Written as a response to illbewaiting.deviantart. com / art / Rikuroku-Things-went-wrong-66815469 Check out the rest of illbewaiting's gallery; it's some really beautiful and emotional stuff.
"I'm sorry," he says, and it's so close to his ear that Axel can feel his breath hot on his skin, feel the regret emanating off of him as the blond pulls away and walks away and gets away before he gets caught. If he gets caught they're done for, because they're both still in love and they know it and everyone knows it but it has to end and it has to end now, and it cracks with a shattering blow when Roxas grabs Riku's hand and they walk away together.
Axel wonders if it's supposed hurt this much.
Sora slides in next to him, puts that comforting arm around his waist that's the same length and the same weight as the one that's constricting his heart but he smiles, smiles and kisses the brunet on the cheek and tells him "thank you" and kisses his mouth before the younger can ask "for what". It's for nothing, really, because fucking his ex's twin isn't nearly as good as fucking his ex but it's damn close enough for now, even if every time he gets caught in those blue, blue eyes and has to bite back the name that comes to his lips.
Axel wonders if he'd be better off with neither of them.
But Sora's a good person and a good friend and a good lover and Axel will be damned if he's going to lose that. So they switched; so something went wrong but they're all doing their best to ignore it and Axel's holding out hope and so is Sora but for something else and Roxas is trying to forget; trying to move on with silver hair and eyes that are a shade bluer that the ones he misses so much.
Roxas wonders if it's worth it.
When Riku whispers nothings in his ear that's all they are; empty and hollow and they leave an ache deep in his chest that only nothings will fill. He loves him, though, in his own twisted way that's different from how he loves Axel, with heart and body and mind and soul and he wonders if he moves on with a hundred different people if he'll ever get completely over him.
Riku wonders how long it'll last.
The blond falls easily enough into his arms; fits there, feels right there, but feels uncomfortable in his own skin. He's nothing like his brother in that he hides all the time, whether intentionally or not, and Riku does the same, and everything feels surface and the older wants to shake him and tell him to open up but it would be hypocritical so he says nothing and kisses him and feels Roxas let himself be kissed.
Sora wonders if it's real.
He wonders if Axel sees in him the things he saw in Roxas because he is everything like his brother in all the subtle ways that no one notices at first. But he doesn't want to be a replacement. He doesn't want to be a rebound and he doesn't want to be temporary. He wants Axel to stay by him and with him and lend him the same support and comfort and love that he did to his brother, because he always felt the tiniest bit jealous around them, even if he had the love and support of a hundred friends it could never amount to the tenderness Axel could show Roxas in one look; in one simple touch. Sora would give him the world for it, and slowly he's making himself the redhead's world. Slowly slowly slowly.
They all wonder when it's going to end; when the glass is going to smash and everything falls down.