let me in; please, it's cold,
it's freezing out here
i miss you, my dear
you're all his, and i'm all yours
like it or not, i'm all you've got
Roxas noticed him standing out on the sidewalk with one hand stuffed in his coat pocket and the other occupied with a bouquet of flowers. Roxas swore under his breath and fumbled for his own coat and gloves, thoughts rushing through his mind. What the hell did he think he was doing? It was the middle of the night. What if someone saw? If Sora found out, he would tell Naminé. What difference would it make? If Naminé found out, Riku would punch his lights out. He could handle the pain, couldn't he? Kairi would never talk to him again.
Why was he going down there in the first place?
Before he knew it, Roxas was standing out there in the freezing February night staring at the one person he never wanted to see again.
"Hey," said Axel.
"What do you want?"
Axel looked at the bouquet ruefully. "I guess it is kind of a lame Valentine's Day gift."
"Shut up. What do you think you're doing?"
"Giving you a Valentine's Day present."
"I told you I never wanted to see you again. Besides, Valentine's Day is tomorrow, you dumbass."
"Ah-ah-ah." Axel held up a finger and looked at his watch. He looked back up and grinned. "Now it's Valentine's Day."
"Axel, go away."
"Not until you take the flowers."
"I don't want your damn flowers, I want you to leave."
"I'm not goin' anywhere until you take them and…"
"… And?"
"Kiss me."
Axel pulled Roxas close. Roxas shoved him away, scowling.
"Fuck off."
"You're blushing."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Fine, I am. It's cold."
"Uh-huh."
"Look, are you leaving or not?"
"No. What did I do that was so wrong in the first place?"
"You existed."
"Ouch. Thing is, you didn't seem to mind that when you were screaming my na -- Whoa!"
Roxas shoved Axel out into the street, and he stumbled over the curb. Axel laughed. Roxas glared at him.
"Any further out there and I woulda been road kill."
"That's a pity. I thought you make a good opossum."
"What?"
"You're great at playing dead." Roxas turned on his heel and slammed the door.
"Hey! Come on, Roxas! Just 'cause I went to France for a couple of months without calling you -- "
"With Zexion!"
"I told you, I was tailin' him and his new bo, that's all! I'm a paparazzi, it's my job!"
"Just like it's your job to fuck anyone who pays enough?"
"Ouch."
Roxas sighed. "Axel, please, just go away."
"Not until I make things right."
"You can't."
"How come?"
Roxas rested the back of his head against the wall. "Please, Axel."
"No." Axel tried the doorknob. The door opened. Cautiously, he poked his head in and blinked. Roxas sat against the wall, hugging one knee and staring impassively at the opposite wall.
Axel squeezed himself in and gently closed the door behind him. He slowly sat down opposite to Roxas, tucking one leg under him and stretching the other out. Roxas didn't say anything and for a long time, Axel didn't, either. At last, Roxas sighed.
"You said you'd call."
"I know."
"Why didn't you?"
"My cell was stolen at the airport."
"You still have my number. You've 'got it memorized,' remember?"
"Shut up. I was planning on using the hotel's phone soon as I got settled."
"Why didn't you?"
"I got kicked out of the hotel."
"What for?"
"I kicked some fat lady's dog."
"What?"
"You know I hate dogs. The damn thing wouldn't stop barking at me, so I gave it the boot. But the fat lady turned out to be the hotel owner's wife, so there you go."
"… Don't they have pay phones in France?"
"I was broke."
Roxas snorted. "You? Broke?"
"I didn't have any euro on me. I had to hide out at a coworker's place."
"Who's?"
"Demyx's."
"Demyx's."
"Don't give me that look. He's with Xemnas now."
"… He's with Xemnas?"
"Yup."
"How the hell does that work?"
"I have no earthly idea, but apparently it does."
"Wait -- so why didn't you call when you were over at Demyx's?"
"Technically, it was Xemnas's place. He wouldn't let me touch a damn thing."
Roxas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Axel watched him shrewdly.
"And what about you? What've you been up to for the past two months? Seen a lot of Luxord lately?"
"No. Luxord and Marluxia got back together not long after you left."
"Well, butter me up and call me a biscuit. How'd that happen?"
"I don't know. Luxord probably pulled some sappy stunt; you know how he is."
"Yup. Soo, if it wasn't Luxord… Riku?"
"What? Eugh, no. He's still hung up on the fact Sora got married."
"Then who?"
Heartbeat.
"I'm with Naminé now."
"Ah. Awkward."
"Just a little." Roxas picked his gloves off. "But, not really, I guess. She's a good person. I like her."
"Mm. But didn't she used to be in love with your brother?"
"Sometimes, I think she still is."
"Yikes. That's gotta sting."
Roxas shrugged. "Sora's something else, though. I mean, so many people keep falling head over heels for him; there has to be something about 'im."
"If you say so. Brunettes aren't really my thing." Axel stretched. "He's got a nice smile, though. That's probably the hook."
"I guess."
"So, let me get this straight… You're with Naminé, whose best friend is Kairi, who's married to Sora, with whom both Riku and Naminé're nuts about, and he also happens to be your twin brother." Axel laughed. "Man, has your life been a soap opera since I left it."
"And your life's been pathetic."
"Ouch. Now that was uncalled for." Axel rolled his head on his shoulders. "Hey, so. Answer me a question."
"Shoot."
"Do you love Naminé?"
Roxas glared. "That's not fair."
"It's perfectly fair. Do you love her?"
Roxas opened and closed his mouth. Finally, he looked away, face red. "We've only been together a month. It'd be stupid if we were in love all ready."
"Just like it's stupid that I fell in love with you the moment I saw you."
"No, that's bullshit. Love at first sight doesn't exist."
"You only say that 'cause it's never happened to you."
"No, I say it because -- " Roxas cut himself short. He shook his head, scowling. He ran a hand across his face. "God, what am I doing? I could be asleep right now. I've got a history final in the morning." He stood.
Axel stood also and grabbed Roxas's arm as he tried to pass by. Roxas tried to jerk away, but Axel held fast. Roxas glared, his eyes flashing hotly.
"Let me go, Axel."
"You don't love Naminé. I'll take it that means you still love me?"
Roxas said nothing. Axel waited. After several eternal seconds, Roxas looked away. He jerked his arm free and took a step back towards the stairs. Axel watched him with a strange, and even dangerous, look in his eyes. Roxas met those eyes briefly and his own eyes went flat the way an animal's did while it figured out how to run away.
Before he could bolt up the stairs, Axel grabbed Roxas by the arms and shoved him against the wall. Roxas struggled, but he couldn't get free. He was pinned.
"For the love of God, Roxas, don't you run away from me now."
Roxas flinched but said nothing. Axel growled and gave him another push.
"After all we've been through, after all I've done for you and you've done for me, you can't tell me that you -- "
"Axel, please, please don't," Roxas whispered. "Don't do this to me. Not now."
"Why, so you can figure out exactly what you're going to say later to get out of this? Come on, Roxas. I know you'll pretend I don't exist the minute I walk out that door. I won't let that happen."
"Naminé needs me," Roxas muttered, not meeting Axel's eyes. "I'm not going to do this to her. I'm not -- "
"Goddammit, do something for yourself for once!" Axel lifted Roxas's chin and kissed him.
Moments passed. Axel broke the kiss. Roxas lowered his eyes and stared at the wall past Axel's arm. Axel loosened his grip on Roxas's arms and let him go. Roxas didn't move. Neither said a word. Axel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, tossing the other hand in the air.
"Fine. You know what? Whatever." He turned and left.
Roxas stared after him. He knew he was watching the right decision walk away.
everyone will make mistakes
and i know i have
without the sour,
the sweet wouldn't taste as…