Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 6
She walked through the door ahead of her parents so she could be sure Axel was not wandering about the house, and was pleased to look up and see her bedroom door closed, and no sign of his spiky red-head. She waited, slightly impatient, for her parents to come in and settle in the kitchen for something cold to drink. When her father was out walking in the heat he regretted ordering hot coffee, just like her mother said he would, but once his mind was set on something he never really quit unless something else caught his fancy. She told them she would be up in her room for a while gave them both hugs upon promising to come down later. ((Today was their last day off for her summer vacation. Even if they did want to be around her, she also knew they would like to spend at least a little time alone together since it was also the last day off they would have together for at least another month.))
Natasha had to keep her legs from running up the stairs to see Axel to make sure he was still alive. She took in a deep breath when she stopped outside of her door, her eyes closing as she did so, and opening when she finished. She pushed her door open, and, without glancing over at her bed, went in and pushed the door closed, a warm bag of food pressed to her teenage chest. Her eyes had to steady themselves on Axel for a while before they detected the very slight rise and fall of his chest, and when they noticed he was okay she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. As she walked closer, and set down the food on her beside table, the clock reading '1:38 PM', she could hear his light breaths evenly come when his chest moved. She pulled up her chair over again and sat next to him until the sound of his growling stomach caught her attention. She bit her lip slightly as she reached out a hand towards him, hovering over his chest until she worked up the nerve to gently shake him awake.
"Axel?" she asked in a lowered whisper.
How opened his eyes lazily, but didn't seem at all perturbed by her awakening. A lop-sided smile came over his face as his eyes closed and he stretched. A pleasant groan came from him as he did so and when he opened his eyes again they followed what his nose picked up as the trail of the smell of food.
"Is that for me?" he asked without resignation since he knew it was for him.
Natasha was surprised at how clear his voice was. She nodded in response and reached over for the bag to hand to him. Axel took it gratefully and offered his genuine thanks, making her pride in her self swell. He began to feed himself after he propped himself up into a sitting position. She could tell that he was still tired, but his need to fend off his hunger now outweighed his need for the healing affects of sleep. It made her smile to know that she had done a good job.
"What're your parents like?" he suddenly, to her surprise, asked her with a slightly full mouth. "You look a lot like your mother and your dad too."
Natasha smiled fondly; it was nice to know that she looked like the best two people in her world. She met Axel's awaiting eyes as he took another bite of his food.
"Well, my mother is very understanding, but is pretty strict when it comes to things like school and chores and rules and other stuff. My dad is too, so I guess it comes with the territory. Their both pretty fun to be around. It's almost like they never have anything to complain about, and are always ready to help with something. My mother buys a good amount of my clothes and things, which I guess is normal too, but I learned a long time ago that I'm going to have to get along on my own someday soon and started to try and pay for as much as I could on my own. They insist that I save up for later on, so I set some aside. My father tells me I grow up too fast."
She sounded like a little girl to him, or what he imagined one to sound like, when she talked about her parents. She made a very mature little girl though. She didn't seem the least bit selfish or spoiled, and idly he remembered that in some of the pictures they had, they didn't always look as well off as they do now. He remembered that in a few of the pictures she had tattered clothing and a dirty little, even more almond shaped face than she had now. Her parents were in much the same condition, but looked a little cleaner, which was probably for the sake of keeping a job. Anyhow, they seemed fine now, and that gave him enough mind to ask about it.
"What was it like when you were younger?" He felt almost like he was rebuilding his old life through her memories.
"We didn't have too much money to go around, I guess you guessed from the pictures, but I never really remember being unhappy. During that time my mother had a job at an item shop and my father was under a blacksmith in an apprenticeship. Neither job really paid well, especially my father's, but now my mother works in a hospital to help those injured in battle with creatures outside town, and regular diseases. After my father finished his apprenticeship we had enough money to live, and for my mother to become a cleric. Even then and now I don't remember a day passing when they didn't say kind words to me. They are both really good at what they do."
Axel smiled wistfully, wishing he could remember exactly what his childhood had been like, but really couldn't dig deep enough for it. He resolved to just forget about it. If his family hadn't even associated with him when he was in Organization XIII he assumed that they either didn't care for him anymore, or they were dead. He didn't want to know either outcome, and didn't really feel bad about it. He was starting over anyway. He decided that his new family would be any friends he made, and Sora and Roxas whenever he found them again.
He really wanted to see them again. Or maybe it was just a him now if Roxas completed what he wanted to. That would be his first objective if he ever got out of this world. He would find Roxas and Sora so he could tell them, or him, that he had a heart. Maybe he could live where they, or he, was.
Then the thought of leaving his newest, and his quickest made, friend Natasha behind crossed his mind. She almost seemed indispensable to him now, more his head, and heart, than in reality. Maybe she could come too. His hopes sunk as he remembered that she had a life here.
He realized that he was done with his food and staring at the empty box. He felt the weight of her gaze on him and immediately picked up his cool attitude, brushing off his previous bad feelings, which he realized that they were also the first ones he ever truly felt.
"What? Something on my face?" he asked with sarcasm.
She smiled and shook her head.
"No. I was just wondering if you were going to fall asleep and drool in that box of yours. It would being interesting to see you washing your face with saliva in the morning." She giggled after she spoke.
Axel chuckled as well and placed the box back in the bag before a large yawn and a stretch made his eyes water. He scratched his neck as he cracked it and snuggled back down on the pillows.
"I know you won't let me move from here now, but maybe tomorrow you can sleep in your bed and I'll take the couch. It's only fair. I'm starting to feel pretty good as it is." He spoke convincingly, not that she doubted him. But the cockeyed smile he had on his face somehow convinced her further.
"Sounds good to me. Go ahead and rest." She looked at her clock that now read '3:06 PM'. "I'm going to go spend some time with my parents so they don't get suspicious."
Axel raised his tired eyes to her with a devilish smirk that made her breath catch.
"You bad, bad girl. Still hiding the boy in your room from your parents." He closed off the statement with a good natured chuckle and yet another smirk. Even he, one who had spent so much time without a heart, knew the significance this would have to a parent.
She giggled at him and waited until his eyes were closed to exit the room.
((A/N: I'm just going to remind you again to tell me if I'm doing okay as far as Natasha being a Mary Sue goes. Maybe I should just stop asking. Please review!
okiegirlforever: Thank you for the review and the compliment! And I know how you feel. I just LOVE Axel as well. ))