"Ouch, my head...!"
I held my head as I hesitantly stepped down the stairs. Veins were still throbbing in the sides of my skull when I woke up, making the first part of my morning less than pleasant. It was still dark outside by the time I got up for something to drink. Getting from under Sora's weight wasn't easy, but I got out of the bed nonetheless and left him in my room while I made my way to the kitchen. Seeing me stumble into the hallway, Samba decided to accompany on my way down. Honestly, I wasn't in the mood for his antics because of the headache but I wasn't for messing with him either so I just let him keep his place on my shoulder. All he was really doing was lying there anyway.
My foot almost slipped on the last step. "Shit!" I hissed, catching myself as I came to the floor. The dizziness wasn't making my journey any easier. I was beginning to wonder if a cold shower would cure what was left of the hangover. Even if it didn't, I was willing to take one anyway; somebody vomited in the weight room but the surveillance cameras didn't show who. I wasn't going to walk around the house reeking of puke nor going around with the chills just by thinking about it.
Samba let out a tiny bark when we turned the corner. Somebody was sitting at the table.
"Morning, Roxas."
Cloud.
"M-morning, Uncle Cloud," I froze in the doorway.
Dressed in a dark purple robe with hair still intact, he looked just as surprised as I was. I didn't think he'd be awake so early in the morning to read the Daily Destiny. Seriously, it was still eight something in the morning. Despite this, I took what I was given. Better Cloud alone than both him and Tifa there. I was becoming paranoid about the scent of alcohol possibly being left on my breath. Brushing my teeth prior to going down wasn't on my mind so I was shit out of luck there.
He tapped on the table, "Take a seat. When did you get back?" I took the seat across from him at the table, "C-couple of hours ago," I tried to play it as smooth as I could. What he was going to ask next was obvious and I needed an excuse fast.
"A few hours ago?" He raised his blond eyebrow, "Isn't that a little early to be coming home from a sleepover?"
"Uh, well...I crashed-"
"Roxaaaaaaas!" He smiled wryly. "I know, I know! Sora's bad habit rubbed off on me, but Axel bought so many sweets for the party...I was tempted!" I shoved my hand into my pajama pockets only to find something inside. Pulling it into the light revealed it to be a Twinke that appeared to be mostly intact aside from a few squished parts. Score. I was about to unwrap it when a spoon hit my fingers. "Ouch!" I dropped it, glaring over to Cloud. He reached over and snatched it away from me, unwrapping it for himself. "These are bad for you," he talked with his mouth full, "you should be ashamed of yourself."
"I should be ashamed of myself? You threw a spoon at me! You're the one who should be ashamed!" I rubbed my fingers.
"I was saving your life."
"You guys are supposed to be taking care of me and yet here you are abusing me!"
Laughing, he finished off his prize while I "sobbed" in defeat. It wasn't fair; I really wanted it. On the other hand, I wouldn't have survived eating it while still suffering the effects of a hangover. I probably would've crashed for real after eating it, or worse. I could've actually died.
Following the tossing of the wrapper, he took a sip of his coffee, "So how was the sleepover?" I finished my sobbing to sit up straight, "It was good. Really good at that. I had fun." He turned the page of the newspaper, "What'd you guys do?" Like cutting out half the things we did made it sound like fun. "Oh, the usual: ordered pizza, sat in front of the T.V., ate some sweets, and waited for the ball to drop. Nothing special," I shrugged.
"And then you crashed?"
"And then I crashed."
In disbelief, he shook his head. I could get where he was coming from; unlike Sora, I wasn't one to crash from the sugar so much. Sea salt ice cream sort of gave me a defense to that. Unfortunately, I was likely losing my touch each time I ate something sweet, seeing as how I hadn't tasted the salty-sweet goodness since I left town.
"That's the exact thing that happened to Sora when he went to that party! Crashed on sight and came home in his own version of being drunk," he sighed. What a son. "Speaking of him, when did they come home last night?" I asked curiously. Waking up to him lying on top of me gave me the impression that he came home after I did, but I needed to be sure. "Sora? He and Riku came by around two or so," he scratched his head. Crap. "Said they stayed out a bit longer to watch the fireworks and mess around at Wal-mart," he continued, "Bah! But both of them came home as 'buzzed' as ever. I had to give Riku a ride home so he wouldn't hurt himself on the way back."
"Did either of them ask about me?" I tapped on the table with the tips of my fingers to cover up a gulp.
"Nah, Sora went straight to bed after he came home and Riku just wanted to be taken home," he shook his head. I thanked my lucky stars for that one. I didn't need the two of them breathing down my neck about where I had gone. If Cloud had told them the truth about where I had gone, I would've had to skip town to evade Riku's wrath.
"Why do you ask?" He took another sip of his coffee. "Oh, just...cause..." I slowly rolled my eyes to the ceiling. Noticing my nervous state, he set down his newspaper and stared at me. That was his "special move" to get us to tell the truth. "Listen...Can you not tell Sora about it?" I asked, trying to think of another excuse in the back of my head. "Why?" My uncle tilted his head, attempting to get the rest of the answer out of me. "Uh well..." I couldn't think of anything when a good answer was lying right on my shoulder. Bingo.
"You saw the way he acted when Axel came over."
"Huh?"
I took a deep breath, "Look. I kind of...lied to Sora and Riku when they were leaving for the party. I told them that I was staying behind to play video games-"
"Rox-aaaaaas," he groaned. "I know! I lied but let me finish," I held my hands up defensively, "I told them that so they wouldn't know that I was going to Axel's sleepover, cause...you know. The way Sora acted when Axel had Samba on his shoulder." He crossed his arms with eyes looking to the ceiling in thought. I held my breath as I hoped that he would remember the ordeal. That was really my last defense.
"Oh yeah," his blue eyes met mine again, "that part." I nodded happily, "Yeah, that same night. Not to mention Sora isn't a big fan of Axel anyway so I didn't want him knowing I spent the night over at his house. He would've gotten all protective and stuff." My excuse was really looking up by the way he confirmed all of it with a nod. "I guess so," he admitted, "Fine, I'll keep your secret from Sora-"
"And Riku," I added. "And Riku...?" He peered at me questioningly. "He's not a fan of Axel either," I replied simply. "Him too then," he rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Cloud," I rose from my seat and went for the fridge, getting back to what I had originally gone down there for. "I think I'll head back up and try to get back to sleep if I can get Sora off my bed," I closed the fridge after pouring my drink.
"Gonna look into a change of clothes too?" he asked. "What?" I looked back at him. He gestured to my clothes. Panic was about to set in at the possible fact that there was vomit on my shorts and he was about to question me on it. Yet, when I reluctantly looked down to them, I found a green stain running up the side. It was a grass stain.
"Oh, yeah sure!" I laughed embarrassingly, "We went outside too, but I'll take care of it. Night, Cloud!" I waved when I stopped myself from going out the doorway.
"Something up?"
"Could you also tell Tifa what I told you just now? About not letting Sora know where I really was and all that?" I turned on my heels and pointed at him. "Of course," he rolled his eyes again. "Okay! Thanks again, Cloud," I waved again, strutting out the door. Having talked to Cloud about my situation made me feel a lot better. Hey, even my headache was beginning to diminish. As long as he kept my whereabouts a secret than I wouldn't have to worry about Sora or Riku.
However, I couldn't say I was in the safe zone yet. When Scion and I got to my room, I practically dumped everything I had brought on the floor, meaning my jacket was out in the open on the floor. My next task was to get it into the closet as soon as possible without waking Sora.
Even though he had crashed, heaven forbid if he saw me stuffing that into the double doors.
The next week came and went faster than I had liked. During that time, I had found out from a payphone call from Axel that he was grounded for the time being. His car, keys, and cellphone were taken away as well as the lock being returned to his bank account. And I thought Tifa and Cloud were strict. Once again, I wasn't going to be able to see him again for another week so all that was left was to hang out with the others. None of them would stop talking about how great Wakka's party was. They bragged about seeing everybody we knew showing up. There was cake, ice cream, sodas, and a mountain of other sweet things. Music was pumping and party favors were handed out at the end.
"I'm telling ya, Roxas, ya should've been there!" Sora playfully shook me.
"Yes, Sora! I get it! I get it!" I pulled at my hair.
Back in school the following Monday, we walked down the hallway for lunch. As I looked around, I noticed that decorations from December had been taken down. No more bells, Santas, or stockings were left around though a few snowflakes could be spotted here and there. Other than those school hadn't really changed for me, not my schedule nor my classes. Worked for me. Axel and the rest of the Order hadn't shown up that morning so I kept to staying in my old homeroom. I assumed Axel still hadn't gotten his phone back yet, otherwise he would've called me. Didn't matter much since I knew I'd see them eventually that day. I just hoped Axel's schedule hadn't changed much either so that he was still in my history class.
"Reaaally Roxas!" Kairi sung next to me.
"Will you guys stop talking about it?! It's been a week already!"
Riku smirked triumphantly, "Maybe we would stop if you had come with us." I rolled my eyes. If I had gone with them, then I wouldn't have had the magical night I had with the Thirteenth Order. Whatever they did at the party was either close to what we did or didn't compare.
"Yeah man! Why didn't you come?" Wakka beamed so proudly I thought I was about to tear his face apart. "Playing video games!" Sora answered before I could give him the excuse. "Oh please! I had all my game systems set up at my place. You could've just came over and played there," the ballplayer crossed his arms behind his head. "But he doesn't have Final Fantasy XIII now do you?" I peered over at him. He looked like he was about to give a confident answer by the way he held up his finger, but nothing came out of his mouth. Just as I thought.
"Besides, I don't even know where you get the money to throw a party. Last time I checked, you work at the Express in a bird uniform," I eyed him suspiciously, "Where the hell did you come up with the money for that stuff?" I honestly had no idea. Axel's case I could understand, but compared to him, Wakka was a peasant. His boastful look grew, making me more pissed. "As long as I keep my grades up, my parents give me enough money for a party, ya?" he proudly put his hands on his hips.
"Your parents give you the money?" I squinted at him, "Like how much?"
"Try $250."
"What the fuck?!" Cloud and Tifa don't love Sora and I that much to give us cash like that. Yeah, there was the laptop and the moped, but just for keeping our grades up we didn't get shit. "All he really does is call the party store on the mainland to deliver the stuff. The rest is all him," Kairi thumbed at him with a wink. "That doesn't make me feel any better," I felt my eyebrow twitch. "Maybe you wouldn't feel so bad if you had just-"
"Shut up, Sora!"
Riku put his hand on my shoulder, "Next time you're going. No exceptions." Like hell I would. If my going would avoid all the bragging they were giving me, then yes I'd go. Just thinking about parties made me wonder if Axel ever threw one like Wakka did. He certainly had enough space to go around and enough money for the supplies. There were only two problems with it. One: he didn't seem to like anybody at school. Two: after what happened on New Year's, I doubt Scion and Faron would leave him alone like that with a bunch of other people.
Entering the cafeteria, we got our lunches and took to our usual table. As the others talked, I scanned the room for the others. They weren't ones to show up so early, but I knew they'd be there. Until then, I jumped in and out of the conversations the guys were having. While we talked, I couldn't help but notice Riku's eyes taking quick peeks around the room. He was watching out for Axel too. Of course he would; there was still that proposal Axel had made before Christmas about me being in his "debt." Speaking of that, I had no idea what the results were of what Saix and Xemnas found out about it. Both sides were worrying me madly, especially with the threat of our secret being revealed.
"Sup, bitches?"
Speak of the devil.
"Oh look. It's everybody's favorite jackass, Axel," Riku mumbled. Automatically, the rest of the table sunk into a bad mood. Behind me, Axel pinned me by slamming his hands next to me on the table, cutting me off from Sora and Kairi. Across the room, I saw the rest of the Order taking their seats at their usual table. "Mori, as bitchy as ever I see," the redhead said sarcastically. Riku glowered by narrowing his eyes under his bangs. He always did that when Axel came around. I thought that one day he'd turn into a demon for sure. "Do you need something, Axel?" Kairi took a stand in the conversation. "Me?" he looked to her with fake surprise, "Well, Lard Ass Hamasaki, nothing really. Just came to check up on my favorite group of asses."
"Well ya did. Now piss off," Sora directed to his table. 'Yeah right,' I thought, 'Like that would be enough to make him leave.' The Flurry looked down to me at the same time I looked up at him. I kept a half angry, half pouty face as I stared into his eyes so I wouldn't look odd to the others. Yet, when Axel made a sexy twitch of his eyebrow, I gave up.
"Let's go Rocks Ass!"
Feeling my hair being pulled, I clutched my head and got up from the table. Did he need to pull so hard? "HEY!" Riku shot up from his seat, slamming his hands on the table. "Let him go, Axel!" my cousin swung his legs over the bench into his battle stance. "Whaaaat? Just getting my lapdog," Axel let go of my hair and soothingly pet my head. "I'm not your lapdog!" I twisted away from him. As much as I hated losing the feel of him petting my head, I had to defend myself. "How dare you even call me that!?"
"Really? Lapdog or not, you still owe me your ass," he put his hands on his hips, the smirk never vanishing from his lips.
"So what do you want me to do!?"
"Buy me lunch."
"Get it yourself!" Namine spoke up. Catching her remark, Axel glared back at her. Frightened, she squeezed her sketchbook against her chest and pressed up against Selphie. Knowing she was taken care of, Axel turned back to me, "You're buying my lunch and sitting with us today. Got it Rocks Ass?"
"Will you leave us alone for the rest of the day?" I motioned to the table.
"Depends."
"Bullshit!" Sora spat. "Yeah, that's what you're made of Strife. What of it?" Axel shrugged when he glanced at him. Sora bared his teeth, but I stepped between them before anything could happen. "I'll go alright! Just leave him alone!" I put my arm out to the side should Sora try to come around my left. "Good boy, Roxas! You haven't lost your step in obedience!" Axel's face lit up. "You know you don't have to do it, Roxas," Kairi tugged at my shirt. "Tch, might as well. Otherwise he's going to be an ass the whole time. He'll never leave!" I peeked back at her. "What can I say? I get what I want," he redhead shrugged.
"And to think," Riku crossed his arms, "that every time I see you, I consider thanking you for helping, Roxas."
"Wait, what?" Tidus all of a sudden became clueless. Sora shot a look his way to silence him. He, Selphie, and Wakka still had no clue of what happened. "Well if you're going to say it, then spit it out, Mori," his opponent turned to him. There was a sort of change in the way Axel looked after what Riku said. He kept up his tough guy image but he seemed like he was hoping for Riku to give him his thanks. No doubt a sly remark would follow, but he looked like he was really waiting for it.
Nonetheless, the result was that Riku remained silent.
"Let's go, Rocks Ass," Axel pushed me in the shoulder. Unwillingly, I picked up my tray, turned in the direction of the main lunch line and walked. Though I knew they were still watching us, once we got out of their range I snuck a peek at Axel. His expression was blank, showing neither satisfaction nor defeat.
"Take it."
His ID card slipped into my hand. Trying not to look obvious, I glanced down to it with my eyes to see all the information other IDs would have including a picture of him sneering. "Not low on funds after all?" I asked quietly in case he wasn't in his normal mood. "Not anymore," his tone sounded casual, "Lock was taken off my account. I'm home free." Walking up to the food line, I took out my own ID card as swiftly as possible. With that out, nobody would've suspected Axel was paying for his own lunch. "Good to hear," I commented silently as he got his tray.
After he got his food, we headed to the Order's table. Seeing us approaching, the guys turned to us with bright smiles. Eh, Demyx did anyway. Zexion looked like he was about to gag when he saw me and Marluxia didn't show any expression at all.
"Hey guys," I set my tray down, not showing any happiness on my face either. My gut was telling me that Riku and the others were still watching or occasionally glimpsing our way. Keeping a static appearance was my best bet of not looking like I was enjoying myself.
"Long time, no see," the Nocturne chuckled edgily. "It's only been a week," Zexion rolled his eyes. "More like forever and a day from this guy," Axel took his ID card back as he sat down, "Am I right?" Shyly, I nodded while he rubbed my shoulder. Why couldn't we be together for more than a day for once?
"Uh, speaking of which, how were you guys on Friday?" I asked.
All of them groaned, briefly flashing some embarrassed glances here and there. I wasn't surprised. They had already entered their vomiting stage once they woke up, I couldn't imagine them being any better later on the day.
"That day was the most...ugh," Marluxia covered his mouth like he was about to throw up. "Believe it or not, but I didn't feel like playing my sitar or anything for the rest of the week," Demyx dragged his hand down his face. Except for him, we did a sarcastic gasp to make it more dramatic. "I couldn't sleep for days," Zexion pinched the bridge of his nose then glared at me, "I still can't believe I rubbed up against you!" I put my hands up defensively, "Don't blame me! Blame it on the alcohol!" Although I was being protective, I could understand where the guy was coming from. I couldn't believe he did it either.
"How about you, Axel?"
"Me?" He laughed, setting his head in the palm of his hand. "We haven't seen you for a week so give us something good," Zexion lazily waved his hand. Guess he hadn't told them anything. Smiling embarrassed, Axel crossed his arms as he laid back against his chair. "Well..." he closed his eyes to avoid seeing our anxious faces, "I admit I upchucked here and there after you guys left so..."
He suddenly slammed his head down on the table. "Who the hell am I kidding? It was horrible!" I took a drink of my fruit punch, "That bad?" Lifting his head, he nodded, "Nasty way to end the break, not to mention the shit pulled on me at the house. Got my car taken away."
"And your cellphone..."
"And my cellphone! I had to use a fucking payphone!"
With a satisfied smile on his face, Zexion shook his head, "And what was that you were saying to Roxas?" Axel narrowed his eyes as he watched Zexion and Marluxia prepare to re-enact what happened. "'Oh Roxas! It was all my fault!'" Marluxia put his hands together so it looked like he was begging to Zexion.
"'But Axel-'"
"Sh, no Roxas," the Assassin put a finger to Zexion's lips, "It was all me! I'm gonna take all the blame!" Instantly they slipped into laughter. Their brief spec left Axel and I unamused though Demyx I could see snickering out of the corner of my eye. Seeing our faces, however, made them laugh even more. I failed to see the humor in Axel giving me a sincere apology for getting me drunk. "Ha ha, very funny," I rolled my eyes, reaching to take a bite of my pizza. "You guys are a pair of assess," Axel huffed, reaching for something in his coat.
Zexion shrugged once he and his partner became calm again, "Oh well. Have to amuse ourselves somehow." Our leader sneered for a second then turned to me with something in his hands. "Scion wanted you to have these," he set a bag of frosted strawberry cookies in my hand underneath the table. Tied with a white ribbon was a note a attached with my name on it. "What for?" I carefully untied the knot. "Says it's an apology gift for getting you drunk. Wants you to feel better, you know the drill," he explained, putting her hands together.
"She didn't have to," I took one out and handed it to him. Actually, yes she did. After taking a bite of the cookies, yes, she did need to give me those as a consolation gift. "You know Scion; she's always worried about us, yada, yada, yada," he chuckled.
"You're so lucky to have her as a maid and a cook, Axel," Demyx reached across the table as I handed a cookie to him. "It's okay," the Flurry shrugged, "Sure her cooking's good, but after a while it becomes a norm." A norm? I was wondering if I was hearing right. A norm? How could her food ever become a norm when it was that good? "You're out of your mind," I bit off half of two cookies and tossed them at Zexion and Marluxia. There was my share to those bitches. Axel shrugged, "Hey, she's been like an au pair to me for years. What can I say?"
"And back to the topic of hangovers," Zexion frowned as he examined his cookie, "How was yours Roxas?" Taking another drink of my fruit punch, I thought back to Friday morning. "I vomited once or twice, had a headache for part of the day, tried to sleep most of the time, ran a fever. Yeah, mine was shit," I smiled sarcastically. Keeping all of it hidden from everybody else at the house was no easy task. Sora was up and walking around by noon; I didn't want to get up until about four. At one point, Tifa came into my room to see how I was feeling. Checking my head with her hand, she told me I was burning up. She was right about that; there was cold sweat all over my sheets, but none of it helped to cool me off. In the end, she just assumed it was from the "crash" and partying I had and gave me some medicine to cure it. Too bad I couldn't keep it down...
"You did have more cocktails than Luxia over there," Axel nodded to the Assassin, "makes sense that it'd be shitty." I chuckled in disbelief, "And it was only two and a half bottles. Who knew they packed that much alcohol in those things?" Sighing, he held his hands up like he didn't know what to say. "Well I hope you guys enjoyed your high, cause Xigbar is going to change the stupid lock on that door. Now it's gonna require some kind of voice command or card key shit. We may never be able to get in there again," he announced.
The rest of us made uncertain sounds since we didn't know whether to take that as a good thing or a bad thing. "I'm kind glad for that. I don't think I want to get drunk again," I smiled shakily should they suddenly go against me. "Ditto. I don't think I want to go home to the complex that way with all the kids around," Demyx fumbled with fingers, a guilty look in his eyes.
"I wouldn't mind drinking again as long as Roxas isn't there so I don't end up rubbing against him," Zexion flashed me the evil eye. I showed him a "WTF" look in response. For the last time, it wasn't my fault! "Yeah, you do that again and I just might have to kill you," Axel protectively wrapped his arm around my side for a moment. My heart jumped at the feel of him squeezing me. For one minute, I hated that the room was full of people. We barely got time to do anything on New Year's and I hadn't seen him for days! I just wanted one moment for crying out loud!
But when I thought of the concept of being alone, something else hit me.
"Axel," I gazed up to him uneasily. His eyes met mine and, after sensing my distress, became concerned.
"You've only got a few months, don't you?"
He blinked in confusion, but put his hands together on the table when he realized what I was talking about. "Oh, right," he mumbled with a frown. "That's right. We'll be graduating later this semester, won't we?" Marluxia added with a sort of happy tone though his face didn't look like so. Axel nodded grimly in confirmation, adding a cringe in the corner of his lips. "Dammit," I hissed. I still had two more years to go before I graduated myself. Until then, I'd only be able to see Axel occasionally and, from what I heard, junior year was supposed to be the hardest. I'd need all the time I could get if I wanted to survive.
I peeked over at Axel as he popped his soda.
"You...wouldn't be willing to stay behind for me would you?"
"Shut the fuck up."
His answer made me laugh, "Just kidding. Don't risk your edumacation over me." That'd be a disaster. We may have been dating, but failing a grade just to stay behind with me was not worth the trouble, especially since it was his last year. Still, the question of what was going to happen hovered over my head. I supposed I could always see him after school and on the weekends. If I made enough time away from homework, I'd have a piece left to spend with him. Same with weekends if things went as planned. Psh, when had that ever happened without something going horribly wrong?
"Let's just forget about it for now. That shit's not for months," he turned back to me with with a happier tone. "We've still got plenty of time before summer comes so you guys don't have to worry about that now," Demyx explained to brighten our moods. "Demmie's right, it's just the beginning of the semester. Got the fucking summer to play with afterward until school starts up again," my redhead grinned, "and we've got something special coming up anyway."
"Special?" I froze while my heart ran wild. In the corner of my eye, I saw the others leaning in toward us again in wait for the punchline.
"Our date."
The image of my neck snapping entered my mind, leaving my eyes shaking. On the inside, my organs exploded and the most I could manage was a high-pitched wheeze. Jokingly, he turned away from my disturbed stature and twitched. How could I have forgotten about that? It was going to be the most important day of the year!
"Oooooh, a date?" Zexion said seductively from across the table. The Schemer had his hand ravishingly placed on his chest. No doubt Axel was hating that. What Marluxia was doing with his eyebrow didn't make me feel any more comfortable either. And just when I thought Demyx would side with us...he put two of his fingers to his lips.
"Get your own guys. This one's mine," Axel put his black arm in front of me in defense. They were lucky I was more excited about our date than me making a comeback.
"So...our date?" I looked back to him hopefully. "You asked for it and I can deliver," he winked. I sat stunned in my seat with my mind drawing a blank despite the smile on my face. "Have you decided on anything?" I choked out. The way he sounded about it made me assume he had something planned, but the shake of his head bounced it. "I kind of thought you had something in mind, but I see that you don't," he took a swig of his drink. "Oh no. I don't," I laughed in embarrassment.
Marluxia ripped off a piece of his sandwich. "Have you two even decided on an actual date?" Shamelessly, we shook our heads. "Choose a Saturday, do the regular 'dinner, movie, kiss and goodnight' shit. Simple as that," Zexion suggested without really thinking. Despite the choice being typical, it did sound kind of good. I usually thought of my first date as going that way. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.
"Hell no."
Apparently not for Axel.
"That's so damn cliche it makes me want to piss and hurl," he furiously motioned toward Zexion. Sitting back in his chair, he stared down into is crossed arms, "Just think about it. How many people use a Saturday to go rot in a theater, eat shitty food, and then leave their date at the door? Everybody does it!" Taking in his reason made me sink into my seat. He had a point, and it was making my idea of a date go up in flames. The way he said it made it sound so boring and obviously that wasn't his style.
"If it's going to be our first date, we should make it special," he gazed down to me hopefully. The glimmer in his mint eyes made me smile, "Yeah." His words made me change my mind. He was right. It had to be special. The typical "Saturday Night Out" deal was out. We had to do something else.
"I don't know what we'll do but it'll be great, I promise," he grabbed my hand and squeezed it under the table. "You don't need to make any promises to me," I squeezed his hand back. "But I want to," he whispered. Even with the barrage of voices around us, I could hear his words and they made me shudder with glee. In reality, I really didn't care what he had in mind so long as I finally got the time to spend an evening alone with him. Anything else would be a bonus.
"Aaaaaaaw!"
"Will you guys piss off!"
Zexion and Marluxia were making fun of us again with their stupid kissing faces. I wondered if Axel would give me permission to take them out, or better yet, if he would help me.
`~*~*~*`
Then there was after school.
"Hell no!"
"What is your problem, Mori?!"
When it came time to leaving, I was split between Axel and Riku. Axel suggested in history I go over to his house for a little while with the others. We'd play some video games, eat some snacks, and eventually leave since we all had homework to take care of. But then Riku and the guys stepped in when it seemed like Axel was about to take me.
"Can't you go one day without taking him somewhere!?" Sora thumbed Axel's car sitting in the parking lot, the rest of the Order sitting inside. "Um, excuse me?! I've let Rocks Ass go with you guys since holiday break! In fact, I only stole him away from you guys once and that was homeroom!" Axel countered. There was no way Sora could break that, but I waited to see what he could come up with. The most he did was growl, but he kept his mouth shut.
"It's just one day away. Hell, it's a couple of hours really! What're you getting so bitchy over?!"
"How about the fact that he doesn't need to go with you at all!" Riku shouted so loud I was sure anybody left inside the school could hear him. "Yeah, uh...What? I saved this guy's ass," Axel pretended to clear his ear. "You're only using that bogus excuse so you can use him!" Kairi clenched her fists. "You may think he owes you cause you saved his life, but you forget that you owed him in the first place!" Namine peeked from behind Sora, "He doesn't need to do anything for you!"
I crossed my arms, glaring up to Axel wordlessly. What I was really doing was trying to think of a way for him to counter. Their words really bit at his defense. I couldn't think of anything that could help at that moment; the most I could do was stay quiet.
"Did I not say before that I saved his life?"
There it was.
He crossed his jacketed arms with a confident stand, "Pretty sure I did. And let me give you guys a quick refresher on this whole situation," he stepped passed me threateningly. The others held their ground as he stood tall above all of them. 'Here it comes,' I uncrossed my arms in wait for the rest of his comeback.
"What you ass wipes seem to forget is that the deal we had before didn't involve somebody nearly losing their life!"
"You almost killed him!" Riku stopped him before he could go on. I cringed. The fight.
"Seriously Mori?! I ALMOST DIED TOO!"
Except for him, the rest of us flinched. Sora and the others I could understand them doing that since that was a fact they never really heard of. Yet, neither had I. The day I met him at the junkyard, he did mention passing out when he got home but he didn't mention being close to death. I assumed either he was lying or actually revealing the truth.
"The fact of the matter is that I ended the fight before things could get worse. That shooting I had no control over, yet I still came to save him!" he explained further. "I didn't have to show up, but I wanted to cause I wanted to protect him. My life wasn't in debt to him in the first place, but now his is!" His tone was getting angry but barely controlled. I knew why. The longer he stood there arguing with Riku, the less of a story he'd have to cover us. I knew we'd have to explain ourselves at some point, but I didn't want it to be that early. Not so early when the new year was just beginning.
"No doubt he told you about all those times," he huffed, "I saved him at each one. I think him doing something for me as payback after all that isn't so bad." I sighed behind him, not knowing that he was going to mention that.
Riku narrowed his eyes, but kept quiet as he strived to think of another attack. The others, however, were ready to throw in the towel. It may have looked like we'd be able to leave, but I knew Axel's words weren't going to hold up for long. There were so many other things they could've came up with. Right then was my time to step in.
"Look," I broke my silence, looking between the group and Axel, "there's nothing...completely wrong with this."
"What do you mean?" Namine moved behind the others until she was next to me. "I mean..." I didn't really know what to say for that, I just wanted to say what I wanted to.
"Look guys, I can take what he's throwing at me cause what he's doing isn't necessarily all that bad," I started out. They gave me odd looks like they were really expecting me to tell of the horrible things he had done to me only to get something else instead. "Seriously?" Riku raised an eyebrow. "Seriously! You guys are forgetting that if he screws up again, he'll be doing things for me! Moreover, I'm not totally in danger," I glanced up to the school, "nobody's gonna let him bitch me out or anything there. If he does, he'll be in deep shit. Right, Axel...?" I looked at him sideways to see him turn his head away like he was insulted. Thankfully he caught on to what I was saying.
"And one last thing, I'm not even there for a good amount of time. Not since he got shot that is. My last visit with him was, what? When I visited him? He's not asking for much," I lied. He really wasn't by that "gap" I left out after I had visited the week after he got shot. Joining him in homeroom wasn't much either since it was just that period and no other.
I turned on my heels toward Axel, "However, Axel. As grateful as I am for you saving my life, you fuck up once and I won't give a damn. We can go back to you kissing my ass!" Catching my "angry" look, he let out a chuckle. "Fine, but expect to be kissing my ass for quite a while."
"See, the only downside is that I'll have to put up with that," I said to the others in a "low" voice I knew he could hear. From the looks on their faces, they appeared to be believing me even if they didn't want to. It was just Riku who was the hardest to convince. He still looked doubtful.
"The reason I bring this up is cause you have work today and the last thing I need is for you to be dragged off with him," he motioned toward Axel who responded by flipping Riku off. "Work?" I squinted at the ground when I realized what he was talking about. We were heading back to work that week and I agreed to work on Monday. I had no choice but to do it, especially since I owed Tifa some money back plus interest.
Becoming distressed, I looked between the two sides with my eyes. I wanted to go with Axel so I could spend a bit more time with him. Just a few minutes wouldn't hurt anybody. Resting my sights on him, I made sure my eyes met Riku's in a way that said I didn't know what to do. Hopefully he'd do what I wished when he noticed.
Riku sighed. Got him. Grabbing my wrist, he looked me sternly in the eyes. I kept my poker face on as best as I could despite how close he was made me crack a smile. "Roxas, be at the Express in 15 minutes. No more," he commanded in a serious voice. I gulped. I really hated it when he used that tone. The glare in his eyes didn't make it any easier. Because of those two things, I wasn't as satisfied with his answer as I had hoped.
"Be there!"
"I will! I promise!" I nodded anxiously. So damn protective. He continued his hard stare for a second longer before releasing his grip on my wrist. With the air wrapping around my cold wrist, I suddenly felt queasy in my stomach.
"Sheesh, Mori. We're not gonna rob a bank." Axel stepped up behind me. Riku discontinued the conversation with a grunt before leading the guys out the gate. Behind him, the other three gave me somber looks as they followed their leader, with Sora managing a small wave. I did the same, and stood there watching them until they were well out of sight up the street.
Axel's hand slapped on top of my head. "You guys make it seem like you'll never see each other again. What the fuck is Mori's problem?" He stared to where they left. "I don't know. Force of habit?" I shrugged. Shaking his head as he looked up, he turned me around toward the parking lot. "Let's go. Only 15 minutes or else Mori will blow a vessel," he said as we headed for the car. Brushing my hair back with my hand, I kept my eyes closed the rest of the way. Our situation was not looking so good.
"What was that all about?" Zexion asked. I finally opened my eyes to find the passenger seat open. Demyx was sitting in the backseat this time. "Nothing, just Mori acting up again," Axel answered as we both got into the car. "When does he not do that?" Marluxia crossed his arms behind his head in the back seat. "Never!" The driver slipped the key into ignition, flipping the car on. Despite being happy about being able to sit in the front seat again, I kept my head lowered so he wouldn't see my eyes. I couldn't help but think about the event that occurred because Axel wanted to borrow me for a few minutes.
"You okay?"
"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine."
In the corner of my eye, I could see him scan around the area for a second before kissing me on the side of my head. "What's wrong?" He began pulling out of the parking space. Everything. Everything was wrong, or at least getting to that point.
"Riku...He's starting to scare me."
"No kidding."
I buckled my seat belt. "Of anybody to find out first, it would be him," I tried to relax against the seat, but it seemed impossible to do so. He was the one most suspicious about Axel and I, the first person that wouldn't leave us alone. The way he looked me in the eye made it appear like he was reading my mind or, if my eyes were that revealing, getting everything straight from looking into them.
Turning out of the lot, he pressed down on the gas peddle. "Hasn't he always been like that?" He took his hands off the wheel for a second to click in his seat belt. "Most of the time," I counted all the times Riku had been so apprehensive. There wasn't much since he started it just recently, but each time he was more pressing. "Getting harder to keep your guys' secret?" Demyx leaned in between our seats. "A minor transgression," Axel came to a stoplight, "we'll change tactics if need be. How does that sound?" I raised my head to look up to him, "It sounds great, but how?" Keeping his eyes focused on the road, he shrugged. Not the answer I was looking for; I was half expecting him to have some sort of genius plan. About to give into my doubt, I rested my head against the door to let the wind blow through my hair.
"I can't think of any way to do it without us having to see less of each other. But I'll figure something out and, when I do, it can be our backup plan," he reached over and pulled me toward him. I fell on him willingly, happy to feel the softness of his jacket against my skin.
"He's only going to get more skeptical. I almost want to let it all out," I watched his keys jingle against each other on the ring.
"Do you?"
"No!" I was quick to answer that one. "The way we've been acting since I got shot might be our advantage. Just need to find a way..." he trailed off into his own thoughts. 'The way we've been acting,' I repeated his words again in my mind. When I thought about it, he could be right. There must've been a way where we could've used it. We just needed to find it.
`~*~*~*`
Axel drove fast so we arrived at his house in a short amount of time. Coming into the circle, I was beginning to regret going with them at all given the time we'd waste driving up there and then picking up the time to drive back.
"So Xigbar didn't drive today?" Demyx asked as we got out of the car. "No, he wanted to stay behind with Pharaoh Faron and Scion," his friend shrugged. "Oh, so he guards them after all," I slipped off my backpack and tossed it into the passenger seat. "I still don't understand why you need a body guard when you're perfectly fine in taking care of yourself," Marluxia brushed back some of his pink locks. "I told you guys before, it's my dad's orders. He's been with me since I was a kid," Axel explained as he picked out his house key on the ring.
"For mafia protection and shit?" I shoved my hands in my pockets. Axel came to a stop before the house which we abruptly followed after. As I walked back to him, I noticed him narrow his eyes in thought.
"Actually, now that I think about it, he was suddenly put up with me some time after my dad got into the business," he mumbled so low that I could barely hear him. "'Suddenly'?" I echoed curiously. Hearing me respond first, he faced me with his explanation, "My dad had all his men together for about a month to a year after starting. Before, I didn't have a body guard but then along comes Xigbar out of nowhere." Zexion played with one of his bangs, "Your father must've taken in consideration of your safety once he got into this business. Maybe he was taking the time to find the right one."
My eye twitched at the thought of the guard selection that might have been done. Xigbar was probably the least threatening in appearance. "And he picked the drunk, trigger happy guy?" Axel waved his hand down to debunk what I had said, "He drinks, but he's not an alcoholic. He used to do something else, but he won't tell me what." Sure, he wasn't an alcoholic yet. He couldn't have forgotten how pissed he was when he found us drunk off his booze. Looking for another answer, I looked around to the others for it. To my dismay, they replied with shrugs and sorry looks.
"Still, I can't help but think there was another reason as to why he was hired to protect me," Axel sighed, taking a seat on the bench that circled the fountain. "Have you ever asked him?" Demyx took a seat next to him, waving his hand around in the water sparkling under the sun. "Tried it and he told me the same thing before when I first asked him about his about his eye patch," he took a deep breath.
"'That's none of your damn business,'" he and Demyx said together. "What about your dad?" Marluxia gazed up to the water spraying out of the marble bird's beak. "He wouldn't tell either, but," Axel rose up from his spot on the bench, "I'm not too concerned about it. He's a nice guy to have around and he keeps me from getting bored." For some reason my lips moved without me telling them to, "Like how?" As if I didn't know already.
Before Axel could answer, Marluxia shrieked like a little girl.
When I was about to see what happened, something popped by my foot in a bright flash. Surprised, I stumbled back and fell back on my ass. "What the fuck was that?!" Zexion pulled his hood over his head, looking around in paranoia. "Oh, shit..." Axel cautiously looked around for the source. Hastily I got up, not taking the chance of getting hit if whoever was doing that was aiming at the ground.
Out of nowhere, dozens of flashes and pops were scattered around our feet. They were small, but loud which threw us into a frenzy. Trying to avoid getting hit, we hopped on our feet like cowboys dodging bullets. I had no idea what the hell was going on or what the flashes were. For a second, I thought we were being shot at but the popping didn't sound like anything from a gun, at least not the guns I've heard.
"Over here!" Axel suddenly grabbed my hand. He pulled me to follow him to his car, the others following behind us. Never before had I been so thankful that the convertible had been so close to us; I couldn't ask for a better shield. Swinging the car door open, Axel ducked us behind it and rolled the window up. Behind us, the other three slid behind the trunk of car and ducked to avoid whatever was being shot at us.
In reality, nothing had fired at us as all.
"That was fun!"
"Xigbar you dipshit!"
The said man came laughing from the side of the house with his hands in his pockets like he just enjoyed the show. "Xigbar!?" Demyx shot up and slammed his fists down on the trunk. "What's up?" The Freeshooter waved, still laughing it off. "Anybody want to fill me in on what the fuck just happened here?" I twitched as I looked up to Axel. To my amazement, he didn't look mad or frightened at all. In fact, when Axel dragged me over to the car, I'm pretty sure I saw a grin on his face.
"If this is a set up, I'm going to kill you," I trembled anxiously. "No set up, just Xigbar," he helped me up, giving me a kiss to make me feel better. I still felt like killing somebody. "How'd you like the mini flash grenades?" The body guard came up to us when we were all back to normal. "That's was terrible," Zexion attempted to fix his hair, not that it was messed up that much. "Really? Anybody piss their pants over it?" He examined all of us with an evil smirk. Who would admit to something like that?
"You're an evil, evil man," Axel laughed. "I do my best, and didn't I tell you watch yourself today?" Xigbar pointed at him.
"Yes."
"And you didn't tell us?!" Marluxia fumed as he came from behind the car. "I didn't know what he was gonna do and I didn't know why!" The redhead turned back to his partner.
"It's called revenge for taking my booze!"
I pulled at my hair in frustration. "What the fuck?! I thought it was already taken care of!" I shouted. What sense did setting up mini flash grenades as revenge make? Absolutely none! "Yeah, it has. I just love messing you guys," the man headed for the front door, beaming so proudly that I wanted to scream. "How can you live with him?" I huffed as I peeked up to Axel. "You get used to it," he happily answered. Was that even possible?
Opening the door was the cue for the dogs to come running toward us. However, it was different this time in that Ammy was the only one who came to greet us. "Where are Prometheus and Ramsey?" Zexion looked around for the other two. "Groomers. Hopefully they haven't killed anybody," Axel went straight for the kitchen while I stayed behind with Ammy.
"Ammy, you wouldn't believe it. Xigbar's a dick!" I got on my knees and gave her some furious petting around her neck. Oblivious to what I said, she panted heavily and rolled onto her back with tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.
Something popped in front of my face.
"Don't think I didn't hear that," Xigbar pushed the "Bang!" sign back into the barrel as he left me for the stairs, his smirk remaining on his face. How many times was he going to keep messing with me with that thing?
Getting back on my feet, Axel came back from the kitchen with something in his hand.
"Here," he handed me a juice box. My eyes widened as I took it into my hands and ripped the straw off the back. I loved those things almost as much as I loved sea salt ice cream. "This is one of the best things you given me since the jacket," I unwrapped the straw and stabbed it into the speck of foil. "Should I give you a pack to take home then?" He sipped some of his own. "Yes," I peeped.
"Mmm, right there. A little more! Right there!"
I held off on drinking my juice and gave a confused look over to Axel. He was doing the same, haltingly slipping the straw from his lips.
"Oh, lower. Just a bit lower, please!"
Disturbed, I set my drink down on the table next to the door, not really sure of what I was hearing. Axel cringed, looking to his right. It was coming from the living room. Behind him, I could see the guys peeking their heads into the doorway of the kitchen in wonder of what was going on. I shrugged to them, holding my hands out as a sign that I didn't know either. Axel tilted his head a bit like he was trying to figure out what was going on just by listening. The most I could tell from the groaning was that Scion was the one making it but for what purpose, I had no idea and didn't think I wanted to know.
"Sounds like hot sex!"
Anxious to see the real answer, Axel turned around and went for the living room doorway. "This is nothing I want to hear when I come home you know?!" He shouted into the doorway. Automatically, I sprung up next to him to see what he was talking about. At first I recoiled when I thought I saw somebody naked, but came back to make sure my eyes were telling me right.
They were wrong.
"I can't help that I like a good massage," Scion gave a carefree smile. The maid was happily lying on a massage table, dressed only in a white shirt with a towel draped on her from her waist down to her feet. With her hair pinned up in a ponytail, she crossed her arms and rested her head on them. Next to her was Faron, dressed in a white t-shirt and a long, pale blue skirt. Turning to us, she winked without removing her hands from under Scion's shirt.
After taking in what was going on, I dropped my head. Even though they weren't naked or anything, I still felt incredibly embarrassed for intruding in on them. I knew I didn't have to be, but my body just reacted that way. Next to me, Axel wasn't affected in least from what he was seeing. "And you couldn't do this upstairs why?" He pointed to the ceiling. "A massage calls for a room that isn't so closed; it has to be wide-open and airy, that's why," Faron explained, putting her hands on her hips in confidence from what I could see.
"It's my day off, Axel. Can't you be a little giving today?" Scion stretched out her back. By then, I had my head all the way up with nothing to think of. "Since when do you get the day off?" Axel put a hand on his side, leaving the other to hang down.
"Since I spent forever trying to clean up your guys' mess!"
Like another automatic reaction, I pressed my index fingers together in guilt. "Sorry," I said in the smallest voice I could. Although I didn't do much wrong, I bet I'd apologize for every time somebody brought it up. Getting up, Scion rolled off the table on to her feet. Thankfully when the towel fell off, a pair of white pajama pants were underneath. Happily, she swung on a robe that was hanging from one of the stands of the table as she walked over. "I'm just happy that this one is the most apologetic out of all of you, even though it wasn't his fault," she pat my shoulders.
"He's naturally sensitive so he doesn't count," Axel pat my head, "Nice of you to pick the guy you barely know."
"Well he is the angel of the group."
"He's not innocent!"
"I have done some things I'm not proud of," I pressed my index fingers together again. "But you're a joy to have around," she beamed, hiding her hands behind her back. Taking in her comment I lowered my hands, "Thank you."
Axel made a loud clearing of his throat. Scion sighed, keeping her smile as she looked up to him. "If you want the table gone, then you have to help us carry it upstairs," she announced. "Fine, let's do it," he didn't waste anytime going over to Faron. Together, they removed the oil bottles from the stands and folded the legs underneath the board. We made room in the doorway as Axel came through with the table held under his arm. Faron followed behind him the bottles, mouthing something to Scion that I couldn't read.
"See, he helps."
I turned to Scion curiously, yet her only answer was a nod. For a second I had to think about what she meant by that until it hit me. "Ooooh," I nodded too, remembering the talk we had about him. It felt seemed like forever since she had mentioned that.
"So, I've noticed you and Axel have gotten really close."
My body turned to stone and I was wondering if I was hearing right. 'Did she honestly just ask me that question?' I thought, feeling like my ears were about to blow out again. Did she mean friendship or lovers wise? She could've meant either way, but I didn't know which. How was I supposed to answer if I didn't know which she was asking for?!
"Y-yeah, we have...Is it obvious...?" I kept myself from stuttering, but I was anxious to know what she meant. "It really is actually. I started seeing it around Halloween," she moved some strands of hair behind her ear. 'Halloween...We weren't a couple then,' I thought back to those times. Yeah, we were starting to be friends at that point, maybe more than that but we didn't officially become a couple until afterward.
"Then there was...after the incident, and Christmas time...It was noticeable," she finished on a happier note. "I guess it was," I laughed to cover up my nervousness, "Yeah, we've really gotten close. I'm surprised."
"Likewise. I think you might've changed him actually."
"Changed him?"
Putting her hands together, she nodded. "I don't think I've seen Axel so sensitive in a long time. I know he tries to hide it, but I can still see it." I agreed, though his sensitivity appeared to be one of the few things changed in him.
"I'm sure he still bothers people at school."
"Yes, there is still that," she giggled, "but I still think he's still different in a way. I'm glad he has you as a friend."
I offered a weak smile, "Yeah, a friend." Hearing the phrase brought me back to the hospital room the day Axel got shot. I questioned him about us being friends but I didn't really know if I got an answer that day. Evidently we turned out to be something more, but I couldn't stop wondering what his answer was. Did he ever consider me as a friend? We had such a short time between then and that Friday that I don't even know if anything had really formed.
"Sci-OOOOON!"
At the sound of her name, Scion made a cross between a cringe and a smile on her lips. Axel's heavy footsteps came stomping down the stairs with the sound of his jingling car keys mixed into the beat. "It's set up, alright?" he tossed his keys in the air. "Thank you, Axel," she said like a child, playfully patting his shoulder. "Yeah, well thanks a lot Captain No Help," he put his arms out as she passed by him. Stopping in her steps, she turned around to make a fake salute before continuing on her merry way.
"She's almost sounds like you."
"I know. She's one of the few people that makes living around here interesting."
Sighing deeply, I shoved my hands back in my pockets. If I ever made it big, I'd want a maid like Scion. They'd be upbeat and trustworthy, not like some of the typical maids the robbed or did their work without any speck of enthusiasm.
"So, you ready to go?" he tossed his keys again, "I want to get you back before Mori blows a brain casket."
"Sure, whenever you are," I nodded. I had only been there less than ten minutes. If Xigbar hadn't done his stupid mini grenade trick, I would've been there a lot longer. That ass.
Catching his keys again, he shoved them in the pocket of his jacket, "Good. I'll set you up with a pack of juice boxes and we'll head out."
"Sounds good," I was about to turn into the doorway when I felt my back hit the wall. A gasp of air escaped my lips then drew back in as I caught my breath. Before I could even question Axel about what he was doing, I felt his hand running up my side under my shirt. Slapping his other hand next to my head on the wall, he came so close to me that his eyes were the only things I could see.
"You're so cruel," he purred, stroking his hand against my chest. I groaned in pleasure, enjoying his touch. "To leave me like this after so long," his forehead rested against mine. "Then you must be just as cruel," I turned my head to the side, "Blaming me for being so callous when you did the exact same thing." He couldn't have been leaving me entirely at fault. I made damn sure he didn't. Satisfied with my answer, he dove in and locked me in a kiss. How long had it been since we shared one of our lasting embraces? Coming back from the break made it seem like something new. I absolutely loved it.
Filling up with courage, I had the urge to grab something of his. I didn't know what or where, but I wanted something to hold onto. When I reached out to do so, it turned out to be the arm that had my side. Doing so only made him forceful, giving me a quick hard press into the wall after feeling me squeeze him. I made a tiny noise as a sign that I wasn't prepared for his counterattack, but enjoyed it for the most part. What I was eagerly expecting was for him to move down to my neck and have at me there. Yet again, to my dismay, he backed away before we could even get to the good part. As he came away from me, I gazed up at him to pleadingly, silently asking him why he stopped. His response was within the smile he gave as he stood up straight.
"Sorry Roxy, but we gotta head back out."
Keeping his word, Axel dropped me off at the Express with about 30 seconds to spare. With my juice box pack in hand, the first thing I did when I came in was hide it in one of the cupboards. There was no way in hell I was gonna let Sora find it and then drink it all. He could wait until we got home for that. Checking the task off my list, I slapped on my uniform and got to business.
I really had my work cut out for me.
The phone rung so many times, I was sure it was going to haunt me in my sleep. Delivering order after order to both the mainland and the residential island was exhausting. I was hoping at one point for the skates to have a breakdown so that Riku would end up delivering them while I handled the register. They never did. Damn military technology.
Come later that evening did the calls finally calm down. Nobody was in the restaurant by eight o'clock, meaning closing time was coming real soon. It's not like many more orders could've been taken anyways; we were low on supplies after all the people who had come in. Sora, Kairi, and Namine left for the grocery store up the street, leaving Riku and I the only ones there. While he checked the registers and did some math his head, I did my homework on the counter. As normal as it should've been for the two of us to be there, it was really awkward for me. We didn't say anything to each other. Nothing. It wasn't the first time we had been alone before, but I hadn't felt so nervous about being alone with him since that day I got detention.
Tapping my pencil on the marble counter, I stared intently at a math problem in my book. I figured that if we weren't going to talk to each other, then I should focus on getting my work done. He appeared to be thinking the same thing as he looked over the money several times.
"Divide by two and carry the six."
I was so surprised to hear him speak that the pencil slipped out of my hands. Hastily, I picked it up as he continued his work. "Th-thanks," I quickly wrote down the process. Replying to my thanks, he nodded. Although we had finally said something after the ten minutes of being alone, I felt responsible for starting a conversation. I had to say something. It was just that as much as I was eager to get rid of the silence, I was kind of uncertain about talking to him despite Riku being my friend.
"So..." I tapped the eraser of the pencil against the counter. Like a robot, he glanced over to me. I was annoyed that I caught his attention. Now I had to go on from there.
"So...What does the 'H' stand for?"
"What?" he knelt down to one of the shelves on the counter. "You know. The 'H' in Station H Express. What does it stand for? I never asked," I spun my finger as he brought the cash box before him. I honestly had no clue what it meant and had been wondering about it every time I had to take a step into the place. Figured it was about time I found out.
"Heart."
"Heart?"
"That's what I said," he shuffled some bills around in his hand. His tone was so flat. "So the Station Heart Express? Why not the Heart Station Express?" I asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going. What I suggested sounded so much better. "Hey, I didn't choose the name. My dad's friend did," he kept his eyes on the bills as he shuffled them around. "Oh," I mumbled, lowering my eyes. We weren't getting anywhere at that rate. I was just about ready to pull out my secret weapon though I was hesitant about bringing it up. Riku was like a ticking time bomb.
"Riku."
"Yeah?"
"What do you think about Axel these days?"
The metallic sound of the cash box slamming shut echoed throughout the room. There was the bomb. Instantly, I began to wish I had never asked him. His answer through the box summed up that he was still pissed at the guy. I could've stopped there, but the show had to go on.
Kneeling down again, he slid the cash box back onto the shelf. "I still don't like him," he growled as he stood back up. "I'm not surprised," I chuckled nervously, "He has been kind of a jerk lately." His eyes met mine with a sort of curious gaze in them. Just by peeking at them, I could tell what he was thinking. "Where did that come from?" he pulled up the bar stool behind the counter. "Oh you know, just thinking aloud," I smiled sheepishly.
"Just thinking aloud..." The tone in his voice as he repeated my words gave the impression that he didn't believe me. Frankly, I wasn't expecting him to. The way I brought the topic up should've been a start already. However, I still needed to reel him in. "I was just thinking about earlier. I didn't expect much to have changed," I nonchalantly skimmed over the problems in my book.
"That's cause he's a prick who doesn't know when to quit," he sneered at the wall, baring his teeth on the word "prick." I glanced back down to my book for a second, "He has been kind of a like that lately."
"Lately? Try forever."
"Most of the time," I corrected myself for a more acceptable answer for him, "Can't imagine what makes him like that."
Riku got up and walked over to the drink dispensers. "Well let's see: he's cocky, arrogant, annoying, sadistic, prideful, cruel, and a real pain in the ass. Those are the basics that make him who he is. Need I go on?" He slipped two paper cups from the stack and pressed them against two of the drink levers. "And he's always been like that? Even before I got here?" As if I didn't know already by his and Axel's story.
"Well, the only instances I've actually heard about him having some humanity," he capped the cups and took out two straws from the straw dispenser, "are from you."
"From me?" I repeated. There was no doubt Axel had been as evil as fuck when I first met him. Hell, I complained about his barbarity everyday since he took my mother's anklet. Yet, it was the concept of what he had done for me being his rare acts of kindness was what made it bewildering. "Weren't there any other times that showed him being nice?" I took the straw and drink he offered to me when he came back over. "Never before, maybe never again," he ripped the tip off his straw wrapper. "Guess I should consider myself lucky then, huh?" I chuckled halfheartedly.
"You could say that," my cousin's friend bent his straw four different ways, "but I wouldn't."
"Why not?"
Stabbing his straw into his drink, he twirled in between his fingers. "I don't like the way he's treating you. It's not as bad as before, but it's still annoying. How you can even put up with him is beyond me," he huffed, finally taking a sip of his soda. I took a drink of mine as well.
"I think it's probably because he saved my life."
"That I can believe."
His answer was quick and blunt, nearly offending me in that I wasn't done yet. "No, what I mean is...Like what he said earlier," I searched for the right words. He raised a platinum eyebrow as he took a long drink from his straw. "You know...He saved my life...and for that, I'm very grateful," I began carefully, "so grateful that...I don't really mind how he treats me." He finally dropped the straw out of his mouth, but instead went to swishing the ice inside with the tube. "Really?" he whispered. "Seriously. I mean, yeah, I won't take some of the shit he's giving me, but he's not giving me much. In the end, whether what he said is true or not, I kind of do feel like I owe him."
"That's how you feel?"
"Yes. He may have owed me before, but I sort of feel like my debt is a slightly bigger." I made a strange laughing sound behind my lips. When I was thinking about talking to Riku, I wasn't exactly planning on telling him what I felt. Knowing that I was doing so made me feel a mix of embarrassment and a dash of fear. It wasn't close to telling him our secret, but it felt like something outside the area. What Riku thought also concerned me; I was feeling regret creep into my chest with the other two.
For one or two minutes, the place was silent except for the sounds of us sipping on our drinks. Riku stared intently at the soda machine or something in that general direction. Unsure, I averted my eyes from his. Not hearing or seeing his reaction bothered me more and made my regret grow. Maybe I shouldn't have told him.
"You're such a weird guy, Roxas."
I shuddered at the sight of Riku smiling all of a sudden. A grin wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting; I was actually waiting for him to say something to counter my words. Yet there he was with a soft smile on his lips. Seeing him do that reminded me of my dad when I caught him in a corner or I said something silly.
"What?"
He waved his hand to excuse himself. "It's nothing. You just reminded me of Sora there for a second," he took another sip of his drink to cover up his smile. "Sora?" I held my arms and leaned against the counter. Chuckling to himself again, he took the straw out of his mouth. "It was a while ago...after I joined the Order. I did some things I'm not too proud of," he regretfully looked to the side. "Like the underground events and going to Axel's 'get together'?" I added. Smiling weakly, he nodded. "Yeah, those times," he chuckled. The way his voice sounded made it appear like he was kind of uneasy about what he was about to tell me. I was willing to tell him not to if he didn't want to, but I held back.
"I came to regret my actions and for enjoying things I shouldn't have. When I finally left them, I had no idea how I was going to face Sora and everyone else after what I had done but," he stopped.
"But...?" I tried not to sound anxious.
"But Sora...He outright forgave me for everything," he continued, "Didn't question anything, didn't hold any ill feelings toward me, nothing. He just forgave me."
I smiled, "That's Sora for ya. Always ready to forgive a friend no matter how much shit you've done." He was always that kind of happy-go-lucky guy. I couldn't imagine what else Riku had done with the Order that was so major that he had to look so guilty every time he talked about it. Whatever he did apparently wasn't so huge to Sora. That, or maybe he'd forgive Riku right away so Sora could let go of any anger or sorrow he was holding onto behind that bright smile.
"That's what's going on between you and Axel, isn't it? You forgive him?" Riku stretched his neck toward me. Squeezing my arms, I nodded. "Yeah, I forgive him," I responded in such a small voice that I wasn't sure if he heard me. Hey, that was how I felt. After all Axel had done for me, I had no other option but to forgive him. Honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way.
"I forgive him, but can you?" I mumbled again in my tiny voice. It was as if the question was a completely different subject. Just like that, Riku's weak smile melted away but he kept the softness in his eyes. By what he did made me think that he was going to give me his usual disapproving answer. Knowing what was coming, I braced for the inevitable while trying to think of my next counterattack
"Well," Riku began. I squeezed my arms tighter. "I can't say that I forgive him. Not yet but," he took a deep breath, "I can say...that I trust him."
"Trust him?"
"Yeah. I may not be able to forgive him just yet, but I can trust him to protect you when Sora and I aren't around. It's the max I can give him for the moment." Fair enough. Trust was the next best thing. Not quite in the area of answers I was searching for, but a good answer nonetheless. And they do say friendship is built on trust. Maybe if they started out on trust, they could actually lead to some sort of relationship and then eventually forgiveness without necessarily having to become friends. Of course I'd have to keep myself out of some parts, but maybe it could happen. Once that was established, maybe our secret wouldn't be met with so much hostility if they found out...
"Is that good enough for you?" The platinum finished off the rest of his drink. The way he said it made it like he already new part of what I was thinking. "Yeah, it's good enough," I replied, hesitantly letting go of my arms. Slipping off the bar stool, he beamed as he picked up his cup. I returned his smile with one of my own, concluding that our conversation was over and that whatever tension in the air was gone.
The door suddenly opened, the bell above it ringing to say someone was coming through the door.
"Welcome back!" Sora called as he and the girls entered with bags full of groceries. "Get everything on the list?" Riku tossed his cup into the trash, seeing that everything was back to normal. "All except the leeks. They were all out," Kairi closed the door behind them. "So lame. Now the hell am I supposed to spin when I'm bored in the kitchen?" My cousin pouted, strutting toward me while Kairi and Namine followed Riku to the back to put away the groceries. "I don't know. How about a fork?" I picked one out of the tray on the counter when my finger and thumb suddenly went limp. The thought of Sora twirling a fork the way he did a leek was like playing Russian roulette.
"Nah. The last time I twirled a sharp object, Riku deducted ten dollars from my pay for almost killing him," he laid my hand against the counter. I could picture that. "So, what'd you and Riku do while we were gone? Have hot sex?"
"No! We just had a little talk."
"About hot sex?"
I slid the fork out of my hand and gave him a hard look. He rested his cheek on his knuckles and did the same, staring me straight in the eyes. A showdown. This would've been an easier battle if Sora hadn't been wearing his work uniform. How he had the courage to walk out like that at night, I will never know. But it was that stupid getup he had on that made a smile creep onto my lips until I broke out laughing. He was able to keep his composure a couple of seconds longer until he burst out laughing too. How was I supposed to win against somebody who could've been my twin?
`~*~*~*`
"Aquarius."
"Draco."
I chewed slowly as I squinted my eyes so I could analyze the sky some more. "Orion!" I pointed though not sure if he saw what I was seeing. Sora leaned toward me and turned his head in the same direction as mine in hopes of a better view. "Oooooh, yeah there it is!" he lined his arm up against mine.
The two of us sat outside in the backyard, eating pot pies and staring up at the stars. Once we closed up shop for the night, did our homework, and were left with nothing to do an hour before we were supposed to go to sleep, Sora and I went outside to do some constellation watching. When we were younger, we used to go out with our parents in an attempt to find as many constellations as we could. Most of the time we'd remember what or where the pictures were every time we looked, but as I grew up, I found the positions and locations fading from my memories. That night was a good for both a refresher and for spending some quality time with Sora.
"Scorpius."
"Libra."
Using my fork, I fended Samba off from my pie. He had been hanging out in my sweater for some reason, but now I knew why. To keep him going for a while, I picked a pea out of my bowl and gave it to him. It looked small enough for him to eat.
"Leo."
"Leo Minor."
"Cheater! You can't pick out the smaller one! The bigger one calls out both!" Sora pointed his fork my way. "Does not. That just calls out the bigger one," I jabbed my fork into a piece of chicken and broccoli. "But they both have 'Leo' in their names. That calls out both!" he spit his tongue out at me. "But if you don't put the 'Minor' at the end of the smaller one, than you're not calling out both," I answered calmly, keeping my food to one side of my mouth so I could talk and eat at the same time. "Whatever...cheater," he huffed, lying on his back in the softness of the grass with his bowl on his torso. He looked so cozy the way he was lying; I would've joined him, but I was afraid Samba would get into my dish.
Putting his bowl on the tray Tifa brought out for us, Sora turned on his side toward me, "So, have you made your New Year's resolutions yet?" I bit into another piece of chicken, "Where did that come from?"
Propping himself up with his arm he went on, "Riku and I make New Year's resolutions every year. Don't you?" Thinking the question over, I stirred the vegetables in my bowl. When I thought about it, I hadn't really. I'd just go on with my year as usual; any improvements I needed to make, I'd do when the time called for it. Announcing what I wanted to do at the beginning of the year wasn't necessary.
"No, not yet."
"Hmm."
Leaving my fork in the bowl, I leaned back on my hands and sat gazing up at the stars. "Well what do you think I should resolve to do this year? I don't know what," I looked over at him. There were probably dozens of things I could've resolved, but I couldn't think of any. Rolling back onto his back, he crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head in thought. "Maybe you could...You know...." he calmly rolled his eyes like the answer would eventually show up in his view.
"How about you and Riku? What did you guys resolve to do?" I asked. Maybe hearing their resolves would help me decide on what to do for my own. "Riku and me? We want to finish the semester with all "A's" and have an awesome year," he said it so simply. "Nothing else? Like individually?" I shrugged. "Eh, I want to get my learner's permit this year and...get a car. What else....? Oh! And make a bunch of new friends at school!" he stared off into space, probably visualizing him and his new friends. I didn't see why he would need any more; he's friends with almost everybody at school and everybody knows who he is. "Riku wants to get Ricochet some new play equipment and he wants to be top athlete at school. He's going out for track this year," he further explained. I wouldn't be surprised if he did end up being top athlete in track. The demonstration of everything he showed us last semester proved he was ready to take that title.
"What about now? Thought of anything?" he looked back over to me. Sitting back up, I thought about all the things I could resolve again. "Yeah, the permit thing is on the list. Same with the good grades too," I stared down into my lap where Samba was climbing all over my legs.
Crossing my legs once he was on the tip of my shoe and setting my hands on my chest, I lied back on the ground. "Staying happy until dad gets back from overseas-"
"Are you gonna go back with him when he does?"
I snapped my head toward his concerned face. Sora sounded so worried about that, but it didn't come as a surprise. He didn't want me to leave. It was true that we were having some fun together after years of being apart. The days were just flying by being with him and the others, especially Axel. In all actuality, I didn't want to go back solely because of them. As much as I hated to admit it, I was having more fun on the Islands with my new friends than I was with Hayner and the others back in town. What made it worse was that I had no desire to go back there yet, at least not a lot.
Turning my head back to the sky, I sighed. "I'll have to see if dad will let me stay here an extra year or two when he gets back."
"Yaaaaaaay!"
I knew he'd be pleased. Might as well stay on the Islands until after I graduated from Atropos. Come time for college to roll around, I wouldn't be seeing much of them anyway...or Axel. The thought suddenly bothered me.
"And," I stretched out my arms, "to stay with a very special person for as long as I can."
"Ooooh, Roxas," Sora sat up and sexily ran his hand down his chest, "So suave. Got somebody in mind?"
Pretending to gag, I turned my eyes back to the stars. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't," I pouted. "Don't be so uptight! I got somebody in mind too! See, I can be just as suave as you!" In the corner of my eye, I could see him run his hand through his hair like he was at a beach photo shoot. By suave, he must've meant letting his partner be the smooth one. Bringing our attentions back to the stars, we scanned over the vast amount of lights for more familiar pictures.
"Ursa Major."
"Ursa Minor."
"Virgo!"
"Cancer!"
And at the same time we called it. "Gemini!"
A/N: By golly this chapter was tough. I had such bad writer's block on this one which is kind of why it's the way it is. We haven't been seeing much of Riku, so this one was kind of good for him (and Cloud too), but the argument between him and Axel after school almost killed me. I let out a little bit more info in this chapter than I wanted, but it's not too bad. Points to anybody who caught The World Ends with You and the Utada Hikaru references. I doubt all those constellations are located in the same area, but hey, they needed to be looking for something! As always, I don't own any Wal-Mart, Final Fantasy XIII or any other real life products. On an ending note, pot pies are good. Thanks for reading and please review!