AN: I intended this to be short - maybe 500 words in total. I started writing it and the words just kept coming. As ever, I don't own the characters.
He was always the archetypal bad boy – skiving off work, smoking, drinking, drugs. He didn't just live the rock'n'roll lifestyle, he swore by it. If it was wrong, you could guarantee Axel had done it. When we first met, he was leaning against the wall outside the coffee shop, wearing that long leather coat and smoking something that definitely didn't smell like tobacco.
As I walked past, Sora called my name. I turned round to find him standing by the redhead, handing him a coffee. He introduced us, and then dragged me along to the park, where he said they were meeting Roxas.
Sora and I had always been close, but lately I'd been feeling as though he was pushing me out in favour of Roxas. I wondered how he'd met this Axel – he wasn't the sort of person Sora would normally hang out with.
"Riku, huh?" I hadn't expected him to talk to me, so it was a few seconds before I managed to reply.
"Yes?"
"Known Sora long?"
"We grew up together, on the islands. How about you?"
"Me and Roxas go way back – I only met Sora when they started seeing each other."
"Seeing each other?"
"Oh man, didn't he tell you?"
Something clicked in my brain, and suddenly I knew what he meant. Sora had been hiding his and Roxas's relationship from me, but why?
…………………
"Roxas!" Sora squealed, as soon as the blond came into view.
How had I not noticed the way they behaved together? Probably because Sora had always been affectionate, and thought nothing of hugging his friends. I'd never been completely comfortable with it though, and I guess that showed now.
"Got something against two guys being together?"
"N… no. I just…"
"Didn't think it really happened? Or never seen it before?"
"Um, both, I guess."
"You're embarrassed by it, I can tell. No need to be – they're not."
"I just wonder why he didn't tell me."
"Ah, now that one I can answer. He wanted to tell you, but thought you'd abandon him, 'cause you think it's disgusting."
"I always thought he'd end up with Kairi."
"Yeah, well, things don't always work out like that, do they?"
"I guess not."
He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket, took one, then offered them to me. I shook my head.
"Didn't think you would. You look far too much like a nice boy." He looked at me thoughtfully. "Apart from having long hair, have you ever done anything bad?"
I looked around for Sora – I really felt like I needed help with that question. No luck though – he was too wrapped up in Roxas. Well, actually, Sora was pressed against a tree, with Roxas in front of him… I must have been seeing things, because Roxas was on his knees in front of Sora, doing something he really shouldn't have been doing.
"Time to stop them, I think," Axel smirked, noticing the bright red blush on my face.
"Hey, guys, break it up. Remember where you are."
Roxas took his time getting back to his feet, but Sora wasn't complaining. Whatever Roxas was doing down there, it looked like they both enjoyed it.
"Riku, Axel, we're gonna head back to Sora's place now. See you later." They waved, before heading off, hand in hand.
"Guess I'll see you around, Riku."
…………………
We did keep running into each other – he's pretty hard to mistake, with all that red hair. Sora and Roxas kept asking to meet up with us both – I'd suspect them of trying some matchmaking, if Axel didn't check out every woman he saw so blatantly. I don't know why they kept inviting us, because all they did was sneak off to do unspeakable things.
"Ever get the feeling they're doing this deliberately?" It surprised me to hear my own thoughts voiced by someone else. I thought I'd imagined it, until Axel blew smoke in my face.
"Hey, Riku, you awake?"
"Sorry, just thinking."
"Well, do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Think they're doing this deliberately?"
"I was beginning to wonder, yes."
There was a long pause, as both of us pondered the situation. In the distance, I could see Sora and Roxas returning.
"Let's give 'em something to think about." He'd got that sneaky look in his eyes. I'd never seen it before, but I guarantee it's something you never forget. Before I could ask what he meant, he'd wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. Brushing my hair to one side, he lowered his head to the side of my neck.
Catcalls greeted us as Sora spotted what we were doing. They didn't know we were just pretending, trying to get a reaction out of them. Guess we acted the part too well. When they left, waving at us, he looked up and grinned.
"Next time, it's your turn."
…………………
We kept the charade up for months. Sometimes we'd put on a show for the two lovebirds, sometimes we wouldn't. It wasn't until I was agonising over what to get Axel for Christmas that I began to realise there was something more to us than what we pretended. Actually, that was the first time that I thought of us as "us", if you get what I mean.
"Just go with your gut feeling." I jumped as Axel's voice murmured in my ear, and nearly dropped the bags I was carrying.
"You're Christmas shopping, right? Go with your instincts. That's what I do. Usually, they're right."
"Um… thanks."
He walked away, then turned back to look at me. "By the way, I like the green one."
Had he guessed I was trying to find something for him? Who knows.
……………………
The next incident I want to tell you about happened at Axel's birthday party – he'd talked me into trying this drink he'd concocted (and he never did tell me what was in it). I don't remember an awful lot from that night, but I do know how he looked at me with that predatory gleam in his eyes.
"Can I unwrap my birthday present now?" are the only words I recall, before his lips were on mine and I was kissing him back.
The next day I tried to blame it on the alcohol.
"That's bullshit, Riku, and you know it."
"Don't be so sure," I spat back at him.
"So, if you kissed me now, you wouldn't feel a thing?"
"That's what I'm saying, Axel."
He took a step closer. "Prove it."
We glared at each other for a moment, before I gathered up the courage to kiss him. It wasn't like it mattered, I told myself. It's just a kiss, it doesn't mean anything, and everything will go back to normal afterwards.
As our lips touched, however, there was a definite spark of attraction. Our arms wrapped around each other and the kiss deepened.
Everything would go back to normal? Yeah, sure. Shows how much I knew.
…………………
That was just the start of him getting me into things I'd never, ever thought I'd try, let alone like. He was my drug, and I was addicted. I just couldn't say no to him, especially when he… um… used more physical methods of persuading me. And damn, he was good at that. I won't go into detail – I'm still not comfortable talking about stuff like that, but you get the picture.
People kept telling me I had to end it before Axel ran off with someone else and I was left with a broken heart. That wasn't going to happen though, I just knew it. And much to everyone's disbelief, we stayed together. No-one thought we would, that we could. But we proved them all wrong.
………………….
And now, I stand here in the pouring rain, drugs coursing through my veins, mixing with the alcohol I'm drinking as though it was water. Both of them are habits I picked up from you, Axel. You always were the bad boy, and I'm the innocent one you corrupted.
I did it at first just because you did. Now, though, it's the only way I know of coping. People always said you'd leave me, but they didn't mean in this way. You were meant to love me and leave me, or overdose on drugs, or something equally outrageous. You weren't meant to take the bullet that was intended for me.
An old school acquaintance, we were never friends, decided he'd had enough of me "showing off with my boyfriend", and bought himself a gun. You weren't the target, Axel, but you saved me.
I don't know how to live without you, we've been together so long. I just want you to know I love you.
AN: That little review button wants you to click it, needs you to click it.