The Reasons Why Liking the Strife Brothers is Wrong.
A story told from the love struck views of misters Riku, Axel and Leon.
Author: Musical Enigma
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Note: Hope you like this... I'm going to try and work on this and Mandrel Mishaps concurrently, but I need motivation too...*coughreviewcough*
Chapter One: In which Riku oogles, Axel kidnaps, and Leon is defeated.
For Starters
He's my best friend.
This means many things. For one, he trusts me like no other. Secondly, we know everything (and I mean everything) about each other. Thirdly, he knows what to do when I'm sad, angry, drowning, etc. The list continues on and on, but in total, it comes down to a single, simple point.
You do not tell your best friend that you just might happen to fancy him.
A lot.
Since oh…three years ago?
Nope, that is clearly a no-no. Against the law of friendship. A giant blinking red light telling you to STOP, because hell, you might just get hit by a large, not-too-friendly truck if you even hesitate to halt.
Besides, I'm a guy.
He's a guy.
Something tells me that this would all go terribly, terribly wrong if I so much as hint that I enjoy his company a bit more than I should.
Or that his hair is always silky smooth, no matter how hazardous it looks.
Or that said hair always seems to smell like the ocean.
Or that his eyes are like the ocean as well, a deep and unforgettable blue.
No way, not mentioning any of that. Heck, I probably should just stop thinking like that too. You know, just in cast some of the islanders happens to have…oh, mind reading powers? Yeah, I'm definitely not thinking about how flawless his tanned skin is, or how boyish, yet developed he still looks. And I am most certainly not noticing how mesmerizing he is as he runs out of the water, with bits of ocean clinging to his body.
"Rikuuuu, come play with meee!"
Oh Sora, you sly dog, what kind of game do you have in mind? Because I certainly have a few…
"What?" I ask, slightly dazed.
"I saaaid," the brunette (though, his hair has gotten significantly lighter from the blitzball dome chlorine and the summer sun) whined, bending over and successfully getting me sopping wet. "Come." He tugs at my limp arms. "Play." Another tug, which is just as futile. I really do need a towel now. "With Me!" he lets out a final cry, but instead of getting me up, like I assume he was attempting to do, my dear buddy ends up flailing and falling into my lap with a giggle.
Scratch the towel; I do believe my outfit needs a date with the washing machine.
"What was that?" I tease, wrapping my arms around the sopping wet boy's torso and poking him in the stomach. He hits my hands lightly, but ends up playing with my fingers instead.
"Meanie." He comments in a low voice. I chuckle lightly, poking him again.
"Rikuuu, stooooop!" He whines, squirming slightly. I do as he says, allowing him to play with my fingers some more. Sora…if you only knew how much power your insistent, whiny little butt has over me.
Not that I'm thinking about his tush.
Oh no, not me, I'm a good boy!
Silence ensues for a few seconds until I'm suddenly bombarded with a mass of light brown, nearly passing for dirty blonde, mushy spikes forming into my shoulder. I give into my guilty pleasure and inhale in his scent.
You know, to uhm, avoid the fact that his slowly drying body (compliments of my clothes) is pressed up against mine…I should have really not worn a shirt for…you know, recreational purposes! Yes! As a matter of fact, clothes in general are overrated, we should totally just—
"Hey Riku?" Sora asks rather sleepily. I'm grateful that he cannot see the blush that I'm positive currently paints my face.
"Hmm?" I give the signal that I'm listening.
"I've been thinking, next year will be our last year of high school."
"Mhmm?" I mutter, taking peeks at the boy, no, man (he'll be seventeen next month, after all) – as he talks with his eyes closed. So trusting and adorable, I can't help but feel the urge to squeeze him as hard as I can, if only to show that he's mine.
But he's not.
"And after that, we'll be off to college." A small frown appears upon his face.
"Right?" I reply hesitantly, not liking where the conversation is going if it means making Sora unhappy.
"And after that, we'll go on and have jobs and families and stuff."
"Sure." I reply with a shrug. A family, there's something I could never give him.
He cranes his neck to try to look at me, shifting his body to an angle. I still hold onto him, my heart rate increasing at the minimal distance between us. Oh, how I long to fill that gap!
"I just need to know…if even after all of that and stuff, we'll still be friends?"
The look of pure innocence is in his eyes, those blue eyes that match the ocean behind him perfectly. He's almost fearful…why are you afraid, Sora? Are you afraid of losing me?
No…no, you're afraid of losing your best friend.
It's the best I can ever be.
So I give a smile to cover up whatever I might be feeling inside. I don't even know what I'm feeling inside, at this point. I mess up his hair in a playful and casual way, loving the feel of it between my fingers.
"You know you can never get rid of me, no matter how hard you might try." I say easily. A small smile comes onto his face. Not the giant one he gives when he's happy, or the easy one he gives when he's calm and mellow. No, this smile is mine. I know that I'll cry the day that he gives it to another person.
"Good. I'd never want to get rid of you anyways." He mutters, trying to scowl as he fixes his hair. It doesn't work, since he still has that smile on his face. It's a good attempt though.
After properly fixing his hair (which, in reality, did nothing at all) he pushes himself up and turns to me.
"I'm going back in the water. You wanna come?" He offers his hand, but I shake my head.
"I'm wet enough, thanks." I motion to my lovely clothing. Sora laughs in his unique way, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.
"Sorry." He says with a grin. It isn't my smile, but it still makes me happy.
"I'll watch you though, to make sure you don't drown." I say off-handedly with a smirk.
"Gee, what a life saver." Sora says sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at me. He's a lifeguard at a public pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so keeping himself afloat is hardly a thought.
"What are friends for?" I tease. Sora laughs and runs back to the water.
Right…friends.
Best friends, for that matter.
Best friends of the same sex.
Liking your best friend is wrong.
It's like staring at their ass while they run into the water, their slightly large board shorts showing mere centimeters of un-tanned skin…which I am totally not doing, by the way.
He hates me…at the moment.
But seriously now, no one can stay mad at me for all too long. I'm simply too irresistible.
I must admit, however, that dear Roxas is setting a fine record at the moment…
Oh Roxie, you fox, this obviously means you want me more!
…Right?
So here I sit, happily waiting for my gorgeous blue-eyed fantasy to emerge from the supply closet, so then I can scoop him up into my arms and carry him off where we can live together forever happily ever after.
Speaking of scoops…there's a line of angry customers building at the register. The annoying little bell that is the death call to employees is being hit mercilessly. Oh poor bell, we knew thee well! Damn these people are impatient. It's just ice cream!
"Can I get some SERVICE over here?"
"I'd like to speak to the manager!"
"This is no way to treat your customers."
Keeping an eye on the door, I slowly inch back to my post behind the counter and swipe the irritating bell away before anyone else can hit it. The man in front of me looks like he could probably skip the ice cream, if I do say so myself. But alas, I am a simply worker to the capitalistic world of the mall ice cream shop. And as my bosses have told me: "Axel, you are a working stiff, thus, you have no opinion here."
This obviously translates to: "Axel, you're the greatest ever and I'd give anything to have you!" Alas, I must always put my blonde angel before these pleas and reply with a stern: "As much as you may claim to love me, my heart is with another." A real heartbreaker, I am.
So I scoop out the triple chocolate fudge whatever into a cone and receive five dollars in return. The magical munny machine before me eats the cash and spits out change, and the process continues. Constantly, I glance back to the closet to make sure Roxas hasn't left yet.
Not that I want him in there forever, I just like to, you know, keep an eye on him. Like a pet. I hear you can put GPS trackers in moogles and stuff…maybe I can get one for Roxie?
Another three orders and I glance back to see, quite to my surprise, that the supply closet door is open and Roxas is sprinting from the store.
I curse loudly, throwing the ice cream I was holding out to some lady straight into her face. I grab a sea salt ice cream from its hidden spot, because I'd never see Roxas if I didn't have any of the popsicle treats, and sprint after him. Luckily, I have long legs and the kid doesn't get too far before I've tackled him to the ground just outside the mall.
"AXEL, WHAT THE HELL?" He yells straight into my ear. Despite the fact that people are walking in and out of the mall giving us the oddest of looks, I'd say that this plan gets a gold star!
"You forgot your sea salt ice cream. You never forget it." I smile, waving the treat in front of his face. He doesn't grab it, which I soon realize is due to the fact that my whole body is covering his petite one. I take this chance of his immobilization to rub my face in his soft, short blonde spikes that smell fruity. Like strawberries.
Haha, Roxas is a fruit!
"Axel…" Roxas says slowly, his voice shaking.
"Yes darling?" I ask sweetly, hoping that he won't hurt me all too badly.
"GET OFF ME NOW!" He yells into my ear once again. I jump off him in a heartbeat when he starts yelling obscure and odd things such as 'I'm being molested!' and 'rape!"
It's not rape, dear, it's surprise sex. Like…surprise! I'm inside youuu…
I stand up and offer a hand out to my love, but he scowls and snatches the ice cream instead, peeling off the wrapper and sticking the treat into his mouth in mere seconds. Then he just sits there, in the middle of incoming and outgoing mall-traffic. Babe, you are brave. After a minute, I sit cross-legged beside him, leaning in forward and smiling at my accomplishment of having Roxas within arms distance and not being punched, kicked, mauled and / or yelled at.
He really is amazing.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?" He finally asks with a raised eyebrow, the popsicle in his hand melting slowly until a quick, pink tongue scoops up the offending drips. I'm terribly jealous of a popsicle at the moment.
"Huh?" I ask, knowing for a fact that Roxas had made words form from those blue tinted lips, but what the words were is beyond me.
"I said, shouldn't you be working? I mean, it's summer. I bet the ice cream shop is a zoo." He repeats. I grin widely.
"Oh Roxas, you do care!" I exclaim, ready to wrap my arms around the boy. A palm to my forehead stops the action, however.
"No, Axel, I don't care whether or not you lose your job. I'm simply posing a question." Roxas states, sticking the blue ice into his mouth again.
"Well it's the thought that counts." I smile. Roxas simply stares.
"What is wrong with you? You're creepy." Roxas says after another few licks from the ice treat.
"Whatever do you mean, my sweet?" I ask, genuinely confused.
"You're all…weird. And stalker-y." He says after a moment of contemplation.
"Stalker-y isn't a word." I retort.
"Whatever! You know what I mean!" He cries out in exasperation, flinging his popsicle stick at some poor passerby who happened to be entering the mall.
"Well, it just so happens that I am enamored with a short," Roxas scowls at this comment, "blonde, cute, blue-eyed individual. So enamored, that I seem to be unable to think of anything or anyone else." I smile slightly, in a dreamy manner. Roxas just stares some more, the scowl fading into a blank line.
"You're weird." He states, getting up and dusting his jeans off. I stand up with him. "Why do you always say weird stuff like that? It's…unnatural." He frowns.
"Because I love you." I say simply. I'm almost positive it's true, I mean, love at first sight. It happens. Happened to me a year or so ago at the same ice cream parlor I work at today. I wasn't an employee at the time, but I had offered to buy the kid ice cream. He was weary at first, but he agreed. It wasn't until later, when I so subtly grabbed his ass that Roxas screamed and ran off yelling about pedophiles.
Ah, how sweet, young love!
"Listen." Roxas says, glancing around frantically as if someone might mug him for my words. Fear not Roxie, for I shall protect thee from all harm! "Stop saying that. It's not normal. It's creepy."
"But it's true." I say cheekily.
"Yeah, no." He says.
"I think I know what I feel, Roxie."
"…Roxie? Whatever, point is that you think wrong. I don't know what it is you want from me, but stay away! I'll give you munny…whatever! Whatever you want that will make you leave me alone!" He says frantically. I raise an eyebrow. Well, this is new.
"I could never leave you alone, I lo—" I'm cut off by Roxas slapping his hand over my mouth and looking around in a paranoid manner. I lick his palm, tasting some remains of the sea salt ice cream that had dripped there. He pulls his hand away, cradling it out of my reach.
"Listen, just…stop doing that. You don't even know me!"
"Sure I do. You're Roxas. You have two brothers, one of whom is your twin. You love sea salt ice cream, have three best friends, and accidentally killed your goldfish last month. You hate seagulls and pomegranates; you're allergic to cats and are pretty good at skateboarding." I recite.
"You forgot to mention that I hate you." Roxas frowns.
"Oh Roxie, darling, how you break my heart!" I cry in an overdramatic manner, clutching at my chest and falling to my knees. A few people passing by send me a few glares, but I ignore them in favor of Roxas's reaction.
"Axel…how do you even know those things?" He cries out, a hand running through his hair the way that he does when he's frustrated.
"You've told me here and there." I reply honestly. It's not as if I stalk the kid! I'd surely be arrested for that.
Roxas is silent for a minute, simply looking at me through his blue eyes that I've come to love. I remain on my knees for sheer fearfulness that he might kick me in the face if I make any sudden movements. Trust me, it's happened before.
"You…you listened to all of that?" He asks quietly. I nod, unsure if this is a good or bad thing. "You…are a freak." I sadden slightly, not liking the word all too much coming from his sweet mouth, "but…" he runs a hand through his hair again, "I don't know."
"Does this mean you don't hate me anymore?" I ask hopefully.
"I don't know." He repeats, then turns and walks away. I get up and run after him, shoving a piece of paper into his hand. He pauses and looks at me confused.
"Call me when you do know." I say with a shit-eating grin. Then I peck him on the cheek.
Later, I'm sitting with a bag of sweet peas covering my left eye. Man, Roxas sure packs a punch! But yanno…it was totally worth it.
He doesn't know I exist.
Every morning, I hear him rummaging in the kitchen as he prepares the best smelling meals for his younger siblings. Shortly after, he shoves the two twins out the door with a hug and lets them run wild around the island, since its summer. Not too long afterwards, I hear the water running as he takes his routine morning shower. After that, he runs to work, sharing the same tardiness that plagues his brothers, for they are always late to school.
Every evening, he comes home and the water is running again as he takes another shower. Soon, the sound of obnoxious running down the hall plagues the apartments as the boys return home, sometimes with friends and other times on their own. The delicious cooking is smelt again and later in the night, the sound of the television is heard ever so lightly, as if he is afraid to wake the neighbors.
Everyday it's the same routine. I can't help but listen for the sound of the soft television at night or running water around five p.m., which is when he comes home. I wonder sometimes if he gets bored of the same routine, day in and day out. But I never ask him.
Hell, the most I've ever seen of him is the occasional glimpse of blonde hair and hard blue eyes as he passes my door on the way out of the building.
That was all it took for me to fall for the strange individual I know as my neighbor.
Not that I know him…I don't even know his name.
This fact, and this fact alone, was killing me slowly.
Therefore, it is my plan to finally talk to this individual and find out his name once and for all. All I want is a name…that's all. See? I'm not all that demanding…
So I suppose the question you have right now is 'well then…why don't you go do that? Why haven't you done that?' Well, there's a catch.
There's always a catch.
I call this 'catch' Yuffie. The child from hell who has decided to be my official roommate, the annoying individual who loves to sing her own songs that don't even rhyme, the self-proclaimed ninja who threatens chipmunks, my cousin who cannot properly work a toaster.
This is Yuffie, and she is my catch.
See, if I did ask my neighbor his name, his hobbies, his lifestyle, his favorite pos—tal office, little Miss Yuffie would be right there behind me, asking him if he'd seen any of her 'ninja-skills' or if he happened to know where I hid the remote.
I really could not stand it if, after months of preparation to try and meet my beautiful neighbor, Yuffie comes and ruins it by throwing our 'prejudiced' toaster at his head or 'accidentally' embedding her kunai into his stomach or biting him so he'll get rabies or running with scissors and stabbing his eye out or bumping him out his own third story window…
The list goes on and on, with a large variety of injuries and casualties.
I wish to meet my neighbor, not have him sue me.
So then, why do I prepare so much if I only wish to know his name? Simply to avoid and Yuffie encounters. I figure that once I know his name, I'll be satisfied. I'll be able to do things like a normal person again and lead a regular life without the nameless blue eyed, blonde haired angel next door.
Everything can go back to normal if I just know his name.
I woke up in the morning to discover that today is the day. Today, I shall meet my neighbor and fix my life once and for all. I have it all planned out, too. I sent Yuffie to the store a half hour ago with fifty dollars and a slingshot. That should amuse her for a few hours. I only need a few minutes, but extra time won't hurt me.
I hear the shower go off in the apartment next to mine and I begin to mentally prepare myself. Just go over there, say hi, shake hands and leave. That's all. Normal people do it all the time.
Ten minutes later, I'm standing in front of my neighbor's door, unsure of what to do. Let's see…most people might…call inside? Maybe I should have called first, wait no, I don't have a telephone number. What do I…ah, there's a door in the way.
Oh well, mission failed. Let's go home.
I spin quickly on my heel to leave –what in the world possessed me to do something like this?– but instead I only end up running face-first into my darling cousin. Said darling cousin with a wicked grin and…are those scissors in her hand?
"Yuffie…" I say slowly, like one might do when trying to negotiate with a starving lion in the savannah. Unfortunately, do to language barriers, those experiences do not end out pleasantly, more often than not. Yuffie and I may speak English, but the sentences always seem to be a few words constantly lost in translation.
'No' happens to be one of these words.
"Squalliee…" Yuffie replies, a cat-like grin crossing her features. I frown, pinching my nose between two fingers.
"Yuffie…what are you doing here?" I ask calmly.
"Weeeell, I was walking down to the store to buy fruit loops like you said but then I ran into some short blonde kid running from a freakishly tall redheaded one so I gave the redhead some munny so that he wouldn't have to stalk younger children for drugs. Then I was back en route to the store and a giant llama crossed the road and Squallie, you know how I love llamas, so I went to go pet it but it spit on me. But it was magical spit and when I woke up I was all lost and alone in the desert until I met a gypsy queen riding on a camel and I paid her the rest of the munny so I could come home…and here I am!" She exclaims in an overly excited manner. I think I might have to check her for some of those drugs she was talking about…
"The question is, dearest cousin, what are YOU doing here?" She asked with a smirk. I know that smirk. She knows exactly what I'm doing here…damn it.
"I live here." I say casually.
"In the hall right outside dear Cloudy-kins door?" Yuffie raises an eyebrow. I stare back at her without emotion.
Cloudy-kins?
"Clo—"
But before I can finish my sentence, the door behind me swings open and hits me in the back of the head. I fall to the ground and the world goes black.
I open my eyes with a groan. My head is throbbing madly and everything is so…so bright.
And loud. Very, incredibly loud.
"Wuh…?" I try to say something, but notice that my mouth is dry. Blinking a few times, I try to figure out what Yuffie could have possibly done to me.
I mean, it has to be her. It's always her who puts me into states of massive injury.
Then I notice a few very important facts. Such as how the curtains are missing, the television has been moved, the large black mark from where Yuffie set the wall on fire is gone and the room smells like honey.
Then it hits me:
Someone came into my apartment, knocked me out and cleaned, rearranged the furniture, then ran off with the curtains!
"YUFFIE!" I yell, in sudden fear for my cousin. "WE'VE BEEN ROBBED!"
It isn't until after I shout this out that I realize that she probably thought to rob the house. It is something she would do, after all.
"Oh, you're awake."
A monotone voice fills my ears and I quickly decipher that this voice is most definitely not Yuffie. I turn my head towards the source, but receive a major rush from the action.
Oh…world spinning…wheeeee…
"Ugh…" I say intelligibly.
"Sorry…I usually don't hit people with doors on a scheduled basis." The voice speaks again.
Doors? Oh right…you were in front of a door. Your neighbor's door…then Yuffie…and so…
Wait…
"You're my neighbor!" I cry in triumph.
An awkward silence fills the room. Smooth Leon, smooth.
"Uhm yeah…my name is Cloud."
Cloud…Cloudy-kins?
I turn my head slower this time to view my attacker (unintentionally so, but true) and see the full view of Cloud. His eyes are a pure blue, crystalline and hard, his hair softly spiked and blonde, his body thin, with defined features and…just…
Remember when I said that I'd be just dandy if I could only know his name? Well, I lied.
I want soooo much more.