A/n: I'M BAACK! SORRY FOR KEEPING YOU ALL WAITING FOR SO LONG! I have been dealing with alot of stuff lately, and been working so I didn't have much time. The song in this chap is Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne. I thought it would fit well for this one, and I recommend you listen to it on youtube while reading this, as it makes it emotional.
Well, enjoy.
Chapter 9: Missing
The next day had soon arrived, the sun glowing in its orange light over Twilight Town. Axel slowly sat up, stretching his arms over his head. He looked to the side at his digital clock on the white night table. It displayed 12, which meant he had overslept, and it was already afternoon. It was no surprise, as he arrived home late last night at 1am from his visit to the clock tower, sneaking in through his bedroom window.
Axel sighed, his sad green eyes looking out at the town through his window, the sun peeking through the dark clouds. He remembered that Reno again hadn't showed up that night at the clock tower, just like every other Saturday nights Axel had went.
Maybe it was time to get over the past. To get face the painful truth. Reno was dead. Axel huddled in his bed, not wanting to go outside his bedroom, for he knew his mother was awake, and he didn't want to face her at the moment. It was better to stay in his room, where it was safe for the time being.
Instead, he laid in his bed, flicking the lighter on as he watched the small glowing flame dance between his fingers. Even though he enjoyed playing with fire, he felt completely alone. But he stayed there for hours, not going outside his room, only having the company of the small flame in his hands.
*~*~*~*
It soon grew late, and the sun sank beneath buildings, the sky becoming night with dark clouds looming over the town. Looks like its gonna rain...Axel thought as he looked out over his bedroom window. His stomach grumbled. He hadn't eaten anything all day, just stayed in his room, avoiding his mother. He sighed, wanting something to eat.
He walked over and slightly opened the door to his room, peeking out for any sign of Tifa. Nothing. He silently stepped downstairs, keeping a wary eye of his mother.
"About time you arrive, you useless brat!"
Axel turned to find Tifa standing behind him holding a brown bottle of beer, stenching of alcohol and eyes sullen. She was drunk. He stepped back, swallowing nervously.
"Where have you been!?" she asked furiously with a raised voice, her sagged, brown eyes glaring down at him.
"I-In my room."
"LIAR! You're late again, and you haven't even served me dinner! You were probably out again, fooling around in the streets!"
"I-I'm sorry! I'll go cook it now!" Axel stuttered, shivering slightly in fright.
Tifa spat on him, recoiling in disgust. "You should of made it hours ago ya little dimwit! so useless!"
Axel flinched at the sting of her words, wiping the spit off his face, looking down at himself sadly.
"Look at you! You don't deserve such beauty, pathetic trash! All you ever do cry like a baby and go out into the street to do who knows what! Just looking at you makes sick."
Axel's fists shook, and he bit his lip, his eyes shut tight, trying his best not to cry, to just drown out her cruel words.
" You're just as pitiful and useless like your father! All he ever did was fool around, never caring about anybody except himself! I'm happy he's gone, that he's dead, rotting in the ground! He never amounted to anything, just a waste of-"
"SHUT UP!!" Axel yelled at her, his jade eyes glowering at her in fury, fists shaking.
Tifa's eyes widened looking down at him, surprised at her son's outburst.
"You're wrong about him!!" Axel yelled up at her in anger. "He was an awesome and fun person, and the best dad anyone could ask for! And unlike you, HE LOVES ME!! If there's anyone pathetic and useless around here, its YOU!!!"
Tifa stared at him in shock for a few seconds. Suddenly her face darkened, her eyes displaying anger and hate towards the small boy before her. "How dare you," she hissed, then yelled "You TRASH!"
Her hand holding the brown bottle swung towards Axel's face...
Smash!
The bottle smashed against his cheek, the glass breaking to pieces, cutting the left side of Axel's face, who screamed in pain, falling back against the wall.
He placed a hand against his cheek slowly, feeling something warm and wet. He looked down at his hand, and saw...blood. It stained all over his palm, red as his hair. He looked up at his mother, his emerald orbs filled with tears.
She was staring down at him in shock, eyes wide in fear at what she had just done. Tifa had gone too far, and she knew it.
Axel backed away from her, heading toward the door, eyes filled with fear and disbelief.
"Where do you think you're going?!" she hissed, afraid of how much trouble she could get for this.
Axel stared at her wide eyed and tearful, then storming quickly out the door and into the pounding rain of the dark night outside.
"Axel get back here!!" She called out to him, but he ignored her, and ran.
He ran and ran, right through the pouring rain, cold and pelting down on him, soaking him completely, stinging his bleeding cheek. The only sound that came from him was his panted breathing and pacing feet on the wet pavement.
Na na
Axel headed nowhere in particular, he just wanted to run. Run from it all. Escape from everything. He had no idea where he was going, as the rain came down hard, and he didn't care where he went. His sorrowful jade eyes blinded him with tears and rolled down his cheeks. His blood red hair fell flat down over his shoulders and a bit over his face, soaked from the rain, no longer in spikes.
Na na na na na na
Axel tripped over his feet, falling onto hands and knees on the wet ground.
And he broke.
He sobbed and cried, holding his head in his hands. Tears streamed down his cheeks, emerald eyes looking down in despair at the ground before him. His mind went to one thing. Reno.
I miss you,
Miss you so bad
He missed him. He missed Reno. His father. Axel continued to cry, crouched on the ground on his knees, his arms wrapped around himself, shaking from the cold rain coming down on him.
I don't forget you
Oh its so sad
Axel's long red hair fell over his face and over his shoulders like a blanket. Reno's face kept imaging in his mind. His memory stained forever in Axel's head, like a tattoo. He could never forget him, and Axel wept harder in sadness, thinking he'll never see him again.
I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly
"Daddy..." He whispered, hoping that maybe Reno, that someone would hear him. But Axel was alone, sobbing in misery in the rain. A memory crawled into his mind....one that he had forgotten long ago...
The day you slipped away
-flashback-
Reno smiled, looking down at Axel with a sad face. "I love you Axel" He bent down, kissing his son's forehead.
Axel looked up in confusion. "Where are you going daddy?"
Reno gently smiled sadly, his jade eyes hiding something. "I'm going to work."
"Can I go with you?" Axel asked hopefully, as he was usually taken to his father's job many times.
Reno shook his head. "Not this time."
He turned, sitting on his motorbike. His sad emerald glanced down at Axel.
"Goodbye kiddo."
Was the day I found it won't be the same
He watched Reno drove farther away into view, and little did Axel know, that that goodbye meant it would be the last time he ever saw him. That everything in Axel's life would change.
Oh
-Flashback-
Axel slowly got up, and stumbled against a tree, leaning his forehead against the large trunk, hands placed against it.
Na na
He panted in sobs, tears rolling down his face, his nails digging into the bark in desperation.
Na na na na na
He closed his tear filled jade eyes, cheeks stained with the salty drops...
I didn't get to kiss you,
goodbye on the hand
He never even got a chance to say goodbye to his father. To be the last thing Reno saw...when he died.
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can't
Axel took out the lighter in his pocket, sweeping his thumb on the smooth surface. How desperately he wanted to see him again, at least once...to have Reno hold him and tell him it would be alright...but he knew that wasn't possible.
I've had my wake up
Won't you wake up
He placed the lighter against his cheek. Everyday he would wake in the morning, hoping that it was all a dream. That was Reno didn't go away. That he was alive.
I keep asking why
I can't take it
Axel looked up into the darkened sky, his sorrow filled emerald eyes looking up to the falling rain. Of all the people, why Reno? Why his father? He couldn't take this pain, this hole in his heart...that Reno left.
It wasn't fake it
It happened you passed by
It wasn't a lie. A dream, or nightmare. It was real. Reno was gone. The father that was so close to him...was dead. He went and left out of his life.
"Daddy..." Axel choked, and sobbed again onto his hands, falling to his knees.
Now you're gone
Now you're gone
There you go
There you go
He closed his eyes tightly...an image of Reno slowly walking away into the darkness forever, leaving him behind. The rain pounded on him as he braced himself in the dark.
Somewhere I can't bring you back
Reno was probably in a better place, somewhere he couldn't ever see him again, or even find him...
Now you're gone
Now you're gone
There you go
There you go
Axel began punching the dirt furiously, tears dripping from his cheeks, the cold rain soaking him till he shivered, but he didn't care.
Somewhere I can't bring you back
His knuckles started to hurt, bleeding slightly. Axel choked, and stopped, a fist falling to the ground in defeat. He slowly got up, his jade squinting through the rain staring into the dark streets ahead of him. Darkness. Thats where Reno was. A dark place Axel couldn't go, he thought...
Na na
Axel stared, his deep jade eyes half lidded blankly.
Na na na na na na
He leaned against the tree, closing his eyes as more tears streamed down his cheeks. He listened to the rain, the small whispers of the wind......Reno....
...Reno turned his head toward him, handsome smile on his face, jade eyes filled with affection, and laughed as the wind gently whipped his crimson ponytail behind him...
I miss you
Then Axel heard small footsteps behind him, hearing a familiar voice.
"Axel?"
He turned.
A/n: I know, so sad. ;_; but i swear next chap will have fluff and happiness, don't worry. I'll try to update soon, but i can't promise. Hope you all liked this chap, and I would love to get some reviews! Thank you all!
~Electra