A/N: Well, I didn't expect this story to take of so well. I was mildly surprised that I got more than five, let alone twelve. There's a confidence boost. Anyway, thanks to all those who reviewed. It made me inexplicably happy!
This pretty chappie goes a little into home life. I'll have a few chapter like this throughout the story, but only when absolutely necessary. That way we can have all the happy Axel/Riku, Sora/Roxas fluff we all love and need. Hope everyone like this as well. I enjoy writing these things, don't you know!
Thanks to Ichi-desu, who is my beautiful beta. I'll stop being mean to her one of these days.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
'There's no poetry between us', said the paper to the pen. – No poetry by Gary Jules
Axel woke up every morning to the same thing.
"Axel!" Then some weird blonde and black flash would be on top of him, suffocating him as it tried shaking him awake.
"Larxene, Come on! Ten more minutes."
Larxene was a slut, to put it bluntly. What was worse; she flaunted it without a care in the world. She had several 'dates' in a day, and would never miss one of them. It wasn't exactly known when all of this had started; no one was really sure they wanted to know, especially not her parents who did their damndest to keep her away from all the parties and 'group studies' she participated in. However, with her stunning, good looks, and, well, the lack of clothing she seemed to wear, it was hard for her not to get attention.
She smiled adoringly at her younger brother, "You said that twenty minutes ago. UP!"
He groaned; trying his best to grab his pillow, so as he might stuff his head under it, only to find that the wench had stolen it on her last visit. "Come on, dad and mom left twenty minutes ago and I made waffles!" She sang loudly.
Suddenly she was on the floor, being thrown none-too-gently by Axel at the mention of food.
"Awren't twoo gonna eet wif meh?"
Larxene smiled from the stairwell. "No, I've gotta go."
Axel swallowed harshly, staring down at his waffles. "When?" He asked quietly.
She smiled again, "He's picking me up in twenty minutes. I gotta go get ready."
It was always 'him'. She didn't give them names anymore. 'Names are the beginning of attachment. I can't afford to be attached.' She would say hollowly and yet with cheer, as if she was proud she had realized this.
When Axel heard the shower turn on, he quickly walked over and threw his waffles away. He didn't like to eat if Larxene didn't eat with him. He didn't know why, but no matter what, they had always eaten together. It was why he had gotten used to not eating lunch; he never had lunch with her. He went back up to his room to get dressed in his normal black garb, slick his hair back, maybe find his books that he would toss randomly around his book, and making sure he had his iPod.
When he was done, Larxene was out of the shower, heading to her room.
"I'm leaving, Larx." He said in passing. He stopped, and stooped down when she kissed the top of his head.
"Have a good day, little brother. I probably won't be home tonight, so sleep well." She said, as she headed further into her room.
"Yeah," He said noncommittally. "Yeah, I won't." He told himself, pushing his headphones in his ears, sorting through the songs before pushing it to some hard rock song that caught his attention.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$
Riku woke up every morning to the same thing.
"RIKU! RIKU! COME HERE, I NEED YOUR HELP!" Then Riku would hit the floor running, banging the door open and skipping stairs as he ran down to the bedroom of his brother.
"What?" He asked as he got into the room, seeing his brother's nurse, Aerith hovering over her shaking patient.
"He won't stop! I can't give his shot to him." Riku ran over to his bedside, pushing his brother down, and leaning his weight onto his chest so she could grab his arm to inject the shot. Even with the shot however, they had to hold him down for minutes afterwards until he finally calmed down.
He stabilized after a minute or two, coming to immediately afterwards.
"Get off!" He said angrily yet still calm.
"Sephiroth, you had an attack. You need to keep calm." Aerith said, trying to hold his arms down.
Sephiroth was trying to kill himself, both intentionally and unintentionally. It scared Riku to hell and back and the idea if Sephiroth didn't kill himself then the disease attacking his body would. To insult to injury, he wouldn't get any help, he refused to step foot in any type of clinic he was big enough, still had enough of his mind that he could say no, and put force behind it. But it had been getting worse. A lot worse.
"I don't care. Get the hell off of me."
"Sephiroth, please." Aerith pleaded.
Aerith was trying to help Sephiroth. She had been since the first time he entered the hospital. She was nice, and more than generous, she paid all of the medicine Sephiroth needed partially. But she was beginning to discover it wasn't helping. It killed her inside.
"Just lay still." She said
Riku didn't say a word. He just watched all the shifts in his brother's eyes as they shifted colours, forms, and emotions. As he remembered who everyone was, and where he was he also remembered why everyone was holding him down and began to struggle more. He shook his head, releasing his brother before one of them was hurt. Aerith followed his example and stepped away from him.
Sephiroth stood up, moving around immediately, completely ignoring the warnings Aerith was giving him to remain motionless. He wobbled a little, shaking his head once in a while. Then he looked at Riku.
"What are you still doing here? Don't you have school today?" He asked sharply.
Riku nodded. "Yeah," He said, slumping his shoulders at his brother's cold tone. But he stood up straighter, "Yes, I do. I should be going." He said moving out.
"Do you need a ride?" He asked, following Riku out of the room, his nurse right behind him.
"You can't drive Sephiroth." Riku said at the same time as Aerith.
There was a thick silence afterwards where the older stared them both down. "What do you mean I can't drive?"
"You haven't been able to drive for a year." Aerith said. "But I called your uncle. He'll be here in ten minutes."
Riku froze. "You called Xemnas?"
Aerith flinched a little at both of their cruel stares. "I had to…" She began.
"No you didn't." Riku cut in quickly. "Dammit!" He breathed, running upstairs before he lost his cool.
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
Riku got into the car with his uncle, firmly ignoring his stare. He strapped in only turning when he waved to Aerith who watched quietly from the door. She waved back slowly, smiling as the car moved away. Then Riku moved to watch the road.
"I hear you and Mr. Wise got into a fight yesterday."
"He started it." Riku said, feeling his IQ lower at his choice of words.
"I didn't ask who started it. It doesn't matter, besides. You're seventeen. You can't handle simple insults?"
Riku glared at the glass.
"Fine, don't talk. But realize that if this violent streak of yours continues I will have to transfer you to Maleficent's School for Troubled Children."
"I'm not having troubles though!" Riku yelled.
Xemnas looked at him calculatingly, as if Riku was one of his dumb experiments,a thought that angered Riku greatly. He looked away and watched the road. "Riku in the past month alone you have gotten into seven fights. It's only the second week of October. That's a fight every two days!"
"Five of them don't count. They were with the same person." Riku countered.
"They were Mr. Wise. I know."
They pulled into the parking lot of the school. Xemnas turned the car off and turned to his nephew. "I know your mother's death was hard on you, and I'm sure your brother isn't helping but if you're having problems coping, maybe you should…"
Riku got out of the car, "I don't even want to hear your solution." He growled. He started to walk off towards the school, because when he was in the school's building he became just another student. But he wasn't fast enough.
Xemnas caught up with him, immobilizing him as hisauthoritative hand grabbed the back of his neck. "Don't do that again. I'm not finished speaking!" His uncle said angrily, his mother would've been angry, too. "If you keep these fights up I will be forced to expel you."
"You won't expel me, uncle." Riku said. He wasn't lying. Xemnas promised his mother that he would try. Xemnas had loved his mother dearly.
"If you keep this up I may not have a hand in it anymore. I will be forced to take drastic measures." He said quietly.
They walked to the school together, much to Riku's dismay, but thankfully, Xemnas stopped his lecturing. Riku kept his head down, if he didn't make eye contact, he was less likely to get into it. It worked too.
"Didn't I see you wearing those jeans on the corner last night, Hollywood?"
Well, it was working.
Xemnas grabbed his shoulder and pushed him along. "Mr. Wise, that's harassment." He said simply.
Riku didn't have to turn around to see Axel mouthing his uncle irrespectively. He didn't have to turn around to read the thoughts that flew across his face. But he did turn around.
'Principal's pet.' Axel mouthed.
Riku really wished he could kill him!
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
"This will have to be meticulous. They can't know what we're up to for fear we may get beaten into a bloody pulp."
"I think I would know that. I'm not new to this."
"I know. Leave me my protective tendencies and help me plan, Roxas!"
"Fine. When should we start?"
"When they're in a good mood."
"Oh, good, two weeks from never."
"Okay, point taken. When they're in a better mood than they were yesterday."
"Right. A week from never."
"Have faith, brat."
"Alright! First battle ground?"
"You're so dramatic!"
"Tell me, Sora!"
"I was thinking the janitors closet."
"No."
"No?"
"Weapons."
"Ah yes. Too true."
"What about the freezer?"
"With the amount of time it would take they would be popsicles."
"True. True."
"What do we do then?"
"…"
"…"
"I know! The library cataloging room!"
"Only you would think of that, Roxie."
"But you have no objections do you?"
"No. It's perfect."
"Okay. Sora, this could be very dangerous. If they find out…"
"They'll be broken. I know."
&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&
A/N: Well, aren't these plots just fun? Mmm…I love it. Haha, I have only too much fun writing enemies. Of course, in my spare time, I am a complete smart-ass! It's a miracle I'm not dead yet.
Hope you guys are still entertained. This one was toned down compared to others. I know; I have them typed.
Tell me you still love it. Tell me you suddenly hate it. Just talk to me. I enjoy the conversation.
InnocentGuilt