A Transvestite Romance

Chapter 14: Of Makeup, Little Sisters, and Weddings

Roxas smirked, applying the final touches to Axel's makeup. "You're gonna be pretty."

"As long as I don't look too much like a girl," Axel drawled. His hair had been combed out of its back, spiky look. It now had a slight wave to it. Kairi was a wonder with hair. She had giggled and danced her way out of the room. The new transvestite was afraid Kairi was going to retrieve Naminé and or Sora. Kuroshitsuji's (Black Butler) Lullaby was blasting from Axel's (borrowed) laptop.

"This is a good song," Roxas mused. He put lipstick on Axel's thin lips. "There. All done!"

Axel gaped at his reflection. "Kairi could learn a couple things from you. She never wears makeup."

"Kairi's a tomboy, darling. She can do hair because Nami taught her."

Axel gazed in awe at his reflection. His freckles, small pimples, and badly aged tattoos were covered up with concealer. His eyes were rimmed with a dark purple and gold eye shadow. His pale eyelashes were now black and long thanks to fake eyelashes and mascara. His hair had the aforementioned wave and had been pulled up into a bun with what looked like brightly colored chopsticks. Hmmm…Pei Wei. So what-Axel was hungry. Two strands of red locks dangled in front of his eyes.

"Wow," he murmured. "You are freakishly good at this." The redhead planted a kiss on Roxanne's cheek.

She giggled. "Shall we call you Alex, then?" she sang, hands behind her back and grinning-a la Aerith.

"As long as I call you Roxy." Axel smirked-it looked a lot more teasing with a hot pink mouth.

"Fine." Roxanne threw up her hands in mock dismay. Martika's Toy Soldiers came on the playlist. "Why do you have this on here?"

"Cuz of the video attached to it. It's a Wammy Boy's Tribute."

"I see." Roxy about-faced so fast she blurred before Alex's eyes. "Let's go say hi to Kairi before she ambushes us!" She grabbed the red-head's arm and dragged her out the door.

Kairi was sitting on the loveseat in the Strife's basement with the full crew: Sora, Riku, Naminé, Zexion, Demyx. And Marluxia?

Naminé blushed. "I didn't know that you would be dressing up Axel" she exclaimed at Roxanne's surprise.

"Nah, it's fine," Alex said, smiling. "Good to see you again." Something about this guy…just grates.

"Glad to hear it," Marluxia said smoothly.

"And now we have another Emmy!" Demyx squealed. Everyone stared at Demyx. Zexion smirked, hiding it between his fringe and his copy of Uglies.

"What?" Riku asked, turning to look at Demyx; Sora took this opportunity to blast Riku's Storm trooper to pieces.

"Weeeeeell," Demyx spun around, "we have Roxy, and Zexy, and Demy, and Nami…Now we have Marly!" he exclaimed.

Marluxia looked amused. "Okay, then." His arm was around Naminé, but it wasn't possessive. The eldest triplet had a pink flower in her hair. The two siblings resolved to ask Aerith about it later.

"I asked Marluxia to accompany us to Aunt Aerith's and Zack's wedding," Naminé explained. "And Aerith said that it was fine."

"Meh," Sora muttered.

Then Demyx pwned everyone in Rock Band. Alex was laughing as Kairi took a picture of the entire group. Perhaps he could be Alex again sometime...

Life was good as a Highwind. For the first time, Axel experienced a stable home environment. And it felt good. Shera (a chemistry teacher) and Cid (a mechanic) went to work, Axel and Kairi went to school, they all ate dinner together-a sit down meal, home-cooked. Axel and Kairi cooked once a week.

All Shera and Cid asked of them was to keep his room clean, wash his dishes, and clean his bathroom. Roxas couldn't come over without an adult but they could go to a public place or hang out with friends alone.

Kairi and her big brother grew closer. She was an imp, he creamed her in Mario Cart, she made him bleed in Halo. She and Axel could argue about sci-fi or comics and manga. They both ate guacamole on their eggs. They both admired Thoreau. She hated Phantom of the Opera (Erik's a big jerk) while Axel adored it (it's about man's hatred).

Reno adored the ground Kairi walked on. He bought her new books and CDs until Cid made him quit it. He taught her the tricks of the "bad boys" and how to recognize druggies.

21st August 2009. Aerith's and Zack's wedding day. It was in an abandoned church eerie similar to the one in Midgar. "Strange, isn't it? But that's how the world is," Aerith said at the reception.

It was a Kingdom Hearts version-belief that your "heart" will return to the heart-shaped moon in the sky.

"You look beautiful," Marluxia said to Naminé. She blushed, looking at her light pink dress, holding a bouquet of yellow and white flowers.

"Lilies. A marvelous choice."

"Aerith grows her own-she owns a flower shop."

Roxas couldn't help it-he laughed at Axel. The redhead scowled, his tall, skinny frame making the suit fall off him. His hair had been tamed and pulled back into a ponytail. Pulling the blond into a kiss, he murmured, "Shut up."

"Okay boys, that's enough," Shera teased. Roxas's mouth fell open.

"You look great, Shera."

"Thanks, Roxie. You're very sweet." She was wearing a neat skirt-suit and her hair returned to a dark red. Her black cat-like glasses were perched on her nose. "I decided that it was time to quit dying my hair."

"No wonder we get so many questions about our wonderful hair," Axel commented. "I figured that Father's family was all blondes." Shera swatted his head.

Sora was petting Riku's hair. "So shiny and soft," he cooed. Riku smiled, poking one of Sora's light chocolate spikes. He was proud of his hair, letting it grow out into a shoulder-length wave since the cancer was destroyed.

"How did you have darker hair when you were younger but now have lighter shades? And I know that you don't dye it."

Sora grinned. "Well-"

The wedding itself was simplistic but still pretty. Aerith was dressed in a beautiful white dress with yellow and white flowers braided along with her pink ribbon into her hair. Zack looked dashing in his tux, X-shaped scar giving him a roguish appearance, with Cloud at his side.

Leon had cropped his hair for the occasion, the chestnut locks cut to his chin. He smirked at Cloud, the ex-SeeD comfortable in his neat suit.

Then the wedding verse was read by the priest.

"Thinking of you, wherever you are.

We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.

Now I will step forward to realize this wish.

And who knows:

starting a new journey may not be so hard,

or maybe it has already begun.

There are many worlds, but they share the same sky —

one sky, one destiny."

The couple kissed, Aerith's hand tracing his scar. They were finally husband and wife.

Roxas and Axel scooped up cake with Sora and Riku, Naminé and Marluxia, and Kairi and went into Aerith's garden. The ties were shucked off, knotted around their arms, as if the garment were arm-bands. Twilight had come and gone. Now the night was a cool and blue light was everywhere. They all thanked the Gods that the church surprisingly had air-conditioning.

Axel was humming Phantom's Music of the Night under his breath as Roxas massaged his shoulders. Kairi rolled her eyes.

Roxas stood up. "Anybody want a soda?" Everyone shook their hands. "'Kay, be right back."

Aerith had gone to change into a cute, pink, cotton dress to be casual. Roxas almost made it to the fridge when he saw Zack and Cloud sat at the kitchen table. Zack had a sad look in his eyes as he swirled his glass of red wine. "Angeal would have loved to be here, Z."

Zack gave a grim smile. "He would have called me 'Puppy' and joke about how I found the perfect wife for a hyper husband." He covered his face in his hands. Cloud patted his partner's long black spikes.

"He would have forgiven you, Zack," Cloud whispered.

Roxas left the kitchen without the soda, troubled.

A/N: Hello, hello! I have returned after a long absence! Question: Should I make Marluxia a creepy, evil guy or a sweet, caring guy? Should I give Kai a boyfriend (or a crush) and if so, who?

Disclaimer: Disclaimed for characters and songs.

Nierx