I own nothing but the situations I control and the words I frequently choose not to.
Hello! YAY For the first chapter of my first AxelxRoxas story! (celebrates) The rating is mostly for language and everything that is Axel, (hosestly, that boy should come straight out here with a "M" rating...) but there might be some (ahem) stuff in later chapters that might be lime flavored... (smiles slyly) Reviews make me smile! XD
Lashing Out At Shadows
Chapter the First: Silence
He was never as loud as the other boys, nor was he as bold. He always sat quietly at his desk in class, never raising his hand. It wasn't that he didn't know the answers, quite the contrary – he usually knew them all, but he just didn't speak when it could be helped.
It was another day like any other he had experienced during his first year of high school when Aeris found him in the kitchen alone after school. She burst through the door calling, "Rox! I'm here!" She bustled into the kitchen, shedding her winter coat and putting a covered plate on the counter. "Sorry I'm late, Rox. Had an appointment with the doctor, but I made cookies to make it up to-" The pretty brunette was cut off suddenly when her eyes fell upon the abnormally small fifteen-year-old. She gasped and came closer to the boy, examining a black eye that the boy sported. "Was it Seifer again?"
The boy nodded wordlessly.
Aeris sighed and went to the drawer next to the ice box and pulled out some ointment and a clean cloth. "I swear, if your father doesn't do something about this this time, I'll go to the authorities myself." She exclaimed as she treated the wound with motherly passion. Aeris was not the boy's mother, but she might as well have been. They had known each other for years, and Roxas had no mother to call his own to begin with. Aeris was hired as a baby-sitter when the boy's grandmother passed away. She now was the boy's only friend, and usually the only person he had for company at home, as his father was always away at work – or something.
Roxas knew that Aeris was well underpaid, and that she scraped for things like rent sometimes, but she would never leave him, for fear of his being all alone in the silence of the house. The two had an understanding: Roxas didn't have to bear silence and Aeris had someone to take care of, to need her, so she knew her life meant something.
She finished treating the boy's fresh bruise, and then smiled. "Alright, what about the other one?" Roxas frowned and pulled up his shirt to reveal a sickening black-green mark across his ribcage on the left side. Aeris shook her head. "It's looking better than yesterday. How does it feel?" The boy bit his lip and looked at her with sorrowful eyes. She smiled weakly and spread the cool ointment across his side gingerly. When it was fully rubbed in, the boy dropped his shirt and nodded to her in thanks.
"I made cookies." Aeris said conversationally, as if nothing had happened. "Your favorite, want some? With some milk?" The boy smiled and nodded, clambering onto a seat at the clean breakfast bar. Aeris poured two glasses of milk, placed one in front of Roxas, and took the cover off of the plate.
The cookies were a gooey mess of peanut-buttery and chocolate-chipped goodness that just melted away in Roxas' mouth. They were his favorite because they were Aeris' specialty, and the most heavenly thing he had ever tasted.
Aeris talked on to Roxas for a few more minuets over the cookies and milk, about her life and her dreams, how she planned on being a teacher, and wanted to volunteer to help mistreated children. Only after Roxas was out of school and didn't need her anymore, that is – of course.
She never chattered just to fill silence. She instead said only things with significance to the world, or Roxas' life. Roxas knew full-well what it meant when she began to go on about her future. She never spoke of the harshness of her neighborhood, nor the difficulties she had finically, but Roxas could always tell when things were going rough for her. That was something he liked about her: No matter how hard things got, she just kept smiling. It was inspiring, the way she lived, and Roxas could only hope that he could find a light like that someday too.
Suddenly a knock came up upon the front door. Aeris stood from her place next to the small boy at the bar and hurried through the living room to the door. She opened it and smiled at the man standing in the doorframe.
"How can I help you, sir?" She asked pleasantly.
The man was tall and slightly frightening in his long overcoat. He had long dark hair, and a face that was partially disguised behind a red scarf. "Are you Mrs. Springfield?" He asked in a deep and slightly scratchy voice.
"Oh, no," laughed Aeris lightly. "I'm just the sitter, but is there something I can do for you, Mr. …?"
"Valentine," The man answered curtly. "Vincent Valentine."
"Yes, Mr. Valentine, please come in." Aeris stepped out of the man's way before he stepped over the threshold into the house. Roxas watched with interest as the man shed his over coat and scarf, revealing a thin, but handsome face and very dark hued eyes. Aeris took the belongings and hung them up on the hook next to the door.
"Thank you, Miss…"
"Gainsborough," Aeris said with a smile. "Aeris Gainsborough."
The man nodded politely. "A pleasure, Miss."
Aeris smiled her sweet warm-hearted smile and replied, "What might I do for you, Mr. Valentine?"
"I'm here representing Center Street High School, looking for the guardian of a Roxas Springfield."
"Please, have a seat, Sir," Aeris glanced over at Roxas, who shrugged. She turned back to the man who had set himself down on the cushy white couch. "I'm afraid his father is still at work, but I can take a message." She smiled again.
"It's about the boy's English grade." The man said gruffly.
Roxas' brow furrowed slightly.
"Oh?" asked Aeris. "Is there a problem?"
"Not at all," said the other, "In fact, he has the best marks in his class. I am here to propose an activity for him that will look good on his collage applications, and possibly help his confidence level as well." The man nodded to the boy in the kitchen.
"Let me put a kettle on, Mr. Valentine," Aeris said politely. "Do you like tea?"
"I do indeed, Miss Gainsborough, but I'm afraid I have an appointment soon, and can't linger here too long."
"Alright," Aeris took a seat in an armchair across from the man. "You were saying about an activity?"
"Yes." The man cleared his throat harshly. "There are many people in Twilight Town that have difficulties in school. This isn't a new fact. For someone to have such an aptitude for a subject like English is a very rare thing in our city. I would like to propose that Roxas do some good for his city by volunteering to tutor some students that need improvement."
Aeris looked over at Roxas, who was now turned completely around to watch the conversation. He didn't move or speak, but Aeris caught the worry in his very blue eyes. She turned back to the tall man and said, "Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Valentine. I'm sure Roxas and his father will seriously consider it. Where might Roxas go tomorrow to give you his answer?"
"I'll leave a note for his English teacher." The man said gruffly.
"Okay, then… Sir, I was wondering, do you work with the school?"
The man gave her an odd and unreadable look. "Yes."
"I would like to speak to you about a boy that goes to your school that enjoys harassing other students. His name-" Aeris was cut off when a crash came from the kitchen. In a frenzy, Roxas had knocked his empty milk glass over, which now lay in many small pieces on the tile floor. He blushed scarlet as the man's attention came upon him, but wasted no time giving his sitter a desperate and pleading look. She caught on immediately, and cover-up mode reared into action.
She jumped to her feet and said, "Roxas! Are you alright?" She hurried into the kitchen and bent over the boy. "Why don't you want me to say?" She whispered into his ear.
"Please," He whispered back, without looking at her.
Aeris stood up and smiled at the boy. "Try to be more careful next time," she pretended to scold.
The boy looked at the mess on the floor and murmured, "I'll get the broom." He hopped off of his stool and hurried from the room.
Aeris turned back to the visitor. "I'm sorry about that." She sighed. "He really is a good boy, just slips once in a while." She smiled warmly.
"It's quite alright," The man replied as he buttoned up his overcoat. "Please excuse me, Miss Gainsborough, I am running late for a meeting." He draped his red scarf around his neck and opened to door to the outside. "Thank you for your hospitality."
Aeris nodded slightly and closed to door behind the man. "What an ass-hole," she commented as Roxas sulked back into the room with a broom. He smiled a little at her language, but said nothing as he began to sweep up the broken glass.
A tall boy with bright red hair walked through the bustling city, his black hoodie pulled tightly around his slender body for warmth. He hummed a tune even he didn't recognize as he walked, trying not to make eye contact with too many people. He glanced at the shops on his way past, making mental notes of where to find things.
There's a bakery, and a drug store. That's a tattoo parlor, and a coffee shop there. There's the mini-mart they told me about. And the police station. He shivered and crossed his arms tighter in front of his chest. Don't want to end up there, he muttered to himself.
Soon he came upon the dilapidated school with graying grass and two stories of dark and slightly dingy windows. He sighed. Looks like an asylum, he commented dully. Fucking high school. He sighed again.
Fucking professor, the boy thought crossly after a few minuets of loitering around a bit. I'm not standing here all day! He's late! He was just about to stalk away when a dark blue car came up the drive and skidded slightly when it stopped on the tired gravel driveway. A tall man in a dark overcoat and red scarf got out of the car and walked over to the boy.
"Mr. Flammel?" The man grunted.
The red-head sighed. "It's Axel. A-x-e-l. Got it memorized?" He raised a thin finger to his forehead and smirked at the man's sullen face.
"That's quite enough." The man said. Axel inwardly rolled his eyes. "You remember me from this morning?"
"Yeah," sighed the teen. "But your name escapes me." He looked expectantly at the tall man.
"Mr. Valentine." The man growled. "Remember it." The man handed Axel a thick manila envelope. "You're class schedule."
"Yeah, alright." The boy took the folder sharply and looked around. "Got anything else to say, or can I bounce?"
The man sighed. "Just don't be late tomorrow, Mr. Flammel."
Axel groaned. "It's Axel, got it?" On that note, he huffed away into the chilly streets, rolling his very bright green eyes.