Chapter 13 – Silver Bullet

At least you know you'll have my heart…you know you shine so bright.

Roxas had been distant the last two weeks, opting to sleep alone rather than with Axel and Leon. The first 3 months had been this glorious whirlwind of food and sex and fun. Leon could not remember the last time he felt so good. Just plain good. But as Roxas withdrew more and more, Axel and Leon became more concerned, and the insipid arguing happened more and more.

"Axel quit leaving the kitchen a disaster. I'm constantly cleaning it up. There's literally zero reason a pound of flour is on the floor." Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to remember the time that he found Axel's messiness adorable. Axel muttered something rude underneath his breathe and just like that, they weren't speaking. Again.

Roxas could see the toll his behavior was taking but he had no idea how to confront the issue at hand. Part of him wanted to forget it and stay here forever with Axel and Leon, fucking and baking forever. But the larger part of him knew that wasn't meant to be and that he had to move on. While he enjoyed their time together, so, so much, Leon and Axel shared a much deeper bond and more and more, Roxas felt like an add on.

If he had just wanted to cut and run, it would be easy. "Hey, I'm leaving for college, good luck byyyyeeeeeeee!" But since Roxas wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to do that, it presented a big challenge. Did he even want to try to make it work? What was the point? And how was he going to feel if they just…. didn't care?

There were lips on his neck again and Roxas wanted to resist but he knew that this was the only way Leon and Axel knew how to try to coax his problems out of him and show him they cared. Neither of them was particularly gifted with words. Roxas moaned softly and as a pair of hands found his zipper, he gave in completely.

In your eyes, I've lost my way…like my first time that I caught fire. Stay and watch me fall….

Roxas lay between Axel and Leon, each of them quiet and thoughtful, holding him like he may disappear. Maybe they sensed his need for reassurance. Maybe they just knew the end was coming. Roxas internally rolled his eyes; he wasn't dying or going off to war or anything like that! He was going to college in the next town and Axel and Leon would be free to continue their relationship while he focused on his degree. It was simple and there certainly wasn't any need to feel so melancholy about it.

"I'm leaving." Shit. That came out wrong. Both men stilled.

"Like…to the store?" Axel gave a halfhearted laugh.

"No. Like, to college. In the next town." Roxas drew little circles on Leon's wrist who pulled him closer and kissed his neck.

"Well that's…" Leon trailed off. He needed to support Roxas.

"That's great. You're going to be amazing. Do you want us to visit?"

"Visit? Like he's going to a nursing home or some shit? Fuck that. He's moving on to bigger and better things Leo. Let him go. He's just letting us down gently is all." Axel got out of bed and started getting dressed in an overly aggressive manner and Roxas exchanged a look with Leon.

"Don't call me Leo. It's not like he's a million miles away. It's like 15 minutes. It's not like we can't make it work. If you want, Roxas." Leon looked at the blonde sadly. He had come to enjoy their routine and the closeness they shared but he had noticed that sometimes Roxas seemed sad and distant. As if he were on the outside looking in.

"Right. Make it work. Look, you ARE gonna be great Roxas. I know that. So, go be great." Axel left the room, leaving Roxas and Leon in a strangely lonely embrace.

I'm fine in the fire, I feed on the friction…I'm fine in the fire.

Axel had torn apart the bakery again. Slamming pots, spilling ingredients. Cloud was almost afraid to enter the kitchen but it was HIS kitchen.

"Axel?"

"Fuck off Cloud." Axel turned up the music louder in response. Cloud frowned and turned it down.

"I know you're sad about Roxas leaving but it's not like-"

"You knew? Before today?" Axel turned on Cloud slowly, waiting for his answer and Cloud suddenly felt like a trapped animal.

"I mean, yea I've known for months. When school let out, he got his letter so it's not like this was a surprise."

"Oh, must have been nice to be trusted with that information. So since YOUR heart has been ripped from your chest, why don't YOU do the dailies and I'm going…somewhere."

A cigarette was brought to his lips as he wandered aimlessly. He knew that this was a great thing for Roxas. He knew that they could probably make it work since Leon was right; it wasn't like he was flying off to Timbuktu. But something inside Axel said that they would never be like they were these last three months again. And that left Axel with a hole in his heart he didn't know how to fill. To Axel it seemed that every time he got his feet under him, something else yanked them back out.

What surprised Axe, most of all was that he didn't want Roxas to go.

Because you made me so complete dear but you left me so alone here…won't you beg me and then tell me how to love you…Will it change your life if I change my mind?

"Do you think we should go find him?" Roxas asked softly. Leon had him held tightly against his chest, fingers in his soft hair.

"We can. I'm sure there is much we can say to him right now. You probably should have said something sooner. It's awesome…I guess I just thought we'd stay like this for a while." Leon shrugged a little and Roxas felt guiltier.

"At first I thought it was just a one-time thing or just some fun. By the time I realized we had more here, boom the first day is around the corner and I have no idea how to say any of this."

"Fair enough." Leon silenced further conversation with a long, slow series of touches and kisses that ended in both sweaty, satisfied and feeling just a tiny bit better.

It wouldn't last.

AN: Holy crap it's been a long time. But I miss my stories so I am trying to squeeze them in to busy life.

My OG readers/Reviewers; Thanks for sticking with me! More to follow!

To new readers: Review!

-Ulti