Axel stepped back letting go of Roxas…
"W-what?"
Roxas didn't move from the spot his eyes were now gazing to the ceiling, he didn't by any means want to see the expression that met his eyes when he lowered them from the ceiling…
Axel was sitting on his bed, eyes wide full of tears and his hand cupped over his mouth as if he wanted to speak and was attempting to pull the words out…
His hand moved to the side of his face and he opened his mouth and closed it again, his forehead was creased as he tried to comprehend what he was being told…
Axel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, Roxas could see tears clearly stream down his face over the place where his tattoos were…
His hand had returned to his mouth, with his eyes still closed, he spoke slowly.
"You're leaving tomorrow…?"
"…Yes…"
The redhead breathed out like the next sentence he was going to say might just kill him.
"…Will you be coming back…?"
Roxas eyes met his feet Axel's eyes were still closed as if trying to wake up from an awful nightmare.
"I… She didn't say…"
His face contorted as he heard these words leave Roxas mouth, like hearing each syllable was another dagger to his soul his very existence…
A loud sob escaped his lips, eyes still closed his fists balled up so tightly he was going white in the knuckles…
His eyes opened full of tears, his hands opened uselessly empty in front of his open green eyes, he gazed at them breathing in sobbing gasps…
"I-I just don't understand… Why… Why is she taking you… It makes… No… Sense…"
His hands were at either side of his head now staring at the bedcovers he was sitting on, he was beginning to hyperventilate…
Roxas approached his side in silence, his words would mean nothing right now, so he chose to stay silent and hugged Axel instead.
This was the position they were in when Zexion stepped into the room.
"Hey guy… Jesus! What's wrong?"
He watched Axel sob into Roxas chest as they lay side by side on the bed, Roxas eyes were also swollen, red and blotchy from what he guessed was hours of crying…
He looked from one to the other and sat on the bed across from them, not knowing how to handle the situation…
He assumed he should just stay solitary and quietly support them when Roxas voice could be heard…
Nothing more than a whisper…
"Something happened at home… So I'm leaving tomorrow."
Zexion sat up scratching the back of his head forehead furrowed in deep thought.
"What's happened at home? If you don't mind me asking…"
Roxas shook his head wiping away tears with the tips of his fingers.
"If I knew, I'd tell you… She won't tell me…"
Zexion nodded reflecting on what he'd just heard.
"But… You're not better… Are you?"
Roxas shook his head.
"A little, maybe… But I'm not ready to leave… I still have urges… The truth is, Axel's being helping me… Loads… I wouldn't be this far if it wasn't for Axel…"
His voice faltered as he began to cry again…
Axel put his arm around Roxas shoulders and held him close…
The darkly clad teenager got up and began to pace the room like he was thinking very hard.
"Surely… There's something…"
The blonde boy looked up a little surprised.
"You want me to stay?"
He said in a tiny voice…
Zexion raised an eyebrow at Roxas.
"Course I do… What you think I want you gone?"
Roxas shook his head and then nodded a little…
"Maybe…"
Zexion smiled a little at Roxas.
"No… I don't want you gone Roxas… Like I said, me and Axel are friends that got a little too um what's the word… Friendly… Nothing more… Got it memorized?"
Axel gave Zexion a look and couldn't help but laugh a little despite himself and between sobs apprehended him.
"That's my catchphrase…"
Silence fell like a tonne of bricks upon them as they all stared in random directions avoiding each others gazes…
Roxas eyes were glazing over with tears again…
/I wish I didn't have to leave…/
Later on after dinner that night, Roxas made his way out to the grounds leaving Zexion and Axel playing pool in the games room…
/They won't notice if I'm gone for a few minutes…/
He stood out on the steps down to the gravel looking up at the stars, there were more stars here than he could see at home…
He put his hands in his hoody pocket walking down the steps mentally saying goodbyes to everything around him…
He had been here maybe a week and a half, if even…
Although he was unsure of the length of time he'd spent here, he knew that it had helped him, that he'd new experiences and met two people who cared for him, one of whom cared enough about him to give up someone they may have really wanted so that he wouldn't be hurt…
/Where else am I gonna find that? I have nothing at home… No friends no understanding… Just… Just…/
His hands had balled themselves into fists at the thought of it…
/Him…/
He walked as far as the fountain sighing he sat on the side of it…
Even if he had only been here a short time, he'd made memories, he'd made friends…
Now he felt alone and cold knowing that tomorrow he'd have to leave…
Briefly he wondered if Zexion had meant what he'd said and if they'd wind up together when he left…
/I want them both to be happy, if that makes them happy, so be it…/
He reached for a cigarette but realizing he had smoked the last one, lay on his back at the edge of the fountain gazing at the stars…
Meanwhile Axel and Zexion had finished their game of pool and looked around the games room for Roxas.
"He's been gone a while…"
Zexion nodded.
"Yeah, we should go look for him… I thought he was going for a cigarette…"
They left the games room handing the cues to other people waiting to play.
"Where do you think he'd go…?"
Zexion enquired.
"I'm not sure… Since it's his…"
Axel gulped tears coming to his eyes…
The grey blue haired teen put his hand on Axel's back, a silent sign of comfort…
Once at the stairs they headed in different directions agreeing to meet back there in fifteen minutes…
Axel set off towards the pool and court areas while Zexion headed towards the gardens…
Roxas was again wandering around the place discovering more of the place, statues he'd never seen before, flower gardens that were hidden from view, a maze made of hedges…
He walked until he came back around to where the swimming pool was…
Roxas laid his hand on the handle of the door, which was surprisingly unlocked…
Walking into the large glass house which contained the swimming pool, an odd sense of helplessness and sadness came over him at the realization that after tomorrow he may never see Axel or Zexion again, worse still, that there was very little he could do about it…
The water looked very still as he walked around the pool it glistened in the dark moonlight, looking more inviting by the second…
"Roxas… Roxas! Where are you?"
Zexion had his long black jacket on, searching the gardens…
/Where could this kid have gotten to…?/
He glanced at his watch.
/Guess I better head back if I'm to meet Axel…/
Axel's gaze became worried when he saw Zexion approach alone…
"You didn't find him either huh…?/
Zexion asked slightly puzzled.
Axel shook his head.
"Although, I didn't check the pool… But that'd be locked right?"
Both teens gazed at each other worriedly and started to sprint to the pool.
Roxas was sitting beside it gazing down into the clear dark water...
Standing up, he walked up to the deeper end and taking his shoes off left them by the side…
His back now facing the pool he spread out his arms and let himself fall backwards into the water…
Axel and Zexion ran as fast as they could, hoping Roxas was not doing what they both feared he might be…
He had seemed so calm towards dinner compared to his heartbroken sobs earlier it would make perfect sense…
They burst through the door, their eyes searched the water, but nothing could be seen in the darkness…
Moving quickly around the pool Zexion's eyes landed on a pair of trainers that looked very familiar and without even thinking threw his coat off and dived in…
Axel watched his friend move into the darkness at the bottom of the pool…
He waited tense and feeling sick at what the result of this could be…
But before Zexion appeared Roxas came up for air at the shallow end wiping his eyes he waved casually…
"I never used the pool, so I decided to come for a swim…"
Axel looked sceptical.
"Fully clothed?"
Roxas shrugged.
"I'm wearing white boxers…"
Axel's mind wandered...
Zexion reappeared gasping for air and laying eyes on Roxas looked highly confused he opened his mouth to ask Roxas when Axel told him.
"He's never used the pool so he came for a swim…"
Zexion raised an eyebrow which Axel just shrugged at.
"Yes Zexion… Our dear Roxas is an oddball…"
Zexion's hair was soaked and sticking to his face, he swam over to Roxas and standing up in the shallow end towering over him and shaking his head disapprovingly splashed him playfully.
"I'll get you for that…"
Roxas pulled an exaggerated angry face and swam after Zexion who had dived underwater again.
Axel tried to see where they were swimming but couldn't in the darkness…
Zexion re emerged at the edge and grabbing Axel's ankles made him tumble head first into the water.
He re emerged with his red hair hanging in his face and grinning looked for Zexion.
"You are so dead…"
All three played in the pool shouting and screaming when the lights suddenly flicked on…
"Eh?"
All three of them stopped dead Axel and Zexion holding Roxas above their heads at the side of the pool preparing to throw him in…
A familiar faced doctor took one look at the three of them and visibly had to stop himself from laughing…
When he had composed himself in a professional manner again he cleared his throat.
"I think you three should be getting to bed now…"
Roxas was put gently on the ground again and they were making their way out when Zexion bumped against Roxas with his hip sending him flying into the water again.
"You… You…"
Seeing that the doctor was there he refrained from using bad language but once his back was turned both hands were over the edge of the pool both in single fingered salutes in response what Zexion had just done to him.
Both Axel and Zexion laughed as Roxas pulled himself out of the pool grinning too…
/Damn I'm gonna miss these guys…/
Zexion ruffled Roxas wet hair and laughing went into his own room but not before wishing them both 'a most sexcellent night'.
Their door closed with a soft thud as Axel pushed Roxas against it.
"We may never get another…"
Roxas silenced Axel with a soft kiss on his lips.
"Shhh… I don't want to think about that right now…"
Axel's hands busied themselves on buttons and his lips busied themselves on Roxas neck…
Roxas tugged Axel's wet t shirt off over his head, kissing blindly and stumbling over the clothes they'd just thrown onto the floor their bodies eventually hit a bed.
Axel's lips explored Roxas body whispering.
"I want to remember every single bit of you…"
Roxas felt Axel's tears fall upon his stomach, but he hid his face, wanting to enjoy what could possibly be their last night…
When his lips finally returned to Roxas lips the tears were plain to see upon his cheekbones…
They made shiny repetitive tracks down his face…
Their fun seemed less playful now that they knew it could be their last time…
Axel slowly moved his fingers inside Roxas making him gasp slightly, but as he moved them rhythmically inside, Roxas felt himself wanting more…
"Please…"
Roxas gasped between stifled moans.
Axel began to use his mouth on Roxas hardening length making him cry out even more.
"Please… I want…"
His fingers curled into the bedclothes as Axel continued to pleasure him.
"I need it… Now… Please…"
Axel stopped abruptly and lubricating himself thoroughly, positioned himself facing Roxas, laying him down gently on his back…
Taking Roxas in his arms he entered him slowly, feeling the younger teens body react to Axel pulling him further down the bed...
A long drawn out sigh escaped the blonde's lips…
Roxas lip's caught his lovers…
His breath escaping in small gasps with every thrust causing new pleasure and friction…
Roxas hands tangled in Axel's still wet hair, pulling it slightly with every bit of pleasure he was feeling…
"Don't… Stop…"
The rhythm was getting faster, much faster than last time, Axel's hands held his hips close as thrust after thrust made him come closer and closer…
Roxas threw his head back, his body jerking of its own accord as Axel grabbed his length in his hand and pleasured him until he came, releasing over their stomachs which were mere centimetres from each other…
Axel thrust into him a few final times letting himself linger a little longer there remembering in his pleasure, the great pain they would both suffer tomorrow…
They lay beside each other, chests heaving from the exertion…
Out of nowhere Roxas threw his arms around Axel and burying his head into the older teen's chest attempted to hide his tears…
"You know I…"
"I know…"
Axel smiled weakly, holding back tears.
"And I love you too…"
The next day Axel awoke alone…
He sat up wide eyed looking around himself…
All of Roxas things had been taken…
There was nothing left…
The room seemed so bare without his suitcase on the floor…
Tears pricked his eyes…
He punched the table which brought his eyes to a small scrap of paper on the desk…
Curious he picked it up and unfolding it wished he hadn't found it…
Dear Axel,
I didn't want to wake you…
Leaving was hard enough as it was…
As it turns out, my dad's in hospital…
Took a massive heart attack...
Although I won't be able to see you, I will be able to write…
Maybe even phone…
I'd much rather be here with you than going back there…
It would seem I'm going back to school soon too…
Which means, it would seem that I'm not being let back…
I'm sorry about everything that has happened between us I know it's probably causing you more pain than I'm worth…
Roxas.
On another scrap of paper a phone number and address fell out which Axel put in his pocket.
/Roxas… How could you ever think I'd feel you weren't worth it…?/
Roxas was in the car beside his mother staring at the countryside mentally noting the way they were going should he decide to come back here…
"So Roxas… Are you feeling any better…?"
The blonde boy continued to look out the window.
"No, in fact I feel worse."
"Maybe it was a bad idea to send you there…"
He turned to stare her down.
"No, it was dumb of you to pull me out before my treatment was complete…"
His mother's eyes visibly hardened.
"Your father's in hospital and all you can think of is yourself…"
"And all you can think of is that bastard…"
"Don't speak about your father that way…"
"I'll speak about that cum stained excuse of a human any fucking way I want…"
His mother's eyes opened in slight shock at the use of his language.
"What have they been teaching you in that place?"
"Nothing really… I already had the gun, someone just taught me how to shoot and reload it."
His mother looked visibly shocked by this statement and silence mingled with tension hung in the air…
Roxas felt silently pleased with himself, despite the fact that he had to leave he was happy that Axel seemed to have left his mark on him…
His eyes gazed listlessly out the window.
/I wonder what he's doing now?/
Axel took a shower and got dressed, he went to breakfast and sat in silence with Zexion…
Silence was not unwelcome between them, they had been friends so long it didn't matter how long either of them didn't feel like talking…
They would eventually and until then, the other would wait patiently…
In this case though, both seemed rather silenced by what had happened.
Zexion had seen Roxas leave earlier, but decided not to tell Axel until a later date, the look of sadness upon the boys face as he waved goodbye to Zexion had been heartbreaking even for him...
Therefore he figured Axel had enough heartache to deal with, without the fact that Roxas wasn't happy at all…
Roxas mother pulled the car into the hospital car park waiting for Roxas to get out of the car, which he did not do.
"Are you getting out?"
He shook his head eyes firmly staring out the windscreen.
"He's your father, he's just had a heart attack and you won't even get out of the car to see him… You're a selfish little bastard!"
"Get out of this car now…"
Roxas shrugged and slammed the car door once he was out.
"Don't slam the car door!"
The blonde boy didn't even turn around he just kept walking towards the hospital.
Roxas walked in through the doors of the place and at the desk asked for his father and where he is.
"It's only family we're letting in at the moment…"
"Yeah, I know… I'm sad to say I'm his son…"
The nurse gave him a rather startled look and told him which room to go to.
He walked to the elevator and finding the right button the doors slid closed just as his mother entered the hospital.
The elevator made odd creaky noises as it climbed the floors…
/Hmmm… With a bit of luck now the cords will snap and I'll fall to my untimely death…/
But the cords did not snap and he was left safely to the floor right in front of the room. He wondered briefly why his father was in a private room then assumed his mother must have paid extra to get him in on his own.
His father was in bed sitting up watching TV when he entered.
"Hello Roxas…"
Roxas glared down at him.
"Back from that place eh? How're you feeling?"
"Worse… Not that you'd care…"
"Of course I care, I want you to get over your… Problem…"
"What's this problem then dad?"
He asked sarcastically leaning in close to him.
"Is it the making myself SICK bit?"
"Well yea…"
"Is it the fact that you think I'm a pansy for getting beaten up at school bit?"
"Wha?"
"Or…"
Roxas said deviously waiting wanting to savour this moment.
"Is it the suspicion that because I have a 'girls illness' and I won't 'fight back' at school that you think I could be…"
"Stop…"
His fathers voice was certain and definitely angry.
"Just stop it…"
Roxas voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned over his father.
"…Gay..."
His father reached out and struck him sending him stumbling backwards into the wall, his back hit the wall and he began laughing spitefully…
"Oh… I get it, you're ashamed of me because you think I'll turn out to be gay…"
Roxas moved back to his father's bedside.
"Well well well, my father the homophobic… That would explain a lot I suppose… Your shit parenting, the fact that you never even cared that I couldn't stand up for myself, you just assumed I should be able to, being your son… Your only son…"
His father sat up dart straight in bed.
"Roxas… I'm warning you…"
"What? Are you going to hit me again? It's ok dad… We're in a hospital… They can fix me…"
The last two words were said with particular bitterness out through his gritted teeth.
"That's what you've always wanted right? A proper son…"
He took his fathers face in his hands getting closer and closer.
"Someone who could stand up for themselves… Who didn't need affection… Who was a real man… Not a boy… Right dad? You didn't want me…"
The last words seemed to ring around the room…
"A kid who looked up to you... Didn't like sports so he drew you pictures instead… But that's never what you wanted… I was never what you wanted… I get that now…"
He moved away from his father and his face fell as he thought about this.
"I guess I'm going to be your greatest disappointment then…"
He sighed heavily moving close to his father again, the door creaked open as his mother entered.
"Hi honey!"
She addressed her husband cutting across Roxas.
"How have you been…"
Roxas broke their conversation up with two small words.
"I'm gay."
Both of their faces turned to look at Roxas his father looked like someone had just ripped his stomach out through his mouth.
"W-what did you j-just say?"
Roxas knew his dad's voice was shaking with anger and standing closely in front of his parents he repeated what he had just said.
"I'm gay."
His father's hand swung out to strike him, it was like everything had suddenly gone into slow motion, he saw his fathers hand come towards him and closed his eyes, the force was so great it sent him to the floor, he felt like a rag doll as he lay there.
His father was up off the bed and his mother tried to hold him back from hurting Roxas any further.
The blonde boy got up from the floor, and wiping blood away from his lip, drew back and punched his father straight in the nose sending him back onto the bed looking very shocked.
"Oh… And it's not because I'm gay I don't stand up for myself you fucking douche bag… It's just that I don't believe in senseless violence… This however, was far from senseless…"
With that said he left the room grinning like a madman.
His mother chased after him shouting.
"Where the fuck are you going get back here and apologise to your father!"
"I'm going home you wench and I wouldn't apologise if you paid me… I hope the shock KILLS him."
Roxas laughed manically as he walked towards the lift.
Pressing the button the doors opened instantly and he went inside laughing until the doors closed…
At which instant tears clouded his vision…
Elsewhere Axel was attempting to get near a phone while Zexion was distracting the newest edition to the staff members with his tales…
"So Zexion is it?"
Zexion nodded shyly.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"Well… I've been feeling particularly depressed lately…"
"Yes and why do you think you've been feeling this way?"
Zexion shrugged.
"I dunno, I guess there's quite a few reasons really…"
The blonde doctor nodded.
"I see… Any you feel like discussing?"
Zexion nodded.
"Actually yeah… But I kinda dunno where to begin…"
"Well begin where you feel it started… Or where the memories feel clearest maybe?"
Zexion shifted in his chair making his pretence at being actively depressed seem more real...
"Um… Okay…"
/Damn it… He's really hot…/
"Well I guess the most recent was that my friend left this place, something happened, family related, but I know he wasn't better yet…"
The doctor nodded understandingly.
"Second… Uh… Would you be offended if I asked your name?"
The blonde haired doctor pulled some hair out of his face looking at him wondering why he wanted to know…
"I would just feel more comfortable knowing that I am piling my problems upon the shoulders of someone I know, rather than on someone who is just a face to me…"
/An extremely pretty face…/
The doctor nodded smiling.
"My name is Demyx..."
"So Doctor Demyx?"
"No no… Just call me Demyx… So please continue."
Zexion tried to hide a blush, having vivid fantasies of being examined by Doctor Demyx…
"Um… Second my best friend is really torn up by my first friend's departure… They were really close you see…"
Demyx nodded, Zexion was imagining him naked with nothing but the clipboard he was holding…
"Thirdly… I think I could be gay…"
The blonde doctor nodded again.
"And when did these urges you're having become strong enough that you started considering that you might be gay?"
Zexion gulped and stood up from his chair.
"The moment I walked into this room…"
With that Zexion sat on Demyx's lap and pulled him into a kiss which Demyx seemed to try resist enjoying…
But when they pulled away Demyx looked as embarrassed as Zexion did…
The grey blue haired teen grinned at Demyx.
/I hope Axel's day is going as well as mine is!/
Axel found Demyx's office and grabbed the phone dialling fast he listened to it ring over and over…
"Fuck…"
He said slamming down the receiver and instantly picking it back up to dial again…
Roxas was walking home in the rain from the hospital, it wasn't far from where he was living… Maybe ten minutes walk… He left the car park of the place and looking left and right crossed the road.
/I hate it so much here… If only…/
His thoughts filled with Axel…
/Yeah… If only…/
Axel continued to ring like a maniac...
/I might not get a chance to get to ring again for a while… Damn it Roxas pick up…/
Roxas was now about five minutes from his house he seemed to be moving faster due to the rain and decided to run the last bit of the way…
Axel still had the phone in his hand ringing and ringing…
Roxas had reached the end of his driveway…
/He's not gonna answer…/
Roxas heard the phone right from outside and fumbling with his keys in the door talked to no one in particular.
"Don't hang up don't hang up!"
He opened the door and grabbed the phone only to have it go dead on him.
"Shit…"
Axel sat staring at the phone…
/I guess he's not there right now…/
When the phone started to ring...
/I really shouldn't answer it, it's probably for Demyx…/
And yet his hand reached out for the phone…
"Hello?"
"Hey… Axel?/
"Roxas?"
"Uh huh… It's me."
"How'd you get this number?"
"We have caller id duh…"
"I-it's good to hear your voice…"
Roxas could hear his voice falter.
"Are you gonna be coming back or…"
Roxas shook his head into the phone…
"I-I just don't know Axel…"
He could hear Axel sob at the other end of the line so he decided to quickly change the subject…
"I went to see my dad… Told him I was gay…"
Axel seemed to stop crying a little.
"Oh yeah? What happened?"
"He punched me… Bastard split my lip open…"
"And what did you do?"
"Punched the prick in the nose and told him to fuck off basically… Then walked off laughing like a maniac…"
Axel giggled a little down the phone.
"I'm glad you're ok…"
Roxas suddenly looked down.
"I-I'm not okay… I feel lonely… I feel weak being back here… I… Miss you…"
Tears ran down his face and he sobbed into the phone.
"I don't want to be here Axel… I want to be back there, I felt like I was home there… Now, I feel like I don't belong, I'm in my house alone and I feel like I shouldn't be here at all… I feel like I'm intruding, they don't want me here Axel… I know they don't…"
Axel sighed.
/I have to be strong for Roxas sake.
"Of course they want you there Roxy… Your mom came to pick you up cause she cares and wants you there…"
"That's bullshit Axel, they both despise me… They wish I could be someone I'm not… I was pretty much told to shut up and go back to school and they didn't give a fuck if I was over it or not… They don't understand Axel… They never will…"
Axel paused on the line.
"If it's the last thing I do Roxas… I promise you with everything I am, I'll get you out of there as soon as I can… Even if it takes years… Just you wait… Fuck… Someone's coming near the office… I have to go… I'll try my best to keep in touch, remember what I said… I love you and I'll live for you… Bye."
The phone went dead in Roxas hands, his last contact with the inside had just been cut off…
What was worse he would have to wait for Axel to get in touch with him…
Sure he could write letters, but they would take forever…
Slowly but surely, Axel's letters became less and less frequent…
The calls faded away into nothing…
He was always busy preparing for something…
Or as Roxas assumed, someone…
Months passed and Roxas loneliness grew hugely…
Antidepressants were apart of his daily routine now and his body was fast declining into nothing…
There had been so many hospital visits, so many times he had been so close to death from not eating or vomiting, his parents were adamant that he was not going back to the institution and every time he was refused, he became more determined to die…
Until one day after years of this treatment…
He just gave up…
/I can't die and I can't live…/
So he stopped talking, stopped eating, stopped everything, sleeping brought him no calm…
He was even on sleeping pills…
He sat all day blankly staring out his window, they had home help with him now too. Force feeding was as awful as Axel had described it, but that too became part of day to day life…
His mind was always full of thoughts of Axel, also a few passed through of Zexion…
How they had spent that short time together, the things he had experienced and how most of his life lessons had been learnt there…
His eighteenth birthday came around before he knew it...
He dozed off near his bedroom window, stronger than he had been before all of this had started because they were forcing him to eat, no longer by forcing food into him but by making him sit down and eat no matter what his protests were…
When his blue eyes reopened, he noticed a car pulled up outside the house…
He turned away from the window wiping his eyes dozily and there at his bedroom door was Axel.
He opened his eyes wide and wiped them again and stood mouth agape…
"I'm dreaming aren't I?"
The redhead shook his head smiling…
"I made a promise didn't I?"
Roxas thought back…
"You stopped writing and calling… I thought you'd…"
"Forgotten?"
Roxas nodded.
"Silly little Roxas… You haven't changed at all…"
Roxas looked utterly confused…
"Well why are you here?"
"Because I remembered our first phone call when you returned here… I remember you saying how much you hated it…"
The blonde boy shook his head angrily.
"I've been here 2 years… It's been awful… I've been so…"
Axel hugged him tightly…
"I know… You must be angry… But I had to wait… You're eighteen as of today… Right?"
Roxas nodded teary eyed.
"Well… They can't do shit now right?"
"Right…"
Roxas was becoming more confused by the moment.
"Well I have a birthday present for you Roxas…"
Axel took a card out of his coat.
"Open it…"
Roxas tore open the card and reading it reached inside the envelope.
"Plane tickets…? What?"
Axel went a light shade of pink.
"This is probably a pretty risky move on my part, but I'm gonna try anyway…"
The blonde teen stood there bewildered.
"Everything you'll need id my car… All I need is a yes…"
"Yes to what?"
Axel smiled.
"A yes to my next question…"
"Which is?"
The redhead took a deep breath.
"I want you to run away with me…"
Roxas felt elation and joy so much so, that after he had uttered a quiet 'yes' the blackness that suddenly overcame his vision was hardly a surprise…
Axel picked up Roxas and grinning like a madman got into the car beside Zexion.
"He said yes! Drive man drive!"
A voice came from the back seat.
"That's great… But er… Why's he unconscious?"
Zexion laughed.
"Ah Demyx you don't know him as well as me and Axel do… He does that a lot… In fact… We don't even know him that well do we Axel?"
Axel shook his head.
"That's the insane beauty of it and why we were all drawn to each other in the first place…"
Demyx grinned.
"What animal magnetism?"
The redhead grinned more.
"Well… You could say that…"
Axel and Roxas stood in the airport together holding hands…
"You're sure you won't change your mind…?"
Roxas nodded tears starting to stream down his face.
"Yeah… I can't… There are just too many memories…"
Axel nodded kissing him hard on the lips…
He sat alone later that day looking over a pier…
Staring into the sea...
/I wonder what Axel's doing…/
His eyes stared dreamily into the sunset that was happening ahead of him thinking of memories they had shared…
At that moment someone grabbed him from behind pulling him back into their arms…
Familiar green eyes looked into his own…
"You scared the crap out of me…"
"You went off without telling us, you know we're not here a day and already you're running off! If you're not careful I'll have to put you on a leash…"
Axel winked, grinning to himself.
"You're such a pervert…"
"It's only because I like you! I got scared back there, I really thought you might turn back in the airport…"
Roxas shook his head.
"Why would I? That house holds awful memories… I hated them both… Is it natural to hate your parents?"
Axel shrugged.
"Is it natural for two gay couples to run off to Spain to start a new life?"
Roxas shook his head.
"Nope that's pretty fucked right there… Wait… Couples? We're not a…"
Axel grinned widely.
"Would you like to be?"
Roxas blushed hard.
"I guess if we're living together… We probably…"
Axel grabbed Roxas in his arms kissing him softly on the lips sending the boys lips and body into a complete frenzy.
Slowly he pulled away…
"That's a yes then?"
"I never said…"
"You didn't have to… The blush on your cheeks says it all…"
Roxas went to shake his head in disagreement…
But when he felt Axel's arm around his shoulders he knew he was right…
"I guess I have no choice…"
"Guess you don't…"
With that Axel pulled Roxas into another kiss and although they both knew it would take work… But at that moment both were comfortable and confident that as long as they were together nothing could possibly ever be as bad as it had been…
The end.