Disclaimer: Don't own Kingdom Hearts, though I'm seriously looking forward to owning a copy of 358/2 days once it comes to America in a couple of months. :D
Author's Note: Wow, this chapter was really weird. First it took forever to be written, and second it didn't come out like I'd originally intended at all! Seriously. I had all of these ideas for this chapter and then my fingers went to work and created something entirely different. I didn't like it at first, but I think after some editing this chapter's grown on me. I guess all of my previous ideas for chapter twelve will just have to be pushed back into chapter thirteen. This story's getting so long guys! It's crazy! Alright I'll stop talking so you call can read the story now (if you haven't already skipped over this practically useless author's note). Ha ha. Enjoy!
Despite my somewhat traumatic experience from yesterday, I had managed to stay up watching random youtube videos until the wee hours of the morning, dropping dead from exhaustion at around 3 o'clock (I think). Being that I am a ridiculously heavy sleeper, I didn't even fidget when Hayner's alarm (apparently) went off at 9 o'clock this morning. Olette had planned a beach day for everyone, insisting that they leave by 10 at the latest. I had politely declined, but Kairi, Hayner, and Selphie had excitedly picked up on the idea. Summer was fast-approaching and most everyone had been itching to soak up the first few rays of some summer sunshine out at the local beach. Hayner had poked fun at me yesterday for choosing to stay behind, saying I needed the extra time to "prepare for my hot date" as he had so tastefully put it. I had just smiled sweetly at my incredibly juvenile roommate and told him to enjoy his ladies' day out, making sure to relish the scowl he'd shot me.
When I had finally regained consciousness after a pleasantly uninterrupted night's sleep in a near catatonic state, I rolled over to check the time on my alarm clock. It was almost 1 in the afternoon. Yep, I was most definitely not a morning person. I stretched out across my bed and kicked off the sheets. The weather was warming up as we crept closer and closer towards the infamously hot and humid Twilight Town summer, and the tornado of blankets that I had formed into some sort of cloth cocoon overnight was really starting to make me sweat.
I swung my legs to the left until they were dangling over the side of the bed. Yawning, I hopped down from my elevated mattress and stumbled over to my closet to dig out my shower stuff. I figured that being pelted in the face with warm water would wake me up, if only somewhat. I gathered my shampoo and whatnot in my arms and lazily walked out the door towards the communal bathroom down the hall. I didn't really have a problem with walking there in nothing but my boxers; the floor was entirely male after all. Besides, it was a Saturday afternoon; the dorms were almost completely devoid of human life.
I stepped into the empty bathroom and headed over to turn on the good shower. I kicked off my undergarments rather carelessly and walked in. After standing under the spray for a few minutes, I had woken up significantly. I allowed myself a few moments to simply enjoy the warm water beating against my skin before I sought out my arsenal of shower goods.
Once I'd thoroughly cleaned myself, I proceeded through my usual post-shower routine: walk back to room, fix hair, get dressed, etc. I checked the time and decided to head to the dining hall for a late (really late) lunch. Clad in a gray v-neck and black skinny jeans, I slipped into my favorite black converses and left the cramped little sanctuary once more. Might as well get some food if it's paid for. I internally praised whatever deity was up there that my parents had agreed to pay for my school expenses while I was an undergraduate. TTU wasn't terribly expensive, but I could rest easy knowing I wouldn't be wasting years of my life paying off student loans once I'd gotten my bachelor's degree. I was constantly worshipping my pre-existing college fund.
As the automatic doors to the dingy little eating area opened, I was greeted with the image of a nearly deserted dining hall. I temporarily handed off my ID to be swiped by an anonymous student who was working the door and stepped cautiously through the turnstile. The girl, looking nearly bored to tears, handed back my card and I continued forward towards the vast rows of horrendously mediocre food.
As I gazed into the heat-lamp illuminated assortment of glorified cafeteria food, I decided I wasn't feeling particularly daring today. Might as well stick to something safe. Like spaghetti. Spaghetti was very safe. I grabbed a plate off of the top of the leaning pile of dinnerware and dumped a spoonful or two of the mass of red-stained noodles onto the circular platter until I was satisfied. Making sure to grab a fork out of the nearby utensil rack, I walked over to a particularly uninteresting table. Sitting down, I looked up momentarily to take in the rest of the room. There were a couple of girls sitting at a table in the far corner, chatting excitedly about something. Their incessant giggling was about the only noise that resonated through the empty room, save for the muffled hum of the kitchen appliances coming from the back and the occasional clash of dishware as the employees cleaned and prepared for the next meal. Two tables away from mine sat a dark-haired guy in his pajamas. A gray beanie was smashed onto his head, causing greasy black strands of hair to stick out every which way from underneath the constricting cap. His feet were propped up on the table, thumbs clicking away at his cell phone while a half-finished bagel accompanied by an empty bowl of what I'd assumed was once cereal occupied the space in front of him. It was sickeningly obvious that not many people bothered to stay on-campus during the weekends, and I didn't blame them. There really wasn't much to do here.
I sighed, expression magnificently neutral. Twirling my fork through the lukewarm pile of noodles, I collected enough for a decent-sized bite and began eating. I wasn't particularly hungry, but I knew that I would be soon enough. It would probably be better to fill my still-sleeping stomach now rather than deal with its noisy complaints in a couple of hours. My mind drifted off as I continued to mindlessly munch on the astoundingly average spaghetti I'd picked out. I didn't need to be ready to head to the pier with everyone until 7, so what was I supposed to do until then?
I could do homework, but I chose to stick by my temporary motto. "It isn't homework unless it's due tomorrow."
Hayner had run off with Selphie, Kairi, and Olette, so that left me four friends short for the time being.
I really had no idea what my brother and Riku were up to. I was almost afraid to find out. Over the years I'd been unintentionally trained to approach the two of them with the utmost caution after way too many incidents in which I'd walked in on an incredibly awkward and/or uncomfortable situation involving the two of them against some sort of horizontal (and sometimes vertical) surface. One really had to give fair warning when hunting down Sora and Riku; otherwise they'd be greeted with a possibly mentally-scarring scene played out in front of them.
I could call Axel, but I really didn't want to seem too clingy. My pride simply wouldn't allow it. I'd just talked to the crazy redhead yesterday, and I'd be seeing him again in about five hours anyway. I could live without talking to the guy for the time being. Heaven knows I'd get enough to last me for a while later. Axel was a handful. Pun intended? Maybe…
I sighed, playing with the last few strands of limp pasta on my plate. Maybe I'd go for a walk or something. That sounded like the most feasible task after going through my options. Getting up from my seat, I carried my dirty dishes over to the kitchen window and left them to be cleaned. I shoved my hands into my pockets and left the building, turning towards the garden nearby. As I walked under the flowery arch marking the entrance into the peaceful oasis, I stopped for a moment to think. It'd been about a week now since I'd last come in here; escaping the taunting of my friends while also hunting down Hayner in his sexually confused state. Had it really only been that long?
Was it really only a week ago that I'd foolishly wandered into that awful little sex shop downtown? I almost couldn't believe it. So it'd only been six or seven days now since Axel and I had been "reunited," so to speak? This threw me for a loop. It seriously seemed like it had been so long ago. How had everything moved so fast? I shook my head a little, as if to physically rid myself of this newfound feeling of vertigo. Willing my feet to move, I slowly entered the garden and began my afternoon stroll.
I was barely aware of where I was going as my feet carried me through the quiet garden, following the rustic-looking path laid out before me. I didn't even take in the breathtaking scenery as I lost myself in my own thoughts. I hadn't come across anyone else so far, but if another person had wandered past me I might not have noticed anyway. I had the uncanny ability to completely immerse myself in whatever I was thinking about; totally blocking out the rest of the world. It was both a gift and a curse.
I continued to wonder in disbelief over the fact that one week ago I hadn't even been thinking about Axel. Last Saturday I had been out shopping with Kairi and Olette, letting them drag me around the mall for a few hours before driving out to the Sora's work for dinner (we'd always ask to sit in his section and in return, he'd sneak us some free dessert). And Sunday, well, I had vaguely considered going downtown. My curiosity had been growing more and more hungry ever since I had innocently wandered past Blush the week before, barely giving it a second glance as I was dragged around by Namine (who had been visiting) and Kairi.
Hmmm, maybe that's when that horrendous outfit Kairi had revealed just two days ago had been passed along from sister to sister. I shuddered at the thought.
I had only vaguely acknowledged the store at first, not even realizing at first what kind of wares it held. It was only after we'd been walking a bit farther down the road that my brain caught up with the rest of me, displaying previously unseen images into my head of erotic posters lining the walls inside the store. Apparently that quick glance I'd taken through the window had gotten me more than I'd bargained for.
Well obviously I had acted on my strange desire to return to the shop, but never in my wildest dreams did I fathom that I would run into Axel; especially not there. Seriously, I mean, the guy had been out of my life for months.
Roxas wanders in embarrassing store. Axel catches him. Roxas is fucked. I replayed the scene from that day in my head almost reluctantly. I had been trying to repress the memory, but it all seemed rather pointless now. The day hadn't gone on so bad. We'd talked, we'd exchanged numbers, we'd kissed. I barely noticed my fingers as they ghosted across my lips distractedly at this thought. What kind of situation had I turned up in? I knew Axel last semester, sure, but as a friend. I mean, I'd be lying if I were to say that I hadn't felt attracted to the guy during our brief time together, but it didn't explain how things had moved so quickly after our freakishly accidental reunion.
I stopped my mindless stroll for a moment, a new thought entering my mind. Perhaps… perhaps Axel had also regretted not making a move sooner? Maybe I wasn't the only one who had felt the obvious pull towards the other while we would talk and joke around good-naturedly in that stuffy classroom months ago. Could that explain this seemingly reckless and fast-paced relationship the two of us had thrown ourselves into? Was it some sort of mutual desire to not let the opportunity slip away this time around? Perhaps not, but I felt like it made sense. Well, more sense than anything else I'd come up with. How else would you explain everything we'd done so far?
Sunday we're kissing, Wednesday we're flirting (and I'm not-so-secretly going nuts over his voice over the phone apparently), Thursday we're having mind-blowing sex, and then Friday we're cuddling and planning dates? What the hell? It's like a fairytale on crack.
I could only imagine what kind of show I must've put on for any other garden patrons who might've walked by. My brow was furrowed in deep thought as I scratched at my head with both of my hands. Occasionally I'd throw my head back in exasperation, making a disgruntled sort of noise. Really, thinking about all of this was beginning to give me a headache. None of it made any sense.
My previously uninterrupted silence was temporarily broken when I heard the familiar noise of muffled voices ahead. Unfazed, I continued my leisurely stroll forward. It didn't bother me in the slightest that there were other people enjoying the garden's splendor; I was tuning out the rest of the world just fine, that is, until I saw just whose voices I'd heard.
The distant but sickeningly familiar silhouette of a slender, blonde-haired woman entered my vision as I neared a bend in the road. Larxene; Axel's vicious ex-girlfriend. I was surprised to discover that I actually recognized her companion as well; it was Marluxia (the fruitcake), pink locks gently swaying as he nodded his head in response to whatever the former had said. The two of them were standing over a small bed of roses, Marluxia's eyes leaving his companion's face every moment or so to look down upon the delicate flowers with an almost loving expression.
I had every intention of turning around and pretending this had never happened, but as luck would have it, Larxene turned her head just as I was about to stop and locked those poisonous green eyes with mine. Her lips curled upwards into a terrifying grin as she skipped towards me; faux innocence leaking off of her features, distorted only by her far from amicable facial expression. I hardly registered the fact that Marluxia had followed her; my eyes were locked on the liquid venom that seemed to pool in her eyes, disrupted by solid black pupils. I solidified my expression into a scowl as Larxene came to a halt in front of me, hands on her hips.
"Well well well, if it isn't dear Axel's new plaything," she chided, voice disgustingly sweet.
I continued glaring at her. So far today hadn't felt really good or bad, just sort of… gray. Now however, I felt it leaning precariously towards bad. "What are you doing here?" I asked scathingly. Had I not been filled with nothing but contempt for the woman, I might be ashamed of myself for growing such a strong dislike for someone after only meeting them once. Really, it wasn't like me. Still, Larxene did not try to befriend me in any way, shape, or form. She was openly hostile towards me, so why shouldn't I act the same? And maybe jealousy had a little something to do with it too…
Larxene laughed, sounding creepily childish. "Silly boy, I can go wherever the hell I want. So where's your fuck-buddy? Gone already? Did he find someone more interesting? Or maybe someone who's gone through puberty?" she mocked, eyebrows drawn up in mock sympathy.
"Aw, hurt that he likes some prepubescent kindergartener more than he likes a bitchy twat?" To my delight, Larxene was suddenly taken aback. I guess she didn't expect the "plaything" to bite back. Inside I rejoiced victoriously, but on the outside I thought it was probably better if I just left now and called this battle a win for me.
I scoffed at the blonde she-devil as I turned around, wanting nothing more than to walk back to my room and blast music into my headphones. Something angry-sounding preferably. Hearing other people screaming somehow made me feel better, as if I were channeling my frustration through them. I flinched as I felt a dainty hand grasp my shoulder angrily, wincing with pain as long fingernails dug deeply into my skin. I was roughly turned back around and faced with furious green eyes.
"Now listen here you little pansy, you're nothing more than an easy lay to him. Axel's nothing more than a whore, fucking anything on two legs. You better count your blessings that I'm kind enough to warn you before you get in too deep. You mean absolutely nothing to him, kid," she spat viciously, eyes hardened in rage. It wasn't difficult to see why she and Axel were no longer together; he'd dumped her, and from the looks of it, it seemed like she had been the one who'd been the easy lay.
I yanked my shoulder away from her hold and glared at her. "I hold no interest in the preaching of a bitter, jealous bitch," I retorted.
Larxene held my glare for a moment longer before it melted into one of sick pleasure. She threw her head back, long strands of hair bobbing as she let loose another spine-tingling laugh. Wiping her eyes, she leered at me again.
"Oh what a horribly naïve boy! You think you're special! If you think I'm the only other person Axel's slept with then you're horribly mistaken. I couldn't even count the number of guys and girls he's been with, and those are only the ones I know about," she cooed, fanning herself and faking a yawn.
Not backing down, I continued to stare daggers at her as well. "So what?" I barked. "It's not like I expected him to be some sort of Prince Charming; people have flaws, people have pasts."
Obviously growing disturbed by how little she was making me squirm, Larxene huffed and turned around. It looked as if she was about to stomp away when she looked at me once more over her shoulder, grinning slyly. "Well, can't say I didn't try," she chirped before turning her head forward once more and walking off.
I rolled my eyes, unseen by the obnoxious blonde. Sure, I had assumed that Axel wasn't a virgin, and I definitely wasn't surprised by the fact that he'd fucked Larxene, but I really wasn't miffed by the fact that he'd slept around. I mean, who am I to judge?
"She's right you know," a disembodied voice cooed, bringing me out of my reverie. I snapped my head to the left, features relaxing once I saw the pink-haired man from before. I'd forgotten that he'd been watching the whole exchange, though I was somewhat surprised that he was still here.
"Yeah, yeah. Why are you still here Marluxia?" I asked the taller male, eyebrows drawn together. I wasn't really sure what I thought of the man yet. He seemed to be switching sides in my mind; one minute the guy seemed alright, and the next he was hanging out with mega-bitch.
Ignoring my question he continued, "You think Axel just magically happened upon my bedroom the other night when you two were so wrapped up in your little horny rampage? He's not a fucking fairy princess." A brief image of Axel in a fairy outfit skirted through my mind, but I quickly tore the sinful thought from my brain. Marluxia shook his head, hair swinging from side to side. Man, this guy loved to hear himself talk. "It's easy to find someplace once you've been there before, multiple times if I may add."
I groaned, dragging my fingers through my hair in distress and feeling slightly nauseous. "Marluxia I seriously do not want any scarring mental images of the two of you doing the nasty right now, please. I don't think my brain could handle it," I said. I certainly did not want to imagine Axel with anyone so… pink.
Continuing his self-motivated tirade, Marluxia rambled on. "And don't think I didn't see my bottle of lube on the floor! Bastard thinks he can just march on in and do whatever the fuck he wants just cuz we got frisky a couple of times. I'm just glad he didn't use any of my other sexual… equipment."
"O-kay that's enough! No one's happier than I am that he didn't decide to use any of your little trinkets with me," I said, hands moving up to cover my ears, hoping to somehow prevent the entrance of horrible, awful scenarios involving… dare I say it… Marluxia's sex toys. It gave me the creeps just thinking about it. "It's one thing to know your… boyfriend's had sex with other people, it's another thing entirely to have to incorporate details," I added sharply, glaring at the pink-haired fruitcake.
Marluxia merely raised one well-groomed eyebrow. "Boyfriend?"
I looked up at him dumbly. Boyfriend? Had I called Axel my boyfriend? I quickly tried to collect myself and come up with an answer presentable for the man. "Er, well, he said he wanted to see me again so… I didn't know what to call us. I guess," I trailed off, absently scratching the back of my head as I found a nearby patch of grass to be incredibly interesting. I hoped the pink-haired diva hadn't noticed the slight blush creeping onto my cheeks. Boyfriend?
"Hmm," Marluxia hummed, tapping his pointer finger against the side of his face as he looked down on me. "That's certainly not uncommon for the promiscuous redhead, but then again, there are many who don't make it past the date; or first fuck I suppose I should say,"
I threw my hands up exasperatedly. "Whoop-de-fuckin-do!" I exclaimed before turning to leave. This was getting old really fast. Why was being with Axel such a big deal? First my friends were tormenting me about it, now these lunatics were badgering me about his previous sex record? Jesus. I definitely wasn't expecting perfection, but why was everything so fucking complicated?
"If it makes you feel any better, my bets are on you my little sunflower!" Marluxia called after me. I almost stopped right there, spine tingling from the obvious creeper vibes I was feeling from this man. Did he just call me his little sunflower? I shuddered, but kept walking. Coming into the garden had been a mistake. It seemed that nothing I did anymore could remain anything close to remotely normal. Perhaps I'd spend the next few hours just staring at the wall, at least then I wouldn't have to worry about any crazy blonde-haired chicks or lecherous pink-haired men hunting me down and ruining my life.
I stormed back to my dorm after my brief encounter with the odd couple in the garden, but my anger slowly began to dissipate as I entered the quiet atmosphere of my room. I took a deep breath through my nose and exhaled loudly, calming myself down. I smiled as I took in the obvious lack of human life in the small space. One thing bad about living on-campus was the immediate loss of privacy. Oh, how I missed having my own room. I hadn't had to share a room since Sora and I were five years-old, and reverting back to that old circumstance almost felt like I was being pushed back in time. Standing in the center of the small enclosing, I simply cherished one of the few moments in which this was truly my room.
Sighing contentedly, I flopped backwards onto my bed and lie there for a moment or two. Once I had gotten over the brief euphoria of being utterly alone, I flipped over onto my stomach and crawled towards my desk. Opening the top drawer, I rummaged through until I found my ancient ipod, still in working order after three long years. I turned it on and scrolled through the artists, briefly wondering what kind of music to listen to. I wasn't looking for anything angry anymore, as I'd calmed down from my momentary surge of hatred. Settling on The Rolling Stones, I closed my eyes and relaxed into the surface that I had been hibernating on only three hours ago.
I blinked stupidly, Sora's face hovering mere inches from mine as his mouth opened and closed again, no sound coming out. I looked at him quizzically, before realizing that my ear buds were still jammed deep within my ears, music long since stopped due to the fragile battery of my decrepit mp3 player. I rubbed my eyes as I sat up, gently pushing Sora out of my personal bubble.
"What time is it?" I asked drowsily, surprised that I had managed to doze off after about ten hours of sleep the night before.
"What time is it? Roxas, it's past 6:30! You were planning on coming along with us, right?" Sora replied, eyes rolling.
I bolted off of the bed. "Shit! Fuck, sorry Sora I just, shit!" I stuttered out as I stumbled off of the bed, frantically trying to gather my wits and get ready in about ten minutes flat. After frantically scrambling around the room for a good ten seconds, I stopped and rubbed my palms against my eyes, forcing myself to calm down and focus on not being a complete and total idiot.
I heard a soft chuckle and turned my head sharply towards the noise, neck nearly straining with the abrupt effort. Riku was sitting cross-legged on Hayner's bed, back against the wall as he held an opened magazine in his hand. He most certainly did not seem to be laughing at the magazine however, as his aquamarine eyes were staring in my direction as they danced with an amused sparkle.
"Deep breaths, Roxas," Riku taunted, breathing dramatically like a pregnant woman going into labor. I shot him a 'Roxas is not amused' glare, but took his advice nevertheless (though not quite so theatrically). After calming down my abruptly awoken heart rate, I looked around. What did I still need to do anyway? I was dressed. I walked over to the small mirror hanging on my closet door and checked my hair. It was a little messy, but that wasn't really anything new. I ran my hands through it a few times, then pulled away satisfied. I patted my pants; wallet and phone were still wedged in their respective pockets. I looked up at Sora as he stared at me; arms folded and foot tapping as he arched one thin eyebrow in my direction.
I shrugged. "Guess I'm ready," I offered.
Sora merely rolled his eyes again, but smiled this time. He reached out his hand and grabbed my elbow, pulling me towards the door. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go get your boyfriend."
I smiled and let Sora lead me from the room, Riku following close behind. The three of us walked down the hallway, exiting through the grungy stairwell at the end of the building and journeying down towards the first floor. Once we reached the bottom, we took the door on the right that lead outside and burst forward into the fresh night air.
I stopped briefly once we'd gotten outside to take in the aromatic pre-summer atmosphere of the evening air. I took a deep, cleansing breath. Summer days in Twilight Town may be hotter than hell, but the nights were just perfect. I suppose when the dreadful season did eventually hit it wouldn't be all that bad.
I ran to catch up with my brother and his boyfriend, trailing behind them and pulling my phone out of my pocket. I decided I should send Axel a quick warning text at least, make sure he wasn't napping too or something.
Coming to get you
I flipped the phone shut and stuffed it in my pocket. My eyes lit up once we neared Riku's car. I let out a low moan as I skipped over to it and draped my arms over the top; fingers trailing against the smooth, black surface.
"Ohhhh so beautiful," I groaned, eyes closing.
Riku snorted as he unlocked the car with his small remote. "Roxas please don't drool all over Cupcake."
I jolted upright, as if propelled backwards by some electric shock. I stared wide-eyed at the silver-haired teen before breaking into a fit of laughter. "Cupcake? What the fuck kind of name is that? Man Riku, you are gay!" I choked out between hysterics.
Sora turned around in the front seat to glare at me as I clutched my stomach, still outside of the car. "I named it you jerk. I think it's cute."
Laughter calming slowly, I slid into the seat behind Sora, still shaking somewhat with laughter. "Oh, you named it Sora? Figures," I responded, trying my best to steady my voice.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora snapped, growing defensive.
Riku merely reached over and patted the brunette's arm tenderly as he started the car. He turned around to watch out the back windshield as he backed out of his parking spot. "Roxas just doesn't understand dear, don't mind him."
I had barely registered what Riku had said. My attention was focused on the brief vibration coming from my right leg. I pulled out my phone and grinned, flipping it open. Axel's reply was short and sweet.
Can't wait ;)
"Alright Roxas, where to?" Riku asked from the front as he steadily approached the parking lot's exit.
I leaned back in my seat and smiled. "You're gonna wanna turn left here."
