A/N-Not much to say. Still behind in all my typing (so sorry about the lack of updates on Forgotten Waters...). Chapter 10, read and enjoy. :)
The weekend arrived and Marluxia remained aloof about his plans to go clubbing, despite promising everyone details. All Roxas was told he was to meet up at the townhouse at eight. Since he had plans to spend the day there anyway, he brought a change of clothes with him so he wouldn't get his nicer clothes covered in sweat. When eight o' clock rolled around, Roxas made his way downstairs to find Sora, Aqua and Seifer's latest "girlfriend", who Roxas never remembered her name. It was one of those names parents gave their kids to make them sound exotic but instead they just sound like a Saturday night bar special.
"So what do you think he's planning?" Demyx whispered as they gathered on the first floor. Roxas shrugged and adjusted his belt on his white cargo pants. He realized he was wearing the same outfit he had during the Halloween party and he hoped that no one else noticed. He felt someone bump his hip and looked up to find Axel standing next to him. The red head flashed him a smile, causing the blonde to turn his head so everyone else didn't spot the blush peppering his cheeks.
When Marluxia joined them, he remained secretive about his plans to the point people began to wonder what sort of devious concoctions he had up his sleeves. The group split up between various cars to head over to the biggest club on campus. Roxas hadn't been to a club since his early years of high school and wondered if he would be able to tolerate being in such a nostalgic environment. He figured he would be fine and found strength within the red head driving in the seat next to him. Axel was still able to ride in a car despite his accident so dancing in a club would be easy in comparison.
Roxas turned his head as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Sora leaned forward from the back seat and propped himself on the corners of the front seats. "Did you guys have a good week?" the brunette asked.
"I think so," Axel replied with a smile. Roxas knew was he was thinking about and couldn't help but smiling himself. "So where's Kairi? I thought Marluxia invited her too."
"She couldn't get off of work tonight and you know how late they stay open on Saturday for the bar crowd," Sora brought up, a little glum one of his best friends would be left out of the fun.
"We'll have to take her sometime," Axel decided. "Maybe we can all go again this summer once school gets out."
"Yeah! She'd love that," Sora agreed with a grin. Roxas caught a flash of movement beyond Sora and shifted in his seat to find Riku staring out the window with an unreadable expression.
'Sora mentioned Riku might have a crush on him. Maybe he's annoyed Sora's taking about Kairi so much,' Roxas mused. He felt a little bad for the trio of friends and had a better idea to why Sora came to him for help on the situation. Although it appeared the trio had yet to sit down and talk to each other so it left a sense of bitter awkwardness floating through the atmosphere of the vehicle.
The group arrived at the club and they followed Marluxia to the back where the larges booths were for private parties. Roxas remembered seeing them when he had been to clubs before and, although they were usually full of the popular kids when he went, he had heard the rich adults would hoard the seats on days high school students weren't allowed. Finally being able to sit on the plush cushions made him feel important and a bit like an ass-hole at the same time as people kept sending a myriad of looks their way as they passed by.
Once everyone had found a seat, Marluxia stood before the booth and cleared his throat. "I'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight," he started. "I know this seems rather out of place for a celebration but that's what we're here to do tonight. As of last week, I have officially completed a contract to open a business with a few of my fellow art and graphic design colleagues. You'll probably see them hanging around the club with their friends." Marluxia motioned to the other specialized booths to where a few other people were giving their friends a similar speech. "As this is our official launch party, all drinks order tonight are on me."
"Alright!" Seifer cheered, excited at the prospect of free alcohol.
"So thank you everyone for your support over these past few months and years. I appreciate all that you have done for me and this is my way of thanking you," Marluxia stated. After drinks were ordered, everyone toasted the pink haired man and wished him a successful business career. Most of the group hit the dance floor after downing their drinks but Roxas held back to listen to Sora, Zexion and Demyx converse with Marluxia. He was curious to what the pink haired man did with his business as well, seeing as he had firsthand experience with Marluxia stressing over getting the business off the ground.
"What do you guys do?" Sora asked, sipping on his smoothie. "Do you do art stuff?"
"I suppose you could say that," Marluxia replied. He crossed his legs and sipped his drink, leaning back against the plush booth. "We're more of a catering company but instead of food we cater to the arts. Music, theatre, art design. Each member of our crew is well connected through one of these communities. So let's say a museum wants to open a new exhibit; we can help design how it will be arranged to the most ease of viewing and to get the most content inside. If one of us cannot do it directly, then we use our resources to find someone within the region who can assist with the project."
"That's so cool!" Sora exclaimed.
"So what do you do with music?" Demyx asked. He had his arm around Zexion's shoulders and Roxas had to admit the pair looked really comfortable together in such a public space. Roxas still felt fidgety whenever Axel nudged him when others were watching.
"Believe it or not, our company picked out the DJ that's running the club tonight. We have an arrangement with the club to help support newer DJ's by sponsoring them on Saturday nights throughout the year. We also correspond with the current DJ's hired on the club staff by helping find new music and equipment they might like to use," Marluxia stated.
"You're like a pimped out band manager," Demyx remarked.
The pink haired man chuckled. "Music's not really my forte but I suppose you could say that. If you want, I could pull some strings so you could play around on the sound board for an hour," Marluxia offered. Roxas had never seen Demyx speechless before but he looked a lot like a kid looking at a mountain of candy for the first time. Zexion had to take his drink as it had started to slip from his grasp so it wouldn't erupt all over his pants.
Roxas turned his attention to the bottom of his glass where a piece of pineapple was clogging up his straw. He used the plastic tube to stab the piece of fruit, the music pounding in his chest from the speakers overhead. Sora leaned over and peered at the blonde's face.
"How come you're not on the dance floor?" the brunette asked, sipping his smoothie again. The blonde looked up from his fruit murder to see Sora's face had a bit of concern mixed in with his curiosity.
"I guess I'm more worn out from the week than I thought," Roxas replied. It wasn't an entire lie, as he was feeling rather tired, but he didn't want to say he was too embarrassed to be on the dance floor with Axel.
"I hear you. College is exhausting," Sora commented, leaning back against the booth. He drained his smoothie with a loud straw gurgle and let out a sigh.
"Still having troubles with Riku and Kairi?" Roxas asked.
"It's so stupid!" Sora snapped. He slammed his glass down on the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "I keep trying to get us to sit down and take this seriously but every time I do someone makes an excuse to change the topic. I honestly don't even have fun when we hang out anymore. But don't let Kairi or Riku know I said that! I don't want them to know I'm bitching about them behind their backs."
"If it's making your miserable, then you should really do something about it," Roxas coaxed.
"I know but…argh! Why can't I just put them in a time out like when we were kids?" Sora whined. Roxas snickered at the brunette's comment and they both ended up giggling under their breaths. Sora watched Demyx and Zexion leave to go dance and his eye caught sight of Riku out on the dance floor. Roxas watched his face fall, making it feel like the brunette was a lonely, wilting flower left alone in a raging thunderstorm. The blonde looked out at the dance floor where Axel was having fun with Lexaeus, although it was almost more of a surprise seeing the burly man dancing, and felt like he had to make things right. He set aside his glass and stood, offering a hand to Sora.
"Come on," Roxas stated. Sora looked up from his sulk, his face falling into confusion. "We're here to have fun so let's go dance and have the best time of anyone out there. It's all about taking chances tonight."
Sora smirked and accepted the hand, getting pulled to his feet. "Thanks, Ms. Frizzle." Roxas grinned and tugged his friend out to the dance floor. Left alone in the booth, Marluxia smiled and toasted his glass to the blonde.
Roxas surprised himself with how much fun he was having out on the dance floor. For awhile he stuck with Sora but eventually Axel and Lexaeus joined their little group when they noticed the teens goofing off by themselves. His mood instantly lifted when he watched Sora having just as much fun with the elder classman, his laugh echoing over the music. It was nice not seeing him sulk over his friends for a change.
At some point, Aqua made her way over and asked Roxas to dance while Terra was off getting another drink with Seifer. She seemed rather excited about it too. "I just had so much fun on Halloween!" Aqua exclaimed, her eyes shimmering. "I had no idea I would run into someone who used to dance professionally."
"You danced?" Roxas questioned, interest piqued as his eyes lit up.
"Yeah! It's a shame I already had graduated by the time you joined. I would have loved meeting up with you at competitions," Aqua remarked.
"Well then let's show the club who knows how to dance," Roxas replied. Aqua beamed and rushed over to the DJ to request a song. Roxas waited as the current song continued playing, anticipation building up inside his system. He wasn't too familiar with many songs, as he only danced for about two years, but he hoped he remembered enough to pretend he knew what he was doing. When the song changed, he wanted to run over and kiss Aqua he was so excited. Not only did he know the song but he knew the moves! Roxas felt a familiar sensation trickle down through his muscles as Aqua hurried back over to him.
"Ready?" she called.
"Let's do this!"
The pair danced in time to the beat, their moves in sync with each other. It wasn't long before the crowd turned their attention towards the pair spicing up the dance floor. The sound transitioned into another upbeat tune and the pair didn't miss a beat in their routine. Roxas and Aqua exchanged glances before they're movements took them to edges of the circle encompassing them. Aqua pulled Terra out on the dance floor with her while Roxas grabbed the person closest to him, which happened to be Sora. The brunettes stumbled out onto the dance floor, both self-conscious of the crowd watching them.
"What am I supposed to do?" Sora asked.
"Just follow my lead," Roxas instructed. Sora attempted to get in step with the simple, repeating movements with Roxas calling them out to him a few beats before so he wouldn't get off. "Okay, the beats going to change up here so grab someone else."
"Who?" Sora asked.
"Anyone!" Roxas replied. The second the beat shifted, the blonde darted to the edge of the circle and dragged Axel in with him. Sora was a bit hesitant but he noticed Aqua doing the same on the other side. He hurried over and grabbed Riku, tugging the sophomore into the circle with him as the beat picked up once more. From there it was like a chain with people calling out to get chosen for the next set, reminding Roxas a lot of middle school gym.
When the song ended, those who hadn't joined in yet meshed in with those on the dance floor. Demyx excused himself shortly after Marluxia appeared behind him and whispered in his ear, or at least what constituted as a whisper with the music pounding through the speakers. Roxas caught a glance of Zexion smirking before the silver haired man wandered over to where Lexaeus was getting a new round of drinks at the bar. The blonde jumped as a hand landed heavily on his shoulder and turned to find Axel grinning at him.
"Taking all the glory again, I see," Axel teased.
"Hey, you showed off at the ice rink," Roxas reminded. "Who the Hell skates backwards just for the fun of it?"
"Aw, Roxy's jealous," the red head cooed, continuing with his taunts. Roxas felt his cheeks heat up and he gave his friend a half-hearted shove, causing the elder to break out laughing. The pair turned their heads towards the turn table as the beat suddenly shifted. Roxas's face broke out into a grin as he spotted Demyx sliding into the booth with the current DJ, mixing their music together with some intense beats and bass. "Alright! Go Dem!" Axel cheered. The dirty blonde flashed the red head a thumbs up before turning back to focusing on the soundboard.
"I feel like I shouldn't be surprised that he knows how to mix music," Roxas commented.
"His dad was a radio DJ so music's in his blood," Axel replied. While he would never admit it, Roxas loved learning more and more about the lives of his new friends. Maybe it was the fact they all had their share of secret strengths and dark secrets to release to the world, fearing of how the public would view them. This gave the blonde comfort, like he wasn't alone in the tortured pit of life.
Time flew by with the pair of DJ's at the table. Demyx ended up staying over his hour of allotted time, although when the dirty blonde rejoined his friends he mentioned the hired DJ was okay with it as they were both having fun. Midnight came and went, causing the demographic of the crowd to shift towards the college crew while younger teens vacated the building to get home for curfews. Soon over half of the remaining people were either drunk or quickly on their way to becoming intoxicated.
When the energy started to die down, people began to couple up for most of the songs. Roxas was getting tired anyway so he ducked out of the dance floor to stop by the bathroom. After relieving himself, he scrubbed his sweaty face in the sink, his skin sighing as cold water ran over his heated flesh.
"So this is where you've been hiding." Roxas jumped at the sound of Axel's voice and slammed the back of his head on the edge of the faucet. He hissed, one hand pressing against the bump to relieve the pain, and reached out blindly for a paper towel as water ran down his face and his arm. He felt paper being pressed into his palm and Roxas cleaned up the moisture threatening to drip all over his clothes. "Sorry. Didn't mean to spook you," Axel apologized, leaning up against the sinks beside the blonde.
"It's fine," Roxas muttered, grabbing another wad of paper towels from the wall next to him so dry off his arm. "And I wasn't hiding."
"Oh?" Axel arched an eyebrow and eyed the blonde warily. "When that slow song came on, you sure ducked out real quick." Roxas cursed under his breath that Axel had noticed. Knowing the rest of the group, at the very least Zexion and Marluxia noticed as well, meaning he was going to get all sorts of ridicule later.
"I'm just not into slower songs," Roxas said with a shrug. He wadded up his paper towels into a ball and aimed for the waste basket.
"Liar," Axel stated, causing Roxas to miss his shot. "Just admit you hate close quarter dancing."
"It's not dancing!" Roxas snapped, surprising both Axel and himself. The blonde toned down his voiced and tried to compose himself. "Grinding is just so…icky."
Axel snorted. "Seriously, Rox? Icky? I'd go with overtly PDA but that's the first time I've heard grinding be classified as icky."
"Okay, so it's a bad description," Roxas admitted. "Doesn't mean I'm doing it." He wished he would have gone back in time to make himself eat his own words. His stomach leapt up into his mouth as he felt Axel grab him from behind and press his back into the elder man's chest. A heavy blush spread over his cheeks as Axel's arms held onto his waist, a dozen thoughts and sensations clouding his mind all at once.
Roxas shivered as he felt Axel's breath on the back of his neck. "Would it be icky if you were with me?" he whispered. A smirk spread over his lips as he felt the blonde squirm in his arms.
"Ax, people are going to stare," Roxas pleaded.
"Then close your eyes." Roxas struggled some more but it was apparent Axel wasn't going to let go. Taking a deep breath to ease his nerves, he did as the red head requested and shut his eyes. They stood still for awhile before Axel prompted Roxas to make some sort of movement. Roxas managed to unhinge his knees so he could establish a small sway. He felt Axel place a kiss to the side of his neck and it made him want to turn to putty. He cracked open his eyes and his gaze shifted towards the pair of figures standing in the mirror. Axel had his chin rested on top of head and his face looked blissfully content.
Cursing under his breath, Roxas grabbed hold of Axel's wrists and broke free of the man's grasp. Axel was dragged along out of the bathroom towards the dancefloor, although he noticed Roxas had his eyes glued to the floor all the while they were traveling. Once on the floor, Roxas tried not to move like a robot but his joints felt stiffer than the tinman as his anxiety went rampant. He felt Axel's arms snake around his waist and hold him close, his lips brushing his ear as he spoke.
"Relax," Axel said over the pounding music. "Close your eyes. It's just you and me now." Roxas did as he was told and turned off his sight of the world around him. Although he could still feel the presence of everyone nearby, he felt a little bit safer not being able to see them. It reminded him of when he would prepare himself for dance competitions.
For several songs, Roxas found they weren't actually grinding per say. It was more of an upbeat swaying, although he had no complaints about that. As the night progressed, he would occasionally peek out to glance at Axel's face. He couldn't help it. The man looked so damn sexy under all the lights with his body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Roxas also took notice no one was staring at them, as many were preoccupied with their own partner or were too wasted to care. This gave him the small boost of confidence he needed to pry his eyes open and relax into Axel's body.
"How you holding up?" Axel asked over the bass.
"Not too bad. A bit shaky but I think I'm warming up to it," Roxas replied.
"That's good. You missed Zexion and Demyx going at it, by the way." Axel burst out laughing as Roxas gave him an odd look. "They honestly can't keep their hands off of each other some days. It's almost terrifying." Roxas remembered how Demyx was dragged off on Christmas and found himself wholeheartedly agreeing.
The teen swept his gaze over the dancefloor in search of his friends, the lack of Zexion and Demyx not surprising him. He spotted Marluxia talking with his coworkers while Terra and Seifer looked a bit too wasted to be standing, let alone dancing. He caught sight of Sora and Riku off to the side at the bar and a wave of relief washed over him as Sora appeared to be laughing. Even Riku had a grin on his face. It was like they were back to their normal, goofy selves and Roxas found himself hoping it would stay like that in the future.
By the time the club started wrapping up for the evening at two in the morning, people were either exhausted or ready to pass out from their excessive alcohol consumption. Marluxia breathed a sigh of relief as he plopped himself down in the booth for the first time in three hours. He looked up as he was offered a drink and accepted it gratefully, sipping the Shirley Temple as Lexaeus took a seat beside him.
"You're staying up awfully late," Marluxia commented towards the other. While the pair rarely spoke, they were on rather good terms within their friendship. They mostly conversed when everyone else was preoccupied, which suited the larger man fine as he wasn't one to hold a conversation very long.
Lexaeus shrugged in response to Marluxia's comment. "I didn't have much else to do tonight and a few less hours of sleep won't kill me," the quiet man replied.
"When are you supposed to go in today?" Marluxia asked.
"Eight."
"I see. Don't feel like you have to stay up on my behalf. Even interning medical students need to be on top of their game when they see their patients," Marluxia remarked. Lexaeus nodded but didn't comment. The pink haired male cast his gaze out onto the dancefloor where he spotted Roxas practically asleep as he leaned against Axel. It made him chuckle to himself, his fingers unconsciously stirring his drink with the straw.
"Do you miss her?" Marluxia looked down into his drink, his eyes watching the ice cubes spin round and round with each pass the straw made in the glass.
"You mean Tifa?" he asked. Lexaeus nodded. "Mmm, yes. I've been so busy with starting up my business lately I haven't had time to talk to her. She understands, of course, but having her abroad is rather a damper on both of our spirits." Marluxia reached under his shirt and pulled out a necklace with a rose gold band strung upon it. He ran his thumb over the smooth surface of the metal, his face becoming more crestfallen as the ache in his chest intensified. "I miss her dearly."
"Are you still planning on small wedding?" Lexaeus asked.
"For the most part. Apparently she wants to be married in Japan now," Marluxia said with a shrug. Lexaeus raised an eyebrow.
"Wasn't it Australia before?"
"And Russia the time before that," Marluxia agreed. He sighed, returning the ring to the confines of his shirt. Not many knew he was engaged and he preferred it remained that way. Like how Larxene knew Axel most of her life, Marluxia had grown up with Tifa at his school. They were friends for the longest time and ended up going to different schools once they went to college. The distance only seemed to have strengthened their friendship over time as they found they missed each other's company greatly with the passage of time. While they initially agreed on finishing schooling first, Marluxia proposed during their sophomore year and wedding plans had been rifling around in the background ever since.
The pink haired man finally stopped making his drink dizzy and sipped it, the throbbing in the front of his skull lessening a bit. He checked the time on his phone before giving his drink one last sip. Then he stood, stretching his arms above his head with a groan.
"Let's go get everyone before we end up getting kicked out," Marluxia commented. Lexaeus nodded and rose to his feet as well, following the pink haired man out onto the dancefloor to gather the remains of their group. Marluxia ventured over to Axel and tapped his friend on the shoulder. "You two ready to go?"
"I suppose so," Axel replied, stretching out his neck with a loud pop. "I think Roxas may have fallen asleep, though."
"M-not 'sleep," came Roxas's muffled reply.
"I'll make sure he gets to the car," Axel said in a low tone to his roommate. Marluxia nodded and went off to gather Zexion and Riku, taking note that Lexaeus had ushered Sora and Riku away from the bar. Axel released a loud sigh and ruffled the hair of the blonde leaning against him. "Ready to go?" he called out. Roxas moaned, not so much as twitching as Axel attempted to edge him off the dancefloor. Deciding it wasn't worth the fight, Axel pried himself away from Roxas and boosted the teen onto his back. Roxas was too tired to protest the piggy back ride out to the car and he found himself falling asleep once more against Axel's shoulder. If he wasn't so tired, Axel would have burst out laughing.
XxXxX
With the passing of February, the snow finally desisted and the wind began to die down to a gentle breeze promising spring close behind. While the weather only warmed up a few degrees as it entered March, students breathed a sigh of relief as the harsh chill no longer plagued the campus. Soon, winter was eagerly pushed from everyone's mind as the most renowned respite from school approached: spring break. A wild flurry of plans began to bounce between students as trips to beaches, resorts, or back home we eagerly announced to their friends.
Unlike Christmas, Roxas would be one of the few of his group of friends remaining on campus. Sora, Riku and Kairi were headed home as they had a traditional neighborhood barbeque every year over spring break. Demyx and Zexion were going on a car trip across the country to see some of the national parks while Marluxia was flying out of the country to see his fiancé in Korea. When Marluxia broke the news to Roxas he was engaged, the teen found himself speechless for several hours afterwards while Axel broke into giggles every time he looked at Roxas's perplexed expression. Terra was off to spend time with Aqua's family and Lexaeus planned to spend a quiet week at home. No one was sure what Seifer was up to but he mentioned he had to go home to do some "business", although no one had any idea what that would consist of.
Pence flew out the second classes ended on that Friday to meet up with family at a different airport. They were traveling to the Florida Keys for the duration of the break and Pence promised to eat Roxas's share of Key Lime pie while he was there. Roxas was grateful Pence was thinking about him but some days he worried his roommate would start an unhealthy diet trend with all of his snacking. Hayner was off to hang out with a friend of from high school at a different college campus since their spring breaks didn't line up and Olette was going out of state to hang out with her sister.
That left Roxas alone with Axel for the entire week.
The campus cleared out over the weekend, leaving it just as barren as it had been over Christmas, and the atmosphere became quiet. Roxas crammed all of his homework in over the first weekend so he could enjoy the rest of his week, especially since the coffee shop was closed over break. Sunday night, he ventured over to Axel's place to watch a movie together. When Monday came, Roxas took the day off to sit in the quiet solitude of his room to relax. He watched TV on his laptop, ate some of Pence's instant ramen since he was too lazy to go out and get food, and refused to change out of his pajamas for the duration of the day.
His blissful serenity was interrupted mid-afternoon by his phone ringing. When he picked up his phone, a deep frown pressed down on his features. He hesitated, wondering if he should even bother answering as the word HOME appeared brightly on the screen. Swallowing his pride, he accepted the call and pressed the receiver to his ear.
"What?" he asked in a low tone.
"ROXAS!" The teen recoiled as the voice nearly blew out his eardrum, causing him to drop his phone onto the floor. Roxas snatched the device back up before switching it to his uninjured ear.
"What the Hell, Ven? You shared the shit out of me," Roxas scolded. He heard his younger brother giggle on the other side of the line.
"You never call us!" Ven whined.
Roxas rolled his eyes with a smirk and paused his show. "I'm sure mom wouldn't like it if I called," the teen reminded, leaning back in his chair.
"Well…yeah, she probably wouldn't like it. But me and Nam are so bored here without you! When are you coming home?" Ven asked.
"I wasn't planning on coming home."
"WHAT?!" Roxas flinched as his other eardrum threatened to burst. "But what about summer? You didn't come home over Christmas and it was super sucky cause the whole thing was gloomy and dumb. Mom didn't even want to put up the tree this year," Ven complained. Somehow Roxas wasn't surprised. "Couldn't you come back for a few days? Mom's supposed to be on a trip for work until Thursday so you could slip in and out without her even knowing." Per reflex, Roxas wanted to check his calendar on his phone but he knew there was nothing going on for the week. After all, he had planned it that way. "Please?" Ven begged.
Roxas sighed, switching his phone to his other ear. "Just a couple of days, okay?"
"Are you serious?!" Ven squeaked.
"Yeah, I'll come home for a couple days. I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. Sound good?" Roxas asked. He recoiled as Ven let out a loud squeal, making his already injured eardrum wish it had exploded before.
"Thank you, Roxas! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"
Roxas chuckled. "Sure. Just make sure dad knows and I'll see you and Nam tomorrow."
"Okay! Make sure you ask Naminé about school. She seemed kind of bummed about it earlier this year," Ven requested.
"Alright. Bye Ven."
"BYE!" the boy cheered. Roxas couldn't help smiling as he hung up the phone. A thought struck him as his screen blacked out and he ended up making another phone call.
"Bored already?" Axel teased when he picked up.
"You want to go home for a couple days? With me, that is?" Roxas asked.
"Are you sure your parents will mind?" Axel asked cautiously.
"My mom's supposed to be out of town and I'm sure my siblings would love meeting you," Roxas persuaded.
Axel chuckled. "I'm sure they would. Alright, I'm game. My parents are out of town with relatives so we won't be able to stop by my place but it's been over a year since I've been back in Hollow Bastion. Maybe something will have changed in my absence."
"Doubt it," Roxas replied, both of them chuckling. "Pick you up at eight?"
"It's a date." The call ended and Roxas was left in silence, although his ears were ringing from when his brother called. Home. He hadn't thought of home much since he came to college and the only time someone called was to either nag him about expenses or his siblings giving him their regards. It wasn't a place he wanted to willingly return to yet he couldn't deny he missed his siblings. They were the last shred of light he had left when he was in high school, even if it was dim. Hearing them wanting him back made the ache to see them even stronger.
The teen got out of his chair and began packing a bag for the trip, making sure to pack his iPod and headphones. He wasn't sure if the nightmares would return when the familiar sights resurfaced but he didn't want to take any chances. Hopefully he wouldn't wake up screaming in the middle of the night like he used to.
The next day, Roxas found himself anxious as he drove out to the townhouse to pick up Axel. He knew he had plenty of time to prepare himself but he knew the entire drive his nerves were going to be raw. Driving would keep him focused but he wondered if he should let Axel drive so he wouldn't turn around in the middle of the trip. When he pulled up to the townhouse, Axel was already waiting for him and climbed into the car. He placed a kiss on the blonde's cheek, offering words of comfort as Roxas pulled away from the curb. Maybe the trip wouldn't be so bad.
The long trip home to Hollow Bastion was uneventful. The pair talked for the first couple of hours but fell silent as they ran out of topics to discuss. They stopped around noon in a small town diner for lunch and continued on their way not long after. As they passed the six hour mark, Roxas could make out the faint outline of the Hollow Bastion skyline in the distance. He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, bracing himself as he delved back into his past. Memories would bubble to the surface of his mind as he passed by familiar places but he forced himself to focus on driving. As he expected, Hollow Bastion hadn't changed a bit. Roxas almost wished it had.
"Traffic still stinks here," Axel commented as they headed into the metro. "That's something I do not miss in the slightest."
"Tell me about it. Driving to school took almost an hour," Roxas recalled.
"Ugh, yes! I hated driving to school!" Axel groaned. "It almost made me miss taking the bus."
"What, and put your hands into the lives of those maniacal bus drivers? The day I earned my driver's license was one of the best days of my life," Roxas remarked, making Axel chuckle.
Before reaching the heart of the metro, Roxas turned off onto one of the smaller highways and ventured back out towards the suburbs. Soon the skyline receded behind them and larger houses began to line the streets. Roxas exited off the highway again and the houses started to grow smaller, although the yards became much bigger. The neighborhoods began blending together as the cookie cutter contracting became obvious when the city needed to expand quickly. Axel was glad Roxas was driving through the suburbia as he was used to the neighborhoods closer to the metro. All the oddly shaped side streets were making his head spin.
Roxas turned off to one of the cookie cutter neighborhoods and wove his way back to a street Axel noted was named Wayfinder Boulevard. They pulled up to a plain, light blue home with white shutters and some well-tended greenery in the front yard. Ivy and pink flowers grew around the mailbox, giving it a distinct look compared to the rest of the boxes lining the street. Yet what caught Axel off guard was when Roxas turned rather white when they parked. The red head followed his gaze to a sunset colored car in the driveway.
"Shit," Roxas hissed.
"What is it?" Axel pressed.
"Ven said she would be gone." Roxas peered around his boyfriend towards the front door. "What is she doing home? She never cuts out of work."
"Hey," Axel called out, placing a hand on Roxas's thigh. "It's okay. I'm here with you, remember? We'll get through this together." Axel offered the blonde a smile but the teen couldn't bring himself to return it. Roxas took a couple of deep breaths before climbing out of the car, Axel following suit. They grabbed their bags and strode across the lawn to the front door.
Roxas tried the door and found it unlocked, so he braced himself and he stepped inside. Axel took a moment to look at the space and found it was modest with a warm touch. The living room was off to the left with several family pictures lining the walls. To the right was the stairs to the upper and lower levels. Past that was a hallway that led off to the right before turning into the dining room with the kitchen to the right of that. The air smelt of dryer sheets and some sort of scented cleaning product he couldn't quite place while bright sunlight filtered in through the windows.
Not five seconds after stepping into the entryway, there were thunderous footsteps and Roxas was attacked by a small boy leaping into the air, latching onto his brother. Roxas staggered back as Ven crushed him in a bear hug.
"You're home!" Ven cried.
"Y-yeah," Roxas gasped, his lungs compressed from the embrace. Ven let his brother go and lowered his voice.
"I'm so sorry, Roxas! Mom was gone on a trip but it was cut short due to weather canceling flights so she came home a couple hours ago. I knew you were already on your way…" Ven rambled, but Roxas silenced him by putting a hand on his head.
"It's okay, Ven," Roxas said, although he wasn't convinced himself. Axel took notice that Ven looked like a miniature version of Roxas with the same bright blue eyes and wild, golden locks. His hair even had the same cowlick look. The boy's greeting was interrupted by another set of footsteps sounding from the kitchen: high heels clicking against linoleum. Roxas steeled himself as his mother rounded the corner of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hands, her eyes as cold as the grey color of her suit. She wore a knee length skirt and a pressed jacket over a white blouse, everything pressed to perfection. Her blonde locks were piled up on the back of her head in cascading rivers of ichor and small golden loops. Her summer blue eyes felt out of season with the scowl pressed on her face.
"So, you decided to come home," his mother quipped. Her eyes shifted to the red head standing behind her son. "And you brought a friend without asking or informing me. Is this how I raised you?"
"You weren't supposed to be home," Roxas countered. "Deal with it." Axel's eyes shifted back and forth between mother and elder son. The air felt like it was filled with nails and shards of glass, eager to rip anyone to shreds if they dared to move.
"Well? Aren't you going to introduce us, Roxas?" his mother snapped. The teen frowned and tried his best to remain calm under his mother's glare. He motioned to the red head.
"Mom, this is Axel," Roxas muttered. "Axel, this is my mother, Rikku. She's a business executive."
"It's nice to meet you," Axel greeted, giving the woman a small bow of his head. He felt her cold eyes staring at him as she sipped her coffee, as if she were trying to place who he was but couldn't quite remember. He felt the tension leave his shoulders as the woman shifted her eyes away towards Roxas, wondering how the teen handled being looked at as such for so long.
"Roxas, do you know how many calls I've received while you were away? Hospital bills, insurance claims, the University asking about student loans. How much more of our money are you expecting to drain away?" Rikku asked, her tone frigid.
Roxas and his mother went back and forth for awhile, each statement colder and more venomous than the last. Axel spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and remembered Ventus was there too. He glanced at the boy, finding Ven was just as uncomfortable as he was. He suddenly wished he could freeze time and take the kid elsewhere so he wouldn't have to hear his family arguing but the lack of radioactive goo or rogue meteors meant he was stuck pretending he wasn't there. His ears pricked as he heard his name mentioned and he tuned back into the argument at hand.
"We were classmates in a Literature lecture and he's been tutoring me in math," Roxas stated.
"Some good that did. You're scholarship was cut," Rikku snubbed.
"In half," Roxas corrected. "I plan on paying the rest."
"You'd better. I'm surprised you were able to even pay for that damn car bill," Rikku said, sipping her coffee again. Roxas didn't mention it was Marluxia who paid for the bill but he had a feeling his mother already had an inkling someone had helped him come up with the money to pay for the repairs. "So how long do you plan on spend mooching off of us this time?"
"Two days," Roxas snapped.
His mother exhaled sharply through her nostrils. "And I suppose you expect me to cook for you while you're here?"
"Don't bother," Roxas replied. He hoisted his bag higher on his shoulder and grabbed Axel by the wrist. Then he dragged his friend while ushering his brother farther inside, the trio turning down the hall while Rikku watched him with her frosty stare. Ventus ducked into a door on the left, presumably his room, while Roxas dragged Axel to the last door on the right.
Inside, the room was barren. Axel placed his bag by the foot of the bed, noting it had only simple sheets on it, and scanned what little contents the room had to offer. A plain desk and wooden chair were shoved up against the wall, the desk void of objects. There was one dresser and a full body mirror on the wall near the closet. While Roxas went over to the closet, Axel crept over to the dresser and peeked in the drawers. His heart sank when he found they were all empty.
"That's where those ended up," Axel heard Roxas mutter under his breath. He turned to find the blonde tossing a pair of ripped jeans on the floor with a few other assorted clothing articles that had seen some better days. The red head ventured over and peered inside the closet. The tiny space was crammed with all of Roxas's childhood possessions their parents had yet to throw out ranging from old trophies, speakers, and photos to old vacation souvenirs. Axel didn't have the heart do ask if his parents had cleared out his room to pretend he no longer lived there or Roxas hid them so he had something tangible from his past once he fully moved out.
Axel jumped as he heard the sound of scraping and watched as a set of shoeboxes rained down on the blonde's head, an old hoodie clutched tightly in his grasp. One of the boxes burst open and spilt old picture frames. Several of the glass panels cracked and one of the frames busted completely as they hit the floor. Axel felt one land on his foot and he looked down to find a set of four middle school students grinning up at him. He carefully picked up the frame and looked it over, his mind vaguely remembering the other three faces present. Before he could ask about them, the frame was ripped from his grasp and tossed carelessly into the closet with the rest of the frames, glass raining down on the belongings inside. Roxas slammed the door shut and gathered up the clothes he dug out, cursing as they kept spilling from his arms.
"Hey, hey stop," Axel said, grabbed hold of Roxas's shoulders as he started chucking the clothes at his bed. The blonde broke down and pressed his face into Axel's shirt, his shoulders trembling as he failed to keep in control of his emotions. The elder rubbed his back with his fingertips, giving his friend a comforting squeeze. "It's okay. It's okay," Axel cooed.
"I'm sorry," Roxas murmured.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Axel reasoned. "We both knew it would be hard coming back here but that's why we came together. I'm right here when you need me."
Roxas sniffed and rubbed the moisture from his face. "Thanks, Ax," he muttered. He couldn't help but smile as Axel's warm features melted the cold away from his heart. The elder placed a kiss on the top of his head before helping the blonde pick up the remainder of the clothes from the floor.
'You can do this, Rox,' the teen thought. 'You don't have a reason to be scared anymore.' He glanced at Axel as the red head started refolding his clothes and felt his heart begin to radiate warmth to the rest of his chest. 'You have a reason to live.'