A/N: Hey people, hope you are still enjoying the story. Thank you to White Blossom & Yami Uzi for alerting and a very big thank you to LadyKittania for alerting and faving ^_^
Chapter Six – Commitment
When Axel and Roxas stood hand in hand and revealed their plans to the fisherman and his wife, they were – as Roxas expected – shocked. But Roxas' mother smiled understandingly. "Well, we have watched you two growing closer since Axel arrived and we were more then happy to see out little Roxas come out of his shell." With this fond expression, Roxas' smile faded, and he clung to Axel a little tighter for support.
"Uh, mother, father, there is much more that I need to tell you" he said nervously, receiving a supportive squeeze from Axel. After they had promised not to interrupt his story he began to tell them the truth behind their daughters' disappearance. At first they were shocked and awed just to hear that their adopted son was in fact a mer person by birth, but these feelings were intensified when he told them about their little girl, and his involvement with her disappearance. A whole range of mixed emotions ran through them. The fisherman's wife let out a distraught cry, her husbands' eyes widened in horror.
Fear, hurt, confusion, slight betrayal, and yet a small spark of hope and relief, ran through them, sending their minds and hearts into turmoil. Roxas braced himself. This was the moment where they would yell at him, call him a monster and a freak and demand that the mer-folk return their true child immediately and take their disgusting abnormal, soulless water demon of a son back with them. That they'd wish they never found him and Larxene should take him away and have him live life as an empty lifeless shell, and he could stay that way for all they cared.
He half hoped that they would strike him for all of the bad things he had done, punish him for the terrible creature that he was. That way maybe he'd feel a little less guilty for being responsible for breaking up their family.
Silent tears slowly ran down his cheeks, but his sad thoughts were numbed slightly as he felt Axel rubbing his arm soothingly, while placing another around his shoulders' protectively.
"He did not want any of this. He had no choice in the matter. He cares so much for you, and has appreciated everything that you have done for him. He is very proud to call himself your son." Axel said, as Roxas whimpered a little, but he inhaled deeply and tried to look his parents in the eye, despite the fact that he was practically shaking with nerves. The fisher mans' wife clung to her husband, sobbing softly.
"So-so she still lives? There is still hope?" The fisherman asked softly. Roxas forced himself to maintain eye contact with the wonderful people who had raised him, who he now realised he felt a great love for, yet their calm understanding reaction surprised him.
"Y-yes. That was the deal. I gain a soul, she returns to the land." Roxas replied softly, finally averting his eyes for fear of finding what was once so warm and full of love turn hard and cold. He took his shell bracelet off and with a shaky hand held it out to the people he still considered to be his mother and father, whether they were his biological parents or not. "I-I should not wear this anymore. Fairly soon its true owner shall come to re-claim it." Tears now flowed freely down his cheeks. Although he was about to gain a soul of his own and finally marry someone who loved him despite everything, he still could not bear to loose the people who he thought of as his parents. Suddenly he felt a warm soft pair of hands cover his, pressing the bracelet back into his hand. Roxas looked up surprised to see his mother now smiling understandingly at him, despite the tears that still dampened her cheeks.
"Keep it" she said softly. "It became a symbol of our second chance to become parents and raise a child. "You are still our son, and now we have a new hope of being reunited with our beloved daughter. After all these years of blaming myself, thinking that you would have had a sister to play with if it were not for my negligence, I now know that she is alive and well, wherever she is. Keep the bracelet, it also symbolises our love for you. You can always make another for her when she comes to live back with us, if that is what she wishes." His mother held out her arms to invite Roxas into a hug, which he accepted happily, a relieved smile crossing his features, happy tears now replacing his sad ones. "And now our family has grown again" she added, smiling thankfully at Axel, who flushed slightly, smiling brightly. He felt a hand upon his shoulders and turned to see the fisherman standing behind him.
"You truly are a good man to stay by Roxas through these difficult times, and to sacrifice so much for him. You truly are a honourable knight, and you have brought this family closer. My wife is right, despite everything you have told us, he is still our son, and we would be more then happy to give you our blessings for the wedding." At this statement the betrothed couple looked up excitedly, faces breaking into excited smiles. The fisherman laughed heartedly.
"We would welcome anyone into the family who made our Roxas this truly happy and alive to the world with open arms, regardless of gender or what is considered the 'norms' of marriage." He turned to Axel. "It is quite possible that we may find some people of the pagan faith live near those woods that you travelled through, as it would only be those of ancient spiritual belief who would warn you against faerie folk and such things. Fear not, I'm sure everything will work out fine." The knight truly felt honoured by the man's kind words; he truly had become one of the family without even realising. After all, thinking back it had now been a long time since they had addressed him as 'Sir Knight'.
"Thank you, Sir, you cannot imagine how ecstatic and honoured I am by your blessing" he said with a warm grateful smile, exchanging a brief handshake with the man. The fisherman placed a hand on Axels' shoulder. "You just take care of our little Roxas".
Said blond decided that he was simply too happy and relived by how things turned out to worry about feeling a little patronised by his comment – after all, he was sixteen. Instead, he ran to the man he could still call 'father' and embraced him – in an almost 'tackle' like embrace – and said "father, thank you! I feel as though the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. My spirit is so light now!" Roxas laughed at his unintentional pun. "Now that I have a spirit to feel with" he added, turning to Axel as the two exchanged loving smiles. Roxas ran to his fiancé – as he now deemed and appropriate word to refer Axel to – and embraced him happily. The red head pulled him close and nuzzled into his new lovers' hair.
"Oh wait; do we not require rings for this special occasion? I do not know of any jewellery merchants near by. We may have to travel to another village or town." Axel said, holding Roxas at arms length to gaze into his ocean blue eyes as he spoke. Instead of seeing disappointment as he had expected, his eyes lit up as though he had realised something wonderful.
"There's' no need to worry, I've been saving something for such an occasion. I cannot believe that I had forgotten about them!"
Leaving Axel and his parents confused, Roxas ran to his room. A short while later he re-appeared practically beaming. He ran over to his fiancé and opened his hands to reveal two silver rings.
The bands were entwined and rippled like the ocean waves and a beautiful white pearl glistened at the crown of the ring. Roxas blushed slightly at Axes' amazed expression. "Um, I suppose to a human these rings are quite feminine, but the pearl is also known as the jewel of the sea, and male or female most mer-folk use pearls for wedding rings. I-I hope that they are to you liking." Axel stared at the attractive pieces of jewellery, happy that a minor problem had been averted. He adored Roxas' shy expression as he looked at the rings, his face slightly flushed, nervously awaiting his lover's opinion of the rings. Axel placed his hands over Roxas', closing them to keep the rings safe. His actions caused the blond to look up, starting to worry that the knight was not happy about the quality of the rings. Instead, he said "I care not what the rings look like. As far as I am concerned I already have my own precious jewel of the sea". Roxas' blush deepened as he looked at his feet, unable to stop his smile from becoming wider due to his extreme happiness. His mother 'awed' from behind them while his father chuckled.
"You would think that they were wed already" he teased.
"That was cute, but fluffy" Roxas chuckled; snuggling into Axels' chest as a thank you for his lovers' sweet words-even though they were a little overly sweet.
"Well, you were acting cute and fluffy" Axel retorted with a chuckle, giving Roxas a brief squeezing hug.
"That was your fault" Roxas replied, his voice slightly muffled as he buried his face into Axels' chest again.
"What can I say? I'm a charmer" the red head boasted, causing everyone to laugh.
"Well, I apologise for breaking the mood, but I need to take some of my catch to sell. It can't last forever in our pantry, no matter how cool it may be down there. Perhaps on my journey I shall come across someone of the pagan faith. I can ask them if they would be willing to help with your wedding. If you'd be so kind as to help me load my things on to the wagon I can set off" the fisherman said, standing up from his stool.
"If you like, you may use my horse. He can make travelling time much quicker." Axel offered.
"I am not used to horses, we could never afford one I am afraid" the fisherman replied, a little uneasy about the idea of being left alone with such a large animal.
"I can come with you if you so choose" the knight offered. The fisherman looked a little surprised at the offer, but overall grateful that he could now travel a lot quicker then what he would have on foot.
"Oh, may I come with you?" Roxas asked eagerly. His father looked at him surprised. "Why Roxas, you have never taken any interest in coming with me before".
"Yes, but now I am more eager to see the world, I can see new things, meet new people" the blond said excitedly. Axel and the fisherman chuckled.
"Well, you certainly have had quite an influence on my boy" he said to the red head, who blushed a little, looking at his young lovers' excited expression, admiring his deep blue eyes, which were sparkling with excitement.
"Very well, go and pack us some supplies. We may get hungry later" the fisherman replied with a chuckle. Roxas cheered and ran down to the pantry, shortly followed by his mother. "I suppose I shall have to arrange the decorations for the wedding myself then" she mused, before descending the pantry stairs to help Roxas prepare the food.
"Axel, could you please come and show me how to saddle up the horse?" the fisherman asked, turning to his future son in law. "Certainly" the red head replied with a smile, following him round to the hut.
A while later, the three of them set off for their journey, hopeful that it wouldn't take too long now that they had Axels' horse to pull them along. Roxas took in everything around him. The melody of the birds' chorus, the vibrant colours of the leaves of the trees, some appearing to glow softly as thin strips of summer sunlight streaked through them. The freshness of the sweet summer air caressed him with a wooded earthy scent, with a hint of freshly fallen rain water. Even the forest creatures caught his interest as they scurried around the shrubs or up in the trees. All of these things Roxas wouldn't have noticed as much before. Looking back now, it was almost like he had spent his life in an unresponsive daze. He had Axel to thank for this, and so much more. He would not be the person he now was if it were not for him.
After a couple of hours they stopped for a brief rest beside a small stream. The fisherman watched, amused as Axel and Roxas playfully fed each other grapes and strawberries. "Ah, young love" he mumbled before getting on with his own lunch. At one point Axel placed one end of a strawberry into the blonds' mouth, momentarily causing confusion for the young prince before Axel smirked slyly and bit onto the other end, slowly eating his way to the blonds lips before finishing with a passionate kiss, causing the blond to moan softly, returning the kiss, which was now sweetened even more by the juices of the fruit. This certainly made eating healthy foods a lot more pleasurable.
"Oh my!" the fisherman mumbled, glancing at the amorous scene in front of him. A sudden splash in the water made the couple break the kiss. To Axels' relief it was only caused by a common frog. "I am certainly glad that there are no water sprites here" he chuckled, leaning forward to capture the blonds' lips in a chaste kiss. His horse neighed almost as if in agreement-the poor thing had had more then enough trouble with the supernatural to last a life time.
Later that day, they arrived on the main road, where merchants gathered to sell their products to any passing travellers. The fisherman caught the attention of a group of people travelling together and immediately began to bargain with them. They had released Axels' horse from its wagon reins and allowed it to graze peacefully by the road side. The knight patted its beck affectionately. "Axel, shouldn't we be looking for a pagan preacher?" Roxas asked the red head.
"Well, your father said that it is possible that people follow the pagan faith may live near here. We are close to the enchanted forest after all."
"Well, whilst he is busy here, perhaps we can ask around and see if anyone knows" Roxas replied, as Axel gently placed a hand on his cheek and rubbing it with his thumb affectionately. The blond smiled as he placed his hand over Axels'. "Do not worry so Roxas, we will find someone before the time comes, I am sure of it." Axel said reassuringly. With that he leaned down and planted a loving kiss on the blonds' soft enticing lips.
"It is wonderful that you feel so comfortable with your relationship" an un-known voice suddenly commented.
"Hush Olette, you should not comment on other peoples' private affairs" a dark red headed girl scolded.
"I am merely trying to be supportive Kairi. I'm sure that they have received a lot of grief from people" Olette replied, brushing a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Well, actually–"Axel began, before Olette interrupted again.
"Fear not! We shall not mock your way of life, for love is love, no matter who it is with" Olette announced a little too dramatically for the confused couples' liking.
"Olette, Leave them alone! Come on, we have to- "
"I know Kairi, I'm coming. Ooh, did you hear about Aisling and Adele's' wedding? It was beautiful! You should have seen Aislings' dress-"Olette began.
"Ok, Olette, that is enough" Kairi said impatiently, dragging her friend away by the wrist. Axel and Roxas exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing. If they knew two people of the same sex who had recently wed, then perhaps they would know the preacher.
"Umm, excuse me, please" Roxas began. Olette dug her heels into the ground– much to Kairi's irritation-and turned her gaze to Roxas. The blond blushed at her intense gaze and averted his eyes. He may have felt more interested in the world now that Axel had given his heart to him, but he still wasn't used to direct contact with other people. He supposed he'd have to get used to it. After all, that was one of the reasons he had come on this journey, was it not?
"Um, perhaps you could tell us the name of the preacher who wed the couple you speak of?"
Olette's deep green eyes widened in surprise, and sparkled excitedly. "Oh, oh, oh, are you two planning on-you two are going to-oh Kairi this is so wonderful!" The brunette said, bouncing up and down excitedly, ruffling Kairi's already ruffled feathers. Roxas laughed nervously. Were all girls this loud and bouncy?
Trying her best to ignore her hyperactive friend, Kairi turned to Roxas smiling apologetically and said "he is a pagan preacher. There are a few around here, but he is the closest person to go to. His name is Samuel Pendragon".
'Pendragon?' the couple thought in sync. Axels' expression was just as confused as Roxas' as they looked at each other. Was this a mere jest?
"I, um, thank you. Could you please tell us where he lives?" Axel asked, trying to remain polite, despite his doubts.
"He lives in a clearing not too far from here. Just follow the path past the great oak trees across the field."
"Oh, but be careful not to stray into the enchanted forest" Olette added. The path splits into two, but keep to the left hand side."
"The left side?" Roxas asked.
"Right" Olette replied.
"The right side?" Roxas asked again, to check whether or not Olette was correcting her original directions.
"No, no, left" Olette replied
"No, I mean as in East or West" Roxas said, feeling confused.
"Neither, left" Olette replied, feeling confused by Roxas' questioning.
Kairi sighed, frustrated.
"Never mind" Axel cut in before their conversation became too complicated. "I understand what you are trying to say" he put a hand on Roxas' shoulder and led him to his horse. "Uh, okay, um, thank you" Roxas said, trying to remain polite despite his still apparent confusion.
"No problem, have a wonderful wedding!" Olette called after them.
"Oh, I simply cannot take you anywhere, can I?" Kairi groaned, pulling her friend away by the arm again. "Hey, what did I do, what did I do?" the brunette protested.
Axel chuckled as he watched the two girls walk away, Kairi now apparently giving Olette a lecture in manners. "Lively wasn't she?"
Roxas hummed in response. "Although a little too lively for my taste. Perhaps I shall avoid talking to girls too much". Axel laughed as he took his usual place in the horses' saddle behind Roxas.
"Not all girls are quite so energetic" he chuckled, placing his hands around the blonds' waist. "Perhaps you would like to take the reins today without my help?"
"Realy? You think I'm good enough?" Roxas asked, looking back at his fiancé happily. Axel chuckled in response. "Of course, you have proven that to me whilst practicing horse riding outside your house."
"Thank you Axel!" Roxas chimed happily. Said red head slowly leaned forward to kiss his lovers' forehead tenderly, adoring the usual shy smile and blush that he usually received from the blond. On Roxas' command the horse moved on, and after briefly telling his father where they were they were going they headed towards the home of the preacher.
They followed the path as instructed-Axel ensuring that Roxas kept to the left hand side- and they eventually came to a clearing in the trees. Large thick trunked oak trees encircled the clearing, their bark rough and cracked defining the age of the woods themselves. Birds of many species sang their songs around them, a soft breeze gently rustling the leaves, giving the whole area a sense of serenity. A little further into the clearing sat a quaint little house with a thatched roof. The afternoon sun which peaked in from the trees glinted off of the houses Tudor windows. The front door was painted a deep burgundy red and a round knocker wrapped in the clutches of a metal serpent like dragon sat near the top of the door. "We're here!" Roxas exclaimed excitedly. He jumped down from the horse and ran towards the house. Axel chuckled and followed suit. "Ah, so perhaps his surname really is Pendragon" Roxas said, pointing to the knocker. He tapped it against the door a few times and they waited in nervous silence. Shortly afterwards a slim balding man approximately in his late forties or early fifties answered the door. His bright blue eyes peered out at the through thin rimmed glasses. His thin lips curved into a welcoming smile.
"Pardon our intrusion sir, but are you Samuel Pendragon?" Axel asked, with his usual polite knightly charm.
"I am. What can I do for you good sirs?" the preacher asked, pushing his glasses a little further up his nose.
"W-well, you see, umm we-we would like to-to get married please" Roxas said timidly. Axel smiled adoringly at the blonds' flushed face as he twisted his hands together nervously. Axel couldn't resist running a hand through Roxas' blond locks affectionately, causing his blush to deepen.
"Oh, so you would like a pagan wedding" Samuel said, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Do you follow the beliefs of paganism?"
"No, sir, we do not, but as you perhaps already know, the church would solely object to our union. We were told that a preacher of the paganism faith would not oppose."
"Certainly not, certainly not, our ways are not as strict as the church is; Betrothed couples may even have a trial period, where you remain married for a year and if you feel that life long marriage is not something you find you are able to commit to; then
after that period of time you may separate, no questions asked." Roxas suddenly looked nervous and subconsciously clung to Axels' arm.
"O-oh, but we-we wish to be married for life" he said, quickly looking up at Axel, as a momentary sting of panic flowed through him, worried that there may be a shadow of uncertainty in the red heads' eyes. Axels' eyes met with Roxas', and the blond was relieved to see that his emerald jewels shone with reassurance and certainty. He even squeezed his hand gently to confirm his silent message to Roxas, smiling warmly. Said blonds' eyes and face lit up with relief and complete happiness. Samuel laughed heartedly. "Fear not young man, it is just an option. I was not insinuating that the two of you were not serious". Roxas blushed and looked at his feet, receiving a comforting rub on the arm from Axel.
"I apologise if I have offended you" Samuel said, his eyes narrowing forlornly. "I can assure you it was not my intention."
"Worry not, my little Roxas is just shy" Axel replied, smiling sweetly at said blond. Samuel chuckled again, relieved. "Well, come in, come in, we'll decide on the date and time and such for your big day".
Suddenly a loud cracking sound came from the trees. Axels' horse started rearing up and baying, before it ran back into the wood. "Oh, um, Roxas, wait here I'll go after him". Roxas stared after the red head as he chased his horse through the trees.
"Goodness, what could have caused such a noise to startle the horse so?" Samuel wondered aloud. Roxas had an uneasy feeling about the sudden occurrence. "Will he be alright?" Roxas still hadn't taken his eyes from the direction Axel had gone.
"I, um, I assume so" he murmured, still a little uncertain. Despite how he felt he knew that Axel would be able to calm his horse down, without any aid. "Would you like to come in? We could discuss the matters of your wedding in more detail." Samuel asked, trusting that the knight would be fine. Roxas continued to look uncertainly behind him, wondering if Axel was alright. He was also a little nervous as now he would have to maintain a full conversation with a stranger by himself. Something he didn't feel comfortable doing. He found a brief conversation with Kairi and Olette quite hard to deal with, but he assumed that a preacher would be a lot less energetic then excitable young girls. Perhaps if he tried to speak as he would to his own father, then perhaps the conversation might be easier. Besides, he decided it would be good for his social skills. He decided not to worry, and that Axel would know how to handle his horse-after all, he had been with his trusty steed for years. "Um, alright, we can discuss matters until Axel returns;" he said, reluctantly turning to face the priest. "I'm sure he shall return soon" Samuel said, turning to enter his house, with Roxas tagging along behind.
Meanwhile, Axel had caught up with his horse and had managed to grab it by the reins. He gently stroked its nose and whispered soothing words in an attempt to calm it down. His horse grunted and eventually surrendered to the knight's touch.
"My attempts to bring you here have been successful" a voice echoed from the trees. Immediately Axel worried that his horse had lead him into the enchanted forest, as this area was fairly close, but he remembered the strange amulet that Larxene had given him. He hadn't come across any trouble travelling out of the forest after his last encounter with the witch, and up until now he had forgotten that he had it in his pouch, but if he were once again in the wood spirits' territory he assumed that the amulet would still protect him. Unless of course its former owner came to him, then he wasn't sure what would happen. To his displeasure he found that the owner of the voice was in fact the witch. Larxene emerged from the trees, as silent and deadly as a snake, smirking at the knight. Axel tensed and his horse drew its ears back and grunted nervously.
"What did you do to him?" Axel asked coldly, his emerald eyes narrowing dangerously. "Nothing physically" the witch sneered. "I simply summoned a little piece of lightning". Her teal eyes bore into Axels' as she summoned a small lightning bolt in her right hand which crackled briefly, causing Axels' horse to buck back in fear again, kicking out its front legs as Axel struggled to keep hold of its reins. "Stop it" he demanded angrily. "Why did you bring me here?" Larxene chuckled almost evilly. "Well, firstly to see if you weren't really attached to the boys' hip".
"How did you find out about me and Roxas? You stay away from him!" Axel snapped, drawing his sword and pointing it towards the witch, all of the horrible things that Roxas had told him about her replayed in his head. There was no way he was about to let her hurt him. "I imagine your horse was beginning to feel left out, what with you always being with the boy" Larxene teased. "At least now he can have you to himself." Axel noticed that the witch had deliberately avoided his question. "Stop trying to change the subject!" he demanded, jabbing his sword forward to emphasis his threat. Larxene however didn't seem the least bit affected. She merely sneered at the red head, and with one quick wave of her hand sent his sword flying out from his hand without even having to touch it. Axel stared at his sword-which had landed a few feet away-in disbelief.
"I came here" Larxene began, gently running a finger along Axels' still slightly outstretched arm, causing him to flinch, "to ask you if being with a small, malnourished looking sixteen year old adopted son of a fisherman is what you really want. Surely a handsome man such as your self would desire a person who could satisfy your needs more effectively". She looked into Axels' angry eyes, her teal ones glinting almost flirtatiously. Axel retracted his hand quickly, almost as if her touch had burned him, and stepped back. "I care not what his fathers' profession might be. I want to be with him and nothing that you do or say is going to prevent that".
"I think" the witch began stepping forward, her eyes almost glowing, making Axel suddenly find it very hard for him to move-he couldn't even force himself to look away from her blazing teal eyes, no matter how much his mind screamed at him to do so his body simply would not respond. Just what kind of witchcraft magic was she attempting?
"I think- that pretty soon- you won't be able to keep your promise" Larxene continued, slowly and seductively stepping towards the knight.
Mean while, back at the preachers' house, Roxas found himself worrying about his beloved red head. He stared absentmindedly out of the front room window. "Axel has been gone for quite a while. I hope he's okay" Roxas mumbled. He had already finalised the plans for his wedding, deciding on the time he thought would make soul sharing more successful. He hoped Axel would approve. He decided that they would get married in a day's time, when the full moon would illuminate the sky like a night time sun, thus hopefully making the soul sharing process more effective, and hopefully their marriage would be blessed greatly. After all, was the ocean itself not controlled by the moon? "I think I shall go and find him" Roxas said to the priest. "But thank you very much for your hospitality, and I look forward to seeing you soon". He had surprised himself with how well he was able to arrange everything without Axel being there and how much easier he found it to talk to the priest without stammering with nerves as much. Although he was slightly disappointed that he had arranged everything by himself. "No problem at all, my lad. I shall arrive at your home tomorrow evening. A moonlight wedding, how unusual" the preacher mused.
Of course Roxas hadn't revealed the truth about his predicament, to avoid any complications, particularly out of fear that the preacher would refuse to wed them. He left Samuels' home and went in search of Axel. "I hope he did not manage to get himself lost" Roxas mumbled to himself. He ran on ahead, and soon he could hear voices. He moved deeper into the trees, although he could not make them out very clearly.
Axel was frozen to the spot as Larxene moved even closer. His horse buckled out of his grasp and moved further away from the witch. Axel managed to very briefly turn and watch as his horse retreated, before he felt the witch grasp his face with her thumb and for finger, forcing him to look at her; once more maintaining her control over him. "I could bring you so much more" she said, bringing her face closer to his. She trailed his jaw line with the tips of her fingers, making Axel flinch slightly; however he still could not turn away completely. His eyes started to glaze over, as Larxene brought her lips closer to his, brushing up against them slightly as she continued, feeling his soft breath gently brush against hers. "Soul sharing cannot be completed if one is unable to fully agree to share it. Your relationship may not last very long at all. A handsome man such as your self deserves so much more. Here is a quick taste for you, until you start to see things my way" and with that she completely closed the gap between her and Axel, moving her lips tenderly against his, placing a hand behind his head, sensually caressing it through the red heads' soft spikes. After a short while she broke the kiss, smiling almost spitefully at the red head, watching his eyes slowly come back into focus. Larxene gently trailed her fingers along the knights' cheek. "I hope to be seeing you again very soon" she smiled, before retreating back into the woods.
Axel soon found that he could move again. He gently placed his fingers against his lips. What had she just done? Why couldn't he move away from her? An overwhelming sense of guilt tore through his heart. How was he going to explain this to Roxas? Should he even tell him? Axel thought back, remembering the strong fear in the little blonds' eyes after he had told him of their previous meeting. Axel decided not to tell him. He hated himself for it, for keeping secrets from his husband to be, for not being able to fight against the witch when she had stolen a kiss from him. He now knew that the amulet she had given him had no protective defence against her own powers. That fact should have been obvious to him. He had never kept secrets from Roxas before, but this was one with he couldn't bring himself to tell the blond. Besides, he didn't want Roxas to be sad or angry with him on their wedding night. Shurly that would affect the soul sharing process? Especially after Roxas hadn't had any nightmares for a while. Axel didn't want him to start having them again. Suddenly he heard said blond calling for him, making his heart jump almost painfully. Still feeling a little dazed he turned to the sound of his voice, his horse slowly making his way over to his master now that Larxene was gone.
"Axel, where are you? Are you alright?" Roxas appeared from the trees, looking a little dishevelled and worried. Relief washed over him when he saw his beloved red head. "Oh, there you are! I see you've finally found your horse" the blond said, as he happily ran over to embrace Axel. The red head turned to look in the direction Larxene had taken. Concern momentarily plagued Roxas' thoughts when Axel didn't return his hug straight away, and when he did, he only hung his arm loosely around the blonds' waist. "Axel, I heard voices, who were you talking to?" the Roxas asked, looking at his lover with concern.
"I, um, never mind" the red head muttered, returning his gaze back to the blond.
"Lets' go Roxas, I'm sure your father will be wondering where we are". Roxas still looked worried, but Axel shook his head and forced a reassuring smile to ease the blonds' concerns. "I am fine. So, tell me, did you make the plans for the wedding?"
On the way back to the main road, Roxas' face lit up as he explained all of the details he had planned for their wedding. "Hmm, a moon light wedding. How romantic" Axel mused, nuzzling his head into Roxas' hair, taking in its comforting ocean scent. The blond chuckled. "Um, Axel, may I make a request?" he asked, tilting his head back to look at Axel shyly. "Certainly" the red head responded with a warm smile.
"W-would it be alright if-if you were to-to-um, wear your knights armour? You haven't worn it in such a long time. I think you look so handsome when you do" Roxas said, a soft pink tinge running across his nose and he looked down at his hands, feeling slightly embarrassed. At first Axel smiled fondly at Roxas, but the term 'handsome' reminded him of what Larxene had said to him. Roxas was so happy thinking that he would finally be free of her, but the fact that she had stolen a kiss from Axel made him feel as though he had betrayed the blond.
"Axel, are you alright?" said blond asked, his smile fading. "You-you do not have to wear the armour of you do not wish. Or is it that it reminds you of your duties in Undine?" Roxas mumbled sadly, looking at his hands which were clutching the reins so hard his fingers turned white. He tried to suppress his saddening and slightly bitter thoughts by focusing on the gentle movements of the horses main, which swayed slightly in the breeze as he sadly awaited Axels' answer. Axel pushed his worrisome thoughts deep down. He didn't want to be the cause of Roxas' diminished happiness. He nuzzled into Roxas' hair again, hoping to comfort the blond. "I've already told you Roxas, I want to be with you. Please do not feel sad".
"I do not want you to feel pressured, Axel. You are a good, kind person, and I guess those qualities makes you feel obligated to help me. However I do not wish to force you into this marriage-if-if it-"Roxas couldn't continue as tears streamed down his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly with the back of his hand.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, Roxas, please don't cry, I'm more the happy to be with you. You've become a part of me, and that is even before our official soul sharing" Axel said, gently stroking the blonds' damp cheek. Roxas snuffled a little, wiping away the remaining tears. He hated feeling this way; this was certainly one undesired aspect to developing emotions. Axel sighed, "Roxas, we've been through this. I-LOVE-YOU, all right? I'm marrying you because I want to. I couldn't bear not being with you. Please Roxas-"Axel gently tilted his chin so that the blond would look at him. Roxas managed a small smile. He looked into the knights' worried emerald eyes and saw them easing into loving relived ones. "I'm sorry" the blond mumbled. Axel shushed him gently, just brushing his fingers against Roxas' lips, before leaning down to claim them with his own, massaging them gently whilst weaving a hand through the blonds' soft t locks, earning a small moan of satisfaction.
"All better?" Axel chuckled after they parted, resting his forehead against the blonds' so that they remained nose to nose. Roxas felt a little ashamed about his sudden negative outburst, so he tried to lighten the mood.
"Hmm, I can't quite tell" he said playfully, looking thoughtful and licking his lips, as if trying to decide whether or not the kiss was good enough to help. Axel laughed softly. "Oh really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Before he could ask any more questions Roxas quickly pressed his lips against the red heads, who moaned softly in return. As the blond pulled away he said "I believe that should suffice". Axel chuckled and rubbed their noses together affectionately.
"Good" he said, smiling brightly. "And I will be more then happy to wear my armour for you, if only to see your beautiful face light up. However, I may require some help getting out of them later" he added with a cheeky wink. At first Roxas looked confused, until he realised what Axel was insinuating, causing his face to explode with colour, becoming almost as red as his vulgar fiancés' hair.
"Hey!" He exclaimed playfully slapping his lovers' arm causing the red head to laugh heartedly.
Axel decided to push his worrisome thoughts of the kiss with Larxene to the back of his mind. Right now he had to focus on keeping Roxas happy.
They met up with Roxas' father, who had had a reasonably profitable day. They happily explained the arrangements they had made for their wedding. "Well, I am very glad that your search was successful. Its' a good thing that I have made a reasonable profit today; now I can pay the preacher."
"Oh, no, no, I shall pay for our wedding. After all, you have been most generous to me, allowing me to live under your roof and feast upon your provisions. You have so far refused lodging money from me for your hospitality, therefore I must absolutely insist on paying for the wedding." Axel said in a knightly fashion. "You must keep your earnings for your own pocket."
"Can noting I do change your mind?" The fisherman asked, feeling guilty that he wasn't going to be paying for his own sons' wedding.
"I am certain" the red head replied with an affirmative nod.
On the journey home they explained all of the details of their wedding to the fisherman. Once they finally arrived Roxas' mother came out to greet them. "Oh, good, you're here. I have a surprise for you".
"I can assume she means you two" the fisherman chuckled. Axel and Roxas exchanged curious looks, before the blond hopped down from the wagon excitedly and ran towards his mother. She laughed, thinking that he was almost like an excited child on their birthday.
"Mother, we found a preacher! We wed tomorrow!"
"That's wonderful, love. I knew you'd find some one, although I wasn't expecting the wedding to be so soon." She chuckled, adoring the sight of her sons' excited smile. "Its' lucky then, that I was able to finish these-if you are not opposed to wearing them that is" she said, presenting him with a brown paper parcel, wrapped with string. Axel soon joined Roxas after having left his horse round the back of the house to graze, noticing the parcel Roxas was holding. He was quite touched when the blonds' mother held one out for him, too. Axel took his parcel with interest, touched that she'd thought to also provide him with a gift. "Thank you, you shouldn't have" he smiled.
"Think of it as a wedding gift" she replied happily.
They each untied the string and pulled open the paper to find a necklace made of shells and an assortment of smooth white pebbles. At the centre of the piece was a bluish grey pearl. "You-you do not have to wear them if you feel that they are a little too feminine, but we have little money to spare, and unfortunately we could never afford a real jewel, but I thought that they would go nicely with your rings, even though the pearls aren't the same colour. Actually, they are quite a find." She averted her gaze to Roxas. "They are rare coloured pearls. I was fortunate enough to find them in a couple of mussels that your father brought back with him from a fishing trip. I-I hope that you like them. I didn't know what else to give you".
"Mother, they're beautiful! Perhaps you should make necklaces to sell when father travels to sell his fish. They are simply wonderful!" Roxas said smiling brightly as he happily embraced his blushing mother.
"Are you quite sure you wish to give us these? Many nobles would pay a high price for such a rare pearl."
"Of course, I am more then happy to give them to my son and his fiancé on their wedding day then what I would be selling them to a noble. After all, money doesn't last forever."
"Thank you. I-I don't know what to say" Axel said, truly touched by the woman's' time and generosity.
"Fear not mother, mermen sometimes wear necklaces too, so it is not as feminine as you might think, and I'm sure that many human noblemen wear them, too." Roxas added reassuringly. "Although perhaps not made from shells" he added sheepishly. The fisherman suddenly appeared behind the betrothed couple and cleared his throat in order to alert them of his desire to speak. "These-these are from me" he said, having fetched his gifts for them after putting away the wagon. I bought them with some of the profit money I made today. I wanted to keep them as a surprise for tomorrow, but I do not wish to look bad seeing as your mother has made you necklaces" the fisherman chuckled. He shyly handed Roxas a sea blue cloth shirt with slightly baggy pleated sleeves and laces at the front of the neck. He handed Axel the same type of shirt, except for the fact that his was a deep forest green. "I hope yours fits, Axel, I know you are very tall and it was hard to judge your size without you actually being there" the fisherman smiled, feeling a little self conscious. Axel held the shirt up to his torso. "I believe it will be fine. It looks as though it will be a nice fit"
The fisherman smiled, relieved. "Heh, it matches your eyes" Roxas said, smiling as he looked up at his beloved red head, before turning his attention back to his parents. "Oh, mother, father, thank you!" he exclaimed, embracing the both of them. His father chuckled warmly.
"I thought of them as representations of the land and the sea. Our little Roxas is from the sea, and our Axel is from the land."
"Hmm, that is perfectly fitting. I thank you deeply for your sincere kindness" the knight said, bowing.
"Now that we know when the wedding will take place, I can make a start on your next surprise. But I guess that will have to wait until morning." Roxas' mother smiled, gently running a hand through the blonds' hair.
"Oh, mother, you shouldn't have. The shirts and necklaces were enough".
"Ah, well, it is not everyday that our son gets married now, is it?" she replied suavely. "Now you two have something nice and new to wear for your wedding".
"Oh, but Axel was going to wear his armour" Roxas said, but then automatically regretting his selfish announcement, fearing that he may have hurt his fathers' feelings as he looked at him forlornly. "Worry not, Roxas, I can simply wear it the day after." Axel said, reassuringly. Roxas looked at his father with a silent questionable expression, waiting to see if his father approved.
"That would be fine. Wear it whenever you wish" he replied happily, not in the leased bit offended. Roxas happily embraced Axel and nuzzled into his chest. The red head chuckled and wrapped his arms around the blond, resting his head upon the top of Roxas'.
"I cannot wait for tomorrow night. We shall be bound for life!"
A sharp pang of guilt shot through the red head, causing him to frown forlornly, remembering the betrayal of the Larxene's lips against his own. 'If the witch does not interfere first' he thought miserably.
A/N: Ok, I know I haven't updated in AGES but the inspiration just hasn't been there, & life's been, well, just blah to put it nicely. I'm sure there are lots of things that need to be sorted but I did the best I could and I hope I didn't disappoint. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story; and a great big thank you to those that alerted, reviewed & faved, it really motivates me. You guys are awesome!