Title: Everybody's Broken, But I'm Still Here
Author: UtterlyRandom
Rating: M
Disclaimer: If I owned them, this would be published and on bookshelves, not on FF. Just saying.
Summary: Axel moved away from Destiny Islands to live with his dad and twin brother in Radiant Garden and attend Hollow Bastion Academy. Now that it's summer vacation,he's back to visit his mom and little sister and see his old friends again. However, he didn't plan on seeing an old best friend, one that he always loved more than a best friend. How will he handle the love of his life seeing him after abandoning him after all these years? Will he be forgiven? Songs in (almost) every chapter. Bandfic. Minor Kairi-bashing.
Families/Ages: Tenshi Family: Squall "Leon" Leonhart (27), Cloud Strife (25) and Sora and Roxas Tenshi (17)
Lea Family: Karla, Alex, Reno and Axel (18) and Kairi (17)
Kokuei Family: Ozai, Jenova, Sephiroth (28), Riku (18) and Paine (14)
Highwind Family: Cid, Kate, Tidus (16) and Rikku (14)
Gainsboro Family: Lily, Jasper, Aerith (23), Selphie (16), Yuna (14)
Lockhart Family: Tiffany, Raul, Tifa (25) and Yuffie (20)
Fair Family: Melody, Braizon, Zack (25) and Pence (17)
Skye Family: Dalía, Mahad, Hayner (17) and Xion (14)
Kenai Family: Mai, Jet, Seifer (18)
Nomora Family: Tara, Cody and Olette (17)
Kyoshi Family: Sokka, Suki, Demyx (18) and Naminé (16)
Wise Family: Xemnas, Saïx, Zexion (18) and Fuu (17)
Fau Family: Dawn, Marlo, Marluxia (18)
Pairings: Axel/Roxas, Riku/Kairi (Not for long), Riku/Sora, Zexion/Demyx, Leon/Cloud and more!
Warnings: This fic will contain bad language, heavy sarcasm, tons of music, homosexual themes and erotica (otherwise known as gay sex, yaoi, etc), angst, drama and slight incest. If any of these offend you, don't read. Flames will be given to Axel. Thank you!
Chapter One:
One Day At A Time
The Destiny Islands is known to be a popular tourist site. Every year, tourists travel to the three Islands to see the Island natives, the sparkling white sandy beaches, the beautiful foliage with its rare paopu fruit and breathe the beautiful, refreshing Island air. However, for some people, they aren't traveling to Destiny Islands for it's beautiful beaches and scenery or it's rare fruit or the exotic natives. No, these people are returning to their second home, their birthplace. People like Axel Lea.
"I'm bored as hell." Axel groaned dramatically, his tall, lanky form sprawled all over his mother's seafoam green couch.
"You've only been home one day, Axel! How could you possibly be bored?" Karla, Axel's mother, asked.
Karla and her son shared very few similarities. They both had pale skin, despite living on Destiny Islands. Axel had inherited his mother's piercing, seemingly radioactive emerald-and-jade eyes. They also had the same prominent high cheekbones, straight, pointed noses and slender hips. However, that's where the similarities ended. Unlike her son's bright red hair, Karla's hair was a darker red, almost magenta and she was about 5"6 whereas her son was an incredible 6"3. Axel and his twin brother resembled their father, Alex, and their younger sister, Kairi, took after their mother.
Karla sighed. "Didn't I tell you to invite your friends from school to stay for the summer?"
"Yeah."
"Well then, where are they? Didn't you invite them? Couldn't they make it?"
"They're coming tonight, mom. Zexion had to get permission from his uptight fathers to use the summer house and Demyx stayed behind because he'll be staying with Zexion. Marluxia's probably gonna be with them, unless he convinced Luxord to stay in the band, which I doubt cause once Luxord makes up his mind, it stays made up." Axel explained before he groaned and sat up.
Karla raked her fingers through her hair and examined her reflection in the hall mirror. "Have some faith in your friends, Axel!" His mother admonished before she glanced at the clock on the living room wall. "Oh! I better get going!" She grabbed her purse off of the hall table and pulled on her shoes. "I know you're an adult now, but I still want a call if you'll be out late or staying over at Zexion's father's summer house, alright?"
Axel stretched and got to his feet. "Yeah, sure...bye."
"Bye, honey." She grabbed her son's arm and yanked him to her level so they were face to face and pecked him on the cheek. Karla let her son go and walked to the foot of the stairs. "I'm leaving, Kairi! Call me to let me know where you plan on staying tonight!" She shouted up the stairs.
Axel heard his sister shout back to their mother, "Okay! Bye mom!" Karla left as soon as Kairi replied.
The spiky red-headed male sat back down on the couch and closed his eyes. He didn't open them until his sixteen year old sister was skipping down the stairs ten minutes after their mother had left. His bright emerald green eyes widened when his sister walked into view and checked her reflection in the same mirror their mom had used before she went out.
"Why are you so- ah...dressed up?" He asked, examining Kairi from head to toe. His dear, sweet little sister wore a low cut light pink dress that ended mid-thigh and matching 3-inch high heeled knee-high boots.
"What?" The blue eyed girl, that looked just like their father's, asked and a pout formed on her lips. "Don't I look great?" Kairi asked, spinning in a circle to show off her outfit.
"Kairi, you're my little sister, so as your big brother, it is my job to tell you to march your barely-covered ass back upstairs to your room and put on something that even the Amish would approve of."
Kairi folded her arms over her chest. "You're not the boss of me, Axel."
"I don't care. If you don't go change right this minute, you're not going out tonight."
Kairi narrowed her blue eyes at the taller redhead and placed her hands on her hips. "For your information, Axel, mom was with me when I bought this outfit. She told me it would be perfect for tonight.."
Axel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's tonight? Halloween? National Dress-Like-A-Slut day?"
"No, stupid," the sixteen year old rolled her eyes, pulling a tube of cherry flavored lip gloss out of her purse and facing the mirror to apply a liberal amount to her already glossed lips, "It's Open Mic night at the new and improved twenty-one and under club Riku's band plays at. So we're all going out to see the bands and local singers perform."
"'We'? Who's 'we'?" The taller of the two redheads asked.
Kairi opened her cherry flavored lips to reply, but a car beeped it's horn from right outside the house. She shut her mouth as she put her lip gloss back inside her purse and slipped the purse strap over her shoulder, her hips swaying as she walked to the door. "If you want to find out, stop by Club Aftershock." She wiggled her fingers at her brother, halfway out the door. "Bye, bro! So glad you're back." And with that, she slammed the front door shut.
Axel jumped off the couch and yanked open the door in time to see the back door of a black Mustang corvette slam shut, the tires screeching as it backed out of the driveway and speed down the street. "Bye, Axel!" An echo of a group of female voices met his ears.
The green eyed male gritted his teeth and slammed the door shut before pivoting on his heels and running down the hall and up the stairs, taking them three at a time. He pulled his phone from his back pocket and punched in speed dial number five and hit the send button.
"Heyyy, Axel! We just got here! Are you psychotic?" Demyx exclaimed. Axel smiled a bit in a mix of exasperation and amusement in spite of himself.
"No, you're psychotic and mean 'psychic', and no. But I know what we're gonna do tonight. Club Aftershock. I want to check out how the music scene is since I've left." Axel said as he reached the landing. He strode to the end of the hall, his room was the second door on the right.
"Are we gonna play? Cause Marluxia's with us...he couldn't get Luxord to reconsider leaving the band." Axel's band mate admitted.
"I dunno." Axel jerked the doorknob and pushed his door open. "Dress to impress, cause you never know." Axel instructed as he entered his room.
Demyx laughed. "Axel, baby, I'm always dressed to impress. Unlike you." He shot back.
Axel laughed as he dumped the contents of his three suitcases onto his unmade bed. "Only because I'm most impressive when I'm not dressed!" The redhead countered, holding his cell phone between his shoulder and ear so he could use both hands to look for something to wear.
Axel's best friend snorted, "Riiight. Ax, just letting you know, I've seen you naked. And, yeah, I wasn't impressed."
"Well, that's only because you were drunk and that was way back when you thought you were straight. And, Dem, I hate to break it to you, but that wasn't me you saw naked. That was Reno."
There was a pause and Axel could only hear static before Demyx said, "Oh...well, you guys are twins, so I'm sure you look the same."
Axel held up a pair of black skinny jeans and smiled. "I'll prove you wrong later, baby. I've got to change." He said distractedly as he placed the jeans over the back of his desk char and began looking for a shirt to wear. "Google Club Aftershock and put the address into Zexion's Gummi World Positioning System. Let them know we're going and tell them to look stylish, yet stunningly sexy, like me. Got it memorized?"
His best friend laughed once more. "Got it, Flurry. See ya there!"
"Bye, Dem." The redhead ended the call and focused all of his attention on finding his favorite black silk button-up shirt. Three minutes later, he found it and slipped off his shorts and pulled on the black skinny jeans he'd set aside earlier.
The jeans accentuated his slender waist and clung to his long legs comfortably. The redhead put his cell phone in his pocket before taking off his well-worn Cobra Starship T-shirt. Axel put on the silk shirt, buttoning every ebony button except the last three, showing off his hairless, pale collarbone. He searched through a gym bag and pulled out a pair of fairly new black Italian dress shoes. He carefully applied a little bit of black eyeliner and blew himself a kiss in the mirror before grabbing his wallet, and keys and began to leave his house to go find his sister at Club Aftershock...and see who she went with.
SRAR
Axel flashed his ID at the bouncer and strode into the club. The dance floor was packed and everyone was dancing, singing and looked like they were having a blast. The redhead scanned the crowded club, looking for his blue eyed, scantily dressed little sister. However, after several minutes of searching, Axel decided to just relax and let her reveal herself to him in time, enjoy the scene and wait for his friends to arrive. While he waited, he scoped out the teenaged versions of the kids he had grown up with.
The eighteen year old could remember going to this same club with his friends when he was younger. That was before he had moved to Radiant Garden to live with his dad and twin brother and attended Hollow Bastion Academy and met Demyx, Zexion and Marluxia. The last time Axel had been to Club Aftershock, he had been fourteen years old and he and his best friends, Riku and Roxas, were inseparable. Axel kept in touch with Riku through e-mail, Skype and text messages and the two would hang out whenever Axel visited his mother and sister over school breaks, but Roxas...well, Axel hadn't seen nor heard from him since the day he left Destiny Islands to live with his dad four years ago.
Axel frowned at the thought of the short, blue eyed, spikey blonde haired boy he had been so close to.
"Fuck my stupid life." The redheaded male muttered under his breath, smacking his forehead with his palm and squeezing his eyes shut as he clenching his hand into a fist.
"Axel?" A somewhat familiar voice shouted over the music. "Hey! Axel!"
The green eyed male opened his eyes and lowered his fist to his side. He looked around him to find the person who had called his name. The voice sounded familiar, but when he didn't recognize anyone around him, he quickly gave up and began looking for his sister again.
"Axel!" A hand clutched his shoulder firmly and tugged swiftly, spinning Axel around to stare into very familiar light turquoise-teal eyes.
"Riku! What's your dumb ass self doing here?" He asked, all previous thoughts of finding Kairi disappearing as he pushed Riku's hand off his shoulder.
The tall (but not as tall as Axel), silver haired male laughed. "Me? What are you doing here?"
"Stalking my sister."
Riku laughed again. "Man, Axel, you need a hobby! Aren't there enough clubs and extracurricular activities at that fancy prep school you go to?" He joked.
Axel laughed sarcastically. "You haven't changed much. Same lame sense of humor."
Riku arched a perfectly threaded silver eyebrow. "Oh yeah? So one of those rich boys you're friends with is a comedian, huh?"
The redhead nodded, a smile playing on the corner of his lips. "Oh, yeah! Demyx, though he doesn't know it."
Axel's old best friend was silent, his aqua-turquoise eyes searching the redhead's face. After a few minutes, a small, sad smile graced the handsome, muscular male's soft, light pink lips.
"You've changed, Axel." Riku stated.
His oldest and dearest friend snorted. "Nah, man. I'm still the same pain in the ass pyromaniac everyone knows and hates to love. I haven't changed at all. Not compared to this place, anyway! Damn! It was never this crowded and the music was never this good back when we killed time here!"
Riku's face relaxed. "Maybe you haven't changed." He mused to himself.
"What'd you say?" Axel shouted as the song ended and the crowd around them cheered, clapped and whistled.
"Nothing." The silverette shook his head to silently make his point.
"Oh." Axel shrugged and looked around. His emerald green orbs lit up even brighter as he found some familiar faces in the crowded club. Kairi was standing by the entrance, talking to their cousins, Tidus and Rikku Highwind, and coming through the door were three faces Axel knew very well.
"What are you doing?!" Riku demanded, his eyes wide as his old friend began jumping up and down, waving his arms wildly above his spiked red hair.
"Waving over my friends! See 'em?" The man in question answered excitedly.
"Oh, you've found Kairi..." Riku frowned, then exhaled loudly. "Look, Axel, about Kairi...there's something I have to tell you."
Axel lowered his arms and ceased his jumping as his friends, followed by his family, began to make their way toward him. "Okay, what'd you want to tell me?"
The silverette inhaled deeply before saying, "I'm dating your sister."
Axel laughed. "Oh, man! You had me worried!" He slapped Riku's back as he laughed. A moment later, however, he stood up and ceased laughing. "Hang on...I thought we both decided we're gay." Axel's green eyes narrowed. "If you're gay and you're just going out with my sister so her feelings wouldn't get hurt, I will call this certifiably insane girl I know back at school and have her rape you." Axel's voice was as serious as he was a natural redhead.
Riku's already pale face paled even more. "Uh, bi, actually."
Axel whistled lowly, "Damn, so, you like it at both ends?" Riku's cheeks pinkened as he nodded and Axel shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Guess I was wrong."
Riku glanced around his friend's arm at Kairi, whom was stuck behind some freak with pink hair. "About me being gay? Yeah, you were wrong."
The green eyes male shook his head. "Nah, I don't care about that. Not really, anyway. I meant, I'm wrong because I always figured you'd end up with Sora."
Riku's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, but Axel didn't notice because the pink haired man Kairi had been behind suddenly jumped on Axel.
The redhead yelped as a blur of pink and black attacked him. "Marluxia! Get off me!"
"Never!"
"Hey, baby!" Kairi chirped a little too shrilly as she slid her body up against Riku and pressed her cherry lip glossed lips to Riku's mouth.
Riku hated cherry lip gloss and Kairi knew it. He also hated the way she snaked her thin, pale arms around his neck and hitched her leg up and hooked it around his torso and the back of his right leg, the heel of her boot digging through his pant leg and into his calves. However, what he hated the most was how desperate, eager and sloppy his girlfriend's kisses were.
"Marluxia, off!" Axel grunted, finally freeing himself from the pink-head's grip, letting Marluxia fall to the floor.
The redhead smiled in satisfaction as his friend pouted before he was jumped on once more.
"Demyx." The tall male growled through clenched teeth.
"Yes, Axel?" The mullet-haired youth question, sweet as sugar and puppy dogs.
"Get your fat ass off me!"
"No can do, Ax. I've missed you too much." Was the reply.
Meanwhile, Riku finally broke free of Kairi's clutches and wiped the disgusting cherry substance off of his mouth with the back of his hand. Kairi didn't pay attention. She was already pulling out a tube of the vile gunk and began to reapply the gloss until her lips shined under the flashing multicolored lights of the club.
Demyx jumped off of Axel just as the green eyed male pulled out his lighter. The dirty blonde landed in front of Riku, whom was smoothing the wrinkles out of his shirt Kairi's spur of the moment make out session had produced. The hyperactive sitar player eyed Riku up and down. The male had shoulder length silver hair that looked soft as silk . His shoulders were broad and muscular, as was the rest of his body. The silverette wore dark blue skinny jeans, white and black Converse, a tight black wife beater, black sleeveless vest that didn't zip nor button-up and a white tie was hanging loosely around his neck.
Demyx nodded his head, approving Riku's choice of clothing, except the tie. Who wears a wife beater with a tie? The sandy haired male held out his hand to the silverette. "Hey there! I'm Demyx, Axel's best friend! The guy with the pink hair is Marluxia and that's Zexion." Demyx pointed to the male with pink hair, whom had got off the floor and was talking to Axel. The other male was ignoring the crowd and conversation around him, his nose buried in a book. Riku mentally critiqued Axel's friends as Demyx chattered about his opinion of the Islands.
The hyperactive blonde was shorter than Riku, and had a hint of a tan, which only made his blue eyes shine even brighter. He was wearing a pair of loose dark blue Levi jeans. The jeans hugged his hips, but were loose around his thighs and calves. Demyx was wearing a pair of black combat boots and a silky royal blue button-up dress shirt. He would fit in on the Islands, if it weren't for his sandy blonde hair which was styled into a faux-mullet, but it somehow suited the man. Just like the boots he wore. Demyx shook his head and Riku noticed three earrings in the male's right ear and two on the other.
Riku subtly glanced at Marluxia. His skin was a light gold and he had a very angelic face, unlike Demyx's cute baby-like features. Like Demyx, the male had blue eyes, but his were icier. Marluxia was about the same height as Riku, give or take half an inch. He wore a pair of neon green skinny jeans and black canvas shoes. He was also wearing the same kind of shirt as Axel and Demyx, but his was a light pink color. Riku wondered if they all shared the same shirt preference and one glance at Zexion answered that question.
Zexion was about the same height as Demyx, maybe an inch taller. He was fair skinned and had slate-blue hair that was cut emo-style, shielding one of his eyes. The eye Riku could see, however, was a bright blue. The male wore a pair of dark gray stone-washed skinny jeans and black boots like Demyx wore. Zexion also had on the same shirt as his friends, except his shirt was navy blue.
"Riku!" Kairi shrieked, "Are we going to perform?"
Axel looked at Riku, his eyebrows raised. "Perform?"
Riku nodded. "Yeah. You know about my band." He punched his friend's shoulder. "What, did you think just because you left I would stop playing?"
The green eyed male laughed. "You should have! Without me, you suck!"
Riku raised an eyebrow. "Really, now, Axel? Well, I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong. Because I'm pretty sure you were the one who sucked."
Marluxia and Demyx laughed loudly, snapping Riku and Axel out of their playful banter.
"Those are some pretty heavy sexual innuendos! 'Performing', 'sucking'...what did you two do together?" Marluxia asked, laughing even louder when Riku and Axel blushed.
Demyx ignored Marluxia. "There's no way in hell Axel sucks! We would know." Marluxia snorted. "We're Hell's Nobodies." Demyx continued.
"Hell's Nobodies?" Kairi asked, surprising all of them. They had all been blissfully unaware of her presence until now.
"Yeah. It's our band. Axel started it. He's the lead singer. I'm kind of his co-lead singer and I play sitar. Marluxia is the bass guitarist and Zexion's the keyboardist. Our drummer, Luxord, quit on us. Said he was tired of being a 'Nobody', so he left." Demyx made a face.
"How cute!" Kairi squealed, jumping up and down excitedly. She grabbed Riku's arm, her nails digging into the muscle. "Riku has a band called Drowning in Shadows! I'm the keyboardist and female lead singer!"
"Who else is in your band? Axel asked his childhood friend.
"Well, me. I'm the lead singer and I play the guitar, drums and keyboard. And your cousin Tidus is my drummer, Kairi is the keyboardist and Rikku, Paine, and Yuna are my back up singers."
Axel nodded his approval. "A good bunch of people."
"Are you just saying that because your sister and cousins are in the band?" The silverette asked, his voice light and playful.
Axel smiled. "No. Tidus is a kick ass drummer and I know Rikku, Yuna and Paine can really belt it out and Kairi is a great keyboardist to boot."
"Aw, thanks big bro!" Axel's sister chirped before planting a cherry flavored kiss on Riku's cheek. "Let's go play them a song, baby!"
Riku exchanged a look with Axel. "Are you gonna watch? Or are you ditching?" His face remained neutral, but his tone hinted towards skepticism.
Axel rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't miss you getting boo-ed off the stage for anything in the world. I'm definitely watching."
The silverette smiled. "Alright. Prepare to be blown away." Riku turned toward the crowd and began to push his way through the, leaving Kairi, Rikku and Tidus to trail after him.
Axel turned to face his friends. "Do you guys wanna stay and watch with me, or do you just want to chill?"
Marluxia craned his neck and gazed in the direction the silver haired islander had gone. "I say we stay and watch. Asses like that are one in a million."
"Oh, Marluxia, I know it is difficult, but please do try to keep it in your pants." Zexion stated drily, eying the pink-head in disdain.
"Chill out, Zexion, Marly's right. Riku's got helluva ass." Zexion hit the back of Demyx's head with his book, making the sandy blonde whimper and run his hand gingerly over the abused area.
Axel cleared his throat. "Um, I think we should play a song after they're done performing." Zexion narrowed his eyes at the taller male. "I can't let Riku one-up me!" He defended himself.
Demyx cheered, "Oh yeah, we'll show these islanders how the prep kids party!"
Axel laughed and grabbed his hyperactive friend's bicep. "C'mon. Let's get closer to the stage." He urged, tugging Demyx in the direction Riku had departed in. Demyx grabbed Marluxia, who grabbed Zexion, only to get hit with the book, too.
Just as they got to the front of the crowd and were right in front of the center of the stage, Riku stepped on stage. The crowded club's occupants went crazy.
"Hey, everyone, I'm Riku Kokuei. Stick around because Drowning in Shadows will be performing for all of you in a bit." Squeals broke out throughout the club and Riku paused to smile at the mass of bodies. "Right now, enjoy and rock out to the Resurrection Warriors!" Riku began to clap enthusiastically and the crowd copied his actions. The aqua eyed male cheered as the band filed on to the stage and Riku slipped backstage.
Axel beamed up at the band warming up in front of him. He, Roxas and Riku had been the Resurrection Warriors biggest fans back in the day. Zack Fair was the front man and his best friends, Aerith, Tifa, Leon and Cloud were also his band mates. Leon and Cloud were half brothers, and just so happened to be Roxas' older brothers and guardians. Cloud slid onto the stool behind the drum set and his half brother tuned his bass guitar on the right stage of the stage. Tifa was bent over behind Leon, plugging the instruments into the amplifiers. Aerith tested her electronic violin as Zack took his place center stage, idly tuning his electric guitar.
"Hey, everybody, how you doing?" Zack drawled into the microphone. The crowd cheered. "That's good, that's good. Anyway, like Riku said, we're The Resurrection Warriors. That name should be familiar to every single one of you, because we've been playing here for years. For you tourists, I'll spare you from the wrath of the lion and the wolf and introduce you to the band." Zack smirked over his shoulder at Leon and Cloud before facing the crowd again.
"I'm Zack Fair and I rock your fucking souls. The pretty girl in pink who can shred a violin like cheese is Aerith Gainsborough. Emo boy on the drums is Cloud Strife, and yeah, taste the fucking irony. His slightly less emo older brother is on bass and he's known as Leon Leonhart. And that busty babe bending over, giving all of us a very nice view of her ass is Tifa Lockheart. That's all. Let's rock." Zack began plucking the strings on his guitar, Leon mirroring his moves as Aerith ran the bow back and forth over the neck of the electronic violin.
"There's a place off Ocean Avenue, There's a place on the corner of Cherry Street,
Where I used to sit and talk with you,
We were both sixteen and it felt so right,
Sleeping all day, staying up all -
Night,
Staying up all night.
We would walk on the beach in our bare feet,
We were both eighteen, and it felt so right,
Sleeping all day, staying up all -
Night,
Staying up all, night.
Axel smiled as Zack's fingers began frantically plucking at the strings, his pick moving over the strings as well. Meanwhile, behind him, Cloud began beating on the drums as his half brother copied Zack's movements and Aerith leaned into the chin rest on the violin, striking the bow across the violin's neck.
"If I could find you now There's a piece of you that's here with me, If I could find you now,
Things would get better,
We could leave this town,
And run forever,
Let your waves crash down on me
And take me away, yeah.
It's everywhere I go, it's everything I see
When I sleep, I dream and it gets me by,
I can make believe, that you're here -
Tonight,
That you're here, tonight.
Things would get better.
We could leave this town,
And run forever
I know somewhere, somehow, we'll be together
Let your waves crash down on me,
And take me away, yeah.
Zack stepped away from the microphone stand and began clapping to the beat Cloud banged out. He looked around at his band before grabbing his guitar and continuing to strum out the chords. He closed his eyes and sang,
"I remember the look in your eyes,
When I told you that this was goodbye
You were begging me not tonight,
Not here,
Not now.
We're looking up at the same night sky, If I could find you now,
And keep pretending the sun will not rise.
We'll be together for one more night,
Somewhere, somehow.
Things would get better.
We could leave this town,
And run forever.
I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together.
Let your waves crash down on me,
And take me away, yeah!
Zack ran his hand through his hair before smiling at the clubbers. "Thank you all! You're wonderful and you all smell, go take a shower!" Zack laughed and followed his band as they exited the stage.
Rikku, Paine and Yuna scampered on stage and hurriedly set up the stage equipment. Tidus hurried after them and helped adjust the microphone stands and the straps for the guitars. Kairi sauntered on stage next, followed by Riku. The club began cheering, the floors vibrating under Axel's feet as they stomped and hollered. The green eyed redhead cheered loudly for his friends as the aqua-green eyed teen approached the microphone stand.
"It's a pleasure to perform for you guys. Thank you all for making it out here tonight." Riku flashed a charming smile at the crowd and there were sporadic bursts of giggles from males and females. "This song is for an old friend who seems to have forgotten that I'm still here for him, no matter what." He looked over his shoulder and nodded to Tidus, who began to tap the tip of his drumstick lightly on the top-hat. Riku began to sing,
"I am a question to the world,
Not an answer to be heard.
All a moment that's held in your arms.
And what do you think you'd ever say?
I won't listen anyway…
You don't know me,
And I'll never be what you want me to be.
And what do you think you'd understand?
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man..
You can take me and throw me away.
And how can you learn what's never shown?
Yeah, you stand here on your own.
They don't know me 'cause I'm not here."
Riku stepped closer to the microphone stand, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side, his lips almost touching the microphone, his fingers flying over the strings of his guitar, his pick plucking away as Tidus banged across the drum set, his eyes shut and muscles flexed as he pounded out the beat.
"And I want a moment to be real, And you see the things they never see
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can the world want me to change,
They're the ones that stay the same.
The don't know me,
'Cause I'm not here.
All you wanted, I could be
Now you know me, and I'm not afraid
And I wanna tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man?
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am!
Riku opened his eyes and immediately sought out his best friend's glowing green eyes. They didn't break eye contact as Riku continued to pour his heart and soul into the song. His voice never once wavered as his chest tightened with the powerful emotions behind the lyrics.
"And I want a moment to be real,
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can the world want me to change,
They're the ones that stay the same.
They can't see me,
But I'm still here."
Axel knew the next verse very well and he mouthed the words along with his friend, remembering the day they wrote the song. It was the anniversary of the day Riku's dad and brothers died and Roxas and Sora cried with Riku, knowing how it felt to lose a parent. And Axel understood because his father left his mother and Reno had followed. They all felt abandoned in some way and wrote the song to remind each other they would always be there for each other. Axel sang along with his friend,
"They can't tell me who to be, And I want a moment to be real, I'm the one,
'Cause I'm not what they see.
And the world is still sleepin',
While I keep on dreamin' for me.
And their words are just whispers
And lies that I'll never believe.
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can they say I never change
They're the ones that stay the same.
I'm the one now,
'Cause I'm still here.
'Cause I'm still here.
I'm still here.
I'm still here.
I'm still here."
Riku pushed his sweaty silver hair away from his face. "Thank you all! You're great!" The aqua-green eyed male smiled as he caught his breath.
Demyx put his hand on Axel's shoulder. "I'm gonna go add us to the set list." Axel nodded and Demyx quickly jogged up the stairs leading backstage.
"Next we have a very special performance by a real crowd pleaser." A club employee rushed to join Riku center stage and whispered in his ear. Axel raised a vibrant red eyebrow as Riku smiled and nodded. "And a familiar face will join us afterward. I hope you all give Hell's Nobodies a warm welcome." With that being said, Riku left the stage, his band following him.
Axel smiled and awaited Demyx's return. He had the perfect song in mind and wanted to get his best friend's approval before telling Marluxia and Zexion what they were going to perform. Before Demyx returned, however, the lights on stage went out, and Axel blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once they did, he could make out the body of a short, slender person. A few dim spotlights shined on the drum set, and the three microphone stands placed around the stage. In the dim spotlights, Axel could see that the person was male and wore a pair of faded black jeans and a familiar red shirt.
To Axel's surprise, Riku, Cloud, Leon and Aerith joined the boy on stage. Cloud sat back down behind the drum set, Leon resumed his place on the right side of the stage as Aerith slid behind the keyboards and Riku slipped a guitar strap over his head and tuned it quietly, as did the short male and Leon. The boy ducked his head, and Axel realized he was blonde, and lowered the microphone stand.
"Uh, hi...everyone. This isn't a band, really. Just my own motley crew." A couple of people laughed, including a certain redhead's band mates, even Zexion. Axel would have, but the voice seemed vaguely familiar and he was trying to place it. He squinted, trying to make out the rest of the boy's features in the dim light, but didn't have much luck.
"Anyway, here's a song I wrote about a really good friend of mine. He'll probably never hear it, but I'll hold on and keep hoping he will, someday. For now, I just need to let this out. So, uh, here we go." The blonde began to strum his guitar, Leon and Riku quickly joining in. The boy opened his mouth and began to sing in an angelic voice,
"Wednesday I came home from school,
Did my homework in my room.
Then I watched some TV,
I still miss you.
Thursday morning went online, Everything I do, (Oh!)
Got to school at half past nine.
Wound up in detention,
I still miss you.
Brings me back to you.
Axel frowned. He thought the voice was even more recognizable now, but he still couldn't place where he knew it from. Perhaps he was just a local island boy he had heard perform at the club back when he was a kid. He shrugged and listened to the next verse.
"And I die. Friday I got out of bed,
One day at a time.
'Cause I just can't seem to get you off my mind.
No matter how I try,
Try to kill the time.
Well, I think that I'm just going crazy,
One day at a time.
Tried to smile frowned instead.
Burnt some toast for breakfast,
I still miss you.
Saturday I turned sixteen,
Never dreamt you'd act so mean.
You didn't even call me,
But I still miss you.
The next lyrics stabbed Axel in the heart and he felt tears prick the back of his eyes for the short blonde boy singing so soulfully, reliving his heart ache with him. He was immediately reminded of Roxas, and his heart ached even more.
"And when I turn ninety four, And I die.
I think I'll miss you even more.
One day at a time.
'Cause I just can't seem to get you off my mind.
No matter how I try,
Try to kill the time.
Well, I think that I'm just going crazy,
One day at a time.
The boy stopped playing and grabbed the microphone, singing into the microphone, Riku backing him up. Axel jumped, jolted by the sound of the two voices melding into one as the lyrics met his ears and floated into his very soul, striking a fire in his chest and making breathing very difficult.
"I miss you more than I did a minute ago, And I die. (Oooo!) One day at a time.
I climb a mountain just to hear your echo. (Whoo, whoo!)
All I wanted was you.
Tell me please do you think of me now and then?
Cause if I never see you again,
I still miss you.
One day at a time.
'Cause I just cant seem to get you off my mind!
No matter how I try,
Try to kill the time.
Well, I think that I'm just going crazy!
One day at a time.
Well, I think that I'm just going crazy!
One day at a time.
Oh, I think I'm going crazy, ohhh!
One day at a time."
As soon as the final chords faded away, the lights on stage burst back to life and Axel blinked until his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. His eyes instantly looked at the boy who had been singing. Just as the redhead caught his eye, Axel's heart stopped. He recognized the big, cerulean eyes and spikey blonde hair and light gold skin. The boy who had been singing was Roxas.
"Thanks you guys." Roxas inclined his head to the crowded club. Then he glanced around at the people on stage with him and thanked them as well. The blue eyed angel turned to face the crowd once more and Axel ducked.
"I'm outta here." He muttered to Marluxia and Zexion. "Tell Dem to call me later." He said in a rush and began to shove people out of his way and started toward the exit of the club.
"Ax, where are you going?" Marluxia shouted, but Axel ignored him.
Zexion yelled indignantly, "Axel? Axel! We are on next! We have a commitment!"
The green eyed male ignored his friends, eyes on the exit only ten feet away and twenty people were in the way of his freedom. He would apologize to his friends tomorrow, they would understand. However, he had to get out of here now, before-
"Axel Lea! Get your ass back here! Hell's Nobodies is on next!" Riku broadcasted into the microphone, his silver eyebrows pushed together in confusion. There was a lot of feedback and Axel shuddered, unable to continue to play deaf.
"Ah- Axel Lea?" A hopeful voice met the redhead's ears and he froze. "Is that really you, Axel?" The voice continued, mentally begging the redheaded male to turn around. However, the moment Axel heard his name, the tall teen slid through the crowd and outside of the club, gasping in the salty night air. His lungs felt they would burst, but he ignored the pain in his chest, right where his heart would be, but he had given that vital organ away the moment he heard his voice again.
Ignoring the commotion in the building behind him, Axel darted off into the darkness. His expensive Italian dress shoes clicking along the pavement, making running very uncomfortable as the back of his ankles were chaffed. The redhead didn't slow down, not until he reached his house and had slipped in, locking the front door behind him. He had saw Roxas. And he looked heartbroken.
"Way to go, Lea," Axel groaned his sarcastic congratulations to himself. "You've really fucked up this time." He shivered, remembering those haunted blue eyes and desperate voice in his head. "Let's see you run away now." Axel muttered, slowly dragging himself toward his room. He needed to sleep and pray this would all be a bad dream and he'd have a fresh start in the morning.
ARARAR
Please review! Because I have no clue what I'm going to write next! Let me know your thoughts! You are intelligent, smart human beings with opinions. Please share them! Thank you!
In case you were wondering, the songs were Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard, I'm Still Here by John Reznik, and One Day At A Time by the Jonas Brothers.