Author's Note: Couldn't keep myself from updating. I want to reach the 20,000 word mark quickly, but my chapters are pretty short so far, though the next one is long. I've reached the 20,000 mark by the fifth chapter on a past story... Anyways, I like how this is turning out. No reviews so far, one favorite and three follows. Sorry, I like numbers... I have a habit of counting them, so, yeah.
Disclaimer: Don't own characters or the Kingdom Hearts saga, Square Enix & Disney do. Gladly own the plot though.
Axel awoke early the next day, eager to go visit his mom in the hospital, though visits were usually bitter-sweet to him. He was still very unsure whether this would be the last day he got to see his mom. He wanted to make the most of it, and possibly make the rest of her life happy. He owed her that much. Axel was also in a rush considering he had to set up another room for the boy who would be coming to stay at him home in a day… or two days. Saïx had said two days, so did he mean yesterday and this day or today and tomorrow? Axel was unsure and made the choice not to confuse himself.
There was a flower shop that was a few blocks from Axel's home, so he decided that he would get his mom some flowers. He knew that she liked those. She had grown a garden that had neighbor's envying her for months, but once winter came, she would bundle up inside the house and wait until the weather was warm enough to plant more flowers. Axel never helped her because he was too busy doing other things than to help her. The redhead regretted every day where he didn't spend it helping his mom, no matter what way it would have been. If he could go back in time, he would be helping her wipe his own ass from when he was a toddler.
Axel pulled himself from bed, thanking the high heavens that it was his day off. He already knew it was, for those were the only days he could arrange to visit his mom, but he was still thankful every time. Aerith Gainsborough was his mom's name, maiden name taken back after Axel's dad left shortly after he was born. Axel never wanted to track down the man because there was no sense in getting to know someone like that. The only ugly reminder he had was his last name, other than that, he would forget everything about his dad if he could, not that he remembered much.
Once Axel was finished getting dressed, casually, he went and made himself some coffee. The reason Axel liked black coffee so much was because the crème filled stuff was just too sweet. Axel hated sweet food, he liked spicy, salty, sour, and strong flavored things, but not sweet. He took note of the silence that filled his house. His silence, the silence that he liked, which would soon be broken by the new guest. Axel would have to paint in big letters on his wall 'this is for Mom' if he wanted to keep from getting agitated or giving up on the deal.
The coffee maker beeped, snapping Axel out of his thoughts. He cautiously grabbed the pot, having been burned more than once or twice being careless. The coffee was black and pure, so Axel poured himself a cup and turned on his heel, heading towards the front door. His car was black with a red stripe running down the side. Axel was never much of a car person, he was more into other things, such as his teaching. He opened the door to his car and set his coffee in the cup holder. The flower shop would take less than ten minutes to drive to.
Axel arrived in a matter of seven minutes, also finishing his coffee in that time. The bright pink head of hair that belonged to the owner of the flower shop could be seen clearly through the window. Marluxia was his name, or at least Axel thinks it was. He always had a hard time remembering because he had so many names to remember and he was usually in a rush. It seemed the pink haired shop keeper was aware of that, he never seemed to care when Axel would call him by the wrong name or knock over a flower pot on the way out.
"Going to visit the lovely Aerith again?" Marluxia questioned as soon as the bell on his shop door rung. He was gently tending to a patch of roses lined up along the window. The walls were made of glass, so it can't really be called windows actually…
"Yeah, my mom. It is my day off after all. Could I get the bouquet that I usually get?" Axel requested. Marluxia nodded, standing up from his spot and walking to the room behind the counter. He disappeared from view for a minute or two and reemerged holding a large and colorful bouquet.
"I added some extra Peonies because I know Aerith loves them. They're my treat," the pink haired shop keeper said almost too happily. Axel smiled, handing over a fifty, bouquets were expensive, and rushed out of the shop just as he'd always done on the days he would visit his mom.
Axel pulled into the parking lot of the hospital sloppily. He hadn't bothered buckling on the way there because there was no time in his mind. The bouquet he had purchased from Marluxia's flower shop rested gently in the passenger's seat, unharmed from the rushed driving Axel had done. He'd remembered to slow down around the areas that patrol cars usually rested and minded the cars around him, so his driving wasn't all that reckless.
The parking lot didn't take long for Axel to cross. He was inside the hospital in a matter of minutes, bouquet in hand. The nurse who usually took care of his mom was walking past the entrance as he entered. Axel smiled at how lucky this moment had to be. Perhaps she had good news on his mom's condition.
"Tifa! You got any news on Ma that would be helpful to me?" Axel asked, grinning wide enough to blind a stadium. Tifa bit her lip,
"Sorry Axel. She's doing the same as she was last week. She's awake and all, but she needs a lot of monitoring. I hope you can understand the damage done to her won't just vanish within a short period of time. It will either gradually cease or there could be a bad outcome," Tifa answered, truthful and blunt. A normal person would probably become angry with her, telling her that what she's saying is rude and that they could have done better without knowing these things. But Axel was indifferent to it, it's the same news he's been getting for two years now. It was on and off mostly. Aerith would seem fine and be out of the hospital for a month or longer, only to have something go wrong again and Axel would have to rush her straight back in where she would stay for weeks.
"Alright. Thanks though, I'll be headed to her room now," Axel said sadly. Tifa passed him a look of sympathy and turned down the hallway that was left of his mothers. Axel counted the white tiles of the hospital floor as he walked, flowers clutched tightly in his arms. He greeted some of the usual patients that were wandering around at this time, they had come to like him after seeing him wandering around so much.
Room 107: Aerith's room. Axel pushed down the handle, slowly opening the door. His mom was seated in the chair next to her bed, still hooked up to an IV and heart monitor, but reading. Axel slipped inside quietly, trying not to disturb her reading.
"I know you're there Axel. It's hard not to notice the door opening," Aerith muttered, eyes still trained on the book.
"Oh darn. I was hoping to sneak up on you and surprise you. Oh well."
"Whether you do or don't surprise me, I'm always so happy to see you."
"Same here Ma. I brought you something~" Axel strode lightly over to where Aerith sat. He got her flowers every time he came to visit, but she always seemed overjoyed whenever they came into view no matter how many times she saw them.
"Thank you honey," Aerith gushed, slowly standing to her feet. She hugged her son tightly, grasping the bouquet that he had given her tightly between her porcelain fingers. Axel hugged his mom back, arms encircling her tiny waist. She'd lost a bit of weight after entering the hospital, but being a place meant for health care, she was healthy aside from the medical problems that kept occurring. "I'll make sure to keep these ones living as long as I can, it's hard to do much when the doctors won't let me have a pot of dirt in here."
"Wish I could help you there, but I can't. You know I would give you the world if I could," Axel assured her.
"And I would do the same for you. You are my only son after all," Aerith said as she went to the vase that was set on the white table next to the hospital bed. She kept letters and personal trinkets in the drawers.
"Mom, in all seriousness, I don't know what I'd do if you died," Axel said sadly. Aerith's eyes shot up, giving Axel a sad look of confusion.
"Sit." She led him over to the bed, sitting beside him once he'd seated himself. Aerith grabbed her son's hand, clutching it tightly in her's before looking him in the eyes sincerely. "Axel, if I die, I don't want you to think that's the last time you'll ever see me. Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I stopped existing. I will love you even after I'm gone, so don't think that will change. I want you to make the best choices you can possibly make, find someone who loves you as much as I will. Actually, that one's pretty impossible; it's hard to match up to a mother's love. Just remember this conversation when my time does come and I don't think you'll be as sad." Aerith pressed a motherly kiss to her son's forehead, smiling sweetly at him once she pulled away. Axel was well aware that she still babied him, but he loved it because it was her way of showing him how much she loved him.
"Well, maybe your time won't be coming so soon. Saïx offered to pay off your debt if I watched over his cousin," Axel told her excitedly.
"R-Really?" She asked, stunned. Axel nodded, pulling his mom into another right hug. "That's great! But I do feel a bit bad for taking some of his money. I know he has a lot, but don't you feel a little guilty?" Aerith looked nervous.
"Nah, I mean, I'm watching his cousin and he's paying me. All the payments will go to your medical bills and debt. Why would I feel guilty about that?" Axel sneered, smirking at her. She just smiled and nodded.
"Just want to make sure you know what you're getting into. There aren't any other things that are required from you, correct?" Aerith asked her son as he stood. Axel would have to leave soon, he hadn't intended on staying long, though he would if he could.
"Not that I know of. Knowing Saïx, his cousin is probably going to be a pain in the ass."
"Don't degrade someone you don't even know. It's mean."
"You know you're too kind for your own good Ma. But think about, Saïx is an old man in a young guy's body. Respect this, rules that, don't touch this, don't point, Axel, it's rude."
Aerith laughed at the end of her son's sentence. "It makes everyone wonder how you two are best friends."
"Don't get me wrong, he was a great guy to be around in high school, but ever since he got into that stupid lab that he works in, everything is serious and top secret. What if his cousin is just like him? Then I'll have to deal with some cold shouldered genius who probably won't even tell me his birthday because it's so top secret," Axel stated dramatically.
"If that's the case then you'll just have to deal with it. I want to meet this boy when he comes to stay with you," Aerith said, almost sounding like she was going to be welcoming another member into her family. Technically she would be, this boy would be staying with Axel after all.
"Yeah, well, don't get excited, it's only temporary. Don't get too attached. I don't know exactly how long he'll be staying with me but it can't be that long. In fact, the kid is leaving once your debt is paid off, I'm pretty sure," Axel muttered. Aerith nodded, taking her seat back in the chair in the corner.
Her and Axel exchanged goodbyes, the red head hurrying out the door. He had to make his way to the grocery store and stock up on food. It was a habit of Axel's to forget to buy normal things such as milk, butter, bread, cereal, etc. He either survived off of coffee or fast food on weekdays. Saïx was a health nut, so Axel would have to buy vegetables and fruits to keep his cousin, Roxas, healthy.
Axel made his way down to the commons area, parking off to the side before heading to Twilight Town's one and only supermarket. If you searched enough, you could probably find a jumbo jet for sale somewhere. The place was that big. He headed inside, threading through aisle after aisle. Axel grabbed a cart full of every variety of food he could think of. It sure would rack up a huge sum of money, which he hoped Saïx would pay off.
An hour later Axel arrived back to his house, grabbing the groceries from the back of his car when he began heading in. He nearly dropped everything just trying to open the door. A couple jabs at the wood and an unlocked door later, Axel was inside. He put everything in the pantry and fridge, content with knowing that he would be good on food for a week or two. Having two mouths to feed around here would mean everything would be gone twice as fast.
"The shit I do for you Ma," Axel whispered to himself. What was he even going to do with the kid when it came time for him to work? Would he just lock him up, enroll him in the school, or leave him somewhere else? He could always leave the k—Roxas with his mom at the hospital while he was gone. Aerith had a way with people that made it impossible to hate her, so he was sure that there wouldn't be a problem there. His mom was a social butterfly when the opportunity came, so she probably wouldn't mind either.
Axel ran a hand over his face, turning to go make up a bed on the couch. The black leather was soft, but it would be even softer if it was covered in a blanket. He didn't have any spare blankets in a closet anywhere, so he had to grab one of the two blankets off of his bed. He ended up throwing his red comforter over the couch, leaving a black blanket on his bed. The black blanket was just as warm as the comforter, so he didn't mind.
Much cleaning and rearranging later, Axel was satisfied with the way his home looked. It still looked of his personality, but there was more room and quite enough for two people. Roxas would either be there tomorrow or the day following it. At least Axel was prepared.
He walked back to his room, jumping onto his bed and lying on his side. He hadn't meant to, but Axel fell asleep.
Couldn't keep from more foreshadowing, though you probably missed it... And if you caught it then you probably got it wrong because it is not what you would think. I can't go in your mind so I wouldn't know. Anyways, there will be Roxas in the next chapter. Sorry for prolonging it so much, it's a habit that I need to break sooner or later...