Fire
Disclaimer: If I stopped writing this… there would still be an Axel and a Roxas and every other KH character… meaning, I don't own them.
So I started writing this when I had 17 reviews. So hopefully by the time I finish it, I'll finally have twenty and then I can update.
Chapter 56
My head was resting on Sora's shoulder when Cloud drove up to the school in the car. I stood and turned to Sora who was standing behind me.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing… let's go." I said quietly.
He and I walked over to the car and I got in the back seat. I didn't want Cloud to think I was anything other than sick.
"Are you okay, Roxas?" Cloud asked.
I nodded and rested my head against the window.
"He got sick at school… you think you can drop us off at home?" Sora asked.
Yes, please let me go home so I don't have to see Axel… I don't think I can handle that.
"I really have to get back to work. But I only have a few more hours because I have the early shift today. Do you think you can hold out till then?" Cloud asked.
No… I probably can't.
"Yes." I said softly.
"Thank you so much Roxas. When we get home after this, I will resume my mother like duty and take care of you. And you can stay home from school tomorrow." Cloud said. "You look miserable… my poor baby." He added.
You shouldn't pity me… I don't deserve it. I was terrible.
I dozed off when I was in the car but as soon as I felt the car stop in front of the Fire Department I woke to a new bout of sick feelings. I flung myself out of the car and ran over to a patch of grass and dry heaved. There was nothing left in my stomach to get rid of.
I couldn't believe I was here. I was so deplorable. How could I even show my face to the Fire department after what I did? It made me so sick. I was disgusting!
I shivered when I felt Sora's hand on my back. I sat there for three minutes taking deep breaths.
"Are you sure you can handle this?" Sora asked.
"No…" I said but stood.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Sora asked incredulously.
"I-I don't want to trouble anyone." I rasped.
"You sound terrible. And that's from throwing up?" Sora asked.
I ignored the question and walked into the building. I sat quietly on a crate.
I flinched when I heard a familiar voice calling my name.
"Hey Rox! You were mean to me this morning but I still missed you all day. Cloud told me you were sick. You sure you're okay with staying here?" Axel asked as he put his arms around me pulled me into his embrace.
"I'm not…" I croaked.
"Baby, you sound terrible. I wish I could make you feel better." Axel said and moved in to kiss me.
I pushed him away gently. "Don't…" I said.
"Awe, I'm sure it was just something you ate. You won't get me sick." Axel said and moved forward to kiss me again.
I pushed him harder. "Don't… aren't you supposed to be holding a grudge against me?" I asked.
"Shrimp, I was only joking when I said that. Why would I hold a grudge against you?" Axel asked.
"Just stop… you should be meaner! Be angry with me!" I said, my voice scratching at the back of my throat.
"What? Why? You were only teasing me, babe. I know you weren't being serious." Axel said.
"Stop being nice to me!" My hoarse voice broke as I yelled at him. "I don't deserve your kindness…" I said softly afterwards.
"Why are you saying this, Rox?" Axel asked.
I choked out a sob. "A-Axel… I-I… I cheated on you!" I yelled.
Axel's face blanched as his eyes went wide.
I couldn't bare it. I ran over to the offices and I was about to close the door when Sora managed to squeeze himself in the room.
"Roxas, explain! You told me you were sick. Obviously that's not really what the problem is. Cheating on Axel, Rox? You're not capable of doing that! So tell me what happened, now!" Sora said.
"There's nothing to tell. I cheated on Axel and I don't deserve to be his boyfriend anymore… I feel so disgusting…" I said.
"No you didn't Roxas… if you had sex with someone, you wouldn't have been able to run so quickly. So, did you kiss someone? Is that what this is about? That doesn't really count as cheating… I mean you shouldn't kiss others if you have a boyfriend, but it's not like you committed the ultimate sin or anything." Sora said.
"I'm n-not saying anything… I know what I need to know and that's all I need to know." I rasped.
"Sora! When you told Axel you cheated on him, it looked like his soul left his body. If you really love him, you'll tell me. He deserves to know what happened and if you won't tell him than I will!" Sora snapped.
I jumped at the sound of his voice. Sora was really mad with me. But he was right… I was causing Axel to have even more unnecessary pain.
Tears fell down my eyes and I shook my head… "I should have just said no from the start… I'm so shameful." I sobbed.
Sora's face softened. "Roxas… what happened? Please tell me." Sora asked in a soft voice.
"Y-you know w-what you guys s-said a-about Mr. Highland a while a-ago?" I started.
"Huh?"
"W-well, it's true…" I finished softly.
I looked at Sora. His eyes suddenly widened at the realization. "Oh Fuck no!" Sora said and left the room quickly.
"Cloud!" I heard him call.
A wave of panic sprung from the pit of my stomach and I ran from the room.
"Sora! Stop!" I yelled and grabbed his arm.
"No, Roxas! Cloud! Cloud!" Sora started to move down the hallway again.
"NO! PLEASE! D-DON'T!" I croaked and pulled on his arm to get him to stop.
He ended up dragging me all the way out of the hallway and into the garage. "Cloud, I need to talk to you now!" Sora yelled.
"No! S-sora! Please s-stop!" I pleaded and sank to the floor, keeping his hand in a death grip.
"What is with all of the screaming and yelling? What happened?" Cloud asked when he approached.
"Don't tell them! Sora! Please!" I begged and cried.
"No, Roxas! This isn't something you can just tell me and then expect me to let it roll off my back. This isn't a trivial matter at all." He said to me in a stern voice.
"What is going on?" I froze when I heard Axel's voice from behind me.
"He didn't cheat on you, Axel. Cloud, you know that English teacher I've been bitching about since the first day of school?" Sora started.
"I don't like the sound of this." Cloud said.
"S-sora… please…" I said softly. I knew there was no way he would listen.
"Th-that fucking bastard forced m-my little brother to suck h-him off! I-I'm gonna KILL HIM!" Sora voice started to break as he cried.
I felt my heart break at the sound. I was being so absorbed in my own shame that I completely forgot about how painful it might be for others to hear about it.
"WHAT?" Cloud bellowed and looked at me.
"I-I didn't know it was going to happen! He asked m-me to stay after cl-class to talk about S-Sora's grades. H-he said there was a way I could help Sora and that all I would have to do is follow s-some directions. When he pushed me down I said n-no! B-but then he said that it would b-be my f-fault if Sora d-didn't get to p-play soccer or get into college! H-he said he would f-fail Sora if I didn't do it!" I cried out. I was so ashamed of myself.
I couldn't say anything else… It only made the situation more real. All around me was quiet. It was tearing me apart.
"We're going to the police department now. Reno and Zack, you're in charge. That son of a bitch is going to pay for this." Cloud said in a voice so dark I almost couldn't recognize him.
"Yes, sir. Don't let that bastard get away." The firemen said as I felt myself being pulled into a standing position and dragged from the garage.
I flinched when I felt myself being lifted. But then I was held in a warm embrace. "Did you really think you cheated on me when that happened?" Axel asked in my ear.
"I-I'm so sorry! I d-didn't want to!" I sobbed.
"Baby, you were being blackmailed! He forced you. You are not the culprit; you're the victim. Don't you ever think otherwise! Do you understand?" Axel said firmly.
I nodded. "I understand." I said.
"I love you so much, don't ever hide something like that from me. We're going to get this motherfucker. You'll never have to see him again." Axel said, hatred in his voice.
"I love you too. I only wish I had the courage to bite his dick off when he forced me." I said quietly.
Axel actually laughed a little. "Me too…" Axel kissed the side of my head and placed me into the car before getting in himself.
I clung to him the whole ride. His presence was so comforting. I fell asleep on his lap.
-Fire-
When I woke up, I was in Leon's office.
"Roxas, you have to tell Leon everything that happened. You can't leave anything out." Axel said as he ran a hand through my hair.
I got up from off of his lap and Axel stood. I took his hand and squeezed it.
"It's going to be alright." Axel said to me.
I nodded and Axel opened the door. Cloud was standing in front of us.
"I was just about to come get you. Roxas, we need you to talk to Leon." Cloud said and pulled me into a hug. I nodded.
We walked into another room and I froze when my eyes landed on Leon. He face was completely stoic. His eyes were sharper than blades.
"Tell me everything from beginning to end. I need every detail." Leon said.
His gaze never left me as I spoke. I told him everything, the threats, the pain, even the taste. But I was almost in hysterics when I had to tell him that I was forced to swallow the cum from his orgasm.
After I was finally finished, Axel pulled me into a tight embrace. I could feel his shoulders shaking from the sobs he was trying so hard to hold in. He was crying for me and that touched me so much that I cried some more.
"Roxas, I'm taking you to forensics for a rape kit. The people are going to do a full one, though we only need part of it. We'll know by late tonight whether or not I can take him in." Leon said.
"You mean we might not be able to arrest him?" Axel asked.
"Roxas made the mistake of washing out his mouth after throwing up. I doubt it washed away all of the evidence but there is a possibility." Leon said.
I frowned at the news but followed Leon into a different building.
Then the examination began.
I had to remove my clothing so that they could check for hairs. I felt very exposed.
But the most embarrassing part of the testing was when they started taking swabs. Samples were taken from every part of my mouth, even the back of my throat and teeth. When they finished my mouth, they moved to my butt.
I was so embarrassed. But I guess that's what Leon meant when he warned me about a full rape kit.
I was relieved when it was finally over. They said that they could get results by four in the morning because they would have to process the evidence.
"We can get Mr. Highland's DNA samples from when he had to get a tox-screen at the beginning of the year. It's a good thing this guy is a teacher, it saves us the trouble of getting a warrant for his DNA." One of the scientists said.
"Make sure this is as thorough as possible. I want to put this man behind bars as soon as possible without a trial. That son of a bitch is lucky that I play by the law. He would have been dead by now if he wasn't." Leon said.
"We'll get him, sir. We have more than enough evidence. His hair was on Roxas' clothes and there is evidence from his mouth."
"You hear that, Rox? That guy is going down!" Axel said.
I nodded. "Do you have to go back to work?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah shrimp, I do. But I'll come see you after my shift is over if you want me to." Axel said.
I nodded. "Please." I said.
"Alright, I have to go. Cloud, do you mind giving me a ride?" Axel asked.
"Not at all, let's go." Cloud said and they left the room.
I followed after them and took Axel's hand. I didn't want to let go of the warmth he gave me. Not yet.
When they got to the car I hugged Axel goodbye and he kissed me on the forehead. "You should eat something and get some rest." Axel said before getting into the car.
I nodded and watched them leave.
"Roxas, Leon said that he'll drive us home. He said that he could do the rest of his paperwork at home anyway." Sora said.
"Thank you, Sora." I said.
"What for? I didn't do anything." He said.
"If you hadn't have told Cloud, I wouldn't have told anyone. So thank you for giving me the courage to speak up." I said.
"Like I was going to let you keep your mouth shut in that situation, no way!" Sora said and pulled me into a hug. "You're very welcome… I would tell the whole world if it meant that guy would get what he deserves."
"I-it's just… I trusted him and admired him for his work. He and I both shared a passion for revealing the universal messages in the texts. It was something we both considered to be important for the continuation of an author's legacy. I considered him to be a friend and a mentor. I really liked him…" I cried softly on his shoulder.
"I know you did. And you don't have to shut anyone out, just be a little more attentive. Usually, people don't have those kind of ulterior motives. Jeremy Highland was just a bad person. Next time, when everyone you trust tells you that a person is bad, they usually are. Remember that okay?" Sora said.
I nodded and we moved back into the main building to get Leon.
-Fire-
When Sora, Leon, and I got home, they made me eat. I didn't really have any trouble eating because I was really hungry anyway.
But the minute I tried to swallow down the juice I had, I was once again over the toilet, puking my guts.
I couldn't handle it. Every time I tried to drink… it felt as though I was swallowing my teacher's semen all over again. It made me sick.
I felt Leon's hands at my back. "You really need to drink something Roxas. I know it's hard but you'll have to do it eventually." He said in a gentle voice.
"I know… but every time something is in my mouth it thickens and starts to taste bad. My mind is fucking me up." I said.
"What if you use mouth wash and brush your teeth? Maybe it will make it better." Sora suggested.
I nodded at the idea and Leon handed me the mouthwash from the cabinet. I moved to the sink and poured some in the cap before throwing it back.
I swished it around in my mouth, welcoming the sting. I knew it was working that way. After a few more seconds, I spit it out and gargled some water. When that was done, Leon handed me a toothbrush and some toothpaste.
I brushed my teeth and when it was all done, I did feel one hundred times better. "That was a good idea. Thanks Sora." I said.
"No problem!" Sora said.
I walked back into the kitchen and grabbed my drink again. I took a breath and chugged the rest of it.
I slammed the cup down on the table with a swift inhale.
"Hell yeah, Rox! You totally owned that drink!" Sora laughed.
I smiled. "I think I'm going to be okay." I said.
Leon wrapped his arms around me before patting me on the back. "I know you will." He said.
"Sora, come join this hug fest!" I beckoned.
Sora inserted himself between Leon and I. I had to laugh at that.
"Things are going to work out just fine." Sora assured.
"Hey, is everyone home?" I heard Cloud call from the front door.
"We're hugging in the kitchen!" I called back.
I could hear Cloud laugh before he entered the room and hugged Leon from behind.
"You know what I feel like doing?" Leon asked.
"What?" Sora, Cloud and I said together.
"Kicking your asses in a video game." Leon said.
"Hah! I believe the last time we played it was I that beat you!" Sora said.
"Well, now it's my turn!" I said.
"We will see about that! I think it's about time I win." Cloud said.
"It's on!" Leon, Sora and I said together.
I laughed as we all ran up the stairs to the master bedroom.
I knew there was no way I wouldn't get out of this funk I was feeling. With a family like mine, it was hard to stay sad for long.
So I would indulge myself in this moment so that maybe when I start to feel bad again. Warm memories like these would lift me back up again.
A/N: Thanks for all of the beautiful reviews! I was surprised by how many I got. Definitely over 20! I love you guys! Yay!
