Red Light District
Chapter 4 - Crash
I'm really happy to see so many people out there that are loving this! It makes my heart swell with pride every time I see a new Fav or review. Thank you all so much!
ViiiXiii
A knock at the door sent the younger brother reeling from his dreams while his older brother held him tight. "It'll be okay, Roxas. Just sit right here. I will be back, okay?" Roxas yelped silently as his elder brother tore himself from the younger's grasp. He crawled to the edge of the couch, wiping his tired, sleep filled eyes as Sora sauntered to the door and opened it with a smile on his lips. His smile quickly was stolen from his face as he took in the uniform. "Roxas, don't get up from that couch. What ... what are you doing here? What's w-wrong?"
"Sora Umino?"
"H-How do you know my name? What do you want? Get away from our house!"
"Sir, I'm sorry, but, your parents w-"
"Get away! Get lost!"
"Sora, stop."
Roxas grabbed his brother's arm and, despite being the younger by two years, shoved his brother away to stand in front of the officer. He took a deep breath before looking the man in the eye, not even caring that he was in nothing more than his boxers. "So, what?"
"Roxas? I-I'm sorry, but, your parents. ... They were killed."
The younger boy held back his emotions, but cringed when Sora started bellowing in denial, screeching that the man lied. "H-How?" Roxas whispered, but the officer heard. The man looked away, not able to keep the boy's gaze any longer.
"A drunk driver. He was being chased by the police and hit the rear-end of your parent's car."
The rest of the night was a blur to the blonde. His legs gave out to the enormous pressure bearing down on his shoulders. He had to be guided to the couch, lost in denial and Sora's pained screams. The elder boy cried himself to sleep, curled in the chair he had been placed in. Roxas, however, found himself unable to feel anything until the morning when the officer was long gone and he was the only stirring being in the house. It was eerie, too quiet. It was the weekend, but someone still should have been awake, making breakfast or getting the newspaper or something. Not this wretched silence. It made his body burn.
--
The door being knocked on was what made Roxas reel from his vivid nightmare. He rubbed at his eyes and took in his brother's face. For once it was peaceful and not strung into contorted images of pain, fear and discomfort. A small smile appeared on his lips before the knocking persisted, bringing his nightmare back to the forefront of his mind. He cringed, but didn't move. He didn't want any news. He didn't want to relive that night any more than his dreams forced him to.
"R-Roxas? Someone's here for you. Bright red hair, full-of-himself attitude. Nice car though," Riku yawned before taking his post beside his dear Sora, allowing Roxas no choice other than to go see the annoyance that made him groan.
"Ooh, Rox-as, who was that? Way too young to be Dad and looked too different to be a brother. Unless he's adopted. But, you never said you had a brother. So, boyfriend. Rox-as? Is that it? He's your boyfriend and he's been keeping you from us?! That hurts!"
A tired groan and the holding of an exhausted head. "Axel? What're you doing here? I just got up. Come back later." About to close the door, Roxas sighed when he found it blocked.
"Woke up? Doesn't sound like my Rox-as. I thought your parents were really strict! They wouldn't let you sleep in this late! It's three in the afternoon!"
A cringe and another groan. "Go home, Axel. I'll talk to you t-..later."
"You don't have work again tonight, do you, Roxas?"
"I work every night. I have to."
"Aww, Rox, skip work? Please? I miss you."
"I can't skip work."
"I thought your parents were rich."
Another cringe. "Go home, Axel."
"Rox-as. ..."
"Roxas? Is he troubling you? Do you need me to get rid of him for you?"
"No, Riku, it's alright. Go back to bed. You need more sleep."
Axel was left speechless as Roxas turned to the yawning silver-haired teen that came around the corner, his clothes ruffled from sleep. He left with a harsh sigh and a mumbled, "If you say so."
"Bed? Rox-as? Explanation?"
Without thinking, Roxas grabbed Axel's hand, squeezed it and let it go, forcing the shocked redhead out of the closing door. "Tell you tonight or something. I'm tired. Need sleep. Bye." That crimson hair disappeared as the gap between the door and frame diminished, leaving the shocked teen to stare blankly at the spot where his friend had just been.
"Damn Roxas."
--
"You're going back again tonight? Man, Axe, I think you've got it bad."
"Whatever, Reno. Rox-as said he was working tonight. I want to make sure that my little whore isn't around. Because, if he is, what's to say that he isn't my Rox-as? It's driving me insane, bro."
"I still say you're in love."
"I won't be back for a while. I'm determined."
"Why don't you just follow him when he goes to work?"
Axel glared at his brother. He had never thought of that. But he found a loophole. "Like he doesn't know my car."
--
"Y-You're in again tonight?"
A nod. Axel groaned. Still not much was said from the blonde and it drove him insane. He was shocked, however, when the boy smiled through his mask, throwing away that fake voice before turning away from the redhead. "Of course, Axel. I told you already; I work every night."
"No, Rox-as told me that. You. Are. Not. My. Roxas."
The blonde sighed, but moved closer to his customer, an impish grin lathered on his lips. The look made Axel stop in his tracks before giving a small shudder. But, he pushed the thoughts of similarity out of his mind even though his Rox-as used to give him that same grin before tackling him in play. To keep these thoughts from his mind, he grabbed Roxas around the waist, picking the boy up to throw him down on the bed, flailing and laughing. "Rox... " Axel let out a small whine before placing his lips to the boy's collar bone.
"Axe... Axel."
Again, that voice that so perfectly matched his Roxas. He wanted to cry. It just couldn't be. He sat back, flopping onto the bed to stare at the ceiling. "Why are you doing this, Roxas? Why are you working here? Tell me, please?"
Roxas stole his gaze away from the intent redhead. With a sigh, he laid himself down by Axel's legs, facing away from him. The quiver in his voice told Axel why. "M-my brother. He ... has a tumor. But, we didn't have enough money to get the surgery. This is ... the only way I can get the money."
"And your parents let you work here? Or do they know?"
"They don't. They don't know. They died. Two years ago. Apparently, my brother, who was sixteen at the time of their death, was old enough to hold the household, because neither of us were sent into foster care, even though I was only fourteen."
"Eh ... Oh. Sorry, I didn't ... I'm sorry."
"That's the second time today that someone has asked me about my parents."
"Rox?"
"I miss them, ya'know? Killed, ripped from me that easily. It hurts. It ... Gah, I can't believe this."
"Rox...as? It's okay. I-I'll give you some…space tonight."
"No! No, Axel, please! D-Don't leave me, okay? I need you here tonight."
Axel sat up, stunned, but nodded before remembering that the boy had his back to him still. "Whatever you want, Rox-as."
"I-I need to know ... that someone I trust ... is there for me. Can I ... trust you, Axel?"
"Yes. What do you need?"
The blonde turned, the beginning of tears causing his already beautiful blue eyes to sparkle like the ocean. It took the redhead's breath away. How those eyes made him feel was impressive. The smaller teen whined and crawled into Axel's arms. "Y-You d-don't ... mind?" The boy felt the chin that rested in his blonde spikes and he cuddled further into the warmth.
--
"eh..ehku? Rehku? Rehku. Rehku. Ri.. Riku?"
"Sora? Sora, oh my god, Sora! You're awake! Sora? C-Can you o-open your eyes?"
Nothing. No response. Nothing but a small whine. "Sora? Everything will … be okay. I promise. I'm here. I'll protect you. I promise, Sora, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise, I promise, I promise. Just, don't die. Don't be a vegetable. Don't be brain-dead. Don't lose your memory. Don't leave me! I won't leave you. Promise me, Sora. Promise, promise, promise."
Before Sora flittered back into unconsciousness, Riku was in tears, sobbing for hours, asleep himself by the time that Roxas came home, tears lining his face as well, a large, gaping smile contorting his features.
--
Axel was dozing peacefully by the time that Roxas had himself under control. When he stirred, Axel woke with a start, rubbing at his eyes. "I wasn't asleep," he slurred, making Roxas laugh. The noise sent a chill through Axel. He turned the smaller boy towards him, gazing into his masked face for a moment before taking his chin in those long, nimble fingers, causing the grin to slip away to be replaced by mild confusion. A kiss was laid delicately on those perfected lips. Axel swallowed the knot that was growing in his throat before taking a deep breath, still gazing into those dulled eyes, no longer sparkling from tears, but beautiful all the same.
"My dear, beautiful Roxas. What do you look like beneath all that degrading, slutty make-up? Who are you?"
And the boy showed him.
--
TBC
--
Man, rereading this, when Sora was trying to talk to Riku, my one thought, "This chapter is too short! I wanna know what happens next!" Shows how smart I am, right? Well, if that's what you were thinking, you only have seven days to wait! Why not drop a line to bide some of that time? I always love to hear from all of you!
Kiss me goodbye, love's memory - Kiss me goodbye
Angela Aki
~xbuttonsx~