Singing Valentine's
Disclaimer: Don't own KH character rights. Don't own any of the songs I used.
Inspired partly by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Warning: gay love, AkuRoku, SoraRiku below. Mild one-sided AkuSo and RikuRoku.
Song list: Love Story by Taylor Swift
Hero by Enrique Iglesias
Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney
Summary: It's awfully awkward when the one you love is the messenger of someone else's love.
A/N: Oh shit this is two days late for Valentine's Day... but whatever I hope whoever reads this enjoys it!
'Romeo save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult, but it's real.
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess.
It's a love story; baby, just say yes.'
Love had descended onto this godforsaken world, onto this town, however fragile and small, to cheer everybody up in a season of romance. Jolly couples, angry couples, young couples and old couples were all across the streets, spending time with each other to show their affections.
And in this little school called "Twilight Town High", everybody's celebrating Valentine's Day with various means of displaying affection. Some buy chocolates; some buy gifts; and some, of course, buy singing Valentine's.
The truth is, Roxas never expected to get a singing Valentine's from anyone. Despite his handsome features, his personality was cold and obstinate enough for people quickly get over the first-sight infatuation.
His cousin is the exact opposite. Sora was bright, amiable and true to everyone… which just brought him no non-platonic love in return. Sora calls it the "Friendly Rebound Effect"; Roxas calls it "You're just too nice". Really, when he's nice to everyone, no one feels like they're the "special one". Sora really couldn't blame people for feeling that way.
The problem? They are both, stubbornly and hopelessly, in love.
"Hi…" The door squeaked like it always did as someone opened it. The guy poked his head in, and Roxas stared without thinking. "Can we interrupt you guys to do a singing Valentine?"
"Eh? This ought t' be interesting." Mr. Merlin let the boys in and moved aside. The group of choir boys, dressed in hot pink tight shirts, placed a chair right in the fat middle of the front of the classroom. Many students stared at the "Chair of Humiliation" with horror; some began to snicker; others wondered who the victim would be.
"We have a singing Valentine for…" The obviously main singer of the group, a guy with flaming red hair and facial tattoos, squinted his green eyes at the paper. "Roxas."
All the girls in the class gasped. Some guys began to yell out "Why the hell is it from a guy anyway?" The boy shrugged and looked at Mr. Merlin, who quieted down the room.
"Now, I hope your social science teacher have gone through this with you, but…" The teacher said, "No matter who it is that sent this, we should not criticize him for who he loves. It really is none of your business. Plus, it may just be a prank anyway."
The redhead then swam his eyes in the sea of students for said recipient. Grudgingly, pushed by Sora, Roxas stumbled out into the front. The redhead had a smug grin on his face and placed his hands on the blond's shoulder so to push the boy down into the chair. It tingled where the redhead touched Roxas' shoulders. The blond kept his eyes downcast, face growing red before anything even started.
The redhead knelt on one knee, and the song started with a whisper: 'Let me be your hero.'
'Would you dance, if I asked you to dance?
Would you run and never look back?
Would you cry if you saw me crying?
Would you save my soul tonight?
Would you tremble if I touched your lips?
Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this:
Now would you die for the one you love?
Hold me in your arms tonight?
I can be your hero baby.
I can kiss away the pain.
I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.'
Ironically, the singer was really taking Roxas' breath away. Every touch he made, every look his eyes shot him was making Roxas forget how to breathe.
He was Axel, Roxas' two-year crush.
Sora laughed out loudly at Roxas' bright red face after the short performance. It almost resembled a tomato. Axel handed the blond an envelope from whoever the sender was and moved on to the next one.
"We also have one for Sora." Axel said, successfully stopping the brunet's hysterical laughter. Roxas, in turn, sniggered evilly at his cousin. Unwillingly, Sora paced up, thinking that it would be a simple humiliation done by Roxas' crush.
But the main singer had been switched for the sake of variety. It was now a prince-like, silver-haired young teen (whose presence Sora just noticed and was almost shocked to death by it). Fate liked to toy with this pair of cousins' hearts.
'I don't want another pretty face.
I don't want just anyone to hold.
I don't want my love to go to waste.
I want you and your beautiful soul.
I know that you are something special.
To you I'd be always faithful.
I want to be what you always needed.
Then, I hope, you'll see the heart in me.
I don't want another pretty face.
I don't want just anyone to hold.
I don't want my love to go to waste.
I want you and your beautiful soul.
You're the one I wanna chase.
You're the one I wanna hold.
I won't let another minute go to waste.
I want you and your beautiful soul.'
Sora couldn't think straight, and barely walked straight back to his seat. Roxas gave a dark chuckle.
"You should just come out and tell him how you feel." The blond said nonchalantly. Sora glared at him. "You're Sora. You'll live even if he rejected you."
"Why don't you confess to your prince-prince, then?" said Sora. Roxas gave him the finger, and then they looked away.
It's awfully awkward when the one you love is the messenger of someone else's love.
Roxas opened the envelope he got. It was a good-willed, carefully written piece of love letter from Tidus, a classmate of Roxas'. His lips tugged sadly at his honest words and folded the letter away. It was the worst of times to be laden with the burden of rejecting someone Roxas just didn't have the heart for.
Sora peered into his envelope and lightly tore the sticker open. It turned out to be a prank from several of his friends. The mastermind: Selphie. Wakka participated by volunteering to be the payer so that the singers would be male. They did all that just to make fun of Sora's gayness. Sora threw the envelope down, almost frustrated.
In a science lab stood a man with long blond hair, examining carefully a flask. A clear purple liquid bubbled with heat and the man reasoned with himself as he took notes. The door of the room was suddenly yanked open. Haughtily a feminine man came into the room with a pocket in his hand.
"Vexen, I have something for you to do." He said.
"No, Marluxia. I don't have time to deal with your bickering little plans that lead nowhere." Vexen said.
"Oh, but you will like this." Marluxia sat down. "A hundred munny; plus two new flasks. Your assistant broke one last week, isn't that right?"
A vine in Vexen's temple twitched with irritation. "Fine. What do you want?"
"Very simple: I want a potion that will cause someone to fall in love at first sight."
"Love at first sight?" Vexen said, beginning to laugh disbelievingly. "You are out of your mind."
"I am not." Marluxia said. "Make me such a potion, and you'll get that munny."
Marluxia twirled around and haughtily marched out of the laboratory.
A week later Marluxia went into his choir classroom with a bottle of tea. He sat down, eyed around, and placed the bottle into the backpack one seat in front and left of him, replacing one that was already in it. Students began pouring into the room. Axel came in almost late, and a blond soon followed after him. The blond boy shook his wet hands and sat next to Axel, one seat in front of left of Marluxia.
They sang The Circle of Life. The teacher kept demanding that they sing loudly. By the time class ended half of the students were silent in afraid of ruining their voices any further.
"Crap." Axel cleared his throat as he walked down the pathway with his blond companion. "Dem do you have something to drink?"
"Sure." The blond swung his backpack around and took out a bottle. Axel cursed the music teacher as he uncapped the bottle of brown liquid.
"What is this?"
"Honey tea." Demyx said. "I knew one of us would need this."
Axel cursed again and drank from the bottle, tilting his head back. It was a cool refreshing sensation as the sweet tea downed his throat. He was not looking at where he was going.
And so he crashed into someone round the corner.
"My bad." Axel knelt down to pick up the books that slipped out of the other person's arms. He was much shorter and was knocked right down by the redhead, who was a whole fraction taller than him.
"I'm so sorry." The boy said, and looked up.
"Oh, no, no." Axel said. "I wasn't looking. Are you alright?" His hand was on the boy's wrist.
"Yeah I'm okay." He smiled and retracted his hand.
"W-Wait, are you sure?" Axel stopped him again. The boy chuckled embarrassedly. "Yes, I'm really alright."
The boy then went on his way, brown spikes bouncing up and down his head.
"Helloooooo?" Demyx shook his hand in front of the redhead. "Axel? Did you get hit on your head?"
"Wha?" Axel snapped back to his friend.
"You're staring after him." Demyx said.
"Who was that?" Axel asked, eagerly and amazedly. "He's so…"
"I remember him." Demyx said. "We had a Singing Valentine's for him… His name was Sora, I think?"
"Sora…" Axel's eyes sparkled. Unknowingly his lips were smiling. "…What a beautiful name."
Roxas threw his backpack over his shoulder when class ended. Somehow life had become nothing but a boring daily routine. And it didn't seem like anything interesting was awaiting him until four in the afternoon when Sora would be coming over.
"Hey."
Or until his love life finally blossoms in some way.
"You're… Roxas, right?" That familiar voice said. Roxas turned around with a stoned expression, "Yes."
Axel smiled. Roxas' heart raced.
"I'm Axel, do you remember me? I was your Singing Valentine's singer."
Hell yeah he remembered Axel.
"I heard from someone that you're Sora's cousin and best friend." Axel said. "Do you think… do you think it's possible for you to introduce me to him?"
"Why?" Roxas asked. He was a little unnerved by the request.
"I…" Axel stuttered. "I'm in love with Sora."
A gasp ripped out of Roxas' lips, and before he knew it tears rushed to his eyes. He turned around sharply, his pride too strong to let Axel see him cry, and gulped. Axel winced at how blunt that was.
"Sorry. I know I might sound creepy but… I really need your help."
Roxas' mouth was left open as he struggled to keep the tears in. What was he to say? He knew he could just simply refuse the redhead; but Axel looked pretty serious there.
And that was what broke his heart.
"N-Not right now." Roxas shuddered. "Come find me here… Monday. After school."
He hastily left then, fearing that his dropping tears would be seen.
Monday came faster than Roxas wanted it to. He was contemplating whether he should just change his mind and refuse Axel as the last of the students poured out of his math class. Before he could reach a decision he noticed the flaming red color that symbolized Axel.
"Hi." Axel said, approaching him. "I'm sorry for scaring you the other day."
"Why… do you want me to help you?" Roxas asked, avoiding to ask why Axel likes Sora.
"Well I… I don't really know how to approach him." Axel said. "He must have a lot of suitors… After all, he's so beautiful."
It seemed like no matter what question Roxas asks he would get something like that.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Roxas faked anger. "How much do you know about him? Did you fall in love with him at first sight? Are you even serious about loving him?"
"No—I mean yes, but… I mean, I don't just love him for what he looks like…" Axel said, fretting, "Don't get me wrong. I don't have any ill intentions. I really do love Sora and I hope you can help me."
Roxas sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to this after all. But he knew he could never bring himself to say no to this man.
"He usually comes over to my house at four. You can go there and say you're my friend and that you're waiting for me, and then talk to him," said Roxas.
"What should I talk about?"
Roxas groaned. Just how well does this guy know Sora? "Don't talk about how much I look like him or whatever. He hates it when people say that. Tell him about how you remember him in the Singing Valentine's. Talk about how coincidental it is. Don't talk about me. Don't pretend to be the hottest or sexiest guy alive. He hates arrogant people."
"Wow, thanks." Axel said, tapping his temple. "That's a lot of info."
"Oh, and don't use pick up lines."
Axel chuckled and ruffled Roxas' hair, earning a grumpy shove from the blond. Roxas wondered if this was actually going to work. Sora knew about his crush on this man, and judging on who Sora is, he would most likely only treat Axel as a friend. At this point Roxas almost wanted to cry out at how ironic and scornful things are heading to. Damn Cupid. And the worst part was that Axel left without even asking where Roxas would be during this time when he would be with Sora, alone.
Sora was rummaging through Roxas' cupboards, looking for a jar of peanut butter when the doorbell rang. He smiled as he thought Roxas came home and bounced towards the door.
"Oh." Sora said when it turned out to be someone else. "Hi."
"Hi. I'm Roxas' friend. He told me to wait for him at his place." Axel said. Sora perked his eyebrows up. Roxas finally…?
"Oh sure, come right in." He opened the door for the redhead, musing about how he would interrogate Roxas once he got the chance. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Um, no, thanks." Axel said, eyes never leaving Sora. "That's very kind of you."
"Thank you." Sora smiled. He led Axel into the foyer. "Why don't you wait here? I'm sure Roxas will be back soon."
"Thanks." Axel said. "Hey, you're the one I bumped into the other day."
Sora paused on his way into the kitchen. "Oh yeah! What a coincidence!"
Axel smiled. Good, he's scoring points in Sora's heart. "I'm really sorry about that."
"Oh, don't worry about it." Sora said. "So uh… how'd you know Roxas?"
"Oh, it's only for a school project." Axel said. Irony has it that he never would get to know Roxas if it wasn't for Sora. "But you know, this is really amazing. I don't think I've ever had this many coincidences with anyone in my life."
"So I'm your first multiple-coincidence?" Sora laughed, sitting down next to Axel.
Rain started to fall halfway through four. Tiny droplets trickling down the bus's windows. Roxas looked outside, and somehow the interior of the vehicle was brighter than outside.
He got off at the intersection of Sunset and Twilight. People ran around to dodge the pouring rain. The boy stopped at a corner, and was intrigued by something that shined.
His cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Roxas?" Came Axel's voice. "Thanks for the great chance, man. I had a long talk with him. By the way, where are you?"
"It doesn't matter." Roxas stood behind a counter in a glittering store. "So you've completely established your existence to him?"
"Well… yeah, if you put it that way." Axel said. "Should I come over again soon?"
"No." Roxas said. "I have a better idea. Wait for my instructions."
He hung up on the redhead before Axel could say anything. The salesman before him smiled gently as he placed down a piece of necklace. The needles of fate's jeer stabbed into Roxas' heart as he realized that he was helping his love to get his best friend. He sighed; at least Axel would be paying for the necklace, not him.
"Roxas, I can't stand it anymore." Axel said, whining like a baby next to Roxas. The blond sighed and tried to get away from Axel's insistent grip. "When can I see Sora again?"
"It's only been a freaking week!" said Roxas, digging into his backpack and taking a box out. Axel blinked curiously. The blond pushed the small box into the redhead's hand.
"What is this...?"
"April Fools' Day is coming up." Roxas said, "I'll pull a prank on you in front of Sora."
"What?" Axel looked almost ready to cry.
"He's the boyish hero type. He'll definitely rescue you." Roxas said. "I know him. And after he does, you'll give this to him as a thank-you gift, and ask him out for dinner."
"Roxas, I knew you were a genius…"
"Well, I think he's just going to say no." Roxas said haughtily. Axel dropped his jaw immediately. "But I'll try persuading him anyway."
"Thank you!" Axel hugged Roxas brotherly. Roxas was not at all touched by Axel's show of "affection". He gritted his teeth, mumbling, "is he really that important to you?"
"Eh?" Axel said, blinking.
"Nothing." Roxas shrugged Axel's arm from his shoulders. "I have to go."
April Fools' Day came and their plan went as well as Axel hoped it to. Turned out that the prank was really pushing Axel (who cannot swim) into the school pool and letting Sora (the Lifeguard) rescue him. A few days later Axel successfully gave Sora that little box of present and asked him for a dinner.
The brunet had also noticed the active connection he was building with Axel. He thought it nice to have another friend, but he feared that it would hurt Roxas (but the truth is Roxas is already hurt). However the blond claimed that he had gotten over Axel, and that he had moved on to someone else. That gave Sora legitimate confidence to agree to the dinner.
All was going well, until Roxas didn't reply to Axel's plea for help after Sora actually accepted the dinner date.
"Roxas!"
Roxas halted. Fate had her own way of shoving herself into someone's face. He turned around.
"What's wrong? You've been ignoring me for the past week." Axel said. Roxas' heart pulled. Don't give me that worried look. "Is your cell phone out or something?"
"Something like that." Roxas said. Axel was just a little slow to notice the blond's dark mood.
"Anyway, I owe my life to you, dude." Axel said. "Sora agreed to the dinner!"
"I heard from him about it."
"So, um… what should I do next?" Axel asked helplessly. "I mean, there's a lot I need to do, right? I have to find a place, get something to wear, and oh what am I going to do when I'm actually there?"
"Just do what you would." Roxas said, hanging his head lower so Axel wouldn't see his watering eyes.
"Huh?"
"It's you that's going to date Sora, not me. You're the one who likes Sora, not me," said Roxas, "Just be who you are. Don't you have something that you've always been good at?"
"What is it?" Axel asked, unsure of himself.
"Your voice." Roxas said. The one that you've always captivated me with. "You can sing, Axel. You can sing."
Vexen moved over to his right side, planning to get a test tube of chemical, only to be once again annoyed by the pink-haired nuisance. He deadpanned. "What is it that you want, Marluxia?"
"…URGH! I can't believe Demyx didn't drink it! I put it in his backpack, HIS backpack!" Marluxia jumped off from the table and grabbed Vexen by the collar. "And somehow it still didn't work! Tell me, Vexen, what curse is this? Oh tell me, Demyx, wherefore wilst thou not lookest at me with thy fair eye?"
"That was your own fault." Vexen pushed Marluxia aside and grabbed what he needed. "I did what you asked. You wasted the potion yourself."
"Silence, lowly imbecile!" Marluxia said. "Listen, you will make me another one of that potion! This time, this time!"
"Again?" Vexen poured carefully some liquid from one test tube to another. "You better have a really good reason."
"Oh I do, Vexen." Marluxia smiled creepily. "Five hundred munny, plus a boy. Yes, a boy. I, with my great power of intelligence network, know that you have a fetish for little boy servants."
Two vines twitched in Vexen's forehead. "You…"
"Make me such a potion, and the boy will be yours." Marluxia laughed evilly, almost like a witch, as he left the laboratory.
"Look, Roxas. I'm real sorry if I was being a jerk or anything. You've helped me lots and maybe I was just asking too much from you, huh? After all Sora is your best friend. You're right. I'm responsible for my love to Sora. And your suggestion, the singing thing, it worked real well. I just… I just want you to know that I'm grateful for everything you've done for my sake, and… I'm sorry."
"End of new messages, to erase this message, please press…"
At this point Roxas could rightfully declare that he hated Axel for making his heart throb so many times. And however romantic it may be, Axel's first acknowledgment of Roxas was nothing except guilt. Maybe I was just a little too harsh on him…
The choir room was almost deserted after class. There would be a practice session after school today for the school's annual concert but it was too early for most of the students to show up just yet, or most of them were out of the classroom right now either to buy food or to socialize with other friends. Marluxia slipped in and saw a backpack on one of the chairs. He giggled and placed a sea-green bottle onto the chair next to it.
Someone was coming in as the door squeaked and light peeked in. Marluxia hastily cowered into a hiding place. It was the silver-haired boy who Sora almost fainted for. He turned on the lights in the room and went over to his chair.
Did I take my water bottle out? The boy wondered nonchalantly and picked up the bottle, drinking from it mindlessly.
Another person came in, wandering a little. "Excuse me…"
The silver-haired boy turned around, and his heart stopped.
"I'm looking for Axel. Do you know where he might be?" Roxas asked. He wanted to at least talk to the redhead.
"U-Uh… He uh… he'll be here soon." The silver-haired boy stuttered. "I-Is there something you need to tell him?"
"Well… I'd like to talk to him face-to-face." Roxas said.
"Oh, uh. Why don't you wait here for a while… uh…"
"Roxas." The blond smiled.
"Oh, hi." The silver-haired boy returned the smile, albeit a little dumbfounded. "I'm Riku."
"Hi." Roxas said and sat quietly down on a chair. Rku scratched his head as he tried to think of something to say. To him, the atmosphere was awfully awkward.
"Hey, you think you can do me a favor?" He approached the blond.
"Anything I'm able to." Roxas said.
"You see, we've been trying to choose the color theme for the school's annual school concert." Riku said, bringing a color palette over. "But we've never reached a decision. I think an opinion from someone outside the argument would be fantastic."
"Hm." Roxas scrutinized his choices. "Well, I don't know what you guys are trying to aim for. What song are you guys singing?"
"The Circle of Life, from the Lion King." Riku said, smiling embarrassedly.
"Well, the obvious choice would be to go for green." Roxas said. "But that's overrated so I'd rather choose this…" He picked up pieces of fabric off the palette, "Baby blue for the sky, Light blue for the clouds, and jade green for the mixture of grass and sea. The Circle of Life is more than just the trees; it's everything altogether. So why not add specks of various colors?"
"Wow." Riku chuckled. "You're amazing… at this, I mean."
"Thanks." Roxas smiled back. Neither of them noticed a third person entering the room when they were absorbed by the discussion, and Axel's voice's sudden appearance startled both.
"Roxas, what are you doing here?"
The blond whipped his head around and stood. He came here to have a talk with Axel, to possibly make things better. But now Axel seemed to hold a grudge or something. Did Roxas come here too late?
"Let's talk outside." Roxas said, walking past the redhead. Riku observed curiously.
Axel knew he shouldn't be upset. And he couldn't quite figure out why he was himself. But all he could do was follow the blond out the door, and somehow a grumpiness grew in him now that he could see the boy by himself.
"I heard your voicemail." Roxas said. "I'm not upset, Axel. I just… have a life and have a lot to take care of sometimes."
"Like what, getting a boyfriend?"
"What?" Roxas frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm sorry for taking up your precious time." Axel said, his anger getting hold of him. "If this really is so hard for you then why don't you just keep ignoring me?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm not pointing a gun at your head and forcing you to help me!" The redhead lost touch with reality. "If it's so difficult then I'd rather you just-"
He never got to finish his sentence because Roxas slapped him. When Axel could think and see right again there were tears of agony in the blond's eyes. Guilt began to bubble up in his blood but he couldn't do anything about it. Roxas bit his lip, enduring the pain, and walked away. Riku saw this all through a window and ran after the blond.
"Roxas!" He caught up with the stumbling boy. "Roxas. I don't know what Axel did but I apologize for whatever he said. I've known him for years and I know that sometimes he's just a bit too hotheaded."
"No, no, no." Roxas tried his best not to sob. "It's not your fault, Riku. You shouldn't be apologizing for him. He… you…"
It pained Riku to see Roxas this way, even if he had only known him for ten minutes. Axel cannot be forgiven. The silver-haired teen took out his handkerchief and handed it to the blond.
"Here." Riku said. "I'm sorry for everything."
Roxas had cut all communications with Axel since then. It did nothing but worsen the guilt the redhead sulked in everyday. What the hell was I thinking? Axel repented as he laid lifelessly on his couch. Roxas had helped him develop a good relationship with Sora for such a long time without ever questioning his intentions. He didn't flat out refuse Axel like the redhead thought he would. He entrusted his cousin and best friend Sora with Axel and just what the hell did Axel have to hold a grudge against Roxas for?
His telephone rang but he didn't even bother to answer it.
"Hello, Axel? Yeah it's Sora. I really had fun the other night and I was hoping that if you're free, we can hang out again some time soon. How does Friday night sound to you? Give me a call back. 'Kay, bye."
Axel took his time well before he replied to the message. They agreed to meet at Sora's house Friday night at six. He didn't know that Sora's house was right next to Roxas'.
Axel, on his way to Sora's place, realized that Roxas must have contributed to persuading Sora to ask him for a date. Guilt burned hotter in his heart to think that the boy would help him despite his horrible attitude on their last encounter.
Axel immediately recognized the car that parked in front of the house next to Sora's. He had been the passenger of that car himself several times when his gas money went out of luck. But why it was there was what bothered the redhead.
The passenger door opened simultaneously with the driver's door. Roxas, with a smile on his face that Axel had never seen him wear, got out of the car. Riku walked the blond to the front of the house and they bid their farewell, smiles never leaving their faces.
Axel almost had an urge to rush up to them, and he did but stopped himself when Roxas entered his house without seeing him. He reminded himself of who it was that imposed such anguish on the blond's face, and realized who it was that restored the smile on that same face.
"You gonna go to that house or what?"
Axel looked up. Riku was still there. He had an irritated expression on him.
"What you doing here?" Axel asked, despite the obvious answer.
"I'm here for Roxas," said Riku. "And, if you have no objections, I'll be after Roxas."
"Are you trying to pick a fight?"
"Why? Do you have any objections?"
Axel realized where this was going. "Well… no." He had no right at all to dictate who Roxas should be seeing. To object would mean to admit that. Yes, yes, it would take him greater responsibility to admit that.
He sighed and turned away to head to the house next door, letting Riku drive off into the evening. Sora welcomed him warmly as he would to anybody. The house was toned with gentle colors. Axel sat down in the soft couch. There were a few framed photos on the lamp counter. Roxas was in one of them.
"Which side of cousin is Roxas on?" The redhead asked mindlessly.
"My father's side." Sora said. "That's probably where he got all his stubborn pride." He laughed. "Alrighty. It's all set up."
Axel blinked. Sora was handing him a gaming console. A gaming console. The situation dawned onto the redhead like a bitter cold pan on the head. He laughed and accepted the console, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to play for a little while.
Axel was sick for the following few days; or at least that's what Sora told Roxas. The blond employed nonchalance as a reply, but let it be known that he was starting to feel a little bad for the redhead.
"Sora, come with me during lunch." Roxas said. "There's somebody I want you to meet."
Roxas used the convenience of acquainting Riku to introduce Sora to him. Riku was a little uninterested but fortunately Sora was too slow to realize that. And Roxas kept bringing up topics he didn't have much opinion on but Sora could talk a whole day off of. Surprisingly (or not) Riku and Sora both had hotly strong opinions on the topics. The lunch period ended with Sora printing a really good impression on Riku's mind. Roxas wondered just what the hell was missing in between the two.
Somehow he felt like a matchmaker now. And he was nothing if not contradiction because he was helping Axel get Sora. But now, after getting to know Riku, he also wanted to help Riku get Sora. Well… the latter one wasn't voluntary from Riku. But hey, Sora had really crushed on Riku for a while now.
"You wasted the second potion too?" Vexen's eyes augmented to a fish's bulky eyes after hearing Marluxia's mumbling confession. "No, no. It can't go on like this anymore. You're going to be affecting too many people soon."
"I never knew you to be the hero, Vexen." Marluxia mocked.
"It'll get me in trouble if they realized it was the drugs!" The ice-blond haired man howled. "No more, Marluxia. And give them these." He handed the man a bottle of murky white liquid. "This will undo the effects of the potion."
"And take away my now only entertainment?" Marluxia screeched, "No!" He twirled out of the laboratory, thinking that he was in control of the situation.
Vexen stared after Marluxia's back wordlessly. An idiot is an idiot after all. He took out a whole flask of that murky white liquid and poured some into a small bottle.
"Zexion." He called for his assistant. "I want you to give this to two students named Riku and Axel. Tell them it's a flu prevention drug the school prepared for everyone."
Something about Axel changed over the time he was sick. He threw up several times and everything felt clear again. It was almost as if he woke up from a hazy dream where most things were blurry.
So he was thoroughly confused when during lunch a boy with brunet hair came up and bluntly said hi to him.
"Uh…" The redhead blinked. "You're…"
"Axel?" Sora asked. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, Sora." Axel said, looking a little dumb. "Right. Riku sang valentine's for you."
"Uh, yeah." Sora chuckled. "Were you really that sick?"
"I-"
"Sora! Where are you?" Someone called out.
"Here, Roxas!" Sora waved cheerily. Axel turned around and only one thing went through his mind.
Roxas stopped dead in his track and was ready to leave. However Axel sprinted from his chair and reached out for Roxas' wrist.
He remembered everything about Roxas. He barely knew who Sora was, but somehow he knew this boy, this boy of blond hair and blue eyes. There was a pang in his heart; he remembered going on "meetings" with this boy, getting help from this boy, planning things with this boy, hurting this boy out of something silly, and trying to make it up to this boy.
"Roxas, I'm sorry." He didn't know for what. Hell, he didn't know how he came to know this boy. He only knew he's really, terribly sorry and damn guilty towards him.
Tears welled up in Roxas' eyes quickly and he wanted to fight off Axel's grip. "What good is it now to apologize?"
"I'm sorry." That was all Axel knew to say. "I'm sorry… I don't know… I don't know why, but when I see you… I can't help it I…" Axel's head started to hurt, and the world began to spin.
"Axel…?" A single drop of tear rolled down Roxas' cheek. Axel couldn't even stand properly anymore.
"Roxas, I'm sorry…"
"What's wrong with him?" Sora asked.
"He's got a flu that's been flying around lately." Vexen said, hiding the truth behind the innocent students. He went over to the telephone inside the room and picked it up. "Zexion, I want you to come over to the doctor's office. It turns out that Axel and Riku came to us on their own after all."
Hurrying on his way back to the school doctor's office, Zexion bumped into someone carelessly.
"Oh I'm so sorry!"
Zexion, being the good assistant he always was, would fall on his back so that the medicine would not break. But man it hurt. He opened his eyes to a bubbly blond.
"Are you alright?" He picked Zexion up.
"Yes, I'm okay." Pulling his composure together Zexion dusted himself.
"You sure?" The blond asked. "No dizziness, nothing?"
"I'm fine… uh…"
"Demyx." He smiled. Ahhh. It's been a while since Zexion had seen anyone with such a pure smile. Working for Vexen certainly locks up some of one's socializations.
"It's nice to meet you, Demyx." Zexion nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait! What's your name?"
The blue-haired boy raised his eyebrows. He turned and smiled. "Zexion."
"There you are, Zexion." Vexen gladly took the two bottles of drugs from his assistant's arms. "Alright. Time to right the wrong."
He injected the drug into Axel's arm. And then he poured the other one into a small dish and handed it to Riku.
"You are exhibiting signs of the flu. Drink it."
With a little bit of doubt Riku took the dish and drank from it. His eyes were unfocused for a moment and then things went back to normal… except he didn't exactly remember how he got here.
"It's alright, son. You'll get used to it." Vexen nodded before Riku could say anything. He looked beside him and saw the Sora boy whom he remembered had hot debates with him.
"Oh, hi." He smiled. "What a coincidence."
"Riku? Are you okay?" Sora said, worried.
"Well, yeah. I'm a little disoriented, but…" He rubbed his temple. "I think I'll live."
Sora laughed. It was his infamous innocent, purely cheerful, big-grin laugh. Riku would be in one hell of a ride.
"Potion effects wear off after a while… causes nausea and fatigue side effects until cure is given. Cure or potion itself causes slight dementia, possible dissociative identity disorder…" Vexen mumbled quietly to himself. "In other words, this potion is to be terminated."
"Rox, I need you to help me with something." Roxas was woken from his nice nap. When the words registered in his mind he deadpanned. As he had learned, Axel's true self was not so whiny-phony as he was when he got the "flu".
"W-What…?" The blond whimpered, backing up against the headboard. Axel seemed almost like a predator slowly inching towards his prey.
No, Axel was no romanticist. His real self was more of the devilish type. The redhead smirked and leaned forward. However his lips only met something fuzzy and soft.
A teddy bear with curly fur was stuffed in between them by the blond.
"Hey." Axel pulled back. "We're both guys here; but how come you're so freaking cute?"
"Huh?" Roxas blushed with widened eyes, and before he knew it their lips mashed together. There was no time to think, no time to talk. The notion of "Axel" came crashing into the blond's mind, and he couldn't resist a single bit. Roxas moaned into the kiss, his heart jumping like it was going to burst.
Wake up and open your eyes before it's too late.