AN: So, here's chapter three. I'll talk more at the end; for now, enjoy!
Chapter Three
Let's Take A Walk, Sunshine
"Wake up, wake up sleepyhead!"
Roxas had fully intended to sleep in this morning, as it was Sunday, but Sora had no intention of letting him do so. His chocolate haired twin ran into the room, still crowing, "Wake up, wake up! It's almost nine, and me and Rikku are making breakfast!" and jumped into the nest of blankets and pillows were the blonde was trying his hardest to ignore Sora's happy voice. After three of the brunettes' obnoxious choruses, Roxas was up, but he wasn't happy about it. He'd had barely any sleep last night, due to a certain redhead, and when he had fallen asleep, around three or four in the morning, he dreamt of him. He shook his head vigorously, like a dog trying to dispel the water out of its ears, attempting to rid his sleepy mind from thoughts of Axel.
Roxas wandered down the stairs and into the kitchen, lifting the edge of his purple flannel pajamas with his hand to scratch at his ribs. Sora stood at the stove, cooking something that looked like eggs, but Roxas wasn't really sure. Sora loved to experiment with food, and had come up with some pretty strange concoctions, although his cooking was just fine if he wasn't adding random ingredients or anything. The blonde pulled out a chair and sat down at the table where his elder sister sat reading what looked like the ads in a newspaper, wishing he hadn't fought with his mother yesterday. He knew that she was sorry and was trying to make things better, but he couldn't help getting angry when she said things like that. She had promised to make things better last time, but she had failed miserably. Maybe it wasn't entirely her fault; in fact, he knew it wasn't since he had found out about his dad's drug escapades, but he just couldn't help it.
"We should get a dog." Rikku set the newspaper forcefully down on the table, looking like she was ready to jump up and run off to get one at a moment's notice.
Sora turned around, bits of egg flying off the spatula he was waving around, as he gushed, "I would love a little puppy! Ohhh, they're soo cuuuute and wiggly and fluffy and they lick you and their tongues are so cute and then they run around and fall over and…"
"Oh, like you do when you get excited? At least you don't pee on the carpet." Sora stuck his tongue out at his sister before turning back to the stove.
Roxas, who had completely ignored this conversation, couldn't help thinking about the redhead he met yesterday, wondering where he went to school, and that thought made his stomach turn. School. Roxas was dreading walking into the huge, castle-like building they had driven past on the way to his mom's house. His thoughts were interrupted by a plate sliding across the table towards him. Sora smiled across the table over his own plate, already digging in, his usually unstoppable flow of words coming to a halt while he was eating. Rikku had gone back to combing the paper, presumably looking for more animals to bring home. The blonde picked up the fork on his plate and put a bit of the food into his mouth, surprised and glad when he found that it was just eggs, and not something weird.
Rikku laid the paper down and got up, saying, "I'll get it!" when a knock on the front door interrupted their breakfast. Roxas sat at the table in his purple pajamas and didn't pay any attention to the voices coming from the front room. He looked up, however, when he heard Rikku's voice saying, "Uh, c'mon in, no problem, it's all good. Um, do we know you? I don't think we've met, but I'm Rikku, and you're…really hot…" and was about to make towards the door to see who was trying to get into their house, but froze when he heard the answering voice.
"My name's Axel, and thanks, I know I am. Is Sunshine here? I was walking by and thought I'd say hi." And into the kitchen strolled Axel, looking like he owned the place. He pulled out a chair and turned it around, sitting on it backwards, his long legs stretched under the table. "Nice pj's, Sunshine." He snickered. Roxas, still frozen halfway out of his chair, blushed furiously. Sora stood in the door of the kitchen, the brunette still not really sure what to do about the intrusion.
"What are you doing in my house?"
"Like I said, I was taking a walk and I decided to stop over" Axel answered the blonde's stuttering question. "Why don't you finish up and put some clothes on and you can come with me, I mean, not that I don't like the purple on you or anything…"
Roxas muttered shut up and pushed out his chair, thinking either way he did need to put clothes on. Rikku clearly didn't mind handling Axel for a bit.
He pulled the door shut behind him and walked over to the bed, completely dazed. Axel was in his house. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, not entirely sure what to do. He didn't want to go back down there; he didn't want to go on a walk with the red head either. It probably wasn't a walk anyways, if he knew Axel. Which he didn't, at all. However, a huge, and extremely persistent, part of him wanted to go with Axel, and this made him very confused. He was not attracted to guys, he knew that, he couldn't be. But Axel was just so… beautiful, so different, with that crimson red hair and emerald green eyes. Even the two teardrop tattoos under them added to his look. Roxas took a deep breath, willing himself to be calm. He got up and locked his door, just in case the red head decided to come up here for some reason. Then he pulled off his pajamas and pulled down his jeans from the day before. Then he went over to his closet and stood there. He didn't have any good shirts he still stood there. He didn't have anything. Maybe the red one… but no, it was too big, so maybe the blue one…no, not that one either. And then he stopped when he realized how much he was agonizing over a damn shirt and just pulled out a black one and threw a white sleeveless hoodie over that. He was about to pull on some socks when a knock came from the door. Thinking it was Sora, he went and opened it, but it wasn't the brunette. It was Axel.
"I followed you up here, but I thought I'd give you a chance to put some clothes on." The red head looked the blonde up and down, a gleam in his eye. "You look nice." He offered jokingly.
"Shut up," Roxas muttered again, blushing furiously. He quickly grabbed his socks and walked out of the room, shoving past Axel. He had considered telling him to get out of the house, but the redhead probably wouldn't listen. He stopped mid stride when a scent overtook him and assailed his senses with a warm smell of cigarettes and cinnamon. His stomach lurched, like he was going to be sick, but it was a good feeling. It made him want to do things, it made him think things.
"You all right there Sunshine?" asked Axel, surprisingly looking actually concerned at the blonde's muddled look. He took a few steps toward him, and the smaller boy's body leaned forward of its own accord, taking in that wonderful smell. Axel's heart leapt in his chest at his proximity. "Sunshine…" Axel looked amusedly down at the blonde. "Not that I protest or anything, but we're in your hallway and that sister of yours is probably spying on us from around the corner."
"I am not hiding around the corner, I'm spying quite openly from the stairs thank you!"
Roxas jumped backwards at the sound, realizing he was now less than a foot away from Axel. His hands were clenched at his sides, and his heart was jumping against his ribs like a caged bird. His body was seriously reacting to the redhead, and Roxas was just getting more confused. I'm not gay, I'm not. He closed his eyes, but Axel's beautiful countenance swam behind his closed eyelids. He opened them and gasped; emerald eyes gazed into sapphire, concern showing in the green and stricken awe in the blue. Roxas stumbled backwards and retreated down the stairs, breathing heavily and hopping over his sister, who was sitting on the top step, clearly trying to hear their conversation. Axel pounded down after him, still concerned. I wondered if I scared him, thought Axel, a little scared himself. I really, really hope not.
Roxas didn't know what to do. He sat on the couch, the redhead on the other, both not sure what to do. Sora had run in when he heard them on the stairs, face flushed nervously and chocolate hair standing up even more than usual, but ran out again when he saw the looks on the two boy's faces. Whatever was going on, Sora didn't want to get in the middle of it. Rikku, however, was had probably followed them and was listening in from the next room over. Whenever either of the twins got more nervous or excited, it seemed like their hair reacted, and stood up on end. Roxas's hair, needless to say, looked like a porcupine. The redhead sat across from him, hands clasped tightly in his lap, casting quick glances at the blonde. He took a deep breath and said, "Well, do you want to go on a walk with me then Sunshine?"
Roxas wanted to say no, but instead found the words, "Yeah, I guess," coming out of his mouth. Cursing whatever made him say this, he stood up and put his shoes on. Axel already had his on, and just followed him out the door, waving at the nervous looking brunette and excited dirty blonde left behind.
oOoOoOoOo
They walked for a bit, the awkward silence broken only by cars driving past or birds flying overhead. The grey clouded sky mirrored the mood of the two boys walking below it. What am I doing, thought Roxas. I don't even know this guy. I don't know where we're going. He could like, kidnap me or something... I wonder where we are going.
"The park." The blonde looked up, startled.
"W-what?" He hadn't actually asked a question, had he?
"We're going to the park, if you were wondering. I like to swing on the swings. I'm too big for the slide though." The blonde looked at him, nonplussed. The slide? Swings? Axel was a bit like a child; he was compulsive, and he was hard to say no to. Roxas found he couldn't tell the redhead no at all, although he suspected Axel wouldn't pay any attention if he did say no to anything.
"Oh my God, it's a fucking squirrel!" To Roxas's complete embarrassment, the tall redhead started making what he though were squirrel noises at the animal. The blonde was starting to wonder if he was high or something, or if he was just like this all the time.
"They are everywhere, you know." Roxas added drily, wondering why it was such a big deal.
"Yeah, but this one isn't nesting in the walls of my room, so I like him."
Roxas started searching his mind for something to say to that when the red head said out of the blue, "You know my hair really is this color? It's not dyed or anything. And the carpet matches the curtains." And he had this huge ass grin on his face. Roxas just blushed, and gave up trying to make normal, human conversation. Axel snickered and started whistling, completely out of tune.
They finally reached the park and Axel ran over to the swings, grabbing one and jumping onto it, yelling, "C'mon sunshine! I'll save one for you!" Roxas, whose blush had just started calming down, turned red again. He thought, Man. Since when the hell do I blush? I feel like a freaking poof or tomato or something…
He sat down on the yellow swing next to Axel's, dragging his feet through the sand dug out by many swinging feet. "Axel, there's other people here. Don't make a scene."
"Aw, I won't."
"That's good, I wouldn't want to be responsible for someone I hardly even know." Roxas was still a little bitter about this morning. He still wasn't sure what he was thinking, agreeing to go with the redhead.
"I want to know you though, Roxas."
Roxas stopped breathing; the redhead's face was close to his again, and he could smell him. He realized that it was the first time Axel had said his real name, and not his ridiculous nickname.
"Axel…" he whispered involuntarily. His mind was telling him he needed to stop, Axel was too close. But his body was telling him completely different things. Axel leaned in even closer, and Roxas started to freak out, his mind telling him to back the fuck up, but his body leaning in closer of its own accord. There faces were unbearably close, the smaller boy's mind screaming at him to stop, when the grey clouds opened up. Axel looked up horrified.
"Shit! It's fucking raining! Dude, we gotta run back to your house!" Roxas, still completely dazed, didn't comprehend him at all. He was still out of it when the redhead grabbed his hand and made a headlong dash back to his house.
And then he realized he was holding Axel's hand. It was warm, almost hot. He looked up. Axel looked rather panicky and a little angry, as the drops were coming down thicker and faster. They reached the house, their breath coming in gasps, both soaked. Lightning forked through the sky, thunder booming not long after. The red head yelped and slammed the door. Roxas slipped his shoes off, shaking his hair to at least get some of the wet off. He looked up in surprise at the noise, thinking that Axel wasn't exactly the type of person to make that kind of noise, and froze, for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He couldn't stop himself from gaping and thinking, Oh my god, there is a fucking wet sex god in my fucking hallway. Holy shit. God, I really hope Sora doesn't walk in here right now.
"Uh, do you think I could borrow some clothes or something? I hate water." Axel looked sheepish and shivered. That did break Roxas out of whatever lovely dream his mind was in, though.
"Uhh… yeah, j-just come up stairs then." What the Hell is wrong with me?! He groaned, and made his way up the stairs. He grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt that he thought would fit the soaked redhead, who standing in his doorway and looking around curiously, because he was considerably taller and skinnier than the blonde was. He tossed them at Axel who, to his extreme embarrassment walked into his room, closed the door, and stripped right there. Roxas turned away. He didn't know if he could handle seeing Axel half naked in his room; he could hardly stand the thought. To occupy his mind, he tried to make small talk. "So, do you like, have a rain phobia or something?"
"I guess you could say that. I've had some bad experiences with water. I'm not really afraid of it or anything, it just brings up bad memories. I'd rather not get wet, you know?"
"Uh, yeah."
He turned when he thought Axel had had enough time to get the clothes on, just in time to see him pull the shirt over his head, the crimson spikes flinging themselves back into place. The shirt was about two inches too short, and he could see his hip bones; in fact, he could see every bone. Axel was far too skinny. Roxas felt a sudden urge to protect the redhead. He looks so fragile.
The redhead was quiet, but he plopped himself down on Roxas's bed, making himself comfortable.
"What?" Axel had started snickering.
"You're room, Sunshine. It's yellow, just like you!" The horrid color on the walls seemed to have broken Axel's momentary quiet. Roxas scowled. "You should change out of your clothes too, so you don't catch a cold." The mockingly motherly look on his visage didn't entirely cover up the excitement in his voice, presumably because of the thought of the blonde stripping. Roxas just took his clothes into the hallway bathroom, completely unwilling to strip in front of his new… friend.
He put on the clothes and walked back into his room, shutting the door and walking over to the bed before he realized what Axel had in his hands.
"That's my diary! What the hell, Axel! Where did you get it!?" He thought quickly over what he had written in the past few days, and swore loudly in his head. Oh fuck! I wrote about him in there last night. Piss piss pisssss.
"Calm the hell down, it was under your pillow. Don't worry, I didn't read that much." But the way he said it made Roxas think he had read it. Axel looked him right in the eye and asked, "Why do you think I'm confusing though?"
"You did read it, liar."
"Just the last page, and only like, two sentences. But quit changing the subject, why am I confusing?"
Roxas sighed. "Listen Axel, don't get offended or anything, but honestly, I don't want to just spew all my secrets for a guy I hardly know, okay?"
"Even if it concerns me?"
"Yeah."
Axel let the matter drop. He didn't want to push Roxas, not when the kid was probably already freaking out. He probably shouldn't have just waltzed in the front door and swept him off to the park, but it was the kind of spontaneous thing Axel did. The blonde's hair was still plastered to his cute face from the rain, and the redhead was honestly having a hard time controlling himself. He's just so fucking cute. Axel thought, while the subject of his thinking looked around the room and anywhere but at him. He better quit blushing like that, it's making seriously turned on, and I think the barging in and park was enough for one day.
Quickly thinking of something to distract himself, he asked, "So, what school are you going to then?"
"Whatever the local public school is, I don't remember the name."
"It's probably were I go then. Are you a junior too?"
"Yes, I am." Roxas glanced at him from under his lashes and Axel's heart skipped a beat. "You don't really look like a junior."
"I got held back a year." The thought really didn't bother Axel; most of his friends had been a year younger than him anyways. He was devastated, although he wouldn't admit it, when he had had to go to high school a year earlier than his best friend, Demyx. They had done everything together, and had been each other's first everything, and he couldn't imagine not seeing the blonde everyday, but it had worked out when he failed most of his classes in eight grade.
Glancing at his watch, he announced he had to go. They did have school in the morning, after all. Roxas showed him the front door, not saying much, and Axel promised to look for him tomorrow.
oOoOoOoOo
Axel went home and immediately called Demyx, waiting impatiently for him to pick up the phone.
"Demyx? Hey, It's Axel."
"Hey, what's up?"
Axel paused. This wasn't the first time Axel was calling the blonde because of a boy, but he didn't know what to say this time. Roxas was different. "Well, I'm just going to say it, Dem. There's this kid who just moved in, and seriously, I really, really like him."
There was an answering pause on the other side of the line. "That's great Axel. It really is. But how old is this kid? Do you really want to get into another relationship? I'm glad you like someone, but I'm just worried." Despite Demyx's usual carefree and bubbly nature, he was always worried about his friend. Axel had been getting into a lot more trouble in high school, mainly drugs and sex, and he couldn't help but be worried for his best friend.
"No, Dem, he's great! Amazing! He's so cute and sometimes he blushes and I just want to smother him in chocolate sauce and eat him, which sounds really perverted but it's not, and he does this cute thing sometimes where he crinkles his nose, and his hair is amazing. It's so blonde it's almost white and…"
Demyx listened to Axel talk and talk about the boy, interjecting an occasional sound of agreement or noise where it was needed. Maybe this kid was different. He hadn't talked like this about any of the others.
oOoOoOoOo
"Roxas? Are you okay?" Sora pushed the door open a little, looking at his brother lying prostrate on the bed.
"Yeah, I'm fine." His answer was just discernable from around the blankets.
He sat down next to him and laid a hand on his back. Sora wasn't stupid, though he might act it, and he was especially intuitive where the blonde was concerned. They were twins, after all.
"No, you're not, but it's okay. I'm here if you want to talk about it."
"Thanks, but not right now."
Sora got up to leave the room, but Rikku walked in and sat herself next to the two on the bed. "Okay, seriously, who knew there were gonna be such hot guys here?! Holy crap, he was like a sex god." She closed her eyes dramatically before looking back at the blonde lying on the bed. "So, when are ya gonna bang him? I want to be the god mother!" Sora giggled, but Roxas glared at her from behind a pillow.
"I'm not going to be banging anything, because first of all, Axel is a guy! And secondly, two guys can't have babies, did you ever listen in health class?" Roxas asked his joking sister severely.
"Yeah, no shit, I was just joking around, Mr. touchy-feely. Calm down."
"Yeah, whatever. Just leave me alone for a bit, okay?" His brother and sister sighed at the same time, all three wishing each other goodnight before the two went to their rooms.
Roxas got up to brush his teeth and turn his lights off, but then laid in his bed for hours, thinking about school the next day where he would have to see Axel. Thoughts of classes and teachers and other students filled his head, making it impossible for him to fall asleep.
AN: Well, this one was a little longer than the last one. I didn't add too much to this one, just some more lines and such. And some more Rikku. Yeah, she wants Axel, but no, she can't have him 'cause he's a flaming homo, but she'll get her day, never fear! And my lovely kind've editor brought to my attention that Axel seems terrified of water. Well, he's not terrified of it, he just really really doesn't like it. At all. There is a story behind that, and I'm sure it will come up at some point, but I don't know whether I'll go into any detail about it in this story, or if I'll explain it in another story I have in mind. And now you're probably thinking "Oh my God, she can't even finish one! What the hell is she thinking?!" but I promise, I'll get a decent amount of this one done before I even think about starting that one.
Reviewwwww! :o
-demyyyxkun
