Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ The Transience of Memory ❯ No more blue ( Chapter 1 )

Author's notes: Typical disclaimer I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts.

Don't forget to Review, it would be much appreciated. ^_^ Thanks

 

 

 

Chapter 1:

 

Roxas sighed for what felt like the 10th time in as many minutes. Something had been niggling at his brain for the better part of the day, and he still couldn't figure out what. He scowled faintly.

 

Hayner stopped walking, noticing that he was well ahead of his friend. “What's up, Rox?” Brown eyes swept over him, studying his face.

 

Roxas shook his head, still bothered, but he didn't quite know how to explain it. “It's nothing, sorry. Let's go.” Roxas swept past him, trying to beat down his distraction with every heavy step.

 

Hayner didn't move for a moment, looking thoughtful. “I thought you wanted to hang out, just the two of us.”

 

“…” Roxas stopped, his back still turned.

 

“We don't have to go get ice cream...”

 

“Yeah, but you know that we're the only ones who really like the stuff.” He threw over his shoulder with a smirk. “C'mon, I'll race you there!” he said, then started to run.

 

“Rox- hey! It's too HOT out for that right now,” he called out to the retreating figure in protest. Roxas didn't stop, he just got further ahead. Hayner clenched his fists, and started running.

 

“ROXAS!” he shouted at his best friend as he ran after him “NO FAIR!”

 

 

*********************************************

 

 

“Damn, you're slow,” Roxas said, looking up with a sly expression. He was lounging in a chair at one of the outside tables.

 

Hayner had finally made it to the ice cream place. He skidded to a halt, then folded over, clutching his camo-clad knees and gasping for breath.

 

He squinted up at his wild-haired friend, noticing his calm and relaxed pose, and his even breathing, and panted, “How... long…. have you…. been… here?”

 

Roxas tilted his head in thought. “About 30 minutes.”

 

“Liar.” The brown-eyed boy huffed, flopping down in the other chair, glaring. “That's not… even possible…. Ugh.” He tilted his head back at the last, resting it against the back of the chair, eyes closed, as he took a few long deep breaths.

 

A comfortable silence stretched out between them. After a few moments Hayner cracked open one eye, “you're trying to kill me, aren't you?”

 

“Who, me?” He replied with feigned innocence.

 

“Argh!” he groaned, sitting up, “I was right! You ARE trying to kill me!”

 

“Hey- it's not MY fault you can't keep up with me.” This time, when Roxas smiled, it actually reached his eyes, at which point Hayner totally forgave him. But Rox didn't need to know that.

 

“Wow, I'm SO glad I made time to be with you today,” he said dramatically, “I needed the physical and mental abuse” he lifted a hand to his head as if feeling faint.

 

“Sorry,” Roxas stifled another laugh. “Let me make it up to you- I'll pay”

 

“Yeah?” Hayner drawled out suspiciously.

 

“I've paid before!” he said indignantly. “You jerk. What kind do you want, the usual?”

 

“Hmmm… as tempting as that is- I think I'll pass. No more blue. Get me anything else.”

 

“Ok,” the blue eyed boy replied, “be right back.”

 

Hayner sobered as he watched Roxas disappear into the ice cream shop. Something had been off with his friend lately. But he didn't seem to want to talk about it. Pence and Olette hadn't seemed to notice, but maybe he was just more hyper aware than they were. More often than not, when all of them hung out together, Roxas would seem to go off in his own little world. He didn't join into the conversations as much as he used to- he just seemed to hang on the fringes of their interactions, fading into the background as if he wasn't really even there. His most frequent reply to anything anyone said to him was “huh?” or “what was that?” as his attention was forced back into the here and now. It was like he didn't really hear anything they said, and he would quickly lapse back into that state as soon as their attention had been diverted from him once more.

 

Hayner had been hoping that if he spent more time with Roxas without the others, that maybe the other boy might open up to him. So far though, his blue-eyed friend hadn't acted any different, except for being a little more engaged and present. But his silences seemed even more heavy somehow. It worried him.

 

 

“Hey there, Goldilocks,” someone sneered.

 

Hayner inwardly groaned as a familiar voice wrenched him from his musings.

 

“You're just as blonde as I am under that skully, asshole,” he replied tiredly, as Seifer draped himself across Roxas' vacant chair with a smirk.

 

“Yeah, but at least I'm sexy.” He said, resting a hand lightly across his exposed abs. “Can't say the same for you- must be tough, huh?” he taunted.

 

Hayner sighed with exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes, it's bane of my existence. Now, what do you want?”

 

“I haven't seen you around much,” He said simply, then paused. “I see you're without your little fan club today.”

 

“Friends,” he corrected automatically, “and I have a life outside of them.”

 

“Oh?” Seifer leaned forward, leering. “What about Roxas?” he let that hang in the air a moment before sweeping the area with his predatory gaze. ”He's here somewhere, isn't he? Wouldn't be like you to go somewhere alone.”

 

Hayner felt pinned by those sharp ice-blue eyes. He never knew what to say, or how to react to the delinquent. Of course he didn't like going out alone. It was never really fun to do stuff by himself. And if that wasn't the case, Seifer's uncanny ability to locate him would have solidified the dislike. He couldn't figure out why the thug sought him out so frequently. Was he that fun to annoy?

 

Seifer held his gaze easily, hard glint to his eyes, and a half-formed smirk on his lips.

 

Hayner looked away. What in the hell was taking Roxas so long? He almost began to fidget, but restrained the urge.

 

Seifer creeped him out. When he spoke, it always seemed to be on several levels. He could say one thing, while implying another with his tone, body language, or the expression on his face. It was confusing and exhausting to try to keep up with. And most of the time, he still felt like he was missing something. He hated playing games.

 

Hayner chanced a quick glance, and confirmed that Seifer was still watching him. Dammit. His eyes narrowed in aggravation. “What??” he spat out.

 

Seifer, not bothered in the least by the caustic tone, allowed the crooked smile on his face to widen. “Nothing,” the delinquent replied reasonably.

 

The brown-eyed boy lost it. “Then why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“No reason,” he said obviously enjoying himself, “Why, does it bother you?” His eyes glinted, making Hayner think of what small animals must feel like in the clutches of a predator.

 

Hayner crossed his arms and turned away with a glare, determined to ignore him until Roxas came back.

 

“You're so predictable,” Seifer said with quiet intensity.

 

Hayner glanced his way at that, an odd look on his face, when Roxas finally arrived.

 

“Wow, it was packed in there! They were out of Orange, so I got us….” Roxas trailed off. He stood there with a fluorescent green ice cream in each hand, “hey, Seifer.”

 

“What's this,” Seifer asked in a half joking tone, as he leaned his elbow on the table “a date?”

 

“Everyone has a smartass thing to say about me buying today, don't they?” Roxas sighed.

 

“Here.” He handed both ice creams to Hayner, then turned to pull another chair up to the table. Seifer threw a calculating look at Hayner. Hayner caught it and renewed his glare.

 

Roxas retrieved his ice cream and slumped into his chair, slanting a glance at the new arrival. “You been skateboarding lately?” he asked.

 

“Here and there.”

 

“I thought of going out later today, you guys want to come?”

 

Seifer looked thoughtful, his previous attitude problem taking a backseat for the moment. It was funny that he and Roxas seemed to get along so easily, when he and Hayner were like water and oil.

 

“Maybe, if you can drag his antisocial ass out there.” Seifer jabbed his thumb in Hayner's direction. “He's being a little punk. Needs to be put in his place.”

 

Roxas just sat back and watched the interaction. This happened often enough. It was best not to get involved.

 

Hayner jumped up and slammed his hand down on the table, the effect ruined somewhat by the ice cream clutched in his other hand, “You implying you can skate better than me?”

 

Seifer smiled lazily at him, “yeah.”

 

Hayner leaned across the table, eyes flashing dangerously. “Is that a challenge?”

 

“You could call it that,” came the infuriating reply. Amusement showing clearly in his face.

 

“You're on.” Hayner ground out, before turning on his heel and walking off.

 

“Uh- see you later Seif.” Roxas jumped up and rushed after his friend. “Hayner! Hey- Wait up!”

 

Seifer lingered for a few more minutes, watching until they were out of sight.

 

“That went rather well,” he said to himself.

 

 

 

*********************************************

 

 

 

Hayner was still fuming by the time they got back to the Usual Spot. He was pacing the edges of the room, his camouflage pants making a steady whisk whisk whisk as the pant legs brushed against each other. “Who in the hell does he think he is?!” he said gesturing wildly. “He's so conceited! Totally underestimating me like that... he can't be that good…” Hayner paused mid rant to look over at Roxas. “Can he?”

 

“Darts?” Roxas asked, holding one out to him.

 

Hayner sighed, deflating. “Sure.”

 

They started a game of darts, playing without speaking.

 

Hayner was losing spectacularly.

 

 

“Why do you let him get to you so much?” Roxas asked in the middle of their third game.

 

“I dunno, he just bothers me.” He squinted his eyes in concentration, lining himself up for another shot at the bullseye. The dart cut smoothly through the air, a solid thwack reverberating through its length as it hit the wall, missing the entire dartboard by at least three inches. “Dammit!”

 

“Hayner,” Roxas casually smacked him on the back, “you suck.”

 

“AAARRRRGHHHHHH! I'm usually so GOOD at darts!”

 

“Well, you're not gonna beat Seifer like this.”

 

Hayner pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fend off what threatened to be a massive headache.

 

“At this rate, you'll get totally pwned,” Roxas added helpfully.

 

“Thanks for that overwhelming vote of confidence, buddy.”

 

“No problem, buddy,” he said emphasizing the last word with a cuff to his friend's shoulder. “You've got about 2 hours to pull yourself together.”

 

As Hayner rubbed his arm, Roxas looked out the door, a vaguely perplexed look on his face. His blue eyes were unfocused, as if not seeing what was in front of him.

 

He was doing it again.

 

“Roxas.”

 

Roxas shook himself, looking a bit startled, “what?”

 

“What's wrong with you?” Hayner was glaring at him, hand on his hip.

 

Roxas couldn't meet his eyes. He turned his face away, “It's noth-“

 

“And don't tell me it's nothing,” he interrupted angrily.

 

Roxas sighed dejectedly, suddenly looking very tired. He lowered himself to the floor, and drew up one knee to rest his elbow on. He looked almost fragile. His eyes were a dull slate blue.

 

Hayner waited for him to speak.

 

The silence stretched out for several long minutes.

 

“Roxas…” he said sitting down where he stood, so he was at eye level with the other boy, “don't you trust me?”

 

“Of course I do. It's not that,” he said quietly at the floor, “I just don't know how to explain it.”

 

“Well, try me out, I'm listening.”

 

Roxas let out a frustrated noise. “It's like something is always distracting me, I can't concentrate on anything. Like I'm trying to remember something I forgot, or feel like someone's watching me… I don't know… I just can't put my finger on it.”

 

Roxas looked up finally. “Does that make any sense?”

 

“To be honest…?”

 

Roxas nodded.

 

“No.”

 

Roxas flopped onto his back, hands behind his head. “I told you I didn't know how to explain it,” he said testily.

 

“It's ok. I don't need to understand it.” He could hear Hayner slump into a similar position on the other side of the room. “I was just worried that you were holding out on me. That you didn't trust me anymore….. or didn't want to hang out with us-”

 

Roxas smiled a little, closing his eyes, “You freak. You guys are my best friends.”

 

 

 

 

*********************************************

 

 

 

They arrived at the skate park a little before dusk.

 

Well, it wasn't really a skate park, per se, it was just a section of town where the streets and overall environment lent itself well to the activity. Hayner and Roxas used to skateboard all the time, hardly ever walking anywhere. A few months back, they found this place. There weren't many pedestrians round, so they pretty much had free reign of the area. For a while, the two of them frequented it almost as much as the Usual Place. It was where they bonded. Like with the ice cream, Pence and Olette just didn't care that much about skateboarding.

 

One day, they arrived in conjunction with a rough looking group of 4, 3 of which had skateboards tucked under their arms. They all stared at each other from across the intersecting streets.

 

Roxas, having a bit of an avoidant personality, was about to turn and go- he didn't feel like fighting for space. They could always come back later.

 

Hayner brushed past him, tossing his skateboard out, and leaping onto it in one fluid motion. He never liked backing down to anyone. He proceeded to skate with abandon, totally ignoring the other group, as if they had no right to encroach upon his space. What looked like the leader of the group, a tall kid wearing a black skully on his head, was watching him with narrowed eyes.

 

Roxas put a hand up to his face half covering his eyes, shaking his head. Hayner was going to give him ulcers.

 

The tall kid jumped onto his board, gliding toward Hayner with surprising speed. Roxas groaned, and followed suit. He had to be out there to back his friend up if he needed it, damn him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other two skateboarders circling lazily towards their leader. He was hoping that he wasn't about to be drug into a brawl.

 

When the leader had almost reached him, Hayner stopped with a flashy pull up on his board. His expression was haughty. The leader slowed, then abruptly kicked his board up into his waiting hand, never breaking eye contact. If Hayner looked haughty, this kid looked downright arrogant.

 

Roxas and the two goons stopped just short of this spectacle, waiting to see what was going to happen. Roxas could feel the tension in the air, and see the cold gaze of the leader as he sized up Hayner. He stalked a slow pace around the brown eyed boy that dared to challenge him.

 

“Huh,” the leader grunted coming to a stop in front of him. “Such a small fry wants to challenge me?” he laughed. “Don't you know who I am?”

 

Hayner was smaller, but he could do menacing too. “Don't know, don't care,” he sneered.

 

There was an extra dig hidden in that remark. Everyone knew about the self appointed Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee, and it's rough and tumble leader Seifer. He was hard to miss. His ice blue eyes, and black skully cap were a trademark. As were his combat boots, his cutoff shirts and his sleeveless white trench coat. (Nobody mentioned the cutoff shirts anymore, they figured anyone who had abs as ripped as that could wear whatever the hell the wanted. But this was only after someone made a smart assed comment about them, and Seifer beat the hell out of them. A month in the hospital was not at the top of anyone's list of things to do.) So Hayner was deliberately refusing to acknowledge him.

 

Seifer looked Hayner up and down once more, eyes hard. Roxas tensed, waiting for the first blow of the inevitable fight to land any second now.

 

The ghost of a smile flickered across Seifer's face. “So that's how it is?”

 

Hayner tipped his head, staring back defiantly.

 

“Huh.” He snorted, almost to himself. He spun on his heel, white trench coat flaring out in an arc behind him. He made a small gesture, and his cronies fell in line behind him.

 

When they were out of sight, Roxas collapsed heavily onto his skateboard, using it as a seat.

 

“He wasn't so tough.”

 

“Oh my god, Hayner, what's wrong with you? Of all the people to pick a fight with!” He said pinning his friend with an exasperated look.

 

Hayner started laughing, and it seemed he couldn't stop. A few moments later it bordered on maniacal.

 

“Share,” Roxas demanded doggedly, still trying to calm the rush of adrenaline that was jangling his nerves.

 

Hayner doubled over, smacking his knee. “I thought I was gonna get my ass beat for sure!”

 

“You're crazy,” Roxas muttered, “absolutely crazy.”

 

 

Everyday after that, at roughly the same time, both groups would appear, skate, and completely ignore each other. Surprisingly, the threat of a fight never resurfaced.

 

The stalemate gradually waned. Someone would inevitably remark on a cool trick, or nod a hello. Roxas hated the tension, so he tried to encourage moments like these. Seifer turned out to be a pretty easy going guy once you got to know him a little. Except where Hayner was concerned. It started with baiting, and caustic remarks, and progressed quickly over the weeks. Now he had taken to taunting Hayner as a favorite pastime.

 

 

This was mostly Hayner's fault, as he insisted on ignoring Seifer the longest, a point of contention for the gang leader, even when he would speak to any of the others.

 

 

Recently, though, Hayner seemed to tire of the harassment. He even made amends, in his own way, by trying to be civil. But, it was too little, too late. Any effort he made to that effect, was promptly discarded.

 

Finally, he told Roxas he was bored with skating all the time, and that he wanted to quit for a while. Roxas knew it was his way of dealing with the situation- an easy way to not have to put up with Seifer. This was three weeks ago. Unfortunately for Hayner, he seemed to run into Seifer quite often, so the harassment continued.

 

Roxas wasn't overly concerned. He was pretty sure Seifer liked Hayner ok- he was just nursing his wounded pride. His obstinate friend shouldn't dish it out if he couldn't take it.

 

Seifer and co. arrived about 15 minutes after them. Roxas and Hayner were killing time by coasting about in varied, aimless loops. Seifer grinned upon seeing them, waiting for them to notice him.

 

“Hey Seif,” Roxas greeted him, pulling up short.

 

The gang leader nodded in reply, his eyes on Hayner, who had yet to acknowledge his presence. “Hey, shrimp,” he called out to the other blonde, “ready to get beat?”

 

Roxas knew the name would irk his friend, he was only a few inches shorter and a little leaner than the gang leader, but apparently Seifer knew this as well.

 

Hayner cut a sharp turn, glided nearer, and stopped with a well executed spin. “Just try it.” He shot back, glaring.

 

Seifer's grin widened taking on a haphazard tilt. He looked a little intimidating like that, with his eyes glinting in the dimming light. He looked like he was going to enjoy this little contest to the utmost.

 

“Shall we make a wager, since you're so confident?”

 

“I'm listening” Hayner said suspiciously.

 

“You win, and I'll supply your ice cream cravings for a month.”

 

“But what if you win?”

 

Seifer spread his hands in an appeasing gesture. “I thought you were certain that wouldn't happen. Why dwell on impossibilities?”

 

“God, you're a pain in the ass.”

 

Seifer smirked. “Hardly. Now, if I win….”

 

 

Roxas looked up when Seifer didn't finish his sentence. He was curious to hear the rest. Odd. Everyone was so quiet, and still. Almost as if they were… frozen. He looked more closely and saw that they were all like statues. Nobody moved, nobody breathed. Seifer was still mid gesture, mouth open as if still speaking. Hayner had his arms crossed, and was in the process of rolling his eyes.

 

Roxas felt a creepy sense of foreboding wash over him.

 

“What in the hell?” he murmured, starting to back away.

 

“They're frozen.” A hand gripped his shoulder as a voice sounded alarmingly close to his ear.

 

Roxas jumped in surprise, wrenching himself away so violently that he nearly fell. “What do you mean, they're frozen?” he addressed the hooded specter in a panicked voice. It was dressed in a tight fitting black robe, a cowl covering all but the lower half of its face.

 

The body listed to the side, head tilted as if in thought, hands spread in apology. “Well, more specifically, time is frozen,“ he amended. At least, the voice sounded male. “But, you should be used to that, yeah?”

 

Roxas shook his head. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

 

“Oh, come on, Roxas,” he drawled in a round-about way, emphasizing his name harshly. The figure moved towards him deliberately, perfectly sculpted lips chiding him familiarly. “Don't be like that.”

 

Roxas staggered back, a hand to his head. An unnamed feeling welling up inside him, choking him, “How do you know my name??”

 

The figure in black stepped closer, a gloved hand pulling back the hood “Don't tell me you've forgotten me already…”

 

 

“You're ON!” Hayner snapped. “Let's go.”

 

Two blurs flashed by Roxas.

 

He blinked.

 

He looked around dumbly, his mind scrambling at something. Red. A jester's smile. Just flashes. He rubbed his temples, trying to piece it together. But like sand in an hourglass, even those faint impressions sifted through his fingers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TBC

 

 

Author's note:

 

Thank you for reading!

Hayner and Roxas' friendship is too cute. I can't stand it. <3

omg. Axel finally makes an appearance! It's only been… 11 pages!

Axel: *weeps* “I'm so unloved.”