Happy Halloween!
The Black Ribbon
Zo
Axel had known Roxas since forever. They grew up together, they had gone to school together, and they saw each other almost every single day for the past twenty two years. Axel knew everything there was to know about Roxas, like how he hated overdramatized women or that his favorite drinks were iced mocha lattes with heaps of whipped cream. He knew Roxas inside out, like the back of his hand. He knew everything there was to know except for one, small, tiny detail that seemed more alike to a mountain than a molehill.
For as long as Axel had known Roxas, the blond had always, always worn a thick strap of black ribbon around his throat. One that never seemed to fade in color, which led Axel to believe that he replaced it often, and one that Axel had always asked about. Roxas never would tell him – saying the redhead should mind his own business for once.
And of course this never pleased Axel, for he was naturally curious. He wanted to know everything about Roxas. He could say he was in love with his best friend, but he wouldn't. He was allowed to have his secrets too.
When they were growing up Axel had never noticed it that much, he was young and thought it was normal, and for awhile he had such a puppy crush on the blond that it didn't matter. But now, he wanted to know in his thirst for knowing everything about his best friend/wet dream material. Why would someone like Roxas wear something that seemed so out of character?
Often Roxas would wear collared shirts, the ribbon was low enough on his neck to be easily hidden by the fabric, but Axel knew it was there – that offending piece of black cloth; he had made his life's goal to uncover its secrets – he saw the ribbon as if Roxas wasn't wearing a shirt at all.
It was always on his mind, looming in the back of his head, constantly nagging, telling of secrets and fantasies that only his imagination could possibly conjure. It was a consuming thought.
That was until the day Roxas had kissed him. He knew Roxas wasn't one to beat around the bush, but he didn't expect a confession to come in the form of making out for five minutes in the alley by the Starbucks where Roxas always got his coffee.
Axel would always remember that he tasted like coffee and chocolate.
For those next six months, Axel couldn't have been happier, and neither could Roxas. It was as if they were made for each other, one existing for the other. If Roxas ever did anything to upset the redhead he was almost always forgiven – and likewise for the blond, out of the sheer amount of love they held for one another. And the ribbon was forgotten.
But those days wore off as they became a well functioning and affectionate unit. They knew everything about each other. From how to please the other straight down to their sleeping habits and how much shampoo they used per shower.
One day Axel and Roxas sat on their overly-stuffed stripped couch in their overly-cramped apartment watching TV. Axel's long fingers were idly tracing the curve of Roxas' shoulders, humming in contentment until the pad of his forefinger brushed against the smooth fabric. He stopped and Roxas pushed his hand away.
They had been going steady for almost over six months now. Axel had thought Roxas trusted him, because not only that, but they were friends for life. He felt betrayed and disappointed as he glared at the black object of his hatred.
He had to know the secret behind it. The not knowing… the mystery behind it – he was probably growing a brain tumor because of it. "Hey Rox… Why do—"
"Axel please, we're happy, right? Can't we just forget about it?"
Axel's green eyes narrowed but he consented to his love's wish. They were happy and he didn't need to be messing it up already over a stupid ribbon that he'd always hated for as long as he can remember…
As the months passed on, the redhead amused himself with the many possibilities of why Roxas would wear that ribbon. Maybe it was like when people tied strings around their fingers to remember something, but his was a ribbon around his neck and he had forgotten… Or maybe the blond had some sort of disfiguring scar that he was hiding, or a Siamese twin stub. Or maybe he wore it to piss him off.
It was unfair, Axel decided, one year into their relationship, that Roxas was allowed to know him inside out and upside down, but Axel couldn't know Roxas. It was distressing and frustrating, but Axel loved his blond too much to break their happiness.
So he stayed silent, trying to burn the ribbon off with his eyes whenever Roxas turned around.
When their relationship had hit the two year mark, Axel lost his patience. Day in and day out he had waited for Roxas to tell him on his own accord. But no; Roxas didn't say a word about the never fading, perpetually black ribbon that he wore so snug around his neck.
"Roxas, why do you wear that ribbon?" Axel asked one night as they got ready for bed.
The blond sighed and crawled into bed. "Why are you so annoying, Axel?"
He huffed and crawled in next to his lover. What was so secret about a stupid ribbon anyway?
His sleep was fitful that night. He rolled and tossed and smacked Roxas a few times – the blond was used to it by now. He continued to wake at odd hours in the night from the strangest of dreams.
Finally at two in the morning his eyes closed and he fell into a more peaceful sleep with a more vivid dream.
"Rox, why do you wear that ribbon?" his dream-self asked dream Roxas.
As always dream Roxas and normal Roxas alike pushed Axel away. "Just leave it be, okay?"
In his frustration he forgot about his promise to his lover, grabbed a pair of scissors from the desk drawer and snipped the fabric when Roxas turned to crawl into bed. Axel felt satisfied when the ribbon was cut, but before he could do or say anything Roxas' head rolled off his shoulders and landed on the bedroom floor with a loud clunk.
He watched in horror as Roxas brought his hands up to search for his missing head; there was a sobbing from the floor.
"Oh, my h-head!" sobbed Roxas' head from the ground. "W-why did you do this to me, Axel? I thought you l-loved me!"
Axel kneeled to the floor and scooped up Roxas' crying head, his heart was in his throat from both fear and guilt. He tried in vain to set the blonds' head back upon his shoulders, but each time it slid off and Roxas only cried harder.
He awoke with a start, crying out, "I'm so sorry!" Once he realized it was only a dream he sighed and relaxed. Peering over at Roxas' sleeping body he laughed slightly to himself. He did have an overactive imagination, Roxas knew that. But what were the possibilities that Roxas' head would fall off if he removed the ribbon? Not likely.
Slowly he leaned over Roxas, hesitantly bringing his fingers to the knot that was at the base of the blonds' neck. He had been dying to know for so long… What was the worst thing that could happen? He set his nimble fingers to untying the ribbon, and once it was untied he held it in front of his face with a mystified look.
Suddenly his face was in the blankets and he felt disorientated. He couldn't see but he felt Roxas shift and sit up. After a long pause the blond began to laugh.
Axel's head had fallen off.
Roxas picked up Axel's head and set it gently back onto his shoulders, having the redhead hold it there as he tied the black ribbon around Axel's neck, securing it in place.
The blond smirked, rubbing his neck where the ribbon had been almost all his life. "Hey, Axel, why do you wear that ribbon?"