Chapter 7- Cowards' Despair
Roxas' POV
And like the coward I am, I run. I run and run, shaking and quivering and confused and about to throw up. I ran past the bar, I ran past all the buildings, and I ran until I couldn't stand, which was all the way home. I ran 20 miles on pure fear and adrenaline. I sat on the porch for several minutes, trying (and failing) to catch my breath. Nothing made sense. Nothing at all. Aerith finally came to the porch and said nothing as she helped me to my feet and steered my shuffling feet up the stairs, into my bedroom, and into bed. She took off my shoes, pulled the covers up to my chin, and kissed my forehead. She said nothing as she switched out the light and shut the door.
Axel's POV
...What the fuck? I stared after the blond as he ran, then turned back to the scene. Except it was gone. Both... of those things. I felt a tug in my heart, ignored it, and met Demyx in line.
"Where'd Roxas go?" he asked. I shrugged off the shiver and mumbled,
"Someone called him and told him that he needed to come home right away so he just started walking home." Yeah, it was a lie, but what else could I tell him? "Bummer. Oh well, guess it's just the two of us again." He smiled as the line started inching forward. He blabbered about the band and when we finally got in (after flashing our fake ID's) I made a beeline for the bar. Demyx followed somewhat slower and shouted over the music,
"Looking to get wasted again, Ax?" I just nodded, ordering a Screwdriver with a heavier amount of alcohol. I downed it in one gulp and asked for another. I took my usual stool and scanned the crowd. Usually there's at least one or two good looking girls here, but I was having a hard time finding one.
"Looking for something?" the bartender asked, almost teasing. I turned to look at her. Not bad, I noted. She had black eyes and even darker, ebony hair paired with fair skin and a nice rack. She had a smirk on her face as she handed me the drink.
"You new here?" I ask, avoiding the question. She rested her small face on her hands, her elbows against the glass tabletop.
"Why yes, I am. Do you know every bartender at this place?"
"Yup. I'm a usual customer, though I only come when they're hosting a good live band." I pause to down the drink she just handed me. I felt a little bit of a buzz coming on already. "And that doesn't happen more than three times a month. Always on the weekends." She laughed.
"You know more about this place than I do! Ya want another?"
"Sure, sweetcheeks. What can I call ya by?" She got the supplies and busied herself for a moment with the drink.
"You can call me Xion. What's your name, firecrotch?" I chuckled.
"I'm Axel. It's nice to meet ya."
"The pleasure's all mine," she retorted. She poured out two more Screwdrivers and downed one herself. "So what bands are good in your opinion?"
"Anything rock. I don't like the rap and hip-hop shit they have in here most of the time." I started on my next drink. She nodded and I decided- target acquired.
"Good to know at least one of my customers has good music taste AND is hotter than a ghost pepper." My lips stretched into a wide grin. This one is gonna be easy.
"Yeah, well it's good that they finally hired a sexy barmaid." I winked at her and finished my drink. "They've been in desperate need of one since I started coming here." She laughed, throwing her head back.
"I'd take a bet that you mean that in more ways than one!" I laugh back and shrug.
"Ya want me to lie or be honest?"
"What you you think?" She says, getting up to get more drinks.
"Alright. I've banged proly ten girls from here in the past year and you're hotter and make better drinks than any one of them."
"Only ten?" she chuckles. "I'm surprised they don't line up for you."
"They did, but I don't screw ugly sluts." Se plunked two more drinks on the counter.
"Well, Axel. You can pay for these in one of two ways." I raised my eyebrows, daring a glance at her cleavage, which was hanging out of the tank top she was wearing.
"The two ways are?"
"You can either fork over a twenty or you can use that twenty to get a taxi to my place." I grinned even wider, if that was possible.
"Just name the time and address, sexy. By the way, I've wanted to ask you something all night."
"Oh yeah, and what's that?"
"Do you have any Italian in you?"
"Uh, no I don't think so," she said.
"Well you're gonna tonight." I winked at her and she giggled.
"Fuck this shift," she says, taking off her apron. "Hayner, cover for me!" she shouts. The blond on the other side of the bar nods. I look sideways at Demyx, but he's immersed in a conversation with Zexion, his college friend who works here. Xion pulls my attention back to her with a hard kiss on the lips.
"Let's go, cutie, and find out if that red hair is actually natural."