Disclaimer:Still not mine, shockingly enough.
Axel Raunch-Valentine
I have this friend, only she's not exactly a friend. In fact most of the time I feel very little towards her, but that's not the point. Anyway, she believes in karma, she told me why once but I wasn't listening. I didn't listen to most of that conversation actually. To be honest I spend very little time in her company listening to her.
I'm pretty sure that is exactly the reason why karma has decided to kick me in the ass now. The irony being that I'd probably know how to avoid this if I'd listened to aforementioned friend.
You know, Karma said to itself one morning, – this morning in fact – young Axel Raunch-Valentine has spent far too much time being jolly and merry and other synonyms for 'happy' recently. It's probably about time I punished him for something, anything really.
And if you were karma and it was up to you to punish me when the only thing I've been doing really wrong in the past few weeks was using an innocent girl for her body rather than for any actual attraction to her, how would you punish me?
Because I'd have made me fall in love with a guy.
And oh, karma thought that was a good plan too.
I suppose it'd be a much better kind of justice if I hadn't been bisexual to start with – or maybe I should just be thankful that the first unfamiliar entity I crossed paths with this morning wasn't a passing sheep or a squirrel, because maybe karma just isn't fussy.
I guess it's almost fortunate that the new object of my desires - and star of as many kinky fantasies as I could work into four hours of staring at a wall - is the delicious little blonde thing that spends his days pulling coffee and his nights…well, I don't know what he does all night, but I have four hours worth of brain activity displaying quite graphically what I'd like him to start doing.
I found it kind of amazing that nobody noticed the way I'd been struck dumb at the sight of the kid. I don't know whether to be grateful or offended that they were taking such little notice of me even when there was a huge beacon of guilt above my head and a bigger one of lust in my pants. Metaphorical, of course otherwise I'm pretty sure both Demyx and the object of my newfound affections – and probably Marluxia too – would have killed me on the spot.
You'd think that since I got away with it and considering the fact that this was Demyx' cousin – not to mention that I'd witnessed what happens when you try and climb straight into the boy's pants – maybe, just maybe I'd have the sense to stay away and hope that my little crush went away in the face of other, more naked, young men and women. Sadly you are mistaken.
But since I am apparently a closet masochist; it was four and a half hours after our first encounter and after four hours of painfully, painfully graphic fantasies involving sweat and ripped clothes and murmuring and a hell of a lot of tongue and the boy named Roxas that I found myself stood in the doorway of The Usual Spot once again. He was wearing a pair of scruffy jeans that were slightly too big for him and had several splotched stains that could have been anything from ink to coffee to paint and a white t-shirt with The Usual Spots logo on it and had a pen tucked behind his ear. I'd timed it right; missed the morning rush but beat the people finishing up work or their afternoon shopping. Other than an old guy sat on a corner table reading a book, me and Roxas were the only people there.
He'd been cleaning the coffee machine, the radio was turned up full volume and he was singing along just beneath the sound level of the music so I had to strain to pick out his voice. I didn't know the words but I was enjoying it all the same. I sidled up to the counter and slid onto a stool – not sure why I was bothering to swagger with his back to me and all but I was working my best anyway.
"Hey." I ventured after a couple of minutes.
His shoulders stiffened almost instantly and he turned around with a look of hesitation, "Hey." He responded and I smirked a little at the recognition in his eyes. "Alex, right?"
Ok, maybe the smirk slipped a little, "Axel."
"Yeah." He agreed and I think I saw the glimmer of a smile. "Can I get you something?"
It took pretty much all my self-restraint not to jump across the counter and stick my tongue in his mouth because most of the sexual scenarios I'd been through had started with that innocent offer. In the end I managed to sputter out "Black coffee" but not before one of his eyebrows had quirked up in amusement; because twice today when he'd asked what I wanted to drink I'd probably looked like I was about to wet my pants.
"Roxas, right?" I asked as he moved to the second counter, the one pressed against the wall with all the mugs and cups and various bits of machinery on it. He fiddled with it, changing filters and adding beans or whatever and then set the machine working and – to my surprise – turned to face me, leaning on the surface at his back. Too far away for my liking but at least he was facing me.
"Yeah." He clarified after a couple of thoughtful seconds. "You were here this morning with Demyx."
I was probably more smug than necessary about the fact that not only did he recognise me but he could place me in the actual situation in which we'd met. Anyone who has ever tried to remember a face and a name on short notice will know these are two very different things; 'you're that girl from my bed that one time' doesn't often cut it like 'sure, you're Amanda from the bed!' would.
"Yes, I bore witness to the Fantastic Coffee Moment as it's been unofficially dubbed." And I was probably smiling like an idiot but to be honest the memory of Marluxia getting his crotch scalded would make me smile for days – if not weeks - to come. I played dumb as I smiled pleasantly "What was that about anyway?"
"Nothing really." He responded with a brief narrowing of the eyes. Yeah. He knew I knew.
"Homophobic?"
He scoffed and I managed to avoid cheering. "Definitely not the issue."
I leant a little forward and couldn't help the purr that entered my tone when I asked "Just not used to sexual advances?"
For a second his cheeks flushed vaguely pink but there was an amused grin twitching at his lips that told me this was certainly not the case. I've never wanted to jump someone more in my life. He turned to the coffee machine and I knew I was in trouble when my brain started trying to figure out if I could get over the counter and pin him where he was before he turned around.
He returned to the front desk and placed my coffee before me, I watched his hands warily to make sure it stayed in front of me and didn't end up on me. Then he dropped the scrap of paper serving as my bill down beside it and wandered off to organize the magazine rack. I watched him from my seat for all of three seconds before abandoning both the stool and my coffee in favour of pursuit.
"Are you gay?" I asked, standing just behind him. No point beating around the bush.
I thought he'd choke for a minute as a strangled sound slipped from his throat and he shot a deadpan expression over his shoulder at me despite his pink cheeks.
"That's a yes."
"It's a 'fuck off'." He turned back to the magazine rack and my eyes strayed down to the back of his jeans.
"Almost the same thing."
"Only when you aren't listening."
"I am listening. You have my full attention."
"Sure, my ass does."
And now my gaze had snapped back up and he turned to face me again, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Are you on some sort of stalker mission?"
I frowned and offered a "What?"
"Did the creepy pink haired guy send you in?" He asked with a bored tone.
"Why would he do that?"
"Because most people don't like having hot coffee dumped in their lap."
"This is true, but why would I help him?" At this he paused and regarded me sceptically.
"Because he's your friend?"
I shrugged, "Sometimes he is. When he isn't being an ass and when we aren't after the same thing."
His expression changed then, softened ever so slightly, turned curious around the eyes, a tug at the corner of his lips into the mirage of a far off smile. "And what might that be?"
And shit. He had me there. Because openly telling him I was after a first class ticket into his jeans was likely to get me a hot crotch – Marluxia style– but it was probably too late to back track. And so I stood there with my mouth opening and closing like the proverbial fish out of water and several sentences on the tip of my tongue that refused to spill past my lips while Roxas just stood and stared at me like he might piss his pants laughing any minute.
"Are you having an aneurism?" he asked smugly and that was pretty much it, because I'd been stood looking pink for too long now and that is not a good look on a redhead.
It was time for Confusion Tactics. I took a step closer, just one, but on long legs one step is all you need to be in someone's personal bubble. His smirk dropped at the sudden proximity and my own smirk grew. It was practically a smirk battle…I've been spending far too much time with Demyx.
"Coffee."
He was so busy shuffling back, away from me as quickly as I came towards him, that he almost didn't register what I said and when he did he frowned, "What?"
"Coffee." I reiterated. "You wanted to know what we were both after, I am responding 'coffee'" I took another half step.
"You...let me scald your friend because you both wanted coffee?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"Yes, maybe."
"Yes or maybe?"
"Neither." Another step forwards, he shuffled a little further back.
"But you just said coffee."
"Did I?"
"Yeah."
"Perhaps it was coffee then." Another step.
And now I could see he was confused and distracted by my forward motion and he was backing up a little and soon he'd hit the magazine rack. So now I had him where I wanted him.
"You look pink."
"What?"
"You look pink." I smiled.
"Pink?" He wasn't comprehending and I was pretty impressed with myself and my magical ability to dazzle.
"You're blushing." Another step forward, only a tiny one because he was running out of room. "Why would you be blushing?"
"You're in my personal bubble." He snapped, trying to get back to when he had the upper hand in the conversation – and failing miserably I might add.
"That's why you're blushing?"
"No."
"I'm not in your personal space?"
"You are."
"And you're blushing because I'm so close?"
"Yes." He snapped and then thought for two hundredths of a second before correcting harshly, "No."
"Really?" And at that he took a bigger step back…and realised he'd run out of room. One of my favourite expression in the world is the wide eyed 'well fuck me…when did that wall get there?' face. Trust me it looks particularly good on my new little crush. "You sound frustrated."
"Tends to happen when a hot guy pins you to a fucking wall!" He snapped back and for point three second neither of us said anything. And then I smirked like the Cheshire cat and lent forward ever so slightly at the waist so that only our faces were closer, because I didn't fancy being kneed in the groin and it looked like we could be heading that way.
"You think I'm hot?"
"Only in the sense that your hair makes it look like you're on fire." He shot back and I had to hand it to him, he was pretty sharp. I laughed briefly and smiled even though it was an insult, I was quite surprised at the look of near humour in his eyes.
I reached out my hand, his blue eyes watching steadily but he made no attempt to bat my hand away – or punch me in the face – so I confidently plucked the pen from behind his ear while my other hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled it towards me. He blinked in confusion and before he had a chance to pull away I'd scrawled my phone number across the back of his hand and popped his pen back behind his ear, letting my fingers brush against his hair as I did so. His eyes didn't leave my face.
"I'll see you around Roxas." I said with my most dazzling smile and then I turned around and strolled off, but not before hearing the old man in the corner chuckle and Roxas' response of "Drink your coffee or get out, jackass."
Sora Strife
I hummed my approval when teeth nipped at my bottom lip and tried to suppress a shiver when cool hands slid under the hem of my shirt and trailed up my spine. My shoulders were pushed more firmly against the bookshelves behind me and the warm body in front of me pressed flush against me.
I groaned unhappily when Riku's mouth moved away, but I quickly switched to a contented sigh when his lips found my neck and started to nip and kiss their way from below my right ear to the hollow of my throat and then back up under my left ear. I like to think of that as Riku's signature move. It's like a big V of sexy throat snogging…or something.
For all of three seconds I contemplated detaching myself from him – because Luxord had said he would only be gone for ten minutes and I'm pretty sure Riku had gotten here two minutes after that and we'd been making out for about five; that left what? Three minutes? Three short minutes to get back to work or three whole minute more of kissing even though we were stood right in front of the window and people out shopping generally got offended by displays of Bookshop Sexual Activity.
Of course thinking about any of this came to nothing since in the end all I did was giggle and run my hands through Riku's hair and bring his head back up so that his mouth met mine again. Breathing in sharply when one of his hands started to toy with the waistband of my jeans, one thumb dipping below the fabric and running along the point of my hip.
And then with a low groan he leant away from me, dropped one last kiss on my lips, brief and chaste, and moved away until he was leaning against the desk of the small store, while I was left against the bookcase in full view of the window and suddenly very cold without the Riku I'd been wearing.
"We don't want Luxord to catch you making out against the shelves again do we?" He grinned. I still don't know how he can go from snogging me senseless to leaning casually without any apparent sexual frustration. Bastard. Stupid Riku and his stupid self-control and his stupid makeup and his-
"Riku…are you wearing makeup?"
He paused, smirk freezing and eyes changing from smug to trapped, "Shit." he muttered, wiping his mouth on the back of his wrist and then pulling a tissue from his pocket and rubbing at his eye lids.
Well I just about peed my pants laughing. I doubled over sputtering ignoring Riku's grumble of "Sure, sure. Laugh it up."
"Wh –why are you wearing makeup?" I gasped when I finally managed to catch my breath.
By now there was a hint of amusement lighting Riku's eye as he hopped up so he was sitting on the desk, beside the computer and he reached back to tie his silver hair into a messy bunch at the back of his neck. "Yazoo wanted a model. He got a new camera yesterday."
"Oh yeah, I forgot," I said with a grin as I picked up the pile of books I'd discarded the second Riku walked in – because alphabetising is not as fun as making out. "Your brother is a photographer now."
The Argent boys have a different desire for the future every other week. I suppose it's what comes of having unlimited resources and being one of four brothers when only one is necessary to carry on the management of the well established Argent Inc. headed by Riku's dad – the delightfully terrifying Sephiroth. Argent Inc. is the power source behind a ridiculous amount of smaller companies, from the worldwide Jenova Beauty Products to All That Glistens, the antique jewellery store on Main Street. I'm pretty sure Sephiroth is aiming for world domination through the power of owning thousands of totally different stores throughout the globe.
His sons get the easy side of it; they just play with the money.
Riku's lips quirked at my tone and he gave a faint nod; Yazoo changes profession almost daily. "Yep, Yazoo is a photographer this week, Kadaj has decided to launch his own brand of shampoo and Loz wants to buy a motorbike."
"Really? I'd have though the shampoo would be Yazoo too." I grinned, because Yazoo is the most feminine boy I've ever met. His hair is girlier than Riku's, and Riku's hair is pretty girly – although girly in a complete Sex God kind of a way. A Sex God with girly hair. I'm sure there was a point to this once upon a time. Shampoo. Right.
"Give it a few days and Yazoo will be in on it. Or at least photographing shampoo bottles or something." Riku was thoughtful for a minute. "I should probably suggest that to him."
"Definitely. I've always marvelled at the lack of shampoo photographers in the world."
"Yes, it's a dying art these days."
"It really is."
"And such a shame."
"He could start an entirely new market for it. Shampoo bottles asleep among flower petals, shampoo bottles dressed as teddy bears. Hairdressers all over the world would go crazy for his stuff."
"We could set up a gallery and sell exclusive Shampoo Art." Riku grinned.
"Yes, make enough money to franchise."
"Set up branches all over the world."
"Have we invested too much thought into this?"
"Yes. I think we need to stop now."
"Agreed."
I spent a few moments pretending to be interested in putting books away in the correct order whilst Riku flipped through whatever I'd left on the counter. "Cloud isn't taking me to Traverse anymore." Take the bait. Taaaake it.
"No?" He asked without particular enthusiasm, but I heard the page turning pause. Ha.
"He's gonna hang out with Leon and Zack and Aerith." I responded without particular emphasis on any of it, As though I didn't really care. Which I don't to be honest – as bad a brother as that might make me – because I am working on my own evil plots, taking a page out of Roxas book of sexual deviancy.
"You want to ride with me?"
"You don't mind?"
"Course not." I grinned with my back to him.
"He'll probably be out all night."
"Will he?" Riku was sounding suspicious now. Possibly due to the happy-verging-on-smug tone that had slipped into my voice. Woops.
"And Roxas could make himself scarce…"
Riku was behind me now, hands on my hips and lips beside my ear. "Oh could he?"
"So if you wanted to come over…"
"Sora, I'm not having sex with you."
My smile immediately dropped and I knew I was pouting when I turned around but God damnit Riku is annoying as hell! "Why?"
"Because when we were younger you always said you'd rather not jump into bed as soon as you started dating someone," he said on a sigh as he placed a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth. But I would not be bought off by shows of affection – oh no! Because today I am determined and determined I am!
"It doesn't count if I'm dating you! And this isn't exactly 'soon' we've been sneaking around for almost a year! And we've been best friends since forever." I argued with a pout as his hands skimmed the hem of my t-shirt again.
"But you haven't told your siblings about us." He responded. 'Siblings' always includes Namine and Demyx.
"Roxas knows." I shot back weakly.
"That's only because he has scary psychic powers when anyone comes within three feet of you with sexual intentions."
"Cloud probably knows."
"Cloud knows everything," Riku responded, dropping a few more kisses along my jaw line. "You didn't tell them, which means you aren't ready for people to know. And if you aren't ready for people to know then you aren't ready to have sex."
I pouted "But Ri-kuuuu." Because the sad face always gets him.
He ignored me, pressing his lips to mine once again and I pouted more because doesn't this conversation always end like this?
And then the bell over the door jingled and in sauntered Luxord with a cup of coffee from next door and what looked suspiciously like a hot chocolate for me and also a bag that could be pastries. He looked at us, rolled his eyes, cleared his throat which caused Riku to jump a foot backwards and with a soft smile asked in his delightful accent "At least one of you should be sorting shelves."
**
I was sprawled on my bed by eight that evening, a book on my pillow that I was pretending to read for English Lit. Secretly I was watching Riku read – he'd pulled the spin chair from my computer desk over to my side of the room and had his ankles propped on my bed. He looks nice when he reads. Like a god. Reading. A sex god. A sex god that's reading. You know what sex gods should do? Have sex.
You know what we aren't doing?
I think you do.
I was about to suggest a 'break' from our 'reading' – by which I mean I was about to grab his ankle and drag him and, if necessary, the chair onto the bed to finish what we started in Ancients, but that was pretty much the moment when Roxas appeared.
Leave, I told him through the psychic powers I don't have. I was about to trick him into sexing me up.
He paused at my expression and leant against the doorframe contemplatively and sent me a look that clearly meant; As if that'd work and I'd rather not know about your best friend sexing you up anyway.
I hate you.
You totally love me.
"Out loud, children," Riku said without looking up from his book. I sighed and rolled over; Roxas sauntered in and flopped next to me onto the bed, taking up the spot I had been clearly reserving for Riku when I finally got him out of the stupid wheely chair. Stupid Roxas interrupting my genius plans.
"How's it going, Riku?" Roxas asked. He gets on scarily well with Riku considering his immediate response to any girl who has ever liked me was always a hard stare and a soft grunt before leaving the room. The girl would usually stare after him wide eyed and worried and not come around again. Sometimes I wonder if Roxas forced me to be gay with his scary powers. I told Cloud this theory once – Cloud nearly choked to death on his own laughter.
"Good thanks. What's on your hand?" And this caught my attention because I'm pretty sure Riku still hadn't looked up from his book. How would he know what was on Roxas' hand? Why didn't I know what was on Roxas' hand? Maybe I should look.
"Some…person kinda…gave me their number." He responded, rubbing his eyes tiredly; a typical Roxas technique to avoid eye contact.
"What do you think Riku?" I grinned.
"Well, he said 'person' which means 'guy'" Riku said, still not looking up and only vocally taking part in the torment of my twin.
"And he said it reluctantly which means there's probably an interesting story behind it." I concurred.
Roxas flipped me off and then I noticed something that would change the world forever. Or maybe it wasn't that important but still. "Rox are you blushing?"
And now Riku snapped his book shut and looked up at Roxas. "Oh God, he is."
"Who was it?" I asked, suddenly interested, I rolled onto my side to face him as he rolled onto his stomach and buried his head into the pillow. Riku got off the chair and climbed over me so he was sat between Roxas' hip and my thigh. Good job I had a slightly-bigger-than-single bed.
"Some guy." Roxas huffed back. I waited, patiently.
"…yeah that was helpful Rox."
"He was just some guy. He's a friend of Demyx or something." He shrugged non-committal and I exchanged a look with Riku that clearly expressed a need to flip Roxas over by his bleach blonde hair and demand answers.
"Which friend of Demyx'?" Riku asked, and he's better at this than me because he's still attempting to sound vaguely curious whilst I'm beginning to sound extremely interested.
"He has more than one friend, you know. Probably," I put in, an attempt at being helpful.
"Some redheaded guy." Roxas sighed.
"Some redheaded guy that wants you to call him?" I asked wiggling my eyebrows.
Roxas glared at me. "Yes."
"Are you going to?" Riku asked, sounding ever so slightly more interested.
"Why would I?"
"Because you want to?"
"Do I now?" Roxas asked, using his sarcastic tone. The one he uses when he's trying to make you think the opposite of what you're thinking. I think. Or do I? Haha…yeah.
"Yes." I said evenly, defying him to contradict. He did not. I am the Reigning Twin.
"He was just some guy, there are plenty of other guys, why would I call this one?"
"Because you let him give you his number."
"I didn't let him do anything." Roxas clarified – using his irritated face, "He turned up, pinned me to a wall and wrote his number on my hand before I could escape. No letting involved."
"You're blushing again." I smirked. I'm smirking a lot today which is a shame because I don't smirk well. Roxas' smirk's well because he's evil, and Riku smirks well because he's sexy.
Roxas opened his mouth to respond to this but nothing came out, you know why? Because it's hard to argue visible fact. And then his cheeks flushed even pinker and it was like Christmas! Because, in case you haven't gathered the magnitude of this situation, Roxas Does Not Blush.
"Wow." Riku said after a few silent, blush-filled moments "Must have been one hell of a…wall-pinning."
"A wall-pinning?" I asked.
"Yes. A wall-pinning, verb: an occasion in which one is pinned to a wall."
"Is it still a wall pinning if it's a bookshelf? And does it have to be a vertical surface? If it's not a wall is it just a regular pinning?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow, "These are the things you have to think about before you make up words, Riku."
"And you are the dictionary dictator are you?" Riku asked with a smirk as he pinched one hip.
"Yes." I grinned.
"Lord and King of all newly found words?" He asked, now moving his hand to rest on the bed by my shoulder so he was leaning over me whilst I continued to sprawl.
"Correct, yes."
"And we all have to do things as you say my liege?" He asked leaning even closer.
"This is the weirdest flirting I have ever seen in my life." Roxas muttered. I smirked.
"You could always go call your boyfriend."
He hit me over the head with a pillow. Riku sat back up laughing and removed the pillow before I could hit Rox back. I pouted but to no avail, Riku seems to be immune to my powers today.
"Are these your plans for the evening?" Roxas asked rolling onto his back and crossing his arms behind his head. I copied the pose. "Sit around doing your reading?"
"Ha!" I scoffed, "As if any Strife spends their Friday nights sat around indoors."
"Namine does."
"Namine is a girl."
"Yet still a Strife."
"Fine. Ha! As if any male Strife spends their Friday nights sat around indoors."
"We're going to Traverse." Riku told him.
"He already knew that." I told Riku.
"Do you want to come?" Riku said.
"He's already coming." I said to Riku.
Riku shot me a look, a patient 'I know dear, but sometimes it's best to ask people if they'd like to do something rather than just inform them that they are doing it. And even though it might end up interfering with our plans to have wild monkey sex in a public place I do enjoy the companionship of your brother.'
Well, the first sentence was probably accurate anyway.
"Yeah, I'll come. You driving or are we taking the train?" Roxas asked. "Because Cloud is at Leon's and Dem is going to some open mic night. Which I wasn't supposed to tell you about."
Riku shrugged. Sexily. "I'll drive. If I feel inclined to get drunk we'll get a taxi and I'll pick my car up in the morning."
Roxas turned to me, "The benefits of having a loaded boyfriend eh?" he winked.
"I like to pretend I'm not with him for his money."
"His looks make it easier I suppose."
"Yes. I'm in it for the money and the body. But if he ever asks it's because I like his 'personality' and appreciate his 'sense of humour'." I grinned sneaking a sideways glance at Riku.
"S'alright." He shrugged again and smiled dazzlingly, "I'm only in it because making you sexually frustrated amuses me."
Roxas barked a laugh.
"…I hate you."
Axel Raunch-Valentine
It wasn't really stalking. Not in the traditional sense. Stalking is to pursue by tracking stealthily, at no point did I 'track stealthily' and thus I did not stalk. I simply accidentally stumbled upon some information that might lead me to the location of Roxas and in a completely unrelated act found myself happing upon said location.
It's not stalking if it's accidental. I will maintain that in the police report.
But when Demyx mentioned in passing that his cousins would be in Traverse at Pink I found myself saying.
"Marly, Larx – I have new plans for the evening!"
And, really, after that what chance did I have of stopping myself?
