Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. Ah, well. I suppose I can't have everything I wished for for Christmas.
A/N:Yes, I'm updating this heaping fic. Good lord, I worked on this practically all weekend because I said that I would get it out this weekend. Technically, where I am, it's still Sunday. So, I kept my promise. Yay!
Dedication: This is for my wonderful friend Riri, who wanted me to write her an AkuRoku fic. Amazing what my mind will spawn.
This is not beta-ed because I wanted to get it out. Sorry for any mistakes that are in it. I tried to get them out.
Reviewers: Freaky-Weird-Chick22, Squalid, Ally Montgomery, Anira De'Ember, Riku-stalker, RoxRox, darkrisingphoenix, terracaelum, LittleLoneLiar, and Roxen-chan.
Alerters: Anira De'Ember, Freaky-Weird-Chick22, LittleLoneLiar, Roxen-chan, Shadoom, Squalid, Superemily, crystal13moon, darkrisingphoenix, and iceblitz.
Favoriters: Freaky-Weird-Chick22, LittleLoneLiar, Roxen-chan, Squalid, and Anira De'Ember.
If you are on any of these lists, thank you!
Chapter 3: Introductions All Around
"Axel… why didn't you get the firewood like you were asked? If you weren't going to do it than you should have told someone and they would have gone and gotten it."
Axel stood in front of his mother, lower lip sticking out, upper front teeth chewing on his bottom lip. His eyes were cast downwards, towards the dusty ground and his muddy shoes.
"Axel…? Are you going to answer me?"
Axel shuffled his feet, glancing up periodically at his mother, hoping that she wouldn't ask him where he had gone again. He didn't want to tell her. He couldn't tell her… not about Roxas. Zexion had made that clear.
"… Fine. Axel, it's okay if you don't want to get the firewood, but you have to tell us when you're not going to do something. That way, someone else can go and do it and we wouldn't have to be using our reserves like right now."
"… I'm sorry, mommy."
The blonde woman sighed before beckoning Axel forward. Axel moved slowly, afraid of what she might do.
His fears were unfounded, however, because all that she did was kneel beside him and draw him into a hug.
"Don't do that again. And tell us where you are going. You never told Zexion, so he couldn't give us the location of where you were. And don't stay out so long. It might be safe here but you could always get lost. We were worried."
"Yes, mommy… I'm sorry."
She only smiled gently before kissing him on his forehead.
"Elena! Come here, please, we need your help." A voice called out from behind her.
The woman looked up and smiled before hugging her son to her once more. She stood up and left her son behind.
Axel frowned. He had been so happy with meeting Roxas but between being scolded by his mother and Zexion's words of warning, Axel was no longer so joyous.
"Axel… you know your mother is right."
Axel turned around to stare at the redheaded man sitting cross-legged behind him.
"Papa, I didn't mean to make everyone so worried."
His father, Reno, leader of Clan Răzvan, merely grinned, causing the red tattoos sweeping across his cheeks to crinkle.
"I know you didn't, Axel. But that still doesn't make what you did right. You need to understand that your mother is the type to worry over everything concerning her only son."
"I know, papa, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again… I promise."
"Come here, Axel."
Axel dragged his feet, unwilling to go near his father anymore than he had been willing near his mother earlier. Axel got to the point that he was nearly stopping every so often, if only to drag out the amount of time he had before he got to his father and the punishment that he knew was coming.
Reno's only response to his son's stubborn behavior was a lengthening of his grin.
"Axel… I want you to stop this childish behavior now."
Axel pouted but did as he was told, finally coming to a stop in front of his father, waiting for his punishment. He'd known that he wasn't going to get away with it.
His eyes were screwed tightly shut and, because of this, he couldn't see that his father was sweeping his eyes over Axel, looking at him.
Reno smiled gently, proud of how his son was turning out. He was truly a good child; a little precocious and mischievous, but he was a good boy for the most part: definitely respectful of his elders.
Axel held his breath, wondering what his father was doing. He then felt skin and hard bone press up against his forehead. His eyes flew open, finding the blue eyes of his father staring directly into his own viridian green eyes. Axel was startled, to say the least, and stumbled backwards, falling onto his behind.
That certainly wasn't what he had expected.
Reno laughed, finding amusement in the embarrassment of his son.
"Axel, you have to understand that your mother and I can't spend any more time than we already do worrying about you. We have certain responsibilities to the people in this clan. They look to us for guidance, and we can't be spending our time looking out for you."
Axel bit his bottom lip, clenching his hands together behind his back, and cast his eyes to the ground, a blush sweeping across his cheeks. He felt as though his father's soft spoken words had stabbed him through the stomach. He had never felt so guilty.
But… he had enjoyed spending time with Roxas. Fresh faces were seldom seen and Axel didn't have many friends. The only one his age was Marluxia and Marluxia wasn't interested in playing with his cousin. He'd much rather spend time with his mother, Selena, picking flowers.
No, Roxas was a nice change for the six year old boy, and he didn't want to stop seeing him. He squelched the guilty feelings bubbling in his stomach and watched his father leave to help Uncle Vexen.
He wasn't going to stop seeing Roxas.
XXXXXXX
When Axel had finally left Roxas, they had been near the creek that ran perpendicular to the clearing they had met in.
Even though Axel had to go after remembering that he was supposed to have been home, Roxas hadn't wanted to go home. He didn't want to face Demyx and his wrath for having played the prank on him.
He took his shoes off and dipped his feet in the crystal cold water of the creek.
He giggled at the icy feeling and thought back on the day. He had never thought that he would meet someone like Axel.
Axel was so much fun to be around and Roxas was glad to have met him.
They had played together, splashing each other with water from the creek, getting mud over all of their clothes.
It had been fun; the sort of fun that Roxas didn't usually have for the most part. Axel was the only one closest to Roxas that actually was interested in the boy.
Axel was so different… he was from a different clan but Roxas didn't care about that. So what if his parents didn't believe in being around outsiders? That didn't matter to Roxas.
Axel was fun to be around. He didn't care about Roxas' younger age, or the fact that he still slurred his words.
Roxas could picture them being friends for a long time. He just didn't want the day when they would move away to come. Hopefully that day wouldn't come for a long time.
Roxas wanted to spend as much time with his new found friend as possible.
XXXXXXX
"I did it, Axel! Lawxene finally helped me get the piwouette down. Do you want to see it?"
Axel was pulled out of his musings when his young sister ran up to him, bouncing on her toes and grinning excitedly. He smiled and bent down to her level, happy to see her. Perhaps she could distract him from his thoughts.
"Why, Miss. Kairi, of course I would. Whatever would make you think that I wouldn't want to see your wonderful pirouette, especially if you worked extra hard on it?"
Axel was gaga over his little sister and loved her with everything in him. Because of this, he didn't mind acting a little dumb around her, especially if it made her smile and giggle up at him. Kairi was a wonderful four year old girl, bright and bubbly. It was as though she didn't even remember the past.
Axel was thankful for that. Times weren't always easy.
"Okay! Awe you watching, Axel?!" Kairi yelled, having already moved over to an open area, waiting for Axel to start watching her.
Axel grinned and moved to her slowly, watching her as she performed the simple maneuver.
He truly was proud of her. She was healing so fast. She didn't remember anything anymore. He was glad of this.
She didn't deserve what had happened. Then again, nobody deserved that.
Perhaps that's why he was so happy that Larxene liked her so much. Axel was probably the only one who came close to understanding the reason for the comradeship between the two of the girls. The only reason he even knew was because he was the leader of the clan and he had to know everything.
"That's absolutely wonderful, Kairi! You're learning so fast. Soon, you'll be able to join the dance."
Kairi gasped. "Reawwy?! I can? Oh, thanks Axew!"
Kairi scampered over to Axel and hugged him around the waist, tightly. She then ran off to go play with Paine, the six year old standing nearby.
"Paine! How'd youw day go? I learned how to do…."
Axel shook his head as the two girls walked away, talking and laughing. She really had changed.
Axel had changed, too.
"Axel, would you come over here for a bit?" Zexion called over to him; he was inside the tent right to Axel's left.
Axel smoothly walked in and looked towards his best friend, quizzically.
"Yes, Zexion? What'd you need?"
Zexion looked up from the papers in front of him.
"Hello, Axel. I've been looking over things and we're behind schedule. According to Larxene, the girls aren't ready for the dance, and Marluxia's flowers aren't blooming, Luxord's sick, Leon's been missing…. There's just nothing that seems to be going right. I don't know if we're going to make the opening on schedule."
Axel's eyebrows raised in surprise. This didn't sound too good.
"Well… that's not the greatest news to hear."
"… No, it's not."
"Zexion, why don't you put the papers down and go get some sleep; take a nap or something. You don't look good. To tell you the truth, I'm more worried about you than I am about the festival." Axel's words were completely sincere for Zexion did, indeed, look worse for the wear.
There were bags under his eyes, as though he hadn't slept a wink the night before, and his skin seemed to be drawn in on itself. He looked as though a feather could probably knock him over. Zexion sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pushing the lilac fringe that was in front of his face behind his ear. His deep sapphire blue eyes were rimmed in red, as though he had been crying all night.
Axel had never seen his friend in such a state before. Axel never thought that Zexion would be the type to cry. Had the fight with Demyx really affected him that much? Why…? They hadn't seen each other in over fifteen years. Had they really been such good friends back then?
Axel wondered if this would be what happened to him if he ever saw Roxas and actually talked to him. If it was… then he didn't want to ever see Roxas again. It just wasn't worth it.
"I can't, Axel. Things are too precarious right now and—" Zexion was cut off as Axel bounded towards him and ripped the papers out of his hand. Axel lifted him off his chair and practically threw him out of the tent.
"I swear, Zexion, don't make me use my seniority on you. You are going to go and rest, relax; anything so that those bags are no longer under your eyes. I can't stand seeing you like this."
Zexion stared in disbelief as the tent flap closed behind him and Axel left his sight.
He hung his head.
Was it so bad to be worried about the welfare of the clan?
XXXXXXX
The woman hummed as she and the other females baked, making dinner for the clan. It didn't matter that she was the leader of the clan. She still baked with the others. Even the girls were allowed to help cook, so long as they were supervised.
"Tifa, would you come here, please?" The woman called out to another woman standing at another station. The 25 year old woman looked up, knelt down to her youngest, Naminé, and whispered in her ear. The four year old nodded and smiled.
"Yes, Aerith? What do you need?" Tifa asked, coming up beside Aerith, occasionally looking back to see how her daughter was doing in kneading the bread dough.
"Would you be willing to have Rikku run to Sora and give him a message from me?"
"Of course, momma Aerith," Tifa answered, smiling and calling her eldest over from where she was supervising Naminé. The 7 year old skipped over, grinning from ear to ear, braided hunks of hair bouncing with each step.
"What do you want her to tell Sora?"
"Rikku, would you be willing to run to Sora and give him a message from me?" Aerith bent down, slowly (She wasn't as young as she used to be) coming down Rikku's level.
"Sure! What'd you want me to tell him?" The perky blonde answered, happy to do anything for Aerith.
"Can you tell him to make sure that he comes to dinner tonight? He's missed the last two dinners and I don't like it."
"Right on it, Aerith!" The young girl practically ran from the tent, wishing to fulfill her quest and make Aerith happy.
Everyone loved Aerith.
Tifa chuckled, watching as her child left before turning back around to Aerith.
"So, how are things between you and Rude, Tifa?" Aerith asked, wiping her hands on a cloth rag and looking at Tifa.
"Things are going well, Aerith," Tifa, smiling, answered before going back to watching Naminé and doing her part of the cooking.
"Good, Tifa, good." Aerith murmured, turning back to her own work table. She thought back upon how Tifa and Rude had married and she remembered that things had been rocky with them in the beginning, especially when Rikku had been born. Now, three children later, they were doing much better.
Aerith was happy. She had set them up herself. The two of them reminded of her own relationship with her own husband, Lexaeus. Things hadn't been the greatest between
the two of them in the beginning. Their marriage had been arranged, after all. But, with three children and years of living together, they had come to love each other. And, of course, Demyx and the two twins, Sora and Roxas, had made things a lot better.
Aerith was pleased with the way things were panning out. Now, if only her own sons would marry and give her grandchildren.
XXXXXXX
Sora was probably not in the best of moods. Having one's mother send a seven year old to tell you to come to dinner that night would not usually put one in a good mood.
After all, Sora felt that he was well within in his rights to not come to dinner if he didn't feel like coming. Of course, his mother didn't think this. No matter that Sora was 21 years old and perfectly capable of making his own decisions.
So, no, Sora was not in a good mood. But, because his mother had told him to come, he had to go to dinner.
Therefore, he sat at the rectangular table, watching as his brothers, parents, relatives, and clan members ate, making conversation, smiling and seemingly happy.
Sora didn't feel like eating, so his food was pushed around on his plate instead of pushed down his throat. He probably would have gagged on the ashen food anyway.
Sora looked up and noticed that Roxas was staring at him, solemn. Then again, Roxas was rarely anything but solemn, especially these days. Sora stared back. Roxas winked twice.
'Anything you want to talk about?'
Sora blinked back three times.
'No.'
Roxas nodded, softly smiled, and turned back to talking with their father.
'Probably about more clan matters. Doesn't Roxas ever think about anything else? Oh, Sora, that's mean. You know he does; we wouldn't have come back here if it hadn't been for him.'
Sora couldn't help but want to leave. He wanted to go to the forest again, and gaze at the stars. He wanted… to go into town, and meet new people. Yes, it was a strange desire. The clan didn't like meeting new people for the most part, but Sora was different. He always wanted to meet new people, see new things, do things that the clan had never thought of doing. He wanted… to be free.
That was never going to happen, though. He had a duty (an obligation) to his clan and he could never go back on that. He loved his clan: his family, his friends.
Sora just wished for many things. He knew they were never going to be obtainable but… he still couldn't help but wish.
XXXXXXX
Marluxia stared across the table at Larxene, thinking of the beautiful girl and how much he wanted her. He wanted to marry her, have children with her, show her all the wonderful things that he knew.
He wanted to share his life with her.
But she hated him. It was probably for a good reason, too. Larxene wasn't particularly nice to anyone but Marluxia knew that she hated him because he was the only one who really showed any interest in her. She didn't like that.
He continued to stare until Larxene turned her head towards him and sent a withering glare at him. His only response was to grin cheekily and wave a hand to her. If it was possible, her glare deepened before she turned away; ignoring him for all that she was worth.
Marluxia's grin slipped; she was the only one that he had ever been interested in and he'd wanted to be with her since he was 18 and her only 16. He'd known then that the way to her heart was not through wooing or gentle loving words.
She was a fiery girl; it was what had interested him in her in the first place. She was so different from all the other girls. He knew that fire was the only way to get her to be his. He could have easily gone to Axel and asked for the two of them to be wed. Axel would have done it, after all. They were cousins. But Marluxia wanted her to come to him of her own volition. He wanted her to love him before they married.
"Marluxia, you do know that, if she could, she would try and freeze your insides before you ever got near her?" Marluxia merely sighed before turning to Wakka, a friend of his that was the same age as Larxene.
"Yes, I do, Wakka. That's part of the appeal. She hates everything about me. It used to be a challenge to get her to like me but, over the last four years, it's become more than that. I… need her. I want her."
"Ya, but she doesn't feel the same way."
"That's just it, Wakka. I think she does. She just doesn't want to accept it. Why else would she fight so hard about it? She must like me. Why wouldn't she? I… love her. Is it so much to ask for her to love me?"
The two whispered, trying to keep the attention of the table away from their conversation. Wakka looked sad. He didn't like that his friend was hurting and that there was nothing he could do about it. But Marluxia had brought it upon himself and Wakka couldn't tell him that he was wrong or that Larxene was probably closer to killing him in his sleep than marry him and bear his children.
"I don't know, Marluxia… she doesn't seem to really like you. Why would she growl and try to freeze you with a stare if she liked you?"
"I think… she's scared. I'm something different, something she's never really had to deal with."
"Have you tried to get help from Leon? After all, he is her brother. Maybe he'd be willing to help you get into her good graces."
"Leon?! No, that man wouldn't want me to go near him or her. I don't even think Larxene likes him."
"Oh, they're family. I'm sure they love each other."
Marluxia merely stared at Wakka, disbelieving what the redhead was saying.
"Were you dropped on your head much when you were a baby?"
"Not that I know of."
"Right, of course."
Marluxia got up as dinner came to a close and cleared the tables with the rest of the clan. He tried to strike up a conversation with Larxene a few times but the most he got out of her was a 'Curl up and die' or 'Jump off a cliff' and his personal favorite 'If you don't leave me alone, I swear that I will cut you in several places and watch you bleed out'. He found it highly amusing.
If only he didn't have to go to a lonely tent (except for his father, Vexen, but really… who would consider him to be company?) and a cold bed. Her comments didn't keep him from being lonely when he snuffed his candles out.
XXXXXXX
Roxas was upset and understandably so. Both of his brothers were miserable. Demyx had returned to the camp the day before, tears in his eyes and curses leaving his mouth. Demyx was never this unhappy. He didn't cry and he certainly didn't curse. Not around anyone, at least. Roxas didn't know what Demyx did when he was alone.
Sora had been distant for days now, a vacant look in his eyes, gaze turned towards the sun. Roxas wasn't Sora's twin for nothing. Roxas intuitively knew that Sora wanted something… something that the clan wasn't able to give to him. It was what this something was that Roxas didn't know.
Dinner was long over and Roxas was once again underneath the stars, alone while everyone slept. He'd had another dream and he just couldn't get over the feeling that he was missing something. The dreams were getting worse. He'd come back here in the hopes that being here would ease his heart. That he could forget what had been said; what had happened.
It wasn't working, though. The dreams were getting worse and now Demyx and Sora were becoming depressed. None of them were happy and the reason for coming here wasn't being fulfilled. It was incredibly frustrating. All that planning, all that pleading and arguing with his parents to have them relocated here: it was all for nothing. Things just weren't going well.
He wanted to forget Axel but he just couldn't. Axel had been such a big part of his life. Roxas had defied his parents, his clan, to be friends with Axel. He hadn't known that the clans hated each other back then, but he'd known that seeing Axel at night was not a good thing and was an open defiance of his parents. But things had ended so terribly.
The harsh words, the fight, the accusations; things that neither had thought they could even think about saying at such a tender young age.
Roxas regretted it. He hated Axel for what had been said, but he regretted everything. He wished… that things could have ended differently; that he and Axel could have… stayed friends.
Not even wishing upon the star that was currently falling would get him this desire, though.
So Roxas didn't even try.
A/N: Yes, I know, some of my pairings are really weird but the ones that are don't really matter. Besides, I kinda like them. But, in case you didn't get my pairings, I'll tell them to you here.
Aerith/Lexaeus
Tifa/Rude
Reno/Elena
Yep, Reno and Elena are Axel's parents. Aerith and Lexeaus are Roxas, Sora, and Demyx's parents. Review, my wonderful readers.
Loves,
Lifes.Lover
