Two days later Axel was walking towards the square, lost in thoughts involving a certain blond. I wonder if Rox's okay, he thought. He didn't answer his phone when I called him yesterday... His thoughts were interrupted and he smiled at Roxas who came running towards him.
Roxas smiled and hugged the taller boy. "Hi." he said, his voice a little shaky, as if he had cried.
Axel pushed away the other a little and looked him into the eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"Nothing." Roxas smiled again, but didn't meet the emerald gaze. Instead his eyes fell on the watch around his wrist. "We better run or we'll be late, c'mon." He turned and started running towards school, Axel soon following.
After school Roxas was on his way to meet up with Axel at the school gates, though today he wasn't looking forward to it as much as he used to. He knew Axel knew something was off, and he had been avoiding the redhead the whole day because of that.
It was quite the difficult thing to do, and he felt really mean for doing it. The fact that both his friends had now finally accepted the redhead didn't make him feel any nicer either.
"Y'know, I always thought Axel was a bad guy, but now I know he's actually pretty cool." Riku had said earlier that day on the way to their first lesson.
"Yeah, he's a great guy, I'm happy for ya Rox." Sora had agreed and smiled widely.
Roxas adjusted the straps of his backpack on his shoulders and continued walking across the schoolyard. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him behind a storage. Roxas froze at the sight of pink hair and his breath caught in his throat as a pair of blue eyes stared into his own.
"I told you to stay away from him." the guy said, his voice low and treathening. "I told you, he's mine." He growled out the last word.
Roxas immediately recognized the taller boy, it was the guy from before, the guy who had treathened and pushed him. It felt like it all happened ages ago, but it couldn't be more than a couple of weeks.
Roxas stared back into those blue orbs and felt that he had to get away from this weirdo. He broke free from the other's tight grip and ran towards the gates as fast as he could.
Behind him the pinkette looked at the running boy, and gritted his teeth. "If I can't have him..." He clenched his fists. "Then no one else will either!"
"Roxas!" exclaimed Axel when the blond came racing toward him. He grabbed the shorter boy forcing him to stop. "What's wrong?"
Roxas avoided looking into the redhead's eyes when he responded. "Nothing."
"Who do ya think you're kiddin'? Of course somethin's wrong, it's written all over your face!"
Roxas jumped at the sudden anger in Axel's voice, and looked up to meet the burning emerald eyes. "Really, it's nothing..." he said and looked down. "Sorry." He broke free from the redhead's grip and ran, not being able to handle all the feelings and thoughts running through his head.
Behind him, Axel stood in confusion. "Did I do somethin' wrong?"
Later that night, Roxas had a hard time falling asleep. He turned in his bed, covered his legs in the cover just to kick it onto the floor and then pick it up again. He was restless, no, more than restless, he was worried sick. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen, and that feeling only grew stronger and stronger every second.
At last he gave up on sleeping and walked to the window, looking up at the dark, starry night sky. He lowered his gaze a little and saw an unnatural shine behind one of the houses a bit away, past the square. It was shifting and shone an orangy red, and above the light there was a big, gray cloud.
Roxas' eyes widened. It couldn't be... He quickly snatched his cell phone from his bedside table and called the first number in his contacs list, his heart beating so hard it felt like it would break out of his chest as he pressed the phone against his ear.
One signal went through, and another, and another...
Now Roxas was panicking, he shut his phone and hurried out into the hall, stopped to put his shoes on and then raced down the stairs and out through the front door. He ran past the town square, and felt the fear rising (if it even was possible) as the strange light shone stronger and he heard the distant sound of sirens.
When he finally reached his destination, his heart stopped completely. He was standing in front of Axel's house, and it was burning!
Gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get OUT! was the only thing in Axel's head as he made his way through the hallway. He had felt the smell of smoke earlier, and he was damn glad he decided to check it out, because when he had stepped out into the hall a wave of heat had hit him and he had realised the, aside from him, empty apartment was on fire.
He ran through the hallway, almost getting hit by a burning piece of ceiling panel. He opened the apartment door and was delighted when it opened immediately. That's one good thing 'bout not havin' a lock.
He stepped out and slammed the door shut behind him, hearing the sound of what he assumed was the ceiling inside collapsing. Without wasting any more time the redhead turned and hurried down the stairs, determined to get as far away from the fire as possible.
"Do you know anyone who lives in there?"
Roxas tried to focus on the fireman in front of him, appearently trying to ask him something, but he couldn't. His stomack was twisting and his eyes were fixed on the front door of the apartment building.
He sighed in relief when he saw someone coming racing out of the door, immediately recognizing the red mess of hair. "Axel!"
The redhead skidded a little as he stopped in front of the blond, having ran at quite a high speed.
He bent over a little, panting from the mad dash and the adrenaline. Then he looked up at the blond and flashed him his trademark grin. "Yo Rox, 'sup?" He jumped when Roxas suddenly wrapped his arms around him.
"Dammit Axel, that's the best thing you think up to say?"
Axel felt the front of his t-shirt getting damp when the blond started crying. He gently stroke the messy spikes and before he knew it tears were forming wet traces down his own face.
They stood there, both crying and clinging onto the other for dear life while firemen ran back and forth around them.
After a while they heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see a policewoman standing next to them, holding a writing pad. "Who of you is it that live here?" she asked in a monotone, not too friendly tone.
"Me, the name's Axel." Axel responded, letting go of Roxas and discreetly wiping some tears from his face.
"So Axel, when are your parents coming home?" the woman asked, seeming as if she was reading the question directly off the pad in her hands, which probably was the case.
"Don't know, they went out drinkin' so they won't be home til' tomorrow I guess."
"Do you have any relatives to stay at until then?" the policewoman asked while scribbling something onto the pad, not even bothering to look at the redhead.
Axel shook his head. "The only one I know of is my brother 'n he lives pretty far away."
The woman looked irritated. "Any close friends then?"
"He could stay at my house." said Roxas, and the policewoman looked at him as if she had forgotten he was even there.
"And you are..?" the policewoman asked in a tired tone.
Roxas took a deep breath before answering. "I'm Roxas Strife, 'n I'm Axel's boyfriend."
The policewoman looked at him in shock before smiling. "Well in that case, I'm Sarah, nice to meet you."
Both teenagers stared at her, too shocked to reply.
Sarah scribbled something on a piece of paper and gave it to Axel. "Go stay at Roxas' house tonight, and come by the station tomorrow and we'll ask more questions then, okay? Give this to your teacher so he knows you're not just skipping school. Oh, and if Roxas wants to come too that's all right."
Axel hesitantly took the note and watched Sarah walk away towards a police car. Then he turned his eyes to Roxas who looked just as confused as himself. "Yo Rox, what the hell just happened?"
Then they both started laughing.
"Ya sure you're okay with this, Rox?" Axel asked hesitantly. They were standing in front of Roxas' apartment door, unsure of whether to go inside or not.
"Yeah." the blond swallowed and opened the door, stepping into the hallway. "Mum, dad?" he called, and they heard a chair scraping against the kitchen floor.
"Oh my god Roxas, I saw it all on the news, are you all right?" Trisha came into the hall, but stopped when she spotted the redhead standing behind Roxas. "What's he doing here?" she spat.
"His apartment burnt down, so he's staying here tonight." Roxas explained.
"But why here?" Trisha complained.
Roxas took the deepest breath he had ever taken in his life. "Because he's my boyfriend."
Trisha stared at him in shock, her grey eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "WHAT?"
".." Roxas repeated slowly. He then took ahold of the redhead's hand. "C'mon, you can sleep in my room." He dragged the taller boy inside his room and closed the door.
He stared at the handle and Axel got worried when he didn't move.
"Hey Rox, you okay?"
Roxas turned around and looked up at him with pride and happiness written all over his face. "I can't believe I just did that. I can't believe I just DID that!" he said and squeeled with joy.
Axel looked down at him with an eyebrow raised before smiling. "So that means we're cool now?"
Roxas nodded excitedly, he was practically sparkling.
"Great." Axel grinned and kissed Roxas right on the lips before smiling mischievously. "Y'know, I know a good way to celebrate this."
Roxas nudged him playfully in the head. "No way, I need to take a shower."
"Well, that works too." Axel grinned and Roxas rolled his eyes.
"I can't believe you." Roxas laughed and pressed their lips together before turning around and grabbing a towel and then disappearing into the bathroom.
When Roxas returned Axel was curled up in his bed, his breathing was deep and even so Roxas assumed he was sleeping. He smiled and decided he was too tired to go get the extra mattress, so he lay down beside the redhead putting an arm around him.
"Rox?" Axel suddenly asked, startling the blond. "Why were you acting so strange before?"
Roxas hesitated before deciding to tell the truth. "It was a weird guy who told me to stay away from you. I don't know his name, but he had pink hair."
"Marluxia." Axel gritted his teeth.
"You know 'im?"
"Yeah, he's in my n Sai's class, 's been after me for ages."
"Oh." Roxas didn't look at Axel but at the wall behind him.
"Y'know what?" Axel smirked. "I have an idea to make 'im leave us alone..."
The next day, after visiting the police station for further questioning about the fire, and to get invited to lunch by Sarah, Axel and Roxas returned to school.
"Oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-GOD!"
Roxas was almost knocked off his feet when Sora crashed into him.
"Mum-told-me-what-happened-oh-my-god-Roxas-are-you-okay?" the brunette yelled into Roxas' ear before getting pulled off of the poor blond by Riku.
"Calm down Sora, it wasn't my house that was burning." Roxas said.
"Yeah, I know, but still." Sora pouted. "You were there too."
Before Roxas could say anything in return he was interrupted by an angry shout.
"AXEL!"
Saïx made his way across the school yard with angry steps and stopped in front of Axel before punching the redhead right in the face. "Don't you fucking do that ever again, or I swear I'll fucking kill you, damnit!"
Axel looked at his childhood friend, as violent as ever, while holding his now bleeding nose. Then he smiled. "Yeah yeah, I love you too."
Saïx' lips curved upwards at that. "I'm sure ya do."
"Who wouldn't." Xemnas suddenly said, appearing a bit away from them, smiling as he stood beside his boyfriend.
Right then the bell rang, and the gang split up to go to their classes. Roxas walked a bit behind Sora and Riku, and therefor they didn't notice when Roxas was suddenly pulled behind a pillar by a certain, pinkhaired boy.
"I told you something bad was going to happen to 'im." Marluxia hissed. "'N the next time will be even worse."
"Really? Now wouldn't that be interestin' to watch."
Marluxia jumped and let go of the blond at the sound of Axel's voice. "A-axel, I-"
"Y'know, this could very well get you expelled." Axel said in a calm voice and grinned a little as Roxas stood beside him.
Marluxia stared at him for a moment before shooting back. "Yeah right, like anyone would belive you."
"Well, not me, but my pal happens to be together with one from the school's disciplinary committee." Axel smiled triumphantly. "I bet they'd believe him."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, yes I would." Axel grinned even wider and now Roxas saw why the redhead had such a reputation, he looked pretty intimidating.
"But, I could consider not telling anyone, if you do somethin' for me instead."
Marluxia looked at him suspiciously. "And what's that?"
Axel leaned in closer to the pinkette and looked him straight in the eyes. "You leave me 'n my boyfriend alone."
Marluxia glared back at him.
"'S your own choice." said Axel and pulled away. "Either ya do as I say 'n live a happy life, or ya don't 'n are expelled." Axel put his arm around Roxas' shoulders and turned to walk away, but before they went he looked over his shoulder. "'N by the way, that third year Vexen guy's been checking you out for quite some time."
Marluxia immediately straightened and a hand unconsciously reached up to fix his hair while his cheeks turned a slightly pink tone. "Ya think so?"
"Sure do." replied Axel and walked away, hugging Roxas close to himself.
"Axel, why'd you tell him that thing 'bout Vexen?" Roxas asked when they were out of hearing distance from the pinkette, looking up at the redhead.
Axel kept looking straight forward while answering. "Cause it'll be easier for 'im to leave us alone if he's got somthin' else to do. And..." He turned his face towards Roxas and smiled. "Everyone deserves a happy ending, right?"