Open Your Heart
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Long Summer
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Square Enix
Warning: Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships, impregnation, etc, you know all that good stuff. If it bothers you then you have the option of leaving.
Summary: The males of the Strife bloodline are gifted with the ability to reproduce and have children of their own like women. Take Prince Squall Leonhart from Balamb and Prince Cloud Strife from Nibelheim and you have the twins Sora and Roxas. Forward sixteen years and now the parents are trying to get the idea of marriage into their boys mind, but Nibelheim's rebellious prince, Roxas Strife Leonhart refuses tobe pushed into a marriage he doesn't want. In comes Prince Axel with his younger sister Princess Kairi from Radiant Garden and Roxas has just about had it for the summer.
Pairings: Axel x Roxas, Riku x Sora, Leon x Cloud
Music: "Light Up the Sky" by Yellow Card & "Haven't had enough" by Mariana Trench & "Learn Me Right" by Mumford and Sons with Birdy
A/N: This story is edited to the very best of my abilities, if you see any mistakes please don't hesitate to inform me and I will edit them as soon as I can x-x Even though this is a new story it will not be as long as Beneath the Surface, no way! This is supposed to be light and fun for Akuroku day (: Which is actually coming up very soon! Anyways, please enjoy this first chapter and don't forget to review please :3
-x-x-x-x-
The royal house of Strife possess a bloodline trait unlike any other among the people of their time. Pertaining only to the males of their family, they, like women were capable of bearing children. Though many people perceived it as a curse other's thought of it as a miracle, especially the Strife men themselves who chose to take up male lovers instead of the ever seductive ladies of the court. This, Prince Squall (Leon) Leonhart from Balamb took full advantage of with his childhood friend and lover, Cloud Strife.
At the height of his young teenage life, Leon had to choose a wife in order to ensure that there would be an heir to his throne. His parents, King Laguna and Queen Raine were adamant about him getting a marital life but Leon, still in his youth was as rebellious of a prince as they came and downright refused any offers the nobles of his father's court made to him about considering their daughters as potential wives. Not even the princesses of their allies could appease Leon's stubbornness against the idea of marriage. Back then, he didn't believe anyone was fit to earn his undying love and affection except for the young seventeen year old Prince Cloud Strife of Nibelheim.
It seemed almost impossible for Leon to escape from the parties, the women, and his parent's constant harassment and conversations about marriage, wives and grandchildren. What was probably the worst though, was that he had little time to spend traveling out to the country to see Cloud because of all the duties his father, the king pushed on him. Finally, all hope seemed lost when Lady Rinoa Heartilly became his fiancée at the request of the Queen herself. Plans were being made for their wedding behind his back and there was nothing he could do to protest against it unless he was to throw away his life and runaway.
For days, Leon was at a loss, but during the middle of his time drowning in despair, Cloud came to him and proposed a plan that would allow Leon an outlet from his nightmare of a wedding. Being a Strife and being in love with Leon no less, Cloud forced himself onto the prince of Balamb and they shared a night of passion unlike any other they had ever experienced before. The fruits of their love flourished a month later and only weeks before the scheduled wedding when Cloud at long last confirmed his pregnancy and announced it to both his court and Leon's.
Leon's mother, Raine was devastated by the turn of events but Laguna was optimistic and jokingly told his only son that he expected as many grandchildren as Leon could squeeze out of poor Cloud. And so, the engagement between Leon and Rinoa was revoked, their wedding annulled and both Nibelheim's and Balamb' court were in an uproar over the prince's scandalous deed—but did the boys care? No, not one bit since both men was now able to love freely with whom they adored and best of all there was a child on the way.
Throughout the time of Cloud's pregnancy, the couple experienced months and months of joy and happiness that they never thought they could have. When the blonde's stomach began to show, the two married at long last; Cloud only eighteen years old and Leon a proud and healthy twenty year old himself. With Cloud being an only child and his country without a king since his father's death years before, it was in Leon's best interest to move to Nibelheim and relieve some of the royal duties from the pregnant blond. Laguna still had many years left in him, but even so the relationship between Cloud and Leon allowed for both their countries to unite and become one—so that when Laguna stepped down in Balamb, Leon would take his place from the comfort of his new home in Nibelheim with Cloud.
At long last, Cloud's pregnancy came to an end during the beginning of July on the twelfth. Throughout the day, the sounds of the blond male's labor frightened Leon and shook him to the core. No amount of patience or kind words from both his parents and mother in-law could sooth his racing heart. Hours passed until finally a little after sunset, a pained shout, the loudest one of them all, echoed through the hall from inside the room.
Afterwards it was silence, until finally a shriek that could come only from a newborn was heard. That day, Leon had never been so scared in his life. By the time he managed to force himself into the room to see his beloved and their child, another cry filled the space and the brunet found himself collapsing to the ground from the absolute shock of seeing twin boys in the arms of his lover.
Their oldest was the little brunet who they named Sora, and the youngest one—with a shade of blonde several times darker than Cloud's and was the only one screaming constantly, they named him Roxas.
The grandparents were tremendously happy after the birth of the twins. Laguna especially, could not stop congratulating his son for being able to give him two grandchildren in one go. The grandmothers too, quickly settled themselves in and babied their grandsons from dawn to dusk and from head to toe. As the twins began to grow, everyone could see how they reflected their fathers in not only appearance but in their personality too.
-x-x-x-x-
Sixteen Years later…
"Where's that letter from?" Leon stood over his blond husband, eying the piece of parchment held loosely in his hand, "It isn't a secret admirer, is it?"
"It's from Radiant Garden, our dear friend King Ansem the Wise has been ill and so I've invited him here to Nibelheim for some fresh air," Cloud replied, his eyes skimming one last time over the words before he finally placed the letter down on the table in front of him, "He should be arriving soon, I'd say maybe tomorrow or even today."
"Well, you're being awfully generous Cloud," the brunet chuckled as he placed his hand on the other's cheek so that he could turn the blonde's gaze towards him and press his lips against the his forehead.
"I guess, but only when I want to be." He mused.
Unfortunately for the couple, their tranquil moment was shattered by the sound of a frightened shout coming from outside in the gardens. Growling, Leon went to the nearest window and threw it open before sticking his head out in search of the culprits. There, riding on horseback shooting arrows at a row of ridiculous looking stuffed targets was his youngest son, Roxas and his friends from town—Hayner, Pence and Olette. And it didn't stop there either, because his other son, the older twin, Sora came riding on his own horse with a bow and arrow in hand as well.
"Okay! I'm here now and ready for some target practice!" the bubbly prince laughed as he pulled the string back on his bow and aimed it at Hayner.
"Whoa! Wait right there! I don't even have an apple on my head genius! And you're scaring me with that excited look on your face!" Hayner cried, quickly making a run for his life, he hid behind the rose bushes and out of sight.
"Hay! Come on I didn't even release an arrow! I was only joking!" the young prince whined.
"It doesn't matter! It's still my life on the line here!" the unruly blond replied, his head peeking out just enough so that he could glare up at the pouting brunet.
"I don't think this is such a good idea anymore you guys." Pence sighed, his face hidden behind Olette's back.
"You kids are damn right about what you're doing isn't a good idea!" Leon finally roared after having listened in on their conversation from the castle tower's window.
The children all screamed from the sudden appearance of the king. In his fright, Sora lost his grip and clumsily dropped his bow to the ground while his twin gasped and fell off his own horse. Scrambling, the teens rushed to gather the dummies and reassemble themselves. Their misery delighted Leon and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"That's right, you all better clean your mess up and don't I ever catch you doing dangerous stunts like that ever again!"
"Y-yes your majesty!" they all squeaked in their desperation.
Giving them a stern nod, Leon closed the window and returned to his beloved who merely shook his head but still smiled knowingly.
"What? I wasn't harsh on them this time."
"I know, but it still amuses me how often you scold them," Cloud reached out to rest his hand against the smooth skin of Leon's cheek, "They're just trying to have a bit of fun," Stroking his lover's face, he lifted himself up from his chair and kissed the other's waiting lips.
Kissing him back briefly, Leon pulled away with the softest of pouts adorned on his face that only Cloud ever had the privilege of seeing, "Fun? They could have been hurt you know…"
"Yeah, but they're still kids. Remember, we were just as mischievous as they are when we were young."
"I guess, but I—"
"No," Cloud pressed a finger to the brunet's lips, silencing him from finishing his sentence. "We were just as bad Leon. Come on, how could you forget when we terrorized your nanny that summer, Mary was it? Yeah, all those strawberry short cakes and the traps we set… we nearly killed her with that suit of armor and axe you know?"
Closing his eyes, Leon began to shake as he held back his laughter. "Yes, yes we did in deed terrorize that woman to the core. I bet she still has nightmares of us…"
"Yeah, you think?"
-x-x-x-x-
"Dude! Your dad is scary!" Hayner exclaimed. Finally getting the last dummy back into the storage the pair shut the door with a kick.
"I guess, but at least you don't have to live with him!" Roxas sighed.
Marching back outside into the gardens, the pair found Sora, Pence and Olette already grouped together, lounging under the shade of a tree. Settling down once more, Roxas laid down into the grass beside his twin, laying his head against the other's thigh as he tried to find some comfort from having had their fun scared away by their dear old dad.
"By the end of the day, I'm sure dad is going to have a field day with us Sor."
"I know, I can imagine it right now…" the brunet groaned loudly.
"Like I said before, King Leon is scary."
"You always say that though Hayner," Olette said as she ran her fingers through her loose brown curls.
"Even if he's scary, he's still a great king you've got to admit." Pence pointed out with a yawn and rolled onto his stomach.
"Yeah, he is a pretty great king. I mean, dad is ruling Nibelheim all the way to Balamb, his homeland. The reason he's actually living here is because of our father, Cloud," Roxas added, chewing on the walls his mouth.
"So, King Cloud is technically like your mother right? I mean he is the one that gave birth to you guys." Hayner asked curiously.
"Yeah," the twins both replied in unison.
"Your bloodline trait, it must be hard to deal with." Pence said, his attention now focused on pulling at the blades of grass laid out in front of him.
"Not really, I mean as long as we fall in love with women it isn't something to really worry about. Right Sora?" Roxas asked.
"Y-yeah! Right!" Sora chirped, his voice a little unsteady but he tried to mask out his hesitation nonetheless—if only a little so that his friends didn't question him.
Roxas on the other hand picked up on his twin's suddenly odd behavior. Raising a brow, he made a mental note to question his brunet counterpart at a later time.
"Speaking of women, our fathers have been giving us 'the talk' recently," Roxas quoted with his fingers.
"The talk?"
"Yup! That's right Hayner!"
"You mean the birds and bees right?" Olette began to laugh.
"Olette it isn't funny!" Hayner hissed.
"I'm sorry! It's just, I've already been given the female version of 'the talk'." she said, her fingers mimicking Roxas' actions.
"Come on, the guy's version is a lot more complex than the girl's." Hayner glared.
"Sure it is… But I've already heard your guy's version too just so you know." Olette replied as she sat up with her arms crossed against her chest.
"Oh… Well then…"
"That's right, I know both sides of 'the talk.'"
"Ungrateful know it all…" the unruly blond muttered and was given a nice thump to the head by the brunet girl for his behavior.
"Ehh, well anyways because of it, we're getting into all this stuff about marriage and I swear it pisses me off!" Roxas began to exclaim.
"Well, we are at that age where we are allowed to marry now Roxas."
"So? I think we're too young! Come on, we're still sixteen years old! Why do we need to get hitched now of all times anyways? I mean why the rush? Can't we live a little?"
"Uhh…" No one had an answer and that just made Roxas' point seem even more valid than before. With no one to really speak up or give a comprehendible reply, they all shrugged their shoulders and sighed.
"Two more years and we'll be young adults…" Hayner grumbled.
"And two years can go by in the blink of an eye without us even realizing it," Olette said, her voice going soft now as her eyes fell to her lap.
"We better make the most of this summer you guys!" Sora cried, his fist pumping into the air.
"Yeah!"
"Well… " Sitting up now, Roxas quickly got up onto his feet and began dusting his pants a little before suddenly smiling brightly at everyone, "Why don't we start by going inside and making ourselves something sweet in the kitchen?"
"Kitchen? Roxas, you know we're not allowed in there right?" Sora said, his head tilting to the side in wonder at what his twin could possibly be thinking of.
"I know which is why it's a good idea since everyone is here." Roxas replied as he quickly yanked his friend up, "It makes going to the kitchen a lot more memorable when we have friends to join us."
"B-but the—the cooks! And the staff! They'll be in there and they'll tell us to leave for sure, did you even think about that Roxas?" his twin quickly asked, he too now up on his feet with his hands resting at his hips in a scolding manner.
"Of course! What kind of a mischief maker would I be if I just waltzed right into the kitchen when I know I'll get caught being seen on sight?" Roxas grinned.
"No way, you're not thinking of what I think you're thinking, right buddy?" Hayner asked.
"Maybe?"
"Roxas…" Sora warned.
"But Sor-Sor…" the blond began to pout, his lips trembling in an effort to guilt trip his twin.
"Yeah! Sor-Sor…" Hayner mimicked Roxas' actions, but his pout wasn't nearly as convincing as his spikey haired friend.
"Arghh… You guys!" Sora whined but he couldn't find it in his heart to refuse such a face like that. Sighing heavily, the brunet hung his head in defeat and with a wave of his hand, dismissed all of his objections into the wind, "Fine… we're already in trouble anyways so what's the point in trying to stop you…"
"Yes! It always works!" Roxas cried out victoriously as he high fived Hayner.
"So, what's the plan? How are we going to get into the kitchen?"
"Hmm… Sora!"
"Yeah?"
"You still remember all those passages zig zagging throughout the castle right?"
"Of course, how could I forget those? We use to play in them all the time and hide from father and dad."
Seeing the glint in his twin's oceanic blue eyes, Sora began to understand just what his twin wanted them to do. Nodding his head in reply, the two exchanged identical smirks.
"Okay, I know you guys are twins but do you really have to do that? I mean, come on you seriously have to look at yourselves from a third point of view because this here, this is scary!" Hayner yelled.
"Sorry Hay." They both said, causing the unruly blond to groan in reply.
-x-x-x-x-
The plan was settled, and the five teenagers made their way into the castle with the perfect agenda on their minds. Just as they entered the estate, the front gates of the castle opened for several guards and carriages belonging to the house of Wise from Radiant Garden. Among the escort, riding on an ash colored stallion was the prince of Radiant Garden, the charismatic flame Axel.
The young man was truly a sight to behold, his shockingly bright red hair untamed, and springing high into the air with each trot his horse made. Very few men possessed such a unique style of hair, and Axel took pride in showing this off about himself. Another feature of his that made him so different were the upside down triangular marks which resembled teardrops beneath his acidic green eyes.
"Axel!" the princess, his younger sister Kairi stuck her head out from the small carriage window.
Seeing the girl's smiling face, Axel swayed his horse, Ember towards her direction and rode right beside her, "Yes my dear little sister?" the redhead teased.
"Nibelheim is quite beautiful don't you think? It isn't at all like Radiant Garden!"
"Yeah, it's pretty nice to look at if I do say so myself," He replied with a chuckle.
"Kairi, please settle down," Ansem sighed in his seat beside his young daughter.
"Yes father…" she murmured quietly.
The front gates closed again, the royals from Radiant Garden and their escort slowly coming to a halt in front of the doors to the large estate. Just as Axel got off his horse the thick wooden doors swung open to reveal the rulers of Nibelheim themselves—Kings Leon and Cloud.
The pair looked a tad bit disheveled one way or another, and Axel couldn't help but smirk knowingly at the activities they may have been doing before their arrival.
"Ansem! You're here! Early I see!" Leon exclaimed with a forced laugh.
"Yes, I just had to get myself out of Radiant Garden before the royal court became the death of me." He aspirated.
"Indeed, they just couldn't stop breathing down father's neck about Axel's engagement to Lady Larxene Morgan," Kairi said as she made a graceful exist out of the carriage. Smiling at the kings she bowed respectfully for them.
"Ah, this is my daughter, Kairi and this tall lad here is my son Axel," The old man motioned between his children.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Cloud said, "I'm sure you two will get along with our two boys just fine," Realizing what he just said, the blond turned to his husband in question, "Speaking of our boys… Leon? Where are they?"
"Uh… last time I saw them they were in the gardens with their friends."
Both men looked around the corner at the path that led towards the said gardens, but not one single voice could be heard and it began to worry them. There was absolutely nothing, and Leon feared for the worst—especially since their boys were known to cause mischief at least more than twice a day at the very most.
"Oh great shiva please no…" the brunet began to mutter under his breath as he slapped a hand over his forehead and groaned.
"Well! Anyways, you'll meet Sora and Roxas a little later, I assure you! Now how about we get you all settled in and maybe take a tour around the grounds?" Cloud asked quickly and hastily ushered the older man and his children inside.
Looking at the escort still standing around, Leon motioned for a couple of servants to attend to them and he too left after his lover and their guests—though his mood was now sour just thinking about where in the world his boys and their friends ran off to.
-x-x-x-x-
A couple of servants trudged behind their masters and Radiant Garden's royal family, carrying their belongings to their rooms. As the group reached the upstairs where the bedrooms were plentiful in the east wing, the sounds of yells and pounding doors unnerved everyone. Leon was quick to unsheathe the sword at his side, as was the prince, Axel. Cautiously, the two of them approached the closest door and tried getting at the knob but they found that it was locked.
Grumbling, Leon instantly knew that this was work of his beloved sons. Sliding his weapon back into his scabbard, he turned towards the group with a glare and Cloud immediately understood the situation.
"Sora and Roxas…" the names rolled off the brunet's tongue with a hiss, "Cloud, please tell me you have the key to these rooms…"
Gulping down his nervousness, the blond checked his pockets and collected the chain that held various keys only to find that low and behold—the key they needed was gone.
"Roxas… that little pick pocket…" Cloud sighed heavily and shook his head.
"They've gone too far this time…" Leon finally lost it and began his tyranny in search of Nibelheim's mischievous twin princes.
The Wise family could only blink in question as the brunet haired king barked out orders and stomped around the castle—his voice a frightening roar that could very well be compared to a real lion. Turning their heads towards their silent blond haired host, Ansem arched a thin brow at him which only caused Cloud to laugh nervously as he stood there frozen in place.
"Cloud? Is there something we should be aware of?" the older man asked.
"I'll um, inform you all of what has progressed, I promise. As soon as Leon gets that key we'll explain—or at least we'll have Sora and Roxas explain what has conspired here."
"Very well then," Ansem nodded.
"So, since these rooms here are now occupied, where will we be staying now?" Axel finally spoke up.
"Let us head over to the west wing, I'm quite sure Sora and Roxas will be thrilled to have some new faces in their hallway," Cloud said.
Leading them out of the east wing, the blonde's mind was filling up with ways to punish his two sons. He didn't know what exactly he was going to do to them, but once they figure out what in the hell's name they did, he was sure to make them regret their actions.
-x-x-x-x-
"I can't believe it actually worked!" Hayner's laugh filled the kitchen. Popping a cherry into his mouth, he rubbed his nose only to coat his skin with a thin layer of flour dust.
"I seriously thought you all would have been caught. Do you know how much trouble we'll be in when your dads find out what you guys did?" Olette whimpered at the very thought of being punished. Shakily slipping a kitchen mit on her right hand, she opened the oven and pulled out a tray of fresh steaming hot apple turnovers.
"Olette, I can only imagine." Sora replied as he grabbed a napkin and quickly helped himself to the hot treat.
The five teens helped themselves to the apple turnovers, releasing a few heated grunts from how hot the contents of the pastry were as the delectable morsels melted and burned the insides of their mouths.
"King Leon isn't going to like whip us or anything, right?" Pence asked, slowly taking a bite out of his second turnover.
"Pence you're such a worry wart!" Hayner punched the chubby boy's shoulder.
"Hayner, he has a right to be worried! I know I am." Olette pouted at the unruly blond before reaching over the table and pinching his cheek.
"Nyahh! Oletteee!" he began to whine.
Roxas scoffed, twirling the stolen key with his fingers as he swallowed the rest of his treat down, "Its summer and I think having a bit of fun like this while we're still young is worth the trouble."
"Oh really son?"
"Yes really! Wait a minute…" Glancing over his shoulder towards the door that led out to the main portion of the castle stood the king himself and sporting one of the sourest expressions the young blond had ever seen on his father's face in his life, "Um… Hi daddy?..."
Everyone in the room waved nervously now, their eyes all glued to the older man.
"Now, would you mind explaining to me just what the hell you guys were thinking when you locked the kitchen staff in the east wing!"
The teens winced, Pence and Olette already shaking in fear at the burning glare Leon was giving them.
"Well I'll be damned, I didn't think it'd take this short amount of time for everyone to catch on to what we did. Am I losing my touch here?" Roxas thought a loud.
"This isn't a joke Roxas! You are in a lot of trouble! All of you!" Leon yelled.
Turning to his twin, Roxas gave Sora a firm nod before directing his hard gaze towards the storeroom. Understanding the blonde's actions, Sora nodded back in response and Roxas turned away to bravely face their furious father.
"I get it okay? We're in trouble, or at least we're in even more trouble than before but still—"
"No buts!" Leon retorted.
Still staring at his father, Sora tugged on Pence's sleeve and began inching his way to the other side of the room towards the back door that led into the storeroom. He was extremely grateful that his father's eyes and attention were only on Roxas but on another note he felt pretty sorry for his younger twin too. But then again, Roxas was the one putting himself at risk, he could only hope that his twin's plan would work so long as he kept talking and distracting the king.
"Whoa! Now what happened in here?" Prince Axel made his appearance right behind the brunet haired king. Giving a low whistle, he smirked, "Looks like you kids are in trouble."
Roxas eyed the redhead up and down, his brow arched in wonder. Who was this person he thought to himself. From the clothes he was wearing, the guy was in no way a resident of Nibelheim from what he could tell.
"Prince Axel, would you please leave? I am trying to teach my sons and their friends a lesson here," Leon groaned with a heavy sigh.
"A lesson huh? Does it really have to involve yelling though your majesty?" the redhead shook his head.
Roxas watched as his father's eyes narrowed at the tall prince, 'Is he seriously looking for a death wish?' he wondered. Already he could tell that Leon's temper was waning now that this Axel person was dancing on his last nerves and it seemed like the perfect time to make his move. Sora had already vanished along with Pence and Olette, Hayner just now inching his way towards the pantry as well.
The blond royal couldn't help but smile and quickly made a mental note to thank this Prince Axel later. Quietly getting up off his stool, he glanced once over at his father and the redhead who now had Leon's full attention. Tip toeing his way towards the storeroom door, he nearly choked at the sight of Axel's intense green eyes looking down at him. Just as he was about to disappear into the room, Leon's sudden shout caught him off guard and Roxas quickly bolted in and slammed the door closed.
"Roxas—You! Prince Axel!" Leon exclaimed before literally sprinting towards the door the teens had fled into.
Just as he yanked the storeroom door open, there was not a person in sight and instantly Leon knew that the teens used one of the castles escape routes. Growling in his frustration, the king marched out of the kitchen passed Axel who couldn't help but release a soft chuckle.
Sparing the redhead a glare over his shoulder, Leon stopped for but a second and stomped back towards Axel until he was face to face with the young prince. The redhead was pretty tall for his age, he had to admit but Leon was still taller by several inches.
Jabbing his fingers into the boy's chest, Leon growled at him, "You, my dear boy are going to regret distracting me and letting my prey escape." The king hissed before turning heel and sprinting towards the front doors of his estate.
With Leon nowhere near the proximity now, Axel finally released a heavy sigh he didn't know he held in. Fanning his face a little, he felt his body shiver and he was relieved that he wasn't in the shoes of the young twins.
"Damn he's scary! I'm so glad he's not my dad!"
Running outside into the castle courtyard, Leon was too late to stop the group from fleeing as they all piled on their horses and ran for their lives. To his even greater shock, the guards opened the front gates for the smiling teens and they all but booked it out for freedom the very chance they got.
With his jaw hanging open, Leon stared after his sons now laughing wildly as they rode on towards the town. Speechless, he slowly turned his gaze over to the guards who stood off to the side—most of them smiling and bathing in the king's humiliation.
"Children will be children your majesty!" the captain of his royal guards, Zack Fair remarked enthusiastically from his place around a small bonfire they were building, "I'd have thought that at this point you would accept them for their mischief and all—especially Sora and Roxas."
"Ch-children? Zack, their seventeenth birthday is next month! They can't act this way for much longer!"
"Leon!" Cloud yelled from the top steps of their castle, his oceanic blue eyes narrowed down at his lover.
"Yes Cloud, what is it?"
"Leave them be, they're still kids you know." The blond said before turning his attention to the wolf-like beast beside him, Nanaki, "Please follow them, I don't want them running into any more trouble." Cloud requested as he gave his friend a scratch behind the ear.
Giving the blond king a nod, Nanaki padded down the steps and began a light jog across the courtyard before sprinting through the open gates and beginning his task of tracking down the groups scent.
Feeling quite pleased, Cloud continued to hold a frown on his face when his attention settled back on his husband.
"What? Why are you mad at me? I'm not the one running around wreaking havoc on the sanity of my castle's kitchen staff." Leon exclaimed.
"I know, but Zack's right—they're still kids and they're just trying to have some fun before we have to push them out into the real world."
"Cloud! Argh, they're almost seventeen!"
Marching down towards his lover, Cloud stood nose to nose with his brunet haired king and yanked him even closer to him as he glared harder, "We'll discuss this matter later." He said before releasing his lover and leaving him angrily in the dust.
"Damn Leon! He's got you whipped!" Zack hollered, his attempts at holding back his laughter failing him with each second his grin widened.
"Shut up Zack!"
-x-x-x-x-
The group of five was laughing blissfully as they rode on pass the town and through the woods, their joy radiating and apparent to all who looked on at them. It wasn't every day that their childish schemes worked out as well as they did like today and they couldn't help but feel so celebratory about escaping the clutches of King Leon's wrath.
As they approached their destination, they slowed their horses to a steady trot, a calming sensation taking over them as they rested their eyes on the beauty of the running river that was laid out in front of them.
Taking his bow out from the leather scabbard on his back, Roxas urged his black and white painted mare, Destiny faster towards the water's edge. Sora too did the same and with his own gray colored horse, Isle and they trotted right behind his twin.
"You guys get some firewood, we'll go fishing!" Roxas shouted as he jumped off his horse onto the river's shore.
Knowing their duties, Hayner, Pence and Olette began the trudge back to the forest edge while the twins went into the river knee deep and started shooting arrow after arrow into the water.
Nanaki arrived not too long after and made his presence known by settling himself down next to the princes' horses. The red beast took his job as the twin's caretaker quite seriously, having known the two of them since they were only six years old. Now the two were growing up and were twiddling on the edge of their adolescent lives and on the journey to adulthood. Still, he couldn't help but see them as the children he always knew them to be.
Getting the fire started and successfully catching at least two baskets full of fish, everyone began to circle around and cook their evening meal. Nanaki as well, joined in on their festivities, snuggling especially close to Roxas as he nuzzled his head into the blonde's side.
One fish after another, they ate and ate—all laughing and smiling even as the sun began to set. With stomachs full and satisfied, the moon rising high into the sky, the teens knew that their day had finally come to an end and that they all had homes to go to and beds waiting to sleep in.
Kicking the surrounding dirt over their fire, and cleaning up what they could, the five reluctantly got on their horses and started the short trip leading back to town.
"How much trouble do you think you guys will be in?" Hayner asked solemnly.
Recognizing the seriousness in their friend's voice, the twins looked at each other and frowned, "We don't know," Sora finally said.
"I hope it isn't too much, I mean its summer—we have to spend time with each other as much as possible before it's over." Olette commented.
"Yeah, but dad can be quite cruel sometimes. If anything, he'll probably forbid Sora and I from seeing you guy's for a while after all the trouble we caused today."
"No way! That's just—"
"I believe that if you two behave yourselves for a while, his majesty will be lenient with your punishment." Nanaki finally spoke up as he padded closely beside Roxas and Destiny.
"Thanks for the optimism Na."
"My pleasure."
-x-x-x-x-
Hayner, Pence and Olette all arrived home safe and sound, this the twins and Nanaki made sure of as they too headed home towards the castle. Along the way, the few townspeople still out and about greeted them warmly, which the princes returned with a great amount of gratitude.
Though they were quite rebellious one way or another, Nibelheim adored their highnesses whole heartedly. There weren't many princes and princesses out there that ventured so freely and made friends with everyone they met like Sora and Roxas. This the town loved about them—and each and every time the twins somehow manage to surprise everyone with their childishness and generosity. Really, what kind of princes would willingly run about town picking up the manual labor going on or help out at the local baker's and blacksmith?
Much too soon, Sora and Roxas found themselves on the castle grounds, the night guards already helping them put away their horses in the stables. Zack was the first to approach them, his face turned into a frown as he stood there with his arms crossed.
"I hope you know how very worried your fathers and all of us were about you two."
"Sorry Zack." They both said; their heads hung low to hide some of the shame on their faces.
"What's done is done boys, at least Nanaki here was with you so I wasn't too concerned. Now, chins up and head on inside, your fathers and their guests are most likely waiting in the library for you since it is past supper."
"Right…" Roxas said as he swallowed nervously.
"I'm too young to die…" Sora whimpered.
"You're not gonna die, Leon's just gonna chew you guys up and spit ya right back out." The dark haired male ruffled both of the princes' spikey hair. Pushing them on through the front doors, he escorted them up the main stairs to the east wing.
"Zack, that does not make us feel any better!"
"Hey, I said he's going to chew you up not kill you," Opening the doors to the library, Zack quickly shoved the boys in, "They're home!"
The sound of a book being slammed shut caused the twins to jump in place. Gulping, they looked to Zack for some amount of pity, but the captain of the guards merely saluted and wished them luck before leaving them to their doom.
Sitting at the oak wooden desk at the far right of the room was their father, Leon and next to him was an expressionless looking Cloud, "I'm glad to see you're both safe and sound." Leon said, his voice only slightly controlled.
"Y-yeah…"
There on the other side of the room by the fireplace was King Ansem sitting comfortably in the leather chair in front of the blazing fire, his daughter Kairi taking a seat right up on the love couch and Axel lying on his stomach at their feet with a book in front of him. Seeing that the twins were back though, the three looked up at the boys silently.
Axel especially, stared intently at the blond prince, taking in the young boy's nervous form. He could see that they were both dirty, their pants covered in a thin layer of mud. Their boots were in no better condition either, so he had to wonder, just where in the world they had disappeared to earlier.
"Now, about what happened earlier today… Start explaining." Leon made no requests and the twins knew instantly that it was an order and what Leon said always goes.
"We were all talking about it being summer and having only two more years left until society sees us as a couple of young adults." Roxas was the first to say, his arms crossing tightly against his chest.
"We just wanted to have a bit of fun together and we were craving sweets so…"
"We stole the key, tricked the kitchen staff upstairs to the east wing where we locked them up from the outside then did as we pleased in the kitchen. There! Happy?" Roxas said with abrupt stomp and glared.
"Damn…" Axel murmured under his breath from his side of the room.
"What you two—no what you five, both of you and your three friends did was wrong! You should known better than to have done that!"
"Leon…" Cloud glared daggers at his lover, thus silencing the brunet from shouting any further and making even more of a fool of himself than he already had in front of their guests, "Now, I'm not very happy with what the two of you did either. If anything, I'm disappointed."
That last word made the twins wince terribly. Roxas had to bite his tongue from feeling a sudden rush of guilt fill his chest and it made him upset to know how their dad felt about their actions. Sora felt no better but stuck to keeping his head bowed low.
"Despite my disappointment in you two, I must say how very crafty you were to have pulled off such a plan."
"What?" Sora and Roxas quickly looked up, their faces painted with surprise. Even Leon was at a loss and stared at his blond haired lover with a set of wide dark blue eyes.
"C-Cloud! Don't encourage them!"
"Shut it Leon."
This, Axel couldn't contain himself and he bellowed in his laughter a little too hysterically until Ansem gave his son a rough kick to his leg to silence him.
Ignoring the strange redhead, Roxas walked the short distance over to the desk and stood directly in front of his two fathers, "Dad…"
Seeing the seriousness in his son's eyes, Cloud returned the stare, "I understand that you two are still young but as your father, I'm not letting you guys off the hook."
Joining his twin, Sora came over to stand next to the blond, his face just as blank but his eyes determined enough to contrast against his expression, "We know, it's not like we came back knowing that we'd get away with what we did scoot free."
"Right, your father and I have discussed this and we both agreed that your punishment will be to entertain Prince Axel and his sister Princess Kairi during their entire stay here with their father, his majesty King Ansem the Wise," Cloud stated. "Furthermore, you are not allowed to see your friends until your seventeenth birthdays. Till then, I suggest getting used to being good hosts. Also, we allowed some of the kitchen staff a little vacation for the trouble you both put them through, so be prepared to get up bright and early because you're working tomorrow."
"Wha—What!"
"Don't even think about trying to get out of this one, boys'." Leon warned.
Looking at each other, the twins knew that no amount of begging or good deeds could get them out of this mess. Knowing their dad Cloud, he was just as frightening as their father Leon could ever be. Sucking up their pride and sticking it out, the two nodded in silence.
"Now that we've come to an understanding, go greet our guests." Leon barked, his hand reaching up to massage his temple.
As the twins turned heel and walked over to the old king and his children, Cloud leaned in close to Leon's face before giving him a peck on the cheek, "That went much better than I thought it would."
"Whatever…" he groaned in reply, only to receive another peck to his cheek from the blond male beside him.
Standing before Radiant Garden's royal family, the twins gave the three a bow. Axel smirked, while his sister giggled from her seat and Ansem chuckled softly at their gesture.
"Welcome to Nibelheim your majesties." Sora almost twittered, a smile now replacing the frown he wore but seconds ago.
"We apologize for our rude behavior and not meeting you sooner. We were occupied with other duties that were in need of our attention." Roxas added. Trying to sugar coat his words, Axel snorted and pressed his nose deep into the book in front of him.
Roxas caught the redhead's actions and his face fell into a pout.
"Please, don't worry. You're both still young; enjoy your youth while you still can." Ansem said.
"We try all the time." Sora replied with a short laugh at the end.
"Now, this lovely girl right here is my daughter, Kairi and the buffoon lying on the ground at my feet is my son, Axel."
Roxas' body shook suddenly in his attempts to combat the giggles invading him. Leaning on Sora for support, he held his stomach and bit his lip. The older twin, unlike his brother had no real control at holding back his laughter. So when the first bits of his amusement were heard, they both came crashing down in a fit of merriment as they pointed down at the redhead.
"Ha, ha that's very funny father, now look what you've gone and done to them." Axel said as he rolled his green eyes.
Kairi giggled, she too feeling just as amused, "Oh please, father has every right to call you a buffoon, I mean the insult just suits you in every way, shape and form."
"Kairi, not another word."
"Yes, oh dear older brother of mine." She said, batting her dark eyelashes at him.
-x-x-x-x-
The clock on the wall chimed, informing the people occupying the room that it was well past nine now. Seeing that it was getting quite late, Leon and Cloud began to usher everyone to their rooms. After taking a moment to breathe, Sora and Roxas still needed to take their bathes before bed so did just that.
Parting ways with his twin and entering his own respective bedroom, Roxas buffed his damp blond tresses with the pristine white towel on his head. Giving his bedroom door a kick close for good measure, he made his way over to the bed and dropped himself down onto the comforter. Breathing a relaxing sigh, the sound of coughing in the room startled the blond back up and he threw the towel off of his head.
"Sorry if I surprised you blondie, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Leaning against the wall next to the window was none other than Radiant Garden's heir, Prince Axel standing there with his arms crossed, wearing a pair of brown form fitting slacks and a white button down shirt.
What was even more surprising to Roxas was that he could see the redhead's bare chest. It wasn't his fault though because Axel already had his shirt unbutton far enough for the blond to gaze upon the faint trail of red hair leading down to god knows where. Just, it was all as plain as day and in those few seconds of staring at the godly form that was Axel, did Roxas begin to feel his face taking up the darkest blush he had ever had in his life.
Noticing the younger boy's unusual silence, the older prince raised a brow at first but quickly realized why the blond seemed so stunned, "My, my, I didn't know I had admirers reaching so far as Nibelheim of all places." He began to muse.
Gasping, Roxas quickly shook his head. Though he knew he was still blushing, it didn't stop him from giving the redhead the good old stink eye, "Just what are you doing in here? This is my room."
He laughed, "I told you before, I just wanted to check up on you that's all."
"Why?"
"Why you ask?
"Yes, why."
"Well because, you did get your little ass handed to you pretty good by your old man and now you and your brother have to play host for my sister and I as punishment. Not to mention the chores you've got to do in the kitchen tomorrow, oh! And not being able to see your friends I forgot to add."
"Are you trying to make me angry here?" Roxas swung his feet over the bed until he touched the cold stone floor again.
"Maybe? I apologize if it seems that way."
"Yeah, sure you are…"
"Oh, I am sorry, really I am." Axel said, this time with a smirk.
"Liar." Roxas then padded around the bed and over to the redhead, his glare even more intense than before.
"You're so full of life, I admire it." The redhead's voice strangely became soft as he said that. Roxas didn't understand why and he didn't get a chance to ask as Axel somehow maneuvered around him and walked on towards his bedroom door.
"Hey Roxy, I look forward to spending the rest of the summer with you." Axel said, his green eyes peering over his shoulder at the blond haired prince before he made his exit silently out of the room.
Now left alone, Roxas felt his legs turn to jelly and he found himself struggling back to the sanctuary of his bed. He didn't know why his heart was pounding all of a sudden and it didn't help how dizzy his head was feeling either. This wasn't good. And now, having seen a glimpse of Axel's character, the blond was pretty sure he wasn't going to like playing nice for a guest like him. Another thing was that it was still just the second week of June and an entire summer stuck with a guy like that redhead, Roxas really, really wasn't sure how well he'd be able to handle living with him for next two and half months.
A/N: That's about 19 pages right there, 19 pages you guys! One of the longest chapters I have ever written! And why did I write so much? Because this story is only going to be like three chapters (maybe even four if I don't squeeze in as much story as I want) but I'll be damned if I go any more than that because I still have Beneath the Surface to work on and that requires a lot of character and relationship development.
I already have this entire story laid out so hopefully I can get in the next chapter by tomorrow. I'm like desperate to finish this all in time for Akuroku day T-T Any who, I really do hope that you guys have enjoyed this tid bit and feedback would be really great from all of you :'3 Until tomorrow? Next time? Yeah!