Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm awful, I don't update. I only have the urge to write when I haven't slept in days, so take that as a good sign. This is just a quick little oneshot that came from an interesting conversation had under the influence of several substances in which I was told that even though I glow really bright, there's something wrong with it.
As you know, Axel, Roxas, and the man hitting on them (should be obvious who it is... first one to name him in a review gets a cookie) don't belong to me. If they did, Kingdom Hearts would be a twisted story of drugs, strobe lights, and far too much sex. And I'd be rich. Oh well.
"You taste like shadows and dust."
Roxas shivered as he heard the words, drifting from Axel's mouth in a slurred whisper. The other man's too-bright, unfocused eyes were fixed somewhere to the left of his ear as his hands struggled ineffectually with the blonde's belt. Roxas's own hands hadn't left the gum-infested pavement he sat on.
"Axel, stop."
The redhead didn't pause, hands still working at the younger man's belt, swaying and catching himself, but Roxas heard him muttering. Something about talking shadows, hiding in the dark, a tumble of half-thought phrases that fell hot and damp against his bare shoulder. Axel was like the cigarette he held, he realized, thin and bone-white and red burning itself til nothing, at one end, Roxas, at the other a wound that would always be raw, eating him up. He brought the cigarette to his lips and took a deep drag.
"Are you two looking for company?" the lisping voice brought Axel's head snapping up, Roxas's eyes following, slow to leave the mass of flame-red spikes they'd been focused on. The voice's owner was tall and slender, with blonde hair that looked like it was trying to impale anything that fell on him, and a tattoo of waves like a noose around his throat. His eyes widened at the warning growl from Axel's throat, and he turned and went back into the club. Axel turned his head back to Roxas's neck, teeth sharp against scarred skin. Roxas could smell the alcohol as he blew smoke into the redhead's hair. Axel should always smell like that, of smoke and cheap vodka, ready to explode if touched the wrong way. Suddenly Axel jerked his head up and stared straight into the blonde's eyes.
"Look at it, look around, Roxas. We can leave today, it's finally over and done with." The redhead's voice was low and eager, intense despite the few mumbled syllables. A hand rose to stroke the blonde's cheek. "One of Marluxia's friends found us a place to stay, no more going home with these fucks. It's all going to get better now, I promise. I'll take care of you now, it's going to be okay."
Roxas smiled, taking the hand with his own. "Come on then. Let's go celebrate."
They climbed the rusted fire escape to the top of the building, Axel's eyes fixed on the east where the sun would be rising in a few short hours. Roxas kept his eyes on Axel, arms wrapped around his bare chest to ward off the cold. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, imagining the smog of the city choking his lungs and turning them black as Axel rambled on.
"—I'll get clean, I promise, and you won't have to sell ever again, not drugs not anything, and everything will work, Rox, I know it this time. Even old man Luxord says it's a good bet, we're going to be okay this time, I can feel it—"
"Axel."
The redhead stopped, turning to look at the blonde, now standing too close to him.
"Goodbye."
Roxas pushed, and Axel fell from the roof. A lone cigarette trailed after him to land in the rapidly growing puddle where he landed.