Good Question: So, I kinda lost inspiration for this story but I sat down and wrote some today.
Those of you who are returning readers from the old story: No spoilers! Okay. We're getting to the juice of the story and Id don't want it ruined for anyone. This is the part where I have fun.
Also; Important mini-rant time.
My sister just showed me the trailer for the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. I almost cried. It'll be pretty, yes, but jesus christ what have they done with the story? The people? They've fucked up everything. I want to go burn what's his faces house and life down. I am so…. Angry at the creators of movies right now. Fucking artistic license needs to be abolished from the law books because it gives birth to disastrous monsters like this.
Chapter 10: Baby, Red Ain't Your Color
It had taken Roxas a little bit to get used to Axel's friends, but now that he had spent a little bit more time with them he was actually beginning to feel like he belonged in the city, instead of just having a few straggling people he knew. Luxord actually proved to be very good at listening and giving advice, admitted, he had yet to in any way mention his crush on Axel and he intended it to stay that way, no matter how intelligent he actually was. The only regrettable factor was that Axel's life had apparently picked up again, and they saw less of each other once more. It wasn't quite as bad because now he had a wider variety of things to do, and he found that any of them were more than willing to pick him up if he didn't want to take the tram.
Roxas leaned back in the swing, flipping over just enough so that his hair brushed against the thawing sand. He had been waiting for Axel for about a good hour now and he was beginning to feel like he had been ditched. It was the first time in several weeks that they'd really decided on a hang out time and Roxas was getting impatient and depressed. Axel did have a tendency to show up late but an hour or two was pretty drastic even for his favorite red head. Roxas grumbled to himself and swirled around in the swing, getting dizzier by the moment. He spun the swing so that things were in a blur around in. All of a sudden he stopped, wondering why, his head lolled to the side, a sick feeling worming up his stomach.
"Don't get sick, I'm not cleaning it up."
It hurt Roxas's eyes to open them but he didn't really need to, he knew the voice by heart. "I won't Axel. Glad to know you care."
"I'm very attentive don't you know."
Axel's voice was soft and laced with something Roxas wasn't sure he had ever heard in Axel's voice; some warmer edge to it that had only recently developed. He wasn't sure if he was the only one who had noticed it. By the time he managed to get his eyes fully open Axel had already made his way to the other swing, standing on it and pushing himself back and forth.
"Axel?"
"Roxy-baby."
Axel dropped himself into the seat of the swing and hung his hands lazily around the chains. He looked at Roxas expectantly waiting for him to continue. His eyes were so green.
"Nevermind. What took so long?" He asked trying to change the subject from what he was almost stupid enough to ask.
Axel rocked the swing hard and jumped off of it, landing in small crouch. He dug around in his pockets and finally pulled out something small. "Head's up," he called before he threw it at Roxas.
Roxas squeaked in surprise but caught the item nonetheless with reflexes he hadn't realized he had. "Axel! Don't' just throw stuff at me." He looked at the small item in his hand and fount it to be a glass figurine that he had been staring at every time he passed an accessory store in the market place. It was strange looking thing, in the shape of a key, but with an intricate heart shaped design carved into it at the end instead of a handle. Something about it was just so charming that he had wanted to have it. He had just never been able to afford it. He looked up at Axel with a shocked expression, mouth agape.
"You don't like it?" he asked with a fake pout, but Roxas didn't know this. Roxas sadly wasn't quite as good at reading Axel as Axel was at reading Roxas.
"No no! I love it! I love it so much," Roxas said holding up the tiny thing to the light and watching the light split the colors across his ski.
"You're welcome," Axel said with a grin and a chuckle as he watched Roxas play with it fascinated.
"But why?" Roxas asked turning in his swing to stare at Axel.
Axel shrugged and smirked instead of answering and began to walk off. "Let's go eat, I'm starving."
It took Roxas a few seconds to register that this was an actual plan and that Axel was leaving. He began to meander after him, playing with the figurine. It was beautiful and that Axel had somehow know that he had liked it, let alone bought him something so expensive, made something inside of him flutter and skip and he prayed that the fluttering and skipping would stop before it gave him some weird hopes, or worse, ideas that could turn into actions.
Sadly that fluttering feeling did go away, it was taken away in a cold sweep of Axel once more being busy. Even at school it seemed that Axel was always running some place and he finally thought he should bring that up with someone. He was actually looking for Luxord when he dropped by Marluxia's, seeing as it was almost guaranteed to find him at Marluxia's instead of his own apartment.
"Is Luxord here?" Roxas asked as he stepped into the apartment, swiftly dodging the ass slap he knew was coming from Marluxia.
"You're learning, damn it," Marluxia cursed with a grin as he closed the door. "No, he's not. I don't actually know where he is, I could give him a call? But I rather like the idea of the two of us having some alone time."
"It's not alone time if there's three of us," Larxene said from the kitchen, leaning against the counter. "Hey blondie."
"Back at you," Roxas said with a small smile, out of all the people that Axel was friend's yet, even with Marluxias advances, Larxene still made him the most nervous.
"Here on business or?" Larxene asked, "We're about to cook dinner and there's room for three."
Roxas smiled, for a crazy lady her cooking was magnificent. "I'll stay to eat, and I actually kinda wanted some advice from Luxord but if he's not here so be it."
Marluxia plopped onto the couch opposite the one Roxas sat on and crossed his legs. "Why don't you tell me? I promise I can be just as good," he said with a wink, putting an emphasis on the word 'good.'
"It's nothing big, just, wondering what Axel's been up to," he said with a small smile, trying to cover up the way his heart wrenched at the thought that maybe he had offended Axel somehow.
Marluxia tilted his head to the side and leaned back, "I think he's probably got a lot school work going on. It is the second semester and he's got college crunch time, getting applications in and everything. He'll be free again in no time, if anything you could probably corner him one day and ask him if you can help him with something."
Roxas hadn't even really thought about that. It escaped his mind sometimes what Axel being a senior meant. No wonder, January through March were usually the busiest times for seniors. But still, he wondered if there wasn't another reason. Marluxia rubbed Roxas's head and smiled, "You didn't do anything wrong."
Roxas blushed a little bit and tried to protest, Marluxia just 'tut tut'ed at him and moved into the kitchen to help Larxene with the cooking so that it would go faster. A grown man had to eat, and the rule was if he complained he didn't get anything at all so it was easier just to try and help. Roxas watched the two of them curiously. He had never seen them interact like this before, it was absurdly domestic, and insanely cute. He laughed to himself as Marluxia attempted to steal a spoonful of mashed potatoes and Larxene smacked him over the head with a wooden cooking spoon. Marluxia pouted at her and she gave him a quick kiss, both of their faces lighting up a little, and Roxas realized how much he wanted something like that with someone.
"Could you set up the table?" Larxene asked as she began frying the meat. Roxas nodded and got up, having eaten there often enough to know where all the plates and such were held.
Marluxia's predictions proved to be somewhat true. Roxas the next morning had managed to catch Axel in the cafeteria, he had come extra early just to try and catch him. It didn't stop him from grumbling slightly, still half asleep, as Axel plopped down at the table next to him.
"Still not very good at mornings are you?" Axel asked leaning on his hands to stare at Roxas.
Roxas looked up and wished have hadn't. His stomach clenched and his heart sped up at the concentration Axel was giving him. There was something new in Axel's eyes that just made him melt. He didn't remember feeling this before. He was hoping it was good changes on Axels part and not bad ones on his. Instead of answering with something witty or sarcastic, Roxas blushed and quickly dipped his head back to his coffee.
"You're cute."
Roxas buried his head deeper into himself but glanced up surprised as he felt Axel's long finger brush against his cheek. "Sorry to ditch, but I have to go beat my fan club to my locker, see you after school?" he said with a warm laugh that made Roxas want to sing love songs about it. The moment that Axel had left the cafeteria he crumbled and sighed wistfully. He let his head slip down to the icy table. He was becoming so unsure of where he stood with Axel. He had noticed that even though they spent less time together, there were more touches, random hugs, and in general a feeling of greater affection, and Roxas couldn't figure out what in the world it could mean. He almost let himself conclude that Axel was turning gay for him but he couldn't let himself be that optimistic.
-
Axel paced outside of Naimne's room. He wasn't sure if it was proper to ask his younger sister about what he was wondering about, but she was a girl, and had more knowledge than he had ever had at that age, socially and academically.
"Axel?"
Axel turned sharply and almost banged his elbow on the door.
"Namine."
Namine balanced her school binder against her waist with all of her other books and walked around Axel to open her door. She set her things down on her desk and seated herself in her swivel chair turning back to look at Axel. She had been at evening tutoring session so that she could attempt to skip a grade.
"Is there something you needed?" she asked with a smile.
Axel fidgeted a bit before walking into her room. Namine had been ill as a child and thus had missed a year, almost two of schooling. An almost 8th grader when it really came down to it with the maturity of someone in high school and beyond, Axel convinced himself, had to know plenty about relationships.
"I have a question. Well, a few questions actually, maybe I think."
Namine leaned back in her chair and indicated that he should find a place to sit, she felt vaguely like a therapist. Which wasn't too bad because it was a career choice she had been toying with after watching a few movies and having met the man that Reno had gone to when he was younger, he had become a family friend. "Yes?"
"Well you see… there's this person I like, well, I think I like, I do like," axel began, his hands fidgeting with the hem of shit shirt. This immediately caught Namine's interest.
"Go on."
"The thing is… I'm not sure if liking this person… it's well…I really like this person okay? Already as a friend for one I mean that's always going to be there. But, I'm really not sure what the hell to do about it," Axel sighed as he leaned his head back against the wall. "Or even if they feel remotely the same way. Actually, there may be a chance but still."
Namine laughed internally somewhere in the back of her mind that Axel was coming to her for advice, then again, he had always been a bit of a klutz with what little relationships he actually managed to make work. He didn't date much because of his popularity, he never knew what reasons someone had for wanting to date him.
"Mmm."
"And I'd hate to ruing something good for something impulsive because none of this makes sense at all. I'm still kinda working on it. Or something. I've never felt like this towards…" Axel curled up on Namine's bed, deciding that enough information had been given to give advice.
"Well… I'd say the only way to relieve this situation is to either wait it out, which is pretty painful from what I have heard, or do something about it," Namine said, thinking careful about how to push her brother in the right direction. She had a pretty solid feeling that she knew who her brother was slowly developing feelings for, and she was all for it working out.
"Do something about it?" Axel repeated staring at Namine's ceiling.
"Act on what you feel is right," Namine said with a nod.
"The hell kinda advice is that?" Axel moaned covering his face with his hands.
"Mine."
Axel laughed and rolled out of the bed, going to the door. "You're too precious."
Namine grinned and gave Axel a quick way as he walked out of the room, "Anything for the family." She immediately picked up the phone.
--
"Roxas."
"Roxas?!"
Roxas blinked and looked around his dark room. Where the hell was that voice coming from? It sounded strangely like Namine, what was she doing in his room at this time of night? What was she doing in his room at all?
"Roxas!!"
Roxas jumped in surprise and jerked up in his bed, his phone falling from his hand. He felt it fall and stared at for a few seconds wondering what was going on. It took him a few seconds to realize that there was someone on the phone, talking to him.
"Oh."
He picked it up, wondering why it was on. "Hello?"
"Finally. You picked up and then you just didn't answer."
Roxas adjusted a little bit as he tried to find the switch for his lamp. "Namine?"
"Yes! I have exciting news to tell you."
Roxas shifted in his bed and propped up a pillow so he could lean on it.
"I think Axel likes you."
"I know he does, we're friends."
"No! I mean as in, likes you likes you."
Roxas laughed, "I must still be sleeping because I thought you just said that Axel liked me.
He could hear Namine laughing on the other end in glee, "You're not sleeping and I did say that. Axel talked to me today about someone he liked but he felt very confused about because he had never felt like that before!"
Roxas's hands began to tremble, he swallowed nervously trying to battle down every single emotion in his body, "Really?"
"Roxas, would I mess with you about this of all things?"
"No… you're… god damn you're right. You're too kind hearted for that."
"Oh I don't know about kind but it'd make me happy to see both of you happy."
Roxas clutched his stomach, trying to fight down the butterflies and the yells and squeals that were about to erupt from him. "That's lovely."
"I can tell you're wanting to explode so I'll get off and let you rest, just, figured I'd let you now. Listen, I'm inviting you to dinner tomorrow at our house, to give Axel ah… a little encouragement, you're welcome to show up a little early, I'll leave a note for Axel on the fridge. I think he's got plans for the day starting early so I won't be able to catch him."
"Okay. All right. Yeah. That sounds great. Let's do that," Roxas said babbling.
"Good night Roxas."
"Good night Namine."
That night, Roxas dreamt of fire.
--
The next day Roxas managed to catch Namine at the door. She smiled as she dug her keys out of her coat pocket. "Hey there, just in time."
Roxas smiled, they were both giddy for a good reason. A little good news had filled both of them with cheer. "I think Axel's already home, his car's here, I'd check in his room first," she said as she opened the door for both of them and hung up her coat.
"You think he knows I'm coming over?" Roxas asked as he hung up his own coat.
"He should, I did leave him a note, but he may have missed it. Oh well, not like he ever minds when you're over."
"Thanks Namine," he said as he wandered up the stairs and down the hall to Axel's room.
-
Roxas felt sick.
He wished he could throw up. He almost thrust a finger down his throat on the spot, like the bulimic girls in the health videos did in class, it seemed almost so worth it if it would make the ugly feeling go away. Roxas wished he could cry and throw a fit, but his pride kept him controlled.
Roxas knew he should move, leave, even closing the door fully would've been a good idea instead of standing there, but he couldn't. Instead, his legs collapsed underneath him and he slid to the ground with no sound, his eyes unable to turn away from what he could see from the cracked open door. Something caught in his throat, something painful and heavy, he blinked away the tears that were trying to materialized.
He moaned her name.
Roxas could feel his heart breaking apart as her hands began to peel away at his clothes.
'Roxas! Out! Now!' his mind yelled at him, trying to save him from the pain. Roxas bit his lip tightly to keep from whimpering and stood up slowly, almost falling down twice as he tried. 'Leave now!' The door was only a little bit open, and having spent a lot of time in Axel's room, he knew that the last inch would close without a sound.
After closing the door he headed down the hallway and down the stairs.
He felt sick.
"Roxas?"
Roxas turned to see Namine approaching him from the kitchen with a worried expression. "You don't look so great. What's wrong?"
Roxas gave a weak grin, "Yeah. I'm fine Namine! Thanks for worrying." He almost wanted to resent her for the hopes, but he knew she had believed it too.
"Leaving? I thought we were going to eat?" she asked, suspicious and worried.
"Ah, yeah. Axel's busy. I don't think he wants me here today. Thank you tho'," Roxas said as he slipped into his shoes, leaving his coat behind and heading out of the house.
Namine frowned as she watched Roxas leave. She really liked Roxas and it bothered her that he looked so stricken. What had happened during the minutes she had been downstairs preparing some food? If Axel was busy it wouldn't have been such a bad reaction, she didn't think. He looked like he had just seen death or something equally unpleasant. She went up the stairs and crept down the hall to her brothers room.
She heard it before she saw it, and she wasn't sure which disgusted her more.
"Axel!" She yelled throwing the door open, anger boiling in her veins.
The two people on the bed jerked and quickly covered what little had been uncovered with a hand and a pillow.
"Nami- Wait, what?! What are you doing?! Fucking knock," Axel said with a bright red face as he sat up trying to cover her from view.
Namine stared almost coldly at her brother. Oh god how it must have hurt. She felt so bad for him, and guilty, so guilty. Her heart ached for Roxas. "You're… so stupid," Namine said softly, her anger quickly evaporating, maybe even she had been wrong, even if she still believed she wasn't. She turned around and left, leaving a bewildered Axel in her wake.