Break Me Down

Axel let out a content sigh as he got out of the pet shop, it was almost twelve o'clock at night and he'd stayed late to assist the veterinarian with a difficult surgery that took two sets of steady hands. Luckily almost fifteen years of experience on the violin and seven working in an animal adoption centre and hospital made him qualified for both. He knew his day was going to be a harsh one, though the most special in his life.

He was anxious to get back home to his blonde fiancé, their four year anniversary was just around the corner and he couldn't wait to lay beside the other in their bed and plot what to do while carting his fingers through the soft hair that was usually spiked around his head in every direction he saw fit at the time.

The red head jumped just outside his car as his phone went off in his back pocket, he hadn't had the sound turned off in so long he couldn't help but jump and grope himself Ashe tried to work the little devise out of his form fitting jeans. He held the phone up to rad the text and smile when he noticed it was from the blonde that had just been on his mind.

'Just got back, where are you?' Axel couldn't help but smile at the words, they'd been asked so many times over the years but he couldn't help but smile just thinking that they shared a house and Roxas was texting to find out why he wasn't in their house, drinking /their/ beer or wine, waiting for his lover to come home.

'There was a surgery, I'll be back soon. Driving time.' He didn't want the blonde to think he was driving already, knowing he would get a scolding for texting while behind the wheel. Pretty big talk for a guy who'd agreed to have sex in the front seat behind the wheel, they'd been pulled over on a country side road of course, but he'd still agreed.

Just thinking of the experience as he climbed into his car made Axel smile, there was no way he'd willingly sell the car. All the memories with the blonde in the front seat beside him, teaching him how to drive just after he'd gotten his full license and the blonde had been worried behind the wheel of a car of any kind. The small silver Saturn had more power then most cars, packed into a tiny little package that was real on gas and could stand up to the fastest street cars if the red head ever needed it. Then the was just thinking of the fact he'd spent so much time with Roxas inside its little cozy cab. He'd drive Roxas to school when they were in high school, then work, now collage and work.

Axel climbed into the front seat and smiled a bit, thinking about the reason he wAs still working in the animal hospital at 21 why he was in university learning animal biology and becoming a certified veterinarian. It had been a harsh week for the both of them when the red head had been 19 and nothing seemed to be looking up for the red head who was going to classes and playing his violin, nothing else.

Axel had been working furiously there was a man who had been willing to give him a free ticket for the rest of his life so long as he prospered in the audition. One audition that would change his life. Axel had practiced and practiced and once the audition finally came, the man spent an entire hour telling Axel how he'd never amount to anything in the musical world because his talent was ordinary. Axel had begged and pleaded to be given a second chance, he asked the man for a request and five minutes to find sheet music and then he'd play it right there for him.

But the man refused.

It took two weeks for Roxas to get the red head out of bed to eat something that wasn't a granola bar stuffed into their nightstand. Roxas had begged and pleaded with the musician, asking him to wake up and look at him. Being in sever depression Axel just rolled over and went back to sleep.

There was the occasional day that Axel would wake up and have a cigarette before putting the butt out on the inside of his forearm and he'd slip back under the covers to sleep some more. Or he would wake and go have a shower and spend an hour or two locked away where the blonde couldn't see what he did to himself.

Roxas had done everything in his power for the red head at that point, he would come to bed even though it smelled like smoke and BO. He would give Axel good morning kisses and make the apartment nice if the red head decided that was going to be the day he'd surprise Roxas by getting out of bed. But every day when he got home from classes and work he'd find Axel laying in bed, maybe with an extra burn or two on the inside of his left forearm along the soft pale flesh.

Just when the blonde was getting ready to give up on Axel, all hope of the red head ever feeling emotions ever again, he got home and Axel was out of bed. Roxas moved towards the bedroom and pulled back the covers to see no red head, fear clung at him however as the was no sound of water running in the shower and the apartment was empty. His first movement was made towards the living room with his phone, his feet carrying him back and forth in a quick pace.

Roxas had dropped his phone once he heard the ringing in the bedroom, he rushed inside and looked under the bed; a place the red head had chosen to hide on more then one occasion. Only the phone was on the ground under the bed, like Axel had just gotten up and left. He rushed around the apartment panicking, his car had been in parking lot of the condominium complex. Changing his tactic the blonde grabbed up his phone again, he contact the authorities.

Later when Roxas had been out in the red heads car searching the streets as all the red heads friends did the same in their cars or on their skateboards or bikes, their parents cars and just running wild around the streets of Twilight Town. Roxas received a call from Demyx around ten that night saying that he'd found Axel and was with him.

It took the blonde five minutes to drive to the park by the red beds house from the other side of town. He rushed out of Axels car and ran over to the red head, sitting on the swing with his violin loosely on his shoulder and his bow moving over the strings pathetically. Demyx was standing off to the side of the swings, leaning against the metal frame with his arms crossed over his chest and his skateboard propped up against his leg.

The tune Axel was playing was far too sad for Roxas not to have done what he did. Roxas trudged over to Axel and ripped the violin out of his grip, holding the neck in his tightly clenched fist. "Axel you asshole! I've been fucking worried sick about you! I've been looking for hours and all your doing is sitting in the fucken park on your violin?"

Roxas' chest was heaving as tears began to fall down his face. Demyx moved over and put his arm around the blonde comfortingly, Roxas pushed the others arm off his shoulder however and shook his head. "I don't want your comfort Dem! I want him to comfort me, I want him to be the one to tell me it'll be alright!" Axel turned his head up at the blonde, his eyes almost void of emotion. The young teen held his arm out to the red head so Axel could see the scars he'd used to kiss at night or when the blonde was down. "What happened to the Axel I fell in love with for loving me in my broken desolated state?! Where is Axel?"

Demyx let out a sigh, looking for the crying blonde to Axel, simply sitting on the swing aimlessly inspecting his bow and running his fingers over the horse hairs to remove the excesses of resin. He let out a sigh and ruffled Roxas' hair, knowing he hadn't been pushed away out of cruelty. "Need me to drive you guys back? Or are you alright?"

"I-I've got it. Thanks for finding him Dem. Can-can you let everyone know please?" Demyx nod his head and pressed a brotherly kiss to the top of the blondes head and gave him a half hug. The mullet wearing blonde gave his best friend a sad smile as he grabbed his skateboard up and began his quick trek home.

Roxas had sat outside with Axel for hours having given his violin back and just listened to the red head pluck the strings until he finally raised it to play. Roxas smiled as he realized that it was a slower version of Viva la Vida and he began singing, remembering that time Roxas and him had sung in the park for a group of kids after a game of tag.

By the end of the song Roxas had looked over at the red head and saw the kind, happy smile on his face. "Hey Rox." The blondes eyes went wide and rage filled him as Axel turned his head with a light smile on his face. "It's nice to hear your voice again."

"My voice?! You fucking asshole! I've talked to you every day, I've begged you to talk back and to wake up! I've fucking begged you to groan in annoyance and you did nothing! And suddenly just because I sing because I can't take your silence any longer you suddenly just think its fine to act like you haven't been talking or moving for a month?!" Axel just nod his head, looking down at his bow with a sight.

"It uh, took me a while to get over it I guess. I'm sorry Rox-"

"Don't give me that shit Axel! I've waiting a month and now just sitting with you in the fucking park and singing brings it out of you? Roxas grabbed the red heads wrist and held it up, showing Axel his own wrist. "You hurt yourself Axel! You promised me you'd never do it again. It-it made me want to do it. You didn't care, so I-I figured I shouldn't either."

Axel looked from his wrist to the blonde and then let out a sigh, he grabbed Roxas' hand and pulled him onto his lap. There were no words he could to ease the blonde or quell the tears. They sat still for hours, Axel cradling the blonde in his arms seeking comfort as Roxas burrowed into his neck and clutched to his chest. Axel eventually slipped into the passengers seat of the car and allowed the blonde to drive him home, staying awake just long enough for Roxas to join him in a quick shower before he was pulled onto the couch to sleep.

Axel slipped out of his mental retrieve with a shake of his tied back red hair as he got his key into the ignition and brought the engine to growling life. A smile crossed his face, thinking about the happy blonde being at their home once again was a good feeling and he couldn't help but turn his music up a little and sing along during the forty-five minute drive home.

A block away from the condo, a single turn in the complex of condos away from his wonderfully shared home Axel slammed on the breaks as a man ran out in front of him. It was a Wednesday and he hadn't been expecting anyone to be around, Fridays and the weekends of course, but at eleven-thirty at night in the middle of the week it shocked him.

The male was wearing all black but his pale face struck Axel, bright brown eyes caught in his headlights like a deer as the red head swore and yelled at him to get off the road and to watch where he was fucking running. As soon as the man was out of the way Axel hit the gas and pulled into his parking spot.

The spot was designed for one car, but with Roxas having a small electric that took up a quarter of the spot and Axels compact car they both managed to fit. Their electricity bill was slightly higher then they'd been before the car was purchased, but Roxas didn't drive the car all the time; only when Axel couldn't drive him and he needed to get someplace that he couldn't walk,

Axel got out of his car and locked it up, skipping up to the front door with a whistle. He pushed his key into the lock and his eyes went fairly wide as the door pushed open, it had been unlocked on occasion, but never open to be pushed open. He slipped inside and closed the door behind him. "Hey Rox, you didn't close the door. Did you just get back from the store?" It was the only logical explanation.

There was a groaning from the first floor at the top of the stairs and the red head walked up the stairs two at a time, a huge smile on his face. "Sorry about that Roxas, I was helping with a-" his voice caught in his throat as he was kept at by the large grey cat he'd known since the blonde got him back in high school. His yes travelled around the room, worry covering his face as he saw the coffee table smashed on the floor and the glass mirrors all broken a vase shattered in the open entrance to the kitchen.

"Rox what the hell happened? Where are you?" There was another groan and Axel walked around the counter holding the sink to find the blonde laying on the floor crumpled.

Fear ripped at the red head as he saw Roxas laying down, holding his neck and leg while being covered in blood. Axels heart began pounding in his chest as he moved over and knelt down beside the blonde. "Shit Roxas, how long? What happened? Shit ambulance!" Axel pulled his phone out of his back pocket as he looked Roxas over. He put his hand on the bleeding thigh as he crushed his phone between his shoulder and jaw.

Tears were streaming down Roxas' face as Axel pressed down on an artery on the inside junction of his leg and hip to stop the blood from getting to the deep cut.

"Hello, 911 operator what's you-"

"My boyfriend has been stabbed several times during a break in. He's twenty roughly 110lbs bleeding heavily- I can't member his blood type. I need an ambulance right away. The address is apartment 813 Sandlot street Twilight Town."

"Do you require police as well sir?"

"No, I'll deal with the break in later. Just get a damn ambulance here." Axel glared past the blondes head at the growing puddle of blood.

"The ambulance is on its way sir. Can I get the victims name?"

"Roxas Oblivion."

"Alright sir, would you like me to stay on the line with you until they arrive?"

"No, I've got this... I-I have basic medical knowledge. Bye." Axel hung up and moved his free hand to his belt. He pulled the leather from its loops around his waist and moved it around Roxas' thigh.

"Ax-Ax... Shit, it hurts he-he came out of nowhere. I-I tried to-"

"It doesn't matter Roxas. Just calm down, your pumping too much blood." His mind kept saying he was loosing too much blood but he just kept his mouth shut as he tried to not think about Roxas laying on the ground bleeding.

"A-Axe, I'm-m scared. I-I don't wann-na die." Axel gave the blonde a soft smile and ran his hand through damp hair. Roxas was crying his free hand that wasn't holding his neck grabbing the red heads jacket. "A-Ax, p-please don-don't leave me. I-I dont wanna-"

"Your fine Rox." Axel didn't know how true it was he just knew he had to keep Roxas calm so his heart didn't speed up again. "You'll be fine. There's nothing wrong. You're perfectly fine." Axel ran his hand down Roxas' face, trying to keep his calm as he took over keeping pressure on the cut on Roxas' neck.

Axel held the tears inside, fighting against the want and need to let them fall because of his heart ripping itself out of his chest. "Ax-Axel. I want t-to be held."

Axel chocked on his tears as he tightened his grip around the blonde. "I-I am holding you Rox. I won't let go, I promise." He pressed trembling lips to the blondes forehead, scared beyond belief as Roxas continued gasping.

"I-I d-d-don't want to die Axel. I'm scared." Axel shook his head, trying to show the blonde he was fine despite the immense amount of blood that was gathering on the floor around them. "T-tell me again, that-that story of falling in-in love with me." Axel cleared a tear from the others eye and nod his head, his throat closing up around the words he was going to tell the blonde.

"Well it all started when I tripped over you, you damn clutz. I kinda just fell over onto the floor and I was all short with you because you we're so cute and I just didn't know how to talk to you. When we became friends I couldn't believe my luck. I got to look at you every day without much question, I was allowed to joke and flirt with you all the time. Then slowly I finally began realizing that I liked you as so much more then just a friend.

"I began to fall in love with the idea of laying in bed at night with you in my arms, the thought of your head on my shoulder just listening to you breathing, I fell in love with your eyes first, then your smile and personality, from there all the feelings just grew mo and more.

"It took me a long time to tell you how I felt, I had to make sure you liked guys first and that there were at least signs that you liked me back. I walked up to you at lunch and just pulled you into the parking lot by my car where I told you everything. The effects you have on me, the dreams I had at night of smiling with you, holding you, kissing you.

"Heh, your face went so red that I thought you'd burst. You just stuttered out- and I quote: 'Axel, you big asshole. It took you long enough.' I didn't know if I should have been horrified or happy. I kissed your cheek and it took me weeks to build up enough guts to kiss you on the lips..." Axel trailed off, looking at the blondes face with a light smile at the memories, but he'd been expecting the big blue eyes he was in love with to be looking up at him.

Nothing was rig about the situation and Axels eyes turned huge as he shook the blonde a little. "Roxas?" There was no response. "Roxas wake up, oh god Roxas, wake up!" Axel felt his chest getting tighter and tighter as Roxas didn't respond.

The hand on the blondes pulse felt nothing and he started shivering, he didn't know what to do. His mind was blanking and he didn't know what to do because he only knew animal biology and he could do nothing to ensure the blonde came back. Tears began freely streaming down his face and he curled over the crumpled body crying his heart out as his body began rocking back and forth.

He could feel that familiar feeling of his heart beating too quickly, it was a feeling he knew well from knowing the blonde and being in love with him. There was the familiar fluttering feeling, but instead of butterflies it was far more like bats and the creepiest crawling animals crawling over his heart and out of his chest.

"You said you'd always be there for me." It hurt, he couldn't help but use the line from the blondes favourite movie as his heart ripped into millions of pieces. His tears fell on the blonde as he rocked back and forth, nothing pretty or sexy about his all out sobbing face. His mouth was held open as he wailed in agony, his nose running from the tears and his eyes already red and puffy as he buried his face in the blondes chest.

He was in so much agony, his world had just shattered in his arms and the stupid fucking ambulance want there yet. He wanted so badly to have his Roxas look up at him and smile, saying he just lost consciousness. Anything, anything would be better then Roxas never opening his beautiful eyes again. His world was spinning out of control and he couldn't even think of moving or doing anything. His heart felt like it was being ripped out and then frozen, and just for good measure it was thrust back into his chest just so he could feel it.

The door was knocked open and Axel didn't even realize until the paramedics were trying to pull him off that they'd even arrived. "Sir, sir are you the one who was on the phone?" Axel nod his head, keeping his grip on Roxas and looked up at the digital clock and calendar; 12:13 August 13th. It had been ten minutes, ten minutes since Roxas had stopped living.

With an even harsher crushing feeling Axel curled up with the blonde in the crook of his body and whispered into the blondes chest a sobbed and broken; "Happy wedding day, my groom."