A Beaten Piece of Love
By: Hitokiri Musei and Fallen Truth
Rated: M
Summary: Lost and abandoned with nowhere to turn but sex and drugs, Axel feels completely alone in the world. Concerned and intrigued, Roxas tries to help him, but is refused completely. Will Axel realize that Roxas wants only to help him? And what will come of this new connection?
Warnings: Yaoi, obviously. AkuRoku, some RikuSora, some Zemyx. There is also character death in the end, but that's WAY away. Keep in mind, this was conceived and begun in the wee hours of the morning. (like, threeish) We tend to come up with odd ideas at those times, if you hadn't noticed. –cough-doubleedgedsword-cough-
Yes, Fallen Truth and I have come together once more! (We do that) And… not on the story that was wanted. OUR BAD! We just can't get that one going, so… here's this one instead! YAY!
Hope you likes it!
Disclaimer: Yea, only in our dreams. (Axel is fun to look at though!) We don't own Kingdom Hearts I/II in any way, nor do we own the songs that we use in the beginnings of the chapters. This particular one in "Diary of Jane" by Breaking Benjamin.
Desperate, I will crawl
Waiting for so long
No love, there is no love
Die for anyone
What have I become
Something's getting in the way
Something's just about to break
I will try to find my place in the diary of Jane
Diary of Jane – Breaking Benjamin
Chapter 1
Just About To Break
He dreamed.
Laying in the alleyway, wet, cold, shivering violently, he dreamed.
He curled tighter in on himself, wrapping his lanky arms tighter around his skinny body as he pressed his back against the brick wall behind him. The rain was still pouring down around him, soaking his spiky red hair, making it lie limply against his shoulders and cheeks. He pressed his face into his knees, hiding away the sleep closed eyes and the pale, thin face behind knobby knees.
The rain continued to fall down, and he dreamed.
He dreamed of happier times; of when his Mom still loved him and was still his best friend. He remembered their nights of hot chocolate and talking curled up under blankets on the couch, he remembered making candles with her, watching sunsets, cooking breakfast and laughing as the pancakes fell out of the pan when she tried to flip them.
He dreamed of her smile, of her laugh, of her shining bright acid green eyes, so much like his own. He remembered when she told him that she would always be there, no matter what. They were a team, the two of them, and they would always be together.
She lied.
He tightened his hold on her warm hand, looking up with a large smile on his tiny face. "Come on Mom, we have to hurry!"
She smiled back down at him, her green eyes sparkling. "Alright, alright, we're going! Don't worry; we'll get there in time."
He tugged on her hand, running forward and dragging her behind him as they moved through the park towards their tree.
It had always been their tree, ever since he was little. It was where she took him when they watched the sunsets together, and so it was his. Theirs.
"Slow down, my little fire, we don't need to go so fast!"
"Come on, go faster Mom, go faster!"
He released her hand as they reached the tree, his small chest heaving in and out as he stared at the slowly sinking sun in the sky. A smile was stretched across his face as he looked up into the dying light, then turning to look up into his mother's face.
"Mom, hurry, we have to be ready for when the sun goes down!"
She laughed faintly, but spread the blanket out on the grass and folded her legs, settling down and making herself comfortable. He plopped down beside her, snuggling close to her side as he watched the sun sink with big eyes.
This was something special to him. He and his mother always went out to the park to watch the sunset at least once a week; it was a tradition, something that could never be broken.
The boy smiled again, leaning away from his mom to rearrange himself on the blanket that was spread over the cool grass.
He watched the sun sink with sparkling eyes, and then spoke softly. "I love you, Mom."
There was no answer, no bright and cheery reply that he always got.
He turned, and she was gone. It was as though she had never been there at all.
"Mom? MOM!!"
He awoke with a start, his eyes flying open in the rainy night as tears made their way down his cheeks, blending with the freezing rain still falling on him. His shivering grew more violent and he curled up tighter, trying to force himself to stop crying and stop shaking.
His body didn't listen to him, so he wouldn't listen to his body. He forced himself to his feet, pushing himself away from the wall and heading out towards the street, wobbling slightly as he got out of the alleyway.
The freezing rain pounded down on his skin, sending shivers through his body. He raised his arms almost mindlessly, wrapping them around his skinny shoulders, staring hopelessly into
the darkness of the city around him. Everything was so unfamiliar, even after three years in this city that he had escaped to in his haste to leave the abuse and terror of his home.
As if he could call it a home.
He didn't know where he was heading; it wasn't like he ever did. He just wandered aimlessly, trying to keep himself awake. This was the first time he'd slept in a few days, and, just as he had feared, the dreams had come. Now desperate to keep himself awake, he stayed on his feet, letting them take him wherever they would.
A car passing on the street splashed water up onto the sidewalk that he was walking down, sending a wave of cold water up and over his shoes. He jumped to the side, his heart thundering for a moment before he forced himself to calm down, telling himself that it was nothing, just water.
He tripped over his own feet as he moved away from the road, stumbling into another body and falling to the ground as his knees crumpled beneath him.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
His eyes were wide and terrified as he looked up the man towering above him, automatically shrinking backwards at the angry tone. "S-S-Sorry!"
The man scoffed, but started walking again. His heart still thudding frantically, the redhead scrambled to his feet, this time his eyes scanned the sidewalk in front of him, not wanting to bump into anyone else.
Contact scared him.
This thought reminded him that the morning was coming; soon these streets would be filled with people. He had to find a new place to stay for the day. A new alleyway, a new place to huddle until it was safe to leave. Safe to go out and try to find something to eat, try to find a new way to survive in this hell that he had thrown himself into.
He finally found an alley off the main street he was on, a dumpster against one of the walls. He found that the other side of it provided a little shielding from the freezing cold rain, although not enough to really keep him dry. Collapsing against the wall, he curled his lanky body into a ball, burying his face in his knees.
He would have to go out again tonight. Go out and look for her. The marks on his arms were starting to throb again, and his body was crying out. He needed to find her tonight, and he hated it.
The cold rain continued to pour down on him and his exhausted body finally succumbed to the cold and wet, sending his mind into darkness.
Roxas Strife walked through the cold rain, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets as he went. He liked the rain normally, but this abnormally chilly rain wasn't quite as pleasant as he had hoped.
He wasn't tired, as usual. He worked nights as a stocker for a large grocery store near the apartment that he stayed in with his brothers. He walked there every time; it was just easier for all.
He ducked his head slightly as he moved through the still dark streets, his blue eyes scanning the sidewalk to make sure that he didn't trip over anything or knock into anyone. The 18 year old was not a social person by nature, and as such tended to avoid contact. It wouldn't do well to knock into someone.
As he walked past an alleyway his eyes automatically went to the darkness within, and something caught his eye.
A pale spot against all the dark. He frowned, slowing in his pace and then stopping, focusing on the tiny dot of color.
It was a hand. A hand covered in a black fingerless glove. He started to dismiss it as another homeless person (they were everywhere) but something held him back. Something was calling to him, and curiosity won out and he turned, walking into the dark alley.
He rounded the dumpster against the wall to see who was behind it, to see if the person was okay.
He was little surprised at what he saw.
Bright red hair was in tangled strands across the person's back, a back clothed in what looked like a far too large black hooded sweatshirt. Lying in a heap like that had to be uncomfortable; Roxas mused, and he slowly reached out, placing a hand against the person's shoulder.
He sucked in a surprised breath as he touched the shoulder. He could feel every single bone, even through skin and sweater. He paused, and then shook the thin body gently.
"Hey. Hey, are you alright?"
He received no response for his promptings, and now a little worried; he carefully rolled the lanky body over so he could see the face.
Lax and expressionless, the face before him was thin and clearly starved. Roxas' blue eyes ran over the high cheekbones and the pale skin that peeked out from the latticework of red hair that clung to the man's face. He didn't look old, at least, not that much older than Roxas himself. Roxas narrowed his eyes as he spotted the strange teardrop shaped tattoos that adorned his cheeks, absently wondering what they represented.
Trying again to get a response merited nothing, and he sighed, not knowing what else he could do. But even though he didn't know what to do with this strange person that he had found, some part of him didn't want to leave this poor person lying in the freezing rain. Already he could feel the chill seeping from the man's body, and he knew that no doubt he was going to get very sick.
He could possibly even die.
Roxas couldn't just leave him there.
He studied the face in front of him a little more closely, watching as the eyelids twitched, eyes moving beneath them. The man's breathing sped up slightly, and then he saw a flicker of green. Was he waking?
Roxas leaned away as the man's eyes fluttered open, not wanting to crowd him. Even with this precaution though, the reaction was still fierce and unexpected.
The man thrust his thin body backwards, colliding with the wall with a rather dull thump and pressing himself against the brick, almost as though he was trying to meld into the wall. Roxas backed up a few steps, raising his hands in a peaceable gesture. "Hey, easy, I'm not here to hurt you."
Those amazing acid green eyes stared into his own sapphire ones, looking deep. He had an insanely intense gaze, Roxas realized, as he watched those eyes flicker over his body. After a few moments of silence the man spoke softly.
"Who are you?"
Roxas put a disarming smile on his face. "My name is Roxas. I almost didn't see you back here; I should think it lucky that I did. You might end up dead if you stay out here in this rain."
The man was still watching him silently, and then chuckled faintly, his eyes turning away from him. "That might be the preferred route…"
That made Roxas blink, but he made no statement about it. He then sighed, reaching out a hand. "Come on; let's get you out of this rain. Besides, I think you're going to need some medical attention anyway, after being out in this cold. I'll take you there."
Acid green eyes flew back to his face, a bit of anger in them. "I don't need your pity."
Roxas studied those orbs silently, frowning. There was anger in those eyes, sure, but under that he saw much more. Fear. Loneliness. Hate.
What had happened to this man?
The teen sighed, pushing himself back into an upright position. "Fine, if you don't want my help, then I'm not going to force you." He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a few bills and reaching out, grabbing the man's hand.
The touch resulting in a rather violent shudder through the man's body, but Roxas paid it no mind as he pressed the money into the other's hand. "Here, something for you. Go buy something to eat; you're way too thin."
With that, the teen walked from the alley, waving a hand absently over his shoulder. He didn't expect that he would ever see this man again, but some part of him knew that he needed whatever help he could get. This probably wouldn't go far, but perhaps it would make a difference.
Little did he know, this man would come back to haunt him, even if he tried to get away.