First day of the rest of your life
X
Axel felt lost.
He was glad he was finally off that bus, though. That must have been the worst ride of his life, maybe even topping that time Marluxia was driving them home from some party when they were both completely shitfaced and Axel had puked all over the windshield.
At least he got to be really drunk and high that time. Being sober in a crowded bus without air conditioning in a tropical climate was horrifying in an entirely different way. On top of it all he had been crushed against the window by some fat, old cow that was talking to loud and was totally oblivious to the glares he sent her way. When he for once wished someone would be intimidated by his appearance, of course they weren't. It was just his luck. He had also been squirming uncomfortably in his seat so that his sweat-soaked boxers rode up and gave him the most awful wedgie ever.
Thankfully it was over now, the bus already speeding away and the other passengers from the airport walking off in different directions or packing themselves and their luggage into waiting cabs, looking like they knew exactly where they were going. Axel had no idea where he was going and was left standing on the sidewalk with his little suitcase on wheels. At least he knew he was on the right island and his new address. He should be getting a cab himself and then it could take him to his place. It was a sound game plan.
At least it would have been, if it wasn't for the fact that the waiting cabs got filled up and drove away at an alarming pace. No, no, no!
Axel hurried for the last cab that still wasn't full, but the driver just took one contemptuous look at him, ignored him and drove up to some old geezer instead, and suddenly he was standing all alone in an almost abandoned plaza in the blazing sun. His looks had betrayed him again.
Trying to restrain himself from bursting out in a loud string of curses, Axel closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths. This was really the last thing he needed. Both his body temperature and his temper were already near boiling point without some damned cab-driver passing judgement over him. It was always like that; people eyeing him with disgust or fear, instantly deciding he was some no-good junkie and therefore thinking they were allowed to treat him like shit. He really hated people sometimes.
Closing his fists he counted slowly to ten. Calm.
He didn't feel much better though. It was so hot! Axel could feel droplets of sweat roll down his temple and strands of his hair sticking to his forehead. Not to mention the situation in his pants! He tried wriggling out of his wedgie, but only managed to make it worse. Maybe a black hoodie and tight fitting black jeans wasn't the best attire in this kind of climate… What if he had to give up dressing in black altogether? Axel paled at the thought. This paradise island was not like he had imagined it!
"You need any help?"
Axel spun around at the sound of the voice addressing him and found himself face to face with a young man so beautiful it was almost ridiculous. He had long hair in a strange, silvery color and it looked perfectly smooth and soft and not at all tangled up and sweat-soaked like Axel's own. He was dressed in a yellow tank top and loose-fitting, blue cargo pants that clung about his hips and ass in a very flattering way. He looked like some kind of athlete with his slim, but muscular build and Axel stared in awe at the well-defined muscles of the boy's arms. He knew there was not a muscle in sight on his own body. Well, nothing like this, anyway! At least he thought he was a tiny bit taller than this insufferable guy who made him feel like a sweaty, ugly, scrawny freak. The boy looked at him with perfect almond shaped eyes that were the same colour as the ocean in a picture from a travel agency brochure. The kind of picture that had made Axel want to move to Destiny Islands in the first place.
Why was he looking at him like that? Did he expect him to say something? Axel frowned. Oh, right. He had asked him something, hadn't he?
"Uhh," Axel managed to get out, "what?"
"I said," the boy repeated patiently, "do you need any help? You don't look like you're from around here." He even had a beautiful voice, Axel thought, dismayed. Low and slightly husky, like it was made for whispering dirty secrets into one's ear late at night. Axel's ear? He slapped himself mentally for letting his mind go there.
"That's a nice way of saying I look like a complete freak," Axel answered and failed at keeping the bite of sarcasm out of his voice. He slapped himself mentally again. Wasn't he supposed to have a new start in this place? Actually trying to get along with people?
To his surprise, the boy gave out a low chuckle instead of getting pissed off.
"I guess it is," he said with a slight smirk. "That sweater looks awfully warm. Are you a tourist?"
"No." Axel relaxed a little. "Actually, I'm moving here."
The boy smiled and it was, just as Axel had suspected, a beautiful smile. Not too big or goofy and showing off a set of perfect, white teeth.
"Really?" he said. "That's great! I'm Riku." The boy extended his hand and Axel took it, after trying to discretely wipe away the worst of the sweat of his own hand on the leg of his pants.
"Axel," he plainly introduced himself.
Riku grimaced a little, since Axel's hand was still kind of sticky.
"You should get out of the sun," he said and Axel rolled his eyes. No shit! "So where are you moving in? How old are you?"
Axel raised his eyebrows. What was with all the questions? Did this Riku kid actually expect him to give out his address to a total stranger he just met on the street? Well, he could think again.
"I'm twentyone, and I don't know exactly where my place is yet. I need to find a cab so it can take me there," he explained with what he himself thought was a great deal of patience. "Hopefully anytime soon, so I can take a shower," he added, hoping that Riku would get the message. If you can help me find a cab, do it, or get out of my face.
"Oh, right," Riku said blinking. He then turned his gaze away from Axel to scan the plaza. "There's usually cabs hanging around here when the bus from the airport arrives. You didn't see any when you got off?"
"Yeah, but I kind of got left behind," Axel said impatiently, wiping away the sweat on his forehead with the sleeve of his hoodie. God, it was like pouring out of him!
Riku turned to look at him again with a small smile. "Well, I guess you could stick around here waiting to see if they come back, or maybe I could give you a ride? I know my way around town pretty well. Not that it's a great feat or anything, this place is kind of small!"
"Isn't that sweet," Axel finally snapped. Did he look like a complete idiot or something? "But I'm sad to tell you there's absolutely no way I'm letting some random guy, who looks like he could easily kick my ass, drive me away to God knows where, so just piss off, would you!"
Riku's mouth fell open and he backed away a step, a hurt look flashing over his face before his eyes narrowed in anger.
"Fine," he growled. "I was just trying to help! Good luck making any friends here, jerk!" With those last words, he spun on his heel and marched away down the street not once looking back. Axel shrugged and dragged his suitcase over to a bench shaded by a large palm tree. He flopped down on it and sighed.
Okay, so maybe the kid didn't mean any harm, but how was Axel supposed to know that? He sure had seen enough shit in his days to be careful with whom he trusted, it was really just common sense. Maybe these island people weren't used to mistrust everyone like he was. After all this was a small and peaceful corner of the world and nothing like the big city. He would have to remember that, so he didn't make anymore enemies. Right now he just wanted to get to his new home and shower and rest up. Besides from feeling disgustingly sweat-soaked, he was also exhausted from the journey, which did nothing to help keeping his temper in line.
Taking a deep breath and fishing out his mp3-player of his pocket, Axel leaned back on the bench and waited for a cab to show up.
X
Riku slammed the car door shut, still annoyed at that guy at the plaza. Figures that whenever a new face shows up in town it has to be a total jackass. He had really tried his best to be friendly, which wasn't exactly his forte, and what did he get for his efforts? That guy had actually told him to piss off! "Asshole," Riku grumbled aloud as he turned the key to start the ignition.
He was going back to his apartment, this day was ruined anyway. Sora was busy hanging out with Kairi, as always, and Riku was in such a foul mood that he didn't think he could stand the company of any of his other friends. The thought of Selphie bouncing around telling him to cheer up entered his mind and he shuddered.
It would have been so nice if that guy, Axel, had been someone he could hang out with. He seemed different, all dressed in black with fiery red hair and tattoos on his face; nothing like the boring, narrow-minded, infuriatingly normal inhabitants of Destiny Islands. Sometimes Riku just wanted to scream because he was so tired of this dead-end, god-forgotten corner of the world and all the people in it. One year of high school left, then he would leave and he wouldn't miss a thing. Well… He'd miss Sora, but it seemed he had already lost him anyway. Since he got together with Kairi, he barely ever had time to hang out with Riku anymore, and when he did all he talked about was her. Riku hated it.
He knew he was handling the situation badly. Kairi was Sora's first girlfriend and it was only natural that she would be the only thing on his mind for some time. It would pass eventually, Riku just had to be patient, or so everyone told him. They were probably right, but Riku just couldn't be happy for Sora. They used to always be together, how could something like that just be tossed aside?
This was a bad train of thought, and Riku knew it. He tried to shrug it off by focusing on the road. He was only thinking like this because that guy had knocked him off balance, he shouldn't let it get to him. Thinking too much was a bad thing.
"Sora will come around eventually and I'll be out of here in a year," Riku muttered out loud. "Everything will be fine." That was the mantra he used to repeat to try and keep his spirits up, but it seemed he was already too far into his downward spiral of thoughts to get out of it.
What was wrong with him? Why was he always so angry? Why couldn't he get along with people? Why couldn't he be happy for his best friend?
The thoughts would swirl through his head faster and faster until he could finally see the rotten core of his soul, a black hole of nothing that was like a rent into some alien dimension. And that was the simple truth that Riku feared more than anything else. There was nothing wrong with Sora or Destiny Islands. Those things he could run away from; leave behind. But the thing that was really wrong he was stuck with, and that was himself.
Fighting hard to bite back the sobs that wanted to tear out of his throat, Riku drove the last distance to his apartment and parked his car outside on the street. He ran up the stairs, desperate to be alone and out of sight. The mist of tears was blurring his vision and he felt truly pathetic when he fumbled with the lock on his door, unable to see which key was the right one. When he finally found it and the lock clicked open, Riku ran inside, slamming the door shut behind him, then threw himself on the bed, screaming and crying into the pillow and beating the shit out of the mattress, until he was exhausted.
He rolled over on his back and stared up in the ceiling, feeling hollow. At least the thoughts had stopped, but God, did he hate his life.
"Fuck this," he growled and sat up. The only thing that seemed to help him with his moods was exercise, so Riku changed into his gym clothes and put his hair up in a pony tail and left for the gym.
X
Getting some rest was hard when you didn't have a bed, Axel concluded after much writhing on the folded up towel he used as a temporary mattress. He had finally found a cab that could take him to his new home, but the movers wouldn't show up with his furniture and stuff until the next day. Axel had figured one night without a bed would be manageable, but as usual it seemed like he had been wrong.
Sighing, he tried to twist into a more comfortable position without much luck. There always seemed to be some part of his body sticking out so that bone ground against hard floor. Not for the first time, Axel wished he wasn't so damn skinny.
"I give up," he muttered aloud and sat up. He was already feeling stiff and sore from just an hour or so on the floor. He groaned, rubbing the small of his back, then grabbed his pack of cigarettes and lighter and headed out on the balcony. He was only in his boxers and the washed-out loose tank top he usually slept in, but didn't bother to put on something else. The air was cooler than in the day, but it was still comfortably warm. Axel decided he liked the tropical nights better than the days. Maybe he could find a night-shift job?
His balcony wasn't very big, but held a nice view of the surrounding parks and buildings. Some palm trees growing outside would shade it from the sun during daytime, but were now only visible as silhouettes against the night sky.
Axel took a breath of fresh air before lighting a cigarette and inhaling the smoke. He immediately felt more relaxed. Nicotine was one drug he was not going to give up. He leaned on the railing and exhaled slowly, watching the smoke drift away and dissolve in the darkness. It was pretty…
"Hey."
Axel flinched and let out a small yelp at the unexpected sound of someone talking to him. He turned around to face the source of the voice and was once again taken aback.
There on the neighbouring balcony sat that kid he snapped at downtown earlier in the day. So he lived next door? They were neighbours? What were the odds of that?
The kid still looked pissed and somehow even more beautiful than Axel remembered him. Soft moonlight seemed to fit him better than sharp sunlight, Axel reflected during a fraction of a second before he could get a grip on himself.
"Uuh… Hey," Axel stuttered, before bursting out a slightly hysterical chuckle at the absurd humour of the situation. Not only had he managed to piss off the hottest guy he had ever seen, he was also living next-door to him. His ability to make an ass out of himself sure was uncanny.
"What's so funny?" the other boy demanded angrily, rising from the plastic chair he had been sitting in, his hands balling into fists at his sides.
"Heh, what's not funny?" Axel countered nervously. "I haven't even been here a day and I already pissed off my neighbour without even knowing it. Just my luck…" He drew another breath of smoke from his cigarette.
On the other balcony Riku crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.
"You're weird."
"So they say." Axel shook his head and steeled himself. A fresh start, it was… "Listen," he told Riku, "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, ok? I have a bad temper and I get frustrated easily… and where I come from we don't just trust strangers no matter how nice they seem. It's just common sense, nothing personal, alright?"
He looked the other boy steady in the eyes, waiting for some sort of reaction. Riku relaxed his stance, uncrossing his arms and rubbing his hand at the back of his head.
"Alright, I guess…" He shot Axel a hesitant smile. "I figured it might be something like that. I sort of have a bad temper myself…" He leaned back at the railing of his balcony, eyes glimmering slightly in the faint light. "So… Can I ask where you're from, or will you just bite my head off again?"
Axel relaxed and also got back to his former position, leaning with his forearms on the balcony's railing. He smiled. "No, it's fine. Ask away, it's not like I'm getting any sleep anyway…" He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm from Menelflor."
"Menelflor?" Riku whispered, sounding slightly breathless. "Wow, what's it like? I always wanted to go there."
"Why?" Axel grimaced and looked over at his neighbour. "It's a fucking hell-hole. It would just suck out your soul and eat you alive."
"It's also the biggest city on the planet while this is the smallest and most boring place on earth!" Riku said heatedly. "I just want to get away and see things, you know, live a little?"
Axel couldn't help smiling. He supposed he would have been pretty bored growing up in a quiet place like this too. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Don't listen to me, I just have bad experiences and need to get away from there for a while."
Riku frowned again. "What happened?"
Axel inhaled another lungful of smoke before he answered. "That's kind of personal, you know." Then he realized he wasn't wearing anything over his arms. Shit!
"Uhmm…" He quickly crushed the glow out of his cigarette and flipped it over the railing. "I'll be right back, I just need to…"
With those words he rushed back into his apartment and hastily dug out a long-sleeved shirt from his suitcase. Actually he had almost no shirts or sweaters with short sleeves. He didn't think Riku had seen anything. It was dark and if he had seen anything, he would probably have asked about it, the nosy bastard. Axel put the shirt on and went back out on the balcony.
Riku hadn't left and eyed axel like he was some kind of freak when he returned.
"What was that about?" he asked. "Don't tell me you're cold!"
"Maybe I am!" Axel snarled back and shot Riku a challenging glare. What the hell was wrong with people? Why couldn't they just mind their own god-damn business? Always those questions. Why do you always wear long sleeves, Axel? Don't you get hot, Axel? Just wear a T-shirt, Axel! And if he caved in and showed them the twin scars that ran vertically on the insides of his forearms, from his wrists almost all the way up to the elbows, then the questions would just never end. Axel much preferred if people never saw those scars.
Riku rolled his eyes and held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Fine," he said. "I'll drop it."
Axel's sudden flare of temper died down almost as quickly as it had shown up. "Uh, yeah… Thanks." He fished out another cigarette and lighted it while trying to figure out something to say. "So, how old are you anyway, Riku? You want a cigarette?"
Riku relaxed and smiled softly. "I don't smoke."
"Figures," Axel muttered.
"Anyway," Riku continued, giving Axel an annoyed glare (which was ignored), "I'm eighteen. My birthday was about three months ago and that's about as long as I've had this apartment too. I moved out of my parents' house the next day."
Axel raised an eyebrow. "Trouble at home?"
"Oh, so personal questions are alright, as long as you're the one asking?" Riku remarked sarcastically. Axel just chuckled.
"You don't have to answer."
"It's fine." Riku shrugged. "My folks are okay, I just don't want to live with them."
Axel just nodded and yawned. What teenager in their right mind did? It was getting late and he was really tired. Trying to sleep on that towel didn't seem very tempting though. Maybe he could just spend the night out here on the balcony smoking and hope that Riku wouldn't mind keeping him company for a while.
"Why are you up this late?" he asked him.
Riku cleared his throat. "I couldn't sleep." He looked down so that his hair fell over his face like a silver veil. "I have a lot on my mind, sometimes…" Axel could have sworn he sounded sad, but then he looked up again, gaze as steady as ever. "So, what's keeping you up? Or is that a personal question too?"
Axel chuckled. "No, it's quite simple. I don't have a bed yet, my stuff arrives here tomorrow."
"You're sleeping on the floor? Ouch!" Axel smiled at Riku's sympathetic look of pain.
"Yeah, I think I'll just stay up tonight."
Riku frowned and crossed his arms. "That's just stupid. You can sleep on my couch, if you want." He looked Axel in the eyes and his frown turned into a mocking smirk. "If you dare…"
Axel stared back and felt a grin slowly spread over his face. He hadn't been sure if their conversation was going very well with all the snapping back and forth, but apparently he hadn't pissed him off too much. Riku seemed nice enough and at the moment trading the towel for a couch seemed like winning the grand prize at the lottery.
"If you really don't mind, then I think I'll take the risk," he replied and gave Riku a wink. "Thanks a lot!"
"You're welcome." Riku smiled brightly back at him for the first time since Axel had met him downtown. "Finish your cigarette and come over. I'll go inside and find you a blanket and pillow and stuff." He waved and disappeared through the door.
Axel continued smiling to himself in the darkness. Maybe things weren't shaping up so bad after all.
He smoked the rest off his cigarette in silence, and then he went inside. He picked up his pants so he would have something to wear in the morning, and then went out in the corridor to knock on the door to the right of his own. It was opened almost immediately by Riku, who welcomed him inside with a sweeping hand gesture.
"I think your apartment is identical to mine," Axel said stepping inside and taking a look around. "Only everything is mirrored, and it has furniture…"
"Furniture is a plus," Riku answered. "Help yourself to the couch, I'm going to take another shot at sleeping too."
The couch was placed in the centre of the apartment's only room, against the wall. Riku had draped a sheet over it and laid a checkered blanket and some cushions out on it. Axel sighed happily. This was going to be so much better than the towel on the floor. And even better if he could get Riku to join him on the couch, but that would be pushing his luck, he supposed.
"Thanks again, Riku," he said, taking a seat in the sofa. "This is really nice of you, I'm really sorry I was such an ass earlier."
Riku shook his head. "Don't worry about it. And it's really no big deal having you stay over the night. Most people on these islands are happy to help each other out."
Axel cocked an eyebrow, and let a little mischief into his voice as he spoke. "So you're telling me all hot guys around here will be happy to invite me to stay the night? I think I'm going to like it here…" He was pleased to see Riku's eyes widen and his cheeks grow a faint red at that comment.
"Wh-what?"
Axel rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on!" He looked into Riku's eyes. "I'm just joking around. And I know you know you're good-looking."
"Yeah… it's just…" Riku blushed deeper and looked down into the carpet. "Usually only girls tell me that," he continued awkwardly. "Uhm… Thanks, I guess."
Axel decided that was enough flirting for now, after all he didn't want to risk his host kicking him out so that he had to reunite with his towel. Tomorrow was another matter, though. Axel sent the blushing teen a crooked smile across the room.
"Goodnight, Riku. See you in the morning."
