Author's Warning: I wrote this entirely at the Night of Writing Dangerously, and have done very minimal proofing… it may be horrible. ;) Of course, you're more than welcome to write a review that lets me know whether or not it actually is. I'm always overjoyed to read reviews of my work! ^-^
Word Count: 1942
Heat was not something that he was used to feeling on his face, and he wasn't sure that he liked it at all. Of course, that was really the least of his problems, as it were. When a man, even one such as himself, is made to cry there are some serious things going on.
See, Axel was not raised to believe that men had feelings, too; quite the contrary, actually. He was raised to be a tough guy the way his father was. Though his father had died less than three months after discovering his son's hidden secret about a love life he didn't think the old man would approve of, he still tried to emulate the man in everything he did. So why on earth was he being so weak, just then?
His father never would have cried, would he? Did the old man cry when he walked in on Axel making out with Saix two years ago? The rebellious red-head had wondered about that, since the shocked look on his father's face had looked nothing less than completely heart broken. It was as if the son had actually broken the father's soul because of the type of person he had fallen for in high school; or perhaps the gender of the person would be more accurate.
Well, maybe it would have made his father happy to discover that his first boyfriend and first love had cheated on him behind the bleachers with some blond punk from their first period class. Then perhaps the old man would have had something more to say, instead of letting an untimely heart attack speak for him. Why hadn't anyone warned him about that possibility? No, why had he been so stupid as to assume the other guy felt the same way about him as he felt.
He had slumped against a tree in what had once been an empty park, but as his thoughts began to clear a bit and focus he realized that there were quite a few people wandering past him now. The sounds of children playing filtered through to him from the nearby playground, dogs barking, and some older sounding voices calling out to their children, their dogs, or each other made the whole place seem pretty noisy and busy all of a sudden. Maybe this hadn't been a great place to stop after all.
Rising from the place he'd been sitting, Axel wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, turning to leave before even looking around. So it shouldn't have been, but it was a great surprise for the red head to find himself on his ass again after a somewhat painful collision with someone who was grumbling incoherently next to him.
Raising his green eyes, he saw to his surprise and humiliation that one of the most gorgeous blond men he'd ever seen was sitting next to him rubbing his elbow, and glaring. "Sorry, sorry," Axel said automatically before the good looking blond could start shouting at him. "I wasn't looking."
The guy in jogging shorts and running shoes looked like he was going to tear Axel a new one before getting a good look at his face. Shit. Was it obvious that he'd been crying? Shit, shit, shit. The blond just harrumphed, as he got to his feet, and reached a hesitant hand out to help the good looking runner to his feet.
"It's alright," the blond finally said, standing and brushing off his shorts. "You should be more careful by the running trail, though. Some of these guys would probably stab you for getting in the way of their track."
A somewhat hysterical laugh left Axel's lips at that, because the first thought that came to his mind was that maybe being stabbed would make him forget about the pain in his chest that didn't seem to want to go away, even in the face of those lovely blue eyes. The blond looked at him strangely, bringing him abruptly back to earth. "Yeah, well… I mean," he stumbled. "So-sorry again. Hopefully you're not the stabbing type. I just- it's been a long day."
The blond nodded, "I know the feeling. That's why I run, actually." Those blue eyes travelled up and down Axel's long, lean frame assessing him, he assumed, before the other man added, "Do you run? You, I mean, you have the body for it."
Axel quickly shook his head, and the blond went on almost without pausing. "You should. Long days are why I run, you know? Gets rid of a lot of stress, or you know… relieves it, anyway."
Suddenly, a gorgeous blush lit up the guy's pale skin, and made him forget all about the reasons why he'd been sitting in the park feeling miserable and actually letting tears run down his face in a very public place. He was afraid to ask what about that sentence had actually made the blond blush, though, only trying to think of a way to keep those gorgeous blue eyes on him a moment longer.
"Well," the blond began as though he was getting ready to make his escape, but Axel interrupted him.
"Can I buy you a sandwich, or a protein drink or something to make up for messing up your run," he asked, eyes lighting up with an odd hope that he wished he could suppress just then.
The blond hesitated a moment, assessing him once again before nodding slightly to himself. "Sure, I mean… yeah." That gorgeous blush lit his cheeks again, and before the other guy even elaborate further Axel felt himself slip into his usual, charming self.
With a bit of a grin, he interrupted, "I don't expect you to cut your workout short for me, or anything if that's what you're worried about. We could just meet for lunch somewhere in, let's say, two hours? Should give you enough time to finish your run, get to a shower, and change if you prefer to do any or all of that."
He winked at the blond to show that he was not taking this or himself too seriously, but that, yes, he was interested in that way. Luckily, Axel was usually a big enough guy to protect himself from people who didn't exactly appreciate being hit on by another man, otherwise his usual playful flirting would have landed him in trouble more often. Though, he was also very perceptive on those counts, because he'd only once hit on a straight guy on accident, and that was mostly because he had thought that the other guy was bi.
No mistakes here, though. The blush on those lovely cheeks remained in place, but he smiled warmly despite whatever thoughts kept the rouge up.
"No, I'm actually done with my workout, I was just heading home," he said, then he paused, looking Axel over again as though remembering something. "You sure you're alright after that collision to ask me out," he asked, a playful glint in his eye.
"I could be on a stretcher and I'd still ask you out," Axel quipped back, smile getting wider.
The blond rolled his eyes at that, but his smile didn't falter. "Got a place in mind, or am I supposed to telepathically divine your location later?"
Axel nearly jumped at that, realizing he hadn't even managed to get the guy's name yet, and he had already asked him out to lunch. "Uh… how do you feel about that sandwich shop around the corner? I think it's called… Witchcraft?"
"I've never been there before," the blond admitted.
"Well," Axel shrugged, "you can have your first time there with me if you like, or we can pick a location you'd prefer. Either way, it's up to you under one condition."
The blond looked up at him with slight skepticism at that, and quirked one eyebrow. "What condition?"
"You tell me your name," Axel answered almost too eagerly.
That made the blond boy laugh, and the red head had to admit to himself that he absolutely loved the sound of that laugh. It was beautiful and contagious enough that he almost found himself laughing at his own jest.
"The name's Roxas," the shorter man answered. "Do I get your name in return, or just the pick of the location?"
"Oh, I guess you can have my name in return, if you really want it," Axel answered grinning from ear to ear. "It's Axel. You know, like a car or maybe a figure skating move, depending on your interests."
Roxas snorted before rolling his eyes again. "Axel, ha? Interesting name."
"Yeah," Axel replied. "I'm convinced my parents hated me or something." He shrugged, his smile never once faltering. "So how about it, Roxas? Lunch at Witchcraft, or the nameless location of your choice?"
"Witchcraft is fine," Roxas replied. "Like I said, I've never been there before, so I can't exactly say no can i? Since I don't have a good reason to."
Axel liked this guy more and more with every word he spoke. "I guess you don't have a good reason, no. Do you have a good time in mind, since your workout's done with?"
The lovely blond thought about that for a minute, blue eyes lifting skyward as he did so in an adorable look of thought/ concentration. "Give me an hour," he finally asked. "I live up the road, and need a shower before I go anywhere with anyone… like you." They both grinned at that.
"Okay," Axel said. "See you in an hour." Then grinning, they went their separate ways.
In all honesty, Axel wasn't entirely sure he was ready to go on a first date with someone he just met when he'd just, just gotten out of a relationship in the worst possible way. He thought this as he walked in the opposite direction the blond had turned. He'd absolutely love to have met this guy first, and been able to say that Saix had just been a little crush that he was past already. However, that wasn't what had happened at all, and now his heart ached and his eyes wanted to keep watering even though he had just stood there flirting with one of the most gorgeous guy he'd ever seen.
He really hoped that Roxas was his age even, come to think, but really… this couldn't be a bad thing could it? He'd just take it slow. He could do that. A lunch date. Perhaps a phone number next. Maybe even a workout partner after that. And possibly, if it was even something they could pursue, another date and a new boyfriend.
Could he plan things out like that? It hadn't worked for his last boyfriend, but that didn't mean it couldn't work for his next boyfriend, right? Wasn't dating all about finding that one person that fit into your life, and whose life you fit into? All of your plans, and the things that you hoped for suiting one another's like they suited no one else… and living together happily as a result of it? That's what he thought it was supposed to be like. Maybe he was meant to be in this park where Roxas had been running, and supposed to stand up at that very moment, the realization that he was embarrassed by the crowd of people surrounding him as he cried, to crash into this gorgeous blond guy. Without the whole Saix mess, he might never have done that.
So who knew? Saix may very well have been responsible for a fated meeting between Axel and this gorgeous guy named Roxas. Only time would tell.