on the back of Roxas's hand with his thumb.
Roxas leaned closer and matched Axel's footsteps as they headed through the maze.