Title: Kingdom Hearts Academy, maybe?
Author: TheRegalBeagle
Characters/Pairings: Axel/Roxas
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Strong hints at physical and emotional abuse from a parent, m/m.

Summary: In which Roxas steals Axel's car and does what he feels is right.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything having to do with the game or mangas or other stuff. I'm just bored.

Author Notes: Okay! So, this is a short – short – story that I will be adding to an upcoming chapter fic I am writing. It involves a type of Kingdom Hearts boarding school, and there's a lot of boys kissing boys and family issues and what have you. I just felt the need to write this out and share. Comments and reviews are love, as always. And what do you guys think of the boarding school idea?

Roxas folded up against the wall of his room. The loud slamming nearly ripping his door off. Why did he come back? Why did he have to get so mad at Axel? He was right. This was a stupid idea.

But he needed to come home – it was all he knew besides the school.

BAM!

He had wanted to feel brave, he thought as more tears weld up in his baby-blues.

BAM! BAM!

He wanted to stop being one of the weak kids.

"Open this fucking door right now or when I beat it down I'll use it to beat you!" The gruff voice rumbled through his bones, making his core ache and plead for help. It wouldn't be the first time he used an object to hurt him. But as angry as Roxas' dad was now, it might be the last time. The last time for anything.

No more tricking teachers with Ventus. He would be a lost member of his fraternity, his hooded jacket probably trashed somewhere. No more ice cream eating contests with Sora. No more staying up late and having the most useless study sessions in the worlds.

And no more Axel.

He could hear his father's heavy boots kicking against the flimsy door. Roxas found himself crying out loud, as if his father's hands were already on him. As if the door was being whipped against his body at that moment. He struggled for breath as he held tighter onto himself, crying like a baby. Maybe he hadn't grown up. Maybe he hadn't changed.

BAM! BAM! CREAK!

Roxas decided to except his fate. He had nowhere to go – Axel was probably furious with him, and the school still hadn't reopened.

"No…no…NOOOO!" He screamed out, to himself or to the universe he didn't know. But the sound released pressure that had been building up inside of him.

BAM! BAM!

…Tap…tap.

Roxas looked up. What was that? He looked around the room and saw nothing moving, nothing out of place.

…Tap…TAP.

It started getting louder and became more sporadic the harder his father slammed against the door. He looked to his one window, where a tiny stone clinked against the glass. His body numb, as though he had been expelled to some winter air, he crawled along the edge of the wall breathing heavily. He prayed he could get to the window before his dad busted in and grabbed him. He could hear the door giving way to the strong force.

He hurried as fast as he could towards the window. Sitting on his knees, he peeked outside. Nothing.

Another rock hit his window. He slowly – so slowly – began to stand up. His legs felt like they were about to break from his fear. This was the worst it had ever gotten. Closing his eyes as he winced at the sound coming from the cracking wood, he placed his head as close to the glass as he could. It felt cool against his steaming forehead. His tears began to trickle down it. Opening his eyes, he lost his breath.

At the bottom of his second-floor window he saw a bright red mass of hair. Underneath lay those beautiful green eyes he had come to love.

Axel looked up at him with rage in his eyes. Oh, god. He was pissed too. The door slammed its loudest so even Axel could hear the sound, furrowing his brows as he stood by the side of the house. He motioned for Roxas to open the window and jump out.

Roxas didn't know what to do. If he stayed inside he would be beaten. If he went outside he would have to face the greatest thing is his life probably about to leave him.

The first hinges on the door broke from the wall and staring through the crack were dark eyes.

"Come here, you little shit!" Roxas screamed and looked down. Axel held his arms out, as if ready to catch him. He opened the window.

"I'm so sorry, Axel! Please forgive me!" He yelled down, tears falling to the hard concrete below.

"Roxas, get the hell out of there now!" Axel yelled, angrier than he had ever been. The smaller boy hesitated. Maybe he really did deserve what was coming to him. But if that was what life wanted for him than he would fight life every step of the way from now on. The last hinge broke from the wall, and as the door dropped to the ground, bent and scratched, all the man behind saw was the breeze blowing in from the open window, curtains getting tangled together.

Axel ran like a bat out of hell, dodging trash cans and wood. He held Roxas against himself as he found Red in the driveway, only releasing him to throw him into the passenger seat. He dived over the hood of the car and ducked into it. As he started the engine he could hear a yell come from the front of the house. Roxas' dad was stumbling out, red as fire. He had his fists raised and slammed down onto the hood, denting it.

"Shithead!" Axel put the car into reverse and drove back, shifting gears like a pro and driving away down the street. As they turned a corner he started to her the crying coming from his boyfriend. Axel took deep breaths, but the rage in his belly was too big.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He demanded, "Why did you go back there?!" Roxas burst out, tears and saliva dripping from his face.

"I'm sorry!" He yelled as loud as he could. "I had to!"

"Had to? HAD TO? Why the fuck?! Do you know how scared shitless I was when I realized you wore gone?!" Axel kept turning his attention from Roxas' shaking form to the road. "You could have gotten yourself killed!" The words felt raw and unreal against his lips. He didn't even want to think about it.

"Who cares? What does it matter anymore?!" Roxas sobbed out. In that second Axel slammed on the brakes. The car made a complete stop in the middle of the road.

"IT MATTERS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU IDIOT!"

"WELL I LOVE YOU TOO!"

"THEN WHY ARE WE MAD AT EACH OTHER?!"

Silence fell as they sat there. Axel regretting the anger he spoke with. Roxas tried to slow his breathing, thankful that he was at least safe in Red. It seemed like the silence lasted forever. One car drove by going the other way, trying to stare into their windows. Axel placed his hands back on the steering wheel, but the car didn't move. Roxas sniffed.

"I…I'm sorr-rry I took your car." He said, wiping his face with his already damp sleeves. Axel breathed out.

"It's fine. I had a spare key, and thankfully I knew where you would be going." The last part he said with some aggression, staring the blonde down. But Roxas didn't care. Axel thought for a second then pulled out some napkins from his dashboard. He handed them to Roxas who whispered an almost silent thank you.

Axel shut his eyes as he listened to the love of his life cry his eyes out.

"…Why?" Roxas looked up. "Why did you have to go back so bad? You told me you would forget all about it and come stay with me." It broke his heart that his little Roxy would lie to him.

"I-I just…"Roxas went blank. Why did he go? "…I just…needed to check in one last time." He finished. Axel looked at him with worried eyes. "I don't know why, Axel. I just did." He made strong eye-contact with the other and pleaded with him to try and understand. Axel didn't – not really. But even though he lied and drove off with Red…he still trusted the dweeb. Axel smiled.

"It's okay. You're safe now." He promised, reaching for the other's cheeks. Even with all those tears and sweat, they felt so soft and warm. He wiped as many away as he could, using one of the napkins when it seemed to be too much. "But please," He said, "Don't ever go back there again." Hid green eyes pleaded with Roxas.

"Okay…I promise. Never again." Axel felt the breath he hadn't known he was holding in release. Those blue eyes looked at him with strength, with a decision he was going to live with forever. He loved that look on him. The red-head dipped down and pressed his lips against Roxas'. It was gentle, short, but felt like no other they had given one another. When he opened his eyes, Axel realized some tears where coming from him.

"I just wanted you to come stay with my family until the school reopens. You'll be safe and loved." They both smiled. Roxas remembered his mom from parent day. She had looked so much like him and had hugged him right away. She knew about them before either said anything to her. She was so accepting and nurturing.

Just like Axel.

Before Roxas began nodding his head he turned and looked as his stuff, still in the backseat. It seemed like all the little things were telling him the right way to go. Maybe life was helping him. So, he nodded. "Okay." He whispered. "Please…take me home?" Axel kissed him again after that question.

"We have a bit of a drive. But I promise, when we get there, everything will be better."

Axel let his foot off the brakes and started moving Red. He kept the speed limit until they hit the highway, then he let it rip.

He could still hear Roxas balled up on the other seat, crying again.

But he smiled. The little guy needed a good cry. And although he hoped this was the last time Roxas ever cried, he knew this one was right.

A/N: What did you think? It seems to me like everyone likes the idea of Roxas' parents being…well…not suitable parents so I kind of jumped on that bandwagon.

Again, this is just a short piece in what I hope will be a bigger story. The story won't start here or finish here. But somewhere in between a scene like this will take place. I also expect it to be in general more heart-warming and fun. I just needed to get this out.