Author's Note: This is a sort of continuation to Answerphone, and while that isn't required reading to understand this, it might help a bit.
It is also an AU; it's almost our own world, except with Heartless. The Organization is trying to make Kingdom Hearts, but only because they want their hearts back, and are meanwhile acting as a sort of 'let's keep the Heartless from eating our world' group.
It helps that killing Heartless gains Hearts for them.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. It'd be nice to own, say, Vexen. Or Roxas. Or any of them, really. But I don't. Oh well.
Doorbell
Chapter 1
ding, dong
Roxas grumbles as he is sent to get the door; he is the lowest-ranking, not to mention the youngest, so it is always his job to do menial tasks.
If the phone rings, 'it's for you, Roxas!'
If the doorbell goes, 'get the door, Thirteen!'
It isn't even as if they have any right to boss him around, really. After all, the Organization is becoming more and more like a family with each passing day, albeit a highly dysfunctional, monster-killing family with a tendency for coupling off with each other.
Although, he supposes, even if they were family, Roxas would be the youngest brother, and would still have to get the door. That's just the way life works, he muses, as he pulls open the front door.
And freezes, because the red-haired, green-eyed man with the teardrop tattoos has been missing for almost six months now, and he is walking in as if he never left.
Except that before, he wouldn't have passed Roxas without even a second glance, let alone a greeting. He wouldn't have practically shoved the blond boy out of the way so as not to make eye contact. He wouldn't have headed straight for the stairs in such unusual silence.
Roxas bites his lip.
There are no tears springing unbidden to his eyes - of course not, Nobodies never cry - but there is a lump forming in his throat, and as the redhead sets his foot on the first step, Roxas finds himself sprinting across the hallway, and wrapping his arms around the man's abnormally skinny waist.
Muscles tense beneath him, but there is no struggle, and Roxas realises that he has grown more than he thought he had in the last five and a half months; there is red hair in his face, tickling his nose.
"Axel." He says simply. It's been a long time since he's been able to say that name without a pang of worry and fear.
Axel relaxes, wilts. He turns around, and Roxas is taken aback at the feeling in those startling green eyes, which drop away after only a moment.
Roxas isn't sure what to think.
Of course he is relieved to see that his best friend is alive and well, but at the same time, he is remembering the despair and emptiness that he has suffered through since Axel left. And there is the reminder of the last message Roxas left on Axel's cell phone; he isn't blushing - of course not, Nobodies never blush - but he is wondering whether Axel is thinking of that. Whether that is why he can't meet Roxas' eyes.
"Axel, I-" He begins, then breaks off; what did he want to say, anyway? He bites his lip again, and as he tries to come up with some way of finishing off the sentence, Axel speaks.
"I'm not gonna ask you to forgive me, Roxas," He says, and Roxas almost shivers - it has been so long since he last heard that voice. "But I am sorry."
He's looking at the smaller Nobody properly again, and Roxas decides he much prefers this.
"I can't forgive you." He replies bluntly. It's true; Axel has hurt him too much for forgiveness, and he knows it: it's clear in the tiny, resigned nod he gives in response, in his tautened lips, and the way those ridiculous eyebrows draw together just slightly.
But Roxas smiles, and the fact that Axel suddenly doesn't know what to do is written all over his face, making Roxas almost-laugh.
He doesn't, though - of course not, Nobodies never laugh - he just smiles.
"But I don't hate you."
And now Axel is smiling, too, and he pulls the blond into a hug, provoking an surprised squeak. Roxas almost tries to struggle, but soon gives in, clinging to Axel, head buried in the taller man's chest, arms wrapped tightly around that horribly skinny waist, but not crying - of course not, Nobodies never cry.
"I missed you." Axel admits, and Roxas finds himself smiling at this. He's not entirely sure why this makes him so happy - no doubt Axel missed Demyx, too, and Larxene, even Vexen.
And happy is an emotion anyway, and Nobodies don't have emotions, but he doesn't care, just for this one little moment.
A moment that is cut short rather abruptly by a high-pitched squeal and something barreling into them and knocking them over.
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! You'rebackIknewyouwouldbeI'vemissedyousomuchAxeeeeel!"
It's Demyx.
"Demyx, this is unimaginably painful." Axel complains, and Demyx extracts himself from the tangled pile of limbs, still exclaiming about the redhead's return at the highest pitch and speed possible. Roxas, too, stands, and eventually all three have made it to their feet.
Demyx is bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and it is clear that he is restraining himself rather well, despite his words all jumbling together in a loud, teapot-like squeal.
It is at this point that Thunder is cast slightly to the left of him, accompanied by a shout of 'shut the hell up, number Nine!' from somewhere upstairs.
He obeys, with a guilty look that almost makes Roxas laugh out loud. But only almost - of course; Nobodies never laugh. Someone else is laughing though, and it gives Roxas a shock equal to the lightning bolt that narrowly missed Demyx when he realises that it's Axel. Axel grins at him when he notices.
"What?" He teases. "Are you agape at how sexy I am?"
Roxas sticks his tongue out.
"I was thinking that you've got even skinnier, and you need to gain weight." He retorts, and Axel chuckles.
"I suppose I should start now; you got any of that sea salt ice cream?"
Roxas finds himself smiling again.
A/N: I'm working on Chapter 2 right ow, and will upload it soonish, reviews or not.
