[action]
[She's probably heard bits and pieces of this story, and she's been through some of it, but Xion has yet to hear Axel's take on it.
When she takes his hand he raises an eyebrow without saying anything. It's a start. Earlier she'd been really quiet and unresponsive, but now she's back to her clingy self, right? We'll see.]
At any given time he could've changed his mind and put his friends first. At any time he could've turned around and told them everything they wanted to know. ...But fear sort've held him back.
One day, the other boy approached his friend. He'd discovered that he was being used. Like...a toy, you know. He asked so many difficult questions, but none of them I-- [Pause.] --none of them his friend could answer. "Why?" the boy asked. "Why wouldn't you tell me? Best friends, we're best friends."
...His friend wouldn't say. So, defeated, the boy ran away. Without a goodbye. And the girl, well. No one really knew where she went. Maybe she disappeared and ran away, too. Maybe she discovered about all the secrets and followed in that boy's footsteps.