Now for the oh so exciting continuation of You Knew Me Once *cue the cheesy music* Sometimes I feel like this is a crappy soap opera, but not an overly dramatic one. A kind of funny one, maybe like Soap. Except not funny like Soap, funny in a sitcom way. Maybe this is more of a sitcom.
"Hello? Anyone home still?" Axel shouted as he walked into the house, ignoring the pounding that was still going on in his head. No response met him. "Guess I'm alone," he murmured to himself. He looked around the living room with pursed lips, hands pressed against his lower back. "That might be nice." He said quietly as he sank into the sofa, but alas, the solitude was not meant to last. The door flew open, leaving two men to stare at each other. "Hey," Axel finally said, his eyes still wide.
"Axel," it was the only response Roxas could manage as he stood awestruck. He had been under the impression that no one would be here for the day. Kairi had promised him. Reno had plans, Cissnei and the kids wouldn't be back until later tonight, Ansem was having lunch with his brother's family, and Axel...well she had only said she thought Axel would be out of the house all day.
Shit. It's like I set myself up for this.
"What are you doing here?"
"Kairi asked me to come over for Den getting home, she has work and no one else was supposed to be here."
"Well, I'm home, so I mean if you wanna leave? That'd be fine." Axel pondered for a moment before realizing maybe that wasn't such a great idea. "Actually, Kairi's pissed off at me so maybe you should stay. She might come home and freak out, thinking I'm trying to brainwash her kid or something," he smirked as he laid his arm against the couch. "Wanna join me?" He splayed his fingers out, inviting Roxas to take a seat next to him. But the blond only arched his brow as he crossed his arms and cocked his hip to the side.
"What? Are you not mad at me now?"
"When was I mad?" Axel asked, his smirk still on his face. He thought he hid it so well. But then he remembered something. He could see Roxas' face, frowning, obviously hurt by something that had been said. "Roxas..." he tried to think of the words. "If I said anything at the funeral-"
"You said plenty, I don't really wanna hear anything else,"
"I'm trying to say sorry, let me apologize to you." He couldn't help smiling, he almost hated it. Almost. "I am sorry for anything I said to you at the funeral. I had way too much to drink, I'm sure I was out of line, do you need me to say anything else?" Roxas was silent but slowly walked over and sat next to the redhead. "You're trying to think of something aren't you?"
"Oh you know me so well," he responded as he smiled sardonically over at his couch-mate. He hemmed and hawed as he thought it over. "I want you to mean it, and I want..."
"What?" Axel nudged him playfully, trying to prompt whatever he obviously wanted to say.
"Never mind,"
"Come on, you know the rule. You can't leave me hanging. You can't start something, passively mention, utter the words never mind without me losing my mind and you know that. That's why the rule was put in place." Axel whined as he continued to press his elbow into the man's side.
"I didn't think the rule applied anymore," Roxas laughed quietly as he kicked his shoes off and pulled his legs up onto the couch.
"The rule always applies." He said sternly, leading the other to roll his eyes. "We both know that somewhere deep in your mind, maybe not even that deep, you have something you want to say to me. Otherwise you wouldn't have even started to say it. You know the rule, you want to tell me. So tell me."
"I hate that,"
"Hate what?"
"How you think you know everything. You don't Axel,"
"Well can we at least agree that I know a lot?" They watched each other silently for a minute, trying to suppress everything that was currently about to overwhelm each of them. The two couldn't decide between the almost uncontrollable compulsion to just give in to the past or the urge to scream at each other until their throats were raw and aching. Roxas only nodded as he turned away from Axel, lifting his shoulders as he took a deep breath.
"I want you to say you're gonna miss me," he finally said. No more prodding or provoking needed.
"I will miss you, I always miss you." Axel said as he wrapped his arm around Roxas' thin shoulders. "And I'm sorry that this trip hasn't turned out like I planned, or maybe you planned. I don't even know,"
"I wasn't planning anything. I was just excited to see you, because I have missed you."
"Is Riku helping you get over that?" He asked with a smirk, trying not to burn inside.
Just friends. We're just friends now.
The redhead eased his arm off a little as the thought passed through his head and Roxas rolled his eyes as he tossed his exes arm off and shifted his ass further down the sofa.
"Sorry sorry, I'm only kidding."
"Riku has changed Axel. You think you're so damn smart but you're not. And maybe he actually wasn't that bad in high school, you were kind of an asshole. You're kind of still an asshole."
"Tsk tsk, we shouldn't be so judgmental should we? You were quite the stereotypical catty bitch if I recall. You're still a catty bitch." They smiled at each other as they turned; Roxas with one leg folded over the other, his whole body faced to the redhead, Axel with his ankle propped against his knee, only turning his head to grin. "But as I also recall, you had your non-bitchy moments."
"Like you had your non-asshole moments. They were few and far between, but they were there." The blond lamented with a gentle sigh, a dreamy look on his face as he watched the unmoving man. "And they were nice. Even some of the asshole times were nice. Being with you...it was nice." He added as his eyes refocused. His hand silently crept to the edge of the cushion and Axel's hand quickly met it. As if their fingers had tiny minds of their own, minds set on one thing, set on being close to the other, they were doing just that.
"Roxas, I-"
"Uncle Ax!" The childish voice of the redhead's nephew soared through the door, followed quickly by a single stampede of six year old boy. Roxas' hand flew out from under the other, his entire body jumped back and faced the 'correct' way. "Mommy said you weren't gonna be here!"
"Oh uh well you're mommy is a liar." Axel whispered playfully as Denzel leapt onto his lap.
"Have you considered that maybe that's the reason Kairi wouldn't want you here alone with Denzel?"
"Come on Rox, I can handle it. Is it my fault KaiKai's a liar?" The small brunette boy shook his head as he giggled, high fiving his uncle before he was scooped up, spun around then set back on the ground, a slightly dizzied expression painted on his young face. "Want something to eat? Yeah? Ok go into the kitchen, I'll make you something." Axel smiled as he watched his nephew, but the smile faded when he turned back to Roxas, now standing, meeting his chest. "You staying or going?"
"Staying...I'll stay."
"Good, you can help me cook. Now I know Riku can't cook as well as I can, especially now. I could always cook, but now I'm worldly."
"Axel, Riku really is a nice guy. And maybe if you were staying longer I could prove it but-"
"Good news then, I'm gonna be here another week."
"Another week?"
"At least," Axel smirked as he pulled his hair back into a pony tail.
"Wait, but-"
"So prove it to me, we should hang out. I mean, since I'm gonna be here for a while now."
"I'm hungry!" Denzel shrieked, making the uncle roll his eyes and the babysitter jump slightly.
"I'm coming!" Axel yelled back. "So how 'bout tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow? I-"
"It'll be fun," he finished as he walked into the kitchen, a clear sign that he was done with the conversation.
"Oh yeah, this is gonna be fucking thrilling," Roxas said incredulously as he balled his fist, rolled his eyes and followed the chef into the kitchen.
~0~
"You wanna come over for dinner tonight?" The blonde girl looked at the driver with an arched brow, skeptical as always.
"Why would I randomly come over for dinner?"
"It wouldn't be random, you come over for dinner all the time."
"I always came after your mom invited me." Namine explained as she frowned slightly, absentmindedly allowing her hand to cover his, as if in apology for bringing it up.
"Can't I invite you?"
"I feel like that'd be-"
"Namine, please just come to dinner. That's all I ask. Roxas is gonna be there, it won't be that weird."
"Reno I would, but without Roxas actually saying-"
"Hey blondie," The driver said as he parked, leaning over and kissing her seemingly against her will as she pulled back with a grin. "I'll figure something out, alright?" Namine nodded with a widened grin. "Now get outta my car babe." As he watched the tiny blonde walk into her apartment, he couldn't stop the smile that surfaced on his lips. The drive home was practically non-existant. "Hola kiddies," he called before bumping the door with his ass and listening to the slam. "Whoooa, what happened in here?" His face dropped as he walked into the kitchen. Spilled milk, yogurt smeared on the counters, smashed fruit everywhere. "What the hell did you guys do?"
"Made smoothies!" Denzel yelped as he lifted his cup up victoriously. He eagerly went back to sipping as Reno walked further in, staring at the two 'adults' who were supposed to be in charge.
"All this?" He waved his arm across his body, putting the mess of a kitchen on display. "For one of those?" He finished as he pointed at his nephew and his smoothie.
"No way!" Axel argued. "It made five. We still have one left if you want it." He smirked at his brother who only rolled his eyes as he joined them at the kitchen table.
"Cis is gonna flip a shit." He sighed as he dropped down onto the chair, pressing his fingers against his forehead in annoyance. "And you." Reno blatantly moved his pointing finger to Roxas now who sat with wide eyes. "I expected more from you sir."
"I had nothing to do with this! Axel insisted on making his freaking smoothies, he made this huge mess." The scolder only shook his head as the scoldees glanced at each other, smirking as Reno clicked his tongue at them.
"Can't leave you two alone without a total disaster in the wake," he smirked as he stood back up, ruffling his nephews hair. "Did you make him actual food or just this liquid crap?"
"Hey, this is legit brotha man. I could live off smoothies, deliciously packed with fruit and protein-"
"I made him a peanut butter sandwich while Rachel Ray over here was destroying the kitchen." Roxas interrupted with an all-knowing smirk.
"Thank you babysitter, not clueless uncle. There is obviously a very good reason why Kairi asks you to help out so much."
"What can I say, I'm kid friendly. Unlike some people," the blond said with a sideways glance at his ex.
"Are you staying for dinner? Cissnei's making pasta. Cloud's coming over, Sora's coming over, I think maybe Xig is too."
"Yeah, your dad asked me over for dinner."
"Well, since you're staying, what's Nam gonna do for dinner?"
"Oh, uh, I'm not sure?"
"Why don't you ask her over too? You know Cis is gonna make plenty since so many people are coming over."
"You're sure that would be alright?"
"Yeah, of course. Namine's just as welcome as you are." He aimed his toothy grin at the blond who shrugged and nodded as he reached for his phone. Damn he was too good.
"Wait, everyone's inviting friends? I thought this was a family thing," Axel remarked with slight disbelief.
"It is a family thing, and you should know everybody's friends are family with this clan." Reno replied with a head shake, disbelief of his own at how much Axel had managed to forget in the time he was gone.
"Well fuck, if you guys are inviting people over, I'm gonna invite Xi."
"Xi's already coming." Kairi said with a scowl as she stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. "And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't say fuck in front of my son."
Ok, a sitcom that uses the word fuck a lot. Maybe it's like a sitcom on a pay channel! Anyways, muchos gracias to Redfaerie for being my always reliable beta for like everything lately! Seriously, dunno how I'd do it without you chicka. You are on top of this shiz. And I hope that was enough AxelXRoxas for you fanatics out there, and if it wasn't well...um get over it. Sorry. We're not gonna get to the nitty gritty of the always complex pair for a while so be patient. Please? :D