Trigger Warning. Also extra-long chapter because I had a lot of things I wanted to set in motion. Bad characters aren't necessarily the ones I don't like, sometimes I like to switch up my perceptions of characters. Might be OOC for that reason but I'll apologize for that now and not mention it again lol.
Chapter Six.
The morning dawned in blaze of light and color that went completely unnoticed in the Hakunetsu household. At sunrise Ventus was snoring loudly, sound asleep and lost in a dream of swimming in the brilliant blue of Mirage Bay. Axel was essentially blacked out, so deep asleep that he was beyond the reach of dreaming. Roxas slept through his alarm, exhausted as he was, and only awoke when the digital clock on his bedside table started to stridently proclaim the backup alarm of 8.45am.
Roxas rolled over slowly and fumbled for the snooze button sleepily, still too dozy to really take anything in. He froze as his hand hit the top of the clock and his eyes fell upon the time glowing in red. Alertness hit like a slap in the face and it took all of Roxas' self-control to not swear at the top of his lungs. Sitting up with a jerk and going to leap out of bed Roxas interrupted his own motion when he saw the spread-eagled, unconscious figure of Axel stretched across the foot of the bed.
Ensnared by the sight in front of him Roxas found himself studying the older teen properly for the first time and his gaze was caught firstly by the delicate inverted teardrop shaped tattoos that adorned Axel's sharp cheekbones. Slowly Roxas' curious eye ran over the tousled spikes of shocking red hair and then down to angular shoulders clad in clinging black fabric, lingering for a second on an odd lump underneath Axel's left sleeve and then reversing direction to end up focusing on the boy's face again. In sleep all the subtle worries that haunted Axel were wiped away and he looked much younger.
Shaking himself out of the slow contemplation he had fallen into Roxas slipped out of bed as smoothly as he could and tiptoed from the room. Once out of earshot of the sleeping boy Roxas hurtled around the house getting ready, skipping breakfast and trying to get dressed while raking a comb through his disastrous hair. As Roxas whirled round the house he cursed the fact that his Gaia-damned research project was damn well due to-bloody-day and pausing for a second to make totally sure the assignment was safely in his bag he rushed out of the door.
Axel woke with a groan about an hour after Roxas left, he had slept in a very strange position and his spine seemed to be trying to escape. Surfacing through the layers of sleep took a while and as he slowly roused himself memories of the night before filtered into his brain. Looking back at his conversation with Roxas Axel was almost unable to believe the personal things they had revealed to each other but with a growing sense of amazement he acknowledged that no, the sharing last night had not been an elaborate hallucination. Roxas had actually… Roxas!
Forgetting his protesting back Axel jumped off the bed looking anxiously round for Roxas. His graceful motion turned to a stagger though as his back took its chance to really put the boot in. A quick scan of the room from a painful stoop told him that Roxas was nowhere in evidence so Axel carefully lowered himself back to the bed to stretch out his cricked muscles. It took a while to start feeling like a functioning human being but he managed it by the time the grandfather clock in the lounge struck 10am.
As Ventus had been up so early the previous morning Axel decided he should go and make sure that he was okay this late in the day. Moving carefully to make sure his back didn't tweak again Axel quietly opened the door to Ventus' bedroom and stuck his head inside. Apparently Ventus had been awake for a while and as soon as Axel opened the door the man looked over and gave a small half-smile. Axel watched him gingerly manoeuvre himself up into sitting position and walked in ready for a new day of atonement.
Instead of starting to get up Ventus beckoned Axel over and gestured for him to sit down next to him on the bed. Still a bit hesitant around the man Axel slowly walked over and perched right on the edge of the bed. He thought he had an idea of what this would be about but he wasn't sure that he knew the man well enough to be predicting how he thought. Trying not over-think things Axel waited for Ventus to start talking.
In a quiet voice and still with the wry half-smile on his face Ventus said, 'Stop shaking Axel, this isn't anything bad. I just would like to know… Can you tell me what happened last night? Rox told me that your mother said some awful things when you called her and then I heard nothing until you two stumbled back in after dark. I'm trying not to pry into what's going on, but under my roof I feel like I need to know what's happening…'
Axel let out a heavy breath and nodded. 'I knew I'd need to tell you. I just… I-it hurts. My mum… She told me not to call her again, that I'm too much trouble… A-and that it was my fault all the stuff that happened with my dad, that I ruined it. Roxas got home in time to hear her screaming at me and he must've followed me when I took off. I'm sorry I left without asking… I wasn't thinking…'
Ventus shook his head and cut in, 'Gaia dammit Axel please don't apologize, I'm not heartless. Some things hurt so much that you try and run away even if you know that it'll never work. I can't believe that woman who is meant to be your mother could say those things… Can you keep going?' Ventus was a little worried about the flat tone that Axel was telling his story in but he needed to hear the rest.
Slightly more composed Axel picked up the story. 'Roxas found me on the pier, I guess I ran until I had no more ground to run on. I was in a really bad place and for some Gaia-blessed reason Roxas, he… Ventus, why would he even bother trying to pull me out of it? I know that he's stopped hating me with a passion for some reason but he seemed like he actually cared… He told me his story, the horrific things you've both lived through and even though he could hardly talk through his tears he kept going until he had pulled me out of my own head.'
Axel shoved himself to his feet and started pacing around the room. 'I don't know how he knew to do it but his hurt made me focus on something other than myself and seeing him reliving that agony… I couldn't dwell on my own shit, I just had to do what I could to let him know I was there. I pretty much had to carry him home but we kept talking last night until we were both so exhausted we passed out, I didn't even make it to my own room.'
Abruptly stopping his incessant pacing Axel stared at Ventus with naked appeal in his eyes. 'He's so angry and he's so hurt and I made things worse. Why… Why did you bring me into your house after what I've done and after what he's been through? I just don't get it… And then he went and seemed like he wanted me to stop hurting… I mean I'm so fucking confused that I can't even keep my head straight!'
Ventus had known that the forthcoming conversation was not likely to be simple or easy so he had made sure he was both comfortable and composed before he asked Axel for details of the night before. When Roxas had left the house to search for Axel Ventus had figured that his brother had gotten over the knee-jerk hate, but he hadn't guessed how much of Roxas' usually compassionate nature had come rushing back. He was stunned to hear that Roxas had told Axel the story of their parents and felt a proper smile tug at his lips when he heard that they had both crashed on Roxas' bed.
His neck was getting tired from tracking Axel's pacing so Ventus rested his head on his pillow for a brief moment. He sat up straight though when Axel stopped in mid stride and all but cried out his confusion over the whole mess. The psychologist in Ventus took over and he chose his words carefully with respect to the teen's fragility. 'Axel, I need you to come and sit over here. Please? There are some things that it might help you to understand about Rox.'
Ventus gestured to the bed firmly and waited until Axel reluctantly sat down again. Thinking his words through carefully Ventus said, 'Roxas was such an easy-going kid until the night of the shootings. He was always smiling and laughing and now it's a special event when he does. You really want to know why I took you into our family Axel? Roxas could have so easily gone down exactly the same path that you did. We were lucky enough to have each other and it gutted me when I saw you all those years ago with no one.'
Reaching out Ventus placed his hand over Axel's and caught the teen's gaze with his own. 'Axel, I know that Roxas feels bad for treating you how he did. I know this because the anger that he was venting was fear of losing me and if Roxas actually hates anything it's being angry. He's always been older than his years so it doesn't surprise me that once he knew more about you he started to think about what things might have been like for you. Don't get me wrong, he's not giving you a free pass, but he is giving you a chance.'
The silence drew out as Ventus let what he had just said sink in for Axel. When he saw the worry-lines on the teen's forehead smooth out a little he decisively worked his way out of bed and said, 'After all this heavy shit I feel like we need some light relief. We only have a PlayStation 2, but what are you like at Gran Turismo? It's been years since Roxas has been able to give me a run for my money.'
Axel was surprised into a grin and Ventus couldn't help but grin back. When Axel helped him to his feet Ventus slung his arm over the redhead's shoulder and together they staggered out to the lounge. The sounds of car-roar filled the house and in between laughter and swearing Axel offered to cook his specialty for dinner. Ventus happily agreed and they were still involved in fierce competition when Roxas stumbled back in the door and fell into a heap on a chair.
It seemed to be an ongoing condition for Axel, not being able to believe that things could turn out so good after something so bad. If he thought back as far as his drug damaged memory could reach he couldn't remember have such a carefree and enjoyable day as the one he spent with Ventus. Their conversation had been easy and unforced and they had discovered in each other a formidable nemesis, despite Axel's munted wrist and this necessitated many rematches of GT3. In fact they had only interrupted their furious racing for the essentials such as lunch, drinks and bathroom breaks. Roxas' arrival at 3.30pm resulted in suspension of hostilities but there was an unspoken promise to resume the epic battle at the next opportunity.
When Roxas tottered in the door Axel was immediately on his feet and asking if anyone would like a hot drink. With the order in for one black coffee and one lemon balm and chamomile tea Axel swept around the kitchen like he had been living there for years, delivering the steaming hot mugs one at a time to the lounge mere minutes later. Worn-out though he was, Roxas had the strength to smile wanly and unfortunately he also had the energy to reach up and squeeze Axel's left arm by way of thanks.
Axel had always been someone to move quickly everywhere he went, but the speed at which he vanished from the lounge in the direction of the bathroom gave the impression of a magical discorporation. All he left behind for the startled pair in the lounge was a fading cry of, 'Baaaaathhrroooooommmmm!'
Out of sight up the hallway however Axel went straight past the bathroom and quietly shut himself in his room. Roxas had, unwittingly, grasped his arm right on the bandaged cut from the day before and Axel had felt warm blood begin to trickle from below the dressing. Letting out a relieved sigh as the door shut behind him Axel began the well-practiced routine of cleaning up after his self-inflicted injuries.
A thought occurred to Axel and he swiftly grabbed what he needed for damage control and slipped next door to the bathroom just as Roxas appeared at the end of the corridor on the way to his own room. Axel was focused on the task at hand and so did not notice Roxas watching him or see the thoughtful look that crossed the blonde boy's face.
It took a fair bit of work to remove the old bandage without further reopening the wound and Axel had to dampen the area with water before parts of it would unstick. Shoving the blood-stained material in his pocket Axel hurriedly stuck a gauze pad on the oozing cut one-handed before wrapping it tightly with an elastic bandage. He made sure the wrapping was secure, yanked down his sleeve, flushed the toilet loudly and swept open the door just as Roxas was about to knock.
The smile that Axel presented appeared natural and easy despite being both practiced and forced. He stepped out, ushered Roxas in with a theatrical half-bow and then made his way straight out to the kitchen to see what he needed to get for his planned dinner. A quick sweep of the cupboards and fridge turned up such treasures as shallots, cherry tomatoes, zucchinis and sliced almonds along with tons of lemons and a container of leftover chicken stock; as he cataloged the different ingredients a delicious recipe he had perfected rose in his mind.
Once he got everything together Axel quickly made sure that it was okay with Ventus that he went to the shops and when the man nodded Axel lit up with a genuine grin as he hustled out the door. Scorning the supermarket with its substandard foodstuffs Axel drove to the tiny Italian food store he used to frequent and bought a huge package of fresh linguine and a small block of Parmesan cheese. His purchases safe on the seat next to him Axel returned to the Hakunetsu house and prepared to cook like he had never cooked before. The planned Pasta di Axel con zucchine e mandorle would be a feast of delight.
The next morning Axel awoke to the sounds of Roxas puttering around and getting ready to leave. Over dinner the previous night they had had a wonderfully ordinary discussion about what was happening over the weekend and Axel had been hard pressed not to giggle at the blush on Roxas' face as he admitted that he was helping out Namine with an art project as the model. Luxuriating in the rare feeling of contentment Axel slowly arose from the bed and started preparing a coffee for Ventus so he could get ready for his physio appointment at 10am.
Axel's good feeling lasted for the whole trip to and from the physiotherapist, right up until he and Ventus were sitting at the breakfast bar having a coffee when an exuberant knock sounded at the front door. Before either Ventus or Axel could react, the mysterious knocker tried the door and what seemed like a horde of people tumbled into the house in a whirlwind of flowers and chocolates. The gang of well-wishers quickly spotted Ventus by the kitchen and descended on him in a chaotic flurry of hugs and shouts of how-the-hell-are-ya.
Ventus was stunned at the explosion of friends that seemed to have gone off in his house. Only seconds ago he had been having a ridiculously strong and fortifying coffee with Axel and now he was in at ground zero of friend-bomb mark-1. He was speechless when he saw that the people who had arrived were no less than the every single one of his circle of friends at Destiny University.
Yuffie, a petite brunette, was grinning like a loon beside her tall and shaggy-haired partner Leon, both of them lecturers in the Linguistics Department. They gave Ventus a hug each and a massive box of chocolates. They had been friends with Ventus since he first moved to the Islands and often when Ventus felt the need to lose badly he would get together with Leon for a light sparring session at the local boxing ring. Less frequently when he wanted to be totally embarrassed he would give in to Yuffie's entreaties and get his ass kicked by her too.
Smiling awkwardly Larxene, the abrasive head of the Science Faculty, ran a hand through her sleek blonde hair and hung back behind the others. Going way back she had been friends with Ventus at school in Twilight Town and then when he had started at Destiny University they had picked as friends like they never left off. The intervening years had added an aggressive glint to the woman's pale green eyes and though he didn't want to pry Ventus was curious as to the way his old friend now enforced her own space in all situations.
Once Yuffie had finished with Ventus Aqua smothered him in a cuddle, careful to avoid his ribs. Aqua was probably Ventus' closest friend and it felt really good to return her hug and ruffle her startlingly blue hair. He hadn't seen much of his awesome friend since she had started dating Seifer but when they did catch up she had a way of always brightening his day and getting him to smile. Ventus didn't know much about engineering, but he knew that Aqua was a wonderful lecturer, bringing humor and her love of the subject to every class.
Looking more like a thug with his grey trench-coat hanging open and crew-cut hair covered with a dark beanie than the head of Engineering at the university, Seifer simply clapped Ventus on the shoulder and grinned a lopsided grin. They hadn't known each other as long as the rest of the group but having been out for drinks a couple of times as part of the group Ventus had found himself starting to like Seifer's blunt way of talking and his sometimes cutting sarcasm.
Hustled to the lounge solicitously by Aqua and Yuffie, Ventus was otherwise occupied when the inevitable happened. The kitchen was only separated from the lounge by the chest high breakfast bar and Larxene, while waiting for the embarrassing display of affection toward Ventus to be over, had noticed the thin black-clad form of Axel standing uncertainly by the fridge. Unfortunately, just two days before, the local paper had run a story on the accident featuring a colour head-shot of 'the teenage drug-addict' who had caused a near fatal crash. Suddenly seething with righteous anger Larxene shot Axel a glare so vicious that the redhead turned dead white and scurried from the room.
Ventus didn't notice the byplay, he was too busy trying to figure out the best way to tell his friends what was going on in a way that wouldn't result in mayhem. Stiffening his resolve Ventus cleared his throat and with a bit of help from the ever-bouncy Yuffie's piercing whistle, everyone jumped with fright and took a seat. Ventus felt their eyes on him questioningly but took his time before he said, 'Thanks for coming over guys, it's really good to see you. You've probably read the crap in the papers about the accident but I'm going to ask you to listen to me before you pass judgement okay? Please?'
When the group nodded, albeit with a couple of skeptical looks, Ventus fixed his gaze on the table in front of him and tried to make his story make sense. 'Obviously you know there was a crash and I needed surgery for my ribs and broken leg. You've also probably read that the guy who did it was a drug-fucked outcast who should be hung drawn and quartered, don't you love the free press? Things are way more complicated than that and, uh, to give you an idea of how complicated… Well, I requested Restitutionem per Consequentias from the courts.'
The predictable outcry of disbelief went up but Ventus just sat silently and waited for it to die down. 'ANY-way. I was being interviewed by the police when I found out that I had met the guy who was riding the motorbike before; my first case out of uni, you might remember I worked with Terra Zirh, well yeah, that was him. Axel Raffica. You guys know I'm not stupid, I wouldn't give someone a free pass just because they'd had it hard. Seriously, you'll have to take my word that there was more to it than me being suckered by a kid with a tough life…'
Ventus was suddenly and loudly interrupted by the bang of Seifer smacking his hand down on the table. Eyes wide he stared at his friend who looked like he was about to spit. Disbelievingly he heard Seifer growl, 'You have been suckered Ventus. Gaia, I thought you knew about this psychology shit! Scum like that kid should be locked up somewhere they can't get near decent people. Bahamut damn it all Ventus I'm sorry but I can't just sit here and watch you coddle this dropkick and his habit. Come talk to me when you've decided you give a shit about justice because I'm sorry but I can't sit next to you and fucking smile while you do something this stupid.'
Everyone stared mutely at Seifer as he abruptly got to his feet and stomped out of the house. Ventus could see that Aqua was at the point of tears and he could tell the others were just as shocked. Trying to keep a tremble out of his voice Ventus murmured, 'Anyone else think I'm a naive moron? I mean, you might as well say so now while the saying is good…'
Before he could say any more Ventus found himself enfolded in a double hug from Yuffie and Aqua while Larxene awkwardly patted his good leg and Leon smiled with his eyes. He was surprised when it was Aqua who whispered in his ear, 'We know you Ven and even if Seifer's going to be dickwad we aren't because we know you have a reason. And we're going to sit here until you tell us about that reason. Aren't we guys?' With that last sentence Aqua's voice promised tears before bedtime if the answer was no.
Ventus raised his eyes and saw that Leon and Yuffie were nodding in agreement; Larxene however was looking troubled and spoke up before Aqua could eviscerate her. 'I get that you're a smart guy Ventus but honestly I don't understand why you made that decision. I'm not going to be a dick about it like Seifer though, I'll at least wait to hear you out before flying off the handle. I'm also just about sick with curiosity as to why I just saw someone who looked remarkably like the Raffica kid hightailing it out of your kitchen.'
Ventus cursed to himself as he hadn't given a thought to where Axel had gotten to. Disengaging from the dual hug he was smothered in he sought to make his friends understand his reasoning. 'Okay, so um yeah. Larx, I need to keep going from where I stopped so that hopefully you can really get where I'm coming from. There are some things I can't tell you because I promised Axel, but I'll tell you as much as I can.'
Pausing for a quick sip of water Ventus said, 'The Raffica case was sickening. Terra told me later that he never came across anything like it in his whole career. The medical examination showed that the abuse had gone on for years and some of the things done to that boy were truly abhorrent. Something that bothered me at the time and has always bothered me is that the reports we were given seemed to be missing pages and I've always believed that there was more to the story than even we were told. Anyway, I could ask him now, but I don't want to bring that shit up again just to satisfy my curiosity.'
Ventus went quiet for a second trying to decide what to share and picked up his story again in a soft voice. 'We went to see him in the hospital as he was going to be there pretty much until the trial. His mother was overseas, just like this time actually, so he was just an 11 year old kid alone in hospital after his dad nearly killed him. There was hardly any skin that wasn't a shade of black or blue and on his face there were cuts from being beaten with a belt buckle. The worst though, that we could see, were the hundreds of deep cuts covering the back of his neck and his upper back.'
He paused so his listeners could get their heads around the terrible picture he was describing. In truth, the memories he was bringing up for himself were making him feel a bit sick. He stiffened his resolve though because he badly wanted his friends to understand his reasoning. 'Terra and I talked to Axel over a period of 4 days. There were a few things we noticed straight off, that he was a smart kid, that he was totally traumatized and that he was scared to death. I can remember seeing him and nearly crying at the thought that without me Roxas could have looked so broken and hopeless.'
Looking over at Larxene Ventus managed to inject some strength into his voice, 'As soon as I knew that the guy who hit me was the same kid I talked to in the hospital back then I felt like I could connect the dots of what his life must have been like between age 11 and 17. There were some things I knew for sure, 1, he was a lovely kid even just after being brutalized by his own father and 2, he had lived the intervening years with no support and no love. I mean, his mother wouldn't come home from her work even when her young son was in the hospital. She called and authorized that he be taken care of by the next-door neighbours for Gaia's sake.'
Ventus let a shuddering sigh escape and continued, 'I knew when I called the judge that I could be making the stupidest mistake of my life but there was something about the memory of that boy that called to me. The Restitutionem per Consequentias deal that I put to him was that he come and take care of me through my recovery and when I found out he was living alone I put forward the idea that he stay with me and Roxas. Honestly I've never seen anyone so full of regret and shame for something they've done and you know what I'm like spotting a lie.'
There was a loud involuntary snort from Aqua who had been caught out more than once by Ventus, Lie-Detector Extraordinaire and it broke the tension that had been building throughout the harrowing story. Even Ventus chuckled under his breath and shot the blue-haired girl a smile. 'Predictably that went down like a sack of shit, Roxas walked out of the interview with the detective and barely talked to me even when I got home from the hospital. Then when he walked in on me telling Axel he could stay with us I thought he was going to move out on the spot. Or kill someone.'
Looking pleadingly around his friends Ventus willed them to understand, 'Even after all that, Roxas now accepts that this was a good judgement on my part and he seems to have even started to like Axel. Doesn't that tell you something? Axel's genuinely sorry for what he's done and I think he deserves a chance to actually make up for what he did instead of getting broken further by the prison system. To be honest I don't really want to hear it if you agree with Seifer because I've made my choice but I could really use your support.'
Listening to the wretched tale being laid out by Ventus made Larxene feel pretty shit if she was totally truthful with herself, she was just pathetically grateful she hadn't had the opportunity to gut the redhead boy with words as well as a glance. In the silence following Ventus' story Larxene berated herself viciously. As she damn-well knew from personal experience, no one was a 1-dimensional bastard and she always had been too quick to pass judgement.
She had remained skeptical right up until the point that Ventus told them about Roxas changing his stance and at that point she was unable to stop doubt creeping in. Anyone who knew the Hakunetsu brothers for more than 5 minutes knew that Ventus was devoted to his brother and that Roxas was just as fiercely protective and loyal; if Roxas had actually started to come around to the boy he knew to have nearly killed his brother there must be more to it than 'druggie wipes out teacher'.
Larxene sat quietly for a change and listened to Leon gently question Ventus to draw out more of the story while she examined her own reactions. She wasn't quite sure why she had such a tendency to snap so easily in situations when she obviously didn't have all the information but she had noticed that it happened more at times where she saw aspects of herself in what was occurring. The blonde scientist usually tried to block out the time in her past that she was addicted to prescription drugs, but apparently this whole thing with the crash was bringing up things she thought long buried.
Abruptly Larxene came to a decision herself and got to her feet. When the other 4 looked at her she quickly said, 'I'm not walking out, don't worry Ven. I just feel like I should make up for something I did earlier. When we got here I must've scared the shit out of Axel, well, I mean I meant to. I saw him in the kitchen and recognized him from an article about the crash and even though I didn't say anything I think he knew what I would've said from the look in my eyes. I need to go and at least say I'm sorry, fuck, I am meant to be the adult after all. I'll be back in a sec.'
Not waiting for a response Larxene marched out of the lounge and strode to the spare room. Suddenly unusually hesitant Larxene knocked quietly on the door and then tapped a little louder when there was no response. She stood outside the room listening to the silence and then sighed and wandered back to the lounge. She couldn't blame the boy for barricading himself away after the clear message she had sent him before. Sitting down again Larxene tried to concentrate on the conversation and not dwell on the expression she had seen on Axel's face before he ran from the kitchen.
As he was putting the milk away Axel had caught himself thinking about how well the morning was going and he hadn't immediately clamped down on the positive feeling. Maybe, he mused with his back pressed to his bedroom door, maybe he was a victim of instant karma. He had never seen the thin blonde woman before in his life, he would have totally remembered, but there was no mistaking the loathing and condemnation communicated in the 3 seconds that their eyes had locked. Axel's chest heaved as he tried to suck air back into his lungs.
The scarlet haired teen found that his legs were trembling and he wobbled over to drop onto his bed. Dragging his fingers through his hair he unsuccessfully tried to fight the rising feelings of self-loathing and misery that had been absent for the morning and were now making a spirited comeback. As always happened in times of stress and distress Axel's hand inched towards the bag under his bed containing his self-harm kit. It was about the time that Seifer made his crashing exit that Axel's thin fingers closed on the soft material he was searching for.
By the time Larxene tapped on his door Axel had slipped off the bed and was slumped against the door. Having run out of room on his left arm he had tried using his left hand to cut his right bicep, but not using his dominant hand threw him and on the first cut he went much, much deeper than he meant to. The blood was flowing faster than he was used to and it was getting everywhere faster than he could mop it up. The knock on the door nearly made him yelp out loud but he managed to keep silent and eventually heard footsteps walking away. In desperation he grabbed a discarded black t-shirt and tried to staunch the flow with that.
Axel was running out of ideas and composure when the t-shirt finally started to stem the river of blood pouring down his arm. Giving up on trying to keep the blood confined to his arm Axel settled for cleaning and wrapping it as quickly as possible and worrying about the rest of the mess later. Strain showed in the shaking of his hands and the teeth buried deep in his lip but Axel bound up the gash with a speed that spoke of long practice. When he was finished he could tell that his quick fix wouldn't last for long but he was already planning out how he would get away with a trip to the ER without Ventus finding out.
At around 2pm, once he was sure that everyone had left and there were no traces of blood left on the floor, Axel sidled out of his room and nervously approached Ventus who was sitting on the couch reading. Resisting the impulse to keep checking his arm for blood soaking through Axel summoned his courage and made his opening move, 'I hope I didn't cause any trouble with your friends Ventus. I, if I'd have known I would've made myself scarce much sooner. I… um…'
In keeping with the general structure of their conversations Ventus interrupted impatiently, 'Axel, if I didn't know they were coming round there is literally no way you could've known. Kid, honestly, you need to get out of the habit of apologizing for things that are definitely not your fault. I was just about to get up and hobble in to check on you actually, Larxene told me about the way she recognized you and I reckon I need to tell you that after hearing the whole story she felt really bad. That was her at your door if you heard it.'
Grateful for the opening as Ventus paused for breath Axel hurriedly said, 'I deserve whatever people think of me Ventus. I know what I did was pretty much unforgivable and I still don't understand why you are doing all this for me. It just… It gave me a shock to see someone new looking me the same way Roxas did at the start, it hurt even though they have every reason to hate me. I came to talk to you because I wanted to ask if I could take a drive, try and clear my head. I promise I wouldn't be gone long and I'll take that phone you gave me…'
Before Axel had even finished speaking Ventus was nodding his head. With a small smile he answered, 'I'll never get used to you asking for everything Axel, I didn't set this all up to be your jailor. That said, I do appreciate you not pissing off whenever you feel like it. Take your time and try and chill. You know that I never shared Roxas' feelings on the matter and if someone as stubborn as my brother can come around to liking you then you must be doing something right. Just give me a text if you're going to be longer than 2 hours coz I need to get started on my exercises this evening and I'll probably need some help.'
Trying to hide the fact that he was tearing up at Ventus' boundless compassion Axel nodded vigorously and cleared his throat. 'I should be back in hopefully an hour but I'll totally text if I think I'll be any longer. If you need me give me a text and I'll come right back as quickly as I can… Is there anything I can get you before I go?'
When Ventus shook his head Axel murmured his heartfelt thanks and walked at a measured speed out of the house to his car. Once safely in his little 2 door Mercedes that his mother had bought him he checked his arm and found that the bandage had soaked through and was now starting to show through his sleeve. As quickly as he dared Axel pulled out of the drive and made for the free emergency room on the far side of the island.
Axel pulled into the parking lot of the ER as his head began to spin from blood-loss and he jerkily pulled the car into a parking space narrowly missing a parked van. His walk from the car to the front doors of the hospital could accurately be likened to a zombie's lurch and he had to stop just outside the sliding doors to lean against the wall. Axel's head was spinning but he knew that if he stood there too long he wouldn't get his momentum up again so he shoved off the wall and swayed waveringly through the doors.
Keeping track of time was difficult but Axel kept his eyes fixed on the clock on the wall while he waited for the doctor. Tracking the second hand around and around helped him keep a tenuous hold on consciousness and although it felt like an hour it was only 15 minutes before his name was called and he was ushered through to sit in front of a vivacious, Agrabahrian looking woman who peppered him with a thousand questions while examining his wound.
The doctor, who introduced herself as Dr Camēlī, had cool hands and a competent touch. She listened to Axel's answers about who he was and his evasions about where he lived and how the injury happened, all the while gently cleaning the wound and assessing its severity. Axel had gambled his privacy on the fact that the Destiny Island health system was chronically underfunded and understaffed, so although he could tell the doctor was concerned about how the cut might have occurred she just didn't have the resources to follow up beyond treating the immediate problem.
In a moment of weakness Axel volunteered to Dr Camēlī that he was currently under the care of a mental health worker getting treatment for his self-harm. The relief that lit her face made Axel feel good for a moment until he remembered that it was partly him causing the lovely doctor stress in the first place. He shut his mouth and stayed silent even through the sharp sting of the Lidocane injection and the uncomfortable pulling of the stitches, only murmuring thank you as he was leaving. He felt a bit better on the drive back but still could feel a hollowness growing in his chest along with the increasing ache of his arm.
