Broken Hearts, Broken Promises

by Nalyx

"If there was one fact that was commonly known among the world's population, it was that people did not like what they did not understand. Through the years this undeniable fact had been proven in such ways like racism, religious wars, culture wars; the list was endless."

If there was one fact that was commonly known among the world's population, it was that people did not like what they did not understand. Through the years this undeniable fact had been proven in such ways like racism, religious wars, culture wars; the list is endless. There are many who embrace the unknown and face it rather than run from it, but are cruelly outmatched. However they continue to stand tall, proud and ready to embrace anything that could break through the cloud of darkness that ominously shielded their world. They want to help others accept the unknown, question it, decipher it; so that the world may be a bigger and hopeful place and could serve to be a home that was worth keeping

These brave people, who's only wish was to break free from the box that society had pinned them in, never seemed to reach the light and were shunned by the only place they could call home. They were ignored and made to believe that they were sick, so they can never reach the unknown wonders or grow into something bigger and better than a simple man. They were chained down, beaten both physically and mentally; morphed into something they could no longer call 'themselves' and would never be able to piece together the broken image that had once been a happy, thinking individual.

For Roxas his abuse started at age fourteen.

It was a slip of the tongue, a single moment where he asked one too many questions, and the hand clashing with his cheek hurt more than a thousand knives sinking their metallic teeth into his flesh. A spike of anger, fear and humiliation flowed through him like the very blood in his body and the words that demanded to slip past his lips were swallowed down forcefully in fear that he'd be struck again. His questions were like bile that refused to be pushed down and it burned his throat violently while he accepted the onslaught of venomous words spat at him. Right before him his heart crumbled into dust and was swept away with the wind as his parent's hateful words never relented. It was the day that he learned to be quiet, to never ask questions and to blindly follow the flock of sheep without any hesitation.

It was the day that he cried the hardest and wished he had never had the misfortune of being born into this world and it was the day that he learned he could trust no one. No matter how friendly their smile was, how comforting their words were, how nice they appeared to be; he knew deep in his heart that everyone was an enemy in the fascist place he lived in.

He was on his own. That was his life until many years later, when a shining pair of blue eyes pierced the darkest corners of his mind.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was a colorless, dreary day and the twenty-one year old had just about enough of cleaning the same spot on the counter over and over again. He was almost afraid that he'd drive a hole into the fine wood if he kept scrubbing, but he had nothing better to do. There were few customers in the small restaurant and most of them didn't need any of his assistance except for the occasional refill of their choice of beverage. He groaned and pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead, begging for Anything to fix this incredibly dull Monday afternoon that he had been hand chosen to deal with.

A squeaky door and the chime of a bell indicated that either someone was leaving or entering and Roxas reluctantly turned his head towards the offensive item. At first there was nothing too interesting about the newly arrived customer; he was tall, skinny with maybe a hint of toned muscle on his revealed arms. Nothing about this man was extraordinary, except for his piercing blue eyes and the silky red hair cascading down his back in a neat ponytail. It was radiant, exotic and within moments the stranger had captivated the young blond.

His breath hitched when pools of icy blues looked towards him followed by a red eyebrow rising in confusion, but a soft chuckle escaped thin lips that Roxas couldn't help but look at, "It's the hair isn't it?"

"What?" Roxas replied, attempting to seem innocent even though he knew very well he was caught red handed.

The man walked over in a few strides and sat himself down at the bar long forgotten by the blond, "The hair. It catches a lot of people's eye since it's not really common. Don't worry I'm not mad at you for gawking."

A blush crept across the blond's cheeks as he let out a breathy laugh, "Is it...natural?"

"If you're asking if the curtains match the carpet then yeah. They do." It was such a brash answer that Roxas almost didn't know what to do with himself. For him this whole scenario was strange due to the fact that he normally didn't speak to customers more than he had to and yet this unique man captured his attention like a moth to the flame. The redhead's whole body language was different from any other person he had known in his life. It was relaxed, almost lazy, and yet screamed for attention all at the same time while other's would be rigid and closed off, "Wow, do you always stare intensely at your customers?"

He was snapped out of the trance and looked at the man with a deeper blush painted on his cheeks, "I'm sorry um...is there anything you need?" He looked for his notepad and pen in a slight panic, only to realize that it was in his back pocket the whole time. He fished it out and pressed the pen to the paper harder than was necessary.

A soft chuckle followed by a smirk caused the flustered waiter's heart to palpitate and he waited in torturous silence for the mystery man to make his order, "What do you suggest blondie?"

The pen slipped and tore the paper when the unwanted nickname hit his ears and for a moment he thought about murdering this unfamiliar, weird man, "My name is Roxas. Not blondie and I recommend you never call me that again if you want to keep your tongue." The blond slapped a hand over his own mouth while his eyes shot wide. He hadn't meant to let that slip out, it was only suppose to be a thought, but was somehow ripped out of his brain and manifested into words.

The redhead almost looked just as surprised as Roxas, but the awkward silence was thankfully broken by the laugh that erupted from the strange man. Roxas had never been so thankful and confused in his whole life. He had been flat out rude to this customer and here he was laughing as if it wasn't a big deal at all, "You've got sass kid. I like it. Just a beer is fine, doesn't matter which one as long as it's not piss water."

The blond nodded dumbly, fetched the beer for him and flinched when long, calloused fingers brushed against his hand in an attempt to accept the sweating beer bottle.

"Thanks." It was a simple word, but it sent an unwanted shiver down his spine, causing his back to arch slightly. He watched playful lips curve upwards and a teasing tongue lap at the head of the bottle languidly, ridding it of any lingering alcohol. The smooth motion left Roxas breathless and had him, regrettably, flustered. He didn't have much experience in sex due to his lack of social skills. He was very much interested in the act, but the specific qualities he looked for in a partner were unattainable for him.

Another chuckle signified that the man was done playing and he quickly took a swig of his beer, "So, Roxas. Why so glum? You looked like you were ready to put a bullet through that pretty head of yours before my fine self walked i-."

The blond gasped and slapped a hand over the redheads mouth before looking around to see if any attention had been drawn to the flirtatious man. He sighed softly, but his hand remained still even when the man glared at him. He leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Meet me outside and don't go anywhere."

Without another word he withdrew his hand, gathered his coat and informed his boss that he was going on break before heading outside into the chilly air of late winter. It was at that moment that he noticed the lit cigarette placed between the lips of the man from the bar. He held back a shriek, snatched it and put it out as if the death stick had insulted him personally, "are you freaking crazy!?" his words were hushed, but still filled with confusion and fury.
"What the hell is your problem?" That seemed to be the last straw for the redhead as any playful or flirty tone dissipated from his tone, "A guy can't enjoy a cigarette now?"
"No you can't! Just...agh! Come with me." He violently grasped the redhead's wrist and yanked him into an alley where he thoroughly checked to see if anyone was around to eavesdrop, "Do you have a death wish or something?"

The redhead rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, "Look I don't need some Kid to lecture me about the dangers of cigarettes."

"Obviously you Do! Smoking these things could get you killed do you not understand that?"

"I understand perfectly fine. Does it look like I care?" He pointed to himself while his other hand busied itself with getting out a red box that was unmistakably a pack of cigarettes.
Roxas threw his hands up in the air and started to pace as his clouded brain struggled to thoroughly analyze the situation. Suddenly it dawned on him and his legs came to a halt to look at the man again. He had no idea who this man was and that in itself was strange. He lived in a relatively small town and most everyone knew each other, but this man was a complete stranger. He had never even seen him walking in a crowd of people before, "Where are you from?"

"Why does that matter, yo?" He took another drag of the newly lit cigarette while Roxas tried with all his might not to shove the stick down the stranger's throat.

"It Matters because you're definitely not from here." Panic was constricting his chest to a painful degree and breathing was suddenly becoming a chore as he sucked in the icy air, "Where. Are you. From."

The redhead sighed and rolled his eyes once more, "You're right I'm not from here. I'm just passing through."

"That's a lie!" The panic he had bottled up for years was now bubbling over and oozing out of his mouth in the form of fear and anger, "No one just passes through here." he emphasized by making air quotes and even took a step forward to get in the man's face, "This town isn't even known to outsiders. So what the hell are you doing here!?"

The man's eyes cast down in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, but the hand rubbing sheepishly at his neck told all, "Okay fine. You got me. I'm not passing through. I'm kind of...stuck here."

The blond's heart dropped viciously down to his stomach and his face quickly paled at the word. Stuck. He knew that word all too well. He was forever stuck in this hell hole he was forced to call his home and forever had to put on a charade to please his captors, "Stuck?"

"Yep." The one word reply irritated Roxas to his very core and in his anxiety he had lost control of any rational thought or gesture. His hands were no longer under his control and were eagerly waving in a circle to encourage the redhead to continue. He wanted an explanation as to why this snark intruder was suddenly thrown into their isolated town. The mystery man flicked his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with his shoe, "Is there anything else you want?"

Aggravated and mentally exhausted, Roxas found that the only thing he could do was explain to this rude man where exactly he was, "Look I'm just trying to help you. You aren't in a friendly or forgiving place and doing stuff like that," he pointed to the crushed cigarette on the asphalt, "will get you killed if you don't listen to me."

Curiosity flashed in light blue eyes and it seemed that the blond had gotten through to him. The redhead relaxed against the wall and crossed his arms, "Okay. Go ahead and explain then."

Although relieved, Roxas still remained rigid and only allowed a sigh to signify his relief, "First of all you're in a place called Oblivion. Fun sounding name right? Second of all this place isn't even on the map. It's kind of a place that's completely isolated from any other kind of society and it has very, very strict rules. Smoking is illegal unless it's inside your house and you live by yourself. Alcohol is also illegal unless you drink it in a bar and you have to be sober by the time you leave or they'll be trouble."
The redhead rose an eyebrow and waved his hand to pause the blond's explanation, "Wait, wait, wait, this is just Normal stuff. Well except for the smoking part. Where I come from you can smoke outside and stuff. What's the big deal?"

"Where you come from doesn't matter here. Here if you smoke outside, if you drink outside a bar, if you conduct in sexual activity with a man, if you question anything about how this place run; you will be killed on the spot. No questions asked and no second chances." With each rule he listed, another finger was put up and Roxas could only desperately hope this man would get it. He felt disgusting for even having to explain these rules in the first place to someone who wasn't from here. He was still pondering why he was here in the first place.

The man scoffed and kicked at a rock, "Sounds like you need to do at least two of those things."

"This is serious si-!"

The redhead held a hand up to cut off his words, "My name isn't sir. Never call me that. Makes me feel old, yo."

"Is this really the biggest issue on your mind right now!?"

He ignored the blond's words and simply went off with his introduction, "My name is Reno."

"Are you even listening to me!?"

"Your name's Roxas right?" He tapped his finger to his chin and pursed his lips in thought, "I think I'll call you Rox."

"Reno!" The blond used his name in hopes that he'll finally start listening and let the seriousness of the situation settle in. Did he not understand that he was basically trapped here forever?

"Yes?" The redhead replied calmly, blue orbs looking straight into Roxas'. It was such an intense gaze that the blond had almost forgotten why he wanted the man's attention in the first place.

"Were you...listening?" He timidly asked. It was hard to form words when he was so mesmerized with those blue eyes. They were filled with knowledge of the outside world, they held information that Roxas always longed to obtain and the best thing of all was they were alive. He was familiar with the dead stare he saw in every pair of eyes he passed and it was what he hated the most. No one in this town was alive, but none of them were aware that they were walking corpses.

"Yeah, I was listening and I understand. I'm currently working on an escape plan in here." he tapped his forehead and flashed a cocky smirk, "I should be out of here in a week."

Nervous laughter forced it's way out of Roxas's mouth as if it were vomit and he slapped a hand over his eyes to hide the tears threatening to spill free, "There's no way out. Don't you understand that? There are guards everywhere. There are eyes everywhere. If you make one...little screw up, that's it. You're dead. Why can't you...grasp that?" He wasn't sure when the tears had finally streamed down his face or when he started sobbing or even when he had fallen to his knees. Hearing his own words had made him truly realize that there was no hope anymore, there was no way out and he had to accept that.

Strong arms encircled him, bringing him close to a surprisingly warm chest, and a surprisingly soft tone caressed his ears in a comforting manner, "Hey. Shhh...don't talk like that. The fight isn't over until you're buried six feet under." calloused hands rubbed at Roxas' shaking form and Reno could only hope that it helped even a little.
The blond shook his head frantically, "There's no hope. There never was."

Reno grasped the younger man's chin and gingerly tilted his head up, giving him his best playful smile he could muster, "Sounds like you've had it rough, yo. Must stink to live in a place where everything fun is punishable by death. How about you escape with me?"

Roxas blinked and stared up at the man in disbelief. He sounded so sure that they'd escape and go far away from this place and he so desperately wanted to believe Reno, "But...we'll die."

"Isn't it better to die trying than to live a miserable and fearful life?" He cupped the blond's cheek and wiped a tear with his thumb.

"You're willing to try even though you'll most likely die?" The tears were slowly stopping and that comforting hand on his cheek made him burn a lovely red.

"Eh, dying isn't so scary. You look like you already want to die to be honest. If you did die while trying to escape, maybe you'll inspire people to do the same and if you don't die and you make it out of here then that's good too. It seems like a win-win situation for ya." He chuckled and closed his eyes for a moment before he felt two shaking, cold hands on his cheeks and then chapped lips caressing his own in a gentle kiss.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Reno didn't mind the kiss one bit even if it was clearly obvious that the blond had never kissed anyone in his life. It had been shocking at first and threw him off guard, a task not easy to do, but after tasting the desperation, sorrow and fear on those pink lips; he knew he couldn't deny Roxas. How could he when the blond looked so pathetic and broken? He decided that it was time to educate this poor soul and teach him how to Really kiss. He took Roxas' hands and gently guided them to the brick wall, where he pinned the blond and attacked his mouth with his skill tongue and teeth.

There was no resistance from Roxas and he gladly allowed Reno to take control and whisk him away. He had never experienced so much fear before, but out of that fear came an immense amount of delight and craving; a craving that he didn't know needed to be sated until now. The blond gasped sharply when he felt hips touch hips and he groaned at the small friction between them before adding more to it.

"Heh lemme ask you something, mnn, Roxas. Are you a virgin?" The redhead reciprocated and moved his lips and teeth to the crook of the blond's flawless neck. He smiled with delight when he felt Roxas shiver beneath him as his teeth nibbled and teased his skin.

"D-Do you really need to ask?" Roxas felt that it was obvious that he had never had sex before; he barely knew how to kiss, why would Reno need to ask That? He emphasized his annoyance with another jerk of his hips and smirked at the surprised moan he elicited from Reno.
"Just a question blondie. No need to get your panties in a bunch." The mischievous man let go of Roxas' hands and grabbed the blonds ass to hike him up, "Wrap your legs around me." When the blond complied he smiled with glee and rewarded him with another kiss.

"W-We shouldn't do anything here." Roxas stated, his words trembling from the distracting pleasure he was receiving. The low purr from Reno made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and caused his arousal to twitch.

"What do you think we're going to do?" Reno loved nothing more than to tease his prey and Roxas was probably the best one he ever caught. He was fascinated with the way blond eyebrows scrunched in disapproval and frustration and how Roxas would bite his lip to keep any moans from escaping. Everything about this strange man screamed innocent and Reno wanted to sink his teeth and claws into that innocence and gloriously defile it.

A whimper of his name was all it took for Reno to lose it. It was so small and begging and he wanted finally grant the patient blond his wish. With another chuckle he leaned close to Roxas' ear and licked the shell before murmuring, "Do you have someplace we can go?"