Chapter 10
The wind was blowing harshly as Zexion, Demyx and I trudged our way up the driveway, weaving through all the fancy cars to the front door of the Strife's mansion. The snow had picked up from a few days earlier and was coming down pretty steadily, signaling that winter was upon Radiant Garden in full force.
We were all bundled up with more coats and sweaters than was necessary because we'd taken Zexion's crappy old car and the heat decided to give out halfway to our destination, making the whole inside of the vehicle similar to that of an ice-box. Apparently, Demyx's idea to bring extra jackets just in case hadn't been as idiotic as I originally thought. Despite being completely wrapped up from head to toe to try and keep warm, we actually looked somewhat festive.
My roommate and co-worker were wearing identical Santa hats. Demyx physically forced one of the brightly colored hats he'd brought along with him onto Zexion's head when we picked him up. After a few short minutes of lackluster protesting, my best friend just accepted it. His lack of legitimate complaints was a bit suspicious, but I had little time to think about it because before I knew it, I was being handed a pair of reindeer antlers that Zexion pulled out of the glove compartment. He told me that Yuffie left them for me. He passed on her exact words that a red Santa hat with my red hair would be overkill, thus the antlers, equipped with noisy, jingling bells hanging off of them, were the perfect solution.
Normally, Yuffie would have been there herself to let me in on her misguided wisdom. She would have been right next to Demyx in the backseat, griping at Zexion about how he needed to get his piece of crap car fixed, and she would have been at least five feet in front of us, leading the way to the front door. But as I'd come to find out when I asked my roommate what time we were picking our two friends up, she wasn't going to be riding with us and instead was attending the Christmas gathering with someone else.
And that someone just happened to be a certain silver-haired nuisance that I had a lovely experience with in Roxas' kitchen involving Chinese food and mind games. That's right; Yuffie was attending The Strife's Christmas party with Kadaj Hikari. When I was informed of that little fact it surprised me, to say the least, and it took me good a few seconds to get over the initial shock that Kadaj was able to feel human emotions.
I'd obviously known about Yuffie's attraction to either Cloud or his best friend for a while, but for some reason I'd never considered that Kadaj was the chosen one. Hell, I'd almost all but forgotten about the girl's little love confession from all those weeks ago. And even more than that, I'd never noticed any interaction between the two of them. Of course, that was probably all of my own doing considering I spent every waking hour with Roxas. If I wasn't with him, I was thinking about him. If I wasn't thinking about him, I was dreaming about him and so on. Basically my life had started to revolve around the boy.
I'd become so focused on myself and the youngest Strife sibling that I had little to no idea what my friends had been up to in their lives. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a slight pang of guilt when my roommate looked at me incredulously as I asked when the whole Yuffie-Kadaj union had happened. I felt like I should know the major events of my friends' lives, and the fact that I didn't made me a class A douche. But just like always, Zexion could tell how I was feeling without me even having to say a word, and he waved off my self-loathing and explained that he didn't know all the details of the so-called relationship between Yuffie and the silver-haired male and that I'd have to ask her myself. I planned on doing just that. Eventually.
With that bit of information out in the open, I noticed that Zexion was the only one without someone. Well, technically Demyx was, too, but he'd probably already started some fantasy relationship with my best friend in his mind, so he didn't really count. I didn't say anything out loud, so Zexion was spared, at least for the moment, but from the second that the thought entered my head till we made it onto the porch of the mansion, my mind had been running rampant, plotting and planning a way to bring the two men at my side together. They were obviously meant to be, and it would be tragic to prolong their suffering any longer. At least that's how I excused my scheming.
But all plans were put on immediate hold when the door swung open just as we reached the top step and I was about to press the doorbell, and I was met with those same bright, azure eyes that always caused my breath to hitch and made my heart skip a beat. The effect they had on me was even more drastic ever since we'd taken the next step in our relationship, whatever that step was.
Just standing there, it was like in our gazes we held a secret that only we knew. Except for the fact that we'd clearly been caught by Sora and Riku. And Zexion had somehow known that something more was going on between me and the blond, which wasn't too shocking because over the years my best friend had come to know me practically better than I knew myself.
"Hi," Roxas greeted, but he was only looking at me, and I was only looking at him. Demyx and Zexion might as well have been non-existent along with the party guests that I could hear talking and laughing from inside.
"Hey." I smiled and saw Roxas' lips quirk upward. The action brought back memories of decrepit Christmas trees, mistletoe and hasty, awkward first kisses. And more than anything. I wanted to wrap my arms around the boy and pull him close to me, to lose myself in his blue eyes and kiss him until neither of us felt like we could breathe and we had to pull apart, laughing and basking in the glow of how amazing it was that we'd found each other.
My fantasies were cut short when I heard Zexion clear his throat and I felt two other pairs of eyes on me. I turned my head to the side only to see my roommate giving me an annoying smirk that proved he knew exactly what was going on in my mind. It was probably written all over my face.
It was official that I could no longer hide what Roxas made me feel. Not that I'd done a bang up job in the past, but from the moment our lips first touched I knew that all the hiding, the running, the denying, it was all over. As the days passed, the nervousness of it all, of finally opening my heart up to someone for the first time in forever, began to fade. It was replaced with an intense feeling that I didn't know how to describe, but it was amazing, and I could almost physically feel the scars on my wounded heart healing. Every glance at that flawless face, every sweeping touch of soft blond hair against my chin, every interlacing of fingers and meeting of lips was helping the pain, that had felt all too real for so many years, slip away like it had never been there in the first place. I felt alive and complete for the first time in a long time, and I didn't care who knew that anymore.
The other pair of eyes that were staring at me was an entirely different story from that of my best friend. You see, Demyx could be incredibly dense when it came to things that weren't cookies or cupcakes or pastries. Oh, he might have been a secretly deep thinker and a lot wiser than people gave him credit for, but sometimes it took him a little longer than others to see the obvious. I could easily tell that the question I saw in his eyes had nothing to do with the fact that Roxas and I were staring longingly at each other and was more along the lines of what we were all doing standing in the frigid outdoors when there was a perfectly warm house right in front of us.
"So…" My co-worker gave me one last sidelong glance before facing towards Roxas and the semi-open door again. "Can we come in or not? Because it's sort of freaking cold out here." He wrapped his arms around his body and shuddered, and I smiled to myself because I had his thoughts pinpointed exactly.
"Oh, yea sorry." Roxas dipped his head, his cheeks turning a cute shade of pink as he stepped back to let us through. "Everyone is in the living room."
As soon as he said it, I could hear Sora's light-hearted laughter and Yuffie's obnoxiously overbearing voice filtering through the house. It reminded me that I had some very interesting questions for the girl. Not to mention, I was curious to see the whole Kadaj relationship thing—or whatever it was—with my own two eyes. Maybe I'd even have a few words for the silver-haired male. After all, Yuffie was like a little sister to me and knowing the games that Kadaj could easily play, I felt obligated to step up and threaten his life if he did anything to hurt her.
I started to walk forward, completely wound up in what I was going to say to the two and already thinking up multiple ways I could threaten the man. I heard footsteps behind me, signaling that my two friends were following my lead, and then everything came to a stop when I heard one very familiar voice that brought me back to the present.
"Wait!"
I halted in my tracks. Demyx, who was probably too busy staring at my roommate, slammed into my back almost causing us to tumble forward. I turned around once I regained my balance to see Zexion grabbing onto my co-workers arm to steady him. Besides feeling neglected that my best friend was obviously willing to let me fall to the ground to an over exaggerated death in order to save Demyx, it also greatly amused me and gave me more than enough will to go through with the plan I hadn't quite perfected. I could see something starting between the two of them, whether Zexion wanted to admit it or not. All they needed was one final push. A shove that I was more than willing to give them.
"I want to…um…I want to show you something." Roxas lowered his head once again to look at his nervous fingers then peered back up at me. Once we'd been gazing at each other for a few milliseconds, I saw him visibly relax. It was like all it took for the nervousness to fade away was a glance into my eyes, and that made me feel like something special. Like what Roxas and I had between us was more powerful than I'd imagined.
"What do you want to show us?" Demyx skipped over to the shorter blond, curiosity like that of a child visible all over his face.
I heard Zexion sigh, then he walked forward and grabbed a hold of my overly hyper co-worker. "He doesn't want to show us anything."
Demyx looked to be a mixture of perplexed as to why he was being dragged away and in awe that my best friend, his not so secret crush, was actually touching him. "Oh…" His brow was slightly furrowed as he stared back at Roxas and me and allowed himself to be dragged a few feet away. Then I watched as the sudden realization washed over him. He freed himself from my roommate's grasp and spun back around with an amused grin on his face. "Oh! I get it now." And finally Demyx joined the ranks of several others who had caught on ages beforehand.
All I could do was smile and glance over at Roxas. I kind of expected him to be more nervous than he was, though, and it surprised me how calm he appeared, even with the knowledge that someone else had been clued in on what was going on between us. It was a completely different reaction from the one he'd had when Sora discovered everything, and I couldn't help but wonder who else knew about us. For all I knew, every single one of our friends could have found out, Cloud, Namine, Kairi, maybe even Roxas' parents knew. That thought sent chills down my spine. After all that the blond had told me about his family, I couldn't imagine them just accepting something like that.
My thoughts turned from anxious to downright miserable in no time at all because I realized that despite crossing one tiny speed bump in the road, Roxas and I probably had tons of trials ahead to face. It only made me feel slightly better that we'd be facing them all together.
My inner thoughts of doom and gloom were interrupted by a shout of glee and the sight of an overexcited blond leaping back across the room. Demyx was all smiles as he stood in-between Roxas and me and focused all of his attention on the two of us. I decided that I was going to let him have his kicks because later, once my plan had been put in motion, he wouldn't be smiling. Ok, so maybe that thought was completely foolish since I knew Demyx would probably kiss the ground I walked on if I managed to successfully get him and roommate together. But I was too content in the moment to care about his annoyingness. Besides, Zexion would probably be plenty disturbed by the outcome of the plan, and that would certainly make up for any annoyance I felt for the blond. No matter how backwards that logic was.
"Let's go, Demyx." Zexion rolled his eyes and grabbed onto the man's arm once again, and that contact was enough for my co-worker to practically forget that anything else in the world existed. I knew that feeling all too well. My best friend gave me a sly, knowing look as he dragged a dazed Demyx across the foyer and into the living room.
I watched as the two disappeared from sight, and then Roxas and I were off the hook. I turned back around to relish in the fact that I was finally alone with the blond, but as soon as I did, he wasted no time grabbing my arm in a similar fashion as Zexion and began pulling me behind him towards the staircase.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I tried to keep in step with him. I'd been caught off guard so it was a struggle to get my feet working properly on such short notice.
"I want to show you something," Roxas said over his shoulder without even slowing down. And I knew that was all the explanation I was going to get from him.
He dragged me up the staircase, and by then I was able to keep up with him. About half-way up the stairs, without breaking his rapid pace, Roxas let his hand slide down my arm and grabbed a hold of my hand, locking our fingers together. I stopped for just an instant, marveling at how that simple gesture could make my heart feel like it was about to burst, and that was all it took for me to be yanked forward and trip over the next step.
I landed awkwardly but I pushed myself back up with my free hand and struggled to make it seem like I hadn't done something so embarrassing in the first place. Roxas never looked back or even acknowledged my fall, but I heard his quiet snickering and felt his grip tighten on my hand.
Finally, we made it to the second floor and down an all too familiar hallway that I'd seen not that long ago when I'd been caught snooping. Once we passed the first few doors, I knew exactly where we were going and I wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. Just why was Roxas so eager to bring me to that room? A bedroom of all places. And what was it that he wanted to show me exactly? Before my mind had the chance to make its way further down into the gutter, we stopped in front of that door momentarily, but he wasted no time in quickly pushing it open and tugging me inside.
Once we were inside and the door was firmly shut behind us, Roxas turned around to face me with an impish grin playing on his lips and God, was it hot. It took all the self control I had, which wasn't much by that point, not to push him on that bedthat suddenly seemed a lot more appealing than the last time I'd seen it, climb on top of him and do things that would certainly interrupt even the noisiest of parties.
Thankfully, I had always been one to look before I leaped. Sort of. Even though I tended to jump into things almost headfirst, I always at least attempted to evaluate all the outcomes of something before I did it. And despite some of the amazing possibilities I thought up regarding Roxas and me alone in a room with a bed, the evil realities of life had to come and crash all of my dreams and hopes, just like they always did. I realized that a house full of people—of friends and family and most importantly...parents—was not such a good place to live out fantasies. No matter how desirable they seemed or how incredibly hot Roxas looked when he was biting down on his lip and practically begging me to take him right then and there.
Once I reluctantly nullified thoughts of skin and sheets and my name falling from perfectly shaped lips, I realized that there was still at least something I could do that wouldn't be nearly as scandalous but just as—if not more—satisfying. I stepped forward, completely ready to pull Roxas close and feel his lips on mine when I was shot down.
"No. Not yet." The boy pressed his hand against my chest, effectively stopping my advances. I let out a grunt of protest, and he looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something but stopped. He tilted his head just slightly to the side and studied my face like he was never going to see me ever again and was trying to remember every small detail. Normally, that kind of thing would make me feel uneasy, but I wanted Roxas to look at me that way forever. It wasn't until I felt his hand clutch lightly at my chest that I realized he never let go in the first place. "Why is your heart beating so fast?"
He asked in the most innocent of ways, like how a child would ask why the grass was green, or why rain fell down from the clouds above. It was also a question that, at one time, I might have had a hard time answering, but I definitely knew the answer, and I was no longer afraid to admit it. To myself, or anyone else.
"Because of you." he looked up at me curiously. "You always do this to me, Roxas. You always have since the moment I laid eyes on you, and you always will."
He didn't say anything for the next few seconds. I never took my eyes off of his, but I felt as he clutched onto the fabric of my shirt, and I took a deep breath as I got the feeling that he was going to give me what I wanted in the first place.
But I was wrong.
Almost as soon as I'd closed my eyes and leaned forward to prepare myself for the kiss, I felt the grip on my shirt loosen and heard footsteps shuffling across the floor. When I finally came back down from the anticipation that had taken over my mind, I noticed Roxas' back was facing me as he opened a drawer of the desk. That same desk that once held my one true adversary in life—a raggedy old picture frame. That's when I remembered that we had come up to the room in the first place for a reason. Roxas wanted to show me something.
The drawer shut with a soft thud and brought all my attention back to the blond in front of me as he hid his hands behind his back and walked cautiously back over to where I was standing. My curiosity was thoroughly piqued when I noticed, not only his actions but the slightly unsure, yet pleased look on his face.
"What's going on?"
"Well, you know how I said I wanted to show you something?" He shifted nervously. I would never get over how cute a nervous Roxas was. Not that he wasn't constantly adorable and my heart's every desire, but it was such a contrast from the smart ass, pissed off at the world blond sitting on his parents' steps that I'd met not so long ago. "Well…this is it."
He slowly removed his hands from his back, and in the palm of his left hand was a small package wrapped almost perfectly in bright red paper and topped off with an oversized green bow. He immediately averted his gaze as he held the present out even farther towards me.
I took the gift from his hand. "Roxas, I…" I tugged at the ribbon a little. "I didn't get you anything. I mean Christmas is still a couple weeks away…"
I felt bad that he had spent time and thought on getting me something, and I hadn't even really begun to think about what I was going to him. Maybe it crossed my mind a couple times, but the truth was I was terrible at picking out presents. Every time it came to buying gifts I had to resort to Zexion for help, even when the gift was for him. I didn't even give a second thought to letting my best friend help me pick out a present for Roxas because I wanted whatever it was I decided to get him to come from me and no one else. I figured something would just eventually come to me, and I'd hope and pray it was good enough for the blond. Although, in reality I knew nothing was good enough for Roxas. The most precious and priceless diamond in the world couldn't touch his worth.
"That's fine. I just wanted to give this to you now. Now is definitely the right time." He was still avoiding my gaze and instead was focusing his attention on the shoe that he was scraping over the carpet. "And you don't have to get me anything, so just open it."
The commanding voice he threw my way didn't do anything to hide his nervousness from me, but I did as I was told, anyway, and untied the ribbon. I peeled the paper off with ease instead of just ripping into the sucker like I would normally do. It was just that Roxas had spent time on carefully wrapping it and making it look so nice, and I couldn't find it in my heart to destroy it.
Once the wrapping paper was discarded, it revealed a plain white box in the shape of a rectangle. I chanced a glance at Roxas to see if he was paying attention, and caught him turning away just as I lifted my head up. He was really worrying over giving me that little gift, and it made me smile.
I finally lifted the cover off the box and pulled out a gold chain. I held it up in front of me,letting the small heart that was attached to it dangle level with my eyes. It was obviously a bit worn, but it still glistened a little in the lamp light.
"Roxas…"
"I know it's stupid." He finally lifted his head up and looked into my eyes for the first time since he handed over the gift. "It's girly and weird, but I just wanted to give you a present that meant something."
"It's not stupid." Nothing that Roxas did for me or gave to me would ever come across as stupid. "I like it."
"You're lying."
"I'll have you know that I am physically incapable of lying to you."
The blond visibly relaxed, and I saw his shoulders fall as he let out a deep breath. "It's just…" He trailed off for a few seconds and moved forward, taking the necklace out of my hands and unclasping it. He looked down at his hands for probably the twentieth time that night. "My grandma gave this to me before she died. And for a while it meant a lot to me. It still does but…you mean more."
I was frozen as Roxas moved forward again and pulled on my jacket to bring me down to his level. He wrapped his arms around my neck, an end of the chain in each hand. He leaned his head against mine and whispered into my ear as he finished clasping the necklace. "I'm giving you my heart to replace your broken one."
He attempted to move away, but I wasn't about to let that happen. I grabbed onto his wrists, and he gasped as I spun him around and pushed him up against the door.
No one had ever done anything like Roxas had done for me. No one had ever spoken words like he just did, and not once had anyone ever filled my heart with so much emotion and affection. In that moment, I felt like he was all I needed. He was the only thing I would ever need in a world that could be as cruel as it was kind.
I leaned forward with a broad smile on my face, and I didn't even have to open my eyes to know that Roxas was mirroring my expression. When I let our lips touch, ever so slightly, the adrenaline that racked through my body was like no other, and I pressed our bodies even closer. I wanted our kiss to be more than just physical. I wanted to feel everything that he was feeling and vice versa. I wanted the connection of our lips to make us a part of each other forever.
As I opened my mouth slowly, letting my tongue snake out and run along the length of Roxas' bottom lip, I couldn't help but wonder how I'd lived for so long without experiencing such an amazing feeling. And I'm not just talking about the kissing because as good as that was, it was the bond that the blond and I had formed with each other, the undeniable tie I felt between the two of us every time we looked to each others eyes that made everything worthwhile. All the struggles and heartaches I'd faced in my life, all of it was worth it if that's what I had to go through to have Roxas in my life.
He moaned into our kiss before opening his mouth and letting his tongue brush across mine. I finally let go of his wrists so I could let my hand trail behind his neck. With his hands free, Roxas put the newfound freedom to good use. He pushed my jacket off of my shoulders and let it fall to the floor behind me. Then he let his fingertips slowly, almost painfully, slide down my chest, down past my stomach until his fingertips were resting on the waist of my pants.
"Roxas." I breathed out, backing away just a little. I'm not sure if it was because I loved everything that we were doing or if it was supposed to be some kind of protest. A voice in the back of my mind was screaming that things were going too fast, and I knew that it was right, but Roxas' hands practically all over my body was seriously hindering my ability to think coherently. My whole mind was just one foggy mess of lust and yearning and emotions I'd never let myself feel before. Logic could have gone and jumped off a bridge for all I cared.
Instead of stopping, the blond just gripped a hold of my pants and pulled me forcibly towards him again. He wasted no time in finding my lips again and practically shoved his tongue into my mouth like the action was his only means of survival. I felt his hands take a hold of the zipper, and with every small, downward movement my whole body trembled. I was too far gone to stop anything, and despite the anxiousness rising up in my stomach, I wanted it all like I'd never wanted anything in my life.
But then the angry hands of fate decided to reach down and snatch everything away as someone knocked on the other side of the door that Roxas and I were pressed up against."Roxas, are you in there?" And that familiar voice proved that fate also had an extremely cruel sense of humor.
My eyes snapped open, and every ache and need that my body had just been feeling not even two seconds prior was gone, just like that. I watched Roxas' eyes widen in horror as he shoved me off of him. I hadn't been expecting his sudden movement, so I lost my balance and tumbled backwards to the floor. The force of the action caused the antlers on my head to slide off and land noisily to the side. Roxas ran a hand through his hair and pulled at his shirt to straighten it out, then he leapt to the side quickly, and he did so just in time because within seconds the door opened to reveal Cid Strife. It was almost like deja-vu, minus the whole kissing part.
"I thought I'd find you up here." The man walked through the door, and I hoped that he wouldn't notice me still sprawled out on the floor with my jacket half-way on and my hair all disheveled. But apparently that was too much to ask for because as soon as I finished thinking it, he turned to look at me, eyebrows raised. "I didn't know you had company with you up here. Alex, is it?"
Roxas scoffed, and I pushed myself up from the ground. "Uh…no, actually, it's Axel." I placed the antlers back on my head, hoping and praying to any God that would listen that Roxas' father didn't suspect anything. But even if the man was aware of exactly what had been going on just beyond that thin piece of wood that divided us, nothing on his face gave him away.
"Pleasure," He said as he reached a hand out towards me with an amiable smile on his lips. "I didn't know you and Roxas were so close." If only he knew just how close we really were.
I hesitated momentarily because the thought of letting him touch my hand, a hand that mere moments earlier had been groping his youngest son, just felt weird. I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, though, because he took it upon himself to grab hold of my hand and shook it politely.
"So, tell me a little about yourself. What is it that you do? How did you meet Roxas?" Cid asked as he let my hand drop.
I heard Roxas groan in contempt from somewhere in the background, but I didn't even bother to turn and look at him. Being held under his fathers' gaze like that was intimidating, and I was sort of afraid to take my attention off of him. I was even a bit nervous to open my mouth.
"I, um, I met Roxas…" I chanced a glance at said blond, and I could see the sympathy written all over his face. I turned back quickly to face Cid, and despite the kind expression and the unwavering smile that never left his face, I couldn't get over the feeling that he was judging me for every word I said. "I met him when I helped cater your party that one night and...uh…so…I work at the bakery. Wonderland Bakery to be exact.
The man's eyebrows rose again. "Oh, that's nice. It sounds like a charming little job." Every single, solitary word that came out of his mouth was condescending and patronizing, yet despite all of that, his grin grew even wider, and I wanted more than anything to believe in it. The whole ordeal was just mind-blowing, and I didn't know exactly how to feel. It was no wonder that Roxas felt like he couldn't take it anymore.
"So, what did you want, dad?" Thank God for Roxas breaking that awkward silence.
The older man's attention was finally off of me, and I felt a bit more relaxed, although, I knew the anxiousness wouldn't completely subside until Cid was out of the room for good. For me, that couldn't have come soon enough.
"I just wanted to talk to you about something." I felt a pair of the Strife's trademark blue eyes glancing at me for a split second, and I shifted uncomfortably. "But I'll just tell you later, ok?"
"Ok…"
Roxas wasn't doing a very good job at hiding his nervousness, and I wondered if his father could smell the fear radiating off of the both of us. He stood there quiet and unmoving for a few passing moments. I thought for sure that he had us all figured out and the shit was about to hit the proverbial fan. I braced myself for what was to come only to see Cid ruffle his sons' hair and silently make his way out of the room.
Once the door shut behind him and I had counted the seconds to make sure he would be way down the hall, I let out a breath of relief and a small chuckle. "That was intense." I was speaking about more than just almost getting caught by Cid.
"Yea." Roxas ran an unsteady hand through his hair, and I caught his wrist before he had a chance to lower it down. He looked up at me with those big, round eyes that were so full of love and hope and life, and even though all of my passion and desires to finish what we started earlier had been doused, it didn't stop the feelings in my heart, the innocent ones that just wanted to be close to the boy.
I leaned forward slowly and let my lips brush across his cheek. I could tell by the shaky breath he exhaled that the whole thing with his father had been a little too much to take. If it was nerve-wracking for me, I could only imagine how Roxas was feeling. I just wanted him to know that no matter what I would always be there for him.
"Everything is going to be fine," I assured him as I straightened myself back up.
He smiled up at me and grabbed my hand. "Let's get out of here."
I didn't know where we were going, and I didn't bother to ask as I was dragged out of the room and down the hall. It didn't matter to me because anywhere we went was fine with me as long as we were together and Roxas was happy. I didn't care if it was the backyard or the moon. I was willing to follow him anywhere. I was that hung up, that absorbed in every new feeling we experienced together.
By the time I was making my way down the stairs, Roxas had already let go of my hand and was standing in front of the door, eager to get out of the house. Just as I was about to skip over the last few steps and scurry over to follow the blond to wherever he wanted to take me, my eyes spotted a small bundle of green leaves hanging over the entryway. The sight of them caused my feet to stop moving of their own accord, and I felt a sudden renewal of my mischievous spirit.
"There's something I need to do before we go." Roxas looked over at me inquiringly, and I let a crafty smirk cross over my lips.
Yea, I knew exactly what to do.
The plan had been set into motion. All parties involved, except for the unsuspecting victims, had been prepped, and things were moving like clockwork.
I had gone into the living room to grab my unwary co-worker and dragged him into the foyer. I told him we just needed to talk somewhere for a few minutes, and he fell for it easily. That's why it was Roxas' job to lure Zexion away from the rest of the crowd because my roommate knew me too well and would have definitely suspected something had I been the one to try and retrieve him. Roxas was the perfect person for the job because with his upfront and smart-ass ways, Zexion would never guess that anything was awry.
Once Demyx and I were exactly where we were supposed to be, I glanced up at the staircase where Yuffie was standing in the shadows. She was the force we might need if either of the men tried to escape. She gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up, and I shifted my gaze to the closet door that was cracked open, just slightly, to reveal a petite auburn-haired girl. Kairi was in charge of the camera that was needed in order to create items that could be used for blackmail. It wasn't really vital to the plan, but I was just a vindictive asshole like that.
Demyx started to ask questions, but by that time I could already see Roxas dragging Zexion behind him through the mass of people crowding the living room, and there was no more time for answers, just actions. I glanced upwards one last time and pulled the tall blond over a few inches so he was standing underneath the mistletoe just right. I backed away from him and lifted my hand to scratch the side of my face. That was a signal for the two girls to get ready because things were about to go down.
"What's going on here?" Zexion asked as he struggled against Roxas' forceful tugs. I knew once he saw me and Demyx he would finally realize that something was going on, but all that mattered was that we'd gotten them out of the living room and into the space of action.
"Nothing." I took my friend's arm from Roxas and pulled him forward. "Why are you always so suspicious of me?"
Fortunately, Zexion was too wrapped up in trying to figure out what was going on, glancing from one person to the next, to realize that I was in the process of positioning him perfectly underneath the mistletoe and right next to an equally oblivious blond.
"Because when you're involved I always wind up a part of something crazy." He narrowed his eyes at me as I backed away and snickered maybe a little too maliciously.
I looked over at Roxas and nodded my head slowly, letting him know that it was time for the main event. He held his hands behind his back and walked casually in a circle around the two men. My best friend looked as if he was about to leave, but just as his body made a slight jerking motion in the direction of the living room, Roxas made his move.
"You know, this is actually quite a coincidence." It was nothing of the sort, and I couldn't keep the small laughs from escaping my mouth. The short blond cleared his throat to bring all attention back to him, and it amazed me how he could keep his face so sincere at a time where I was barely holding it together. "But you guys just happen to be standing under the mistletoe."
Two heads immediately tipped back to look up at the ceiling. Demyx even glanced up twice, like he couldn't believe his luck. I could tell that he was dying inside. His face had grown considerably brighter, and his eyes were wider than I'd ever seen.
Zexion, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He just sort of froze in place, staring off into space. I expected some kind of volatile reaction out of him, name calling, curses, maybe even a few punches in my direction, but all I got from him was silence.
The stillness drifted on for a few seconds and nothing happened, so I took the reigns into my own hands. "You know what that means, right?" Finally, Zexion showed some signs of life as he turned to look at me. I couldn't make out the look on his face, but I continued on anyway. "You guys kinda have to kiss because that is the rule, after all."
I heard Demyx make some small squealing noise, but all of my attention was on my best friend as I watched his lips twitch upwards and he started to show some semblance of his normal self. "You can kiss my ass because I'm leaving."
He turned to walk away, but right on cue, Yuffie jumped over the railing of the staircase and landed directly in front of Zexion, successfully stopping him dead in his tracks and holding him to his position right under the mistletoe. "Huh-uh." She crossed her arms over her chest with a smirk. "You're not going anywhere."
Zexion sighed, and it was a sigh of defeat. A sigh that proved I was victorious and always would be. He had no other choice in the matter. Everyone in that room was well aware of the strength that Yuffie possessed, and my stubbornness could rival anyone's. My best friend simply had to admit defeat, and all I could do was mentally pat myself on the back for a job well done.
"Well, let's get to it," I said as I clapped both males on the back, causing the two of them to jump a little in surprise.
Zexion gave me one last glare that clearly told me I was going to die before he turned to face Demyx. He faced him, but neither one of them looked at each other. Their eyes were searching for any place else to rest than on each other. I wasn't fazed by Demyx's reaction. After all, he'd been lusting after my best friend for God knows how long and to have all of his dreams finally come true had to be pretty mind-blowing. I knew from first hand experience that that much was true. But the fact that Zexion, a man who was usually unfazed by everything and anything, seemed so tense was perplexing, to say the least. But I was reveling in every moment of that rare occurrence.
"We're waiting," Yuffie said in an annoying sing-song voice, and Zexion rolled his eyes.
After the girls' prodding and what felt like ages, Demyx looked like he was going to be brave and make the first move. He took a guarded step towards my roommate and finally let his eyes gaze upon the others' face. Zexion still didn't bother to look at the blond he was about to kiss. I could see my co-workers hands shaking as he raised his arms up and then let them fall back down to his sides.
The whole process was taking entirely too long and I needed to be somewhere with Roxas, damnit! So I decided since I'd come to the conclusion earlier that all my two friends needed was one final shove in the right direction, I was going to give them that shove. Physically.
I swiftly moved from my spot by the door over to where Demyx was standing. Once I was completely behind him, Zexion finally noticed my movements, but it was too late. I placed both of my hands on the blond's back and pushed him as hard as I could forward.
My co-worker let out a yelp as he went flying into the arms that Zexion held out to catch him with once he realized exactly what I was doing. When Demyx fell against my best friend, he sent him stumbling backwards, and the two of them landed against the railing of the winding staircase.
Yuffie's mouth was agape as she watched the whole thing, and Roxas looked at me with eyes full of humor. I even heard light, airy giggles coming from the closet, and I felt my own laughter rising up in my throat again. Somehow, I managed to keep myself from getting too excited just yet in favor of watching the main event without any more interruptions.
It didn't take much longer for things to play out. As soon as they landed against the stairwell and Demyx was fully pressed up against my best friend, I watched as his eyes widened and he looked upon the face of the man in his arms. And for the first time since the whole scheme began, they were looking directly at each other. I don't know what it was, but something changed in my best friend's expression, and it was something I'd never seen from him before. It was almost like he was seeing things for the very first time.
Before I knew it, and without a word spoken, Demyx grabbed a hold the bars of the staircase on either side of Zexion's head and leisurely moved forward. When they were only a few minuscule inches apart, my roommate licked his lips in a way that was entirely too sexy to be something done by my best friend. I immediately felt disturbed for thinking of the word sexy and Zexion in the same sentence and had to stop myself from gagging.
I was broken away from my disturbing inner thoughts when I heard a sharp breath and looked up just in time to see Zexion grabbing the back of the blond's head and pressing their lips together. He kept one hand around Demyx's neck and the other moved backwards to grab a hold of the railing. My co-worker moved his hands forward and let them dance lightly over Zexion's waist for a few seconds before clutching onto him and bringing his hips forward so they were pressed together even harder.
I think it's safe to say that every single one of us in that room was shocked into silence. Now, when I cooked up that whole plan, the last thing I ever expected was for Zexion to really get into it. I thought they'd give each other a peck on the lips, and then I'd be running for my life the rest of the night, trying to evade a furious roommate who wanted nothing more than to see me dead. The last scenario my mind ever thought of was the one that was happening before my very eyes.
Things were getting pretty hot and heavy between my two friends, and it was like there was no one else in the room but the two of them. I finally pried my eyes off of them and noticed that Roxas was looking at me with a proud smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile back. After all, we'd accomplished the whole thing together. With the help of a couple others, of course.
I glanced over at Yuffie, and as I suspected, she appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the show that she was witnessing. The two men might as well have been having sex right there in the foyer with the way the girl was practically salivating all over herself.
"Don't you have a boyfriend?" I teased as I nudged her in the side with my elbow.
She finally tore her gaze away from our friends and looked at me. I could see the flash of a challenge in her eyes before she spoke. "How about you?" She smiled obnoxiously over at Roxas before turning back to me. "Don't you have one, as well?"
Before I got the chance to respond to that statement or find out some more information about her and Kadaj, a small sneeze sounded out from the vicinity of the closet. All at once, I remembered the most evil part of my plan. I had to act fast before it was too late.
Luckily, Demyx and Zexion were still to busy eating each others faces off to pay attention to anything that was going on around them. They were making the whole plan go that much smoother because of their animal-like lust. Who would have ever thought I'd be saying that about my serious best friend and my foolish co-worker. The world works in mysterious ways, that's for sure.
I signaled for Kairi to come out from the closet, and she did so with a graceful ease that wouldn't even have disturbed the quietest of rooms. She tip-toed across the floor and smiled at the sight before her quite eerily, if I do say so myself. I think she got a big kick out of being on the other side of a camera for once, and who could really blame her for that?
As soon as she raised the camera up in front of her and the bright lights reflected all around the room, my two friends froze. Demyx's fat head was blocking my view of Zexion's face, but I just knew his expression wasn't a pleasant one, and if we all didn't make a move we'd be in his warpath.
I grabbed a hold of Roxas' hand as soon as Demyx was pushed backwards, revealing my best friend to me. All he had to do was raise a finger and open his mouth, and I was running for the door with the short blond in tow.
"Fend for yourselves," I shouted over my shoulder at the two girls. After I swung the front door wide open and before I stepped foot outside, I turned back around to the auburn-haired girl who was laughing uncontrollably and trying to keep herself out of Zexion's angry clutches as he chased her back towards the living room. "Guard that camera with your life, Kairi!"
With that, I tugged Roxas forward, and we disappeared into the dark and snowy night.
When Roxas said he wanted to get out of his house, I assumed he meant far away. At least some place far enough that we would have to take a car, but when I started walking towards the vehicle and he pulled me in the completely opposite direction, I realized that I was wrong.
I let the boy silently lead the way as we passed every single car in the driveway, as we walked directly out of his front yard and onto the sidewalk and even as we traveled past several houses, all of which were almost identical. Roxas' parents' house really stood out surrounded by a sea of boring homes.
By the time we'd passed at least eight indistinguishable mansions and I was starting to feel the effects of the unforgiving wind that was practically freezing me on the spot, I decided to finally speak up. "So, where are we going, exactly?"
Roxas must have noticed the chattering of my teeth because he slowed his pace and turned around. "Somewhere." There was a teasing quality to his voice. Though my frozen limbs were screaming at me to get annoyed, my heart won out in the end, and I just smiled back, as difficult as it was considering my face felt like ice. "It's not too far from here."
"Good."
"You know…" he stopped and let me catch up to him before he wrapped his left arm around my waist, pulling me to his side. "Maybe if you actually had some fat on your body, you might not be so cold."
"It's physically impossible for me to gain weight." I laughed and watched as my breath floated out into the air. "That's something else I can blame on my parents."
I felt Roxas tense, so I wrapped my arm around him. "I guess that means I'll have to keep you warm then, huh?" he said.
I squeezed his shoulder. "You already do."
Our contact was broken as Roxas pulled away from me and ran into the middle of the street. He turned around to face me, and the bright smile on his face, the one that was just as beautiful as I'd always imagined, the one that I'd seen dozens of times over the past few weeks, made my heart leap up into my throat. He waved his hand, urging me to follow him, and I stepped down onto the black asphalt.
"What exactly are we doing?" I warily moved forward. "Are you planning to get us run over by a car or something?"
He rolled his eyes and tapped the antlers on my head that I'd all but forgotten about. The jingling of the bells sounded out into the still night. "C'mon Rudolph, it's just over this way." He pointed to an area across the street before turning to leave. "And besides," He said over his shoulder, "there are no cars out around here this late at night."
When we finally arrived at our destination, I noticed that it was a frozen pond and not much else. Oh, the remains of a few trees and bushes were scattered about, and there was a raggedy snow covered bench off to the right. But basically, it was barren and kind of boring. To be honest, it was underwhelming. I was expecting some kind of magical place, something that would captivate me and leave me in awe. Instead all I got was…whatever that place was.
I focused my attention on Roxas. He was looking out at the area like it was everything I had hoped it would be. Like instead of some frozen body of water, he was watching every wish he ever had coming true before his eyes. His eyes were aglow with the delight of a child's, and though I didn't understand exactly what he saw in that place, the fact that he obviously loved it there made me want to like it too.
"So..." I took another sweeping glance around the area, trying desperately to find the beauty, the enchantment, something that would show me exactly what Roxas saw when he looked at it. But I failed. "This is it?"
"I like it here." I got the feeling that Roxas noticed my less than enthusiastic tone of voice that I tried to hide because his response was a little on the defensive side. "It's quiet here."
He was right about that. If there was one positive quality about the place, it was that. Except for the fact that the whole community was quiet, so there really wasn't much of a difference. "Oh…"
"I know what you're thinking." He stepped forward and slid one of his shoes across the iced-over pond.
"You do?"
"Yep," He barely glanced at me over his shoulder, but I could still see his smile. "You think that this place is lame."
"No, I don't." Roxas was silent, and I couldn't stand it. Lying to him just felt like the worst thing in the world. "Ok, yea. I kinda do."
I expected him to get upset by the honesty that I just couldn't hide from him, but instead he laughed. "Well, you're right." He peered sideways at me before stepping both of his feet onto the ice. "But I used to come here all the time when I wanted to get away from it all. So I guess it's kind of like a sanctuary to me or something."
"That makes sense."
"I think it only makes sense to crazy people." He let himself glide backwards a little.
"Then I guess we're both crazy." I laughed because there were times when I actually felt like I really was insane. But Roxas made me feel more normal than I ever had before, and maybe that was because were both a little abnormal. Almost complete opposites but bound together by forces beyond our control.
"I guess we are." He held a hand out towards me, and I just stared at him like he'd lost his mind. The smallest laugh escaped his lips at my reaction, and it was so amazing that I almost felt like I'd died and gone to heaven. A heaven that looked like some dinky version of paradise dreamt up by some lonely, little, blond boy who was just searching for a place where things could be normal. "Come here."
"Out there?" I asked and pointed to the ice below his feet. "Like on the ice?"
"Yea, c'mon, it'll be fun."
"Sure, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt." For some reason, those seemingly innocent words brought back the fear I'd always felt when it came to emotions and sharing yourself completely with another person. Leaving your heart in someone else's hands and hoping that they didn't let it fall and shatter into a million irreplaceable pieces. Roxas and I were way past the point of no return, and that was the first time I'd really stopped to think about it. I could have been setting myself up for the same heartache I'd been dedicating my life to avoiding, and there was nothing I could do about it anymore. That was a paralyzing thought, and I almost felt the panic rise up and show its ugly face until a voice that sounded like everything good in the world dragged me away from all the worries and back into the safety of its embrace.
"No, one's going to get hurt." Roxas positioned a hand on his hip, and I could tell that he was getting impatient.
"With my luck, I'll step on a thin part of ice and fall through." I shuddered at the thought. "Then I'll get hypothermia and die. Or even worse, I'll lose all feeling in my toes and have to get them cut off!"
Roxas stared at me incredulously. "Axel, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard." I did tend to be a little over dramatic sometimes. "And since when is having your toes cut off worse than dying?"
"Have you ever tried walking around with no toes?"
"No…but neither have you."
"Good point."
"Besides, I thought we already covered the fact that you are skinny, and I'm sure your bony ass couldn't break through ice even if you tried." His smirk turned into something softer before he spoke up again. "Plus, do you honestly think I would let you fall, let alone die?" I really believed that he wouldn't, and it was so strange to me that I could trust one person so much. "So, c'mon."
He wiggled his hand that he was still holding out, and I took one guarded step forward and then another and another until I was right in front of the dreaded ice. That's when I finally raised my head up and looked at him.
"Don't worry; I'll hold your hand the entire time." It was like he was speaking to a child. I honestly kind of felt like one at that moment in time.
"If I fall, I'm taking you down with me," I warned as I grabbed a hold of his waiting hand.
Before I even got the chance to prepare myself, I was already being pulled out onto the ice. As my feet slid across the smooth surface I felt Roxas grab hold of my other hand to steady me before I hit the ice and lived out the fate I'd predicted not only seconds earlier. It was a scary few seconds in which all I could see passing before my eyes was a toeless future.
"See, you're fine." I swear his words were like magic because he could make me believe anything. He could say that the tooth fairy was real and she lived in his dresser drawer, and I'd have absolutely no doubts that it was the truth.
"You know, you're right." Since the feeling of an impending doom had passed, I felt like a bit of my arrogant teasing was in order. "I am pretty damn fine."
Roxas glared up at me playfully then ripped his hands from mine, taking away my one and only lifeline. And before I had a chance to feel the dread, he pushed his hands against my chest and sent me flying backwards. I'm pretty sure as I slid backwards at what felt like the speed of light, all the while trying to keep my balance, I let out some pretty unmanly and embarrassing noises. I just kept soaring and gliding backwards with no signs of stopping. I felt like the damn energizer bunny or something. That is, until I reached the edge of the pond and fell backwards into a huge pile of snow.
As soon as I hit the ground, I heard Roxas start laughing like he'd never be able to stop, and I knew I was pouting by then. I sat up and spit some snow out of my mouth before setting my eyes upon a short blond that I was surely going to make pay for all he'd done. And I meant that in the nicest way possible.
"That was the funniest thing I've ever seen." He pushed himself across the ice towards me. His hands were on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Too bad I didn't have a video camera with me."
"You said you wouldn't let me fall." I picked up a handful of snow and threw it in his direction, but I missed him on purpose.
"I said I wouldn't let you fall through the ice and die. Falling on the snow was never covered in our agreement." He reached behind me, and I groaned when I heard the jingling of bells. "You seemed to have lost something there." He held the reindeer antlers in front of me but snatched them away when I went to grab for them.
He stepped off the ice and back onto solid ground then walked right past me. I reached one of my arms out, thinking I could get the item I wasn't quite sure why I wanted, but Roxas knew exactly what he was doing because he side-stepped out of the way, causing me to grab at thin air and fall back into the snow.
That was it! I was going to get those antlers back no matter what it took. It's not like I even cared about the damn things, but Roxas had started the game, and I was going to finish it. I picked myself up off the ground and stomped off to where the blond was standing by that rickety bench.
When I got there, he didn't even acknowledge my presence. I took that as my chance to win the silly game we were playing, once and for all. But as soon as I lifted my hand to grab the object out of his hand, he let it drop to the ground, turned around at lightning speed and clutched onto the front of my jacket, pulling me down in the process. The next thing I knew our lips were touching for the second time that night, and Roxas was shoving his tongue into my mouth. I, of course, allowed it. Eventually, our tongues were intertwined, and it was like we were both fighting for dominance.
I was starting to see exactly what Roxas saw in that small area. I felt the magic. I felt the awe. I felt the peacefulness. I was beginning to see it all.
Until, all at once, paradise came crumbling down all around us, only to land around our feet in bits and pieces of everything that was once pure and good and amazing. And just like that, our kiss was broken, our contact severed. I could feel the ties that bound us together ripping apart, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it from happening. Blue eyes were wide and filled with terror, filled with the stories of what could have been but obviously wasn't meant to be. Hands were trembling, perfect lips were opening and closing and trying to say something, trying to fix everything that couldn't be undone. Then all I was left with was the sight of blond hair retreating father into the distance, taking with it everything that I thought I would never be without ever again.
Paradise was demolished, ruined, mercilessly destroyed, and all it took was one single flash of a camera.
I worked so hard to get this chapter done by today. It was a challenge but I did it! I hope all of my hard work was worth it lol.
As always, thank you for all the reviews, alerts, views, just everything. You guys never fail to make me smile!
:)