Axel took the kettle off of the stove, calling over his shoulder, "The towel on the rack is clean. Oh, and fresh clothes are in the dresser. They'll be big, but you're welcome to them."
"Thank you, Axel!" came the reply.
With a smile, the redhead donned his old green and yellow stripped apron, poured the tea, and set to work making the rest of the breakfast. As he added the milk and cheese and began beating the egg mixture, the redhead thought about his guest some more. Roxas seemed like a pretty okay kid. Not an angel, perhaps, but he could pass as one if he had some wings and a halo, sure enough.
Was he lying about the necklace? It didn't seem likely. The kid was a bit shy, but he didn't seem like a liar. But then again, they had just officially met, so Axel didn't know him well enough to judge for sure.
Where did he come from? How'd he fall off an airship? Usually passenger ships had precautions for that, not that Axel had been on any. He'd seen a few schematics though.
The redhead paused, his mind still wandering as he poured the eggs onto the skillet. He'd left the bird hatch open. It was fine for now; they needed their exercise, and it was a beautiful day out.
Still, this kid was distracting him. All he could think about was how he'd floated down from the sky. It was insane.
"Focus, damn you!" He smacked his forehead lightly, realizing only too late- "Ow!"
"Axel? Are you alright? What happened?" The redhead turned to see the boy coming down the hall, dressed in a dusty brown shirt and grey pants. The shirt was tucked in, but still looked baggy, and Roxas had secured the pants with one of his belts. As soon as those blue eyes drifted upward, Roxas started with a laugh. "Oh wow. What did you do?"
"I spaced out, okay?" The blonde broke into uproarious laughter, as the older boy carefully rubbed at the spatula shaped red mark on his forehead. It was fading already, but it made him feel like a total idiot. He hated that. "Oh what, like you never do it?"
"I-I do, but wow! I can't believe you did that!" The boy wiped the tears from his eyes, having the decency to look embarassed for himself. "Hah...Sorry, Axel. It just...wow..."
"Go ahead!" he cried dramatically. "Laugh at my expense! Just see if I offer to help you again!"
"I-Is there anything I can help with?" Axel pouted. The boy was clearly trying to distract him again, but he wasn't going to fall for it.
The next thing he knew, huge blue doe eyes were boring into his, full of sweetness and innocence.
"Please...let me help. I didn't mean anything by it. Really."
Angel, schmangel. This kid was evil, E.V.I.L., and his cuteness was his ultimate weapon.
"Alright already! The plates are in the cupboard over there; silverware in the drawer below it. You wanna go set the table?"
Said evil boy gave him a brilliant smile, less playful and more genuinely happy.
"Sure!" he said, as he hurried to his task.
Axel was almost taken aback by how cheery and pleasant he was, even as he stood up on his toes and tried to reach the shelf. Axel had to remind himself constantly that the kid was not cute. Not at all.
"Silverware is in what drawer again?...Axel?"
The redhead blinked, and felt tempted to slap himself again. Why was he spacing so much today? He'd seen attractive guys and girls before, and at least a few of them had been much more stunningly handsome than Roxas was. Really, despite being more slender, the blonde was more conventional; he was "boy-next-door" good-looking, rather than drop-dead-gorgeous like many of the big city travelers that passed through from time to time.
But the way he'd looked on the roof, with the sun brightening his features as he finally smiled widely...
"Oh, right! Uh...No, not the right drawer sorry! Left!"
Roxas chuckled, brushing a bit of blonde hair off his neck. "Make up your mind, crazy!"
"Sorry! My brain broke again, mid sentence!" He spun back to his word station, cursing internally as he noticed he had burnt the omelette a little.
"Now look who keeps saying 'sorry,'" the other boy teased, carrying the necessary stuff to the table in the adjacent room. The redhead scowled a little, but there was no malice behind it. He was the one being a ditz, after all.
But despite that and Roxas's antics, Axel found the company in his home...pretty nice, actually. He'd forgotten what it felt like to live with someone.
Cutting the omelette in half, Axel wavered back and forth for a moment vindictively...then decided he'd give Roxas the part that wasn't burnt. Crispy didn't bother him too much, and besides, eggs were kind of expensive right now.
'Wait...' What was he going to serve it on?
"Damn it! Roxas bring the plates back!"
This was absolutely mortifying.
When no response came, he raised an eyebrow. "Not funny, Roxas. Come on."
Still nothing. With a sigh, he held the skillet out in front of him and went down the hall. He found the blonde standing just beyond the table, fixated on something on the wall. It was a framed sketch of his father's, sitting above his old work desk, and it showed an intricately carved pillar of rock with a large tree canopy bursting from the top.
"Now look who's spacey," the redhead said, chuckling softly. "I've been calling you, silly."
The boy turned with a short hum, looking surprised.
"Sorry. I saw this drawing on the wall. It's very interesting, but...what is 'Laputa'?"
Eyes widening, Axel's face grew into a grin as he scooped the eggs onto the plates.
"What's Laputa? Are you kidding me?" Blue eyes blinked at him, uncomprehending. "Oh man! It's only the coolest place ever!"
"Really? Have you been there?"
Axel scratched his neck, smiling a bit more sheepishly. "Well...no...but I know it's a real place! My dad saw it and took that picture there. Hold on, I'll tell you all about it if you want." He put everything in the kitchen away and came back, finding his guest settled on the couch with a rather large slice of toast in his mouth.
"Mmmm, Axel, this is good! How do you do it?" The redhead couldn't help but laugh as he sat down beside him.
"It's just toast, Roxas. It's not like I made Paella. Thanks though." He sipped his tea, smiling a little wider as the blonde wolfed down his food. Usually it put him off when people did that, but everything Roxas did seemed to be tainted with cute. Plus, who knew when the boy had eaten last? He was very short and slightly built. "So, you want to hear more about Laputa?"
"Sure!" The boy downed his tea in a second, letting out a small belch when he finished. "Sorry."
Axel shook his head.
"Weirdo...But yeah, my dad was piloting this tiny ship with my uncle when they came across a huge storm. They swore it was a huge hurricane. The ship was almost ripped to peaces, but then the wind was blowing in two directions at once, and they flew into the center of the clouds. That's when they saw it."
"Wow." Roxas seemed interested, but at the same time uncertain. He hesitated a moment before asking, "So...it's a floating island?"
"Not just that. It's an ancient city that no one has seen for hundreds of years!" Axel beamed at him, taking a big, vicious bite of his omelette. "Dad couldn't land the ship, but he managed to get one picture of it before it disappeared into the clouds again. After that, he became obsessed with it. He made all these little notes and sketches, speculating what the people might have looked like."
"That's unbelievable," The blonde whispered, as his expression became thoughtful and distant. He didn't see Axel frowning until he looked back up, also wearing a sad, pensive look. "What's wrong?"
The redhead sighed.
"It's just...when Dad came back, he wouldn't stop talking about it. He and my uncle both. But no body believed them." Axel clenched his fists, infuriated by the thought all over again. "They called him a liar. It was their fault he died. He worked so hard to follow his dream, but they acted like he was nothing!"
"Axel...I'm sorry." The redhead felt a hand on his arm, and he slowly relaxed.
"No...it's not your fault. It's just...kind of a tender subject. You get that, right?"
The blonde nodded, still looking sad. "Yes." His other hand drifted up under his collar, clasping the little blue gem tightly in his hand. He looked comfortingly at Axel, but said no more.
Neither of them moved for a moment; they just looked at each other silently. Finally, Axel decided he couldn't take it anymore.
He smiled naturally again, ruffling Roxas's hair.
"Hey!"
"Settle down, kid. Eat the rest of your food." He chuckled when the younger boy pouted.
"You're not my mother..."
"Yeah, and you're not a fallen angel. Just a stupid, punk kid who thought he'd practice diving off the deck of an airship thousands of feet above ground."
Roxas gave him a weird look before casually sipping his tea. He set the cup down slowly.
"You're strange."
"I know you are, Blondie, but what am I?" Axel grinned then. "But seriously, someday, I'm going to make something of myself, I swear. I am gonna prove that Laputa is real and clear my dad's good name. I'll build my own ship if I have to."
Roxas paused, looked unsure again. "Axel...uh...I hate to impose, but can I stay here and help you?"
The older boy blinked. Roxas...stay with him? That might work, although he only had enough money to feed himself really. They'd have to work something out. The blonde didn't look like mine material.
The redhead grinned widely, clasping his hand and pulling him to his feet. He gave the boy a tight hug, squeezing him painfully against his side. "Sure you can, kid! The more the merrier! We'll go see Laputa together! Axel and Roxas...I think I can get used to that!"
Roxas shrugged his arm off, scowling. "Fine, but cut with the 'kid' stuff. I have a name, you know. Or would you prefer I start calling you 'red' all the time?"
"Point taken. Would you wash the dishes, Roxas?" He made sure to emphasis the word as he made a sweeping bow, half pointing to the kitchen. "Would you mind, since I made breakfast?"
The other boy mocked a bow, grinning impishly. It was probably the boldest expression Axel had seen on his face so far.
"Not at all, Axel."
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Roxas smiled a little to himself as he set one dish on the drying rack, beginning to dry off the other.
He couldn't believe he had a home again.
It made him sad too. He missed the farm so much; all those times he and Terra would play. His older brother liked to play rough sometimes, but he was kind and caring, and never hurt him on purpose. He doted on Roxas too much, Granny would always say, but then she would go and do the same thing!
Roxas knew that they both spoiled him so much, but he'd loved it as a child...
And he'd miss all the animals they used to take care of. They were his grandmother's pride and joy before she took ill. Life in the mountains was hard, and the farm sometimes made it harder, but it was all he'd ever known. Once, it was all he had ever wanted to know.
'But why...Why did they have to take it all away?'
What had he done to deserve that?
Clenching his fist in the towel, Roxas forced back angry tears and kept drying. He couldn't think of that now. He may not have wanted this, but that was just a fact of life now. He was lucky to have escaped and survived, and luckier still that he found such a good friend. Roxas didn't have to know him long to see that Axel was a good boy doing his best to get by.
He only wished that he could find Terra, to tell the older boy that he was alive and safe and know that the same was true of him, but that was virtually impossible now. The best he could wish for was that his brother was out there somewhere, and he would get over his heartache eventually.
He could really like living here, Roxas decided. And maybe he could learn more about Laputa, though he doubted it somewhat. Roxas admired his friend's passion, but where were the two of them going to find a ship? It'd take them forever to build one, and if what Axel said was true, no seasoned captain would be willing to chase a dream.
Oh well. He would probably never know...
The least he could do was help out here. He would do his best, and try not to burden Axel. Hopefully, the redhead would enjoy the company as much as he would.
'I won't have to be alone anymore...'
Roxas nodded to himself, smiling softly as he slipped the second plate onto the rack. He had lied before, about how much he remembered, but there was no reason to worry Axel. Everyone would probably assume that he'd died. They'd never come looking for a corpse in the middle of no-
A flash of color appeared on the road outside the window. Three shapes, slowly growing in size, as they came this way.
Roxas gasped. The cup he was drying slipped from his now trembling hands and shattered loudly on the floor.
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Axel rushed in, eyes shifting quickly from the floor to the blonde and back again.
"What happened?! Are you alright?"
He reached Roxas in a second, lifting his hands and scanning them for cuts or shards. Finding nothing, he met the younger boy's gaze, his own eyes widening when he saw Roxas's face up close. He was deathly pale, like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Roxas, what's wrong?" He touched the blonde's cheek, making him blink. "You're shaking..."
"They found me," he said quietly, his eyes looking clearer but still very frightened. The redhead pulled him close and patted his back.
"Calm down...What are you talking about? Who's here?"
The younger boy swallowed, struggling to relax and compose himself. Axel could not have known it, but the blonde was immensely comforted by his scent, more than anything else. He smelled of rust and good, clean earth, and Roxas embraced him even more tightly.
"The pirates who attacked the airship," he began with a soft whisper. "I don't know how, but they found me here. Wh-What do I do? I don't want to go with them!"
Axel hesitated for a moment. The blonde seemed to remember more than he'd initially let on, but did that mean Roxas was hiding something from him?
There was no time to think about that right now. He'd be sure to ask later, but for now, there was a threat approaching and his friend seemed utterly terrified of them.
"It's going to be alright. Don't worry. I know where we can go and hide until they leave." He grabbed Roxas's hand again, pulling him to his feet, then quickly down the hall.
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"This seems like a stretch, don't you think?"
Seifer growled at him. "She wants us to check everywhere. We can't come home until we've got that brat with us, alive or dead."
"Preferably alive," Demyx returned, a little less timidly than before. He'd compromised a lot when he'd joined his mother's crew, looking the other way or even sometimes joining in with everyone, but he always liked to insist that those who didn't need to be harmed shouldn't be. He still felt bad about the man Seifer had shot on the airship the previous night, Hayner knew.
"It's your fault, you know," the middle brother said simply, as they slowly approached the little house on the outskirts. It had a nice view overlooking the valley. "If you had just grabbed him, instead of standing there like a dumbass, we wouldn't be out here."
Demyx shied away from his oldest brother, seeing agreement in his murderous scowl.
"I wasn't! I tried to grab him, but this guy bumped me in the hall!"
"You should have shot him," Seifer sneered, tugging at his collar slightly. The sun was only so high, and already the heat was coming down.
"Point is, this sucks. Let's just get this over with, guys. Dumbass, you check around the back and don't get caught. Seifer and I will take the front door."
Just as Hayner was about to knock on the door, it swung open. He hissed, jumping back just in time to avoid a nice smash to the nose, as two blurs sped past.
"Hey! HEY!" he shouted after them, motioning for Seifer to grab one. "Hold on a second!"
Seifer reached for the smaller boy, only to have the slightly taller one step in front of him. Both boys were dressed in baggy, ratty clothes and caps; the smaller one wearing his so far down it covered his hair and most of his eyes. He stood slightly hunched by the other boy, almost hiding behind him.
"What can I do for you, neighbor? It's gotta be quick, though. My brother and I are actually running kind of late for work." To emphasis, the redhead began to jog a little in place. The other boy stood rigid, not moving an inch or smiling like his companion.
Hayner snorted. "Just got a question for you real quick. Have you seen a boy wandering around here? Blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing white?"
The boy paused, holding his chin with a thoughtful look. "Hmmm. I've seen a lot of boys like the one you're describing. This town's full of 'em. Anything more specific you can give me than that?"
"Useless." Seifer tsked, glaring down at them impatiently. "Scram, brats. We've got shit to do."
"Okay! Sorry we can't be of more help!" With a bright smile, the boy tipped his cap, his companion following with a stilted, slower motion, not moving his cap in the slightest.
Just as they took off running, Demyx came rushing around from the back of the house.
"You guys! Hey, you guys!"
"We're right here, dipshit! What is it?" The middle blonde panted for a moment, unrolling a bundle of cloth in his arms and holding it up for them to see. Hayner blinked as his brother continued.
"I found this inside! He can't have gone far naked!"
"Demyx, you idiot! HE CHANGED!" Seifer snapped. Hayner was satisfied to see the younger blonde jump slightly, as the last details clicked inside his head. "That was him just now! He ran off with that little punk!"
"Let's grab him before he gets away!"