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5
He was happy for them, honestly and from the bottom of his newly functional heart! This touching—and long awaited—reunion was great but…he wasn’t apart of it. It was Sora, Kairi, and Riku. No Axel/Lea in that mix.
It was okay, it really was.
But he couldn't stop the whip of jealousy that shot through him with the recoil of guilt. A friendship like this didn't come around too often and once upon a time when it did for him, well, look where that ended.
“Hey Lea! You coming?”
Lea chuckled and tucked away those feelings for another time when he was alone. He may have gotten his heart back but these kids didn't need to deal with him figuring it out again.
4
The Roxas he knew was long gone. With him, that sense of actual warmth and familiarity left and for the second (or was it third?) time in his life, Axel felt lost. Standing there in Twilight Town, he could only look up at the dusking sky, hands resting on his hips.
Again? How could this happen again?
All this running away—he knew first hand that it never ended well—but there was a phantom pain of what he supposed was hurt because how could it have been anything else when his friends preferred to run away from him?
A frown settled on his face.
He had to report back soon and his boss was definitely not going to be happy.
3
"Couldn't tell ya, I don't have one."
And wasn't that supposed to be a sad thing? Not having a best friend? Well he did have one but that wasn't the type of advice this kid needed. This fresh one right out of the darkness who looked more lost than the dusks around this place. This kid needed to lighten up.
“Don't look too down there, let me know when you get a best friend and you can tell me all about it, yeah?”
The smile on Axel’s lips felt entirely too fake but what could he do? It was.
2
“And where are you going, Axel?” Asked Larxene’s accusatory voice.
Axel turned back to look over his shoulder at Numbers XI, XII, IV, V, and VI. The latter three holding a quiet discussion amongst themselves. “I'm going to do recon on the lower levels.” He raised an eyebrow at the younger two members who looked unamused after sharing a look with each other.
“The question is a bit more complex than that, Number VIII.” Marluxia toned lowly with a hint of almost cruel amusement. “Are you staying with us on the higher levels or in the basement with our…esteemed elders?”
Axel considered the situation and flashed a cocky smirk at the pink haired man. “With you of course,”
Sides were picked it would seem, and it was more believable to be with Marluxia and Larxene than with three of the original six. It would make moving about and gathering information a lot easier. He would play into the lord of the castle’s games for right now. They would be dealt with later.
1
“Welcome, Number VIII.” A deep baritone voice smoothed over Lea’s sense.
Lea grimaced and squinted as he stated above him in the glaringly white room. He had questions in mind but before he could even form words with his lips, there was a feeling of emptiness that seemed strangely out of place.
“Who—?”
“It is your status. Your number.”
“My name is Lea.”
“Not anymore, you belong with us now. Number VIII, Axel.”
+
“My name’s Lea! Get it memorized,” Lea stated proudly, puffing out his chest.
The blue haired boy in front of him stared at him with wide eyes before they narrowed. “That was the stupidest thing I heard all day.” The kid dead-panned, crossing his arms.
Lea gaped. “Excuse me, what? I worked on that all morning!” He protested.
The other boy snorted and shook his head. There was a stubborn moment between the two, the red head scowling at the ground. After a bit, the blue haired boy sighed and held out his hand.
“Isa. My name is Isa.”
Lea snorted, Isa’s introduction wasn’t much better. “Don't worry I won't forget,”
The grin on his new friend’s face filled Lea with excitement and hope for the future while his heart swelled with an anxious happiness.
“We’re going to be the best of friends!”