Agony of Separation
Chapter 7 – Reactions
Disclaimer: Je ne possédes pas le Royaume de Coeurs. (Translation: I do no own Kingdom Hearts.) I'm just making sure that I haven't forgotten any of my French.
Warning: This chapter will jump ahead a couple of weeks since the last chapter. I've completely lost touch with everything that had been going on so that explains the jump. I pretty much fell off the face of the Earth for the past month myself so we'll see how this turns out. That's all the warning I have to give.
Author's Note: I'm VERY sorry for not updating in so long. There were some family issues that got my computer taken away and internet taken away. As soon as I got my computer back I began writing like there was no tomorrow so I can get this chapter out as quick as possible. I don't really remember what happened before and all my previous writings were deleted and I didn't have internet when writing this so I couldn't check what I wrote before, so if some things don't make sense, then you know why. Again, I'm really really sorry and I hope that you review at the end of this chapter.
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The red lines below Axel's eyes fell lower as his eyes closed and head tilted. Eyesight was unneeded for tickling the ivory. The music was laid out before him, but it went ignored. To create beautiful music, the song should come from the heart, not from black notes. This was one of those moments when Axel could feel his way around the piano, letting his emotions vent through his fingers. Each note played, connected with the one before it, turning into a melody of the utmost beauty.
His fiery hair danced along to the music, swaying around him. He hunched over the piano, pressing softly onto the keys. Then, without warning, he began to pound the keys—the virtuoso sounds being forced from the piano, but retaining the same harmonic sound of before.
Roxas watched in awe, fascinated by Axel's ability, his gift. It felt like ages since he last heard the model play and like centuries since the man played for him. The song was one he remembered clearly. It was the one Axel first performed when they met, years ago. He hated Axel for making him remember, but at the same time, he couldn't forget.
Axel was nearing the finale. Roxas kept silent, basking in the glory of what was their song. When the piece ended, Axel remained on the bench seat of the piano, waiting for Roxas to say something. Yet, as always, the top model was left dumb. Instead, Roxas spoke through his actions, planting a firm kiss on Axel's lips. The position was awkward, but neither cared. Axel's head tilted back and Roxas bent over him to reach the warm mouth.
Their kiss ended up with them moving to the bedroom. Roxas tugged on Axel's shirt, pulling it over his head. The man's bare chest was felt by Roxas' fingers. Each crevice, each muscle—nothing was left untouched. Their kiss deepened, pushing Roxas onto the soft bed. Using an arm to hold himself over Roxas, Axel moved to unbutton Roxas' shirt. The task was simple, experience guiding him through the process.
Roxas looked away, ashamed of his body. Compared to Axel, he felt frail and thin. It was to his surprise when he felt Axel's tongue sliding down his chest. His chest puffed as he held his breath. Axel's touch excited him, taking away his ability to breathe. It wasn't until he felt the sound of a zipper that he regained his breath. The man's red hair disappeared from sight and a flood of sensations coursed through Roxas' body. He bit his lip, trying hard to not call out Axel's name.
A phone ring erupted, interrupting the moment they had. Axel groaned and pulled away from Roxas. The ringing continued and he followed it to the source, walking past the cameras. He picked it up and answered it with a friendly "Hello?" The phone was snatched away by an angered Leon.
"What're you doing?"
"Answering my phone." Axel replied, seeming uninterested in the conversation.
"I can see that! Why'd you bring a phone during a shooting?"
"In case someone called."
"Lose the attitude, Axel." Axel took out a cigarette only to get it flung to the ground by the director. "I'm not in the mood for your PMSing, just go home. Riku, fill in for Axel." There was no response. "Riku! Get your ass over here!" Leon was clearly in a bad mood and didn't want to deal with Axel's anger issues or Riku's stubbornness. But then it dawned on him. Riku was gone.
"Miss your porn star?" Axel smirked, grabbing his coat to leave.
"I said go home." Axel put on his coat and walked out of the recording room, but not before giving Roxas a quick peck to the lips.
Since Riku's obvious hatred of the film they recorded, Leon felt like he lost one of his best people. The film (appropriately titled "Wicked Fun") brought in thousands of dollars. No other movie had sold that much in the history of Wicked. But the latest projects weren't doing as well.
Almost a month had passed since then and Roxas was asked to join the porn industry when he found out about the film. It wasn't something that could be kept secret from him and he discovered it when the new issue of Wicked was delivered. Leon had expected anger from the top model, maybe even a law suit, but instead, was asked to give Roxas a job. Leon had quickly agreed, expecting the same results as "Wicked Fun", but his expectations weren't met.
The public seemed to only enjoy the sexual escapades of the four lovers, but were only given two. Also, Riku's absence brought a reduction in sales which surprised Leon. Usually, people only cared about the sex and not really about the people having it. His only hope was to find Riku and bring him back or convince Sora to join Roxas. But that idea was immediately discarded, seeing as how Sora would never agree and neither would Riku.
Leon rubbed his temples, already feeling the headache that was coming. Nothing was going right at all. Roxas came over to the director, zipping his pants back up.
"Are you alright, Leon?" he asked.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. You can go home too if you want. We're done here." Roxas said his goodbyes and left, leaving Leon with his words. The director sighed, crossing his arms. He wasn't sure if he had been talking about the movie or the company.
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A knock pulled Riku away from the stove. Dimming the flame, he wiped his hands on his apron before answering the door. Before, it would have been a shock to see Sora standing in his doorway, but now, it was as common as the excuse for his being there.
"Roxas didn't come home again." Riku let Sora in, telling him to make himself at home. The brunet smiled weakly, slouching to Riku's couch.
The first time this happened, they spent the entire night talking about it. From what Sora told Riku, Roxas would often come home late from work, smelling of alcohol and of something that smelled faintly familiar. Trouble was brewing between the happy couple, slowly pushing them apart. Ever since Roxas' new job at Wicked, the time they spent together was minimal to none. And when he got home, his clothes were wrinkled and sometimes torn.
Riku knew too well what was going on, but kept to himself. He had heard that Roxas was the new star of Wicked's special program. Sora, however, had been oblivious to this. Somehow, the tape was kept out of Sora's sight and he still knew nothing of its recording. The brunet didn't have the courage to enter a porno shop and hardly read articles in Wicked. The pictures were what interested him more.
But Roxas' job was revealed just as Riku's was long ago. He found a tape of his lover's "acting" and confronted him, just as he did with Riku. Through some persuasion that Riku couldn't figure out, Roxas was able to convince Sora to permit this. Sure, they didn't speak for a week, but after that, the two were back together and accepting of the other.
Sora knew that it meant Roxas having to sleep with other people, but he gave Roxas that freedom. Besides, it was only a job, right? Sora didn't think so anymore. He told Riku that he suspected Roxas of cheating, but he didn't want to believe it. He already gave Roxas the freedom to sleep with other men for work's sake so why should he suspect that the top model would want more?
"You let him get away with too much." Riku set the table for the two, going through the same routine. "He doesn't treat you right, Sora. You have to find someone better." Riku would attempt to convince Sora to leave Roxas, but the brunet would always defend him.
"But he was my first. He helped me when I needed him."
"You need him now and I don't see him running to your rescue." Riku tried to control his temper, not wanting to cause a fight between them. They were just starting to get along again and he didn't want to ruin it, even if it meant having to withdraw his feelings for Sora.
"That's because he's busy."
"Stop defending him!" Riku hit his wooden spoon against the countertop. "He's just hurting you, Sora! I don't understand how you can accept what he does so easily." Regaining his composure, Riku continued to serve the food.
"I accepted you for it, didn't I?" Sora fought back.
"But I wasn't your boyfriend!" Riku retorted.
"I know that, so just give him the benefit of the doubt." Sora got up to get some glasses and placed them neatly on the table cloth. He didn't want to fight, not right now.
Grudgingly, Riku unfolded his napkin and let the matter of discussion drop.
The scene would have looked romantic to anyone who was watching. The two ate the dinner that Riku prepared. An exquisite dish of salmon. He pulled out a bottle of wine and poured it into their glasses. He no longer drank as he did before, but a drink every once and awhile was fine. Their knees touched below the table, but neither seemed affected by the contact.
In actuality, Riku couldn't have been more nervous. On the outside, he appeared calm and as if he was still venting about the whole Roxas situation. But on the inside, he couldn't believe that he and Sora were so close to each other. Just the touch of their knees was enough to send sparks down his leg and put butterflies in his stomach. He felt that the slightest movement would disrupt Sora and move him away. The fork kept sliding between his fingers, slipping from the sweat that covered his hands. He took a sip of the wine, letting the taste fall down his throat and calm his nerves. Never before had he felt so agitated.
Just watching Sora eat made Riku's whole body tingle. Sora brought the fork up to his mouth, swallowing a piece of salmon. He reached for the wine glass and drank some, spilling a bit on the side of his mouth. Carefully, Sora wiped it away with his finger, sucking on it to clean it. Riku could've sworn that the brunet was doing this on purpose to torture him. When Sora saw Riku staring at him, he smiled and resumed eating. Riku melted in his seat.
Riku was saddened when Sora was finished eating and got up to wash his plate. But the view of Sora's behind made up for it. Riku leaned back in his seat, wanting a better view. He managed to balance himself on the chair's hind legs, hungered by anything but the food. With each wiping of the dish, Sora's hip swayed and Riku along with it. It was when Sora moved too far that Riku found his face flat against the floor.
The water turned off and Sora came running. "Riku, are you okay?"
Riku blinked, unable to believe that he had just fallen. "I'm alright." 'But I lost my dignity.' Riku thought, recovering from his fall.
"Are you done with your food?"
Riku glanced at his plate. Half a fish was still there, but he no longer felt hungry. He nodded his head eagerly. Sora took the plate, scraped the remains into the garbage disposal and began washing once more. And again, Riku found himself staring at Sora, unable to look away.
To distract himself, Riku picked up the Wicked and began flipping through the pages. He took a seat on his leather couch and put one leg over the other as he read. An eye peaked over the head of the magazine, staring right at Sora's derriere. It moved from left to right, watching the brunet's every movement. Riku shook his head and focused back on the magazine. There, staring him in the face, was a picture of Sora—naked if not for the fog that surrounded him. Riku tossed the magazine on the floor and turned on the television.
Nothing caught his interest until he came up to the news. He raised the volume so he could hear over the water faucet. None of the other reporters seemed to want to interview a place such as Wicked except for the one being televised now and Riku could see why.
"I'm standing in front of WICKED! The most awesomest place evah!" His voice was feminine and his eyes darted back and forth between the camera and Leon. "I'm here with the one and only director of those movies we all know you love, Leon!" He applauded enthusiastically and pointed the microphone at Leon. "There has been tragic news that Wicked may go out of business." He placed the back of his hand to his forehead for added effect. "Say it isn't so."
"I can assure you that Wicked is doing better than ever. We have just been experiencing a minor setback from the loss of one of our employees." Leon spoke confidently, seeming as if everything really was fine.
"Surely one employee can't cause so much problem for your company?" The reporter pushed the microphone in front of Leon and raised his eyebrows continuously.
"True as that may be, all of our employees are a valuable asset to Wicked. The loss of one is one loss too much, but that definitely does not mean the end of Wicked."
It only took Riku a moment to figure out that they were talking about him.
"Well, there you have it folks. Rumors of the ill-fated Wicked have been shown to be incorrect and I for one will be anticipating the next issue." The reporter smacked his lips and the camera shifted to the news station.
Riku turned the television off, sitting in silence with Sora. "I can't believe it." Riku began.
"I know. The camera really does add ten pounds! Did you see Leon's waist?"
"Not that!" Riku groaned, but still saw Sora's point. "That Wicked might go out of business, just because I left."
"Really? I didn't hear your name mentioned and Leon said that everything was going fine." Sora thought back to the interview.
Riku sighed, not very surprised by Sora's naivety. "Leon was lying. He said that things were going wrong because an "employee" left. Do you know anyone else who quit?" Sora thought about it for a moment and Riku flung a pillow at him. "You're impossible."
"You never really told me why you quit now that I think about it."
"Hm?" Riku froze.
"I want to know why you quit."
"…huh?"
"Stop playing dumb! You never told me why you quit Wicked."
Riku glanced at the clock. "Oh, will you look at the time. Roxas is probably home by now. You should go before he wonders where you are." Riku jumped up and opened the door. "Thanks for dropping by. We should do this again sometime. Drive safely. And good night."
"It's only nine 'o' clock."
"Boy, how time flies. See you tomorrow." Riku held the door open, waiting for Sora to drop the question and leave.
Giving up, Sora decided that it probably was time to leave. "Why won't you tell me?" He stuck out his lower lip and looked up at Riku with big eyes.
"No! Unfair! You can't do that to me!" Riku covered his eyes, shielding himself from the dreaded pout of guilt.
"I just want to know, Riku. Please?" Sora moved dangerously close and pulled Riku's hands away from his eyes so that there was no escape.
"Must. Resist. Urge!"
"Don't resist it, Riku. Just let it out." Sora had no idea how much he was affecting Riku.
"If you say so." Riku leaned forward and captured Sora's lips into his. Surprised, Sora opened his mouth, but that only allowed for Riku to insert his tongue. The surprise ended quickly and Sora closed his eyes, captivated by the spur of the moment kiss. Riku's quitting his job no longer seemed important. He leaned closer to Riku, putting his hands against Riku's chest. Sora knew about Riku's feelings, but he was never sure of his own. The kiss only made him question them even more, but none of that mattered at that instant. What did matter was that Riku's hand on his butt was the best feeling ever.
Then, Riku pulled away, but remained close to Sora. His breathing was hard and he feared that Sora could feel his racing heart through his chest. He waited for Sora to say something; that they never should have done that or that he just got caught up in the moment, but the brunet said nothing. That was much worse.
Sora's mind was difficult to read. He stared up at Riku with those innocent looking eyes of his and held the silver haired ex-model close. To say that he hated the kiss would be a lie, but to say the truth would lead to more lies.
"Now would be a good time to say something." Their embrace was tight, impossible to escape. He heard Sora gulp and take in a deep breath. Sapphire orbs hid behind eye lids and Riku felt the soft touch of Sora's lips kissing him. Riku didn't need any words to know what Sora felt right then and there.
This kiss was softer, done to actually taste the other. Before either of them knew it, an hour had passed and they were sitting on the couch. It was the ring of Sora's cell phone that broke them apart. Between kisses, Riku told him to ignore it and for awhile Sora did. But the phone refused to quiet and with a groan Sora answered it.
"Sora? Where the hell are you?"
"Roxas!" Sora shrieked feeling as if he had been caught.
"I've been worried sick! Why weren't you answering your phone?"
"Why didn't I answer my phone?" Sora repeated, looking at Riku for an answer. "I was, um…I was…" Riku got up and started moving his hips. His hands moved all around his body trying to tell Sora that he was dancing at club where loud music would prevent a phone ring from being heard. Apparently, Sora was unable to grasp the meaning of Riku's antics and shouted out what he saw. "…touching myself? I was touching myself!" Riku collapsed on the floor and there was a silence on the other end of the line.
"Come home and I'll help you out." There was an obvious smirk on Roxas' face. "Hurry back."
"Will do." Sora hung the phone up and stared at Riku. "Why did you tell me I was touching myself!"
"It's not my fault you suck at charades!"
"Now I have to leave." The tone of Sora's voice surprised the both of them. It sounded as if he was disappointed that he had to go.
Sora went to the door and lingered in the doorway. Riku followed, avoiding looking into Sora's eyes. "Well, um, goodnight." Riku stuck out his hand, unable to think of anything else to do. Sora thought of something and took Riku's hand, pulling him forward into a final kiss of the night. "What does this mean…?"
"I don't know." Sora said truthfully. "I'll see you tomorrow." Riku waited until Sora got into the elevator before closing his door. His back leaned against the wood surface, unable to believe what he and Sora just did. Sleep seemed to be the farthest thing from his mind, but it pulled him into a world of dreams.
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"I don't get it. Why won't he fuck me?" Axel slammed a beer bottle on the counter top of Traverse Tavern. "He let me take his fucking virginity and then bam! I don't' exist anymore. He says that it never should have happened and that he wants to keep everything "professional"." Axel took another swig of his beer and slammed it back down. "That fucking bastard."
Tidus was dragged into hearing Axel until everyone left. Now, it was just him and the red-head, and it was policy that he couldn't leave until every customer left. "Look, I really think that it's time for you to leave."
"You can't tell me when to leave! I'm telling you to leave!"
"I think you've had enough." Tidus took the beer bottle from Axel and flung into the garbage. "Here's some money for a cab."
"I have a car."
"I'm not letting you drive. I'll call a cab."
"You know what? You're a cab." Tidus sighed and picked up the phone. "Hey! Did ya hear me? I said you're a cab!"
Tidus put the phone down. "Forget it. I'll give you a ride home. Where do you live?"
"You wanna know where I live?" Axel smiled sheepishly. "I'll tell you exactly where I live." Out of nowhere, Axel began to laugh maniacally, scaring Tidus.
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Axel slurred something that sounded like a thank you and got out of Tidus' car. He climbed the stairs to Roxas' apartment and banged on the door. When Roxas opened the door he pounced on the model, knocking him down to the floor. Roxas struggled to free himself, wriggling from beneath Axel. His arms were pinned down and Axel held his legs down too.
"What are you doing?" Roxas demanded, hating Axel's strength.
"Don't ya miss me?"
"Are you drunk?" The intoxicating odor filled Roxas' lungs, gagging his throat. "Get off of me!"
"Shhhh." Axel whispered and looked around the room. "Sora might hear you…" When he heard nothing stirring in the other room or in the apartment, the drunken Axel positioned himself higher onto Roxas' waist. "…unless he's not here."
Once more, Roxas tried to push the stronger man away, but felt powerless beneath him. "Don't you get satisfied with all the movies we do together?" He growled through grit teeth.
"Not if you're just doing your job and not enjoying it." Axel straddled his hips, trying to gain a reaction from Roxas.
"Who ever said I wasn't enjoying it?" Getting Axel to leave quietly was almost impossible from what Roxas could remember from their time together years past. Letting out a long sigh, he decided to give in to temptation.
It was to Axel's amusement when the man beneath him thrust his hips upward, creating a friction that could not be ignored. Axel let out a loud, exaggerated groan and bent down to taste Roxas'. The model turned his head to the side, making Axel taste his neck instead. He could feel the man sucking on a single area, not afraid to use his tongue.
A hand slid down the denim of his pants, gripping strongly. "Shouldn't we move somewhere more…not in front of my doorway?" Roxas asked, pulling Axel's hand away. The man nodded fiercely and lifted Roxas up. He took the model to the first room he found that had a bed. Tossing Roxas onto it, Axel jumped after him and resumed his conquest of Roxas' pants.
Meanwhile, Sora was rushing home after his call from his lover. His brand new car was parked and he reached the apartment as fast as the elevator would allow him. The door had been left widely open so that anyone could peer inside. Sora blamed Roxas' horrible memory and closed the door behind as he entered. Flinging his keys onto the counter, the brunet got a coke from the fridge and took it to his room.
The scene he walked in on brought back horrible memories. His mind took him back to the time when he came home to find Axel thrusting right into Riku, both obviously drunk. Except that this time, Riku had become Roxas—and from what Sora could tell—was fully aware of what was going on.
The coke can fell from Sora's hand, spilling onto the carpeted floor. Axel turned to face him, holding tightly onto the bedspread. "Hey there, porn star." Axel's words were slurred and tied together making Sora think that he had misheard. That's when Roxas acknowledged his existence and pushed Axel away from him, knocking him down to the floor.
"Sora!" There was no way that he could lie about this. He had been caught in the act and by Sora of all people. No other alternative came to mind, but to tell the truth. "This was just a one-time thing, Sora. I didn't call him here! He's drunk out of his mind."
"But you're not."
"I thought he would go away if I did this!"
"Your plan just backfired 'cause I'm leaving." Sora grabbed his keys and ran out of the apartment, feeling the beginning of a tears forming in his eyes. He didn't even bother with the elevator and ran down the flight of stairs.
When he got to Riku's apartment, he threw himself into his best friend's arms and let the tears flow. Without knowing what was going on, Riku moved them both to the couch and held Sora tightly. He could feel Sora's body shake, forcing back his tears but unable to. It had been years since he last held Sora this close, since Sora wanted to be held by him.
The entire time, Riku didn't say anything. He pulled Sora closer, wanting to give the brunet some of his warmth. It seemed to have calmed him down seeing as how Sora's shaking stopped. He tilted his head from its place on Riku's chest, looking up into emerald gems that he had never really looked into. What he saw in Riku's eyes was the best friend that he had thought he lost. The one that had gotten him through school, cooked him dinners, made him laugh—the one that loved him.
What happened with Roxas didn't seem to matter anymore. That relationship was doomed from beginning, but Sora was grateful for it. It opened his eyes to the one person that truly mattered.
"Are you alright?" Riku asked, confused by Sora's sudden smile.
The brunet flung himself on Riku, pushing him down on the cushions of the couch. Making himself comfortable, he squeezed beside him and wrapped an arm around Riku's chest. His eyes ached from crying, but that feeling of dread was gone now. "Thanks, Riku..." He closed his eyes and fell asleep beside his best friend, leaving his sentence unfinished. He wanted to say "…for always being there." But the grains of sand had lulled him into sleep.
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Waking up next to Sora felt almost as good as sleeping beside him. His arm was still draped over Riku's chest, moving with each breath taken. Riku's arm wrapped around Sora, holding the brunet close. He rested his head onto the pointed locks of chestnut, sinking into its surprising softness. Years of being friends and never before had Riku woken up to such a wondrous sight.
The worst part of that morning was having to get up and start breakfast. Riku felt traditional and stirred up some pancake mix. Not long into the frying of the bacon did Riku hear the brunet rise from the couch.
Morning drowsiness overtook Sora, blurring his thoughts of the night before. But it all soon returned in a sudden realization of his whereabouts. The confusion left quickly and was replaced by a feeling of safety. Much time had gone by when Sora first took refuge in Riku's home. It felt so natural to awake there to the aroma of freshly made breakfast.
"Morning, sleepy head." Riku called out behind him, putting the frying pan in the sink to cool.
Sora stretched his arms and stifled a yawn, letting out a moan of relaxation. "What time is it?"
Riku glanced at the oven timer. "Quarter-to-ten."
Sora groaned and fell back onto the couch. "I don't want to go to work. I feel a very sudden cold coming on." They both laughed and Sora called in sick before sitting down to breakfast.
The meal was eaten hungrily by the two. During the meal, Sora put down his fork and knife and decided on talking. He felt like he needed to explain himself to Riku for what happened last night, but he couldn't quite find the words to begin.
"Just eat. You don't have to tell me anything right now." Relief swarmed through Sora and he resumed the meal.
Sora couldn't help but notice that their knees were touching beneath the table. Without hesitating, Sora scooted closer and brushed his foot against Riku. He giggled at Riku's sudden jump in his seat. Another touch from Sora caused Riku to drop his fork.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're doing that on purpose." Riku said, eyeing Sora suspiciously.
Sora feigned innocence. "What? Me? What ever do you mean?"
"Wicked has corrupted you."
"Probably. But you don't like me doing this?" Sora raised his foot up to Riku's thigh, moving higher up the leg. Riku clenched tightly onto the silverware, trying to control himself. And just as quickly as Sora taunted him, the brunet pulled his foot away. "Well, if that's the case, then I guess I should stop."
Riku cursed at himself. "When did you get so evil?"
"When you weren't looking." Sora gulped down the remains of his pancakes and carried the dish to the sink. "So what do you want to do today?"
'You don't' want to know.' Riku thought hungrily. "Since you're already playing hooky, I suggest we do what all hookiers do."
"What's that?"
"The three M's." Sora raised an eyebrow. "Movies. Mall. Make-out." Sora didn't need to know anymore to be fully onboard with the idea. He borrowed some clothes from Riku and they left without any worries of work, home, or Roxas.
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I really hope that this chapter was worth it for you guys. I know that there was a huge change in…well, everything and I already said why. Again, sorry for the uber late update, but I'll try and get the next chapter up ASAP. In the meantime, please take a chance to review. Muchos thankies from the author!
