Reflection showed my face as being even darker than it was before even though the reflector was wobbly.
Hands laid against the cold of the table, gripping the pottery. Back began to ache by the way I was sitting. Not even lying against the back of the chair, I sat hunched over with my elbows on the table. Feet touched icy floor, curling and uncurling toes uncomfortably against it. My stomach growled awkwardly with a churning feeling that I tried to hold back. No more. Not again!
From the hallway, the creaking of stairs echoed into the kitchen in correspondence with the feet walking down them. But I didn't bother to turn in the direction of the sounds. Just continued to stare at what was in my hands. Even when she stood in the door way with hair a mess, purple nightgown under pink robe, and sickening yellow bird slippers, I refused to look at her.
"Roxas...? You look terrible"
I turned to her with a psychotic look, virtually snapping my neck, "Coffee?"
Earlier that morning slash night, I couldn't bring myself to go back to sleep should I face that dream again. I had no idea why all that had happened except for the possibility that I was going crazy. Seriously?! Axel confessing his love for me? Mom crying about it? Sora in a fucking chicken suit!? It was pure crack! Nothing but crack! I must've magically dosed on the stuff before I went to sleep or something! Either way, the dream was disturbing enough to take a toll on me. Didn't go back to sleep, didn't watch T.V., just went downstairs to get something that would mellow my stomach out. The pink stuff Sora had suggested yesterday probably wouldn't do the trick. Instead, I picked out some water and saltine crackers to fill both my stomach and my nerves. Eventually when I finished off the water, I got coffee for another reason I couldn't understand. Burns were forming around the rim of my eyes and sleep was filling my head but I made sure that the caffeine would keep me awake. Not going back to bed. Positively not going back!
Just for finding me awake that morning Tifa sent me back to bed anyway and kept me from going to school, not just that day, but another line of days. So much for my perfect attendance...well that was canceled out the day before and maybe even before that. Oh well. Bittersweet. The time at home allowed me to clear my head as needed. Soak in some of that mind rotting T.V. and the seizure-ific lights of video games. I was just not up to going back and seeing Axel sitting behind me in history. Nor Marluxia or Zexion for that fact. Fear of them making fun of me for the dance I had performed filled my mind. If not already, a rumor would be going school about me doing it. It'd only lead me to being teased back at school if I returned right away. So for my "Break Part Two" I was just going to forget about it.
`~*~*~*`
"Did it just get dark?"
"Hm?"
I dribbled the basketball in my hand but my eyes were facing the windows instead of the hoop. A sudden decrease of light outside brought out the lights hanging above in the gym. True, it had been a cloudy on our way to school, but it wasn't all that dark. Normal gray clouds like you see every once in a while.
"It was brighter a few minutes ago wasn't it?"
"Yeah. It's just that time of the year again" Demyx snatched the ball from me. I watched him dribble it to hoop we were stationed at and jump, trying to get the ball in the net.
Miss.
"Damn it"
"What were you saying?"
He caught the ball from bouncing, dribbling his way back over to me. "Time of the year over here. Gets that way" he pointed to the ceiling, meaning the sky. "Really? This happens often around this time?" I asked as he passed it to me.
"Every year. See, it usually signals a big storm coming this way," he started, catching the ball when I passed it to him.
"I've never been here for that type of stuff" I intervened for a moment.
"Then you'll get your first hand look. It starts out with the air getting really moist. Then just a bunch of rainy days. Clouds become more common as a sign" he explained.
"And a big storm comes at the end of this?"
He nodded, "Huge. Not quite a hurricane but an extreme tropical storm." I caught the ball and raised an eyebrow when I thought about it, "Does the school board know about it?" He nodded again, "Always have. That's why they're going announce a break coming up about two weeks from now."
"Two weeks from now!? And we just got off one not too long ago!?"
"They've always been iffy about placing a break before the storm comes. Usually done ever other year. It was initially brought up so that everybody around the islands can prepare for what's coming. Then when the next one comes up, they suspect everybody to be ready"
"Damn! Glad my dad sent me to live with Sora and not my creepy aunt!" I beamed happily. They had a "break after break" deal going on. Never had something like that back at Sanction. School all through out until a break would come up. Nothing like this. Didn't even know it was like this here.
"I guess it's okay. Break only lasts about a day or two after the storm ends, depending on the damage done" the Nocturne shrugged. "But ya gotta admit, the days off part sounds cool!" I tried to view more of the bright side. "Sure, if your power or anything doesn't get knocked out. Or if too much damage isn't done to your house" he rolled his eyes. Hearing that, I dropped the ball right where I was standing. Spinning on my heels, I crouched down and held my knees. To add effect, I buried my head between them.
"Roxas!?"
"Thanks for downplaying my hopes Demyx!"
"Oh come on!" he picked up the ball and set it on my head. When I felt the roundness, I looked to see him looking down at me.
"Downplayed my mood!"
"It's not like everybody's power goes out" he put out a hand to me. I took hold of it, him pulling me back onto my feet single-handedly. "I mean, that's what happens to most people, but not everybody. Besides, it sort of has a calming affect" he paused for my response.
"Calming?"
"I love when it rains. Love the way it sounds" he said it with absolute passion in his voice. Didn't surprise me by the way he was with water. "I'll actually go out in front of the apartments and play Arpeggio when it's pouring" blush came to the area around his nose.
"Freaky person!"
"I'm serious!"
"I kid! I kid!" I blocked him from trying to hit me with the ball. "In all truth," I continued when he finally let off, "I guess the rain does that to me too. Humidity makes me tired and listening to the rain lulls me to sleep."
"Hah!" he "hit" me with the ball in a triumphant fashion, "Exactly what I thought!"
"But I'm going to take," I poked him in the abs to which he recoiled like the dough boy, "that your boss doesn't like it around this time of the year, does he?"
"Axel? No, not really. In fact he hates it with a passion" he gently rubbed his tummy area. "Knew it" I crossed my arms proudly. "Yeah, he's not to happy about all of it. Doesn't like how it interferes with his fire projects. Not to mention it's not as fun to go around town when it's raining" he explained further. "Heat Miser without the sun goes crazy basically" I concluded with a nod. "Ugh, think it might be worse this year. Especially after the fight you guys had" he cringed.
"What?"
"He usually gets bored on his own around storm time. A bit more aggressive, but still bored. But now he seems just sort of...bleh. Down"
"Didn't seem that way when he picked up Samba"
"Well there was that, but only for less than a day. He's just not as energetic as usual. Melancholy"
"Don't I know that" I rolled my eyes with a sigh. After what we've been through, I'd almost take back what I said about him being that way. He'd seemed happy with Sho and especially with Samba, but once I show up he gets all "oh shit, here he comes" on me like I ruined his life. I had gotten over what happened at the fight and the rumor that went around. Why didn't he? Weeks ago was when all of it happened; he needed to pick himself up if he wanted to get back to "normal." Not me.
"Looks like I'll be clocking out late looking after him" Demyx sighed after Mr. Leon blew on the whistle around his neck. Time to clean up.
"Hm?" I came up next to him.
"The guys needs me about now," he looked down to me, "I know I'm the water boy, but he's at ease more when I'm with him."
`~*~*~*`
Exactly as Demyx had said, a line of rainy days came out of nowhere. From day until night, with no pause in between, rain came pouring down from the sky. So much of it in fact that Sora, Riku, and I quit boarding to school in exchange for a ride in his car. Barely helped by how traffic-y it would get. Not a lot of people like to walk in the stuff. I know I don't. Anyways, the days were filled with a sort of gloomy tone to things. The darkness and moisture put some of us to sleep while the rest of us became bored or tired which would lead to falling asleep. Axel's bits of terror were hushed as the days went on to becoming completely halted. Marluxia and Zexion would return to showing up in class, mellowed out though still slightly aggressive. Walking around, you'd see Demyx and Axel the ones mostly together.
"Can't believe I have to deliver stuff in that fucking stuff!" I growled as I looked out the window.
"You don't have to worry too much about it. Not a whole lot of people call for deliveries when it's stormy anyways. The feel for the delivery boy" Sora put a hand on my shoulder. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one getting drench every other day" I spit my tongue out at him.
It was history period and, just as always, people were gloomy but trying to keep an upbeat mood by talking with each other. Axel lay sleeping at his desk like usual.
"Barely get any business at the Express during this time. But then again, so does every other restaurant" my cousin got up close and personal with the glass, putting both hands on the barrier. They were big windows. "Then we'll be doing nothing the entire time we're there huh? Unless Riku clocks us out early" I crossed my arms.
"Pretty much. Says he doesn't like to waste his time like that"
"Hm"
"He does have better things to do ya know"
"Like bite people?"
"Wha?"
"Nothing"
"Weird person"
I sighed, "So Tifa and Cloud got everything prepared for when it comes?" He nodded, laying an arm against the windows as he leaned against it, "Everything's set up. Mom is going grocery shopping today, so by the time we get home, we'll have things secure." I exhaled in relief, "Good."
"You don't have to be afraid, Roxas" the feel of his feminine hand came to my back. I nearly giggled at the feel. "I-I know" I looked down, feeling a small rush of blood to my face. He was such a chick, but I liked the way he cared about me. That was one of the things I loved about him.
"Axel? Where are you going?"
We turned around the minute we heard Mrs. Clelia speak those words. My eyes instantly fell upon Axel's desk.
He wasn't there.
I followed up toward the door just in time to see a red spike disappear and reappear behind the glass window. Seconds later he was gone.
"Well that was weird" Sora raised an eyebrow to me comically. "I'm not surprised. Everybody knows he hasn't been much of himself lately" I shrugged. "Tch, I'm not complaining" he rolled his eyes, "He can go emo for all I care! As long as he isn't bothering you and me, then I'm fine with it!"
"Maybe so" I mumbled to myself. I wasn't completely sure that I was one hundred percent agreeing with him. Bright side that Axel wasn't bothering anybody. Downward side that he isn't his usual self. Then again, neither was I. Barely getting over the nudity I had seen and the dreams that had left psychological bite marks all over me.
History period continued on without Axel anyway. Mrs. Clelia decided not to call Xemnas to let him know that the Flurry of Dancing Flames had all of a sudden decided to skip. Information about where he could have gone wasn't definite, but it wasn't needed after all.
"Hm"
I was still up against the windows as Sora was playing with a Rubik's cube in the seat behind me. Why I had stayed by the glass, I couldn't say but in a way I'm glad I did. Below, in the courtyard of the school, a dark figure moved into the gloomy gray. The black would've made him blend in but the hair made him stand out.
Axel stopped walking in the middle of the yard, arms to the side and hair slowly flattening from what I was seeing. Despite having a hood on his jacket, he refused to put it on. Rather than draw the hood on, he tilted his head up...and stared at the sky.
A startling feeling came to my chest when I saw him do that. No idea as to why that happened came to my mind but it did hurt in a way. Was it from watching him go out there? Maybe I was realizing something that I hadn't about Axel? Or maybe I was surprised that he would do such an action? To see him go out and watch the rain. Flames being put out from the disadvantage. A phoenix's depression. Out there in the downpour from heaven.
Another blur of black came into the courtyard only this one was faster. Darkness covered the head so hair wouldn't tell me anything but the dark blue umbrella did give me a clue. The second smudge decreased to a stop beside Axel, umbrella open. The redhead turned to the second person curiously with a tilt of the head. The other probably gave an answer but what it was, I didn't know. All I saw was the second hold the umbrella over Axel's head before stepping under it himself. Axel continued a confused look for a while longer before relaxing his shoulders. The dark blue fell in front of the back of their heads so I could no longer see them. But by how a small spike of red vanished beneath the cover, I could tell he was looking up to the sky again.
"Stay on! Staaaaaay on!"
With arms around the T.V., I pressed my face up against the side of it. Faint sounds of static came over the voices of the commercial spokesmen. Fingers pressed hard around the curves of the square box as if that would keep it on. My ear was so close to it, the voices on the inside became blurred so that only my right ear could hear.
"Come on! Come on...!"
The static dulled in sound before becoming silent altogether.
"Yes!" I shot my hands up.
The T.V. went out.
"Damn it!" I grumbled to myself so that Cloud and Tifa wouldn't hear. No way I'm getting in trouble with them for cursing. Vomiting bubbles and soap for days. I may never eat again.
"Sorry Roxas, I accidentally turned off the fuse in your room" Cloud poked his head in, "I'll have your T.V. back on in a minute!"
"Thanks Uncle Cloud!" I called back, sitting in front of my T.V. to wait for it to come back on.
As Demyx had said again, "break" began. Just the night before today, some stormy "symptoms" began popping up such as high winds. They were especially high today since the storm was getting close. When I asked Tifa more about the typhoon, she said that it lasts for about the whole day but could draw into the next day or days if it gets even more severe. Pauses can be found but they're only like that for a short time.
Basically, the weather was unpredictable and anything could happen.
"Tifa!" I brought myself to stop being lazy as I got up from the floor and headed down the hallway. Samba escaped from the Disney trove that was Sora's room and trailed after me by the heels. "Yes Roxas?" she came out of the doorway across the living room the led to the kitchen. "Is dinner ready yet? I don't want to turn into Sora" I asked. A giant shoe nailed me in the back of the head. Samba examined the bowling ball size of a sneaker before trailing back toward his master's room as if he was going to complain. "I CAN HEAR YOU!" my cousin called from down the hall.
"Not yet, but almost," my aunt replied, "But speaking of eating, why don't you feed Kushi and Blue? It's your job today isn't it?"
"Oh! Yeah, it is" I rolled my eyes. They were lucky in a way. At least they were getting to eat before I did.
Heading back down the rest of the stairs, I turned to the right where the fish tank was positioned on the table. A yellow koi with red tips swum around a dark blue twin with small streaks of yellow running on it's sides. "Feeding time guys" I picked up the plastic can of fish food. Unscrewing the cap, I lifted it above the tank and lightly tapped it. Food bits fell onto the surface of the water but vanished the moment the koi caught sight of them. Once enough food was dipped into the tank, I set the can down but didn't leave the tank. Watching them eat and swim around reminded me a lot of Demyx.
'Otohime and Wada' I sighed in my mind. I'm amazed I still remembered them too after all the time that had passed.
'Wonder if that guy's out playing on the porch,' I rolled my eyes, 'Not exactly the type of weather to be playing in. Seriously. Look at that wind.'
...sey.
A dull whistle suddenly broke my thoughts along with the sound of Tifa rushing from the kitchen.
"Is there somebody out there!?" she made her way to the couch under the window next to the front door. Jumping onto it and landing on her knees like a little kid, she peeked through the blinds with her fingers. I kept eye on my aunt as she shifted her head in different directions, trying to get a better look at whatever was outside. By the way the wind was blowing rain all over the place, I could imagine her visibility being limited.
"Good lord! Somebody's out there!" she jumped off the couch.
"What!?" I failed to notice that Cloud had come from the den. But seriously. Somebody was out there? Who in their right mind would go out in that bad of weather especially when it was going to get worse? Actually, they must not have been in their right mind to go out there in the first place. Idiot!
"Cloud, watch the stove. Roxas, could you come out with me to go get them?" she turned back to me.
"Y-yeah! Sure!" I rushed over to the door. As she unlocked the locks on the door, I slipped on my shoes and braced myself to go out into the rage of the weather.
"Ready?" she looked back at me, her shoes already on. "Yeah!" I nodded.
The door swung open from the force of the wind. Gusts of air blew into my face, bringing with it drops of water. I covered my face in a fit to recover from the wake up call of nature. Not only that but also for some sight. Next to me, Tifa was already heading out. Just like I said I would, I gathered up some strength and ran out myself.
Outside was worse than the sample that had gotten me earlier. I was right; visibility was almost gone except for the light coming from the house. All around us, a typhoon was slamming from each side. My feet were barely able to hold me down against the currents but the wet ground was becoming dangerous. Whoever it was we'd better get before we end up like he did.
"...sey!" a voice cried out not too far away.
"Roxas, this way!" Tifa caught onto my wrist, pulling me her way. She always made me wonder how she stood up against things like that. Top student in a martial arts class. Had the strength of any man I had known. She probably eats nails and bolts in private when she wasn't putting eggs in grits. She was Wonder Woman!
"...SEY!"
"HEY!" she grabbed onto whoever it was. I drew closer to her as she began talking to her catch.
"Are you okay?! You can't be out here in weather like this!"
"...ooking...or....dy!"
The wind was rushing through my ears so much I couldn't make out what the person was saying. Only Tifa was the one I could make out by the way her voice was louder than the gale. Wonder. Woman.
"Roxas, take his hand!" she directed the hand that she had grasped over to a blur I couldn't make out. At first I couldn't feel anything, giving me the idea that whoever it was was either refusing or getting blown away. But when the feeling of something solid and fleshy came under my hand, I grabbed it.
"C'mon! Lets get back to the house!" Tifa pointed back to where we had come from, a light at the end. Together, all three of us rushed toward the welcoming sight. Just as I had thought, the pavement was becoming sinister; water had made it slippery and caused us to stumble when the wind got under our feet. Still, we pressed on until the warm glow of the fireplace on the inside enveloped us.
"We made it!" I came to a stop once we got inside. Wonder Woman let go of our victim to close the door. She made it look effortless by the way she shut it and readjusted the locks.
"He-Hey! Are you," I panted, lifting my head to look up at whoever we had caught, "Are you ok-"
"You!?"
"Yo-AXEL!?"
I felt a churn in my stomach and a twist in time occurring right in the living room. Drenched in water, soaked from head to toe. Trying to regain some breath just as I was. Eyes staring down to me with both confusion and a sort of anger. Right there in front of me with wrist in my hand.
Was Axel.
"Damn it to hell! Are you alright?" Cloud came over.
"I'm fine" he refused to take his eyes off me. Ditto over on my end; I felt I couldn't stop looking at him. Dammit! He was wet again! Ooooh noooo!
"Roxas, go get him some towels from the bathroom please!" my aunt directed me. Hesitating at first, I gladly dropped his wrist from my hand and dashed up the stairs. My movements became jerky and overexcited at the realization that my enemy was standing in my house. Well, not necessarily my house but it was where I was staying so I sort of had a territorial right. But still, this was Axel. Axel the Flurry of Dancing Flames. The leader of the Thirteenth Order. A mafia leader's son. In my fucking house. What the hell?
"Hey Roxas, what's up?"
"AAAAAH!" I dropped the towels on the floor but scurried to pick them up. Sora stood next to me with a curious look on his face like he was wondering why I had all of a sudden gone crazy. I had good reason for that! But once he realized what was going on, maybe he'd see things from my twisty sort of view.
"D-d-d-d-d-d-down s-s-s-stairs! Thir-thir-thirteen...! A-A-A-A-A...-"
"Yeesh! Calm down Roxas!" he put his hands on my shoulders to stop me from jittering. I hadn't realized how fidgety I had gotten with some of the towels now ending up on my head somehow.
"Damn you're more excited than Samba," he rolled his eyes, "Just tell me. Who's down there? No need to be so freaked out about it!"
Oh if only he knew...Oh wait! He would!
"Axel" it came out as a whisper.
"Huh?" he tilted his head.
"Ax-el"
"Come again?" he leaned closer to me. Frick!
"AXEL!"
For sure that could've been heard all around the world. He didn't move from his position for a while to which I guessed he was absorbing what I had just said or was figuring out how to react.
"SHITTING BRICKS!"
"Roxas! The towels!" Tifa called from the stairs.
"Sora! Did I just hear you curse young man!?" Cloud followed suit.
"OOOOOOH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" my cousin automatically turned heel and ran out of the bathroom. Samba had followed him in but he quickly picked the glider up and ran into his room, slamming the door behind him. I had no choice but to march back down the stairs and hand over the towels. Then hope that I could run like hell fast enough to get up into my room.
"H-here" I extended my arms full of the drying material. Tifa took one and set it around Axel's shoulders. Cloud had succeeded in getting him to take off his jacket and the shirt underneath, exposing his bare chest. Boots were off as well as his socks, revealing bare feet. What had been removed from him was hanging on the coat rack with the pair of boots below it with socks sticking out. All that was left were the pants that I was praying to God that he would keep on.
"I'll go get something for you to wear!" Cloud sprinted up the stairs.
"Lets set you down by the fire so you can warm up" Tifa put one more towel on his head. He clutched the sides, beginning to dry his hair. They walked past me as they did so, and I could see Axel's eye looking at me in an almost hateful way.
`~*~*~*`
"Sora! Roxas! Dinner's ready!"
I clutched my knees up against my chest in fright. Seconds after I had given Axel the towels, I fled up the stairs and locked myself away in my room. There was no way I was going to stay down there just to see his reaction to everything that was around him, especially the fact that he was in my house. Everything was happening so fast, leaving so many questions I couldn't answer. My body went into all out defense mode.
Then again, I was hungry. Maybe the two would work themselves out.
"I don't want to go down there!"
"C'mon Sora!"
I grabbed onto his arm as he clutched the railing as a ploy so that he wouldn't be dragged down the stairs. There was no way I was going down there without him and no way I was going to let him escape! We were going down like Dante and Virgil. Hell and Purgatory may have formed down there, but we were damn well going to explore it if we wanted to reach Paradise (in other words, the food). The fireplace blazing behind me certainly added affect.
"No way man!"
"Stop acting up Sora!" I yanked him off the railing and dragged him down the stairs without a moment's relief. Axel wasn't on the couch which led me to guess that he was in the kitchen. I gulped. So be it. Might as try to get it over with despite the both of us were trying to avoid him as much as possible.
We peeked into the kitchen just to be sure of things. Tifa had just finished setting the table while Cloud took his seat. In the dishes were noodles along with an assortment of vegetables and bits of meat in each one. Exactly when I had found some relief in seeing fours bowls on the table, an extra one was set.
"Can we eat upstairs?" Sora questioned as we stepped in.
"Why would you want to do that?" his dad looked back to him curiously.
"Oh...just cause. Cause I want to watch T.V. or...something" Sora kicked his foot nonchalantly with hands behind his back but I could tell that he was still nervous.
"Not today. Especially since we have a guest tonight!" Tifa shook her as she turned off the stove. Her son jerked in a weird fashion before huddling behind me. Great. No escaping this one. "Come on, you two," she gestured over to the table, "take your seats. It's not going to hurt you if somebody else is eating here."
'You say that now' I twitched as we came over to the table. Sora took the seat next to me, trying to keep his focus on the food instead of the redhead. Something told me he really wanted Riku there at that moment. With him between me and Cloud with Tifa on the other side of her husband, that would mean I was pretty much next to the guy. The table was round after all.
"Oh, right on time!" my aunt smiled when she saw a figure appear in the doorway across the kitchen. Sora and I must've shared some type of psychic ability when we looked at each other after the thought of shitting ourselves.
"We saved you a seat" Cloud gestured to the empty chair across from him. I scooted so close to Sora at that point that our arms were touching.
"...Thank you" Axel said quietly. Well that was a first. Dressed in a dark green shirt with black pajama pants and socks, Axel silently stepped toward the table. Heart went into top speed as he pulled the chair out and took his seat. Sitting in my kitchen. Practically next to me. All of it came in a rush.
"Well isn't this comfortable?" Tifa took her seat happily as if nothing was wrong. Oh how wrong she was. "Even though it's stormy outside, it just feels good to have everybody together. Guests especially" she beamed as she laid a napkin in her lap. "I guess so if the power doesn't go out" Cloud nodded. I glared his way, remembering how he had "accidentally" shut off the power to my room. Who does that?
"So, Axel was it?" the blond looked over to the table. The redhead nodded wordlessly. "Axel. Tell us about yourself."
I felt myself die a little on the inside at the question. Why? Why? WHY? Why?
"I live up on the mainland" his words were small. Quiet but still vocal.
"Yeesh! You came from all the way up there during that storm? You're really something!" Cloud picked some food up on his fork. 'You have no idea' I tried to keep my focus on the food but the conversation at hand was impossible to avoid. When I glanced across the table to him, a small smile appeared in the corner of Axel's lips before disappearing back into oblivion.
"What else would you like to share? Oh! Roxas said your name earlier!" Tifa had an "aha!" moment. I cringed so much at that I could feel my neck starting to hurt and lips start to burn in the corners. Why Tifa? Why the hell did you bring that up?
"Do you two know each other?" she looked to me and then Axel.
I swallowed some cauliflower, "Yeah...We're in history class together." He looked at me in a way that kept me from reading his eyes. My only guess was that he was agreeing with what I was saying so far.
"We don't talk much," he went along with it, "Just know each other."
"That's okay! It's still nice to have some of Roxas' other friends over" the raven-haired woman smiled sweetly. "You make it seem like my friends are horrible!" Sora blurted out at her. "No, it's just nice to see who Roxas can be friends with besides your friends" she denied her son's answer. "Yeah, like my friends on juvies or something!" Sora continued to deny it. Hearing that made me wince when my thoughts turned to Riku. I looked to Axel to see what he thought but he continued to stare solemnly down at his food. If they really wanted to talk about another friend of mine, I would've invited Demyx over if I had the choice.
"I'm sure the both of you get along fine in school" my uncle smiled proudly. 'If only he knew' I rolled my eyes but stopped halfway when I saw that Axel had caught me doing so. An annoyed gleam in his eyes was flashed my way, telling me to stop it.
"Why are you down here anyway?" I just out and asked it. Question was bothering me enough and so was Sora clinging to my arm for safety. I could hear my bones snapping already. "Roxas!" Cloud shot me a glare but I ignored it.
"You never really said what you were doing out there now that I think about it," Tifa put a finger to her chin curiously, "What were you doing out there?"
Axel ate a tiny amount of the vegetables before answering, "I was looking for somebody."
"Looking for somebody?" Cloud went back to the conversation. "Yeah" the redhead lowered his head in a sad way. That got me concerned.
"You mean there's another person out there?!" Tifa was about to shoot out of her seat at a mile a minute. My thoughts automatically turned to Demyx and a pain came to my chest.
"No, well, not just a person..." he was struggling for words as he tried to avoid looking at us. I could sort of sense his position but not thinking much into following through with it. "No, they're fine. They took shelter nearby. I just got lost" he shook his head and ate a little bit more of the food that was in front of him. Axel always was a bad liar, that I knew. Certainly he couldn't be thinking that we'd believe that could he? Well, Tifa and Cloud probably would and Sora wouldn't give a shit. As for me, I wasn't buying it. Nevertheless, the truth behind it led me to believe that he didn't want to reveal who was out there. If it was Demyx or any of the others, he'd out and say so unless he didn't want me to get involve. But if not them than who else?
A bark broke my thoughts for a minute.
"Samba!" Sora scanned the floor frantically, not noticing that Samba had already scurried onto the table. Scenes from the day Samba had been running around with Axel returned back into my mind. It was happening all over again with the differences that Axel was staying in one place and Sora was going to see how they'd react to each other; the exact opposite of what I wanted to happen that day.
"Oh! Samba!" Tifa covered her lips to smother a laugh but it came out anyways.
The glider sniffed around our bowls curiously (with Sora still distracted by the floor) before heading over Axel's way. "Sorry for that Axel. Don't mind him" Cloud shook his head, still giving a joyous smile. Sora finally brought himself back up to the table only to find Samba being pet under the hand of his arch nemesis.
"That's Sora's pet Samba. He's what's called a sugar glider" my uncle further explained.
"Sugar glider. Oh," Axel's face seemed to light up a bit as Samba crawled onto his hand and made a crabbing noise, "Hi Samba."
"NO!"
Sora's chair fell to the ground as he got up. "Sora!" Tifa shot at him but he ignored her as he stormed around the table. Without a second thought, he snatched the glider off the redhead's shoulder. Axel looked up to him but with no anger or anything on his face. But Sora did. He looked pissed. An abhorrent glare. The look someone would give to the person who destroyed everything he loved in life. Something unforgivable. Like he didn't deserved to live.
"Don't you ever touch him again!" my cousin raised his voice to an aggressive level, holding the glider protectively.
"Sora!" Cloud shot up from his seat. Like father like son. Sora didn't respond.
"Sora stop!" Tifa slammed her fists on the table to get his attention but he continued to pay no heed, only continued to peer at Axel. Tension heated up all around me. I wanted to say something but I didn't know what. A hell of a lot of the truth would spill out if I had told him to put Samba back with Axel but I wasn't sure. How was I supposed to talk sense to a guy who was no longer my cousin?
"You'll be sorry if I ever catch you touching him again" the brunette growled. The Flurry didn't give any response besides looking up to him with a blank face.
"Sora! What is wrong with you?!" my aunt raised her voice. Continuing to ignore her, Sora turned around and strutted out the door to the living room. Seconds later, the sound of stomping on the stairs came to our ears and finally a door slamming shut. Silence filled the room moments after the door had shut, making most likely all of us uncomfortable. Everybody at the table wasn't expecting a freak out like that except for me when Samba had gotten onto the table. From watching the scene that had just unfolded I felt my nervousness melt away, leaving a tingle in my chest for Axel. The guy had turned back to his food and sighed, the light in his face fading back into darkness.
"We're sorry about that, Axel," Tifa shook her head as Cloud unhappily took his seat back, "He's not always like that. Sora is usually okay with letting other people handle Samba. I don't get why he's like that now."
"No, it's okay. I don't mind" the red spikes moved from side to side as he shook his head. His tone was saddened, causing me to feel even more distressed. What happened felt like my fault despite Sora being the one who caused all the ruckus.
"I'm sorry, but," he rose from his chair with head slightly low, "But can I...be excused? I'm not very hungry and I just want to get some sleep."
"Axel" I got to speaking up again.
"If that's okay?" he looked to my aunt and uncle in a pleading manner.
"Of course, Axel" Tifa scooted her chair out and headed around the other side of the table toward him. "Come with me, we'll go get some blankets" she gestured toward the door where he had entered before.
"Thank you" he nodded following close behind her as they entered the darkness. That just left me and Cloud but it didn't stay like that long.
"I'd better go talk to Sora" he pushed his chair out and headed for where Sora had exited.
All that was left was me at the table now. Sort of the opposite way I wanted to spend my rainy day dinner without anybody around me. The only voices that seemed to be conversing were the winds howling outside and the creaks of the house against the force. Sounds of the filter from the fish tank but no fish speak up. Sighing, I played with the food in the bowl to ease some of the loneliness. Suddenly I wasn't as hungry anymore.
"I need something to drink"
Sitting up in my bed I stared into the shadows that were in my room. Rain pounded on the roof, running down the sides of my window, and whipped outside of the glass barrier in the wind to make visibility a whopping negative zero. To block all of the sounds out I had been pressing the pillow over my ears for the past two hours in an attempt to get to sleep. None of it helped, only worked to keep me awake. Grabbing the glass next to my lamp, I got up for the door.
Not much had happened after "dinner." I put my bowl in the fridge for later so I could get back to my room. No knowledge came to me about what had happened to Axel but I could only guess that he was sleeping downstairs on the couch in the living room. Tifa and Cloud either finished eating once I was gone or put everybody else's bowls in the fridge before turning in as well. The storm was here, all that was left was to ride it out like everybody else with hopes that the power wouldn't be going out anytime soon.
"What a night" I whispered to myself once I was out in the hall. Where Sora's room was, the door was slightly creaked opened but by the way no sounds were coming out meant that he was asleep. Going further down the hallway, Tifa and Cloud's door was closed but by the light snoring sound within led me to believe they were doing the same thing as Sora. Thank goodness for that!
Hesitant at first to take the first step down the stairs, I found the means to keep going despite knowing that Axel was down there. If he had any sense under the fireball on his head, he wouldn't dare be messing around with anything. He was trusted into our house so he better had been respecting that trust. Though I doubt what he was putting on earlier was an act, he better not have been deceiving us.
When the whole room came into view, the redhead wasn't on the couch like the blankets Tifa had given him were. Instead he was in front of the fireplace, looking at something on the mantelpiece.
Something large and square was in his hands.
"HEY!" I stormed down the steps. His head jerked as if he was going to look back at me but he didn't. How dare he? How dare he think he could do that? Think he could come into somebody's home and touch their stuff just like that? Especially something like that that was important to us? Important to me?
"Put that down!" I set the cup down by the tank and came at him. He held me off when I got close to him and pushed me when I was deemed too close. Steps away I held my ground should I have to brawl with him.
"This your mom?" he asked quietly without looking back to me. I relaxed my stance from hearing that but was still prepared to hold my ground.
"Yes. Yes she is" I growled. A picture of my mother had been placed over the fireplace after her death, adorned with replicas of her favorite flowers. As far as I knew, nobody had moved it since the day it was placed there. Only Tifa would inch at if she was cleaning it. Yet he, somebody like that, had moved it without thinking of the others who were attached to it. Bastard!
"She looks nice" he set it back down on the wood, adjusting it in the way he had seen it. As he took his seat back down on the couch, I went over to where he was standing to adjust the frame if it was needed. The position of the picture was completely memorized in my mind. Finding one tiny thing wrong with it would set me off.
It was set back perfectly.
'Good' I thought to myself.
"Nice PJ's"
I turned around to see him arm behind the back of the couch and squinting at my white and blue star pajamas. What the hell?
"Shut up"
"How about you before you wake everybody up?"
I growled even though he did have a point. Hadn't realized how loud I was being, especially when I caught him with my mother's picture in his hands. The last thing I wanted to happen was waking Tifa and Cloud up to see us fighting.
"What're you doing here anyways?" I got the question the I had asked earlier out in the open once more.
"Tch, you don't care" he relaxed against the cushion.
"You said you were looking for somebody"
"Doesn't matter"
"Were you looking for me?"
"Hell no"
"Then who?"
"You wouldn't care"
Obviously we weren't getting anywhere. Just a fiery stare from him, the flames of the fireplace making him look more malevolent. "I honestly don't get you" I walked toward the chair sitting in the corner next to the fireplace. "I don't get you either" he laid back on the couch, laying his head and feet on the armrests.
"You sure do make yourself at home don't you?"
"Be quiet" he crossed his arms behind his head as he laid on the arm of the couch. He must've been an idiot if he thought I was going to take something like that.
A soft sound brushed against the floor, making us both raise our heads a little. It wasn't until something small came around the couch did we calm down a little.
"Heli-" he paused as he held his arm down to the critter, "Samba" he allowed the glider to run up his arm and onto his chest. Anxiety returned to my chest as I watched the two on the couch. "Not that you'd care, but you heard what Sora said" I warned him.
"Like I give a shit" he twirled his finger around to which Samba tried to grab it.
"Just saying"
"Please. He'd be smart not to get in my way of things. I'm not even hurting the little guy" he stroked his finger against Sammy's back with the fur ball laying down at the feel. "Thought you weren't going to touch us for a while" I crossed my arms, sitting up against the back of the chair. The way he sighed like he was annoyed put some dread into my mind but I braced myself for whatever he was going to say. "Have I hurt you?" he narrowed his eyes at me. I squeezed my torso. "Have I laid a hand on any of yours and Mori's little "Happy Sunshine" crew in a violent way? Have I?" Thinking it over but forgetting the segments where it was just him and me I reluctantly answered, "No."
"So piss off" he turned his head to allow Samba to run up his neck. I shuddered at the sight, a piece of the nightmare I had experienced coming right back at me. Damn! Why was I even down there talking to the guy? I could've been asleep by now! As long as he didn't bother anything else, I would've been fine. Yet there I was with ass planted on the chair, watching the McFlurry of Dancing Flames play with my cousin's favorite pet.
"Dancing much?"
"Hm?"
He looked to me with a cunning smile that sent chills racing through my spine. It took me a moment to get what he was saying but when I did I felt like crapping myself.
"At the end of time. Vrooom!"
"S-shut up!"
He laid his head back, releasing one arm to put on his face, and laughed quietly.
"What the hell was that!?"
"It's something Samba likes you jackass!"
"That was the worst piece of shit I've ever seen!"
"You guys wanted proof so I gave you proof!"
"Bitch please! That was low even for you. I probably got cancer now" he quickly calmed down after Samba had quit his neck to run up and down his legs like they were a slope. "Oh, go to hell you jackass. Such a jerk" I laid down on one of the armrests of the chair. I didn't need this type of disrespect. Not at my own place.
"Why don't you just call somebody to come pick you up so you can leave the rest of us alone?" I looked over to him. He drew his hand into the pocket of the pajamas pants and drew out his cellphone. Must've switched them into them when he changed clothes. Using his thumb, he flipped it open.
"No signal. Tough luck, bitch"
I groaned and closed my eyes as if I was preparing to sleep. I didn't want to but I didn't feel like going back up the stairs either. "Xigbar's your guardian; why doesn't he come out and fucking get you?" I peeked my eyes open again.
"Don't step into my business" his tone became dark but that didn't stop Samba from rolling around on his chest. I didn't say anything but he sighed as sign that he was going to go on. "Demyx told you that didn't he?"
"Yes"
He brought his arm back around his head again and crossed his legs, "Guy's such a loudmouth."
"But he's your best friend so you can't do anything to him" I countered with that fact. "True but he does need to know when to keep quiet" I turned to see his head turned in the direction of the flames. "But he was mad at you at the time. You fucking slapped him a like a bitch would!"
"Shut up"
"Face it. He had every right to be angry at you"
"Why're you talking about something that happened like a month ago?"
That silenced me again. Great. He was countering just as much as I was. That only led to us getting nowhere once more so might as well stop.
"Besides," he turned over to which Samba scurried onto his side, "too late to go looking for me. Like he'd stay out in that mess just to search for me? Fat chance." His words finished abruptly and he became quiet all of a sudden. When I made a questioning sound, he didn't reply. Wordlessly, he turned onto his other side with Samba acting like a lumberjack on a log until the "log" was facing the back of the couch, away from the fire.
"I hate the rain"
`~*~*~*`
"Axel"
"What?"
"Mm, never mind"
I clutched my knees up to my face, laying my head on both of them. For some reason I still hadn't moved from my spot on the chair. Axel hadn't moved much either which gave me the impression that he had fallen asleep. Apparently not by the way he answered me but Samba looked like he did. Rain continued to poor down like there was no tomorrow with thunder booming and lightning flickering outside the window.
"Why're you still down here?"
"Hm?" I looked over his way to see him looking back at me. "I'm not tired. Not yet"
"It's creepy. I feel like a stalker's behind me"
"Far from THAT"
"Gonna pull a knife on me or something, not that I wouldn't stop you"
"Maybe I will"
He looked back at me curiously to which I responded with a raised eyebrow. I was kidding. I was kidding. Like I'd actually resort to murder in my own house. I'd end up being the prime suspect! Plus there was the fact that the only way to get to the kitchen was to get past him and chances are he would rave me down and kill me before I could even get past the piece of furniture.
Red spikes faced out again as he turned back toward the couch, "I gotta go."
"Toilet's down the hall; don't make it explode with your piss"
"That's not what I meant" he hissed on the last part since he couldn't raise his voice, probably so that he wouldn't wake up Samba.
"Go? As in out there?" I nodded toward the door.
"No shit"
"Why the hell would you want to go out there?!"
"I told you before that I was looking for somebody"
"Okay, but who?"
A stern look was shot my way but I returned it with just as much "force" he was giving me. Not telling me anything wasn't going to help him. Since he wasn't giving up any information, I was getting curious about his situation. Eventually he'd have to tell me or murder me right where I sat to make me stop.
"You want to know who I'm looking for?" he sat up slightly so as not to disturb Samba. "You really want to know?" he raised an eyebrow. "It's not Demyx is it?" I leaned forward anxiously. For some reason my mind fell back to that notion. "No it's not Demyx!" he shook his head, "That guy may like playing in the rain but he's got more sense than you to go out in that shit" he gestured toward the window when a flash of lighting came through. I growled in frustration, "Then who is it?!"
"It's just somebody I know! Not like you'd give a damn. I told you to stay out of my fucking business!" he pointed angrily at me. I recoiled to the back of the seat, offended by both his tone and gesture. It felt like a reversal of trust had commenced. We trusted him enough into our home but he didn't trust us or, more correctly, me.
"What difference would it make if I told you anyway? Not going to change your life! So just back off or I'll take back what I said and make sure you regret stepping into my mind field!" he descended back into laying down.
"Now shut the hell up about it! If not, then shut yourself up in your room and leave me alone!" he turned back to the cushion, adjusting his body to make himself comfortable.
"Fine!" I shot my attention to the side so that I wasn't looking at him. No need to get so angry about it. All he had to do was answer it. Such an ass! Nonetheless he made another point. Why was I getting so worked up about it? It wasn't Demyx and not any of the others for sure to confirm my earlier suspicions. Not Sho though I'd bet money he was smarter than Axel. Who else could've been out there? Who else was important to him enough to be a friend? AGH! That was what was wrong with me! Getting so snoopy! He had the right to be upset. If not him than anybody else would've been mad that I was getting into affairs I had no right to go into. Okay but that still led me back to my earlier question. What was I wanting to get out of hearing his answer? He was right; nothing would change if I had it. So then what did I want? To know? To approve? To...help?
"I'm sorry, I...just wanted to know" I mumbled to myself. Closing my eyes to think, I laid my head against the arm with my legs hanging over the other. By the time I opened my eyes I was planning on staring at the ceiling to pass the time but my eyelids stayed the closed.
A crash of thunder shook the house.
"Mmm, nh?" I turned over in the chair but stopped myself when I sensed there was nothing behind me. With that realization fading from my mind I sat up in the chair. Even with the cushions, the wood on the armrests had given me a horrible sense of whiplash as I sat up. Marks of the designs had been made on both my neck and legs I found out when I rubbed them.
"Time is it?" my eyes opened to nearly complete darkness. The flames of the fireplace were put out and the light of the fish tank was turned off, leaving nothing but a pale turquoise light from the window to barely lighten the room. Who had turned them all off, I had no idea but what I did know was the black mass on the couch was the same guy as before. Didn't know if Samba was with him or not though.
"Axel?" I whispered.
He didn't answer.
"Axel?"
Nothing.
'Finally fell asleep I see' I sniffed. The guy said he wanted to go to sleep earlier that night. Or was it yesterday? Anyways, he wanted to sleep but he still hadn't when everybody else had. So after who knows how many hours of staying up the guy finally conked out like he supposedly wanted to. Good for him...I guess. Any who, that left me no reason to stay down there any longer. Might as well go up and sleep in my own room.
'Guess I'll leave Samba down here,' I shrugged as I stretched my legs and arms out, 'Axel's not going to do anything to him.'
With my body awake but still exhausted, I hauled myself up to my feet for one last move of getting to my room. Across from me, Axel's light breathing entered my ears. Being a tiny bit nosy, I came closer to where he was. As my eyes got used to the darkness his figure became clearer to me. As opposed to how he was laying earlier, Axel was now lying on his back. The faint glow of his cellphone on standby was cradled in the bend of his arm with his hand on his chest. Samba rested on his abdomen in his signature curled fashion. Altogether, the redhead's chest rose and fell calmly. Eyes closed for the longest I had ever seen with right leg hanging off the couch.
"Ironic," I murmured as I gazed down to him, "You're the Flurry of Dancing Flames yet it takes the sound of rain to put you to sleep."
Any remaining heat from the fireplace wasn't being emitted, meaning that it had been turned off and cooled a long time ago. I'd guess either Tifa or Cloud came and turned it off but there was the small chance that Axel did it himself.
"But that suits me just fine" I nodded with a huff.
"Ngh" his hand twitched suddenly, startling me enough to make me freeze in place. I didn't know what to do with the fact that he might be waking up so all I could do was just stand there and take what he was about to do or say. Maybe he wouldn't be so cranky after a nice little nap?
"Mm" he exhaled contently as he adjusted his position. Moving in his sleep; he hadn't heard me it appeared. 'Damn that was close' I sighed thankful in my mind.
"Hm...sey"
"Hn?"
He didn't move but I was sure I was hearing him talk in his sleep. What he had said before was a mumble but the most I could make out was the last part. "Sey." That didn't give me much to go on since it was probably the last part of a name but it did give me something. It was what he was screaming in the rain earlier. "...Sey" was all I was able to make out. No doubt it was the person he was looking for. Sure as hell didn't know anybody at school who had a "sey" at the end of their name and Riku sure didn't mention anybody who went by that.
"...msey..."
Who was he talking about?
"..a...msey..."
Amsey? Yamsey? Flamsey? Damsey? I just had no idea what he was saying. His words were so broken and mumbly. Being asleep didn't help at all either since he was keeping the secret to himself in his dreams. It was confusing.
"...ome...ack"
Okay now it just sounded like he was drunk. It was just his sleeping but it was making me wonder what was going on in his head. What was he dreaming about that had to do with Amsey? Was this person running away from him? Was he searching for him in his mind rather than out in the rain? What?
A faint glint suddenly came to his face next to his eye.
When I caught sight of it I drew closer to see what it was. Even in the faint light it was able to shine. At first I thought it was glitter but then again glitter doesn't materialize out of nowhere. But upon further inspection I saw something that had never crossed my mind before. Another history in the making.
A tear.
The glimmer of a tear.
Small but visible. Just the sight of it sliding down from his eye made my whole world feel all of sudden abstract. Maybe it was because I was seeing it again. The light I had seen after the fight. The one I thought I'd never see again. The star that proved he was human after all. It was amazing yet frightening at the same time but altogether a heart racer.
Somehow I had become compelled to him. Not much could be said about what made me feel that way but all I knew was that I was attracted to him. Like he was calling me to him. I couldn't resist what was going on without his knowledge. Cautiously, I rose my hand from my side with shaking anxiety and brought it to the side of his face. Lightly I brought the limb against the line of spiky hair that shaped his features. It was soft. Such a small portion of hair was incredibly soft. Dragging my fingers as mildly as I did before, I moved his face. The bone underneath his skin served as a vertical wall since the droplet ran down from his eye into the bushel of red. Missing that, I moved my hand past his forehead to another set of crimson.
Green eyes peeked open.
'OH SHIT! OH MOTHERFUCKING SHIT!' I drew away without hesitation, backing up until I fell back into the chair. What the fuck was wrong with me!? Touching the guy while he was sleeping!? Sure the guy may have looked better asleep but that was no reason to start touching him! He was right! I was a motherfucking stalker! Bad Roxas! BAD ROXAS! Go into the kitchen and commit suicide right now you bastard! You just disgraced yourself you piece of shit!
He brought himself up onto his hands with head hanging low as he sat up. I trembled in my seat, watching and waiting for him to do something to me. It was going to be one hell of a confrontation. I'd die. No idea what I'd say to him. He could go into the kitchen, get a butcher knife, and cleave me to death. I deserved it. There was something wrong with me. Stop me before I start eating babies and kicking dogs off the interstate!
"Mpf, what time is it?" he stretched his back without raising his arms, staying in the position he was already in.
"F-f-f-f-five thir-thir-thir-thirty seven" I made out as much of the clock on the wall would tell me.
"Damn what a night" he brought a hand to the eye that had let out the tear. I crossed my legs and squeezed as tight as I could. Finished with rubbing it, he drew it back and looked at it.
"Nyah, allergies"
I felt like shitting myself and shoving a sword up my ass.
"WHAT?"
He looked up to me tiredly and the turquoise light allowed me to see a confused look in the green marbles he called eyes. "Allergies. Samba's fur must've gotten in my eyes. He did roll around on me after you went dead from the neck up. I'm just not used to his fur yet" he explained while he made a motion that told he was stretching his shoulders.
Earth, the universe, life itself...was shitting on me. I really was a freak of nature now. No idea how that had happened. Never ever thought that it could've been Samba's fur. He seemed fine with the rodent-thing when he was attached to his face the other day! How does something like this happen!? It didn't make any sense! What I did, didn't make any sense! Axel was my enemy! The guy who had burned me! Who threatened my cousin and friends! Who brought me to a fight and nearly got me killed! Who robbed me! Why the hell was I stroking him like a sleeping kid?! He was a piece of dog shit and that's all he'd ever be to me! Nothing fucking more! Just needed to slam my head in the door to remove whatever was in my mind that made me think otherwise of him!
"Oh, the rain let up" he scratched the back of his head. Recovering from the shock of my life, I turned around toward the window. He was right. I hadn't noticed it before but the rain had stopped. So did the wind. Except for the clashing of thunder and the blinking of lightning, everything else had stopped.
"Y-yeah" I spoke up once more.
"My cue to leave" he scooped Samba up into his hand and threw the blanket off.
"Wait, what?!" I got up from the chair. "I'm not staying here any longer. Not while there's a clear road outside" he rose up, turned around, and set Samba back on the other blanket as carefully as he could. The glider rolled onto his back, stretching out it's body like a sleeping dog.
"You can't be serious!" I followed him with my eyes as he strutted over to the coat rack, watching him grab the sides of his shirt and pull it up. Visions from the dreams came speeding back into my mind so I turned around and faced the corner to prevent from seeing what else would happen.
"But I am no shit" the sound of the shirt flying into the air and landing on the couch came to my ears.
"It may be calm now but it could get crazy again after you get out there!"
"Then better hurry and hit the road before crap starts happening again"
Another sound of something landing on the couch. The pajama pants.
"Why don't you just stay here and wait until my aunt and uncle wake up? They could give you a ride back to...wherever!"
"Please. That's nice and all but in case you forgot, somebody I know is still out there," a low zipping sound was made. He was zipping up his pants. "I'll trek my way back and look for them while I'm out, thank you very much" I glanced behind me to see he was putting on his boots now, still shirtless. Dammit! Put it on! Put. IT. BACK. ON!
"It's still not safe. Who knows what the damage is out there"
"Why're you so picky about me going out?" he looked back at me, locking our eyes. Another point made. I was getting worried about him apparently. I see the world still wasn't done fucking with me yet. Fucking idiot was what I was.
"If I remember right, I wasn't wanted here in the first place" he sneered as he slipped on the shirt and reached to the coat hanger for his jacket.
"Yeah, you're not bu-"
"Reason enough for me to leave"
"BUT it's dangerous out there! And-" I tried to think up an excuse to make it seemed like I wasn't so concerned about him, "I don't want my uncle to get sued should something shitty happen to you out there."
"Tch, like I'm going to die out there? Please. I'd be sure to go out in a bad ass way" he pulled on the corners of his jacket to make sure everything was straight. Dressed up and ready for action. "Tell your U and A I said thanks. Owe them one later" he undid each one of the locks on the door before opening it.
"Axel!"
Calling out his name obviously didn't stop him by the way he stepped out and pulled the door on the other side. His sudden take on leaving and the "allergy" deal he had said earlier left me frustrated. How could he just waltz out like that? Leaving me with a sucky revelation? " 'Oh thanks for the shelter shitheel. Bye!' " Who the hell does that?! Still...I was uneasy in the back of my mind.
Next to the coat hanger was a basket full of items to grab. I hooked the handle of one of the items around my arm, slipped on my shoes, and opened the door to follow him.
Outside wasn't as bad as it had been when Tifa and I went out there to get the idiot but it was still scary. The sky was heavy with clouds. What was the turquoise light that shone through the window was smothered behind the clouds to become dull in view. On the ground, palm tree leaves and debris were littered here and there. Sounds of waves crashing against the shore of the island were loud and violent. Air hung with the intense smell of after rain with a hint of the sea. In short, it was like looking at what happened after a hurricane.
"Axel wait!" I ran down the driveway, hopping around the debris like a militant through those tire obstacles things.
"What?" he shoved his hands in his pockets from his place down the road. He walked pretty far in two minutes but where he was heading to looked more frightening than what I was seeing over here. Dark clouds were still hanging over the second island and no doubt the mainland. Lightning snaked across the clouds, spreading bolts like cracks in the earth.
"Can't be serious about going over there can you?" I meant to have been mumbling to myself but I think Axel overheard when I stopped up next to him. "Here"
"An umbrella?" he stared at the black mass hanging from my wrist. I held it out, unlatched the Velcro, and pushed the switch to open it. "It might start raining again while your out. Hell, it might be raining over there right now" I held it out to him. His eyes moved from the umbrella to me in a confused fashion. When he didn't take it right away, I growled with a clutched handle.
"Will you just take it!?"
It took him a few more seconds but he eventually took it from my hand, "The hell's up with you? Acting like Demyx"
"Nothing! Just give it back when you're done with it. Or when school starts up again. Better yet, just keep the fucking thing!" I put my arm out to the side. Getting so tired of the look he was giving me just because I was a little worried about him. I sure as hell didn't want a hit put on my family should something crappy happen to him. Better give him something for "safety" and send him on his fucking way.
"Whatever" he sniffed casually turning back to the trail. My feet refused to move from the spot in the road as I saw him off. He felt back his hair with his free hand then shoved it back in his pocket. Barely a kick in his step was visible, none of it coming from the fact that he was going to be a robin in the rain or the fact that he had an umbrella. A hint of terror struck my chest when I saw a strike of lightning branch out in the clouds in the direction he was heading but he didn't seem fazed at all.
As soon as I could no longer see a spike of red, I headed back into the house just as the sound of thunder rung in the sky.
Back inside, I resumed what I had came down the stairs to do in the first place. Thirst was no longer a problem to me but I still filled my cup up with fruit juice. When I reentered the living room I paused by the couch and scooped the still sleeping Samba into my hand. I didn't bother to place him back in Sora's room nor did I even try to pull the sheets over me when I got back onto my bed. The feeling of softness all around me was enough to slip me into sleep with the sugar glider on my chest.
`~*~*~*`
"Roxas! I got breakfast going!"
"Mmrf!" I shoved the pillow over my head but sat up when I remembered I was hungry. Taking the pillow off my head showed that the room seemed somewhat brighter than when I had entered it earlier that day. Turning to look outside answered why; the clouds were seemingly thinner and a light gray so that it wasn't totally freaky outside.
With the smell of something good being cooked flowing into the room, I wrapped up some warmth around me and put Samba on my shoulder as he drowsily woke up. Party animal.
"Morning bedhead" Cloud flipped through yesterday's newspaper as I walked into the kitchen. "You guys always know my hair is like this. Why point it out you hypocrite?" I tilted my head intimidatingly. He laughed as I came over to the table while Samba glided to where Sora was sitting. "Samba! You slept with Roxy last night?" he was wrapped up in his bedsheets the same way I was. Well, at least I thought I was in my bedsheets.
"Roxas, do you know what happened to Axel?" Tifa turned around from the stove with a frying pan full of bacon in her hands. Dammit! Should've known that question was going to come up sooner or later. I didn't have a real cover for it.
"Uh, no. Haven't seen him since dinner last night," I shrugged as I took my seat next to Sora, "Why do you ask?"
"Mm, he's not here. I'm afraid he left during the night or earlier this morning" she turned back to the stove. "Oh, well...hopefully he made it back home if that's where he was heading. That's where I'd be heading if I was him" I explained with some hand gestures to enforce my words. "Please, that guy can go fall in a ditch" Sora mumbled to himself but it was loud enough for me to hear.
"I guess so. Though I wish I could've thanked him for what he did" my aunt picked up two plates of breakfast and set them in front of Sora and I.
"Hm? What he'd do?" I looked down to my food while pleading there were no eggs in my grits with all my might.
"You didn't see? The light in the fish tank was already turned off and the fireplace was put out. I forgot to do both last night" she turned back to the counter for two other plates. "And you know the clothes I gave him?" Cloud lowered the newsprint, "Neatly folded on the couch."
"Then there were the blankets; all of them were folded perfectly except for the one you're wearing now Roxas" she nodded my way. I blinked in confusion until I examined myself to find that I was adorned in one of the blankets he had used. I thought I had caught my sheets or bed spread when I was getting up but I never checked to see. In fact, it was laying on me when I woke up.
"And you're sure that neither of you got up in your sleep to do all that?" Sora raised an eyebrow at the both of them. They shook their heads in denial. 'Must've came back for something. Thought he had everything' I pushed my chair out and rose from my seat. "I have to use the bathroom"
Following back to the living room, I looked to the corner where the coat hanger and basket were next to the door. A black hook was sticking out of the basket and upon further inspection, was wet.
'What happened to you?' I held the blanket close for more warmth. He came back to return the umbrella? So what? Did he find the person he was looking for? And how the hell did he get back in? I made sure to reset all the locks on the door. Unless he used his screwdriver to first undo the knob and then somehow do the rest of them silently. But then how did he reset them from outside? Why didn't Cloud confiscate that thing anyway? Nobody bother to search the guy for weapons or drug paraphernalia?
After I had emptied my bladder I came back down the stairs to enjoy breakfast with the rest of my family. As I put some butter in my non-egged grits, a snap of awareness came into focus.
Axel.
The guy who had been let into our house to spend the night. He left. Everything was fine now.
Didn't I mean to talk to him weeks earlier?
Even though the dreams had fricked me out of wanting to see him, they barely bothered me when we were in the living room together.
I had the type of surroundings I wanted for us to talk.
But he slipped away.
...
Son of a bitch.
A/N: I don't own McDonald's or their McFlurries but I thought it was funny calling him that! Get that out of the way first. Second of all, this chapter was a kind of awkward for me to write. Odd transition from what was in the last chapter. Not to mention I think there was a bunch of contradictions in this one if not in the other ones. Bleh! Sora acts like a little kid with Samba. I did have this idea for a chapter in my mind but didn't know how it was going to turn out other than Axel was going to spend the night over as Roxas' house. Huh. But OooOooOh! Roxas! What's going on with him! And Axel too! Laying the blanket on him while he was sleeping! I hear...a kazoo. Oops...But just who was Axel looking for? What importance do they have to him? We'll find out in the next chapter! Until then, thanks for reading and please review!