Rating: M

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the reviews! Also a special thanks to everyone who checked out this story after I finished BND. I'm glad you liked me enough to check this out as well!

Disclaimer: The characters are still not mine. Remember, its fanfiction.

Reckoning: Chapter 11

Last chapter:

"What? Tell me what?" Axel asked, reaching out and grasping my chin, lifting it lightly until I looked at him.

"I… I don't know exactly," I said, calming a little when I looked at his face, "but whenever I'm not around you, I think about you all the time… when you're close by, I feel happy, when Luxord hurt you… I couldn't stand it, I tried to be quiet so you wouldn't get hurt, but…" I said breaking down. I had to pause and look away for a moment before I could get my composition back. "When I thought you'd died… I… " I said, looking at him again, shaking as fresh tears started streaming as I looked into his widened eyes.

"Roxas…" He whispered, gripping my shoulder, bringing me closer to him, extremely slowly so I could get away if I wanted to. "Roxas," Axel whispered again when his lips were nearly touching mine. I still didn't pull away. Then, he slipped his hand to the back of my neck and pulled me toward him until my lips met his. I shivered at the initial contact before allowing him to kiss me. It calmed me a lot.

"Is that love?" I asked, pulling back a little when he paused.

Axel smiled up at me. "That, or something like it."

--

It took about a week of being in the hospital, before Axel had nearly fully recuperated. During his hospital stay, I had stayed close to him the entire time much like he had done for me when I'd been in the hospital. I even stayed when Demyx and Zexion visited, declining leaving with them afterwards. Once they'd left, I told Axel everything that had happened to me, from the kidnapping to discovering my mother. I didn't bother recounting the rape. Axel already knew every detail.

"Oh, Roxas," Axel said sadly, gripping my hand once I'd finished. "I can't believe that your dad made you look at your mom like that. I can't even imagine… I'm so sorry. God you've been through so much…"

I glowered at him. I wouldn't stand for him pitying me. "Didn't I tell you last time we were in a hospital not to pity me?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, Rox." Axel said apologetically. I looked at Axel studiously for a moment. He looked like he meant it, so I forgave him.

"Roxas," Axel said gently, gripping my hand after I'd gone silent for a few minutes. I gave him my full attention when he squeezed my hand. "Can I give your mom a proper funeral? Would that be okay with you?" he asked. I felt the familiar sting of oncoming tears.

"Why would you want to do that?" I asked. I still hadn't even given him a proper answer about giving him a chance. I mean… sure I'd admitted feelings for him, but that still wasn't an official answer.

"Because, Roxas," he said, grimacing slightly as he sat up to get closer to me, "she deserves it," he said wiping away the tears that had formed at the corners of my eyes. "And she meant a lot to you, didn't she?" he asked, smiling when I nodded.

"Okay," I said.

--

Almost two weeks later, once all of the preparations had been made and he had been released from the hospital, Axel held a funeral for my mother. I'd managed to find a photo of her to put on the casket in a dusty frame when we'd gone back to my house to get her body. I never did hear what happened to my father's corpse. Perhaps it was just buried somewhere, since there was no family to claim it. I really didn't care.

"Axel," I whispered, gripping his hand at the funeral. They were just beginning to lower the casket into the ground next to a lovely gravestone Axel had helped me pick out.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"Thank you," I said, throwing the rose that I'd been holding in my other hand onto my mother's casket just before it was swallowed up into the ground and hidden from view. Axel just nodded.

We stood there until we were the last ones at the gravesite. Demyx, Zexion, and Xaldin had headed home already as well as everyone else. Axel squeezed my hand lightly before slipping his hand away and putting his arm around my shoulders, drawing me closer. "Ready to go home, Rox?" he asked. It was mid November and the winter chill that came with it was starting to creep in. Today was especially chilly. I shivered slightly before allowing him to lead me to the car, still looking back. "We can come back as often as you'd like," Axel said reassuringly.

"I'd like that," I said, smiling up at him as he opened the car door for me before going around to the driver's side.

"Axel," I said as he started the car, making him look at me. "Could we just… drive around for a little while?" I asked.

"Sure," he said, putting the car into gear.

--

Axel drove around for about an hour, before taking off, going out of town, obviously having a destination in mind. He stopped at a place called 'crystal fissure'. Axel said that it was a natural wonder and it was located in a town called Radiant Garden. I looked at it, amazed, as we got out of the car. It was absolutely beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Axel asked. We'd arrived just before sunset, so it was reflecting the different hues that the sun was giving off.

"It's beautiful," I said, awestruck.

"So are you," Axel said, grasping my hand. I stared up at him and he gazed straight into my eyes. That was definitely bold of him.

"No I'm not," I said, softening my gaze a little, searching his face in an attempt to know what he was thinking. He smirked down at me.

"I think you are," he said. I felt my cheeks heat up at those words. I turned to leave so he wouldn't see, but he gripped my hand more tightly, pulling me close and turning me around.

"Axel…" I whispered, staring at him wide-eyed and shivering a little from the cold. He smiled briefly before looking away. He probably thought he was scaring me.

"Look Roxas," he said, indicating the fissure, "its magenta now." I didn't tear my eyes away from his face.

"Axel," I said a little louder, making him look at me again. He looked like he was about ready to speak, but I beat him to it. "Do want an answer to your question now?" I asked, looking up into his surprised face.

"Ready to give me an official answer?" he asked, sounding as surprised as he looked and blinking.

I smirked up at him. "Yeah," I said, "something along those lines." Axel continued to look at me as anticipation worked its way across his face. "I'd love to be your boyfriend," I said, "if you don't mind me not being able to get over my past yet and if you can accept the fact that I can't handle much physical action."

I literally saw Axel's face transform, from anxious to extremely excited in a matter of seconds, making him look a lot like a child in a candy store, as his face lit up. "Of course not, silly," he said gleefully, bending down and kissing my forehead, making my flush darken a little. I couldn't believe that he was so happy just because I'd said yes and even had conditions attached. "I can be patient," he said, brushing his nose against mine. "I'll even listen if you ever want to talk about the past."

"I'd like that," I said, turning toward the fissure again. We watched it until the sun had set then made our way back to the car as it got dark.

--

By the time we got home, the last traces of twilight had completely vanished and the stars had already come out. Axel and I went inside his darkened home. He pressed a finger to his lips, looking back at me when he turned on a light, before locking the door. I peered around him and saw Demyx snuggled up on 

top of Zexion on the couch. Both were asleep despite the TV being on. I smiled at them as we passed by and Axel shut off the TV. He turned back and grasped my hand, smiling as he led me into his bedroom.

"Do you want to stay in my room or would you like a room of your own?" Axel asked, taking off his shoes. I took off my shoes as well as my jacket before answering.

"Staying in yours is fine," I said, taking off my gloves, "if you don't mind," knowing full well that he wouldn't. "Axel, will you tell me about yourself?" I asked, sitting on his bed.

"Sure, Roxas, but first, I need a shower," he said. I nodded just before he vanished.

As soon as he was gone, I searched through his dresser. I found a clean shirt and underwear, not bothering to look for anything else; I'm sure the rest of his clothes would've been way too big on me, since he was so tall. I slipped away and went out, past the sleeping lovers, going to shower myself as well. I was sure I needed it.

I wanted to get done before him though, so I didn't take more than five minutes then got dressed in the clean clothes, gathering up the dirty ones, and heading back. I barely beat him, just sitting on the bed again before he came in, in only underwear.

"I see you raided my dresser," he said, smiling at me before sitting next to me.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind," I said.

"Not at all," he said shaking his head. I smiled at him before letting my eyes wander down to his chest. For someone who was only twenty-three, he sure had a lot of scars. Guess that that was part of gang life. I winced. Two of them had been my fault. "What's wrong, Rox?" Axel asked. He'd seen me start to look a little upset.

"Did it hurt?" I asked, running my thumb across his two newest scars. Axel laughed lightly.

"Of course," he said, "But saving you made it worthwhile," He said.

"Does it still hurt?" I asked, looking into his face. He shook his head no, but looked a little pained as if he'd just remembered something. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Just thinking," he said. I smiled, but felt a little bitter.

"Just thinking…" I said, "about Luxord?" He didn't answer me and I knew I was right. "Did he injure your heart or your mind?" I asked, sliding my fingers along his chest. I was surprised when he shivered as I touched him. When he still didn't answer, I pushed him down gently.

"What are you doing Roxas?" He asked, clearly surprised as I kissed first his chest then his forehead, both deliberately slowly and lovingly.

"Whenever my dad would get angry and hit me when I was little, before my mother passed, she'd kiss me where I was hurt like that and I'd feel better," I said, running my fingers along the tattoos on his cheeks. "Was I wrong?" I asked, widening my eyes a little.

Axel smiled at me warmly. "No," he said, "I feel much better."

--

-To be continued-

A/N: I wanted to bury Roxas' mom this time;;; can't leave her in the freezer for forever );

It was nice of Axel to offer, wasn't it?

Hmm well I hope you liked this chapter… Oh and before I forget; Thank you so much –lifeisadrag- your review motivated me to get back on this chapter lol; I was feeling a little unmotivated after finishing BND.

What's gonna happen next? I have an idea, but you'll have to wait and seeee….

Review to let me know how I did/ if you want to know what happens next soon?

--until next time