A/N: Oh my god I'm so sorry. How long has it been since I've posted a chapter? I won't even bother explaining myself up here, you guys just get to reading. (Pee. Ess.: The title of this chapter? Totally a random choice. I wanted to get this up before I went to bed is all.)
…lol I have 123 reviews. (Umlaut on a lowercase I is ALT+0239. Just a reference for myself, guys.)
Warnings: Reno. Yes, I think he deserves his own warning. Oh, and it jumps around a bit. And, yay, another unplanned scene!
Disclaimer: The stuff you're familiar with? Belongs to someone else. Everything else is mine, MINE I SAY.
Chapter Seven: Learning How to Love
Roxas was beyond bored. He felt like kind of a jerk even thinking that because Axel was very dedicated to keeping him entertained (to the point where he had once nearly gotten his head knocked off by Zexion when the usually-calm man found Axel groping him in a dark corner of the library), but the fact was that Roxas had a small variety of activities to keep him occupied. He hadn't left the mansion since he'd been brought into it, except for an uneventful night of patrolling with Xigbar and Xaldin, and he'd never had the attention span to keep doing the exact same thing for a week straight. So it was with a surprising amount of relief that one of Roxas' self-imposed study sessions (assisted by Xigbar, who was not only surprisingly knowledgeable about pretty much everything under the sun but was also a scarily good teacher) was interrupted by Saïx's calm voice informing Roxas that his presence had been requested by the Superior.
The walk to the meeting room was silent, Saïx seeming to be utterly disinterested in Roxas' very existence and Xigbar having been left to clean up the mess that he'd made. Normally, Roxas would have thoroughly enjoyed the rare moment with nobody talking, but that was nearly impossible in the blue-haired man's presence. Roxas always felt like the man was one wrong word away from losing his composure in a particularly disastrous way. There would be no relaxing of any sort with him around.
Leaning against the wall immediately outside of the throne room (as Roxas had taken to calling it—everyone else referred to it as The Room in a way where you could practically hear the capitals in their voices) was Axel, who was staring fixedly at the doors. He turned fluidly at the sound of their footsteps approaching him, and for a bare instant Roxas could see a blank look on the redhead's face that chilled him to the bone, but then it was gone and Axel was grinning as usual, stepping forward to pull Roxas into a tight hug, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek before pulling away and glancing warily at Saïx.
"So, what's the occasion?" he asked brightly, resting a hand lightly on Roxas' hip and giving Saïx a cold smirk.
"That's between you and the Superior," Saïx responded calmly, already turning away from them and making his way down the hall. "I'd hate to be a third wheel."
"Aw, you know you can't resist Roxas' boyish charms!" Axel called after the blue-haired man, and shrugged when Roxas glared. "Hey, don't look at me like that. We all know he's completely enamored with Xemnas."
"That's disturbing," Roxas announced.
"You haven't had the wonderful opportunity of catching them in the act," Axel grumbled, looking disgusted. "Here I was, just walking down the hallway, minding my own business—"
"Somehow, I'm completely doubting that."
"—and Saïx's door was open just a crack. Concerned, because we all know how the man covets his privacy, I peeked my head inside to make sure nobody was up to any mischief. And what do I see?"
"Axel, shut up now," Roxas growled, nose wrinkling in disgust. He'd have to be an idiot not to realize where the story was going. "Let's just find out what Xemnas wants."
"Aw, Roxas," Axel tried, but the shorter boy just shook his head and pushed open one of the doors. He had the distinct feeling that Axel was pouting behind him, but paid it no mind—he focused instead on the figure of Xemnas seated on his usual chair in midair. Roxas was already starting to hate this setup.
"Eight. Roxas." The Superior greeted them in his usual monotone voice, eyes narrowed down at them. "It has come to my attention that the boy has yet to leave the mansion, as there has been precious little for Two to attend to. This being said, and our supplies dwindling as they have been due to Nine's recent missions, I have decided that the two of you will attend to our shopping. I would advise you not to dawdle."
"Sure thing, Superior!" Axel said as cheerfully as usual, giving Xemnas a short salute. The silver-haired man simply nodded, raising a hand to dismiss them.
"We're going shopping?" Roxas asked as soon as the doors had closed behind them.
Axel grinned at him, looking, if it was even possible, happier than ever. "Yeah, you know. We like to blow shit up a lot more than you'd think—don't you watch the news? There's been a lot of explosions lately in strange places. It's either us or the Conclave most of the time, getting information or killing our enemies and all that."
"And there's an actual store that we're going to?" Roxas continued in disbelief, shaking his head. "I mean. Not some shady guy in an alley with a beat up suitcase full of dynamite?"
"Well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Axel replied, winking at Roxas as he rested his arm on its usual spot across Roxas' shoulders. Roxas glared at him, but didn't bother asking for more information.
.
"Men On Fire." Roxas muttered, staring up at the sign with wide eyes. "Am I the only one that sees something wrong with that name?"
Axel snickered. "No. That's actually why it's called Men On Fire."
"You mean there's actually somebody else in this world who has the same terrible sense of humor as you do?"
"Well, Reno's like the older brother I never actually had," Axel admitted sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his head. "Hell, for all I know, we could actually be related. We've got similar enough features. We helped each other out before he got into the Turks and I became Number VIII. When you're a little kid in the Underground and some guy decides to take care of you, he uh. Kind of rubs off."
"I hope you two don't have the same taste in men," Roxas said blandly.
A loud laugh, similar to Axel's, called his attention to the doorway of the large store. There was another lanky redhead there, leaning in the frame with his arms crossed. Behind him stood a stoic man with dark skin and even more piercings in his ear than Luxord, a pair of sunglasses hiding his eyes from view.
"Don't worry, kiddo," the new redhead said in greeting as the two of them walked up to them. Even his voice was similar to Axel's and, frankly, if the two of them weren't somehow related, Roxas would eat his keyblades. Up close, he could even see a crescent-shaped scar at the corner of each of the new man's eyes. "I lean more towards tall, dark, and handsome myself. You're perfectly safe from my molestations."
"Good thing, too," Axel said pleasantly, stepping forward and giving the other redhead a brief hug. "Because then I'd have to kill you, Reno."
"Ooh, you're serious about this one," the man, apparently named Reno, said with a leer. "Well, I guess your big brother better give blondie here his blessings, eh? Since I mean so much to you and all."
"Oh, stuff it," Axel responded amiably. "We're here on business."
"Business and pleasure are best mixed, if you ask me," Reno grinned, and sidestepped Axel to grip Roxas' hand and give it a strong shake. "Name's Reno. My partner back there is Rude. And your name?"
"Uh, it's Roxas," Roxas replied a bit uncertainly, and stiffened when Reno wrapped an arm around his shoulders where Axel's usually was and was led into the store. He glanced over at Axel, who only mouthed what looked like 'good luck' to him before turning to strike up a conversation with Rude. Roxas frowned as the two of them casually stepped into a back room.
"So, Roxas," Reno said slowly, drawing out the last syllable longer than necessary. "How long have you and Axel known each other?"
"A couple weeks, I suppose," Roxas said coldly, and attempted to shrug off Reno's arm. Great. The last thing he'd wanted was to get a Talk from a criminal. But Reno just stared at him, forcing Roxas to a stop before he pulled his arm away. Roxas stared back up at him and absently began twisting the rings on his fingers again.
"And he's already buying you stuff." Reno gestured at the rings, and shook his head when Roxas gawked at him in surprise. "People tend to play with things that they're not used to wearing. And Axel actually asked me to pick them up for him, so I recognize them. He was really specific, which isn't like him. So. He's serious."
"I know," Roxas said, wondering where Reno was going with this. "We've had a conversation that was sort of about that. Kind of. Anyway, he's really easy for me to read."
"Are you serious about him?" Reno asked, coupling the question with a glare. "Because, if you're not, it's my duty as his big brother to kick your scrawny ass."
"I barely even know him!" Roxas growled. Reno's eyebrows rose, the expression somehow looking evil instead of disbelieving like it should have, and Roxas rethought what he was going to say. "Look, I really do like him. If anybody else shoved me against a wall like he does, I'd beat the shit out of them. I'm not really committing to anything yet, but I'm not leading him on just because he's attractive or useful to me or something like that, all right?"
"Just making sure," Reno said evenly, grinning at him in a way that distinctly reminded him of Axel. "So, has he gotten into your pants yet?"
"Oh god," Roxas muttered, burying his face in his hands in mortification. "You're as bad as he is."
"That's what big brothers are there for," the redhead said in a voice that was entirely too chipper. "At least I don't have to lecture the two of you about safe sex, since you can't get pregnant."
Roxas was thankfully saved from the rest of the conversation by the ringing of a bell that sounded as the door to the shop was opened. He looked over in the direction of the new customers curiously, finally taking the time to notice that the store seemed to sell fireworks out front—and nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Shit!" he hissed, ducking behind Reno as an entirely-too-familiar blond boy entered the shop with yet another redhead. What the hell were they doing in the Underground?
"What's wrong?" Reno asked curiously, trying to twist around to look at Roxas. "They trying to kill you or something?"
"No," Roxas sighed. "They're friends of mine. Or used to be—they think I'm dead."
Reno's lips formed a perfect 'o' shape as he realized what was going on, and he nodded, smiling again. Without a word, he led Roxas into the back room that Axel and Rude had disappeared into earlier, and the other two looked up as they entered. Axel was handing Rude some munny as he took the bags marked with a generic 'Have a nice day!' and yellow happy face.
"What's up?" Axel asked curiously, eyes on Roxas. "Reno piss you off that much already?"
"Nah, he loves me," Reno answered for Roxas, winking at his fellow redhead. "Who he doesn't seem to love are these two kids out in the store right now, browsing my fireworks displays, undoubtedly looking for the perfect thing to get into a minor amount of trouble. Better get them out, eh?"
"Making enemies without leaving the mansion, Roxas?" Axel asked curiously, stepping forward and sticking his head out the doorway. Roxas distantly heard Reno greet the two out in the store with a casual "Yo!" as he leaned into Axel's side and peeked out as well. "Man, you could take them down in a second."
"But then they'd know I was alive," Roxas said pointedly, relaxing a little as Axel rubbed gently at his back. "The blond's Tidus, the redhead's Wakka. They were friends of ours."
"They'd probably realize something was up if you kicked their asses, then."
"If my brother finds out I'm alive, he'll come to the Underground looking for me. I'm not getting him into this."
Axel pulled him completely back into the room and over to a bench Roxas hadn't noticed before. They sat on it, side by side, and Roxas closed his eyes and listened to Axel's breathing and uncharacteristic silence. He didn't open his eyes until Axel's fingers twined themselves around his own, and then he just stared up at Axel's calm, thoughtful expression for a few minutes. Axel noticed his gaze and grinned down at him briefly, before leaning over for a kiss.
"Okay, coast's clea—woah!" The two of them jumped apart as Reno's voice came from seemingly nowhere. "Man, Roxas, was that just an excuse to get rid of me?" Axel looked up at the ceiling with a mournful sigh.
"I swear, every moment we have is interrupted. Xigbar, Saïx, Reno…I just can't win!"
"The world's definitely out to get you," Roxas agreed casually, standing up but not letting go of Axel's hand. He avoided eye contact with Reno when the older man gave him a pointed look. "But I think that's our cue to leave."
"If I jump you in an alley, do you think some homeless drug addict will interrupt us?" Axel asked thoughtfully. Roxas just rolled his eyes and wondered why he had such bad taste in men.
.
Xigbar was leaving The Room as they returned. He gave them a jaunty wave as he passed by them, and something about that made Axel's ever-present grin widen.
"I see you've finally returned," Xemnas said without preamble as the door slammed shut behind them. There was a spark in his cold yellow eyes that wasn't usually there, and Roxas tilted his head at the man curiously. "Xigbar has just given me his report on you, Roxas. I'm delighted to say that he has been quite pleased with your progress and dedication, and I therefore don't see any reason to wait yet another day. You are now officially Number Thirteen—you may do as you wish tonight, and tomorrow you will receive your tattoo. And your bedroom, I suppose. We'll need time to prepare it. You may go."
"Lucky number thirteen, eh?" Axel murmured, pulling Roxas close as they left the room. "Well, since you don't have a room of your own yet and I think Xigbar's about to break, would you like to see mine?"
Roxas stared up at him a bit uncertainly, twisting at his rings again.
"No pressure, Roxas." Axel smiled down at him, a disappointed look in his eyes. "I just thought it would be nice, you know?"
Roxas ducked his head and frowned at the floor, thinking about what Reno had said. He couldn't say he was as serious about their relationship as Axel was, not yet—but other than that, the only reason he could think of not to stay with the older man was his own silly fears. He knew Axel wouldn't push him into anything, knew he wouldn't regret anything they might do when he woke up, and knew that he really was inordinately fond of the tall red-haired arsonist…so why not?
"Sure," he said, feeling the corners of his eyes crinkle as he smiled up at the man—a truer smile than he'd given anybody in a long time. "I'd love to."
A/N: Lol, I fail at the world. :D Okay, so I actually had to spend a long time re-planning this story—my old laptop died completely, I haven't been able to get it fixed (if it's even fixable), and let me just tell you how insanely depressing this is for me. I lost a lot of writing and planning, and when I get set-backs like that I fall into a major slump. Which is what happened. And then I started writing a new story, and then I started meme-writing with someone, and now hopefully I'm back! I'm really hoping to get into the swing of this story again so I can get it finished and begin some serious work on other things.
Don't worry, things start getting interesting again in the next chapter. Thanks again for coming back, guys! I'll update faster next time, I swear.