-.Good Morning Sunshine.-
.Epilogue.
.define best friend and boyfriend.
-x-x-x-
It seemed impossible how easily life could pick up, after several days' worth of trauma and family problems everything eventually looped back round to the two boys poking their mutinous hats in the ice-cream parlour. Like a song, no matter how loud it got the chords always died out into a silence, like a storm it always passed leaving no reminder in its wake. Well, there were some reminders – Sally was still in hospital, thoroughly drugged up on whatever they were feeding her through Chemistry-lesson tubes, and Larxene was dead. But apart from that simple fact, there was nothing to indicate the tsunami that had descended upon the two boys, three if you counted Sora.
"That'll be five munny, please," said Axel in a toneless, sleep-deprived sort of voice, handing over the frozen good in exchange for munny. Watching as the teenage girl giggled and batted her eyelashes at him like she had something caught in her eye and was trying to dislodge it. It wasn't a very flattering look anybody should try if they were attempting to look flirtatious.
"So, Axel… How's your life?" asked Roxas, yawning. His own 'life' was going exceptionally well after he and Sora had cleared the air yesterday and decided they were going to have some quality brotherly time with each other. And Rikku had made a strict rule – no secrets were to be kept in the family, which resulted in Tidus blushing and telling her he was the one stealing all the cookies from the orange jar in the kitchen. Although Roxas supposed it could have easily been worse.
"Sally spoke to me in hospital yesterday; about our parents…" said the red-head in thoughtful tones. "She told me I shouldn't look on the outside and try to see how much they care about us deep down. So I tried, and I'm still trying. I can see more about them than before, and I need some time to judge whether it's good or not, but I'm doing it for Sally. It was pretty nice of them to cancel their next meeting for Atlantica Swimming Pools to stay home and care of us more… How about you?"
"Same old, same old…" said Roxas with a small grin flitting across his face. "Find out Sora's your twin – Sora, weird kid who was here a couple of days ago. You know, stuff every kid finds out on a daily basis," he finished off, poking his annoying hat. He was in such a good mood, however, even the sharp, burning pain in his finger couldn't dampen his spirits.
Axel looked faintly shocked at this sudden news, but managed to smirk over it. "Of course, Roxas," he said. He would've ruffled his hair to go with these words, but he didn't want to damage his fingers on that damned stupid hat. "Listen, in my lunch break I'm going to go and see a friend… Do you want to come with me?" he asked. He looked pretty sad when he said those words, like he needed somebody by his side. But he was only seeing a friend… "I need somebody to come with me, because it's been ages since I saw her…"
Roxas gulped, feeling slightly jealous of this 'her'. Was it an old girlfriend? Maybe because everything was going OK in his life he'd decided to get back together with her and give Roxas the cold shoulder. And his fears were confirmed when Axel plucked a rose head from the small array of red flowers on the counter-top – to make the place look 'classy' in Yuffie's eyes. "I was thinking about stopping at a florist and getting her some of these. I got munny."
This made the blonde boy's eyes become downcast, like a storm cloud had passed over them. He sighed – if Axel really needed his company to go and see 'her' he figured he'd have to go with him. If they couldn't be what he hoped they'd be, at least they could be friends… And friends helped each other.
"Great," smiled Axel. "I'm glad you're always there for me Roxas," he said, and Roxas gave him a half-hearted smile in return – when one area in your life goes well, another turns out crappy. He was probably talking about Kairi or something, he thought bitterly.
o.x.o
Well, Roxas had been in for a surprise. When Axel stated he was taking them to see a female friend and bringing her bouquet of assorted roses and liles, he figured it was something to do with romance… Even it wasn't something he thought somebody like Axel would do. But when he actually met the girl, he at least expected her to be alive.
And this 'girl' was nothing but. True, she had once been a girl, as her tombstone declared, words etched into pure white marble. It was over-grown with crawling ivy and seemed to be isolated from the rest of the graves in its own little corner of the world, because it had been untouched for so long. Nobody remember that girl, that girl's skeleton that lying six feet under Roxas' feet anymore.
"Here lays the body of Larxene … Born … Died … At only six years of age. She was l… by all her friends and fam..y, she'll never be for..tt.n," declared the tombstone. Half the letters were covered in a horrible algae-like substance, but Roxas could make out most of it to know who it was. It was 'that girl' who gave Axel bad dreams, who brought back the past.
Axel closed his eyes, as if in prayer, as he placed the flowers next to her grave, the wind picking up a few petals and depositing them in the grass further away. It was so ironic – it declared she would never be forgotten by friends and family, yet Axel deserted her and her parents left the island and slowly nobody could even remember her name. Axel had never been to her grave and nobody had come to her funeral apart from some family members because by that time she was just old news. Axel was going to set everything straight between them – he wouldn't run from his best friend.
"I … Thought you were going to see Kairi or something and would declare your undying love for her by giving her the flowers," said Roxas slowly, looking at Axel who was studying the grave.
The red-head turned his head slowly to lock his gaze on Roxas', making him flinch slightly. A smirk played about the boy's lips as he drank in the smaller boy before him. "No, stupid, as if I'd to anything as lame as that…" he grinned. "Anyway, if somebody gave Kairi flowers she'd feed them to Pluto or something – her evil dog. Hopefully they'd poison him or something."
Roxas smiled softly, as he turned his back to Axel. His gaze was intoxicating and it made his legs feel like jelly and he was going to collapse if he kept drowning in his eyes… Damn, that sounded far too mushy and pathetic. Probably something that weird pink-haired guy Marluxia would like to read in his books.
"Larxene always was my best friend… And she always will be, even if it's just in a memory," continued Axel in his quiet voice, snapping the head off the largest rose in the bouquet.
"So… What does that leave me as, then?" asked Roxas, looking off over the hill where the church and graveyard was situated, down to the beach, the sun glinting over the sand like it was an array of precious jewels and stones.
"Well, I have a best friend…" said Axel, coming up behind Roxas and putting his arms around him, allowing his gaze to stare off into the horizon. "So why don't you be my boyfriend instead?" he asked in bright tones, turning Roxas around gently so there was barely any space between them. "See?" he asked, holding up the blood-red rose head to the blonde haired boy, threading it in his hair. He laughed at the small scowl on Roxas' face, he really did look adorable. Maybe Roxas had pollen allergies or something… So really his gift would look like he was trying to murder him with a flower head. Fuck…
But a few seconds later Roxas' expression changed into a happy smile, as he slowly put his own arms around the taller boy and raised his head, their lips colliding with each other in a passionate kiss.
Axel nipped playfully on Roxas' lower lip, as the blonde boy obliged and parted them slowly, letting the red-head's tongue enter his mouth. It flicked about in a way that made the hairs on the back of Roxas' neck stand up, intertwining with his own.
Finally Axel arched his head back up, contenting himself with gazing into smaller boy's sky blue eyes. His smile made his heart flip over in a mess, both of them out of breath.
"I guess being your boyfriend is just fine then," said Roxas with a small smile. "As long as you promise to do that more often."
Axel grinned, deciding to take up his role of fairy godmother, granting his wish right there and then.
x.o.x
"What do you do if you're scared?" Larxene had asked him so long ago, her question still clicking through his brain. Back then, he'd had no answer to give her. But now he could look at her grave, almost bringing him back into a time warp. He could stand there like a six year old boy and have her smiling back at him. "What do you do if you're scared?"
She'd been waiting for his answer for so long, and Axel was finally happy to be able to supply her with one. He knew what he'd do if was scared. "I'd track Roxas down and ask for some company."
And he could almost see her grinning evilly in the way that reminded him a little bit of Kairi, to be quite honest. "Company? What sort of company?"
"I'd stick my tongue down his throat," Axel answered truthfully, and Larxene laughed softly, and grinned. She was happy, the little girl falling away in front of his eyes to see her tombstone stood there, gleaming white under the sunshine. She'd got the answer to his question.
And Axel had got something much better.
-E-n-d-
Wh00t. And so we sadly reach the end of this story, hopefully the whole plot being normal and lacking all those nasty plotholes. Hmn… Still sucks a lot at writing fluff. Yes, love little girl Larxene. I feel sad now I've finished this – I think I'm gunna start writing another AkuRoku fic when I get a good idea, or if you people care enough xD. Hehehehe. Today, I'm handing out SOLID objects – CUBES! Partay! Thanks for all the reviews and faves!
--Skitts
