Lush plants framed the placid road. The green shades of the trees and grass blending together, in an artistic blur of color. The bumpy dirt road weaved in and out of small lanes in between the foliage.
Roxas held back the urge to puke.
They'd been on the road for more than an hour and the blonde got easily car sick. Despite the constant reassurances by Demyx, it seemed that they were far from their destination.
"Demyx…" he whined, holding his stomach, "how much further?" Demyx caught his eyes in the rearview mirror and tried to give him a reassuring look.
"Just a little further. I promise it will be worth it." He half smiled then made another gut wrenching turn.
"Here," Axel reached for Roxas' arm and pressed his thumb against the younger's wrist, pushing down the vein. "It's a pressure point; 'sposed to help motion sickness." Roxas blushed profusely and mumbled a quiet 'thank you'. Axel just smiled and stared obliviously out the window, keeping his thumb pressed against Roxas' wrist. Demyx glanced into the rearview mirror again and watched the blonde, flustered, blushing and trying not to spaz to much, and the other merely watching the scenery.
Another ten minutes and Demyx announced enthusiastically that they were there. Roxas almost jumped for joy. He sprang from the car and started to spin around. He regretted this action quickly and as he was still feeling somewhat carsick, he collapsed on the grass.
"So what you think?" Demyx said questioning, turning around and gesturing toward their surroundings.
They were parked in a small turn on a dusty road, a bank of grass lead to a crystal blue pond being fed by an underground spring. Some large rocks rested on the bank, connecting the water to the grassy sand that served as a miniature beach. One enormous flat rock extended from the land into the water; it seemed large enough for a few people to lie on comfortably and dangle their feet in the water. Another large jagged rock rose above all the others, making a small patch of shade by the bank.
"What you think Zexy?" Demyx put his hands behind his head and leaned back on his heels. For the first time, Zexion looked over the edge of his book and glanced around himself. He nodded in approval and sorta half smiled. Demyx bounced and grabbed a picnic basket from the trunk of his baby. "Come on guys, this water the bluest blue…" he walked off with a bounce in his step. Zexion followed quietly behind him, his face back in his book.
"You go ahead; I'll stay here for a bit." Roxas said from his position, lying out on the grass, still recovering from the trip up. A shadow fell over the other boy, Roxas suddenly noticed the reddish orange of his lidded eyes become darker and he opened and eye to see what was blocking the sun from him.
The spiky outline of a certain red head, stood rather intimidating overtop Roxas, "What'cha doing squirt?" he asked crouching down on his haunches, Roxas pushed up onto his elbows and squinted at Axel.
"Uhh…" he stuttered for a moment, "still feel a little sick." He mumbled falling back on the ground, covering his eyes from the sun with his arm. He heard some shuffling and the bright glow and heat of the sun came back warming his skin. Axel had probably walked over to talk to Demyx, bored with whatever Roxas had to say to him, what was the point. "Idiot," he mumbled, speaking his thoughts aloud.
"Why would you say that?" Axel, splayed out in the same fashion next to Roxas, lying in the grass, arm over eyes to block the sun. His head was titled slightly to look at Roxas, who blushed brightly, 'Oh my god, he heard me.' "Are you ok?" Axel asked rolling onto his side, leaning closer to Roxas. "You look flushed. Do you have a fever?" The red head placed the back of his hand on Roxas' forehead, looking into the blonde's crystal blue eyes. "You better get out of the sun." Axel stood and held out his hand for Roxas to take, which he did blushing brighter still.
Axel dragged his young companion over toward where the other two had wondered. "Maybe you should wade in the water, it might cool you off." Demyx bobbed up and down in the pond, lying on his back, Zexion was sitting on the flat rock in the sun reading his book. When they noticed Axel coming over, dragging Roxas behind him, Zexion glanced at Demyx and raised an eyebrow smirking. Demyx returned the smirk as he swam toward the edge of the water, pulling him self out.
"What's wrong with Roxas?" He asked crouching in front of the blushing boy.
"He got flushed in the sun; I think the heat is getting to him." Demyx looked at Roxas, who was sitting on the ground completely embarrassed. Axel was petting his head, trying his best to brush back the blonde's unruly bangs.
"The heat, eh?" Demyx said sarcasm evident in his words; he looked at Roxas who was glaring up at him. 'Don't you dare say anything,' Roxas mouthed which only made the blonde laugh harder.
"Why are you laughing Dem?" Axel asked confused, which made both of them start to chuckle.
After the laugher died down Demyx wandered off to bother Zexion. Roxas and Axel were left relatively alone for the moment. Axel was sitting Indian style across from Roxas, who had his knees drawn up to his chest and was resting his chin comfortably on them.
"So Roxas… uh…what do you do for fun?" Axel lamely started to start conversation. They'd only known each other for a few months if that, they'd met through Demyx. Roxas had practically fallen head over heels for Axel the moment he saw him, and Axel had been oblivious to it the whole time.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know?" the red head retorted quickly.
"Umm…video games, struggle matches, other sports." Axel smiled and started talking about his favorite video game. Roxas nodded and smiled, he'd played that game before, and he knew what the levels were like, what bosses he was talking about. About halfway into Axel's rant, Roxas drifted. He was lost in Axel's delicious green eyes, his mind reeled with thoughts of staring into Axel's eyes, their faces coming closer, their lips brushing, his fingers exploring Axel's wiry frame.
"What's your favorite position?" Fantasy Axel asked the blonde, straddling his hips and holding the younger's hands above his head; his lips quirked in a sexy smirk at he leaned down to lick the younger's extended neck.
It was then that Roxas noticed that it was not Fantasy Axel that had asked him that question.
"Hey Roxie? You listening to me?" Roxas shook his head and furrowed his brow, shifting uncomfortably, trying to focus on images that would loosen his pants, 'Great Aunt Trixy,' he thought to himself, 'damn she's scary.'
"I'm sorry what did you say?" he asked.
"I said, 'what's your favorite position?' You said you liked soccer didn't you?" He must have nodded without noticing, internally slapping himself he thought quickly,
"Uh...goalie," the only position that he actually knew the real name of, Axel nodded and looked over at the water. "Y'wanna go swimming?" Roxas offered after a moment.
"Definitely." Axel stood up and threw off his shirt, his rather pale but still impressive chest stood at almost eye level with Roxas, who was beginning to hyperventilate again. ('Aunt Trixy Aunt Trixy' he repeated in his head) Axel unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall on the ground. Roxas stared a little too long at Axel swimming shorts, damn they were short. Not really a speedo, a little longer, by much short that normal ones. "What?" Axel asked him, when he noticed the staring.
"Your bathing suit…is interesting…" he trailed off blushing even deeper.
"It's European." Axel gave the explanation, and then walked toward the water. Roxas continued to stare as he walked away taking in the view (which was even better from behind, 'Aunt Trixy! Damn it!'). He pulled off his tee shirt and walked down, he'd worn his black and white swimming trunks, because maybe they were normal length.
When he reached the end of the water, Axel had dived in head first and was splashing around with Demyx. Roxas walked in to calf level, and waited a moment to get used to the water. He walked a little further and waited some more; Axel floated up to him and watched.
"You're a wimp you know that?" the red head stated.
"I know." Roxas said proudly.
"Come on in, there's a drop off like four feet from where you are." Axel walked a little closer to him, smiling.
"Don't you dare." Roxas said warning the red head, but it was too late. Axel grabbed Roxas's arm and dragged him into the water, pushing him down making sure he got all the way under. "You whore!" Roxas said coughing when he broke the surface, glaring at Axel.
"It was just some fun Rox no need to get angry. Roxas what are you doing? Calm down, not the hair!" Roxas pounced and dunked Axel down in the water, sitting down on his shoulders, when he came up for air Roxas was still perched on his shoulders laughing at the sopping wet boy. Axel leaned back and they both fell in the water, emerging and splashing each other. "Bet I can make a bigger splash." Axel said, getting out of the water and walking onto the rock.
"Conceding already?" Roxas asked from the water. Axel shook his head as he made his way toward the back of the massive rock that was jutting over the water.
"Not even remotely." He said scaling the back of the rough limestone.
"Axel…" Roxas said slightly shaky.
"Wow it's really high from here." Axel said whistling, looking around at the landscape in his eyes' view. He bent over toward the edge and waved down to everyone.
"Axel this isn't funny. Get down." Roxas really started to sound worried now, he screamed up at the red head, as he leaned over and smiled down at them. They looked like ants, well maybe not ants but at least small-ish lizards.
"Whatever you say," Axel said jump from the edge smashing a perfect canon ball.
Roxas blocked his eyes from the wave that crashed up around him form the splash and looked around in the water for the object of his affection. After a minute Roxas really started to freak out and Demyx's calm smile had left his face, slowly turning into a state of worry. "Demyx I don't see him anywhere!" Roxas shouted, searching the surface of the water for any sign.
Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw a red blob bob up and down in the water ten or so feet away. Roxas swam toward as fast as he could, flipping Axel over he pulled him back toward the beach. Demyx was right on his heels and Zexion stood up staring down at them.
"What do we do?" Demyx asked in a panic. Zexion reached into his pocket ready to dial for the police if need be.
"I learned how to do CPR at my lifeguard course last summer." Roxas offered, staring at the two older boys.
"Well do it!" Demyx practically shouted. Roxas nodded and pushed his hands hard against Axel's chest ten even times, his palms felt clammy and his heart raced at the thought of placing his own lips against Axel's, but he ignored the gnawing feeling in his stomach and let a full breath into the other's lungs.
Axel's lips curved up when he felt the blondes touch his, he moaned quietly and opened his eyes, "Oh Roxas your lips are so soft and moist." He moaned again and then started laughing. Roxas sat back and stared at Axel for a moment. He was confused, was Axel faking it? He must have been, or else he wouldn't have woken up so easily. But then why would he do something like that?
"Are you crazy?!" Roxas heard Demyx scream, pushing the red head down in the dirt as he stood up.
"You have no sense of humor Dem." Axel said standing up and brushing off his damp legs.
"You thought that was funny? I thought you fuckin' died!" Demyx practically screeched.
"Roxas thought it was funny, right Rox?" Axel stared down at the blonde and smiled, Roxas was still in shock, kneeling next to the place where Axel's apparently not-so-unconscious body was.
"Fuck you." Roxas said before running back toward the car, his eyes brimming with tears.
Axel stood in shock, thinking everyone would think that he was just playing around and laugh about then they'd all jump back into the water. Instead he was screamed at by his best friend and somehow really upset Roxas, which gave him a sinking feeling in his gut.
"What was that about?" Axel asked, anyone who would answer really.
"You'd better follow him." Demyx said, dipping his feet in the water next to Zexion. Axel nodded and ran off in the same direction as the blonde.
"Do you think that Roxas will tell him?" Zexion asked putting his book down for the first time. Demyx slid back into the water and rested his chin on the rock by Zexion's feet; pulling them down into the water Demyx dribbled some water over Zexion's legs.
"If he doesn't soon then I think I will." Demyx said with a sigh. He floated around by Zexion for another moment, dribbling cool water along his knees watching him read. "Why don't you get in the water?" Demyx asked, whining slightly.
"Because my dear merboy, I am of the land, and not meant to be in the water with your kind." Zexion smirked, feeling the droplets fall all over him as Demyx pulled out of the water, onto his elbows.
"What would I give, to live where you are?" Demyx started singing softly; Zexion closed his book finally and placed it down next to him, watching Demyx slowly pull out of the water. "What would I pay to stay here beside you?" Demyx kissed the crook of Zexion's neck, slowly making his way to his cheeks, and then his lips. "What would I do to see you
Smiling at me?"
(line)
"Roxas!" Axel called after the blonde looking around the area where he had run, Roxas had made his way back to the car and sat in the back seat, his knees drawn up to his chest. Axel slowly walked up to the car, and tapped on the window. Roxas looked up to see Axel pressing his face into the glass; he glared at the redhead and rolled over on the seat looking away. "Roxas, open the door." His muffled voice came through the glass.
"Go away." Roxas whined.
"Y'know, I've got the key I was just asking to be nice." Axel unlocked the door and slid in the seat, closing the door behind him. "Look, I'm really sorry; I didn't know you get so mad."
"Axel, I don't really want to talk about it, can you just go away." Roxas buried his head in his knees, and waiting to hear the door.
"Roxas," Axel's breathy voice hit Roxas's cheek, his slim fingers pulling the blondes chin, his thumb brushing over Roxas's lower lip. "I never meant to upset you, I'm sorry." Axel pulled the younger boy closer and their lips met.
(line)
"What do you think is taking Roxas and Axel so long?" Demyx asked, laying out on the warm rock, his head lying in Zexion's lap, who held his book with one hand, stroking Demyx's hair with the other.
"Well if all goes well, we might have to clean you're back seat up a bit." Zexion said with a smirk, flipping to another page.