A/N - :D ANOTHER AkuRoku story from me! [[not obsessed]] I know I should really be working on my other AkuRoku [Bless the Night] and my Kai/Rei fic [Who Did It, Huh?] but I just decided I had to write another one! So, here's the stats so far:
Title: How Much Can You Take?
Rating: T/M [will set as M for future-proofing - language, sex, violence, angst]
Genre: Drama/Angst/Romance
Main Characters: Axel, Roxas
Series: Kingdom Hearts II
Chapters: 1 of ??
Enjoy, and please review. Preferably with something useful, like constructive criticism - it always helps. Thank you!
{EDIT: Rewrote the last bit of the story, cuz I didn't like it all too much. And I changed Axel's previous partner. But that's it, basically.
Sob...
Sniff...
Stop crying, damnit!
I'm trying... But I just can't...
What the hell are you crying for anyway?
It's just too hard... I can't take it...
Get over it. You've had two years of this shit.
Still doesn't get any easier.
Never said it would. Nobody did.
Roxas was leant over one of the sinks in the toilets at Twilight Elementary, crying endlessly. Blood was spilling from a cut on his left cheek, and his nose.
"Shit... They got me pretty bad."
He pulled at his cheek, pulling the cut open slightly.
"I mean... a knife? Come on, seriously." He drew his finger along the cut, hissing slightly at the pain. He pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped at his nose, removing most of the liquid. Roxas coughed, bringing up a little more blood.
"And they kicked me in the stomach... This is fucking harsh."
He wasn't even talking to anyone. Just himself. Just a one-sided conversation.
These trips to the toilet were frequent. Even more so in the past month. Attacks were turning pointless, and Roxas had taken to bringing boxes of plasters and adhesive stitches to school. He fixed up the cut on his cheek, stopping his nosebleed and coughing up the last of the blood in his throat.
To tell the truth, it was betting boring. Constantly being bullied, and constantly healing himself.
He checked himself once more, before hoisting his bag onto his shoulder and walking out of the toilets. It was still lunch, although only 5 minutes were left. He quickly glanced up and down the corridor, checking for the 'all clear' before heading out. He almost ran to his next class, eager to avoid any possible confrontations.
He was tripped up on the way to the lesson, but otherwise it was uneventful. He made it right up to his seat, until it was kicked over, throwing him to the ground. Everyone in the room turned to him for a moment, before turning back to the front.
"Roxas... get up off the floor and get ready for the lesson please."
Nobody even cared anymore. No one gave a shit. Roxas picked himself and his bag off the floor, righting his chair and sitting back down on it. The guys behind him laughed quietly for a minute, before being snapped at by the teacher and shutting up. The lesson itself consisted of note-taking, of which Roxas did none. He just doodled on his notebook, covering the front page in random, useless pictures. That was when he noticed the shock of red, flaming hair in front of him.
"Class is over Roxas."
..Who the hell?
"Name's Axel. Got it memorized?"
Roxas nodded dumbly.
"Good, now come on. I've got Biology with you next. I'll seeya there."
And with that, he left, leaving Roxas wondering what just happened.
Why have I never seen him before..? Especially if he's in one of my classes. And it's not like you can miss that hair...
He walked into the classroom, and immediately wanted to run. Today was practical day. That meant scalpels and needles: they never mean well. He breathed in deeply, stepping into the room, constantly watching for danger. And then he noticed – the equipment was there, but the teacher wasn't.
Shit.
Then Roxas noticed something else. He'd unconsciously backed into a corner, and felt the cold stone behind him.
Shit.
They were on him within seconds, scalpels in hand. Roxas screamed, but it was useless. He felt the blades slice his skin in multiple places, all over his face and arms.
"Get the fuck away from him. Right now!"
The group flinched slightly, shrinking back a little before turning to the new arrival. Roxas looked at him as well, and gasped – a faint blush heating his cheeks.
"Axel, what the hell are you doing?" One of the taller assailants asked him.
"Telling you to get the hell outta here, what does it look like?" Axel clicked his fingers, and a spark of flame flickered out threateningly. The group flinched again, taking one last glare at Roxas before walking away.
"Wait 'til your knight isn't here..." One of them whispered as he left.
"Axel..? What're you doing..?" Roxas took his outstretched hand, pulling himself upright.
"Saving your ass. Come on; let's get you cleaned up again." Axel smiled gently.
"But, why?" Roxas looked utterly confused. Why would a stranger help him out?
"Do I need a reason?"
"Well, not really. But it'd help." They were on their way to the school ward.
Axel briefly looked up and down the corridor, before pulling Roxas off into a side room.
"Because I care about people like you. That's why. And because stupid shit like this," here he pointed at the cuts along Roxas' arm, "can't go unnoticed."
Roxas felt the blush on his cheeks again. He hadn't been looked after in a long time, despite his brother being around all the time. His parents were forced to evict their house and move away, so they weren't around much anymore. Sora just didn't have the time – he was a good few years older than Roxas, and he was at university most of the year. So for someone else to find him, and offer him help...
"I'm not going to the ward, Axel."
Axel was taken aback slightly. "Why not?"
"They can't handle this kind of thing. I've got my own gear."
Axel turned on the lights, and sat Roxas down on a desk. "Give."
Roxas pulled the small tin from his bag, handing it to Axel. "I can do this on my own, you know."
"I guessed." Axel pressed the stitching attached to Roxas' cheek gently. "But trust me."
Roxas set his lips in a firm line, focusing on the floor tiles as Axel applied antiseptic to the cuts.
"I don't have antiseptic in that tin..."
"It's mine, that's why."
"Huh?" Roxas looked up at Axel.
"I trained to be a doctor for a year here. Came with the job."
"So why did you keep it?"
"Just in case." Axel flicked his gaze to match Roxas' for a moment, smiling gently in assurance. Roxas was forced to look away, the deep green too captivating otherwise.
The stitching was applied, and bandages – also supplied by Axel – wrapped around Roxas' arm. He checked the clock on the wall behind him. Lesson would be over in half an hour.
"You don't wanna go back, I'm guessing?" Axel asked, tying the knot on the final bandage.
"Not really, no."
"Wanna stay here?"
"No, I really wanna go home."
"You wanna come to my place? It's close to school, and I've got the rest of the day off."
"You're inviting me home, already?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Roxas fell silent for a moment. Axel apparently didn't quite get it.
"Sure, I'll come over."
Axel looked up from his bag, smiling yet again.
He really likes to smile...He must be so happy.
"Are we going?" Roxas hadn't noticed Axel's move to the door.
"Yeah." Roxas nodded, sliding off the desk and walking through the door, Axel closing it behind him.
"You got a 5th lesson today then?"
Roxas shook his head. "No, that was my last one."
"Ah good. Let's go then."
They made their way to the school car park, and Axel pulled a set of keys from his back pocket. They reached the far end of the car park, reserved for student use, and Axel pulled up to a fairly new Honda, unlocking it as he neared it.
"Hop in."
Roxas went round to the other side, getting in and belting himself in, shutting the door.
"Ready?" Axel slid the key into the ignition and pumped the engine for a second. Roxas nodded, and Axel turned the key all the way, starting the engine properly. "Let's go then."
He stuck the car in reverse, edging out of the tight parking space, then revving up, out onto the main road. He paused, however, in front of a small coffee bar about 5 minutes later.
"Actually, you fancy going for a coffee?"
Roxas thought about it for a moment. He smiled, "Yeah. I'd love to."
Axel parked the car outside, cutting the engine and getting out. Roxas followed, slamming the door. Axel locked the car and held the bar door open. Roxas ducked under his arm and went inside. They found a small table at the back of the room, and sat down. A waitress immediately came over and asked for their order. Axel decided on a small café latté, whereas Roxas chose a hot chocolate with marshmallows.
"Ooh, nice choice."
Roxas nodded. "I always make it with marshmallows. Just a habit."
"Ah, nice."
The drinks arrived in a short time, and the waitress dismissed herself with a slight bow, which Axel and Roxas returned with a nod. Axel quietly sipped at his coffee for a while, Roxas pulling marshmallows out with his spoon, before he spoke up.
"Thanks, Axel."
The redhead looked up from his cup to find Roxas watching him, but he turned away when Axel caught his gaze, a faint blush heating his cheeks.
"It's no problem. Really." Axel took another sip of his coffee. "But you should... Hey, look at me Roxas."
Roxas turned to look at Axel, keeping his eyes downcast, towards the table. Axel sighed lightly, lifting Roxas' chin with a bent finger. "Look at me."
Even with his request, Roxas still chose to look away, his eyes staring at the Converse on Axel's feet, covered in flames. "Rox."
He finally set his eyes on Axel's, his eyeballs quivering slightly, fighting to turn away again. "What the hell's wrong with you? You look like you're about to cry..." Axel noticed the blush rapidly reddening on Roxas' face, and pulled away from him. "Why can't you even look at me?"
"Because I like your eyes too much. They're so bright, and... Yeah..." Roxas began mumbling to himself, and Axel decided against pressing him on the subject. Roxas finished his drink in silence, putting it down. He shifted his gaze sideways, and noticed a small diamond on each of Axel's cheeks. He cocked his head to the side out of curiosity, and reached out to place a finger on the left one.
"Are they tattoos?"
"Yeah, I've had them since I was 15. I cheated the system a bit, coz I looked 18 back then, and had them done. For no real reason, I just wanted something different."
"I like them. They... suit you in a really odd way." Roxas smiled, the small incident a minute ago forgotten for the time being.
"You know... You really are an attractive guy Axel. Slim, pretty, tall. If I were even just a little bit gay, I'd be after you."
"Oh? What side of the fence are you on?"
"I'm not, really...sure." Roxas swirled the remains of his hot chocolate around in the bottom of his cup. "I think I might be bi."
"Ah, right. Well I'm straight out gay, so if you ever decide to be that way, gimme a shout."
"Oh yeah, I remember hearing about you and that Demyx kid."
"Yeah, we had a thing for a year or so. Didn't work out in the end though."
The pair stood up and took their cups to the counter and paid for the drinks, leaving the bar.
"Back to mine?" Axel asked, pulling his car keys from his back pocket.
Yeah, let's go." Roxas replied, smiling. They stepped into the car, and Axel started the engine, flashing a small grin to Roxas, who turned away and looked out of the window, blushing again.
Could I actually...
Be falling for him..?
