Chapter three
Grey eyes

"Why...?" he groans unsteadily walking back to his room to quickly pull on his underwear and baggy cargos along with a plain black shirt, scrubbing at his head with the towel before throwing it onto the floor. He slowly heads back the study down the hall. Roxas freezes fidgetting with the end of his shirt before stepping into the room agian.The room is perfectly calm. It was a little cold inside but nothing seemed wrong. He left the room, thundering down the steps to the front door. It was still locked. "I must be insane..." he groans. Roxas walks back up the stairs. He walks into the study and takes the birdcage off its hook. He brings it into his room, refusing to look at the carved wall. He didn't want to sleep alone...

The small dove gently coos as roxas sets the cage atop the small bedside table. Roxas pulls the pants off, crawlign under the thick comforter. He turns facing his new companion."you are such a beautiful dove..." he praises him. The coos were slightly cheerful sounding. He pulls the covers tightly around him for comfort and turns out the light. He was wide awake. "In for a sleepless night I suppose..." he sighed. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him... But the hours dragged on. The clock rang out 3 times and roxas frowned, snuggling into his covers. He was dead tired, but too afraid to sleep.

Roxas turns over restless but exhausted. he kept drifting in and out of sleep, almost trapped in a lucid state but not quite. he feels a shiver run along his spine casue every hair to stand on end, somethign was watching him. 'its just the dove, just the dove' his mind whispers as he squeezes his eyes shut tightly. Roxas rolls groggily onto his back. Mind in a hazy state of almost dream he feels something heavy sink onto his bed. The room was cold and Roxas could feel lips against his ear. "This is MY bed..." someone whispers. Roxas tenses closing his eyes tightly. "Its not real, just dreaming." he whispers to himself his body was shaking in fear "its not real" he repeats ducking farther under the covers, childish instincts kicking in the situation. Roxas shiver eyes snapping open, unable to see anythign in the dark. "w-who is there?!" he have shouts limbs refusing to act.

The only reply is a chuckle of amusement. Roxas is slightly more awake now and he is positive he can feel a cold hand running over his skin. It trails dangerously low, just toying with him. "Leave this place..." Roxas flicks on the light, an expression of sheer terror on his face. There was no one there. The dove was sound asleep. "Was that a dream?" Roxas sits up looking around the room, trying to locate what was speaking, Touching, him he pulls the blankets around him tightly shivers rushing through his tensed body. "I-...What... are y-you?" he stutters out to the silence in the room. He couldn't have been dreaming. It was too vivid.

The air was thick with a familiar crushing silence. Roxas exhaled and flopped back down on the bed. He left the light on, but even the adrenalin of his 'halucination' wasn't enough to keep him from sleeping. The next morning he slept in for several hours. Roxas turned grumbling incomprehensibly. he cracks a sleep glued eye open quickly squeezing it shut. The curtains were drawn...all of them. Roxas' mind didnt register this in its groggy state not till he sat up trying to wake up. he rubs at his eyes sleepily a large yawn stretching across his face. he turns to the windows tiltign his head in confusion before his breah hitches. They were closed last night... Roxas head slumbs into his hand. "I should be getting used to this by now." He dropped his feet over the edge of his bed and stood up, heading downstairs to make some breakfast. He proceded to wolf it down and then clean up. "I should put the bird back in the office..." he told himself, walking into his room and lifting the cage. He walked quietly as he could, calmed by the morning light that streamed through all the windows in the house. The door was already cracked open so he simply slipped inside... and what he saw shook him to the core.

There was a boy sitting on the windowsill, backlit by the sunshine...

Rooted to the spot Roxas almost drops the wire cage in his arms to the floor. He stared at the single lone figure poised as though he was thinking. He was beautiful though, the way the gold turned his hair violet and made pale skin glow, he had an almost ethereal glow to him. The dove coos quite loudly and Roxas gives a start, dropping the cage and squeeking. He wasn't even decent.

Grey eyes flash up from the page of a book, a look of fear plastered to the strange boys face as he jumps up. The boy was so small. Maybe 2 or 3 years younger, but very short and paper think. Certainly not as menacing as he seemed before... Roxas mood changed in an instant. "So you're the little punk whos been bothering me! How did you get in me house!?" He growls, all the strange happenings coming back to him. "This is not your house..." he answers calmly, stepping forward. Roxas bends down to pick up the cage but the door was bent and the dove flies out. It goes right through where the boys heart should be. Roxas jerks back suddenly as though struck. "Wha-what are you?" Roxas questions, fear tainting his once angry voice. He throws the cage at the silvery boy, stiffling a scream as he watches it just fly through him. He frowns, looking hurt by Roxas' words or maybe the action. "Does it scare you?" He takes a step closer, reaching out toward Roxas. "I can be solid if I want to." I... What?" roxas head was spinning, not understanding what was happening."I-im not afraid!" he forces out, sounding terrified. He stands rooted to the spot.

The boys eyebrows furrow as he places an icy hand on Roxas face. His touch is surprisingly gentle. There was silence for an eternity in only seconds. "I haven't been able to touch another human in a long time." He sounded sad and he ignored the obvious fear Roxas was depicting. He seemed almost human for a moment... maybe even helpless? Roxas flinches at the touch rooted to the ground. he felt lost and hopeless, eyes widening at the gentle touch. "Who...who are you?" he asks quietly tilting his head confused at the strange man, ghost? "My name is-" The strange boy was cut off, midsentence by another voice. "Zexion!" It sounded angry; scolding almost. That fear suddenly returned to grey eyes and he faded away into nothing."WAIT!" roxas shouts confused as to why he felt the desperate need to help zexion. he stumbles grabbing at just air, twisting around to find the source of the otehr voice.Once more, he found the room quiet and empty. The bird ruffled its snowy feathers, puffing up a little. "Zexion..." Roxas says to the room, just wanting to try out the name. Things were only getting more confusing. Who was this Zexion? Why was he here? What scared him enough to make him leave? So many questions buzzed in Roxas' mind.

The blonde steps over to the desk pulling out the chair and flopping down on it, he turns to stare at the window. His head was spinning the corner of his eyes darkening. This was too much to handle, and he was so confused. He shakes his head vigorously trying to casue the dizzy feeling to go away.Roxas rests his head on the cool wood of the desk and closes his eyes. Vertigo surged through Roxas head. He didn't want to deal with any of this right now. Eventually the feeling passed along with the entire day. Nothing unusual happened until that night...

Roxas stands slowly glad the vertigo finally passed. He looks out towards the window not even registering that it was black as pitch out. He sighs feeling exhausted suddenly. Roxas rubbs at an eyes and he drags into the bedroom, preparing to weather another sleepless night... but perhaps this time it would be better. He flicks the light out and the room was cast into darkness... but that same feeling returned as last night. Roxas peered blindly into the darkness, and from the shaddows, a pair of amber eyes locked with his. Roxas sat boltupright, fliching the light back one... No one was there... but those definately weren't the gentle grey eyes that 'Zexion' had...



Chapter four
What Isn't There

Roxas sits there for a second before turning the light back off, the feeling of being watched creeping back. He squeezed his eyes shut terrified to see those sharp golden eyes again. His breathing quickens as his heart starts racing. He chokes on his breath slightly gasping as he tries to slow his breathign down. He didn't want to see it. He feels something gently push him back but he couldn't see it. "Shhh, relax..." The voice was calming, gentle... Zexion. A deep growl resonated from the corner of the room where the eyes had been. Roxas hesitantly opens his eyes looking into the stormy depths of zexion's. He couldn't relax, his body shook lightly terrified at the sound from the corner and the glowing eyes."Z-zex" he whimpers quietly, not knowign why he felt trusting of the small boy."I wont let him hurt you." comes the reassuring reply. A loud scratching sounds is made as if something scaped across the wall with the lettering. A chilly hand finds one of Roxas' lacing their fingers together. "I keep this room my sanctuary..." The last word sticks in Roxas' mind. There's a chuckle from the shadows. "Oh Zexion, you don't really think either of you are safe do you?"

Roxas's grabs zexion's shirt gasping when he actually feels cool clothe, he buries his face into the fabric, eyes flicking over to the golden ones narrowed in a glare. He stares transfixed by them almost as though the wind was callign his name quietly. his body wouldnt stop shaking."I've killed you before... must I remind you every day?" Yellow eyes creep closer. In the immediate proximity Roxas can make out long silver hair and a twisted grin. The man extends a hand, but not toward Roxas. Instead he grabs Zexion by the hair and yanks him off of the bed. "Do you remember how it happened, Zexion?"

Roxas lunges forward grabbing zexions waist tightly. "Whats going on?" He shouts not understanding what was happenign or who the man was only that Zexion was scared of this man and needed his help. his blue eyessting slightly as they begin to water. The pair starts to fade out of sight. "Roxas!" Zexion calls, reaching for him but vannishing before he gets the chance to even turn around completely. Roxas was left standing alone in the dark room once again.

The blonde doesnt move for close to an hour tears slowly streaming down his cheeks. he suddenly move scrubbing at his eye furiously. what is happening, who was that, why was he hurting zexion, since when did ghost exist, since when could they touch him and vice versa. he head was swimming with unadressed thoughts. he sits at the edge of his bed feeling so alone and confused. he hugs his knees to his chest. A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the old house, only to be quickly replaced by silence. Utter, complete silence. No creaking, no crickets, no voices... just pure silence.

Roxas stiffens before running out of the room and into the hall. He slips on the old wooden floors, hittign the wall across the way. He barely catches a breath before he is sprinting off down the long corridor searchign for where the scream had come from. He found himself back in the library. Zexion was slumped over on the wall of the windowsill where he was when they had first met. His grey eyes were blocked from view by thick blue hair. His thin fram was illuminated by the pale moonlight behind him. "Zexion!" he calls out, surprised, running over to the teen. "Are you okay? I heard a scream." he throws his arms around the ghosts cold shoulders, wondering why he cared so much. Zexion looks stunned, completely confused. "I'm fine, you can't kill what isn't there..." he replies, sitting rigidly in an uncomfortable possition. At first he didn't know how to react. He raises a hand to run his fingers through Roxas' blonde hair. "Are you... okay?" he asks.

I am just scared and confused and..." Roxas sighs, shaking only slightly. He felt like Zexion was trust worthy, but he still felt scared. His blue eyes were slightly puffy from his confused tears earlier, he rubs at them slightly, feeling irritated."You don't have to be afraid of me..." the boy says, chilly fingertips tracing over his warm skin. "Maybe I can help clear things up for you? That way you will feel better and then you can get some sleep..." Zexion says soothigly. His pale grey eyes looked so fucused and lost in thought. No human had such eyes.

Roxas felt himself gettign lost int he boys gaze. he nods absent mindly only flinching midly at the cold touch. "Its not so bad" he muses aloud reaching out to touch zexions cheek. "What happened to you?"  Zexion pulled Roxas down to sit next to him. "I lived in this house years ago. Xemnas, my father, was the owner. He's the man with the silver hair and yellow eyes... We... didn't exactly get along. He was abusive. He always hated me. One day things got out of hand. He was really pissed. He said he'd kill me. I didn't cooperate, I ran. but he followed, and there was an accident. He fell down the stairs and broke his neck... but he didn't leave this place when he died.  He blamed me for his death. He tormented me the same as he had when he was alive... and one day..." The boy's voice trailed off for a moment. "He killed me..." There was another pause. "But that wasn't enough. He was trapped here. So he cursed me to be trapped here too. I can't move on until he is gone. I can't come back unless I 'become whole' but I don't know what that means..."

Roxas sits there stunned slowly taking in all the info. he blinks. and then again. "He...you...its..." is all roxas can get out, at this point he is glad he had taken a seat, his knees were shaking and he couldnt stand even if he wanted too. "Whole?" he questions, gently touching the ends of the boys bangs suddenly, twirling them between his fingertips."Yeah... but like I said, the meaning of that is a mystery to me..." he replies, his visible eye watching Roxas fingers. "It takes a while to get used to... not always having a solid body and such... but after a while its almost like you can't feel the difference... Aside from the cold and the lack of a heartbeat. But I must admit its a pleasant change to have your warth near me...."

"Its soo strange..." roxas whispers running his hand down zexions chest."you feel solid, and you look solid." he cocks his head. he presses against zexions stomach seeing if it would yeald to his touch. Zexion sinks back against the wall. "Its all real. Just like you." He says, placing his hand over Roxas'. He lifts it to his face, just feeling the warmth for a moment. He kisses Roxas' hand before releasing it.

roxas cheeks tint pink at the feel of the cold lips against his palm. the blonde scoots closer to him gently taking his hand and tracing zexions lips and trailing over his pale neck and running down along his chest, the boy was beautiful. Zexions gaze was intense, unblinking, almost sad. He wanted so desperately to memorize this warmth... the feeling of life. He had been so cold for so long. Roxas traces along Zexions side, stopping at his hip. his hand shakes slightly as he jerks back realizign what he was doing. "Im sorry" he blurts out."Please." Zexion replies, "Please don't stop. I.. I haven't felt warmth in years." A single silver eye is visible through dark blue hair. "You can't even begin to imagine how it feels.. just a simple caress after so long. I had almost forgotten what it felt like."