Chapter 4- Deliberation
No need to post a review that states how long it's been since I've updated. Trust me, I know firsthand. Need an explanation? No problem!
I was going through the Axel/Roxas stories and I clicked on one that happened to catch my eye. Read through it, laughed, and at the end, tried to review. I was really confused when I couldn't until I actually looked at the title and author of the fic.
…
Turns out it was this one. Anyway! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is one of the last ones in this story.
"Ah! A-Axel!" Roxas woke up with a start, hair glued to his forehead by sweat. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to will himself back to sleep, back to the excruciatingly pleasant dream. That failing, the blonde sat up and rubbed the last remnants of sleep from his eyes, wrinkled and mussed sheets gathered around him. With another sigh, he got out of bed and strode straight to the shower. By now the shock of cold water and the gasp that went with it were part of his daily routine. It didn't shame him the way it had in the beginning, he'd gotten over that after about a month of the practice.
(FLASHBACK!)
"Number 13. This formulary unusual occurrence is now becoming quite the habit. You are not conforming to your usual standards for early rising. Should we be concerned?" Vexen asked as Roxas entered the kitchen far later than usual.
"What? Ah, no. I'm alright," Roxas said quietly, feeling everything other than alright at that moment.
"Ya sure tiger? It's alright to talk to us y'know. What's goin' on between you and the Ax man?" Xigbar watched Roxas carefully and noted the boy's flinch when he'd asked about Axel. "So there is something going on between you two?"
Roxas shook his head vehemently. "Why would you think that? There's nothing wrong."
"Don't lie Roxas." Heads turned and eyebrows rose as Saix strode into the room.
"I'm not lyi-"Roxas started to shoot back. Started, but unfinished because Xigbar slapped a hand over the blonde's mouth with a grin.
"Hey man! Long time no see! Boss man's been keeping you so busy lately, I'm surprised that you're walking around without your leash. Of course, since you're such a good dog he's not worried about you running away is he?"
Saix growled lightly but otherwise ignored the remark. "Where is Luxord? Xemnas wants him to make his breakfast today."
Xigbar shrugged. "He'll come down when he wakes up. He's exhausted so it might be a while."
Saix watched the older man for a second before nodding. He turned back to Roxas. "As much as it entertained the Superior and I to watch your situation, it now has us concerned since your actions are now affecting the development of Kingdom Hearts. I only granted your request to work separately from Axel because I believed it would negate the tension between you. As it has not, as soon as Axel returns from his current mission, you shall once again be assigned as his partner."
"What? I've been completing my missions!"
Saix's golden eyes glared fiercely at Roxas for his outburst. "You have indeed been completing your missions, but they are not to the same level of excellence that you regularly attained previously when you worked with Axel. Though the quality did decrease with the tension, there is a noticeable difference in your work with Axel and your work without him. A negative difference I might add. Unsurprisingly, Axel's work is also suffering. The best solution that I can see is to return things to as they were before."
Roxas shook his head, eyes shining desperately and with something akin to anger. "I can't work with him! I won't!"
Saix's gaze turned cold and Xigbar stood up decidedly. The berserker's eyes snapped to him when they caught his movement. Xigbar held up his hands in a universal gesture of peace.
"I, uh, have something to discuss with Vexen, uh, over there. In the corner. Where he is. I only just remembered. I'm going to go now," he said, at which point he promptly fled to the corner of the room where Vexen was studying his notes pointedly, albeit with dignity, far from Roxas and Saix.
"Roxas, your reassignment was not a request. Nor is it in any way optional. If something is preventing you from having a working relationship with Axel, I suggest you either get over it or work it out. Immediately," Saix snarled, voice just as cold as his eyes. He turned on his heel and left the kitchen, snapping the door shut with finality. Roxas remained where he was, making faces at the kitchen door as though they could go through it and hit Saix in the back of the head. Finally, he sat down at the long table and, after staring at the top for a minute, slammed his head forward with a sharp crack! that startled Xigbar so badly that he kicked Vexen in the shin when he jumped. The blonde immediately regretted the action, sitting up with his hands on his forehead.
"… Ow."
"What the fuck? What the hell did you do that for little man?" Luxord exclaimed as he stood in the doorway, momentarily frozen in surprise.
"Good morning Luxord," Roxas mumbled.
"It sure is! I walk in and the first thing you do when you see me is to slam your fucking face into the damn table! You're bruising my ego doing shit like that Roxas."
"It's not like I'm planning on a repeat! It hurt enough the first time. Unless I have to see your ugly face first thing in the morning again. I don't know how Xiggy does it."
"Neither do I Roxas, but to be honest, I have long hypothesized that it might be because he only has one eye and is thus half blind," Vexen snickered.
"Really? Having one eye makes you half blind? Who woulda guessed? Thank you so much Captain Obvious! At least he doesn't have to get piss drunk to look at me though," the Brit snorted.
"He does not appear to be intoxicated at this moment Number 10, so I would ask you to refrain from making absurd claims that have no basis in fact!"
"Your face is absurd and so is your hair!"
"What does my hair have to do with you being-"
"Good MORNING!" Demyx barreled through the door and into Vexen, promptly tackling him to the floor.
"Hey little man! Excellent timing," Xigbar laughed.
"Yup! I always know it's time to get up when I hear Vexen screeching at Luxy." Demyx grinned widely and picked himself up off of the floor.
"Luxy?" Luxord murmured incredulously. Xigbar coughed to mask his chuckles.
"I do not screech!" Vexen protested. Roxas raised an eyebrow and looked at the man, doubt written all over his face.
"Then what were you just doing?"
"I was-"
"Screeching. Like a fucking banshee. So boys, what's going on in the ways of breakfast?" Larxene strolled into the kitchen, closely followed by the remaining members (excepting Axel and Marluxia, who were on missions, and Saix and Xemnas, who were… um, discussing Kingdom Hearts.)
"Oh shit! Hey Luxy, Saix came down earlier and said Xemnas wanted you to make his royal breakfast today," Xigbar said, looking in the Brit's direction with a barely concealed smirk. Luxord glared at his lover for a moment.
"Keep calling me that. See what happens," he said before moving over to the stove and pulling ingredients from the cupboards.
"Okay. Luxy. Yo, tiger! Where you sneaking off to?" Xigbar quickly ducked as a spatula flew through the air. Roxas froze in mid-stride and sighed.
"Yes, I agree with Xigbar. You shouldn't leave before you've told us why you aren't behaving as usual. We are concerned about you." Vexen said, standing up and guiding Roxas back to a chair by his shoulders.
"Woah! Something's wrong with Roxas?" Luxord looked over his shoulder at the group surrounding the teen. "You should tell us whenever something's up. How can we expect you to play the game if you don't tell us how to help you? He paused and looked at the clock. "Bloody- Lexeaus, help me put this shit together or I'll never be able to get Mansex his breakfast on time."
As Lexeaus rolled up his sleeves and joined Luxord at the stove, Larxene leaned on the back of Roxas's chair.
"What could possibly be bothering our little pet? So innocent and ignorant," she drawled, brushing a gloved finger down his cheek.
"I am not your pet!" Roxas shot out angrily. "And I am not innocent!"
"But you don't deny ignorant?"
"Shut up Larxene. Roxas, is it that you aren't sleeping well? You have… your eyes are bruised." Zexion studied the teen from across the table. Roxas hesitated before answering, and when he did, everyone was quiet and watchful.
"Y-yeah. I haven't been able to get a full night's sleep for a while."
"Why? Is one of your missions bothering you?" Xaldin asked, arms crossed.
"Kind of… Yeah, I guess." Roxas looked down, studiously tracing the lines on the table.
"Which mission was it?" Demyx looked concerned as he shoved at Larxene to take her spot behind Roxas, sticking his tongue out when she protested.
"It was that mission in Agrabah where we followed that creepy fat guy and found the Cave of Wonders."
"You mean the mission with Axel before you both got separated right? Wasn't that the last mission you guys had together?" Demyx poked the top of the younger blonde's head. Roxas blushed and nodded slowly. Everybody watching noted his reaction.
"Yo guys."
Roxas jumped violently, hitting Demyx in the chin with his head. Axel strode in, bruised and smelling more singed and smoky than usual. He leaned against the counter next to a prepared tray and grinned exhaustedly at Roxas. When the teen didn't meet his gaze, the red head's grin faltered and his eyes became tired and sad. Without another word, he stood and, after glancing back at Roxas, left.
"Sheesh, Roxy! What's wrong with you and Ax?"
"Yeah tiger, it's not like you to ignore the Ax-man when he comes in looking like that. What'd he do? If he hurt ya, we can go have a… discussion with him." Xigbar's golden eye darted between Roxas and the kitchen door.
"He didn't do anything!" the blonde shouted, standing as he defended his friend. He sat down slowly as the room watched him warily. "I ruined everything. It's all my fault."
(END FLASHBACK!)
As Roxas toweled his hair dry, he sighed. It had taken them all three hours to even get to the point where he would explain everything: the dreams, his feelings, his overall reaction to Axel. It then took them two more hours to convince him that it was okay to think of another guy that way. Oddly, his strongest supporter had been Larxene.
"Hey Roxas. Hurry up, he's looking for you! Hey, nice ass. You should definitely let him walk in on you right after you get out of the shower."
"WHAT THE FUCK? HAVE YOU NO DECENCY?" Roxas slammed the door in Larxene's face. The young blonde glared balefully at the door as he dressed. His increased friendship with the blonde bitch from hell (as he had thought of her before) was an unexpected side affect of his confession, but he had to admit it had come in handy. His make-out session with Demyx had been her idea, and he still didn't want to know how she had gotten Axel in the hall for the payback to work.
"Can I come in now?"
Roxas grumbled and grudgingly let her in the room. She scoffed and crossed her arms as he continued to glare. "Geez Roxy, I never would have pegged you to be the one guy who doesn't want to show off his 'cash and prizes'. But then again, it's so innocent it makes you sickeningly cute."
"I am not innocent Larxene!"
A single raised eyebrow indicated her skepticism. "Anyway, we don't have time to play around Roxas. Axel looked like he was going to pay you a little visit. I'll stall him, you scram."
Roxas opened a portal and started to walk through He hesitated and looked back. "Why am I avoiding him again?"
"Because I derive sadistic pleasure from his pain."
"Really?"
"No. Just trust me, okay? I'll explain later, so go!" And with a boot shoved against his ass, he went.
- An hour later -
"Yo Roxas! Me and Demyx have been looking for you! He! Hey man, where are you going? Shit. He must not have heard us. C'mon Demyx, let's go find him."
- An hour later -
"Roxas! Yo, Roxas! No, don't- goddamnit! C'mon, he can't keep running forever."
- An hour later -
"Roxy! Over here Roxy! … Oh, he ran away again Axel."
"Yeah, well, that's because you told him we were coming."
"Ax?"
"Yes Demyx?"
"I think he's avoiding us."
"… Shut up Dem."
- Thirty minutes later -
"OH COME ON! YOU CAN'T KEEP RUNNING FROM US LIKE THIS YOU ASS!"
"Ax, he's already gone."
"I know."
"So why were you yelling at him?"
"Because it makes me feel better."
"Oh. I thought it was because he's fucking with your head and you know he's doing it and you still can't stop him even though you know he's doing it."
"… Shut up Dem."
- Fifteen minutes later -
"Fuck it. I give up."
"I thought you wanted to talk to him though."
"I did, I mean, I do, but now I'm too tired and frustrated to care. I'll be in my room if you need me okay?"
"Okay."
"You better be in an emergency if you come and get me though."
"Okay. What counts as an emergency?"
"Larxene telling you that she's going to rip your balls off would constitute as an emergency. Anything less dangerous and you deal with it on your own."
After Axel strode out of the room, a cupboard opened and Roxas crawled out of it. Demyx jumped violently. "Roxy!"
"Hey. Where's Axel?" Roxas looked around warily.
"Up here!" Axel leapt through a portal from above Roxas, landing on him and pinning him to the ground.
"What the fuck?"
"Ax! I thought you said you were tired?" Demyx asked, confusion written all over his face. He knelt down and studied Roxas.
"I lied," Axel said, grinning smugly.
"I think you're squishing him."
"He'll live. Now, Roxas, you and me have to talk." Axel stood up, taking the blonde teen with him. He opened a portal and gripped the struggling Roxas tightly.
"Where the hell are we going? Let me go!"
"We're going to my room."
A whoosh of darkness and the two were gone. Demyx sighed and shook his head. Larxene walked around the corner and leaned against the wall, grinning evilly.
"So, it worked?" Demyx looked toward her.
"We'll see Dem. Good job by the way. Now both of them think that they ended up in Axel's room on their own."
"But what if they end up…"
"Then it'd be about fucking time. C'mon Demyx, let's go let the others know that Operation AkuRoku has commenced as planned."
