A short dirty blonde-haired boy slowly peeked out from his room with his phone held to his ear.
"You sure they're out for me?"
The voice from the phone replied. "Dude, Xiggy has a crazy look on his face and searching all around for you with rope and his favourite tranquilizer gun. Whatever you do, don't let him catch you. I'm scared for ya buddy."
Roxas sighed and quietly closed and locked his door. "Thanks Dem, you might have just saved a life."
"Do I get a heart for it?" Demyx chuckled.
"ROOOOOOOXAAAAAAAS!" Heavy footsteps were heard coming down the hallway.
"Oh Kingdom, that's him. Later."
Roxas ended the call and put away his phone. He looked around for anything that could help save him from Xigbar and his plans. He heard the pounding closer so he ran despite his aching muscles to the only place he could.
Out the window.
"King-freaking-dom, it's cold," he muttered to himself as he opened his widow and looked out for anyway to escape."
"OH ROXAAAAS! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOUUU?" Roxas jumped from the heavy pounding at the door and quickly climbed outside. He held for dear life onto the ledges and moved left towards the direction Xigbar came from.
Don't look down Roxas. So cold, so cold, so cold. Don't look down from the ninth floor of the castle and into the dark water where Demyx trained. Why does he have whirlpools? Oh Kingdom. Just don't freaking look. Just keep moving Roxas else you'll die either way.
Strangely, he found that last thought motivating.
He managed to get around the corner and look into the window of Naminé's room. Seeing Naminé inside, he tapped at the window and held a finger to his lips to tell her to be silent. The few seconds it took for her to come over and open the window felt like near an eternity to Roxas as he stood there with the wind beating on his body and his palms becoming sweatier with every moment he held onto the ledges.
He crawled through the window as fast as he could and fell onto the floor with a plop. He fixed himself and got on his knees and crawled to Naminé. He hugged her at the ankles with utmost gratitude.
"ThankyouThankyouThankyou, I almost died! Ugh my everywhere is so cold and numb." She giggled.
"From Xigbar or outside? Let go, Roxy!" Naminé smiled.
"Both! Oh Kingdom." He got up to his feet and shivered.
Naminé hugged him and asked, "Why are you in pyjamas?"
"I am?" Roxas looked down. "Ugh, I just woke up from Demyx ringing me and then Xigbar came running down the hall with the rope and a tranq gun banging at my door so I just climbed out the window."
Naminé held him tighter as he rested his head on her shoulder. She pet his hair in a comforting manner as she looked at the door and mouthed "Come." Zexion's illusion fell and Xigbar smirked.
Roxas relaxed as he managed to warm up till he felt a prick on his neck. Then everything else blurred to black.
Everything was happening quickly as he came back from the darkness. He felt groggy as many voices were speaking around him. He was tied to the chair in the dining room with bright lights on him Roxas was tired. A forced awakening, to a frightful crossing, to a drugged sleep made him so tired and weak and miserable.
In a whiny voice he spoke up, "Please? Why do you do this to me? Why me? I had a horrible night last night with the heartless and I'm sore everywhere and it's early morning and I almost died with the wind beating on me to fall into the dark whirlpools and I was freezing cold and numb and Xigbar with the rope and the pointy needly gun and the bright lights and loud noises, and, and." His eyes started getting watery. He looked down at his lap away from the lights.
"And I miss Axel!"
Roxas sobbed as his body went limp with exhaustion. Where was his Axel to give back rubs and foot was rubs after bad missions? Where was he to cuddle with in the dark? Where was Axel to kiss him till he felt all better? Why wasn't he back yet?
He never heard a door creaking and the silence. The people around him shifted and one set of footsteps approached him. Someone kneeled before him.
"Roxy?"
Roxas looked up weakly into worried green eyes. Axel cupped his cheek with one hand and wiped away Roxas's tears as he kissed his forehead. Axel summoned a chakram with his free hand and cut at the ropes in one clean slice before putting his weapon away. Roxas noticed a white bag hanging from the inside of Axel's elbow but he didn't ask. The moment his hands were free he hugged Axel around his neck.
"You idiot. Why were you gone for so long?" He let go and Axel turned around while tilting his head to one side so his hair wouldn't be in Roxas's face. He held out his arms behind him.
"I was getting some errands finished as fast as I could so that today would be clear." Roxas slowly got off the chair and positioned himself on Axel for a piggyback ride.
"You should've finished faster." Axel chuckled as he got up.
Roxas rested his head between Axel's neck and his shoulder before he closed his eyes and relaxed.
"Hey Demyx."
"Yes Axel?"
"Lemme know later what this was all about. I'm pretty sure Xemnas would not be happy with all the slacking off that some are doing." There was coughing and muttering of excuses as Axel turned to the stairs.
"I'll text you when I can." Demyx patted his pocket where his cell was.
"Good." Axel walked to his room with Roxas dozing off on his shoulder.
Roxas woke up but was still half asleep. He was comfortable and everything was soft and warm and smelled like ashes and that distinct scent of Axel.
Wait.
Axel!
Roxas abruptly sat up as that thought registered and then fell over due to momentum into more pillows. He heard laughter. Roxas pushed himself up and smiled widely. "Axel!"
"Mornin' sleepyhead." Axel set down the other two bags beside a pair of objects covered by white handkerchiefs.
Roxas got out of the bed despite his body's protests and hugged Axel tightly. "I had the weirdest dream."
Axel was amused. "Oh really?" He lifted up the shorter one and carried him back to the bed. Axel sat against the wall while Roxas laid his head on his lap. "Enlighten me."
"Ok, I woke up to a call from Demyx warning that Xigbar was out to get me. Then he banged on my door so I climbed out the window to Naminé's room and wind kept blowing me as if it wanted me to fall into the whirlpools below. After I reached Naminé, I hugged her because she opened the window but then darkness came. Then I woke up again to find myself wrapped up with rope to a chair and bright lights and muffled voices."
Axel ran his fingers through dirty blonde hair. "Hush Roxy, it's alright."
"Then you came for me and then it ended." Roxas looked up and brightly at Axel. Axel smiled back.
He motioned for Roxas to sit up and Roxas did so. Axel got up and held his hand to lead him to the table. They sat down facing each other on the wooden chairs. He lifted the handkerchiefs revealing takeout boxes with names of different worlds on them and a thermos. Land of Dragons, Atlantica, Agrabah, Hollow Bastion and Wonderland.
He passed a pair of chopsticks to Roxas before opening a box marked Land of Dragons. Curious, Roxas opened his box marked Agrabah. Instantly the distinct scents of Asian and Middle Eastern spices filled the air with such delicious aromas. They both moved on to opening the other two boxes. The Atlantica box had the freshest seafood and sushi and Axel's favourite seaweed salad. The Hollow Bastion has pastries of all sorts including his raspberry crepes! Roxas loved those things! Axel opened the thermos and poured out a cup and gave it to Roxas.
"It's hot, so be careful."
Roxas took a sip at the liquid and realized that it was the Mad Hatter's special coffee! He rarely made coffee like this. Roxas leaned back as he let out a soft content sigh.
Axel was grinning.
"Happy Anniversary Roxy."
Roxas stuck out his tongue at Axel for the nickname before he smiled.
"Happy Anniversary to you too, Axel."
A few hours later with a sleeping Roxas in his arms and in his bed, he heard his phone vibrate twice. He leaned over the blonde, being careful not to wake him, and picked up his phone from the dresser beside his bed.
The text read: 'Hey Axel. You wouldn't believe how bad curiosity took up Xigbar and Larxene. They kept wondering why you two keep disappearing on Aug 13th for the whole day either in your rooms or out somewhere and we can't find you. At all. So they decided to kidnap Roxas and got some of the other Org members in on the plan. Even Naminé was in on the plan. So Xiggy tranqed him while Naminé was comforting him from the trip from the window. Then he got tied up and was about to be interrogated till you came… Yeah, that's it really. I warned Roxas though but I didn't know Naminé was in the plan. Hell I didn't know the plan either till I saw Roxas getting tied up. I was hoping Naminé would keep him safe till you came back from wherever you went. But I think you should get out for an extra day just to rile them up lol. Anyways, later. I'm hungry from whatever you had because the smell has been wafting from your room and into mine and it's so good so later. I'm gonna go eat lol.'
Axel chuckled as he began to think of where to take Roxas once they both woke up again. Sunshine, sand and the sea? He figured it was time they went to the beach at Destiny Islands and probably bring back Demyx something nice.
Axel felt Roxas snuggle up to him more and he smiled before going back to sleep.