A/N: Omg, yay Akuroku!! I'm so proud of this. *sniffles* It all started with a quote... and a series of Shippy coughs. xDD
So I finally was able to watch the teaser trailers for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and in one, Axel said something about red travelling the greatest distance. Because he said this to Roxas, and because I live for pairing up characters, I immediately interpreted this as a Shippy Scene. Now we all know Axel simply IS the color red, ne? Well since red travels the greatest distance... Why not Axel, as well? And because he said this to Roxas I thought about Axel following Roxas wherever he goes—because red travels the greatest distance. It sounds stalker-ish, but it's so uberly fluffy. So... Enjoy!
"Some people run away to see who cares enough to follow." –Anonymous
Distance
Amarxlen
"Do you know why the sun looks red as it sinks below the horizon? It's because among the countless colors comprising light, red travels the greatest distance."
He still remembers the day Axel told him this, even though it seems like so long ago and Twilight Town is just a memory of a dream—a blissful perfect dream with its comforting, caressing red and orange glow. He remembers Axel's smug tone, as if prideful of his own great accomplishment, because the redhead knows that he and the color are one and the same. And because they are the same, because Axel is red embodied so that it almost oozes out his pores, Roxas can't help but look over his shoulder, searching for red.
"You're just trying to show off, Axel!"
He remembers his easy dismissal, but still he stared and realized that was why. He could feel green eyes on him, and remembers how, if he focused on nothing but those eyes, he could almost believe that Axel had a heart. Silently, he brooded over his sea-salt ice cream bar, eyes never leaving the sunset, and, over time, he felt the passionate—there was no other word for it—eyes leave him, and a quick glance revealed that Axel was also regarding the sunset.
As if Axel had read his thoughts, he repeated, "Red travels the greatest distance."
And that was why, Roxas realized, that was why Axel was never far behind him, wherever he went, because red travels the greatest distance, and Axel is red, so of course he's the same. That's why he can't help but look over his shoulder, and he feels frustration—not really, but he knows that's the appropriate feeling—when the quick glance reveals nothing. No red, no green, nothing but the shadows of impending Heartless he chooses to ignore.
Of course there's nobody behind him, nobody following, he thinks. Those were just sweet words uttered on top of an empty tower in a peaceful town where the world seems to teem with possibilities, the least of which that somebody would care enough to follow. It was just the moment that made those words seem meaningful, it was just Axel being sentimental over a sunset. There was nothing special about those words, nothing that implied Axel would be his silent guardian, bright and glowing despite his lack of heart.
There was nothing, because that is what he is—nothing, nobody. Replaceable, if there's even a need for him to be replaced. That's why Axel's not coming. Because despite the fact red travels the greatest distance, despite the fact Axel is red, Axel can choose not to travel, unlike his color. There's nothing and Roxas knows this, but he still can't help the way his body turns a complete 360 and his eyes strain to scan the darkness, still hopelessly searching. Vaguely he wonders if red represents a magnetic pull, because it's all he can do to keep himself from going back and staying there at Axel's side where red will never have to travel far to find him.
Mentally berating himself he puts his head in his hands and takes a deep breath, trying to pull his attention back to the present, trying to lure his thoughts back to the task he had appointed himself. He takes another deep breath, but it doesn't do anything to focus his attention or thoughts, so he takes another and another and almost misses the near silent whisper that comes from behind him.
"I told you red travels the greatest distance."
Alarmed he whirls around, instinctively summoning his weapon before he realizes there's no need for it, because he's finally seeing red and along with it a deep passionate emerald and his breath gets caught in his throat. His mouth is moving, but he can't summon any sound and for the longest time, it's all silence except for the clatter of the Keyblade falling to the concrete beneath their feet. Finally he manages—
"Axel," he murmurs and blinks, hardly daring to believe it, because this dismounts all his beliefs of only being able to rely on yourself.
"Are you really here?" He asks quietly. He can hear the stupidity of the question, but he still can't believe, and Axel isn't doing anything to help, just standing there, hands in his pockets, face uncharacteristically serious, so Roxas has to make sure himself.
He takes a step forward, and then another, treading lightly, fearing the slightest noise will chase Axel away, make him disappear, because surely this isn't real—he's hallucinating or else fell asleep and is dreaming. But as he continues moving forward and Axel stays solidly there—Roxas can see the rain dripping down his leather coat and wonders when it started raining—he begins to think that maybe, just maybe those words were special after all.
And then he's there, so close to Axel he has to crane his neck almost painfully to see the redhead's face, they're only inches apart and he can barely tell when Axel opens his mouth to speak. He waits, but Axel only closes his mouth and wets his lips with his tongue, although with their close proximity Roxas knows they were already moist with rainwater. The redhead opens his mouth to try again, and this time he succeeds.
"Roxas."
One word, just one word, and in it Roxas can hear the melodies of a thousand symphonies composed with letters and somehow now he's clinging to Axel, he's in Axel's arms, the scent of the older filling every sense and he's never been so happy to be proven wrong. In Axel's arms it feels like home, and Roxas doesn't care that he's "not really feeling" because the fact of it is, it feels real and he knows it's only because it's Axel.
He smiles as his next sentence comes out muffled in the leather coat he's buried his face in and doesn't worry about Axel not hearing it as the older man's arms tighten around him.
"You're just trying to show off Axel."