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» H e l p l e s s R a i n--

AkuRoku

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- chapter two -

In the usual spot, in the back of the school, where the fences were high and crowding, Axel was thinking.

That kid has some real balls to cap Riku in the face like that, the redhead thought contemplatively. He was slightly impressed.

"I'm going to kill him." Riku seethed, interrupting Axel's thoughts. The red-haired teen raised his green eyes from the ground to give his friend a scrutinizing look.

"Why?"

Riku glared. "You know why." Riku hissed icily and Axel's gaze landed on the black & blue mark beneath his left eye as well as the scab forming along his cheekbone where his face collided with the desk.

Axel sniggered. "Hey I think it looks nice on you."

Riku shoved him, glaring.

"Shut up." He commanded and leaned on the fence, refusing to look at Axel. Axel was fine with that; whatever. He saw the same color eyes everyday anyway.

"You know," Axel started. "If you hadn't been such a jackass to him he wouldn't have punched you like that." Axel pointed out - he saw Riku's mouth twitch and his eyes grow narrower. "- but then again, I guess we have to consider your superiority complex and all -"

"Hey hey hey!" A voice called out.

A slim boy in the school's uniform with dark blue-green eyes and flushed cheeks looking young like fifteen years old, dirty blonde hair like a mullet adorning his lively face, came bouncing up to the two.

"Hey Demyx." Axel greeted nodding in acknodgement of the bouncy sophomore who had stopped running and had collapsed on the ground, messily seated, skinny legs sprawled.

"What's up Axel- WHOA Riku. What the hell's under your eye!" Demyx exclaimed, getting up from ground quickly and staring at Riku's black eye avidly. Axel saw Riku clench his jaw, clearly annoyed.

"A hickey." Riku said sarcastically.

Demyx paused, examining it further. "Oh...yuck. No offence Riku, but it kinda looks like a black eye or something…"

Axel couldn't help but be amused and snicker at the younger boy's slowness.

Riku smacked demyx.

"It IS a black eye, stupid!" Riku clarified in a loud voice.

Axel laughed and Demyx glared, then pouted. "Jeez you dont have to hit me! Asshole."

"I really don't think you should aggravate him more, Demyx." Axel cut in lightly. "Unless you want to die a slow and painful death."

Demyx had a confused look on his face. "Why? What happened anyway? Can you tell me what happened?"

Riku sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "This punk did it. He fucking punched me then he jetted, quick as hell." Riku explained, anger etching his delicate features.

Demyx's jaw dropped. "He punched you? Then ran away? That's a bitch move!"

Axel tuned out the conversation and his thoughts drifted back to the mysterious newcomer…

Sora Kazama.

Blonde spiked hair … deep blue eyes …poker face expression on his young face, tainted with innocence, but suspicion outlining his fine features…

Why didn't his name match his face?

A name's just a name … it's not like your name is your destiny or anything.

Why am I making a big deal over his name?

Axel shook his head, as if the action would clear his thoughts.

"Class is gonna start in a minute." Demyx's voice brought Axel back to reality.

"You going to class?" Riku asked Axel. He had a look in his eye that meant he wanted Axel to say no so they can skip and hang out.

"Yea, I am." Axel replied. He didn't really feel like hanging out with his silver haired friend… especially after he punched Sora… it bothered him.

Riku shrugged and didn't reply.

The deafeaning school bell rang loudly.

"That's the bell. I'm going. Bye guys!" Demyx said happily.

But Riku gripped his shoulder before he could fully leave and he directed his gaze at Axel when he spoke next.

"If you see that kid's punk ass…" Riku stared, venom poisoning his words. "…thrash 'im." He smirked green eyes meeting green eyes. "- for me."

The words shook Axel.

He almost considered following them.

--× --× --× --

Axel was walking down the hallway making his way towards his sixth period class; gym. He was TA for that class so he didn't really have to do anything. Usually, the redhaired teen just checked out some girls in their ultra short PE attire.

He was walking alone and the hallways were empty; lunch had ended a while ago so most students were in class.

Axel was rounding the corner when he saw at the end of the hallway - a blur of blonde spiky hair.

It was him. "Sora"

Axel instinctively just knew. He had that...feeling.

He also had that feeling that he should follow him.

Speeding up real quick, he ran until he was a couple of feet behind the oblivious boy who halted for a second, before stepping forward and entering the boy's restroom.

Axel hesitated.

What the hell am I doing?

Stalking this punk in stealth mode that's what…

His curiousity was sparked and it wouldn't go away. He just wanted to… talk to him. That's all.

Throwing all sense of logic and any plans of action out the window, the redhaired teen gripped the cold metal doorknob of the bathroom, turned it, and entered.

His shoes made loud steps on the white tile of the lavatory and the sound bouced off the walls.

The boy turned around swiftly and when he saw Axel -when he recognized Axel - his eyes narrowed and his guard went up. He had automatically associated the redhead with the silverhaired bastard…

"What do you want?" he hissed, all anger and all rage raking through his slim frame.

Axel blinked at the harsh unfriendly…tone.

Why is he so riled up? What did I do?

"Whoa whoa. Calm down, punkie." Axel raised his hands in defense. "I'm just here to take a piss." He lied easily.

The blonde - Sora? - maintained his icy gaze.

Axel broke into a smirk. He found his advantage in this situation; Sora was scared. He can tell in his eyes. The way he was watching his every move like Axel was going to charge and attack, bang him into the walls. Bang his head into the walls, he meant.

"Wanna watch?" the redhead lightweight flirted, chesire grin spreading across his face. It was his hobby to mess with people's minds.

Axel could feel the shock eminating from Sora as the words registered in his spiked-haired head.

He could also feel the revolt.

"You're sick." Sora muttered before turning to the bathroom sink and washing his hands.

The water was suprisingly hot and it stung his hand instantly. Axel watched him gasp and withdraw his hands quickly, hissing. Axel knew that was a dumb move; those sinks only let out scalding hot water. Shows how nice and rich this school was...

"Shit." he heard Sora swore and Axel took a few steps forward so he was close enough to see the reddening hands.

He reached out and trailed his slender fingers over the abused skin.

The other boy immediately tensed, reeling away from Axel's touch as if it burned him. Axel's reaction was the opposite; the single touch seared through his body and it was far from the feeling of being burned. More like feeling hot.

Sora threw a suspicious look at Axel and Axel could see the flame in his deep blue eyes, the color of the ocean during a heavy thunderstorm.

"Don't touch me." The words fell from the boy's lips placidly and Axel wanted to touch him more. Just to disobey; just to defy.

"Don't worry." Axel grinned. "I prefer to be touched instead."

The slightly tanned cheeks turned an interesting shade of red and the faintly blushing boy looked away quickly focusing his gaze on the textile floor; dirty and filthy.

Axel smirked. He loved it when he had the advantage; he loved feeling superior to people... and he said Riku had a superiority complex?

"Wanna touch me?" Axel asked lightly like they were talking about the weather.

Without warning, Axel was shoved roughly and he collided against the wall, too shocked and too stunned to realize what had just happened.

Then he blinked. That punk just shoved him? Yes he did.Okay, now that pissed him off.

He narrowed his jaded green eyes into slits and glared at the difficult boy.

Thrash im

Riku's dark silky voice echoed in his ears.

Axel froze. I shouldn't.

"I'll knock you out if I have to. So just fuck off." The blonde hissed viciously, eyes flashing dangerously.

I should.

No one talks to him like that; not even this stupidly attractive punk-

"You need to learn exactly who you're talking to." Axel drawled. He clenched his fist tightly. "- here; i'll teach you a lesson!"

The fighting broke out.

Fists were everywhere; Axel landed the first hit successfully somewhere near the boy's jaw but after that, the other boy was too quick fast and agile, dodging his fists like bullets and then Axel stumbled; suddenly he had to block and Sora's fists were all around him --

Axel lurched backwards as he felt the impact of a fullforce punch land somewhere in his stomach. He stumbled then fell and he cried out as his ass hit the cold ground.

"Fuck." He swore loudly, breathing hard, eyes alight with pain.

He brought his gaze up and saw Sora watching him carefully, breathing just as ruggedly as him, mouth bleeding from where Axel punched him, hands gripping his knees to keep his balance. He was trying to catch his breath.

Their eyes locked.

Axel wasn't going to accept defeat from this skinny ass kid so easily- he was going to kick his ass and-

The spiked haired blonde just shook his head before dashing out the bathroom door leaving the redhead alone in a confused silence

Axel blinked.

Blink.

What the hell-?

This isn't over, he thought viciously. This kid really DOES have the balls to punch Riku and run away, to punch me and run away -

and I kinda want to see that proof.

Axel smacked himself at that.

I didn't just think that, he told himself sternly. At leastI didn't seriously mean it...

He groaned.

--× --× --× --

"He did it to you too? Bitch move! That's a bitch move, Axel! This kid's a total wimp!" Demyx said waving his hands enthusiastically. It was after school and the two were walking home.

Axel had finally gathered his thoughts and come to the conclusion that; everything he was thinking in the bathroom was induced by ... lack of sleep. And the punching messed up his brain cells so everything he thought about Sora that had to do with the word 'hot' actually meant…'snot'. And everything he thought that was even slightly remotely homosexual, was just to get the other boy ticked off. Because he was straight and straight guys don't do or think gay shit like that. And straight guys dont remind themselves they're straight either.

Yes, Axel had successfully given himself a migraine. Y halo thar tylenol…

"But then again, he did kick your ass. So maybe he's not a wimp after all." Demyx pointed out.

Axel sent a sideways glare.

"Who's side are you on?" Axel deadpanned.

Demyx grinned. "Yours! The darkside."

Axel rolled his eyes.

"No stay away! Stop!" Axel's ear picked up the high pitched cries of a girl.

He looked to the left which was an alley between two buildings and saw a blonde-haired struggling girl gripping her bag tightly as it was being tugged away from her.

Axel's eyes immediately went to the criminal and his eyes went wide.

He knew him -

"Let her go!" Axel yelled as he ran towards the two figures, Demyx following along behind him.

"Yeah!" Demyx called as they arrived right at the spot.

The thin girl's blue eyes darted from the two newcomers and nervousness overwhelmed her but then she registered what they said and she felt somewhat relieved. But it was not over.

"Well well well. Axel and Demyx." Her mugger drawled giving each teenager an appreciative complete lookdown.

Axel shoved him forcefully away from her and she stumbled backwards too but it didnt matter, the purse was safe in her fragile hands.

"Why are you mugging this girl? She's cute!" Demyx asked.

Axel glared at the offender; the long silver hair that reminded Axel of blades on knives, sharp as needles, framed the long, thin face of a boy who looked in his late teens, eighteen or nineteen. He had that 'x' shaped scar in the middle of his yellowish-green eyes full of malice & hidden agendas. He never failed to bring an image of a wolf to Axel's mind. His name was Saïx.

To put it simply, Axel had some beef with this guy. They used to be friends in middle school only because their friends were friends with each other. Once they hit high schools, the silver haired sadist had gone to some other school and had joined some gang.
It wasnt just any old gang either…

The gang he joined was Axel's gang's worst enemy. Axel considered him a traitor, his act displaying ultimate betrayal.

"Just bored." Saïx stated, voice deep and amused, his eyes focused on Axel.

Axel felt a strange yet familiar chill rack through his lithe body.

Saïx had always made him feel so…

"And how are you Axel? I don't see you anymore. You don't call anymore."

…angry. "The fuck do you care?" Axel hissed angrily.

The taller boy paused. "I don't. Tell me anyway." Saïx's reply stung.

Axel shook his head and brushed past the intimadating bastard making his way to the watching young girl.

"Hey you." He poked her lightly to get her attention. "You okay?" Axel asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She blushed and looked down. "Thankyousomuch."

Axel blinked. "Wha?"

"Thank you so much. I… I thought he was going to rape me." She confided to him.

Demyx heard her and he shot a glare at while Saix who looked please with himself. Axel glowered at him icily before turning his gaze back at the girl.

"He gives that impression to everyone, trust me," he said.

Their eyes met and he froze inside.

Those blue eyes…

They looked so familiar.

"Can I get your name?" the girl suddenly asked, brightly. "I want to know who saved me."

She was way too sweet.

Axel smiled, amused at her innocence. "The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" he used that line on everyone he met.

She nodded and smiled serenely. "Axel? Okay! I got it memorized, hee!"

Okaaaaaaaay that just killed it.

Demyx popped out of nowhere and shook her small hands.

"I'm Demyx! But you can call me tonight!" Demyx said happily. "You're cute!"

Axel shoved the bouncy blonde away. "Dont mind him, he's on crack."

He received a smack on his head.

Ouch that hurt.

Axel turned to glare at Demyx, finally noticing that Saix had left the scene. Relief flowed in his veins.

"Nice to meet you guys… I'm really new here in this place. My name's Namine."

Axel was staring at her eyes again. They looked just like…

"We'll walk you home if you want!" Demyx cheered.

The color of an ocean… so deep and so blue…

"Yes please!" Namine complied her eyes smiling.

Her eyes…

"Coming?" she asked Axel.

- were just like HIS.

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