Cantablie

Disclaimer: I own the plot… that is all…

Nana… if you are reading this… I just want to say that I wish you had a real penname on fanfiction so that I can properly reply to your reviews. I laughed out loud at my computer when I read your last review. I had never had someone write "YOU HOE!" in a review. I just about died laughing because I call my friends hoes sometimes (the garden tool of course!) :D

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 10

When I got back to my dorm room, I jumped when Sora started taking off my clothes.

"S-sora!" I squeaked.

"Roxas, you have to get out of these clothes. It was like 40 degrees outside and you've been sitting in the rain for a long time. You could catch pneumonia. Baby, can you get the blanket out of my room, please?" Sora asked his boyfriend.

"Roxas are you okay? How was the opera?" Naminé asked and I shook my head at her.

"Rox…" she trailed off and pulled me into a hug. "You're freezing…" she said with a small giggle.

I smiled at her. Naminé was a good friend. "I got rained on." I said before continuing to take off my clothes.

"I'm going to get you a change of clothes." Sora said.

"Thanks. I need to go to the bathroom and change, my boxers are soaked as well." I said and when Sora handed me my clothes I walked into the bathroom and changed.

I opened the bathroom door to a hot-pink fuzzy blanket with a crown on it that said 'princess' in swirly letters.

I let out a laugh but flinched when a couple of tears slid down my face. "Sora… where did you get this? Justice?" I asked as I quickly wiped my eyes and took the blanket.

"How did you know?" Sora asked.

"I have a little cousin who's obsessed with that store." I said and sighed when Riku threw the blanket over my head.

It was Riku's turn to sigh. "What are we going to do with him?" Riku asked and I looked out from under the blanket to see Riku turned to Sora.

"I'm talking to him tomorrow about this. I can't let this slide. I'm confused as to why he would do such a thing. I mean, this isn't just lying… he gave Roxas a false sense of friendship and then just… Riku…" Sora said and Riku wrapped his arms around him.

"Roxas… did that really happen? That person stood you up?" Naminé asked.

I kinda wished people would stop looking at me like I'm some defenseless animal… but they were really worried about me. I could see the sincerity in their eyes. And for some reason, that only continued to bring tears to my eyes.

"Y-yeah… I didn't think it would hurt this much." I said with a sad laugh as I wiped my eyes again.

"Roxas… this person needs to smacked… I'm just saying." Naminé said and I laughed again.

I let out another sneeze and was about to reply when I suddenly felt something warm touch the side of my face. I turned to see someone handing me a cup of tea. My eyes widened when I saw Leon looking down at me.

I took the cup from his hands and thanked him before I felt a hand through my hair. "Sorry, kid." He said before heading back to his room. I smiled softly.

"You guys are so kind…" I whispered softly.

"That's what friends are for, honey." Naminé said and placed a kiss on my cheek before standing. "Goodnight Rox, I would stay with you longer, but I really should go to bed. I have an early start tomorrow." She said and I nodded.

"Thanks." I said.

"No prob, hun." She said and I looked over to Sora. "Thank you so much guys." I said and Riku waved it off.

"We just want you to be okay… you're like family to us now, right Sora?" Riku smiled at his boyfriend.

"Damn straight! Now off to bed with you Roxas, you know Mommy and Daddy don't like it when you stay up late." Sora said in a strange falsetto.

I snorted and stood. "Can I hold onto this?" I asked gesturing to the blanket.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go back to Justice and buy the purple one just for you!" Sora said and I couldn't stop one last tear from falling down my face.

"I love you, cousin." I said.

Suddenly Sora's face teared up and he launched himself at me, "I love you more, cousin!" Sora gushed hugging me tightly.

"Okay, I'm gonna go to bed now." I said and rubbed Sora's back a little before letting go and heading to bed.

-Cantabile-

I woke to Sora shaking my shoulder. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. "Is something wrong?" I asked before twisting my back to get the cracks out.

"Come with me." Sora said and he pulled me out of bed. I stumbled a little before catching up to Sora's pace.

"Where's the fire?" I asked as he pulled me down the stairs and over into the student union. I smiled at Riku when I saw him at the door. "Good morning… are we having breakfast together? I don't see why there's so much rush. Sora didn't even let me put on my shoes. Which my feet are freezing by the way." I said sending Sora a pointed look.

"Take him." Sora said and pulled me over to Riku. I frowned at Sora and watched as he walked into the cafeteria. Riku and I followed after him.

He was moving so quickly I wasn't sure what was going on until I saw who Sora was gunning for.

"W-wait! Sora! Do-" I couldn't stop him as he suddenly pulled Axel from his chair and punched him in the face.

"I hope that hangover stays for days, you asshole!" Sora yelled and I pulled out of Riku's grip to grab Sora before he did something he would regret.

"Sora, what is your problem? What the fuck!" Axel yelled angrily as he got up.

He looked at me. "Good morning, sweetheart." He said.

I felt my heart wrench at the words but I was forced back into reality when I had to hold Sora back from mauling the redhead.

"Don't you fucking act like everything is fucking normal you fucking fuck!" Sora yelled and Riku took the volatile brunette from me and held onto him. "Sora, that's too much." Riku said.

"I don't care!" Sora ripped himself out of Riku's hold and launched himself at Axel who fell to the floor. "Where were you last night?" Sora yelled.

"At a Lex's party in his apartment!" Axel yelled back.

"Where were you supposed to be last night?" Sora yelled shaking Axel a little.

"Don't you dare try and fucking lecture me Sora! I had no obligations!" Axel yelled and pushed Sora off of him.

"Bullshit! Axel, you said you would take Roxas to the opera!" Riku suddenly started yelling.

"So what! I bailed, okay?" Axel grumbled and stood before dusting himself off.

"He waited for you for the entire opera!" Sora snapped.

"And?" Axel said.

"Guys…" I tried to interrupt.

"AND he waited in the freezing rain and was actually worried that you had gotten hurt!" Riku yelled.

"I didn't make him do that!" Axel said.

"Guys…" I said a little louder.

"You stupid jerk! When did you become so-"

"GUYS!" I yelled and the entire cafeteria was quiet. I sighed when I realized I had a rather large audience. "I know you didn't make me wait for you, but you asked me to wait at the bench so I did and I expected you to be there. When you made plans with me, you gave me the impression that you would show up…" I said calmly.

"Please Roxas! Stop acting like a fucking baby! I wasn't obligated to go anywhere with you, it's not like it was a date! I'm not your fucking boyfriend, Roxas." Axel snapped and I fell silent for a second.

His words cut me like knives and I had to take a moment to stop myself from tearing up. I took a breath and looked to Riku and Sora who looked shocked at the malice in his voice.

"I didn't say anything about you being my boyfriend, Axel… I j-just… I regret trusting you… I was looking forward to watching that opera with you… I'm glad that you weren't hurt and that you had just decided not to come… and I'm really sorry that those tickets went to waste…" I said quietly before turning and heading back to my dorm room.

"Axel you are going to fix this! I'm not speaking to you until you do!" I heard Sora yelp.

I heard Axel growl. "Get your ass back here Roxas! You can't fucking say all that shit to make me feel guilty and then just walk away! That's not fair!" Axel yelled and I just shook my head before leaving the union. I was about to open the door to the stairwell when someone roughly grabbed my wrist and turned me around.

"You know, it's not very fair to pretend to be friends with someone and then abandon them suddenly." I said and looked him in the eyes. I wouldn't let him see how torn up I was about this.

"Don't be so fucking melodramatic! You could have just asked your fucking boyfriend to go with you!" Axel yelled and I frowned.

"I don't have a boyfriend, Axel!" I yelped.

"Then what the fuck is that on your neck? Do you make it a habit of getting drunk and fucking complete strangers?" Axel growled.

My jaw hit the floor. "I would never fucking do that Axel and it's none of your business what I do with my free time!" I raged at him. I'm pretty sure the people back in the cafeteria could hear me. "If you wanted to know what happened then you should have asked! That's what Sora and Riku did! Because they are my friends! You just assumed that I'm some drunk that sleeps around! And even if I did, I'm not your fucking boyfriend Axel so you have no right to be mad!" I screamed before turning my back to him and opening the stairwell door to leave.

I yelped when I felt myself getting slammed into the door and I was about to yell at Axel when he suddenly crashed his lips against mine. My eyes widened when I felt him press closer to me and bite my lip sharply.

I immediately started to struggle when I felt his hands go under my shirt and I when I ripped my mouth from his I let out a cry when he bit my neck hard.

"Get off of me!" I yelled.

"Shut up! You want this! It doesn't matter who it is!" Axel growled before letting one of his hands slide into my sweatpants and I struggled harder.

"Stop it! Get off!" I yelled and pushed at his shoulders, panic starting to bubble to the surface. "P-please!" I stuttered and yelped when he bit my neck again.

"You're body really wants this." Axel whispered hotly in my ear and I let out a sob.

"Axel… Stop! I don't want it like this! St-stop!" I broke down into to terrified sobs. Axel let me go and I sank to the floor. I shook and trembled as I cried. I flinched when Axel grabbed my arm to pull me up.

"D-don't touch me! Oh G-god j-just please d-don't touch m-me!" I cried. "J-just go…" I said softly.

"Roxas… Sh-shit, I-I-"

"Just go!" I yelled and curled into myself. When I heard his footsteps fade completely, I started taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I stood and took one final deep breath before moving out of the stairwell and back into the student union. I moved quickly to the kitchen and grabbed a biscuit and a sausage link.

I spotted Sora and Riku and sat at the table. I smiled at them. "Thanks for having my back guys." I said and began to pick at my biscuit.

"That is one terribly fake smile… that idiot made it worse didn't he?" Sora asked and I frowned.

"Our friendship is on a bit of an indefinite hiatus… so y-y-" I covered my mouth in shock when the sobs began to billow and tumble from my throat and out of my mouth.

"Sora…" Riku started as I continued to cry as quietly as possible.

"What?" Sora asked.

"His neck… there are more bite marks, Sora…" Riku said, the emotion buried in his voice completely unidentifiable.

"Roxas… what did he do to you?" Sora asked and I just shook my head and wrapped my arms around Sora. I felt like such a baby, but I wanted someone to hold me. I wanted someone with gentle hands to just hold me close for a minute.

When his arms went around me and began to sob again, quietly into his shirt. I didn't want any more attention today. After maybe five minutes I took a deep breath and pulled away from Sora. "Thanks for that." I said.

"I'm not talking to him anymore…" Sora said.

"N-no! Please! I know it s-seems bad… but he and I w-were so an-angry at each other. He just l-let his emotions t-take over. H-he's not a bad person… he d-didn't mean it." I said.

"Didn't mean it, Roxas! Look at you! You're obviously very shaken by this and I don't blame you! Something like this is too serious to ignore!" Riku said firmly.

"H-he's your b-best friend! And vice-v-versa! He n-needs you! Both of you!" I said and looked at them pleadingly.

"Why are you defending him? Look what he's done to you!" Sora yelped.

"Because I like him!" I yelled before quieting. "I like him so much I can't stand it… it sickens me. H-he's all I think about…" I mumbled.

"Roxas, this doesn't change that fact that he sexually harassed you." Riku said quietly.

"I can put it behind me… and I will. Please don't abandon him… I'm not going to, he's worth it! I know he is!" I said and looked between the two of them.

Sora was the one to break first. "This doesn't mean I've forgiven him. And he better worship you when you finally get together." Sora said.

Riku sighed. "I agree… if he treats you as if you are anything less than royalty, I really am going to kick his ass. Daddy doesn't think he's worthy…" Riku laughed.

I smiled and hugged Riku. "Thank you." I said and moved to eat my food.

-Cantabile-

Sunday passed by quickly and soon it was Monday again and classes were resuming. I got up and grabbed all of my toiletries and moved to go to the bathroom.

I knocked on the door and Naminé exited the room smelling like flowers. I smiled. "Good morning." I said.

"You look like you've calmed down from yesterday. I was really worried about you. Ummm… do you want some make up to cover…" She stumbled with her sentence, unsure of whether she should ask.

"Yeah… that would be great. I would rather not face a day full of "what happened's" and "Are you okay's."" I said and scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

"Yay!" Naminé exclaimed before clearing her throat. "Sorry… it's just that I really like doing make up and stuff. I always told myself if I wasn't a violinist, I would be a fashion coordinator." Naminé said with a smile.

"You'd be good for it… there's never a day when you don't look great." I said with a chuckle.

"Well thanks, hun! Now let's make these polka dots on your neck disappear!" she said.

It took around ten minutes but when it was done I felt a lot better about going to class. "Thank you Naminé!" I said and hugged her before heading to Theory.

My classes went by perfectly until it was time for my private lesson. I would have to sit in close quarters with Axel for an hour.

Could I handle that? I sighed and closed my eyes for a second.

Yes.

"Hello, Mr. Fair." I said as I entered the practice room. "I'm really happy with how my pieces are improving. And my playing overall too." I said and smiled.

"I'm quite impressed with your progress as well, Roxas. I think you have a bright future ahead of you." He said and I nodded.

"Where's Axel?" I asked.

"Right here." I jumped at the sound of his voice and I watched as he entered the room. I quickly looked away and took a breath. Calm down… Calm down, Roxas! He's not going to hurt you!

"Is it that cold in here, Roxas?" Mr. Fair asked.

"H-huh?" I frowned at my stutter.

"It's just that your hands are trembling. It's rather hard to play with shaky hands." Mr. Fair said.

I could feel Axel's eyes on me and I shook my head as if trying to shake it off. "Sorry… that's my anemia kicking in. Just give me a second and I'll be fine." I lied.

"By all means, take your time." Mr. Fair said. I took a deep breath and began a chant in my head.

This is for the Axel that cares.

Think about the Axel that cares.

The Axel that cares is worth it.

I took one more deep breath and looked at Axel. He was looking at me with pain in his eyes. I gave him the tiniest smile before turning and shaking my hands out. "Okay, what are we starting with?"

"I would like to hear the Donaudy, personally." Mr. Fair said and I nodded.

I looked over to Axel and began my playing. Just softly trying to relax myself further. I heard Axel inhale to sing.

"O del mio amato ben perduto incanto!" He began, his voice silky smooth. Gently gliding through the air.

"Lungi è dagli occhi miei chi m'era gloria e vanto!" He sang and I leaned into my piano. Moving into the next melodic theme.

"Or per le mute stanze sempre lo cerco e chiamo." I picked it up as the song became more excited. "Con pieno il cor di speranze?" I followed him as he sang the crying parts. "Ma cerco invan, chiamo invan!" Then I slowed as he relaxed. "E il pianger m'è sì caro, che di pianto sol nutro il cor." I played the interlude and we started up again.

"Mi sembra, senza lui, triste ogni loco." The melody was the same and it was beautiful. I found myself rocking into the piano and then swaying towards Axel as we played together. "Notte mi sembra il giorno; mi sembra gelo il foco." We continued.

"Se pur talvolta spero di darmi ad altra cura," I moved to speed up again as Axel sang.

"Sol mi tormenta un pensiero: Ma, senza lui, che farò? Mi par così la vita vana cosa, senza il mio ben." I waited for him as he held the notes and felt the music.

When it was over I sighed. I just wasn't feeling it fully… and for that I felt a little guilty.

"That was beautiful… but it lacked emotion. Which is completely strange for you two. You know what this means, Axel? What's the translation?" Mr. Fair asked.

Axel looked at me for a second before speaking. "Oh, lost enchantment of my dearly beloved! Far from my eyes is he who was, to me, glory and pride! Now through the empty rooms, I always seek him and call him with a heart full of hopes..." Axel paused, probably translating the words in his head.

"But I search in vain, I call out in vain! And the weeping is so dear to me, only with weeping alone do I console my heart…" He said looking to the floor.

"The next verse, Axel." Mr. Fair urged.

"It seems to me, without him, everywhere is sad. The day seems like night to me; the fire seems cold to me… Sometimes hope to give myself to another cure, but one thought alone torments me…" Axel stopped again and took a breath. He looked at me.

"But without him, what shall I do? To me, life seems a vain thing without my beloved." Axel finished and I had to look away from him.

"Axel… have you ever felt so lost? So miserable because you can't seem to have what you desire so badly?" Mr. Fair asked.

"Yes…" Axel said softly.

"Axel you have got to feel this text. Roxas won't be able to play completely until you do. You love this person so much and now that he or she is gone, you don't want to live anymore! And whenever you so much as think about forgetting him or her, you are plagued with the most intense guilt. And whenever you call out for him or her, when ever you reach for him or her, it's all for naught! He or she could be in your arms, you could beat him or her into a false sense of submission, but you know you'll never really have him or her again! Really imagine how that must feel. It's so sad. You understand?"

Axel nodded.

"Try it again, give Roxas something to feed off of, otherwise, his playing is just a shell."

When I thought about what this song meant… I couldn't stop the gut wrenching feeling the brewed in my abdomen. The music just seemed one thousand percent more tragic after hearing the real words.

I began the song again and when Axel sang, his voice was so much fuller. So much more pleasing to hear because he was really conveying something. But to whom was he conveying?

I passed a glance to him. Only to be caught by his eyes. They were glistening with torment and guilt, with a longing that I had never seen before.

I suddenly felt this urgency, this desperation that was so intense. The music began to spin forward, the sheer need in the tones permeating throughout the room.

I felt my chest burn at the sound of Axel's voice… he sounded so unhappy.

"Ma cerco invan!" he sang. "Chiamo invan!" he cried. "E il pianger m'è sì caro, che di pianto sol nutro il cor." He finished the verse sounding so lonely.

I played the interlude with that same sense of loneliness, with that same feeling of being lost.

Axel's voice only seemed to fall deeper and deeper into despair and my piano fell with him. I felt my heart clench and tears come to my eyes as he sang the climax and final line.

"Ma, senza lui, che farò?" We quieted together weeping softly. "Mi par così…" we let out a long, fading cry. "la vita…" I played but he was still pausing, I looked back at him.

He was crying.

"Vana cosa…" I picked up his last words. "Senza il mio ben…" we finished and I let out a choked sob as I turned to look at him.

"S-sorry… I know I went too far… b-but it was tugging on my heart." Axel said and Mr. Fair just nodded.

"That was a very touching performance… I'm very proud. I'm sure in a real performance setting with an audience, you two will be very prepared and capable of pulling out the emotions you just felt without letting them get the best of you. So I'm going to let this settle by ending the lesson early. You guys have a nice day." He said before leaving.

I sniffed and wiped at my eyes before looking to Axel.

"Roxas… it must be so hard to even bear the sight of me. What I did to you… it was absolutely unforgivable. But still… I am so, so sorry. Roxas… I-I was so angry, I had never felt so jealous in my life before…" Axel said.

"We were both angry…" A laugh and a sob slipped from my mouth at the same time. "Axel… I like you so much, it hurts… and when you didn't show up at the opera… I felt like my heart to was going to shrivel away… and then when you kept telling me that I was easy… I couldn't take it. I went drinking because I was confused about my feelings for you… I just wanted to forget them all. And I almost did for that brief moment… but it came back and I stopped what I was doing… I'm really, really not that kind of person and when you grabbed me a-and… It broke my heart. I don't want to be someone you can play with when you're in the mood… I j-just w-want…" I trailed off looking away from him. I had never spilled out so much of my heart before… I just hoped that he would gather it back up and keep it safe.

"I know you're not the kind of person I said you were. When I saw that mark on your neck, I got so mad that I had lost my chance with you and so jealous of whoever was graced with your affections… I couldn't stand it! And I took it out on you. I just snapped. I want to give you everything! I want to call you mine and I don't want to share you with anyone else… Roxas… I love you… I know I jump to conclusions too soon and that I always seem to fight with you… but when I'm with you, I'm the happiest I've ever been. I'll do anything to make it right… to erase all of the horrible things I did to you… I'll personally take you to every opera in the city for as long as you want and buy every ticket." Axel said and I laughed through my tears.

"I want to tape everything you just said and play it every night before I go to sleep." I said with a chuckle.

"Sweetheart, I will say it to you every night if you want. I won't do it out of guilt either, I'll do it for the sole purpose of making you happy." Axel said.

I shook my head. "Who knew such a loud mouthed narcissist could be such a romanticist." I said with a small smile.

"Are my romantic phrases doing anything in my favor?" Axel asked.

"They're nice to hear… but you kind of won me over at the 'I love you' part…" I said with a blush.

"So I can stop embarrassing myself now?" Axel asked.

"No, give me a little more." I said with a smirk.

"Roxas…" Axel paused before starting again. "Roxas…" he paused once more and I laughed.

"Seems as though someone has forgotten all of their romantic lines." I said and Axel groaned.

"I had some really good one's too!" Axel said and I shrugged.

"You could just tell me them later, right?" I asked.

Axel smirked. "Absolutely!" He walked over to me and I stood to face him. "I really want to kiss you… I'll be gentle, I swear." He said.

I put my arms up and around his neck before letting my fingers play with his deep-red locks. "Sorry Axel… the first rule of the practice room is 'no lewd or illicit behavior allowed.'" I said.

Axel chuckled. "When has anyone ever abided by the rules?" Axel asked.

"I just so happen to abide by the rules thank you very much." I said.

"Well, I welcome you into my realm of rebellion with this kiss." Axel said and moved in only to be evaded. "I think I'm going to make you work for my kisses. I don't think you deserve them yet." I said with a cackle.

Axel whined. "What do I have to do?" he asked.

"I think you need to talk to my parents face to face first." I said.

"What? They're in France!" Axel cried.

"Not those parents." I said with a giggle before letting go of Axel and leaving the room.

"Wait! What are you talking about?" Axel called as he trailed behind me.

I smiled when I felt him grab the back of my shirt like a small child trailing behind a grown-up.

I let out a happy sigh when I realized that this would work out. I had gotten my Tosca before he escaped.

I couldn't wait to tell Sora!

A/N: Whoo, that was a lot more words than expected… I wrote it in the early hours of the morning and I had a huge headache. So please, ease my pain by reviewing!