"You've been gone a while sugar, people change"
'Yeah, we do…'Axel thought.
He himself has changed, living in New York you have to shed the thin skin, or the fast pace and no nonsense that is New York will eat you alive.
Shaking his head he looks away from his sister to address Lafayette.
"Yeah, it's just weird, she's always been adamant-" he stops "It's not fair of me to expect her to be the same."
Lafayette just gives him a look, shaking his head in amusement. He doesn't say anything, just continues on with his task of cooking.
'Should I talk to Sookie about the vamp thing?' Axel ponders. Knowing his sister, she'll get defensive if he questions her.
He doesn't need her shunting him out anymore than she has.
If he still knows his sister as well as he used to he can already figure the majority of her anger is grams, he knows he most likely hurt her with the abrupt departure, but at the time everything was just too much for him to care, and once he started to care he could bring the courage until recently.
'She has always been like this when it comes to grams' thinking on how protective she is of their grandma. The woman raised the three stackhouse children after their parents died in the accident. Even to this day something about that accident itches in his mind, beyond the trauma of his parents death.
"Axel, Right?" The voice makes his head turn, breaking him from his thoughts.
He meets the gaze of a man with shaggy hair and a kind face. The warm eyes are honestly adorable in his opinion; he can practically smell the affection coming from him, though it seems to be directed towards his sister.
'Interesting' he thinks, while he nods in response.
"That is I. And you?"
"Ah, sorry, name's Sam Merlotte." Sam states as he holds his hand out to shake, which takes a second for Axel to register, as most supernaturals don't tend to shake hands, mainly the older ones he's dealt with, so he's gotten out of the habit of doing it. This reminds him how little he interacted with the mundane in so long.
Softly encasing his hand into Sam's, he is surprised at how gentle the hold is on his hand, Almost like he's used to keeping in control all the time.
'Maybe a bit of a stretch' Not every person he comes across is supernatural thoughts surprising New York has an abundance of circles, of various sups.
He still can remember his first interaction with-
"Sorry, I heard from Sookie that you have arrived and I wanted to give you a personal welcome" the voice of Sam stopping the train of thought.
"Well, I thank you for your hospitality, it's no wonder this place is so popular" watching in amusement as the man becomes bashful.
He's intrigued by the puppy-like man, wondering what would push someone to want to own a bar and grill in the middle of nowhere essentially.
"You're too kind, I'm sure it's just the fact that it's one of the only eat-outs in 50 miles." The man seems so humble, it's something Axel isn't used to as much anymore, when you're in the supernatural world you can't be humble or show any sign of fragility, well that's the thought that most have.
"So humble" he mumbles he doesn't like seeing people not see their worth. "Own it man, you have a charm about you. You have that puppy look going on, honestly if you were more assertive you would have probably been with sookie"
"I-what are-I, sookie?" He fumbles, showing just how much the man is bestowed, he pities the man knowing his sister she has a one track mind and if she's set on this vampire he's been told of, doesn't help that she can be blind to those who want her even with her mental abilities.
"Calm down, I'm kidding, though your thoughts say otherwise" he slips out the comforting vibe from the man making him forget that he's not among his Old friends.
"Shit, you're just like Sookie!" He shouts in shock, causing a couple people to turn their heads, fortunately most just take the comment as exasperation
It's the sharp eyes of Sookie spearing into Sam's back with a protectiveness that differentiates, while she knows he's fine with her, most likely since she doesn't like using her gift, curse she corrects.
She knows how lenient her brother can be with the curse, despite the anger towards him, she loves her baby brother and will stop at nothing to keep him safe.
'God knows, how many times he protected me' with that thought a lot of her pent of aggression fades into irritation, 'oh' she'll make sure Axel knows he can't just dip on them when things get tough, again.
It's with that thought she opens their unique connection
'Don't be too hard on Sam he good okay, and you better apologize to Grams' she finishes with an afterthought.
Axel keeps his face blank, not indicating that his sister just spoke to him through their bond, though he does respond with emotions, practically blasting elation towards her, while sending a faint sense of playfulness 'do you have no faith in me?'
Not getting a response other than the faint sense of mirth.
"I-I-sorry I" Sam stutters out, though why Axel doesn't know.
Returning his attention to the man he gives him a disarming smile, "be at peace, it's normal for people to react like that. I'm sorry I slipped up, I'm very tired at the moment from traveling."
To distract the man Axel teases him "If she's let you in on the secret then you must be very dear to her" is he laying it on thick sure but it seems to be working.
'never realized how much those old bats are rubbing off on me" Thinking on how formal he tends to speak, given how many silver tongues he's had to read through, he's not surprised
"I'm sorry for blurting that out so loud, I- if you'll excuse me, I have to go speak with your sister about…her hours, yeah hours" the man clearly needs to work on his diverting skills.
'Well then'
"Sugar have I told you how much I missed you" Lafayette says with a chuckle in his voice.
"If you hand me a couple of those fry's I'll show you how much I missed you" Axel purrs playfully.
Grinning when a small dish of fry's is put on the counter, intending to reach for his wallet, but Lafayette stops him with a wink, leaning over he pecks the broad effeminate man on the cheek, as much as his stature will let him anyway.
"Thank you, lovely" he chirps while popping one in his mouth while turning to lean back against the counter, watching the masses.
'Nothings changed.' He thinks idly before standing up straight as he finishes the last fry, pulling out a hundred he calls for Lafayette before stuffing the bill down the man's pants with a wink. Trotting off towards his wayward brother. He only really came here to stall time, so he wouldn't have to confront his grandmother so quickly.
Unfortunately for him the jet lagg he's feeling is too much for him to hold off any longer and if he's going to make it to the house by foot without falling from exhaustion he has to leave now the fry's did wonders to give him a boost of energy. Why didn't he just have the taxi take him home?
'Oh, because I'm a coward' He didn't realize both his siblings were in the bar when he stopped by.
He genuinely just wanted to stall time before confronting them, or more specifically grams.Getting bombarded with both his siblings was a shocker, but he's not one to back down when confronted.
The fact that he is returning from something he ran from isn't lost on him.
"If you wanted to feel me up all you had to do was ask" Lafayette yells as he makes his way to the exit.
With a laugh he walks over towards Jason stating he's heading to Grams, heart warming but declining his invitation for a ride, not wanting to interrupt his guys' night. Seeing as Sookie hasn't stepped out of the employees only area, probably dealing with the befuddled Sam, he just sends a nonverbal goodbye, getting a nudge back.
he doesn't care about how wide his grin is, knowing his sister isn't shunting him out or won't makes him feel relief.
Stepping out of the grill he starts his way towards his grams, knowing that his boxes, what little he brought were delivered to her steps. He hopes she didn't try moving them, or that they are in her way.
Thoughts of his grandmother makes his heart beat faster as he struggles to let his nerves cool, he doesn't know if he's gonna get a berating, not that it isn't undeserved.
Selfishly he doesn't want to deal with the guilt of seeing her hurt.
Reaching the path towards his home he hasn't seen for so long he feels nostalgia envelop him with each step on his trek towards grams. The younger days of playing with lala and Tara, playing boys vs. girls and all kinds of things, being the four odd ones of the town caused them to grow together.
They felt a camaraderie with Lafayette and Tara though in many ways their best friends had it worse, always being judged for their skin, it got worse for his favorite cook, after they started to grow into their homo-ness as they would say.
He can admit to using his power on those who dared to hurt his family, he doesn't know if sookie what he did, or what he can do. He never understood how he was able to do more than his sister, but he likens it to the fact that he's embraced the gift instead of shunning it.
Though, those he met couldn't do what he could from what he'd gather.
The steps of his grandmother's porch interprets his thoughts, just how long he has been lost in his mind.
He's been standing outside the door, before the first steps for who knows how long. He notices the boxes are off to the side, thankfully the movers were smart, or were local to know who lived here was elderly. He hopes his gram is asleep, so he won't have to confront that can of worms, yet.
Reaching up and climbing onto the railing he exclaims softly in triumph when his fingers find the spare key hidden in the crack that Jason always used.
'Old habits die hard' he thinks, dropping down wincing at the loud thump he creates.
Unlocking the door, not caring for his things he is too exhausted and since he's not in New York he doesn't need to be so anal. Stepping through he wipes his soles and steps out of his boots, using the opposite heel to anchor the boot to the ground too lazy to bend over, grumbling when the other foot gets stubborn.
"Stupid fucker, I'm fukin' tired"
Hearing the sweet chuckle a little ways away from him makes his heart stop, tilting his head his hair falling into his eyes from his angle, the soft glow of the opened door with a light silhouetting his beloved grams, who has a warm smile on her face, though the tears misting her eyes hurt worse than any scolding could have.
"Gram's?" He whimpers pathetically, straightening from his bent position. She does do anything for a second just stares.
"Little one, welcome back" with that she opens her arms.He's bolting before he knows what he's doing miraculously, not running her over as he presses into her.
The weight of her arms encircling him as he breathes in the familiar scent makes something he didn't know was burdening him lift away. He stands there basking in the presence of her enjoying the emotions pulsing off of her.
"Gra-" but he's interrupted before he can say anything.
"Shh, none of that sweetling" cupping his cheek her cool hands comforting "we'll talk tomorrow, you're dead on your feet" she huffs lightly before dropping her hand she watches as he hesitates gently pushing him towards the stairs
"Go" she says, her smile wide as she watches her grandchild who's grown so beautifully stumble up the stairs. The tear she tried to hold back for her baby's sake slips out. Her heart is warm now that her precious people are together.
Oh, she loves her other grandchildren and daughter but having raised these three personally with the tragedy bonding them together, she quietly to herself can admit those three are her most important people.
If Axel sobs himself to sleep after selfishly listening into that, well only he'll know.