Chapter 10

Chance Meetings

Summary:

Boring meetings come with the territory of dating Axel. Roxas makes do as best he can and makes an interesting acquaintance.

Roxas was informed that he had been barred from seeing Sephiroth again. He had been furious at that decision but Axel talked him down, telling him that he was lucky not to have been charged with assault. There were still so many angry things which Roxas wanted to yell at the man. But he had to take solice in knowing that he had left one mark on that smug face. Roxas hoped that it hurt and that it would bruise and stay on his face for a long while. In no way would it ever make up for what Roxas had seen on his brother's body, but it still had felt satisfying.

Roxas never shared his encounter at the hospital with Cloud when they spoke. He didn't want to upset his brother. He wanted Cloud to focus on himself so he could attain the same things Roxas had achieved; being with the man he loved, and living his life to the full.

Their phone conversations seemed to become further and further apart. Yuffie seemed to be of the opinion that this was simply because Cloud was busy living his life. She often complained about needing earplugs at night and that she would lodge a formal complaint to Squall soon if the noise level wasn't reduced any time soon.

This revelation only made Roxas frown. Had the songs had the opposite effect of what Roxas and Zack had hoped for? If Cloud was happy with how his life was right now then it would be fine, but if he was only making himself more miserable -. Roxas couldn't bare to worry that he had once again meddled in his brother's life. He couldn't bare the idea of being at fault for possibly having messed up and ruined Zack's chance at being with Cloud either.

Maybe it was for the better that they spoke less. Roxas should worry about his own life more, was the conclusion he came to. As much as he wanted to believe it - and make Cloud believe it - he did acknowledge that things weren't completely rosy for him either.

When Roxas wasn't out making friends with other like-minded volunteers at the various charity organizations he was involved with, Roxas had to attend various functions with Axel.

They always seemed to be glitzy affairs, involving a lot of schmoozing. That was fine for Axel, as this was his life, but Roxas couldn't do it. He had nothing in common with these upper class rich people. Roxas' life had been full of hardships. It made him angry to hear about the wasteful and frivolous lives these people lead. But Axel had kept asking him to come along.

They sometimes argued about it.

"What's the point of me going with you if I can't be with you?"

"We have good times. I know you enjoy yourself."

"Yeah, when I get to make fun of everything with you by my side."

"I feel better knowing you're there, Roxy."

That usually shut Roxas up with a resigned sigh. He couldn't refuse. Every time he wanted to say 'no' he thought of the past. He had 14 years of guilt racked up which demanded he appease Axel.

So Roxas had gone along once more this particular evening. It was a dull affair, as they always were. A bunch of rich people patting themselves on the back and giving speeches to inflate their own ego's. It would have been a night like any other, with the one exception that on this night Roxas had the great displeasure of meeting Axel's father.

Roxas had quite literally run into the gray and grim looking man whilst coming out of the washroom. He had tried to apologize and to also introduce himself.

"I know who and what you are, make no mistake," had been the arctic response. He then stalked off, leaving Roxas perplexed and affronted.

Roxas supposed Axel got all his charm, sense of humor and looks from his mother, because other than his height and those green eyes that Roxas loved so much, the two men seemed to share nothing in common.

The disdain Roxas had been met with stayed thick and heavy on Roxas' mind. It bothered him because no one disliked him. He was a very likeable guy. Roxas wanted to go and have a word with Axel's father. Wanted to introduce himself properly, so he could change the man's mind about himself. He had nothing else to really do anyway. Axel always abandoned him at the start of these nights, only to find him again when he was ready to leave. Roxas completely understood that they had to keep their distance from one another in public events like these. This was why Roxas had a lot of spare time on his hands.

So the first opportunity he got, after another boring onslaught of speeches had finally ended, Roxas got up and went in the direction he last had seen the old coot stalk towards. He wandered out of the hall and down the corridor until Roxas had the displeasure of overhearing a heated argument emanating from one of the many doors set into the corridor.

"Why are you nagging me about this again?"

"After what he did to your Uncle? After all the trouble that twerp has caused our family you still dare to bring him with you? You are an insult to the Veronesi name. I want you to stop bringing your playboy with you. It reflects badly on our family business."

"He's my boyfriend, old man. If he was a woman you would have no problem with me parading him around like he was a trophy."

"But he's not a woman. Therein lies the problem. Our company has a legacy it needs to leave behind and tend to. I always had such high hopes for you, Axel. That's why you always disappointed me the most. All of you children have been a huge disappointment to me, really. I blame your mother. She was always too soft with the lot of you."

"Give it up, old man. I see through your charades. You've never been proud of me a day in your life. You only pretend when you want something out of me."

"If word gets out that you and Reno are that way inclined then where does that leave the company? You are a selfish boy. People are already beginning to talk, and I hear it all, my boy. They are losing confidence in the Veronesi name and in the continuation of our enterprise. You've threatened and tried to sabotage all my hard work already. I won't have you continue in this manner. You proved that you were good at getting things your way, now use that for the betterment of the company and not your selfish whims. You don't have to love a woman to have children with her, Axel. I expect to see you with a young, and reasonably attractive woman on your arm in the future. And leave that boy at home, where he belongs."

Roxas' heart clenched for Axel. He wanted to run in there and protect him somehow, but he thought better not to. Roxas could hear the ice and venom in the man's voice. Roxas had completely forgotten about Sephiroth being tied up with Axel's father. It certainly seemed to explain the disdain Roxas had experienced.

He pitied Axel for having such a terrible father. At least if Roxas' father wouldn't approve of his relationship, Roxas would never know about it. For once in his life Roxas actually felt blessed that his parents weren't around; he would never, and could never, disappoint them.

Sighing heavily Roxas turned back to go to the awful function. He knew that Axel would defend him and his honour. There was probably nothing Roxas could ever do to make that ugly old man think of Roxas in a better light anyway, other than sprout women's reproductive organs and give him an heir. That thought actually made Roxas laugh.

To be fair Roxas wouldn't care if Axel took a woman with him to these events. He would even prefer it. He hated how stuffy it all was. He hated having to wear a suit and tie, which incidentally was the only thing Roxas had let Axel buy for him - because this get up was purely for Axel, not for Roxas.

Once back in the main hall Roxas grabbed himself four flutes of some awful tasting champagne. He quietly made his way towards a far flung corner of the room, hoping to be ignored for the rest of the night.

Roxas figured it wouldn't be very hard, as he noticed the curtain to be almost the same color as his suit. He would easily camouflaged into the background, and he was content with that. Roxas busied himself with downing one flute after another within a rather short amount of time, making a face with every disgusting gulp.

People danced, people schmoozed, people ate canapés. Roxas felt miserable. He was stuck in a temporal time warp where the night dragged on forever.

"You want some hors d'oeuvres to go along with your massive drinking problem?"

Roxas choked while he was downing his third flute.

Blue eyes and short black hair just laughed at him, holding up a platter of little fancy rolls of fish wrapped around some sort of indistinctive gray mush, fastened together by toothpicks.

Roxas cleared his throat and managed to breathe again.

The girl didn't look like waiting staff, so he had to wonder how she had managed to commandeer an entire plate of hors d'oeuvres all to herself.

"Well if I have a drinking problem, you've got a binge eating problem," he retorted with a tacked on smile, so as not to cause any actual offense.

The girl laughed as she popped one of the appetizers into her mouth, still offering the platter to Roxas. He picked one up and also popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before offering her his fourth and final flute of champagne.

She took it graciously and they stood side by side in silence, consuming the food and drink, vacantly looking into the sea of people.

"You look as uncomfortable as I feel. What brings you here?" the girl began.

"My boyfriend. You?"

"My friend."

"Does your friend hate you or something?"

The girl laughed happily. "Sometimes I have to wonder. What about you? Your boyfriend hate you?"

Roxas smiled at the girl. He instantly liked her, and not just because she was the first friendly face he had seen at one of these events. Nor because they had been able to tease each other.

No. It was something else.

He liked the way she looked. There seemed to be something familiar about her, both in appearance and mannerisms, even though he was 100% sure they had never met each other before.

"No, he adores me. But his father hates me. And he hates his father. So I'm pretty sure I'm the salt in both their wounds."

"That's rough."

"What's rough is this fish. Why is it so chewy?" Roxas, with no social graces what-so-ever, spat it back out into a napkin he had on hand and examined the chewed mush, as if he would be able to discern where the problem lay by doing so.

Instead of eyeing Roxas with abhorrent disgust, the girl just looked like she was holding back a tremendous laugh, before she turned serious as she scrutinized the food. "The chef's here are terrible. They have no idea how to cure meats, let alone fish," she agreed, looking sternly towards the kitchens in the back of the hall.

"This is - silver fin, right? It should definitely not be that salty either."

The girl smiled up at Roxas. "You know something about Wutai delicacies then?"

Roxas nodded.

"Hmm, you might just be the man I have been looking for all my life!" she winked at him.

Roxas was slightly taken aback and could feel heat spreading to his face. He smiled, trying to detract from the obvious blush, "Wouldn't be the first time I've heard that." The smile turned into a wicked grin, and he winked back at her.

"Oh, you're really popular then, huh? Good. I could definitely make use of you, in that case."

Now Roxas began to feel curious, and prompted the girl to explain what she meant.

"I run a small noodle bar near 5th and 21st. The Green Turtle. You should come by one day. I'm always looking for someone to hire. All my chef's have been such disappointments in recent history."

"Wow! Really? Thanks. I'll come check it out - if I ever get out of here alive."

She laughed again. "That makes two of us."

They both kept eating the awful food, commenting on the other hors d'oeuvres they had sampled that night. After a while the girl's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper and almost sounded panicked.

"Don't look now but a Veronesi is inbound for our location. And he looks annoyed. Let's hide behind the curtain!" The girl gently shoved Roxas closer to the windows with a laugh, apparently with the full intention of going through with her plan. Roxas would have obliged her if that particular Veronesi hadn't been Axel.

"No, it's alright. That's my boyfriend." Roxas smiled at her and blue eyes widened.

"What? Axel Veronesi? Really?"

Roxas nodded, still looking at Axel whom he finally had made eye contact with. Roxas could definitely agree that Axel looked annoyed. Roxas would probably have even gone as far as stating Axel was pissed, but the other man did seem to calm down a little once their eyes had found each other in the crowded room.

Roxas made a few steps towards Axel's direction and once Axel was within ear shot he could be heard saying, "Roxas, we're leaving."

"Guess I get out of here alive before you do." Roxas turned around to the girl to say his goodbyes. He was met with a wide, surprise filled gaze.

"What's the matter?" he prompted.

"N-nothing." The look melted to be replaced by a pout. "You will come and see me at the corner of 5th and 21st, won't you?"

Roxas nodded.

"I'm Roxas, by the way," he added as he could feel a warm hand gently, but firmly, clasp around his upper arm and drag him away.

"I heard," she giggled. "I'm Xion. I'll see you around, ok?" She waved and gently yelled after Roxas, "And if I don't get out of here alive you'll take my restaurant over for me, promise?"

Roxas waved back dumbly, nodding his head.

Her name formed on his lips and in his mind. He was desperately trying to recollect something he had once heard. It burned on the tip of his tongue, but his mind turned blank as he saw a gorgeous blonde girl walk over to stand next to Xion.

'Naminé?'

Axel had pulled them out of there pretty quickly, nodding politely and muttering excuses towards anyone who was begging to have a word with him. Roxas noticed that Axel's grasp on Roxas never transferred down to his hand. It was always firmly grasped impersonally on his upper arm.

He really hated living this lie.

Roxas sighed as he was being lead out. His mind still felt numb at the sudden ejection. He was still trying to piece together the puzzle of what he had heard and seen.

'Xion, Naminé'.

But again his thoughts weren't allowed to rest on those names. Cool air hit Roxas' face. Axel's car had been brought out and Roxas was ushered into it expertly, flinching as doors were slammed with too much savagery.

Axel sped them off with a squeal of tires, leaving behind a burning rubber smell.

The redhead seemed tense, fuming in silence, glaring at the road. Roxas watched taut knuckles on the steering wheel whiten.

"You know - I heard you and your father arguing," offered Roxas gently, to help get the conversation started.

"You overheard that?" Axel flashed him a sorrowful look. Tension seemed to seep out of him as rigid shoulders eased.

Roxas nodded. "I really don't mind you taking girls to these things. You know I don't like attending functions anyway."

"But that's not really the point, Roxy. The point is that I like having you with me. The point is that the world is full of bigoted, homophobic, self-important bastards and I hate having to play my father's game." It sounded more and more like a growl the longer Axel continued. "The poin-."

"I think the real point is that you just hate that you're losing your father's game." Roxas interrupted, and caught the frown that washed over Axel's face. "I know you like your job. It just - has some unpleasant things that you have to deal with and have no choice over. That's life, Axel. But I know you'll find a way to cope," supported Roxas.

He reached across towards Axel, tucking an outraged spike of red back behind the man's ear.

The heat seemed to leave Axel a little and Roxas could hear the deeper, more relaxed breathes Axel was pulling in and out of his chest.

"To be fair it was just a matter of time before he caught you out, and you know it. I know how you introduce me to your colleagues, or business partners, or whatever and whoever all those people are. I'm always 'that friend from out of town'. And I'm ok with that, Axel, but at the same time I don't even buy it, despite how we try to appear when we are at these things together. I know that in your line of work image is everything. So just go and play your father's game. I'll be alright." Roxas tried to break up his serious tone with a bright smile.

Axel looked disgruntled. "You know I'm not ashamed of you. I'm not ashamed of our relationship. I'd fuck you right in the middle of that function room if you'd let me."

Roxas laughed a little, feeling slightly embarrassed about the passion Axel held towards him.

"I know, Axel. I'm not worried about that. It's really alright. You take whoever you need to take with you. The prospect of never having to wear a suit and tie again in my life makes me actually really happy," grinned Roxas.

"But you look so sexy in them," rumbled Axel low in his chest, turning to drink in Roxas' form whilst licking his lips.

Roxas felt the butterflies coming alive again in his stomach. "Eyes on the road, Axel, or we'll never make it home for you to strip me down."