CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Yuffie was quiet the next morning, touching Roxas almost hesitantly. He, for the most part, lay still and enjoyed the peace, squirming only when her strong, kneading hands strayed toward the bruises on his ribs. He heard only her small breaths of effort, the slide of skin against skin. Blue eyes blinked slowly at the door, trapped at half-mast, still puffy. The left temple of his forehead was a raised purple bruise, extending down almost without break to the site of the punch above the claw marks marring the flesh of his cheek. His head felt clearer after half a night's undisturbed sleep. Axel had stayed with him, just like he should have that first night, the blond huddled in his arms. It had been a salve, lying like that within the redhead's warmth, feeling his heartbeat against his shoulder. And every time Roxas had stirred and fluttered his eyes open, Axel had been watching him. He hadn't slept once.
When Yuffie arrived, Axel had used the opportunity to go shower and change. He was dropping his used clothes off at the laundry room, then continuing directly on to speak to DiZ. He'd promised to be back for when Yuffie left.
Towards the end of the session, the girl finally piped up, "Roxas?"
"Mm." The blond was enjoying, for the first time, the relaxation these massages provided. As much as he'd previously complained, he was sure he was going to miss them each morning, once they ceased in a couple days' time. He even thought he'd miss Yuffie, these rare moments when she wasn't tormenting Cloud.
"About yesterday…"
Roxas sighed. "I'm fine, Yuffie. Really."
"Oh, uh, yeah, that's good!" She flushed. "But I wasn't going to ask." She shrugged. "You'll have enough people bugging you about it, so I figured I'd be the first to let you have some peace." She pushed her hands down his bare calf. "I'm glad to hear you're doing okay, though."
"So what's up, then?" he asked curiously.
Yuffie bit her lip, thumbs working at the arch of his foot. "It's about – Leon. And to a lesser extent, Cloud and Cid." She paused, waiting for a reaction, but the blond lay silent. "Please don't blame them," she begged softly. "They feel so bad for not realising. I doubt Leon got a wink of sleep all night."
After a beat, Roxas replied, "Neither did Axel." His voice had an edge to it. "He spent the whole time watching to make sure the concussion didn't worsen."
'They are so close, aren't they? So close – all they'd need to do is look up, look at you, and they would know things weren't right…'
"I knew it," Yuffie said unhappily. "You're blaming them, aren't you?"
"Leon blames me," Roxas responded curtly. "Why shouldn't I return the favour?"
He got his ass whacked. "Leon doesn't blame you, he blames himself," she argued. "He knows it could've been so much worse – I mean, look at you, Roxas! It's bad enough!" She scowled. "If Leon ever says anything to you, asking why you didn't scream, if he gets mad or starts ignoring you, it's only because he's so eaten up, he can't stand it. Seriously, kid," she added earnestly. "You don't know how he gets."
"How the hell do you even know about it?" Roxas asked. "Did he tell you what happened?"
"Cloud did, what he knew," she admitted. "He's beating himself up, too."
"Better than getting beaten by someone else," Roxas mumbled, bitterness stirring in his blood. She let out a frustrated noise, hands becoming briefly hard against his flesh, dragging painfully, making him wince.
"I can't believe you," she muttered. "I mean, who was it that got you back so fast, huh? Who was it that found you?"
"They had to find me, Yuffie," he remarked patiently. "It was pretty obvious I wasn't around anymore."
"And who's fault is that?" she snorted.
"Not mine," Roxas snapped, lifting his head, twisting to glare.
"Well, it's not theirs, either!" she cried stubbornly. "It was whoever did this to you!"
"I know that," Roxas bristled. "Leon blaming himself is just stupid! It's not like he's the one who hurt me."
"So – you don't blame him?" Yuffie pounced, pausing, eyebrows raised.
Roxas groaned, bringing his hand around to wipe at his features. "I just – " He brushed his fingertips gingerly over his forehead, shifting the hair away from the abused flesh. "I wish they'd seen me." He sighed quietly. "All they had to do was – lift their heads, and they'd have seen."
"They know that, kid," she said softly. "That's what they can't get over. That's the kick in the teeth that's got them all wanting to punch the walls in."
"You can tell them I don't blame them, then," he said wearily. "I don't care enough right now to make an issue of it."
Yuffie finished him off, shaking her head. "That's good to hear, but they're not gonna give up that easy."
"Sucks to be them, then, I guess. I'm not going to hold their hands and tell them they didn't fuck up." He fought to keep the harshness to a bare minimum. He wished Axel would hurry up and come get him.
"Suit yourself," the girl replied neutrally. She clapped her hands together, clambered off his half-naked form as the door swung open, Axel keeping his promise right to the minute. He nodded distractedly at Yuffie.
"Thanks for taking care of Roxie."
"Just doing my job," she said lightly. She turned to the blond. "See you round, Roxas?"
"Sure, Yuffie," he replied, grunting as he pushed himself up to sitting, legs swinging around, toes touching the ground. The ninja left, leaving Axel to stare.
"What're you doing?"
Roxas glanced up, frowned. "Getting up?"
"No, no!" Axel crossed the distance between them, took his shoulders to press him back down. "You need to rest!"
Roxas batted him off, scowling. "I don't want to. I need to walk around. I'm not a goddamn invalid; it's not like I've never been beaten up before."
"You've never been terrorised like this," Axel snapped. "You've never been sprung like this!"
"Well, obviously you weren't watching my middle-school years too closely," the blond responded curtly. "Seifer more than primed me for this."
Axel grabbed him as he stood. Roxas' look of supreme irritation faded upon seeing the redhead's startled expression.
"You said – you thought maybe someone followed you from Twilight Town?"
"Yes, and you said it was impossible," Roxas reminded him. He tugged free, went looking for his clothes. "Besides, I would have recognised the voice if it was Seifer."
Axel deflated, theory shot down. Roxas took pity, dragging on his jeans, buttoning them as he said, "I know you want to find this person. I wish we could. But I really don't think it's going to just fall into place, Axel. And that's okay. I don't expect it to."
Axel scratched his head, fingers slipping under the wild spikes. He admitted, "I really don't think I'd be this calm if it was me."
"Look," Roxas reasoned, "it's freaky as hell – I'll give you that. I'm not saying I won't have nightmares, but hey, at least the guy didn't rape me. It's not like he couldn't have dragged me away if he wanted."
Axel's eyes slipped shut, a grimace tight on his face. "Don't, Rox. Don't talk about it so casually. It could've happened."
"But it didn't." The blond pulled on a shirt from the dirty clothing pile, after making sure it wasn't the acid-stained one. He hesitated, then went and slipped his arms around Axel's waist. "I'm okay."
Axel jerked a little, surprised, hands moving automatically to clasp behind Roxas' back. "I – I know you are. It's what could've happened that fucks me up…"
"So don't think about it. Jacktard."
Axel laughed, a release of sound and tension. "You little bitch, that's my word."
"Learn to share with the other boys," Roxas drawled, before raising an eyebrow. "But then, maybe I don't want to encourage that."
Another chuckle, softer, and Axel bumped their noses together. "No sharing, not of me, not of you."
Roxas smiled, slight uncertainty in the expression. He wanted to say, 'it better stay that way', but – well – with all that he'd learned, he was worried about coming off as… clingy. Or needy, or whatever. There was a little voice in the back of his head that wondered if he was using Axel, sucking up the offered love and affection to nourish his loneliness. If ever the day arrived that Axel didn't want him anymore, he didn't want to be – floundering around with nothing to buoy him. He didn't know if he could trust reality to be any longer-lasting than its counterpart.
Axel held him gently, watching the frown come and go across the golden features. He squeezed the blond slightly, bringing his attention back to the room with a tight smile. "How did it go with DiZ?"
"Well, I got you off, it that's what you're asking," the redhead said with a smile. Blue eyes widened.
"Seriously? Just like that?"
"Not 'just like that'." Axel rolled his eyes. "It's only because you've been virtually cursed from the moment you got here." He flicked his fingers at Roxas' chin, grinning wryly. "Never underestimate the sympathy vote."
"Huh. Cursed." Roxas lowered his gaze sourly. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
Concerned, Axel hooked a knuckle under the blond's jaw, angling his face back up. "We'll turn it around, okay? You're free to become a technician now. That means we can stay together."
Roxas' brow creased in thought. "What if – I mean…" He trailed off, meeting the suddenly intent green eyes hesitantly, flicking away a moment later.
"Roxie?"
"Is there – any rule that says we have to stay here?"
Axel blinked, drawing back slightly. A wariness passed through his eyes. "Is that what you want? To leave?"
Roxas pursed his lips, gaze determinedly averted. He shrugged a little. "Maybe. I don't really know for sure, but – is there?"
Axel shook his head slowly. "No. No rule. But, Roxas – this is… my home. Hollow Bastion. Everything I've ever known is here."
Roxas was suddenly furious, eyes widening in disbelief. He pulled away sharply. "Please, tell me you did not just say that," he said shakily. "You, who convinced me to leave all I ever knew – you did not just say that."
Axel realised his mistake, but saw no reason to back down. "Different situations, Rox. You wanted to leave Twilight Town – that's the whole reason I was allowed to bring you out. You've got to want it, and you can't deny even for a second that you did."
"And what if I want to leave here, too?" the blond demanded.
"Do you?" Axel repeated, growing frustrated. "I mean, you haven't exactly given Hollow Bastion a chance, but if that's what you really want, then we've got something to discuss. But you have to really mean it, Rox." Roxas folded his arms, glowering at the floor. Axel waited, eyebrows raised. When no answer was forthcoming, he let his hands drop to his sides, slapping his thighs. "Think about it, anyway," he said tiredly. "And in the meantime, how about we go get something to eat?"
Roxas relented reluctantly, glancing up, expression smoothing out. He sighed, nodded. "Yeah. Sounds decent."
"You sure I can't convince you to go back to bed? I have many obvious charms," the redhead half-heartedly tempted, a slight smile in place.
Pained, Roxas shook his head. God, he was such an asshole to Axel. "The last thing I need," he replied heavily, "is more time to think." He hands found his hair, fingers winding through the spikes. "I don't – necessarily want to leave, Axel. I just – want things to get better. Like you said: it's like I'm cursed."
"Yeah, well, I also said it's not going to last any longer. I'm making a stand, and you're gonna join me – no more bullshit for Roxie." He held out an arm. "Say it with me!"
"No more bullshit?" the blond echoed, faintly amused. He slipped his arm into Axel's, hooking them together.
"Again, with conviction," came the scolding response. Roxas shook his head with a smile.
"How about I just… join the techies?"
Axel brightened. "That'll work."
They went to breakfast, argument forgotten, Roxas leaning against him. They were earlier than most – there were only a couple people in at this time, Riku and Sora among them. Naminé stood with them over by the counter, the three of them murmuring quietly between themselves, Riku's arm around the brunet's waist as Sora tore apart a bagel with his fingers, eating it piece by piece.
Naminé's eyes lifted, the smile on her face dying as she caught sight of the redhead and the blond. She excused herself from the couple, who glanced over curiously as she crossed the dining hall. Axel's face darkened, his fingers clutching unconsciously tighter around Roxas' biceps. The blonde girl came to a stop, an anxious smile upon her features, eyes darting to Axel before settling on Roxas.
"Hi," she said, voice a little higher than usual. "I was – wondering if I could borrow you for couple minutes?"
Curtly, Axel asked, "Why?"
She lowered her head, saying softly, "Just for a little while… I'd like to talk."
"You can't talk with me around?" he challenged, eyebrow rising.
Roxas unwound himself from Axel's possessive grasp, ignoring the displeased glare. "It's okay. We can talk." He met Axel's gaze. "Wait for me, okay? Save me a seat."
Axel's eyes narrowed. He shot the blonde girl a sharp look, then nodded. "Fine, Roxas. I'll be waiting." He left them alone. Roxas fixed Naminé with a patient look.
"I see you got yourself untied."
She flushed, frowning at the memory. "That wasn't very nice, you know. I was only doing my job."
Roxas folded his arms over his chest, sighed. "What did you want to talk about?"
Naminé hesitated, hands twisting together. "I – well – I heard about what happened." In response to Roxas' incredulous look, she shrugged. "News travels fast." She studied him worriedly, eyebrows drawn together. "How are you?"
Roxas' mouth twisted dryly. "Do I suddenly remind you of fifth-grade?"
She burst into a nervous giggle, hand fluttering up to stifle it. "Now that you mention it…"
Roxas shook his head, arms dropping. "I'm fine. Really."
Naminé lowered her face, eyes blinking slowly, rising to meet his regretfully. "I'm – sorry, Roxas," she said softly, fingers linking together and plucking at her dress. "I – I can't help but feel partially responsible. My actions…"
Ah. Now Roxas understood. She had been motivated to find him out of guilt. He was growing impatient with people blaming themselves over something none of them had anticipated or could even control. "You couldn't know," he said sharply. "Like you said, you were just doing your job, right?"
Naminé looked disheartened, letting out a little sigh. "Right."
There was a brief silence between them. Naminé fidgeted, far less confident around him now than she had been in Twilight Town. He had caught glimpses of her at mealtimes, at the table where Sora and his friends sat, but this was the first time, since leaving her bound in the white room, that they had found themselves face-to-face. It occurred to Roxas, with a bizarre and sudden feeling of displacement, that it had been only five days ago. The last time he had spoken to Naminé, it was to argue with her. She had – told him lies back then, just like Axel. Only, her lies had been more manipulative. She had tried to force him to stay in Twilight Town, in order to keep his family from worrying.
He eyed her, thinking back to then, and back further to when he had crushed on her when they were kids. He tried to join the three Naminé's in his head, and figure out how he felt about any one of them now. Was he mad? Was he indifferent? Was there still a spark of affection in his heart?
To be honest, he was just… really tired. Too much had happened in the last couple days. His head was full, his heart wrung out and weary. He was sick of trying to figure things out. The easiest, most painless thing to do, would be to let it all go, and start from here. After all, if he couldn't find a way to do that with just a person, how was he ever going to build himself a life here at all?
"I hear you're the one that got rid of – everyone's memories of me," he said quietly.
Naminé grimaced. "I guess you hate me even more, then."
Roxas shut his eyes, rubbing at his head in an automatic gesture, flinching away from the pain it brought. "Nam, I don't hate you at all. You didn't do anything to me and Axel that hasn't been fixed by now, and – well…" He shifted his shoulders, took a deep breath, forced the words to come. "I mean, it's probably better this way, right?" An edge of desperation entered his tone. "They're not worrying. No one is. That's – good for them. My friends, that is. I wouldn't want them to… wonder."
Naminé's expression folded into compassionate sadness. "I'm – I'm glad to hear that. But still – I'm sorry. For… your pain."
Roxas' pain? Yes – there was… a lot of it. Specific thoughts wouldn't stick in his mind on the subject, but an awful hollowness haunted him. He gave a humourless laugh. "And I guess this is why you didn't go see your parents, huh? Why you lived in the mansion like that?"
Naminé's gaze dropped. She sucked in a breath, eyes glancing about the immediate area. She leaned a little closer, voice lowering. "A-actually I – I did go see them. Remember I told you?" Red spots tinged her pale cheeks. "I wasn't meant to, but I – I guess I just – even after all that time, I had to see for myself…" She shook her head shortly. "Silly of me. They're not real, and even if they were, they wouldn't have remembered me… not after two whole years… Only people I barely knew would have any vague memories of me, because they didn't matter as much, but…" She looked up, meeting his gaze, smiling slightly. "To all intents and purposes, they were my parents. Maybe their love wasn't real, but it still felt real. I always felt cherished. It was probably to counteract the trauma of the war – everyone in Twilight Town feels loved, unless they're determined not to. No one gets beaten, or neglected…" She tipped her head to the side. "It was plastic," she said softly, "but – plastic can be nice. Plastic's better than mud, right?"
"Better than…" Roxas dipped his head. "But at least… mud would've been real. I don't know, Nam. I just…" He sighed. "I'm going to go get some breakfast, okay?"
She frowned, disappointed, nodded. "Okay, Roxas. I'm glad we got to talk a bit. Thanks for listening."
He smiled, dug his hands into his pockets, nodded, and walked away. Axel was waiting moodily at the table, empty so far of the other techies in his group. He'd got two bowls of cereal, and was digging through his own while Roxas' got steadily soggier the next place over.
He sat, turning the bowl so the spoon was closer, and started eating. He waited for Axel to speak, but the redhead remained silent. Roxas darted over a glance, took in the sulking air, Axel's elbow on the table, hand holding his head as he scooped up some milk then watched it dribble back into the bowl with a scowl.
"Not hungry?" the blond asked quietly.
Axel grunted. "I'm fine."
Roxas smirked. "First Cloud, now you. Always knew you were anorexic."
"Shut up, short-ass." A ghost of a smile. A raised eyebrow, Axel's dirtier side irrepressible as he asked, "Does this mean you're going to punish me, now? I mean, before, Hayner was there, so I can understand not tying me up and spanking me right at the table…" While Roxas hung his head, fighting a full-body blush, Axel crept closer, apparently forgetting his bad mood. "I mean, this place is virtually empty…" He grinned wickedly. "We could give little Naminé a show she'd never forget. What do you say?"
Roxas rolled his eyes. "I think you're jealous of Naminé, that's what I say." He turned to face the redhead more fully, playing with his spoon, clacking it down into the bowl, swirling the milk. A mischievous glint came into his blue eyes. "And who could blame me?" he asked quietly, leaning in. "She's pretty cute, after all. Were you a techie when I was between the ages of nine and thirteen? Because I had a huge crush on her, I'd have gone out with her in an instant, treated her like a queen – "
Axel's hands snaked out, wrapping around the back of his neck, jerking him closer with a snarl. He ignored the startled look on the blond's face. "Enough – teasing," he growled. Roxas grinned cockily a moment later.
"Who's teasing? Maybe I'll go up to her once we're done here, ask her out for coffee – you guys have coffee shops, right? Maybe I lust after her, maybe I want to be a father someday…"
Axel was gone. Roxas sat blinking for a few seconds before realising the seat was empty, the rapidly darkening face no longer there. He hissed, "Shit," before leaping up and giving chase. Axel moved quickly, exiting the dining hall. "Axel, wait," he called, hurrying after him. The redhead ignored him, cut down a left-hand corridor. Exasperated, Roxas repeated, "Wait, damn it. I was joking, okay?"
He turned the corner, was grabbed and slammed into the wall. It hurt, rattling his sore head, sending slivers through the fingerprints in his flesh. He gasped, momentarily seeing stars, his vision filled with red and green, tattoos up close.
Axel glared intently, breathing hard. His eyes bore into Roxas', flicked around from feature to feature, refocused on the blue again. "You sure about that?" he asked at last.
Roxas was bewildered. "Yes, I'm sure. Let me go."
Axel's grip loosened, but didn't release. "You sure you're sure?"
"Axel…" Roxas shook his head slowly. "Look, I'm sorry. You're not that jealous of her, are you?"
His eyes narrowed. "She's been interested in your case from the beginning. She never said anything, but I always figured she liked you."
"And you figured I'd suddenly like her back? I'd like her better than you?"
Axel shrugged, stepping back at last. "Like you said, you had a crush on her before she left. What's to stop that attraction from kicking in again?" His countenance soured. "And hell, if it's kids your after, I'm not exactly going to deliver anytime soon."
Roxas groaned. "Jesus, Axel – I worked in a toy store, okay? I've seen what kids are like. I don't want kids." He stared at Axel, standing in the middle of the hall, face down-turned with a scowl in place. "Seriously, I'm sorry. I was just being a dick."
Axel glanced up, eyes narrow, a faint glint in his eyes, a shadow of a smile hovering once again. "You sound almost worried, there, Roxie. Scared I don't love you anymore?"
Roxas was quiet for a minute, still leaning against the wall, rubbing the back of his head carefully. "Is that something I'm likely to risk?" he asked at last. Axel's humour died.
"I'm sorry for – you know, throwing you into the wall."
Roxas exhaled sharply, managed a rueful curve of the lips. "I know, it's okay. I should've – stopped while I was ahead, I guess."
Axel shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly awkward. "So, what did she want?"
Roxas smiled. "Nothing much. Just soothing her conscience a little. It was feeling a burn." He fidgeted. "You don't need to worry about me going after Naminé. She's nice, but – not like that. I told you, I like you."
"And I told you that I love you," came the soft response. "Which makes it a lot further for me to fall if you happen to decide you can't be bothered with this thing we have anymore."
"We have a thing?" Roxas asked, grinning slightly. Axel stepped back to him, mouth lifting at the corners.
"I like to think we have a thing." He hesitated, hands halfway to the blond's shoulders. "Do we?"
"I like to think so," Roxas echoed. Axel leaned down, pressing his lips gently to the blond's. Roxas responded instinctively, relaxing against the wall, shifting his tongue out to meet the one that came questing. Axel sighed into his mouth, hands sliding back around Roxas' neck, pulling him closer. The blond settled his forearms against the chest against his – how long had it been since he'd walked into this chest, all those evenings ago? Who would've known that, in the end, he'd find himself against it, enjoying its presence, the warmth, the distant thunder of its heart?
A need for air made him eventually push the redhead back, Axel letting out a small grunt of dissatisfaction at the loss of contact. Roxas had to laugh quietly at the glazed look to the other's eyes, the sudden flush of his lips. Axel smirked a moment later, folding his arms against the wall over Roxas' head, stretching his legs out backward to peer down at the blond. "Well, well, Roxie. I'm pretty sure that was our first make-out session, and I don't know about you, but if this is what happens in the aftermath, you need to tease me about Naminé more often. Or you could just… tease me." His teeth flashed, a pointy, predatory expression that made Roxas falter. "I really don't mind, either way."
"I think I could do without the drama," Roxas muttered, trying to keep his voice steady. "Just teasing will be fine."
Axel laughed, delightedly, head thrusting back to let it loose. "Oh, I'm turning Roxie dirty, am I? Who knew it would take such little time?"
A sudden squeal from the left alerted them to the fact they had company, and a second later said company made itself known by colliding into them, a pair of arms wrapping around the pair and drawing them into a crushing tangle.
"OhmyGod, you guys are too cute together," Demyx crowed, jumping up and down. Roxas twisted his head desperately to find Zexion, anxious for a rescue.
"Demyx," Axel grated, trying to tug free. "You're crushing Roxas."
"I know! I can't help it!" Demyx's bright face turned in the blond's direction, before registering shock. "Whoa – what happened to you? Rough night?"
Roxas eyed him, squinting, wondering if this was some kind of allusion. "Not exactly."
"It was for me," Axel grumbled. "Not a wink of sleep."
Demyx's jaw dropped. "Holy shit," he gasped. "You guys! You – you - ?"
Axel shot Roxas a glance, asking permission, whether to inform Demyx of the truth or deepen the misunderstanding, Roxas wasn't too sure. Deciding to clear it up, he shrugged, said, "Dem, you think you could let me go? I got beaten up yesterday in the valley." As the arms fell away, he added, "No, I don't know who did it, I didn't see anything, it all happened too fast, and yes, I'm okay now."
Demyx was stunned. "Roxas! Jesus, that's awful! Is anything being done about it?"
Axel answered with a shrug, saying, "What can be done, Dem? He didn't see the guy." He placed an arm over Roxas' shoulders, drawing him in so they bumped together. "I talked to DiZ, though, and he's off the hook with the Committee." He glowered suddenly. "I'm sick of something going wrong every time Roxas is with them."
"It was only twice," Roxas broke in, frowning. "And the first time was my fault."
"Fine, the first time was your fault, the second time was theirs," Axel said calmly. Roxas exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
Demyx asked, "So – does this mean Roxas is a techie now?"
Axel grinned, tilting his head sideways to touch Roxas'. "Yep. He's all mine."
Demyx bounced happily. "But you'll share, right? I get Roxie sometimes, don't I?"
Axel growled warningly, snapping his teeth at the excitable blond. "All mine. I'll let you look, but nothing else. And don't call him that, the name Roxie also belongs to me."
"Uh…" Roxas raised an eyebrow. "And what am I left with?"
"An incredibly sexy ass. Which also belongs to me."
"You can keep your eyes," Demyx offered brightly. "No one's gonna be willing to scoop those babies out."
The other two stared for a moment. "I'm sorry, what?" Roxas attempted.
"I wasn't exactly going to hack off his ass, Dem," Axel muttered. "I prefer it on him."
"Oh. Right." Demyx paused briefly. "Okay, dismemberment bad, got it."
"Where's Zexion?" Roxas asked weakly, finding himself held just the slightest bit tighter against the tall redhead.
Demyx whirled in search. "He was right behind – oh! There he is!" He took off running down the hall, Roxas' eyes widening as the taller blond launched himself at the slender man who had just turned the corner and started towards their trio.
"Is he – always like this?" Roxas asked blankly, already pretty certain of the answer.
"Well, mostly." Axel smiled, bumped him with a hip. "He's not as psycho as he likes to appear, though. Dem's just fun, that's all."
Roxas wound an arm around Axel's waist, resting his head against the conveniently placed shoulder. "I'm looking forward to day that's calm," he sighed. "I don't know if I can handle 'fun' right now." Axel bit his ear, making him jump and yelp, trying to tug free. The redhead's grip held him in place, a grin in place as he looked down at the blond. "Axel, what the hell?"
"I'm making it a kind of fun you can handle."
Roxas huffed, squirming as Axel licked the site of the bite in quick apology. "Jesus," he muttered. "You've gotta stop that. It's like making out in the halls at school."
"You wouldn't know about that, though," Axel murmured. "You've only ever made out in the halls of – well, two feet over that way."
Roxas raised his hands to his hot cheeks. "Please. Shut up. Seriously."
Plastered with a Cheshire grin, the redhead relented, straightening as Zexion and Demyx approached, the blond inexplicably on the other man's back, legs hooked over his hands. He was like a kid at a carnival.
"Hi Axel! Hi Axel's Roxie!"
Axel nodded smugly, finding the use of the blond's name more than acceptable. Roxas rolled his eyes heavenward. "Hi again, Demyx."
"I heard about what happened," Zexion said, managing to sound calm and dignified, even with the child-like blond hanging over his shoulders. He did twitch as Demyx began sucking his cheek, nudging him off with his forehead in an attempt to maintain some gravity in the face of Roxas' beating.
"Damn it, Demyx, you can't keep your mouth shut for a second, can you?" Axel drawled.
Demyx instantly replied, with a wicked grin and a pinch at his lover's now-wet cheek, "Depends who's standing in front of me."
Zexion joined Roxas in the eye-rolling, hefting Demyx a little higher as he adjusted his grip on the man. "Actually, Demyx didn't tell me. I didn't know he knew. DiZ told me."
Axel was suddenly paying very close attention. "Excuse me? What was that? Why would he tell you something like that?"
"Because," Zexion responded patiently, "I'm going to be Roxas' mentor from now on."
Axel's eyes shot wide. "Oh, hell no! You've gotta be kidding me. I thought I was going to be mentoring Roxas!" He turned to the blond, adding, "See, that's what made it so funny that you were my mentor at the school, because I always figured I'd end up in charge of you once I got you out." He snapped his gaze back to the other man, the hair fallen across his eye revealing only half of Zexion's soul. "You're telling me I'm not allowed to even do this?"
Zexion shrugged. "I guess he doesn't want you thinking you got off. Just because Roxas has had trouble doesn't mean you're suddenly forgiven for sneaking him out in the first place."
"Man, that's bullshit," Axel declared angrily. "After everything Roxie's been through, he needs me around more than ever."
"Does he?" Zexion levelled his gaze at the diminutive blond. "Do you agree, Roxas? Is it a matter of need, or want?"
Roxas was startled, flashing a guilty glance up at the redhead, knowing the answer clearly. Axel's glare revealed that he, too, knew the truth of it. "Uh, well…"
"It doesn't matter about that," Axel snapped. "Fact is, that bastard's kept us apart for long enough. I've learned my lesson."
"Easy to say when you've got Roxas right where you want him," Zexion pointed out mildly. Demyx bit his neck.
"Bad Zexy!"
Zexion hissed, letting Demyx go. The blond, anticipating this, clutched even harder to the silver-haired man. Looking resigned, as if this were something he was quite accustomed to, Zexion said, "Axel, it's really not so bad. You're still allowed to see him, you'll both be technicians from now on, it's a huge improvement on only mealtimes together – be grateful. Roxas is shaken but alright, and you've lost the majority of the punishment. I'd keep my mouth shut if I were you."
Axel bared his teeth, moving behind Roxas to drape himself over the teen, sinking his head onto the blond's shoulder, sulking. "Fine. But don't be an ass to him. And I get dibs on being his sparring partner. And he gets his giant keys for weapons. And I get him at mealtimes. And you keep Demyx away from his goddamn eyes."
"Giant keys, fine, mealtimes you already have. As for Demyx…"
"Don't worry." The tall blond winked, over Zexion's shoulder. "Zexy'll keep me on a tight leash. I can go get the collar right now, if you want."
Roxas let out a noise of distress. "That's fine. Keep it hidden. Please."
"Hm, I don't know," Axel breathed into his ear. "That sounds kinda hot to me… As long as we switch Demyx with you, and the leash is in my hand, and we're somewhere in the general vicinity of my room…"
"Oh, my God." Roxas covered his face with his arms, struggling against the rumble of Axel's voice vibrating into his back. "Please stop."
Axel chuckled, and released him. "Maybe we can save that for later, then."
Unaffected by it all, Zexion said, "Demyx and I have to go get breakfast. Have you two eaten?"
"We've had food already," Axel confirmed. "I can take Roxie to the computer room, show him around a little while we wait for you guys. Sound okay?"
"Fine." Zexion, with his Demyx hunchback, passed by them. "Give us thirty minutes or so."
"No problem."
"Bye, Roxas!"
The shorter blond waved. "Bye, Demyx."
The pair watched them disappear. "I could totally carry you on my back," Axel offered. "I mean, if we're aspiring towards their little state of bliss, we may as well start now."
"Or we could always work towards our own," Roxas suggested hopefully. Right now, the very worst thing would be him on Axel's back… He wouldn't last, not after that most recent display. He could still feel the shivers.
Somehow, this answer made Axel break into one of the largest smiles Roxas had ever seen on the redhead. The pervert disappeared, leaving just – just a happy person in its wake, this bright, happy Axel. All Roxas had said was…
And suddenly he realised the significance of his words, and was surprised. No wonder Axel was grinning – he'd just… offered himself, it seemed.
And it was funny, but seeing Axel happy at this, made Roxas happy, too.
