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Desperate Reflections	By : Crya2Evans Category: Kingdom Hearts > Slash/Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 9442 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Thanks everyone for
reading and reviewing! I was a bit disappointed with the response last time but
that�s okay! Because this chapter is speeding up the plot, I promise! I put
review responses on the bottom! Again, caution it is unbeta�d. My beta has given
up on this story. I think it bores her. Oh well. It should be readable, my
grammar isn�t that bad.

Chapter 7: A Forgotten
Life

Time passed, as it was known
to do, and quickly Vincent and Axel settled into a routine, all prior arguments
seemingly forgotten. They would work as they were supposed to do and in their
free time discuss plans for getting off of Gaia�s Grotto. Their options were
limited but both men were determined to find a way, even if it only held the
smallest inkling of hope. And sometimes, the two just talked, or Axel spoke and
Vincent listened. Axel endured Reno�s attempts to encourage him to push for
more, but was quite happy with the things were.

The scarlet-haired man
quickly learned that Vincent was prone to moments of dark, broody thought and
knew when to leave well enough alone. But he also learned the times when
Vincent was overly garrulous, letting things slip that he would normally keep
hidden. It also became plain to him that the longer they were on Gaia�s Grotto,
the harder it would be for them to remember. Axel could see it in Vincent�s
eyes. There were some days that the winged man forgot who he was prior to being
Ceran.

Axel tried to resist
adapting to life on this new world. He griped and groaned about the never
changing time of day, about the grayness of the sky, and the general
uninteresting way of life, but it did him no good. With the way his schedule
worked, he rarely watched time go by and soon, he was caught up in the same
dull routine, slowly but surely losing himself to the grey monotony of
conformity and prescribed decision.�

Before he knew it, two
months had gone by... at least by his own count. But that was when she arrived.
Axel had been lying in his room, propped up against the bed and perusing some
sort of science text that was boring the shit out of him, but he hoped to find
out something pertaining to a method of escape. He was just about to throw the
book across the room in frustration, after discovering the sixth word that he
didn�t know, when he heard the front door slam open and the sound of someone
stumbling inside.

He raised a brow in
curiosity, snapping the book shut and dropping it to the bed before rising and
peeking out of his room. The sound of grunting floated his direction before
emerald eyes widened to find Vincent awkwardly carrying someone in his arms and
heading down the hall towards him.

�Move,� the winged man
ordered succinctly, face flushed and breathing heavily. Glancing once at the
bloodied and torn up body in his arms, Axel was quick to obey, shifting aside
so that Vincent could pass. He trailed after the older man as they went into
Vincent�s room and the bloodied mess was dropped carefully onto the bed,
moaning slightly as its head turned to the side.

It was a woman... one of the
few that Axel had ever seen, and she didn�t look too well.

�What the hell?� questioned
Axel, gaze flickering to Vincent who was rummaging about for bandages. �What is
this?�

Crimson eyes shot him a look.
�She remembers,� he answered simply. �And the beasts nearly got her.�

The fire starter blanched,
remembering his own brush with the creatures. If it hadn�t been for Vincent, he
would have died as well. That explained why Vincent hadn�t taken her to the
Center then. If she remembered something, anything, not only could she be of
help to them, but Vincent wouldn�t let them take away her memories. Not without
giving her a chance.�

Clawed hands worked
diligently at the woman�s clothing, pulling it away without a care for her
nudity as he gingerly uncovered bloody slash marks in cream-colored skin. Axel
didn�t know what else to do, so he silently watched, taking in the woman�s
golden blond hair and strange clothing. Her eyelids fluttered and he caught a
glimpse of startling bright ocean-colored eyes, almost the same as Roxas�,
causing a stab of purely emotional pain to strike him so quickly that he
gasped.

�Don�t just stand there,�
snapped Vincent, looking at Axel over his shoulder. �Go get me some cloths and
water.�

�Irvine...� murmured the
woman on the edge of a moan, her head tossing from side to side as empty hands
grasped at the comforter. �Don�t... no...�

�Axel!�

The redhead blinked in
sudden understanding, nodding quickly before he rushed to do as Vincent asked.
Two months and this was the first time he had actually seen someone emerge in
Gaia�s Grotto with their memories. They were few and far between, most people
having already given up on their past lives.

He grabbed a few towels from
the bathroom, depositing them in the bedroom before heading into the kitchen
and filling a bowl with warm tap water. Back in Vincent�s room, he was working
quickly to seal up the claw marks on the woman�s right shoulder and left thigh.

�Will she live?� questioned
Axel, slightly breathless from his mad dash around the apartment.

Vincent frowned, nimble
hands gently cleaning away the trickling blood and leftover saliva from the
beasts bite marks. �Yes. But whether or not she remembers is entirely up to
her.� He returned his attention back to the blonde. She twitched under his
touch, mouth moving in silent speech but hadn�t awakened. �You can return to
your book now.�

Emerald eyes rolled as Axel
waved a hand of dismissal. �That shit was boring as hell. This is far more
interesting.� He sighed when Vincent shot him a look, clearly expecting him to
vacate the premises. He held up his hands in a vague sort of surrender. �All
right, I get the picture. I�ll make myself scarce.� He grumbled under his
breath as he turned on his heels and left the room, leaving the door wide open
behind him to purposefully annoy Vincent.

Thoughts of returning to the
dry science text made his head hurt, so the fire starter made a beeline for the
kitchen, determined to attempt to find something to eat without accidentally
burning the apartment down. He kept his ears carefully tuned for any sort of
sound however, insanely curious about the woman in the next room as he poked
through the refrigerator and stuck his nose in every cabinet, of course finding
nothing of interest.

He mused idly to himself as
he fruitlessly searched around. Things hadn�t really changed between he and
Vincent. They never really talked about the things that Vincent was keeping
from him and it seemed that awkward fight had been pushed under the rug, so to
speak. Though he was insanely curious about everything, he refrained from
questioning. For some reason, he trusted Vincent.

Maybe it was because he
recognized the same sorrow in crimson eyes that reflected in his own. After
that argument, the next time he had managed to run into Vincent, there was a
moment of pure tense silence between them. Vincent had been tired, excessively
so and his shoulders slumped visibly. A grey cloud seemed to hang over his head
and it was then and there that Axel had made his decision. He didn�t know how
long Vincent had been on Gaia�s Grotto but he was beginning to understand.

After that, they became
friends and everything was fine. Little by little truths were revealed as Axel clung
to his memories and research was made. Now he had two purposes: to find a way
to get off Gaia�s Grotto and to somehow save Roxas without killing Sora in the
process. It was hard to keep his selfish tendencies when faced with people like
Reno and Vincent. He didn�t want to force that mournful emotion on anyone if he
could help it.

Footsteps echoed in the
hall, boots that Vincent still hadn�t time to remove, and Axel looked up to see
the winged man entering into the kitchen, clawed hands spattered with blood
just like his clothes. Heavy bags made crimson eyes sunken in pale skin.
Vincent treaded towards the sink and began to wash his hands, wings twitching
behind him.

�Will she live?� asked Axel,
finally selecting a box of semi-edible crackers and plopping down at the table.
He popped a few of the half-stale things in his mouth, grimacing when they
mushed instead of crunched. They were terrible. He resisted the urge to spit
them out like a child and instead set the box on the table, glaring intently at
the �ultimate cheese-fest of crunchy galore!�.

At the sink, Vincent turned
off the water with a squeak before turning back towards Axel, carefully peeling
off his blood-soaked shirt as he did so. �She won�t be dying,� answered the
crimson-eyed man carefully, frowning intently at the few rips and stains in his
shirt. �The rest is up to her.�

�Who is she?� questioned
Axel, clearly interested.

Vincent eyed him. �I don�t
know. And I won�t until she wakes up.� He eased gracefully into a chair,
adjusting his wings so that they wouldn�t be injured as he relaxed. He seemed
unusually somber, a strange emotion reflecting in his eyes.

Axel furrowed his brow. �Did
you think you.... recognized her?� he questioned somewhat hesitantly, doubting
that the other man would even answer him. Come two steps close to Vincent�s
past and he clammed up faster than a ... clam. He leaned against the table,
hearing his stomach growl audibly and hoping that his cooking-inclined roommate
would take the hint.

For a moment, the winged man
was silent, eyes downcast at the table in thought. �No,� he finally replied
after the tense quiet became uncomfortable. �But she did remind me of someone.�
He sighed and leaned forward across the table, grabbing Axel�s discarded box of
crackers. �When I found her, she was attempting to fight off the beasts with
some type of chain whip but there were far too many.� He popped a few of the
crackers in his mouth, frowning thoughtfully. �More than I�ve ever seen
attacking one person.� Then his face turned to one of disgust as he eyed the
box of crackers. �How long have I had these?�

�Too long,� Axel muttered,
his stomach growling again. �Has that been happening a lot lately?� he
questioned, realizing that it happened to be one of Vincent�s more gregarious
times. He was going to milk it for all it was worth.

Vincent nodded, rising to
toss the box into the wastebasket before rifling in the refrigerator for
something to cook. �Strangely yes. And I am baffled as to why. It is not very
reassuring. Lately, the Gatherers have been pairing up.� He pulled out some
noodles and meat, figuring if nothing else, a stir fry would suffice. He tried
not to think about how late in the night it was.

�Will you be taking her to
the Cleanser tomorrow?� Axel questioned, inwardly grinning as he realized that
Vincent was going to cook. And knowing the other man, he would unconsciously
make enough for two. Axel wouldn�t be forced to starve. There were few
pleasures to be found on Gaia�s Grotto and Vincent�s cooking was one of them.�

The winged man shrugged. �If
she wakes up by then, I suppose. I will have to wait and see.� He turned and
eyed Axel disbelievingly over his shoulder. �Don�t think you�re getting any of
this, by the way,� he commented, pointing with a spatula to the sizzling food
in the pan in front of him.

Axel�s jaw dropped in
disbelief. �Aw, c�mon Vincent.� He patted his belly, feigning complete
starvation. �You can�t expect me to survive on stale crackers,� he begged.

�I highly doubt you will
suffer for long,� commented Vincent dryly, turning back towards the stove. His
wings flexed as he stood, and Axel couldn�t help but admire the play of muscles
beneath Vincent�s pale skin. The man was gorgeous no doubt about that. Enough
to make something inside of him stir at the sight.

He swallowed thickly, trying
to think up another line of conversation to turn his stray thoughts back
somewhere safe. He had been listening to far too much of Reno�s suggestions if
he was starting to think erotic thoughts about his roommate. Not that Vincent
didn�t have droolworthy ivory skin and dangerously soft black hair... gah!
Treacherous thoughts! Treacherous thoughts!

�You never know,� he
countered, attempting a nonchalant position as he propped one boot up on the table.
�I might.�

Vincent snorted. �Remove
your feet from my table before I remove them for you,� he threatened, turning
around to shake his oil-spattered spatula at Axel.

The firestarter burst out
laughing at that. �It�s hard to take you serious when you threaten me with
silverware,� he pointed out, giving Vincent a baleful stare.

Any response that the
gunslinger might have made was lost when a somewhat timid sound had them both
turning towards the doorway of the kitchen, eyes widening in surprise. �Umm,
excuse me?� The blonde that Vincent had saved was standing there, wringing her
hands nervously as blue eyes darted between them.

Both men were silent,
seemingly froze in place until Axel blinked and rose from his chair, still
grinning. He gently took her arm as he steered her towards the table. �Have a
seat,� he suggested soothingly, noting that her body shook. �Are you hungry?
Thirsty?�

�I don�t think so,� she
answered, stammering a bit as she gingerly eased herself down into a chair. �I
just... I don�t know what to...�

�It�s okay,� Vincent assured
her in a calm voice, turning to lay a plate in front of her on the table. �We
understand. Just take your time.�

She nodded, taking a deep
breath. �Okay.� Her eyes darted around, taking in his odd appearance and Axel�s
grinning exterior. She frowned, confused. �Where am I?�

Axel laughed. �That is not a
simple question,� he answered, moving to return to his seat. �Try this, what do
you last remember?�

Vincent glared at him.
�Axel,� he growled warningly.

The firestarter waved a hand
of dismissal. �Relax. I got this. I�ve been there before, remember?� Turning
his attention back on the woman, he gestured towards here. �Continue.�

Her hands twisted in her lap
as she stared at the table, gaze beginning to swim with tears. �Fighting, I
think, at my home. There were these creatures, I... I don�t know what they were
but they appeared out of nowhere. They killed my Irvine and then... they came
after me.� Her voice hitched at the last as she struggled to keep a hold on
herself. She took another deep breath and blinked before managing to look up at
them with pure determination. �Please, tell me where I am and who you are.�

�I�m Axel,� grinned the
redhead immediately, gesturing to himself. �Got it memorized?�

Vincent sighed and shot the
firestarter a glare. �For now it will suffice if you call me Vincent,� he
explained. �You have the eyes of a fighter.�

She nodded. �I am... was...
a mercenary, is I suppose the best word for it. We both were.� She shot the
winged man a grateful look when he set a glass of water down in front of her
before returning to his stir fry, which was getting close to being finished.
�Which is why I suppose you�re strange appearance does not... frighten me. It�s
nothing compared to either of those things... the shadows or the white wolves.�

Axel raised a brow. �Well,
that is all well and good but we still don�t know who you are.� He wondered if
she even knew. She seemed to have kept her memories remarkably well. He barely
knew his own name when he arrived at Gaia�s Grotto but she remembered her past
life, her position, her lover/boyfriend/husband/brother whatever �Irvine� was,
seemingly everything.

The blonde blushed slightly,
a brief tinge spreading across her fair cheeks. �Forgive me,� she replied
hastily. �I am Quistis. Quistis Trepe.�

Vincent and Axel exchanged
glances over her head, both of them thinking the same thing. Perhaps they had
found a new comrade.

For the rest of the night,
they explained what they could do her. Quistis seemed to take it well, aside
from the occasional tear. Vincent gave details on the Cleanser and what she
would have to go through. How she would have to cling to a memory. The female
seemed to take it well, only looking slightly afraid. After a while, Axel had
to retire to his own room and climb into bed, leaving Vincent to divulge the
rest. At least, he had gotten a meal out of it.

With the all the excitement,
it was no wonder that he dreamed.

The World that Never Was
always seemed perpetually dark, a thick overcast of impenetrable black that
cloaked everything in shadow. Even the most optimistic and cheerful felt their
hearts, if they had them, tainted by the misery and sorrow. But being that
mostly Nobodies and Heartless thrived in this world, it didn�t really have any
effect on its residents.

The castle belonged to
Xemnas, all pompous and silver though he was, it actually managed to hold a
certain level of class with its austere lines and white and grey colors
literally on every floor. Axel himself would have preferred a little color but
since it wasn�t up to him, he had to suffer the boringness. Though he did
manage to spice it up every once in awhile with the occasional �anonymous�
fire... just to piss his favorite flamboyant asshole, Marluxia, off.

At the moment, Axel
snickered quietly to himself as he moved swiftly through the corridors, hiding,
as it were, from an enraged Marluxia. He didn�t really have a destination in
mind, more or less wandering, when he came across his favorite person, Roxas.
The blond was on one of the outer stairs, leaning on the railing and looking
out on the city below, all bathed in hungry, dark shadows with the lovely glow
of Xemnas� fake Kingdom Hearts above them. What a stupid plan.

�Hey, Rox�. What�s up?� he
questioned, jumping over a railing as he eased up beside the keyblade wielder,
nearly mimicking his stance exactly.

Roxas, predictably,
scowled at the shortening of his name, turning to give Axel only the most
cursory glance. �Who did you set fire to this time?�

Axel smirked, flexing the
fingers of his right hand. �Is it that obvious?�

The blond snorted, waving
a hand at him. �When you grin like that? Yeah.�

He laughed, turning to
lean against the railing with his back to the scenery. He kicked up one leg,
feigning boredom as Roxas continued to stare solemnly down below them. Out of
the corner of his eye, he admired sun-kissed hair seemingly bright despite the
gloomy atmosphere and thoughtful ocean-blue eyes. Watching his friend was
quickly becoming an obsession of his.

�What are you doing?
There isn�t anything interesting down there, unless you�re looking to fight
some heartless,� commented Axel, poking at Roxas in the side with a gloved
finger. �We could go together. I think Demyx is on shift. I got the perfect
prank.��

Roxas shook his head,
looking down at something that he was turning over and over in his hand. Axel
caught glimpses of bright yellow and pink along with the glint of metal. �You
ever think about before?� he questioned.

Axel sighed, long and
annoyed. �Not this again,� he grumbled, raking a hand through his hair. �There
isn�t a point in it. We can�t go back so we might as well try and live now.�

Metal jingled in a gloved
hand. �Xemnas wants something from me,� responded Roxas, completely changing
the line of conversation. His voice was sharp and bitter, filled with a
loathing that the both of them held for their �Superior�. Along with that
loathing, however, came a healthy dose of fear. Of their Organization, Xemnas
was by far the most powerful. One did not cross him lightly.

Axel waved a hand of
dismissal as he scoffed. �Yeah, and?� he countered, raising a brow. �He wants
something from all of us. That�s why he found us and brought us here.� A grin
spread across his features. �Probably big plans for world domination. At least,
when he found me, he said, �Take back what was stolen, get your heart, blah,
blah, blah.��

�No,� Roxas denied
shaking his head. He tossed the item in his hand up in the air before pitching
it to Axel. �It�s different for me. He�s got a plan for me and... I�m not sure
I want to be a part of it,� he responded as Axel deftly caught the item,
turning it over in his own grip. He recognized it immediately under the pale
light of the yellow-orange heart-shaped moon.

It was the key chain for
Oathkeeper, gaudy and colorful thing that it was. Axel frowned as he looked
down at his shorter best friend. �What do you mean?� It wasn�t the first time
they had had a similar conversation. Lately Roxas had been more withdrawn and
moody, if things without emotions could have moods.

�I don�t know who I was,�
replied Roxas. �I�m different from all of you. I can�t remember the before. For
me, there�s always been now.� His voice picked up in tension as he continued,
ocean blue eyes flickering with distress. �What was I? What am I? Why?�

Axel held up his hands.
�Whoa, whoa, calm down,� he soothed. �What are you talking about?�

The blond shook his head.
�You wouldn�t understand. None of you do.� He paused, taking in a deep breath
that seemed to do nothing for calming him down. �I want to know, Axel. I want
to find the answers that no one seems willing to give. I want to know why I was
chosen to be the Keybearer and why I�m being used.�

Axel�s lips pulled into a
frown, real concern beginning to take over his emotions. Roxas was really upset
about this, apparently, far more than he had realized before and he wasn�t sure
what to do about it. �We�re all being used, Rox�,� he replied. �But as we are,
it�s rather difficult to stand up to Xemnas.�

�I�m not afraid.�

The fire starter scoffed,
raising a reddish brow. �Psh, neither am I. But I kinda like living, eh? Much
better than dying, especially since we�re nothing, ya know?�

Ocean blue eyes narrowed
immediately as Roxas whipped around to glare at Axel. �We�re not �nothing�,� he
snarled. �You can�t really believe that, can you? If we were nothing, we
wouldn�t exist.� He poked Axel in the chest, his gaze flashing with something
that resembled emotion... anger. �I wouldn�t be standing here talking to you
and you wouldn�t be standing here with me. That�s fact. That�s how I know
Xemnas is lying to us in some way. Nothings don�t exist. We exist. It�s as
simple as that.�

Axel held up his hands.
�Roxas, calm down. I�m not the enemy here. If I had the answers, I would give
them to you. But the only one Xemnas lets in on his little plans is Saix. I�m
just as much in the dark as you.� He scowled, emerald eyes darkening with his
own righteous anger. �If I had the chance, I�d burn the both of them.�

Roxas sighed, holding up
a hand to his forehead as he shielded his expression from Axel�s gaze. A tense
silence passed between them when suddenly Axel�s neck prickled and his senses flared.
It didn�t take a genius to determine that the eerie feeling meant they were
being watched, and not by a friend either. He and Roxas had scarce few of
those. Emerald eyes flared in sudden realization. Their conversation had
attracted an audience, if it hadn�t already been there before, observing.

He gently laid his hand
on Roxas� shoulder, guiding him away from the railing. They had to get out of
there. �Let�s go bug Demyx, ne?� he suggested. �It might cheer you up.� He kept
his tone light and positive as he surreptitiously glanced around them, mood
darkening further when he caught sight of a dark form just around the corner,
watching them with interested amethyst eyes (1). That smug bastard....

Roxas didn�t respond but
Axel was used to wordless replies and plastered a grin on his face before
shooting a glare towards the corner, calling up a portal to take he and Roxas
down below because they were both far too lazy to walk. Behind them he knew
Vexen was watching.

He didn�t know why the
�Chilly Academic� was watching them but he did know that Vexen was a coward.
Undoubtedly, he would run off to Xemnas the first chance he got spilling all
that he had seen and heard. And he was certain that Vexen wasn�t there to
observe him. Roxas was Xemnas� favorite pet.

They spent the rest of
the night keeping Demyx company on his patrol and taking out their frustration
on the hordes of heartless that seemed to infest the lower levels of the city.
Demyx made corny jokes, Axel threatened to burn everything down several times,
but he didn�t fail to notice the somewhat haunted look to Roxas� eyes even when
he laughed.

It was a week later when
the blond finally abandoned everything and left, becoming a renegade(2).

-�� -�� -�� -

When Axel returned to the
apartment after work the next day, he found it empty. Unsurprised, he set about
changing into something relatively more comfortable and scrounging about in the
still empty kitchen. He found a plate of leftovers from the night before and
popped them in the microwave, idly musing on his dream from the night before.

Roxas... the blond that
seemed to occupy all this thoughts. There was hardly a minute that went by that
he didn�t think about him. He lived to find him again and every day he thought
about throwing caution to the wind and using his portal, damn the consequences.
There had to be a way to separate Roxas and Sora, there had to be.

He couldn�t deny that he
found himself missing Roxas. The blond might not have been the most amusing of
people, Demyx was more the comedian, but he was more than a match for Axel when
it came to wits and strength. And there was a quiet calm to Roxas that helped
to perfectly balance Axel�s more chaotic and fiery nature. He missed those
sarcastic remarks and that all-knowing smirk.

He heard the front door open
then and turned towards the hallway to greet Vincent, frowning when his ears
registered the slow and laborious tread of Vincent�s boots on the floor. He
leaned in the doorway, emerald eyes locked on the sorrowful form of his roommate,
even webbed wings drooping noticeably. He distinctly perceived the lack of
Quistis as well. It didn�t take a genius to figure out what had happened.

�She did not make it through
the Cleansing,� he commented, feeling as if a lead weight had dropped into his
stomach. The thought alone was enough to make him sick. He hadn�t known her for
long but a certain kinship developed among those with memories on Gaia�s
Grotto. They were like a family.

Vincent shook his head,
visibly quiet. �No, she did not,� he affirmed, pulling off his cloak and thigh
holster to hang them on the pegs near the door.

Axel frowned. �I don�t get
it. Why did you take her so early when you made me sit around here and
contemplate it for at least two days?�

�She insisted,� the winged
male replied, heading down the hallway towards his room. Axel and his curiosity
were compelled to follow. �I had hoped she was strong enough. She certainly
seemed to care for Irvine.� He pushed open his door with an audible squeak,
entering into the darkly decorated bedroom and heading straight for the closet.

Axel paused in the doorway,
watching Vincent�s movements with confusion. What was the man doing? He
observed silently as Vincent pulled open the closet, searching with sharp crimson
eyes before pulling down a box from the top shelf. It wasn�t overly large,
probably about the size of a tennis shoe box. Something rattled within as
Vincent held it, the sound of metal striking metal as well as a few bells
chiming. Curiouser and curiouser.

Vincent backed towards his
bed, sitting gracefully on it as he set the box down in front of him. �What�s
that?� questioned the fire starter, insanely curious.

�Forgotten memories, too
weak to last,� murmured the winged man, hand disappearing into his pants
pocket, apparently searching for something.

Axel rolled his eyes.
�Great, going poetic on me again,� he sniped. �That explains everything.�

Crimson eyes glared as
Vincent eyed him with irritation. �Come see for yourself,� he replied shortly
before lifting the top off the box, looking down into it as a wave of sorrow
washed over his features.

Intrigued, Axel stepped into
the room, standing behind Vincent and looking over his shoulder into the box.
It was filled with oddities, many different items of conflicting shapes,
colors, and sizes. He caught sight of a large necklace, formed from crystal and
shaped like a falcon�s claw. There was a ring with what appeared to be a wolf�s
head adorning it. There was a bracelet of jewels imbedded in silver. Vincent
dropped something else into the box, a few engraved bullets with the letters
�I.K.� They clanged against the necklace, knocking it aside and revealing
something beneath that immediately caught Axel�s attention.�

�There are those that I have
saved that didn�t last the Cleanser,� Vincent explained, his voice soft. �These
are all the remnants of their memories. Items that no longer matter since they
have forgotten who they were.� A clawed finger poked through the objects,
stirring them about as he touched one at a time. The digit fell on the wolf
ring. �This belonged to someone I knew. He loved wolves, said they were the
elite of all carnivores.�

Axel sucked in a breath,
moving around Vincent to plop down on the bed. �These are all someone elses�
mementos?�

Vincent nodded. �Yes. Your
key chain would have joined the box had you succumbed to the Cleanser.�

�There are a lot,� Axel
commented, reaching into the box to grab the item that had caught his interest.
His fingers wrapped a simple gold band; the type men wore as wedding rings. �I
know this one.�

The winged male raised a
brow. �That�s impossible, Axel. That one was left behind over half a year ago.�
He peered at the gold ring, trying to remember whom it had belonged to.

Axel made a noncommittal
sound in his throat, eyes locked on the simple band. Without thought, he put it
on his ring finger, seemingly trapped in a memory that only he could see. But
not something from his time as a Nobody, but before that, when he was someone
other than Axel. Bright laughter, a ruby smile, sparkling grey eyes... A life
he had nearly completely forgotten because he was no longer that person
anymore.

He rarely, if ever, thought
about his life when he was �Lae� simply because, of his memories, they were easiest
forgotten. He wasn�t that person anymore; he wasn�t a part of Lae despite
sharing the man�s memories. Things were too complicated for a former Nobody. He
preferred to only concentrate on what he experienced as �Axel,� such as Roxas.

But the ring... he couldn�t
deny that it felt so familiar on his finger. That meant that Lae, as a
heartless, must have been destroyed and probably not long after Axel was born.
His former other half was somewhere on Gaia�s Grotto, if he wasn�t already
dead.

�Axel?�

Emerald eyes blinked as Axel
pulled off the ring and tossed it back into the box, running a shaky hand
through his hair. �Some things are better left forgotten,� he commented,
shooting an uncertain look towards his roommate.

Vincent nodded. �Yes, they
are,� he agreed, shutting the lid to the box as he rose to his feet. �That is
why many choose to forget. They believe that what they left behind isn�t worth
saving. Those that were considered �evil� or �the bad guys� are usually happy
for the second chance.� He slid the box back onto the top shelf, shifting some
more items until they obscured the memento carton. His voice was somber, tired,
definitely lacking in its usual impassivity. �Still, it doesn�t get any easier
watching someone lose their chance.�

-�� -�� -�� -�� -

A few nights later...

The sound of the front
door opening awoke him from his sleep, but why he was not certain. Axel
blinked, blearily glancing at the luminescent clock on his wall, briefly
realizing that he had unintentionally fallen asleep while reading. It was late,
but around the time that Vincent would be getting off his shift. He shifted in
his position on the bed, the book lying on his chest falling to the floor as
his gaze fell on his bedroom door hanging half open. He usually didn�t bother
to close it.

He could hear Vincent
shuffling about in the outer room, a strange feeling of foreboding creeping
down his spine. Frowning against the darkness, Axel threw back the covers and
slipped out of bed, padding over to the door. He pulled it open all the way and
peered down the hall, finding Vincent hanging the holster for his gun on the
hook by the door before heading down the hall.

The winged male looked much
the worst for wear. His normally immaculate clothing was torn and spattered
with blood, some of the crimson fluid sprinkled across Vincent�s pale face. A
shadow of a bruise was beginning to form on the flesh of an exposed collarbone
and he walked slightly belabored, as if he had twisted his ankle or been struck
in the leg.

Axel furrowed his brow,
leaning on the doorframe and regarding Vincent with curious emerald eyes as the
older man passed him. �Vincent?� he questioned, concern beginning to well
inside of him. The winged male did not look well at all. He had never seen
Vincent, in the short time that they had been living together, with either that
look on or his face or exhibiting this sort of strange behavior.

Crimson eyes shifted towards
him for only a moment, looking haunted and lifeless before they returned to the
hall. Vincent went straight to the bathroom. �Go to sleep, Axel,� he brushed
him off in a dead voice before disappearing inside, the door closing behind him
with a barely audible click.

Axel watched as the light
flickered on inside, a thin strip of pale luminescence appearing beneath the
door, briefly blocked by a shadow. Slightly annoyed at the rebuff, the redhead
pushed down his concern and slipped back into his room, shutting the door to
his bedroom with a bit more force than he intended. Okay, perhaps he was more
than slightly annoyed but really irritated. He had thought that in the past two
months, he and Vincent had gotten beyond that �it�s my business� stage. Sure
they both had their secrets but still... it irked him.

The tattooed man plopped
back down on the bed, folding his arms behind his head as he stared up at the
ceiling. Sleep was already trying to tug him back and he was more than willing
to comply. It seemed that the memory beasts were being a lot more active lately
and he and Reno had to fend off more attacks than usual which seemed to
coincide with Vincent�s story. He was so tired he hadn�t even been able to get
any research done. Emerald eyes closed as his body slowly relaxed, drifting
into a hazy sleep.

Crash! His eyes popped upon
once more as he sat up swiftly in surprise.

Crash, crash! The noise of
something breaking reverberated all around him, seeming to come from the
bathroom where Vincent was. It sounded like glass shattering, which was
probably the mirror. Axel frowned, swinging his legs over the side of the bed,
determined to check on his roommate. There was something wrong, he was certain
of it.

Pulling open his door, Axel
peered into the hallway, the slim line of light still beamed from the bottom of
the bathroom. Steeling himself, he crossed the hall and listened intently at
the door, but heard nothing within except perhaps the sound of harsh breathing.
After a moment, he lifted his fist and knocked.

�Go away,� was the low and sullen
response. Vincent�s voice was hoarse; however, and the note of annoyance in his
tone was enough to cause Axel to recoil.

�No,� responded the
red-haired man, jiggling the knob only to find that the door was locked. He had
expected that. �What�s wrong?�

A moment of silence. He
heard rustling, the shifting of something, than the sound of feet stepping on
cracked and broken glass. �Nothing. Go back to sleep.�

Axel grit his teeth, eyes
narrowing to thin emerald slits. �Dammit, Vincent,� he snapped, banging a fist
on the door. �Don�t shut me out. What the hell is wrong with you?�

The door swung open in a
vicious, sharp movement, Vincent appearing like a crimson and black shadow.
Axel couldn�t see his face; the bathroom light shining in his eyes but those
strange scarlet eyes seemed to glow in an eerie fashion. �I am fine,� hissed
the older male. �You have to work early tomorrow, Axel. Go to sleep,� he
ordered before pulling the door shut behind him and stalking towards his room.
His condition had not improved, that much Axel could tell. His clothes ragged,
his leg still limping and the acrid, bitter smell of blood was light on the
air.

Pursing his lips, Axel bit
back a sharp retort, furious with the abrupt dismissal. He risked a glance into
the bathroom, seeing the broken mirror on the floor but ignoring it.

�Fine,� he muttered to
himself, whirling on his heels and heading towards his room. �He wants to act
like a prissy bitch, I have no problem with that,� he continued, snarling as he
yanked open his door again, slamming it shut so hard that the pictures on his
wall rattled. One even lost its battle against gravity and crashed to the
floor, miraculously managing not to break. He barely cast the object a cursory
glance before making his way back to his bed and flopping down on it without
care.

He heard the faint sounds of
Vincent preparing for bed but shoved a pillow over his head, feigning apathy.
Axel planned on confronting the winged man the next day, perhaps when he wasn�t
so angry and tired. Not to mention someone had to clean up the glass and he�d
be damned if he�d do it since he wasn�t the one to make the mess. But what had
happened to cause Vincent to act in such a way? Something related to the past?
Or perhaps his job? Axel couldn�t be sure.

He did know; however, that
him worrying about it at one in the morning served no purpose. With that in
mind, he pulled the edge of a coverlet briefly over his body, buried his head
beneath the pillow and attempted to return to sleep. He was not disappointed.

-�� -�� -�� -�� -

(1) Okay, so I don�t really know what color of eyes Vexen
has. I suspect blue considering that just about everyone else has blue eyes and
since I�m tired of seeing blue eyes, I made them amethyst. Sorry if that bugs
you but it really is just a minor detail. I�m taking artistic license here.
(2) I know nothing about the timeline. I tried looking up
information but no one seems to know the exact order of events so I�m guessing.
If you know for sure, then I�m sorry I got it out of line but again, taking
artistic license. Thanks.

Thanks everyone! Leave a
review before you go. And if you want to receive the update e-mails, drop me a
line!

-�� -�� -�� -�� -�� -

MissKass: Thanks for the
grammar/spelling check! Good to know I haven�t majorly screwed up anything. I
fixed your e-mail in my address book so you should be getting the updates now.
It is great to see that you are enjoying both my characters and the general way
I have shown these scenes. I hope you liked this chapter just as much. Thanks!!

Redbowlingball: Welcome to a
new reviewer! First of all, thanks for the very great review! I strive for
originality and accuracy for you to actually say it is great encouragement. I�m
glad you like all the hints and I hope I don�t scare you away with what�s
coming in the future. I put in as much Axel/Reno as I could for you. But if I
make it any longer, it may never get finished, lol. I am happy to hear that the
banter is written well though. I hope this chapter satisfied. Thanks!!

Samma: Eventually, everyone
succumbs to the pull of Desperate Reflections, lol. Glad to see that I have
trapped you here as well. I don�t often read Kingdom Hearts myself as it seems
most of them tend to be written by... children, for lack of a better word, even
more so than the other fandoms. Happy to addict and I well understand the need
for coffee, so drink up! I hope this chapter was just as intriguing, after all,
I must keep the addictions fed. Thanks!!
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Desperate Reflections