Once Again: Dreaming a Memory
Roxas twisted in his sleep, face contorting into pain. Sweat ran down his shuddering limbs, running across his eyes to mix with the tears, he was seconds away from screaming. During his mental fight his blankets had been thrown off, and he shivered from shocking breezes that came in through his window. In his dream he'd been screaming all along, not noticing his throat becoming dry and his voice cracking as his screams became vocal, and he didn't hear the thudding footsteps, or see the worried faces. He twisted violently, almost falling to the floor, but strong arms caught him. Those same arms were warm, and the feeling of contact changed Roxas' dream seconds before his eyes drifted open. A worried face with shocking red hair, marks under intense green eyes and a smirking mouth – no longer smirking, was the sight he saw. The face had been the same one from his dream, only there was no blood, the air wasn't fouled with the heavy metal scent of death.
Roxas flung his arms around the neck of his waker, and his trembling body was engulfed in that same warmth as Axel wrapped his arms around the now sobbing boy. Roxas squeezed his eyes shut, his lip was swelling from where he'd bitten it, and his heart was racing, blood pounded in his ears. Axel started to rock the blond back and forth, murmuring soothing nonsense into his hair, tracing little circles into Roxas' back.
Behind the two stood Cloud, Aeris and Sora. Cloud's normally sharp face softened, Aeris smiled and leaned against Cloud, while Sora twitched next to his parents, caught between caution and pleasure at Axel's gentleness. It went to the second as Roxas pulled from Axel, sitting back and breathing in and out, calming himself. Axel reached forward and traced Roxas' face, around his eyes, down his nose, across his cheeks. They stopped at his lips, and drew away, cupping Roxas' cheeks instead. His eyes were serious and concerned, their green intensity almost too much for the shaken blond, who caught Axel's hands, holding them tightly.
"You okay, Rox?" Axel asked in a whisper. Roxas looked up at him, his blue eyes sunken, frightened and glassy. Axel brushed away stray hairs from the boy's face, repeating the motion, and it became a way to calm himself as much as Roxas.
"I... I think so..." Roxas said, then shook his head. "No... No I'm not." He whispered, burying his face in Axel's large hands. Axel drew the boy back against him, hiding his face in Roxas' hair, while Roxas hid his own in Axel's chest. Roxas' heart was no longer beating erratically, but the face he'd seen just before he'd woken was frozen in his mind.
"I... I saw you fade... Axel. I saw... You fade..." Roxas said, voice broken. Tears were stinging his eyes, threatening to pour out and wash down his face. Axel tightened his grip on Roxas.
"I'm here Rox, I'm here... I'm not going anywhere." Axel murmured. Roxas gave a hysterical laugh, his fingers twisted in Axel's shirt and he looked up at the red head.
"I wanted to see Roxas. He, was the only one I liked. He made me feel, like I had a heart." Roxas whispered, eyes soft enough to be liquid as they bore into Axel's own widening eyes. The fierce man pulled Roxas against him again. Roxas muttered; "Xemnas... I think he lied." Axel blinked.
"What, makes you say that?" Came his surprised, and curious question. Roxas was silent, but his eyes were full of thought.
"... Nobodies, when they die, he said they would just fade away into darkness." Roxas began. "But, then, why are you and I here? Are we still dead?" Axel opened his mouth, but Roxas was speaking again. "Or, just crazy?" Roxas finished, looking past Axel to the empty doorway. Axel took Roxas' face into his hands, and kissed him softly. Roxas blinked as tears slipped over Axel's fingers. He closed his eyes and pressed back. When they broke apart, Axel caught Roxas' hands and held them to his lips. His green eyes were gone, wandering through his mind.
"This, is real Roxas. So," Axel smiled. "I guess we're just crazy." Roxas stared at Axel then his lips quirked up. He shook his head and rested his forehead against the hands Axel held captive.
"... I think I already knew that. Crazy fools, crazy fools in love." Roxas said softly, letting himself fall completely against Axel who wrapped his arms around the younger again. He smiled and rested his head on Roxas' hair. He nuzzled it.
"Crazy fools indeed." He remarked quietly. Cloud had his mouth covered by Aeris in the hallway, so he didn't shout or barge in on the two. Sora's eyes were lowered, but he was smiling. Aeris looked at her brown-haired son and tilted her head. Just then there was a knocking at the front door, which Aeris took advantage of. She grabbed Cloud and dragged him away from her blond son and caught Sora's arm as well. She shoved them at the door, which Cloud answered grudgingly.
"UNCLE LEON!" Sora's overjoyed shout rang through the house and woke those who weren't up yet. Roxas broke his kiss and looked at the door, then he shrugged and stole Axel's lips.
-o n c e a g a i n-
'Uncle Leon' wasn't quick enough to sidestep the brown haired boy, who leaped at his uncle with some of his beloved enthusiasm which ended up with him and Leon tumbling back into the snow. Sora laughed and Cloud found himself breaking a tiny smile, as Leon grabbed a fistful of snow and jammed it down Sora's shirt. The latter stopped laughing and ran around the yard screeching, he was swatting at his back in effort to either melt the snow, or make it fall out. Neither was working as of the moment. Leon threw back his head and laughed in triumph. Then he turned to Cloud.
"So... Got room for one more?" He asked. Cloud grinned.
"When don't we?" He asked, falsely offended. Leon grinned, shaking his head.
"Right... Forgot you guys have a mansion." Leon said, smirking. Cloud grinned rolling his eyes, he beckoned, letting Leon in and grabbed his hysterical son and dragged him inside. Sora stood shivering, and utterly ignored. The door was knocked on a again, and Sora let in Riku. Leon looked around, and then at Aeris.
"Hey... Where's Roxas?" He asked. Cloud made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat, while Aeris smiled slyly. Sora ignored the question and fled with Riku in tow. Leon's eyebrows drew together, and he shifted his weight to one side. "Okay, thanks. That answered my question quite well." Leon said sarcastically, while Aeris giggled and motioned for him to follow. Leon obeyed, and Aeris held a finger to her lips, and pointed in Roxas' room. Leon poked his head in and stared.
Roxas was splayed on his bed, top shirt off and his black one unzipped. Axel was straddling Roxas' hips, his hands running across Roxas' chest, and down his stomach. Kisses were placed an irregular intervals. Leon's eyebrows rose and he stepped away into the kitchen. Aeris followed reluctantly, her eyes fixed on the boys until the last second.
"Well, good thing Sora's bi, otherwise this would be the end of the Strifer line." Leon remarked. Cloud gave a short bark of laughter, holding his sides. Aeris smiled and giggled, fingers against her lips. Leon rolled his eyes, then Yuffie came into the kitchen swaying. Her stomach was bulging and she was utterly unstable, Leon's eyes became soft and he grinned. Yuffie made a face, and held onto the fridge attempting to support herself. Then she leaned forward, arms around her stomach.
"B-Baby..." She grunted out. Leon's eyes were wide, then he caught her, and he looked at Cloud. They nodded at each other and Aeris followed Leon as they got Yuffie to the car on double time. Cloud on the other hand was hoping Vincent wouldn't have a heart attack, letting Chaos out and the monster would then dismember Cloud... Teeny piece by teeny piece. The older blond shuddered.
-o n c e a g a i n-
Vincent was stricken, and when the whole gang was at the hospital about an hour later, he had nearly worn down the floor an inch lower. Roxas watched Vincent pace, then sighed and snuggled against Axel, tired from his ordeal and the frantic energy of Yuffie going into labor. Axel ran fingers through the boy's hair, and rubbed his face his other hand. Around the pair was the constant chatter of excited and nervous friends and family. Not to mention the soon-to-be father. Axel found his own mind drifting off and he wrapped an arm around Roxas and dozed off himself. His eyelids drooped and then his mind faded back into restless dreams. Next to him and already asleep – Roxas buried his face in Axel's chest, flinching through a black swamp of memories, each darker than the last, until he was drowning.
He jerked forward at joyful cries. Yuffie was out of labor, and was the proud mother of a boy, whom she named Hojo – hoping that he wouldn't turn out like original. Vincent actually had wanted the name, and Yuffie went along with stating she got to name the next one or ones. Vincent agreed readily, and the fact those two got along so easily was a little scary, even more so when they fought – which was enough to give Cloud nightmares. Roxas turned his head, and saw Axel's green eyes holding a haunted look. Roxas leaned against him, pressing to any bare flesh he could feel.
"... You've been having them too, haven't you?" Roxas' voice was soft, it was drowned out inches from his mouth. Axel had leaned down, and heard it all, but Cloud who glanced at them, hadn't heard a word. He twitched – miffed – but Aeris had caught his arms and swung them around in a little dance. Cloud swept her up and kissed her. Axel looked at Roxas and nodded, looking almost ashamed. Roxas bit his lip and buried his face in Axel's chest, his fingers gripping Axel's arms hard and leaving forming bruises. Axel didn't flinch, he sighed instead.
"Dreaming a memory..." Axel murmured. Roxas shook his head.
"Or remembering a dream." The blond supplied, and Axel gave a bitter laugh.
"I wish." He muttered. They were barely aware of the din around them, and soon were leaning against each other in sleep again.