"Damn it." Demyx kicked an empty can of beer that was laying on the sidewalk. There wasn't much of a reason to it; he did it just because he could.
'Stupid Larxene...why does she always leave this crap up to me?'
Trying to find Axel a good gift was much easier said than done. His friends all knew him equally well; Demyx thought the other two probably had a better idea of where to start. The trouble was that even among his friends, Axel tended to keep to himself a lot, especially after the incident with Roxas. The redhead used to be a more open person, but after all the drama, it was like he closed himself off from the rest of the world. He went through the motions, but the spark wasn't there anymore. He'd poured out his emotions to Demyx and the others those first few weeks; now he was just blank. Like he felt nothing now but hollowness, occasionally filled by a thin layer of sadness that came and went. The things that used to make him laugh barely raised a chuckle from him now; his smile was always thin and rarely met his eyes.
No one blamed him, of course, but there was a certain time when people were expected to move on if they ever wanted to function in society again, and Axel hadn't reached that stage. He didn't even seem to be coming close.
"It's because he loved him," Larxene would always say. "A love like that is hard to forget, and even harder to get over." She'd seen it before.
Demyx barely understood it, though he liked to believe love could overcome everything. The media always portrayed love as something potent and powerful, capable of anything if it was strong and true enough. It was always overdone, but people had to feel something like it sometimes, right? Why else would they keep writing about it if it didn't exist?
But this "love" just seemed to be paralyzing Axel, and no body knew what to do to snap him out of it.
'I wish I could get him something really good,' the blonde thought solemnly. He wanted something to really make his friend really happy, but it already looked like a lost cause. But Demyx was a determined sort. Never very bright, but always kind and caring, he wanted to go big or not at all. Get something that really made Axel smile for once, or get him nothing. And he'd be damned if the latter was his only option.
The night was relatively quiet; no other people out milling about the streets at this hour. Even in a city like this, it was easy to get mugged if you happened to go down the wrong alley, so Demyx avoided them, heading instead toward the park. He liked to sit on the bench over there and think sometimes, and without the kids around, it's be even more peaceful. Maybe he could think of something there.
Once he reached it, a good five minutes later, he blonde sat himself down on a swing instead. He and Axel used to love the swings as kids. They'd try to go so high all the time, and Axel once bragged he could swing over the bar and come down on the other side okay. Demyx had challenged him, and he ended up falling off, breaking his wrist in the fall, as well as doing an interesting face-plant in the mulch. The blonde smiled as he remembered.
The park wasn't all that big compared to something you'd see in other cities. It had a small pond, and a stream you could cross over with a small, tastefully-painted wooden bridge. The paint was peeling here and there, but it still looked fairly nice and held its own well against a few harsh winter snowstorms. On one side of the bridge was a small garden area, backed by a couple trees before you hit a small, wooded area. The other side of the bridge held a decent-sized playground, complete with a colorful slide attached to a fort, monkey bars, and a swing set, among other things. There was a path from the bridge to either side, and one or two benches here and there for the parents or elderly. Tons of people came there everyday, many with babies or young kids, who wanted to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. It was nice to see that even in a time with so much development and technological advancement that people still appreciated simple things like getting outside for a bit and playing the old-fashioned way.
Contrasted to that, Demyx knew that teens would come here occasionally at night and take hits of all sorts of things on the fort. But kids doing drugs was nothing new.
He swung back and forth for a while, once and a while looking around the park or up at the stars. It was a pretty clear night, and although you could only see one or two, there were a few stars that could be seen shining in the sky. Once a plane even went by, and he almost counted it as a star, before seeing it blinking and moving across the blackness. The quarter moon cast shadows over the playground, darkening everything until they became unrecognizable. The kind of things children would see and become afraid of, thinking they were some sort of monsters of the night out to get them. Seeing everything like this, at night, it was almost like a whole different world. It was peaceful, but also lifeless. Cold...
Still, no useful thoughts came to mind. Demyx scratched his head and groaned in frustration.
"Why'd you have to go, Rox?" The kid had been a good friend to all of them, and his absence was deeply felt. Not just by Axel, though he was taking it the hardest...
Then, a sound. The sound of cans and boxes clattering on the ground.
At once, the man's head jerked up, scanning the area. His eyes came to rest on shielded dumpster sitting just a yard or two away. The sound had gone suddenly, just as much as it had come, but there was no doubt that it had come from there. Digging his feet in the gravel, the blonde came to a stop and pushed off the swing, before hesitantly approaching.
"Hello?"
The dumpster was surrounded by a thin, extra four walls of metal. It was accessible via a latched door facing the rest of the park, a sign just in front of it indicating that all visitors should dispose of any trash in the proper receptacle. The door was latched closed, Demyx noted with some confusion. He hoped there wasn't a wild, vicious animal that had somehow wandered in there. A squirrel could fit under the tiny gap under the extra wall, but a raccoon or something large seemed implausible.
For a short moment, Demyx pressed his ear to the wall, wrinkling his nose at the smell emanating from the inside. He listened intently for a moment or two, but didn't hear any growling or whining. The rustling of trash was more prevalent, as if something were clumsily digging through all the junk in there, and with a slightly trembling hand, the blonde reached for the latch and prepared himself for what he would find.
A smarter man might have turned and left, but again, Demyx wasn't the brightest bulb in the store.
"If this is some prank, then I'm gonna-"
He paused once the door swung open, gaping down at the colossal pile of trash in horror.
"No. Fucking. Way..."
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Axel's POV:
"Move those boxes to the back, would you?"
"Sure," I mumbled, moving to lift one of the heavier ones first as my superior left. I could have probably gotten a cart for them, but I knew the day was going to be a long one, even by most work standards, and I might as well take my time with some of the simpler stuff. I could smell something good wafting on the air from the employee break room, and glared down at my stomach as it growled. I'd woken up late again and didn't get a chance to eat breakfast or pack a lunch. Damn me for not planning ahead. Now I was just going to have to suffer all day.
'God, why'd somebody have to bring steak?' I thought bitterly, hoisting the box with a groan. It was heavier than I'd initially thought, and I staggered a little before I managed to catch it. Gripping tightly, I carried it slowly to the old, dusty room in the back where all unsent orders went. Me and this other guy would go through them later, make sure they contained what they said, then write up the items we found and put that piece of paper in the box, seal it back up, and prepare it for shipping.
The back also held a few orders that lacked a return or delivery address. It happened quite a bit, actually; I guess some people make mistakes like that, or maybe they just have idiots working on them. Whatever. Sometimes I can catch other employees pilfering stuff out of those unsent boxes, figuring, I guess, that if they aren't going out anyway and the sender doesn't want them anymore, the stuff might as well be put to good use. It seems shady to me, but who am I to go preaching to them? I can't bring myself to care enough about that stuff.
After moving the other two boxes back there, which took under five minutes, I noticed grimly, I made my way to the break room, seeing a couple of people just leaving. Once they had all vacated, I snuck over to the vending machine and began searching my pockets for quarters. I cursed, only feeling a few at first, but finally I dug up enough from both pockets combined, as well as scanning the floor for a dime or two. I pressed the button for a snickers bar, but wouldn't you know it? It got stuck right before it was about to fall off.
"You gotta be kidding me!" I groaned, shaking the machine a few times before I finally just broke down and kicked it. Hard, too. I think my foot is more dented than the actual vending machine.
Why is life so content to screw with me? It's not enough that I feel like shit half the time, now this thing's got to be against me too?
"Love you, God. Love you loads," I quipped with quiet sarcasm, banging my head against the machine once too, not as hard as I'd kicked it. That'd do brain damage, and I consciously decided I didn't need any more than that. If Larxene were here, she'd probably just laugh at me, then buy herself some pretzels and eat them in front of me, just to be a tease.
I sighed.
"Need some cash, Red?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin, not expecting to hear someone come in behind me. I spun around, and was met with short, pink hair and a cocky smile. Marluxia. The weirdest looking, weirdest acting guy in this place, besides me...
"How long were you standing there?"
He shrugged and moved out of the doorway. "About two minutes. Long enough to watch you make an ass out of yourself over cheap candy."
I narrowed my eyes. "I didn't eat breakfast, okay? Lay off."
"Didn't bring a lunch either?"
I shook my head, sighing again. "No." I had to let my frustration cool a bit. This guy got on a lot of people's nerves, sure, but getting all worked up like this wasn't going to solve my problem. Just embarrass me.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be a dollar. He held it out to me, and from what I could see, it was one of those rare two dollar bills.
"Try again. This time you'll get two, but I suggest you bring actual food the next time around. You're gonna get fat eating like that."
I hesitated, feeling like I was about to sell an ancient, valuable artifact just so I could buy some comic books. Finally, I took it from him, hearing my stomach growl and letting that decide for me. "Who are you, my girlfriend?"
He smirked. "No, but I could be."
I scowled. "Not interested."
"I was kidding, Red." With that, he turned to the fridge and pulled out a half-opened can of pepsi. "You should really learn to lighten up, man." Then he left.
I watched him go for only a minute, brushing off the encounter as I forced the dollar into the machine and eagerly awaited my food. Everyone at the office thought Marluxia was a bit of a dick, but he still had a few people he would pal around with. It was rare that he ever spoke to Axel; being higher up in the office food chain, he usually got other people to do that. But though Axel had always suspected he was gay, he'd never thought the man would be interested in him at all.
'He was joking. Let it go,' I thought, biting into the chocolate and caramel and sighing with contentment. It wasn't much, but it was good enough for a schmuck like me.
Still...I couldn't help but think of him the rest of the day.
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3rd POV:
Later, as he was getting ready to go, Axel glanced down, hearing the buzz of his phone. Sure enough, the front screen began lighting up, and he groaned a little as he snapped it open and brought it up to his ear.
"Yeah?"
A snort was audible from the other end. "Yeah, uh, hi. This is Tim Wielder from FutureCo. We'd liked to discuss some long term benefits of switching from your current insurance over to our-"
"I know it's you, Sora." Axel rolled his eyes.
"What? How?"
"How bout the caller I.D., genius. Our grandparents knew about this shit, kid."
"Oh..." There was a short pause, all throughout which Axel swore he could hear sniggering in the background. "But my impression was pretty good, right? Right, Axel?- Shut up!" A loud burst of sniggers that Axel immediately identified as Riku boomed loudly, easily muffling Sora's whines.
"Sora, you can't fool anyone. You're voice still does that 'ten year old girl' thing all the time."
"Does not!" There was more laughter before it abruptly cut off with a load groan, "Ow! Jeez, Sora!"
Axel rolled his eyes again, feeling the faintest hints of a smile trying to tug the corners of his lips. "Cut the bull, dork. Why'd you call? I kinda want to get home soon, if it's all the same to you."
"Oh, right! Everybody get over here!"
Axel grimaced. He knew what was coming even before it began.
"1..."
"No please, guys. You know I hate it."
"2..."
"I'm serious! Look, it's been a long day. Can I please just-"
"3! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU!"
The redhead was rubbing his temple faster than you can say migraine. There was no point in trying to stop them. Luckily, there was no one else around right now, or he'd have been tempted to just hang up and leave. Leaning against the wall, jerking the phone away from his ear, so far out in front of him he could barely read the number keys, Axel waited for the storm to subside, listening to the screechy, poorly melding voices of Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, Olette, and Vivi, in there mixed with Sora's. At least Riku had the decency to keep silent. He was still probably smirking like the jackass he was, relishing in Axel's pain even over the phone from the other side of town.
"Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot," he mumbled once they'd finished. "What a day. Work's a bitch, then I gotta get my eardrums broken."
"Oh, lighten up, you ass!" Selphie chimed in, louder than usual. Axel whipped the phone away again and cursed silently. "It's your big day!"
"Me and the others wanted to know if you come hang out with us tonight," Sora added, the soft airy sounds and grunts, Axel guessed, were made by the brunet wrestling the phone away. "There's a small club about half-way between our apartments..."
"Sorry, can't. Having dinner with Lar and the idiots tonight." With a small sigh, he relented. "Thanks anyway."
"No prob, man. But hey, just wondering...You're gonna be okay, right?"
Axel snorted. "Duh. I'll be with my roommates. They won't let me do anything dumb...well...that dumb." He knew what Sora meant, though, and honestly appreciated it. He didn't deserve the care.
"Alright. We'll go out and celebrate for you." There was a collective cheer, and the redhead did smile a little at that. "I'll bring the gang by next weekend and we'll do something fun. Maybe I can bring Kairi too, if I can get her damn software to work."
Axel blinked. He knew Sora had mentioned getting one of those new persocoms recently. Axel couldn't help a little bubble of excitement that gripped his chest. He would gladly take a look at it, and maybe tinker around if Sora let him. Technology was pretty damn cool.
"Did you set her up okay?"
"I think so...But the directions get way too confusing when it comes to updating and installing! And Riku won't help me at all!"
Axel grinned a little then. "He's probably just jealous."
"I know." He heard Riku mumbling something incoherent in the background again, and Sora groaned. "Ignore him. But I'll bring her by sometime, once I've showed her how to walk on her own. Damn persocoms are so heavy!"
"I'll bet. I'd love to meet her. You guys can hang over here anytime, s'long as you let me know ahead of time. Just remember to cut Hayner off at seven next time. I don't think my neighbors want a repeat of last time."
Sora chuckled. "Gotcha. Alright, see you soon, Axel."
"Bye." With a sigh, Axel straightened and closed the phone, slipping it into his pocket. It was weird, having something to look forward to like this. It was a nice feeling, but Axel couldn't escape the underlying guilt he felt at it. How could he be happy when Roxas wasn't? And the kid's brother still insisted on trying to cheer him up!
He was a jerk to everyone, especially Sora, but he just couldn't let go of the past. Why did he dare to hope that anything would get better?
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By the time he got back to his apartment, Axel didn't want dinner. He didn't want anything, but a good, long, uninterrupted sleep. He unlocked the front door and staggered in, looking around for the others. Usually at least Demyx or Zexion were on the couch, reading or watching t.v. The lights were on in the common area and kitchen.
Axel kicked his shoes off and locked the door behind him, stretching with a slight yawn. His roommates were here, no doubt about it. The tiniest signs proved so; there was a freshly opened can of beer on the table in front of the couch; the dishwasher was open, like someone had clearly been taking stuff out or putting it in. With that, Axel unceremoniously scratched his ass, shifted his bag to his other shoulder, and slowly trekked back to his room.
On the way, however, he could hear noises coming from Demyx's room. Voices...
"Dem...I don't know if this is a good idea..."
"It's perfect! Look at it!"
A scoff. "You really found it in a dumpster in the park? Why the hell would someone throw away something this expensive?"
"Hell if I know! I'm not questioning it!"
Axel quirked an eyebrow and stepped closer, dropping his bag to the floor outside his room. He unlocked his door slowly listening to his roommates across the tiny hallway.
"It probably has tons of germs on it."
"But look at it! He's gonna flip, I just know it!"
"He'll flip alright, but not in the good way."
The door giggled open, and Axel turned to see Larxene appearing through the gap. Her eyes widened when she noticed him there.
"Oh...hey. You about ready to head to dinner?"
Axel opened his mouth, about to decline, when a hyper mass of bobbing, mulleted blonde hair came into view just behind her.
"He's home! Oh good! Show him! Show him!"
"Show me what?"
Larxene frowned, eyes darting away as he shot a curious look their way. Hands on hips, Axel addressed them again. "Seriously, guys, I'm tired. Quit screwing around. What do you want to show me?"
The blonde woman sighed heavily, stepping out of the way, a gleeful Demyx following her lead.
"Fine, but I think you're gonna regret it." Whether the last bit was spoken to him or Demyx, Axel couldn't tell. He took a few hesitant steps into the room, and looked down to see Zexion, sitting on the floor by the huddled form of a...
A...
Axel couldn't even form proper syllables. He did, however, have the mental capacity to form a few words, breaking through the newly-unleashed chaos attacking every inch of his mind.
'No. Fucking. Way...'