DISCLAIMER
I do NOT own any of the Kingdom Hearts I & II rights.
Warning: Shonen-ai, boys kiss & hugs, language below.
A/N: waaaaaaaaaaaaahhh cannot believe I left this fic hanging for soooooooooooo long. I was just really caught up with school and had NO time at all to upload this. So given the situation, I'm uploading the rest of this story up til the very end tonight!
Chapter 26
"If my Dad is still alive right now, I guess we wouldn't meet at all, would we?" Roxas asked randomly, ambling along the beach with his arms wrapped around one of Axel's arm.
"Wrong." Axel denied clearly, "We will meet. We're born with a destiny to meet each other; even if it wasn't because of our parents, we will still get to know each other." He reassured, "Maybe, we would be browsing in the same library and were going to borrow the same book, then we'll meet. Or... you're at Sora's part time workplace and you clumsily spilled coke on me, so I must know you. Or, we could be in a cinema and you sit right next to me, then halfway through the movie you fell asleep and drool on me, making me feel yucky..."
"I won't!" Roxas laughed.
"Either way, I'm sure we will meet in any possible corners of the world." Axel stopped his pace and turned to the blond, "Because I will find you. Only you are the right one for me."
Roxas let a content smile plant across his face as he stepped up to embrace his lover...
"You guys aren't the locals here, are you?" Suddenly a voice caught their attention on a life guard, "You should go back then; the weather has changed," He pointed somewhere out at the glooming sky, "A storm is coming."
-- Axel's house --
'Diiiiiiii...'
The telephone broke the one and only silence in the empty house.
'Diiiiiiii...'
'Diiiiiiii...'
'Diiiiiiii...'
'Rrrrrrrr...' Aerith bit her bottom lip nervously; no one picked up. She sighed and hanged up her cell phone after the seventh ring.
"Calling home?" Wakka asked as he came in.
"Hm..." Aerith nodded, "But it seems like they both went out."
"See? I told you they should come along with us." Wakka noted, earning a 'Huh?' from the auburn haired lady, "Axel should come here and greet your family."
'Those two are right at their golden ages, I was afraid that if they...' Panic took over Aerith's face, "Roxas h-"
'Dii Dii Diiiiii...'
"Excuse me." Wakka said as he flipped open his cell phone, "Hello? Huh? Didn't I already tell you to do that?! Then how come the problem isn't solved yet?! Okay... Alright, then I'm coming back tonight." He hang up and turned to his fiancée, "I'm sorry, something happened and I have to go back tonight."
"It's ok," Aerith smiled, "It's work after all, we can't help it."
"But...it's been a long while since you have visited your hometown..." Wakka said worriedly, "Do you maybe want to stay here for another night, and come back tomorrow?"
"No, no." Aerith shook her head, "I want to go home with you, I'm worried that something happened at home."
Meanwhile, Axel and Roxas were running for cover from the rain. They arrived near a convenient store as Axel pulled the blond close so they could cuddle and it wouldn't be as cold.
'Today afternoon, the northeast and east area was flooded with rain. The observatory recorded more than 110cm of rain in one hour. This storm has caused severe conditions of disaster. Overflowed rivers has caused nearby areas to become flooded. This storm has also caused certain railways to cancel services. This is the report from MTC News.' The television installed in the store has informed the two soaked boys.
Dashing into the train station, the boys hoped to be able to catch the last train that leads back to their house. But they were only to be disappointed when they saw the sign saying 'all rails are closed'.
"Ow man, are you kidding me?!" Axel groaned.
"What should we do?" Roxas asked nervously.
"Wait." Axel sighed, "What else can we do?" He proceeded to sit on a bench, his body shivering from the cold his soaked clothes were giving him. Roxas joined him.
"We're really not going back? But the sky was so clear earlier..." The blond said, translucent white puffs of steam leaving his lips to the cold air outside.
"Forget it," Axel heaved another sigh, "Let's go."
"Go where?"
"At least somewhere to dry our clothes." Axel gestured on his drenched sweater, "We can't just stay here and wait all the time. Aunt Aerith is coming back home tomorrow, so as long as we make it back to home before they came back, then it's ok."
"But..."
"Let's go." Axel grabbed Roxas' hand, pulling him out of the station, "If you don't dry yourself, you'll get sick. I know that there's a motel in front, let's just go there and dry ourselves first." He said as he hovered his sweater over their heads so they could run towards the worn-out building.
"It's freezing..." The redhead remarked as he entered a motel room and immediately wrapped blankets around his blond brother.
"I-I think we should go..." Roxas said through trembling, "Maybe the trains might work again. Or we should just go somewhere else."
"Are you guarding against me?" Axel asked as he ruffled his damp crimson locks.
"No..."
"It's the same everywhere." The redhead rubbed his hands together, "Whether it's here, or at home, it's only you and me."
A very awkward silence followed. Axel occupied himself with quivering and warming himself while Roxas was being overwhelmed by...ahem, dirty thoughts.
-- Sora's house --
"I don't want to!" Sora protested.
"I've already decided." A middle-aged man replied sternly.
"Dad!" The brunette yelled in frustration, "How can you be so dictatorial?! I said I don't want to!"
"Shut up!" The old man stood up, "I said I've already made a decision on this!" And he turned for his room. Sora pouted unhappily but was caught off with the ring of his cell phone.
"Hey, Roxie." He greeted, a smile slowly spreading across his once irritated lips.
"Hey, Sora..."
"What's up?" Sora listened intensely, an astonished expression soon taking over, "And then? Where's Axel now?"
"He's taking a shower." Roxas frowned, "I don't know what I should do..."
"Roxas, let me tell you something." Sora sat on the single seat sofa, "Even though I always joke with you, but this time, I'm not kidding."
"Uh-huh."
"I don't think that this is going to be a bad thing." Sora commented, "If you really love him. But the most important thing is what you want. Don't force yourself to do something you don't want, okay? I believe that if you don't want it, Axel will understand."
"..."
"Hello? Are you listening?!"
"Huh? Yeah I gotcha." Roxas gasped; the bathroom door opened along with Axel walking out, a towel securely wrapped around his waist. "Yeah I'll talk to you later, bye!"
"Who was it?" Axel asked uninterestedly, moving to his clothes to get dressed.
I love Axel, Roxas thought, this feeling is not going to change.
"What's wrong?" Axel glanced over his shoulder at the blonde after pulling a shirt on.
"Are you hungry?" Roxas asked but his eyes were diverted from the redhead, "There's a convenient store downstairs, do you want to get something to eat?"
"Oh that... it's up to you." Axel shrugged casually and pulled his boxers up before removing the towel, then continued to put on his jeans.
But if Axel and I really crossed that line... then I don't think I will be able to smile in front of Mom anymore... Roxas' mind opened a semi-debate.
The dark colored SUV skidded to a stop in front of the mansion. Both front doors opened simultaneously as Wakka and Aerith exited the vehicle.
"You really are a mother that can't leave your son." Wakka commented with a grin as he walked to the trunk of the car to retrieve their luggage.
"Why?"
"It's true. You just haven't seen Roxas for two days, and you're already insisting on coming back." Wakka said while unloading the bags, "It's not like he's gonna disappear."
"I'm just..."
"Ok, ok. I'm just kidding." Wakka slammed the trunk door shut, "Oh yeah, I might have to work overtime tonight, so I'll come back tomorrow."
Aerith nodded knowingly before grabbing the baggage with her and rushing into the house, "See you tomorrow!" She said before hearing Wakka entering the car and drove off again. Aerith seemed extremely desperate in getting home; she tossed the bags onto and near the sofa hastily before running upstairs, yelling "Roxas! Axel!"
After a while of searching which resulted in failure to find the two young boys, Aerith slumped down to the sofa, the boys...really aren't home...
Axel interlaced his fingers with Roxas', sitting next to the blond. His body heat was radiating off, warming up the blanket wrapped around both of them.
"I won't do anything to you here." Axel broke the silence between them, "So don't be worried."
'Dii da dii diii' Roxas' cell phone rang mercilessly; its owner didn't budge. Axel took the chiming machine, flipping it open, "It's from home." Just when he was about to press the 'answer' button, Roxas snatched the phone from his palm, hanging up the call. Aerith grew even more tense with the hang up; silently she put down the phone, eyes dozing off into distance and thoughts. Why is Mom home?! Roxas thought nervously, his fingers trembling and fidgeting against his cell, if Mom found out that Axel and I were at a motel... Everything will be doomed!
"Let's go home!" Roxas demanded, turning to Axel sharply.
"Forget it." Axel sighed, "The trains aren't working."
"Well then we'll take the taxi!"
"Do you know how much that will cost?!" Axel growled, "Will you calm down please?"
"But...Mom's waiting for us..." Roxas said nervously, "She'll get suspicious! She'll know about us!"
"If you insist, then you can go home first." Axel groaned irritably, "I already said it, I want you to be with me, I don't care who I'll hurt."
"Axel!!" Roxas scolded, "Are you really okay with that?! Even if Uncle and Mom found out about us, you're okay with that?!!"
"Then what about YOU?!!!" The redhead bellowed, "Are you really afraid that they'll know?!"
"YES!!!" The blond shouted, "I'm scared!! I can't be as strong as you are! Because the ones that will break Uncle and Mom's happiness are none other than you and me. Don't tell me you're okay with that..."
Axel suddenly leaned over Roxas, their faces inches apart.
"If I was scared, I wouldn't have chosen you." Axel whispered, "I wouldn't have fallen in love with you in the first place."
I knew it from the beginning, Roxas thought, from the moment I fell in love with Axel, I knew that this day will eventually come. "Mom's waiting for us..."
Axel pulled back with a frustrated growl, "Forget it, you just go home first. Just say some random excuse, like you went out with Sora and played too late or something."
"Then what about you?"
"I'll go back tomorrow. If you don't want them to know, then this is it."
"But..."
"GO!!!" Axel roared, "I understand how much Auntie means to you. Just go!!"
Axel...he just accepted my cowardice... Sniffing tears back, Roxas grabbed his messenger bag with a guilty expression clearly written across his face and ran for the door. The click of the lock echoed in the tense silence as the door revealed the deserted corridor; Roxas left the room swiftly without looking back at all. Axel only stared and sighed heavily as his lover left.
When I get home, I'll apologize to Mom, saying that I'm sorry to have came home late... Roxas' mind weaved up excuses as he stood outside the train station, or should I tell her that I was with my friends? But what if she asks me where Axel is? ...I can just say that I don't know! The same feeling of guilt took over Roxas again, this is me, cowardly, fearful, craven. I ignored Axel's bravery of loving me, turning it into a sin and hurt him for it...
Soft blazing turfs of hair landed on the soft quilt of the bed as Axel lied onto it, I can't do this anymore... I really can't become a family with Roxas. He rubbed the crook of his nose and furrowed his brows, if we keep on covering it up, Roxas is going to fall back more and more... Or maybe he will...choose to give up... Thinking of this, Axel suddenly jolted up from the bed, grasping his sweater quickly and ran out after Roxas.
"Roxas!" The redhead panted, turning around the corner and found said blond, "I can't let you go alone; let's go home together."
Without another word, Roxas dived himself into Axel's arms, "I can't distinguish what's right and what's wrong anymore; but I can't just keep on lying to Mom. If we keep on doing this, we can't become a family."
"Can I tell Auntie?" Axel asked, wrapping his arms around Roxas to tighten the embrace, "Can I ask her to leave you to me?"
"...Really?" Roxas asked after pulling away from Axel enough to face him properly.
"The truth is, I'm not okay with hurting Dad and Auntie; but it's just that I've already fallen in love with you." Axel confessed, "I love you to the point that I can't help it. Even if I'll hurt someone, I can't do much about it. If I have to, I'll be the worst Devil one last time."
"I'm also so in love with you that I can't help it." Roxas said through a bittersweet smile, "I love you to the point that I can't free myself from it."
"So, let's go back together. We'll face this together." Axel gave the blond a reassuring nod. Roxas smiled, nuzzling his face into Axel's chest as they engaged into another loving hug.
-- Axel's house --
Aerith sat at the single seat sofa silently, a scarily solemn expression hung on her face. The huge front door click open, but that didn't budge her one bit. Roxas and Axel slowly approached her.
"We're back." Axel said gravely.
"You guys..." Aerith said no louder above a whisper, "Do you know what time it is now? Where were you? Roxas?"
"We went to visit Dad's grave. There was a rainstorm, so the trains stopped working, therefore we didn't come back." Roxas replied hastily and fretfully as if Aerith was going to tear him into two parts if his lips didn't move faster.
"Then why didn't you answer my calls?"
"Because we went to a motel." Axel replied plainly. Aerith's eyes shot up at her blonde son, her breath suppressed with shock.
"Is that true, Roxas?"
"...Yeah." Roxas gave a guilty nod. The auburn haired lady gasped with disbelief before jerking up from the sofa with anger. The next thing they all knew, was that Aerith's palm collided with Roxas' corresponding cheek in full force.
Axel widened his eyes and stepped up, "Auntie, you should hit me instead! Because I was the first one to fall in love with Roxas!"
"You guys are about to become brothers! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING?!!"
"Mom, even if you won't forgive me, I am still going to tell you, I love Axel." Roxas looked up at his mother with determination.
"Auntie, Roxas was mentally tortured about this for a long time." Axel informed, "Because he had been thinking about you all along. We are selfish, but at least you should know that throughout this entire process, your son has been caring for your feelings."
Aerith stayed quiet as she turned around, "I need some time to think about this. Tomorrow Wakka will come back. I'm tired today..." With that, she turned and ambled upstairs.