Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. At all.
Warning: Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.
Author's Note: Yes, I'm back. I know it's been a very painful… three, four months? And to give everyone a brief run-down of what's been going on: I was dating someone, I was fighting with the person I was dating, and now I'm not dating at all. And this whole three-four month relationship felt like a thirty-forty year relationship.
While I was away, I…
Stopped working at the deli.
Got an apartment.
Built a bed.
Painted this apartment.
Dated and broke up someone.
And am no longer suffering from horrible writer's block / aggravation / heartache and know it's time to get back. I'm really sorry about the wait. I'm glad it wasn't as long as it could have been, but I hope you guys are still with me. I'm going to finish this story and I hope all of you faithful readers finish it with me. We're all pretty committed now, I think.
Onward to story!
Summary: Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a new set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what truly matters.
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.
Axel's Fables
•••
•••
By: Freekiwi
XII – His Secrets are Badly Kept
"Do you ever feel like you're only doing things because of the positive reinforcement or advice you're getting from other people?"
Axel shifted uncomfortably and passed Demyx a look. "I don't know." They were sitting on the blonde's bed studying dutifully for their upcoming exams. It was the end of April, nearing the end of school and the start of summer, and Axel had once again become a recluse. The moment he had shared with Roxas nearly a month ago had been undermined by the advice Naminé had given him. He couldn't forgive Roxas until he was ready to forgive Riku and he knew that if he spent time at the duplex, he'd only continue his descent into love for Roxas and his deep hatred for his former best friend.
Somehow he had worked the whole situation out so that everything was Riku's fault. No matter how many times he turned it over in his head, involved Mrs. Badcock and her games, Roxas' siblings, and the strangeness of fate, everything just pointed back to Riku and his ignorance.
Axel knew it was wrong, but he wanted someone to blame. He wanted someone tangible to blame and because Mrs. Badcock wasn't alive and because it would be much too difficult to be angry at Roxas, Riku was obviously the best choice. Friends could be replaced. First loves could not.
"What do you mean?" the redhead asked after a small, agitated sigh had passed Demyx's lips.
"Like… Like if you don't wanna be with someone, but you keep staying with them because your family and friends like them. Or like when you love someone, but everyone is telling you you're probably better off without them."
Axel gave the blond a look and then shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure if this was some kind of test or if Demyx was just talking. Ever since he had lost his notebook, he had been incredibly tense and fearful of nearly everything his boyfriend said. Everything seemed to, somehow, correlate to how the redhead felt about Roxas and Axel felt as if he was being subtly asked to tell the truth every time Demyx spoke. He felt as if the blond was trying to give him a gentle shove in the right direction. He felt like his boyfriend was trying to help him detonate some metaphorical bomb.
"Um…" Axel cleared his throat. "Maybe? Why are you asking?" he asked suspiciously. Attempting to be nonchalant was really no longer an option.
"I... well, I…" Demyx blushed. "It's just sometimes I don't think I should care much about stuff, but then people act like I'm crazy or messed up if I don't care, so then I feel like I should care because I'm being judged otherwise, you know?"
Axel stared. "No. I have no idea what you're talking about, Dem."
The blond made a frustrated noise somewhere in his throat. "Okay, look…" He shifted and looked at the redhead quite seriously. "Let's say you were cheating on me."
Axel froze, but quickly regained his composure. They were speaking hypothetically. Demyx didn't strike Axel as the type to beat around the bush about serious business and the redhead knew that if he continued to act strangely, the blond was going to start suspecting something was going on.
"And let's say, hypothetically, I didn't really care. So I tell my mom or Zexion or whoever that you cheated on me, but I'm gonna stay with you anyway because I don't really care. Now Zexion or my mom or whoever freaks out and says I should leave and I should be angry that you betrayed me and my trust. They make this big deal out of what I think is nothing and then next thing you know, I've cut your head off and put it on a stick in the front yard to appease all those people who wanna see you dead."
Axel stared.
Demyx made a face. "Hypothetically speaking."
"Right," the redhead mumbled. His mouth was suddenly very dry. "Hypothetically speaking."
"So… Do you ever feel like your life is ruled by stuff like that? Like your standards aren't high enough? Like you're disappointing the people who know you and love you and care about you because they're judging your lack of standards?"
Axel looked down at his textbook and made a scribble in the margin. He caught his lower lip between his teeth and then just shrugged his shoulders in response. Silence engulfed the room and Demyx found he was mildly annoyed when Axel's only response was to say, "I rather like my head attached to my body, you know."
••••••••••••••
"I think maybe Demyx is planning on killing me."
Naminé was slightly amused by this information. "Oh yea?"
"Yep." Axel stretched his arms above his head and let a small sigh pass his lips. "I hate trying to draw my own fucking face. I make myself look way more Asian than I really am."
Her head jerked up from her sketchbook and she eyed the redhead suspiciously. "You're not Asian at all."
"Yea I am," he replied quite seriously. "My mom is a quarter Japanese. That makes me like… an eighth or some shit." He paused. "And that isn't even the point. Demyx is trying to kill me. He's plotting my death with Zexion. He even said he was going to put my head on a stick and display it in his front yard."
"At least the cops will know where to find you," Naminé teased.
Axel sighed. "I'm for real, Nam." He wiped his charcoal-covered hand on his apron and turned to face the small girl. "He keeps asking me these questions that are like… 'Hey, Axel, do you like fooling around with blond boys like Roxas behind my back and if you do like doing that, should I rip your dick off and shove it down your throat or discuss this with Zexion and see what he says?'"
She looked up from her sketchbook and opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and just shook her head. A frustrated groan left her lips when the lead of her pencil snapped against the thick paper in her book. Axel watched her carefully and was quite grateful that they were alone in the art room. It was much harder to have a serious conversation with the slightly introverted girl whenever other people were around.
"What?" Axel prodded. "What did you wanna say?"
"I just… think it's kind of silly," she mumbled. "Haven't any of you come to realize that if you just tell the truth from the start, these kinds of problems wouldn't exist anymore? And I hope you realize that you stepping out on Demyx is sort of…" She hesitated, "Bullshit."
The redhead was mildly stunned by her word choice and found he couldn't effectively respond.
"And only because all you talk about is how badly you feel for Sora because of what Roxas and Riku did behind his back," she added quickly.
"That's different!" Axel stated much more loudly than he had meant. "That was his brother doing that to him! That makes the cheating like four hundred times worse!"
Naminé couldn't help but look the smallest bit bemused. "So… What you're saying is… It's not as bad to cheat on someone provided you aren't cheating on them with their brother. And if that situation does come up, everyone should be pissed off at the brother because he has an obligation bound by blood?"
Axel hesitated. "This is a trap, isn't it?"
She shook her head and closed her sketchbook. "I'm helping you come to a conclusion. Why are you pissed off at Riku?"
His green eyes narrowed and he gave her a cold, hard look. "Because he is an A+ prick, Nam."
"Why?"
Axel felt heat rise in his cheeks. "Because he… he… he cheated on Sora! Your brother! And… and –"
"But my other brother initiated the cheating. Shouldn't I hate Roxas?" she asked curiously. There was a knowing look residing behind her pretty blue eyes. Axel knew this was a trap. He should've stopped talking a while ago.
But now he was annoyed with her. She had been setting these small traps – "helping him come to conclusions" - for the past month and he had continually walked straight into them by mistake. He stood and glared hotly at her. "Shut up," he growled. "You don't… You don't know –"
Naminé stood too and she folded her arms. Despite her small stature, Axel found himself somewhat intimidated by her. For someone so little and so quiet, she sort of radiated an aura of power. She demanded respect from people. Her silence wasn't always one of serenity.
"I'm just trying to help you. The right thing to do is to talk to everyone and be truthful, Axel. Tell Demyx what's going on. Talk to Roxas. Talk to Riku. It's been months and all you're doing is taking a bad situation and making it worse. Did it ever occur to you that everyone would just rather forget the past and move on? Did you think that maybe by lamenting on all this, you're forcing everyone to relive a really bad situation over and over again?"
Axel blushed. He opened his mouth and closed it and then he shifted uncomfortably on his feet.
"You're leading Demyx on… It's not right what you're doing to him. And I know you're upset about Roxas and Riku but… but what are you really angry about?" Naminé asked gently. "What happened between my brothers and Riku… It had nothing to do with you. So why are you so angry?"
"Because it was kept from me, Nam! Everyone was keeping this huge secret from me! We're all supposed to be friends, but no one told me anything! And how the fuck am I supposed to feel when everyone waits around for me to love Roxas before dropping the bomb?" Axel gripped the edge of his apron with one of his dirtied hands. "It's fucking horrible to learn that… that the love of your life is a backstabber. That he could do something like that to… to not just his brother, but his twin. Do you realize what he could do to me? I'm shit to Roxas. He could… He could plot my death and not feel bad."
Naminé opened her mouth to refute his last point, but stopped when Axel continued speaking.
"I wanted so badly to be Roxas' first, you know? I wanted to show him that love doesn't have to be abusive or cruel. But Riku got to him first. I just feel like maybe I wouldn't be having such a hard time with Roxas if Riku hadn't messed with him. And I know Mrs. Badcock plays a role in this, but goddamnit, Nam, I want someone that I can blame and yell at. I can't yell at a dead person." He sighed and looked at his feet. "I want to be sensible, but Roxas scares the shit out of me and it makes me mad. And then I think maybe Roxas wouldn't be so scary if Riku hadn't played with him. And then I get jealous thinking about Roxas letting his guard down for Riku, but not for me."
A sad, small smile crossed Naminé's lips and she reached out to gently touch Axel's arms. "Roxas was a different person back then. Letting Riku in was easy when he was younger because he was inexperienced. But his trust was abused by our mom and he abused Sora's trust. Don't you think he's scared too?"
The redhead muttered something unintelligible under his breath.
"And I know you're scared Roxas is going to take your heart and smash it, but don't you realize that you have the same power?"
He rolled his eyes. "Except Roxas knows I'm not going to take his heart and eat it. At least I haven't given him a reason to think I'm a cannibal."
Naminé raised her brows. "Except… You've left him. Twice."
Axel gave her a very sour look and then removed his apron from his body. "I refuse to let this be my fault, so I'm –"
"Going home to fix it?" she asked eagerly.
The redhead glared. "No. I'm gonna wait for everyone to quit involving me in their stupid bullshit." He threw his apron on the ground and left the art room quickly, leaving his art supplies and Naminé behind.
Naminé didn't know what she was talking about. Roxas was evil. Riku was evil. They were all pure, unadulterated evil and she didn't realize that no matter what Axel did for Roxas and no matter how far they got away from this moment, Riku would always have a special place in Roxas' heart.
And that killed Axel.
••••••••••••••
Because Sora hadn't quit nagging him about talking to his estranged father, Riku had taken to semi-avoiding the brunet. While he agreed that getting a bit of closure wouldn't be the worst thing, he was also afraid that his father, who he deemed batshit crazy, was just trying to pull him back into some kind of game that he couldn't possibly win at. And Sora, ever the optimist, was convinced that no one could be so sinister. No parent could be so cold to their own child.
Of course, he quickly shut up when Riku brought up Mrs. Badcock. It was odd how her abuse hadn't harmed Sora's sunny disposition.
"Change your number," Roxas suggested helpfully as he stared down a bowl of cereal he had made but didn't particularly feel like eating. "Or answer it and tell him to sit on a dick."
Riku eyed Roxas suspiciously. "I can't tell if you're trying to be helpful or not." He poured a cup of coffee and added one teaspoon of sugar to it before taking a seat across from the blond at the kitchen table.
"Yea, sorry. Helpfulness isn't my strong point."
"Ya don't say…" Riku mumbled sarcastically as he sipped his black coffee.
"Hey, fuck you. I don't need your judgmental bullshit," Roxas growled.
He raised his brows somewhat questioningly but was not, in the least bit, fazed by the moody blonde's little outburst. "Your cheery spirit is killing me, Rox. Please try and take it back a notch or two."
"Sit on a dick."
"It's funny. The longer Axel is gone, the moodier you get," Riku mused.
Roxas' face burned with a mixture of embarrassment and rage. "Shut up. Fuck Axel. He's just playing games and I'm tired of him. I hope he never comes back. I hope he moves out and I hope I never ever have to see him ever again."
"Really?" Riku sipped his coffee and looked at Roxas over the rim of his cup. "He told me he was over everything and coming home today."
The change that suddenly overcame the blond was somewhat frightening. His features, usually hardened into a nasty look, softened considerably. There seemed to be a lighter air around him. The room seemed brighter. Roxas seemed much less like the hardened, hollowed-out husk he usually acted like and more like the way he used to be before he learned the devastating truth about how life actually works.
"Really?" the blond asked, trying his hardest not to sound too eager. "Is that for real?"
Riku shrugged. "Nope. Just seeing how much you love him."
Roxas blushed and his softer demeanor left. His face had hardened into that nasty, uncompromising look and he sulked with his bowl of Lucky Charms. "I don't love him."
"If you told him you loved him, he'd probably come home."
"Shut up." He stirred the contents of his bowl with his spoon. "I don't need to be in love with a self-centered jerk."
"But then you and Axel would have something in common!" Riku teased.
"What do you want?" Roxas growled. "What do you want from me? You have Sora. I'm all alone. Axel is out of the house. Things are your way so why are you messing with me?"
"Whoa, my way?" Riku glared. "What do mean 'my way?'"
"I think you got rid of Axel on purpose because you're mad that he wants to be with me!" Roxas yelled.
The older boy rolled his eyes. "You're delusional. You aren't the center of my world, Roxas. We all don't revolve around you."
"Then why in the hell would you tell him about my past whenever things are starting to be okay between us? If you're over me then why are you so intent on making sure Axel and I can't be together?"
Riku stood from the table and shook his head. "I'm not going to argue with you about some situation you just made up to make yourself feel better about Axel leaving. Instead of blaming everyone else, why don't you take some responsibility for your own shitty actions?"
"My actions?" Roxas stood and looked at Riku with exasperation. "My actions? And what exactly did I do?"
"This whole thing is your fault!" Riku roared, causing the blond across from him to retract slightly. "Open your eyes, Roxas! I've been taking all the blame for this for years while you've sat back and done nothing! Everyone feels so sorry for you because your mom took you for a fucking ride and everyone acts like that's some kind of excuse, but it's not! I did shitty things because I had a lack of parental control, but that doesn't fucking matter because my shitty actions are still my shitty actions! My decisions are my decisions!"
Roxas felt all the blood in his body rush to his cheeks and he looked away from Riku. He tried to ignore the burning shame that coursed through his veins and he hated how he could feel Riku's eyes burning holes into his skull.
A sigh parted the older boy's lips and he ran a hand through his hair. "Oh my God, please don't start crying."
Roxas jerked his head up and glared hatefully at Riku. "You didn't have to tell Axel the way you did. You didn't have to wait for him to… to like me the way he did and then tell him."
He shrugged slightly. "No… No, I didn't. You're right, Rox, and I'm sorry. I guess I just…" He paused. "I guess I thought that… That it would be okay because Axel loves you. I thought that he'd handle it better and he'd get over it quicker. I didn't think he'd take it harder."
Roxas played with the edge of the table and averted his eyes from the older boy. Silence engulfed the kitchen and neither boy said a thing. An apology was something Roxas hadn't expected and he hadn't been prepared for it. He had been expecting something much more hostile and aggressive from Riku. Perhaps some sort of harangue about how Roxas needed to man-up and how the blame for everything that had happened could be equally spread around to every person. An apology was new and different. It was very Sora-like.
Roxas jerked his attention towards Riku when his phone began to ring from his pocket. Annoyed, the older boy dug it out and made an extremely unpleasant face when he saw it was his father calling him again.
"You should… You should give him a chance," the blond offered.
Riku raised his eyebrows questioningly. "And why is that?"
He hesitated, but then he said quietly, "Because I never gave my mom a second chance and then she died."
Roxas was growing. Slowly, but surely, he was growing.
••••••••••••••
"Is Leon around?"
Cloud shrugged and didn't look up from his bike. He was tinkering with it. It had been making a rather funny, unsettling sound the other day and while he normally would have brushed this off, his cop boyfriend had begun to tick off all the dangers of riding motorcycles. And Cloud, wanting to keep things mildly calm (and shut Leon up), promised he'd give the stupid thing a glance over.
He had also taken the time to mention that if he had a new bike, Squall wouldn't need to be so worried about picking off bits of his body from the pavement.
"Well… Do you know where he is?"
Cloud shrugged again and reached up to wipe at his brow. It was hot for the end of April. Had he known this, he would've worn shorts or something, but he had decided pants would be all right. He had also decided to remove his shirt, but he knew he'd be sunburned by the end of the day.
"Well…" Demyx looked at his feet and swayed slightly. "I'll just wait for him to come back."
Cloud glanced at the blond from over his shoulder and then shrugged again before turning back to his bike.
And Demyx, lonely and desperately needing someone to talk to, meandered over to Cloud and let out a deep, deep sigh. He circled the bike (and the older man) and stared up at the sky before releasing another deep, distressing sigh. He put his hands in his pockets, he scraped his feet across the pavement, and then he opened his mouth to breathe out loudly again, but Cloud cut him off.
"What?" he growled. "What's wrong with you?"
"Oh gosh, I don't wanna bother you with my problems," Demyx replied.
Cloud shrugged and turned his attention away from the blond. "All rig –"
"I'm just so confused and my heart aches, you know? Because I don't know what to do about Axel or Zexion. I'm just… My feelings are everywhere. And Axel has really been upsetting me. I just… I don't know how I feel anymore and it's really upsetting. I've always been pretty sure of myself, but I think it's because I always had people telling me what to do. And everyone kind of agreed on what I should do. But now I'm getting all kinds of crazy advice and I know you're Axel's cousin and I know Leon is Zexion's cousin and I just thought maybe I could get some clarity from Leon and then maybe talk to you. But now I don't know."
Cloud stood up from his spot on the ground and wiped at his brow again. "That's… interesting, but I don't think I –"
"And I just think Axel is up to something and I don't think it's good. There's something wrong with him, you know? He's all… I don't know. He's all secretive about stuff. And when I try and talk to him, he acts all tense and weird like I know something he doesn't want me to know. But I don't know anything!"
The older blond couldn't help but mutter, "That's an understatement," but it didn't perturb Demyx one bit.
"I just think maybe I'm making the wrong choices, but I don't know because I can't really get an accurate read on Axel. And I dunno what to do about Zexion! He barely talks to me and I don't really talk to him and it's been hard because Axel is always around! And I like Axel, but that's just the problem, Leon's Boyfriend, I thought I loved Axel and now I'm not so sure!"
Cloud's eyebrows came together. "Cloud."
Demyx stared. "Huh?"
"Cloud. My name is Cloud, not 'Leon's Boyfriend.'"
Demyx nodded slowly. "Right. Okay. But… see… We're talking about me right now, so… Yea. I don't really know what to do and I just need advice and I mean good advice. Not shitty advice like "do what you think is best" or whatever other nonsense. I don't know what's best, which is why I need the opinions of other people to make a well-crafted decision. Then when stuff goes wrong, I don't have to blame myself."
Cloud wasn't sure if Demyx was purposefully ignoring his clear annoyance or not. He didn't know much about the kid other than that Leon's cousin Zexion was madly in love with him. Why this was so, Cloud wasn't sure because he had spoken to Demyx for all of two minutes and he just wanted to punch the kid in the mouth and call it a day.
"So tell me what to do! Or get Leon and make him tell me what to do! Because I can't make a good decision right now because I don't know what to do about Axel or Zexion! And I tried talking to them, but, like I said, Axel acts all sketched out and I barely speak to Zexion! And it's really awful because Zexion and I used to be so close! We used to be best pals and now we're like… afraid of each other! And it makes me sad, you know? Because I feel like Axel is ruining my relationship with Zexion but Axel is my boyfriend so I feel badly choosing Zexion over him, but I want to because Zexion knows me so well and he's known me for so long and sometimes he's crusty and brittle and a douchebag, but I know he doesn't mean it and I know that deep down he's a good man. He's loving and caring and he'd do anything for me because, you know, I'm important to him and stuff! And I think maybe I would do anything for him because I miss the way things used to be! But then there's Axel and he won't go home and leave me alone so I can't think and –"
Cloud felt a vein in his head throb and he stared at Demyx blankly as he rambled on and on. Leon was somewhere around, but the blond wasn't sure where. Originally, he thought Demyx was Zexion which was why he only shrugged. Had he known it was this exceptionally talkative dip, he would have called Leon over in a second to get him to deal with this dramatic, teenaged bullshit.
"—so I just think that maybe if I had good advice from third parties, I could maybe –"
"I don't care," Cloud interrupted. He ignored the hurt that crossed the blonde's face. "Just dump Axel. He's in love with Roxas anyway. He's been writing those fables for him. For like… marriage or some other weird, Indian-esque betrothing shit. So go date Zexion and chop Axel out of the picture. There, problem solved. Now leave."
Demyx's lips parted slightly and he looked at Cloud as if he had just slapped him in the face. "What?"
Cloud raised his brows. "I said –"
"No, I heard what you said," he unintentionally snapped. "But… But I didn't know those stupid fables were for stupid Roxas. You know how long he's been writing those fables? Since like… before we were really anything." He glared hatefully at nothing and anger burned red in his cheeks.
Cloud shrugged. "I guess you got used. Why don't you go find Axel and talk him to death about it?"
Demyx frowned deeply and stared at his feet. "I can't believe him. He used me! He's been using me! I suspected there was something there between he and Roxas, but Roxas said there wasn't and… and why would he even date me if he loved Roxas?"
"I… I don't know. You should go home and ask him."
"Why would he do that? Who the fuck does that to someone?"
Cloud shifted uncomfortably. "You're not gonna cry, are you?"
Demyx glared. "No!" he yelled defiantly. "I guess douchebag runs in the family!"
Cloud's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak, but Demyx had already taken off.
Maybe he wasn't so stupid after all.
••••••••••••••
Hey. I told Demyx about all the bullshit. He's mad. Good luck.
Axel stared at the text message and his brow came together in confusion. He responded with, What bullshit? and eagerly read Cloud's quick response.
I told him about your weird marriage thing with the fables and that moody prick you're after.
His jade eyes went wide and he had the sudden urge to run. Humiliation and guilt burned in his stomach when he realized what a coward he was and this was only made worse when he realized he wasn't even at Demyx's house. He was in a coffee shop five or six blocks away. And Demyx wasn't exactly a force to be reckoned with.
Axel really needed to man-up. All this running business was shameful.
Okay, first of all, how did you even know about the fables and my love for Roxas? And secondly, why would you tell my CURRENT BOYFRIEND?
Leon told me you loved Roxas. And everyone knows about the fables.
Axel glared at his phone. No, everyone does NOT know about the fables. And why did you tell him? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
He wouldn't shut up and I didn't know how to make him go away.
The redhead felt his jaw tense and he rubbed at his face. He was stressed. He was already stressed about Roxas, the loss of his notebook with all 42 fables in them (plus the page in which he proclaimed his love for Roxas), and now it was all out in the air. Demyx now knew and there was no doubt that the blond was going to be pissed.
And Zexion was going to want serious revenge.
You are a troublemaking twat, Axel texted. Next time you want someone to stop talking, do what Leon does to you and shove your dick in their mouth.
At least the guy I love loves me back.
Axel's face burned red in embarrassment and he was glad that their conversation was taking place through text message. He wanted badly to respond with some three page rant about what a douchebag Cloud could be and how all this business with he, Demyx, and Zexion, had nothing to do with Cloud or Leon, but he refrained because he had bigger problems to deal with.
Namely Demyx and Zexion. It wasn't so much Demyx he feared. It was Zexion. He was a scheming little bastard who took substantial amounts of joy in causing Axel extreme stress and agony. To make matters even worse, Axel had just scorned Zexion's love interest. He had hurt Demyx and the redhead knew that Zexion would want him to pay.
And pay big.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" he mumbled to himself as he began to scan the address book in his phone. He quickly found Naminé's name and texted her a brief, but detailed, message about what had occurred in the last two minutes.
You're going to hate me for saying this, but it had to come out sometime. Just like with Sora and Riku. Eventually, things were going to crumble.
Axel glared hotly at her response and made a mental note to remember that Naminé was VERY unhelpful when she thought Axel was in the wrong.
He didn't know why he did it, but he grabbed a fistful of napkins from the dispenser on the table and he grabbed a red ink pen from his pants pocket. Eventually he was going to have to face Demyx, Zexion, Riku, and Roxas. He was going to have to stop running. Time had run out for him and now there was no place left to go and there was nothing left to do except to tell the truth and accept the fact that everyone was sorry.
That Riku was sorry (but still a total douchebag).
That Roxas was sorry (but still a heart-smashing brat).
And that Axel was sorry, too (but still no better than Riku nor Roxas).
A sigh parted his lips and he uncapped his pen. The loss of his notebook hadn't deterred him from writing. He figured that if Zexion did have his notebook, the schemer would've, by now, threatened or blackmailed Axel. It was misplaced, he figured, and though he was slightly worried about his fables, he at least had the new stories he was writing. The only page he had torn out from his notebook was The Pen and the Hand. Everything else was wherever his notebook was.
We're All Liars
The Childish Musician had been duped. Just like the Redhead had been duped by the Secretive Best Friend and Blond Boy, the Childish Musician was left alone with only the knowledge that the Redhead had been stepping out on him. And the Redhead, who did feel guilt and did feel repentance, couldn't help but note that his anger at the Secretive Best Friend and Blond Boy wasn't wholly just.
Demyx was used by me just like Sora was used by Riku. And I guess we're all liars and I guess this isn't exactly something I would want to share with anyone. So maybe Riku and Roxas had a reason to hide their secret from me.
Take note. This is how messed up life will always be. People will point out what you're doing wrong or try and help you correct your mistakes or give you friendly warnings or advice, but no one ever listens because everyone wants to learn on their own. None of the advice I received mattered until now because it isn't until I'm trapped in this shitstorm that I realize I'm not much better than Riku or Roxas or anyone else.
We're all liars. We all want to learn by our own mistakes even if it means hurting other people or causing more problems for ourselves or others. We're all just a little bit self-centered and we're all, at some point and on some level, looking for what makes us happy.
And it sounds really terrible, but when the shitstorm clears and everyone is holding hands with the people they're supposed to be… That's the happy ending.
••••••••••••••
"I'm going to kill him."
Axel's notebook sat between Zexion and Demyx and it was flipped open to the page where the redhead had loudly pronounced his love for Roxas. The blond was gripping the edges of the countertop so hard his fingers were white and Zexion, calm and collected when dealing with conflict that didn't directly involve him, watched his best friend carefully. The urge to say "I told you so" was almost overwhelming, but he knew now wasn't the time to be smug.
"I have a better, and much more legal, idea," Zexion offered.
Demxy raised his brows. "Like what?"
"Let's destroy what he loves most."
The blond snorted. "Right, so… Let's kill him."
Zexion shook his head and reached out, grasping the notebook and waving it in front of Demyx. "No. Roxas. He loves Roxas. These stupid fables mean everything to him because they're for Roxas. And if we destroy the fables, we destroy anything between him and Roxas."
Despite his anger at the redhead, Demyx felt that that was a little mean. He wasn't a nasty person at heart. It wasn't really in his nature to be cruel. And though he threatened people with death quite often, he never really meant it. He couldn't kill a fly if he wanted to and his outward confidence was really just a charade. Demyx was weak. And by tomorrow, he would be significantly less angry at Axel. And by the next day, he would have mostly forgotten about everything.
"I don't know…" the blond mumbled. "Maybe… Maybe that's pushing it, Zex…"
"Pushing it?" His cold eyes narrowed. "He used you. He was sleeping with you and probably sleeping with Roxas at the same time. You poured your heart out to him and said you loved him. He's been mooching off us for what feels like years. He played you."
Demyx's grip on the countertop had slackened and he looked down at his fingers. "Zexion… I slept with you while I was still dating him."
The shorter boy blushed. "Yes. And I'm still trying to recover from that."
"Yea, sorry. I can be rough sometimes and I –"
He blushed harder. "No! I … I meant emotionally and… and that's not the point. You didn't use Axel. Every time he and Roxas had a hard time, he was all over you. Why do you think he's been over here so much recently? A sudden surge of adoration for you or because he's been quarreling with Roxas?"
Demyx shifted, unsure of how to answer that question. Axel didn't exactly seem quite that devious. Maybe a slight manipulator when he really needed or wanted something, but nowhere near as devious as Zexion was saying. The whole plan seemed too well thought out for Axel. The situation Zexion described seemed more like something that would occur within someone's subconscious. Not so direct and… on the surface.
"I don't know, Zex…" Demyx mumbled.
"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't you want to kill him all of twenty seconds ago?"
"Yea, but I wasn't serious. You know me… I don't mean half the shit I say. And I just know Axel's been working so hard on those fables. Destroying them seems…" The word 'mean' lingered on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't let it spill out.
"Just?" Zexion questioned. "He's been working hard on them to win the heart of someone else. Does that not hurt you? Does that not nip at your very being? Does that not shake your already dubious self-confidence?"
Demyx stared. "… Maybe a little?"
A sigh left the shorter boy's lips and he gripped the notebook tightly. "Okay, fine. Then we just pretend we're going to destroy it. Let's shake Axel's world a little. Is that better, Goody-Two-Shoes?"
The blond nodded eagerly, quite happy to send the redhead's world tumbling down some steps.
••••••••••••••
His fingers ghosted over the keyboard on his phone and he reread the text message he had typed, but not sent. Roxas was right. Sora was right. His dad was trying to get in touch with him for a reason. His dad wanted to talk. His dad wanted to see him. And maybe closure wouldn't be so terrible. Riku was one to lament in the past and if his dad did just up and die, he knew that, at some point (probably during his mid-life crisis), he'd bewail over why he never spoke to his father again.
"Hey…" Sora knocked gently on the older boy's bedroom door.
Riku glanced over his shoulder at the brunet and mumbled a little 'hey' before hitting the 'send' button and closing his phone. He'd meet his dad at the bakery he worked at. He'd meet him at eight and they'd grab a coffee or something like that. They'd talk. And it would be okay.
He hoped so, anyway.
"Kairi, Naminé, and I have decided we need to sit down with Roxas and talk to him about mom," Sora said as he walked into the other's room and took a seat next to him on his bed. "We're all kind of tired of him getting a free pass to act like an ass. And… I'm kind of afraid he's going to scare off Axel for good. I think they'd be good together. Axel's annoying and sometimes he makes me want to smother kittens, but I think he's good for Roxas."
Riku didn't see how someone who made others want to smother kittens would be good for Roxas, but he didn't question it.
"I think we're going to talk to him tonight. And maybe when we get everything out in the open, he'll… I don't know. Blossom or… whatever."
Riku smirked. "I see you guys have really thought this one out."
The brunet gave him a playful smack on the arm. "Shut up."
Silence fell between them and Riku's phone buzzed from his pocket. He dug it out and read the message from his dad. His stomach did a little flip-flop at the confirmation to meet and he shifted uncomfortably next to Sora.
"I'm gonna meet my dad tonight."
Sora raised his brows. "I guess everyone is looking for closure tonight, huh?"
Riku wrapped his arms around the small brunet and laid back on his bed, taking his boyfriend with him. "I guess so."
They really didn't have the faintest idea how correct they were.
A/N: Okay. This is probably the shortest chapter of AF I've written. It's only about 7000 words. To put things in perspective, the other chapters are around 9-11k, sometimes longer. This was exceedingly difficult to write because I'm at a weird place where I'm right at the end, but if I kept this chapter going, it would have ended up being 15000 words and the last chapter. So… The next chapter is probably the last. I don't know if I'm splitting it into two or if I'm going to put it all into one. Either way, I might add a final chapter that's a sort of epilogue (but not like the Harry Potter epilogue which was just cancer).
I know this is short and it's been like three months since I last updated. I'm really terrible and I need to get a handle on my life. Actually, even now that I've got a handle on things, I've just had some really terrible, horrible, awful writer's block. For those of you reading GC, you'll be pleasantly surprised to know that I had a brief respite from my horrible writer's block at 4:00 A.M. and banged out most of the chapter. So that's that up.
A new Axel x Roxas story will come sometime soon after this one finishes. I don't know how soon. I might not even post it until I'm midway through GC. But I'm pretty impatient and once I have something good written, I'll probably slap it right up for everyone to see.
I'm really sorry about how late (and short!) this is. I guess I actually perform better under the stress of school and work than I do when I'm doing absolutely nothing. I hope you guys are still with me and I promise, promise, promise the last chapter will not come with a 3 month wait. That's just terrible.
Again, thank you to Aindel S. Druida. She beta-edits my stuff for me and she is a master of the English language. She also happens to be a comedian. So… Two very good reasons to give her profile a gander.
Thanks for favoriting, alerting, reviewing, and tapping my story's ass. You guys are patient and wonderful.
I did NOT reread the 'Thank you for Reviewing' section AT ALL this time. Excuse any glaring grammatical errors or shit that makes NO sense. I want to get this posted ASAP. You may laugh / point out my flaws in your review and show me why I need to reread this section.
Thank You for Reviewing:
Sana-chan9: I guess that is the upside of how late my update was. Pretty much everyone is on summer vacation which means no homework which means free time which means reading my stories all you want until your heart's content. I actually never meant for this story to be longer than five-ish chapters because of how long each chapter was. I think the next chapter is going to be the last (or maybe the chapter after that. I'm not sure yet). I might be so inclined to do an epilogue of sorts, but I'm not sure. I don't think there will be a sequel though. I didn't really set AF up for that and I actually kind of hate sequels.
IchiakiI: Yea, I'm really glad fanfiction decided to fix whatever that weird error was. I'm also glad people saw my plight on my profile and were willing to give me a hand. Sometimes I feel seriously technology stupid.
This story can't go on forever! Eventually, Axel has to finish writing and he has to get his book published (or not) and eventually everyone has to forgive each other and all that stuff. On the upside, the initial thought "okay. I'll write one chapter story and that's it," but that's definitely not panning out. So hooray! At least another Axel x Roxas story will be on the way soon.
Kit-KatSoraTwix193: Ugh, I'm not so motivated. I could never, ever write stuff on my iPhone (or iPod). I have a netbook and I seldom write on that because the size of the screen annoys me. I'm kind of spoiled with my desktop because the monitor is nice and large. I'm glad you like this story so much! Unfortunately, it's coming to a close. However, I'll probably end up posting a new A/R story soon!
Animeluvr4life: I'm really trying to incorporate everyone at this point. The last chapter will have a lot of the characters coming together through… mostly random happenstances. It'll also have a lot of much-needed honesty occurring which is good because I'm so tired of going back through my story trying to remember what was said to who. Readers so much better at noticing discrepancies.
Reku14: She's definitely the voice of reason and you're mostly right. Zexion didn't just outright tell Demyx because he's smart and he knows that he could use the notebook for other purposes than just ratting Axel out.
Foreveryouandme: Unfortunately, I think this is how most people are. Err… This would be an extremely exaggerated scale to follow, but I think the majority of people lie, cheat, backstab, and are wildly selfish. Not all people, but definitely most. And everyone has the ability to be that way. The trick is not being an asshole and striving to be a good and just person.
Wheww: Ahhh, thanks. I know the wait for an update has been excruciatingly long! I don't abandon stories though. Not if I can help it, anyway.
Vithian: Hahaha, thanks. I'm glad someone doesn't mind about the lateness, but daaaaang. I hate saying "oh, hey guys. It'll be posted –blah-" and then I disappear and don't post for nearly three months. That makes me a dillhole. A huge, aching, sweaty dillhole (enjoy that). I don't think I can drag this story out anymore. Actually, I probably could, but I won't because I don't want this to end up like Inu-Yasha where there is no real ending and an ending should've happened a looooong time ago.
Xacilia: You're right. Happy endings don't just fall on everyone and even though things will eventually work out, they don't always initially. To be honest, if this were real life, Axel and Roxas probably wouldn't last. In this particular story, I feel they're both just… really different and Axel is pretty stubborn. I think Axel's jealousy/stubbornness would get in the way of Roxas just wanting to move on. They'd end up in marriage counseling. Which kind of makes for a funny story idea.
Mute: This review makes me smile. I didn't know anyone gave a shit what was on my profile much less knew where my lyrics are from. I figured the majority of readers on ffnet were, you know… twelve-ish and didn't listen to Kid Cudi (at least… they shouldn't be). I was going to change my lyrics back to KC, but then I read this review and was like "poop. I already used those lyrics."
I updated my story during exams. ._. And I should've been studying too. I actually ended up working all evening at the deli, going home and staying up all night to finish writing a 20 page paper about stupid fucking Hippocrates, and then going into work at 9 A.M. the next day only to finish my paper two minutes before class started. I think I got like… a B. Which was FAGGY. I certainly hope you did much better on your exam.
Actually… I feel like my depiction of Zexion is… um… wrong. But only because I've barley played KH: CoM or KH: Days. I've had a few glimpses of his personality (and I read up on him on Wiki!) and he just… seems like an ass to me. Like he probably could be a nice guy, but… No. He doesn't want to be. I think if Zexion existed, he'd be a cynic. And I also think Zexion, who's all about "an eye for an eye," would exact revenge on anyone who dared to harm him or the people he cares about. Which sucks for Demyx because Demyx isn't "an eye for an eye" person, but he goes along with Zexion to avoid hurting his feelings. Demyx, I feel, would probably operate based on how other's felt to avoid judgment. So even if he calms down and goes, "okay… Axel is human. Everything will be okay," he feels guilty / judged because he knows Zexion will disagree. Or… That's how I see it in my mind, anyway.
Yea, Sora's kind of… the golden boy in all of this. He does forgive eventually because he just… doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge. I mean, I actually did play KH: I & II and I noticed that Sora could give a shit what people do so long as they're sorry. I mean, goddamn, Riku betrayed the shit out of him and was really damn mean and then when he was all, "Sorry, bro…" Sora was like, "It's cool. Let's go for ice cream." I just don't think he has it in him to be angry and hateful. I think Riku, Roxas, and Axel do, but even then it's only to a certain extent. Part of Sora's forgiving nature is love. You're a lot more likely to forgive someone if you still love them or care about them. People can do some fucked up shit and you're capacity to forgive is tenfold when you love them.
Love also has to do with why Axel acts the way he acts. He loves Riku (on a brotherly/friendly level) and he loves Roxas (on a romantic level) and it sucks that they both lied to him. Had Axel not known either of them and met them in college, he'd probably just be like, "that's some fucked up shit" and try his best not to get involved. I also feel that the more stressed out Axel gets, the less arrogant and cocky he is. He ran away, he knows he's being a coward, and so there's nothing for him to be cocky about.
You're completely right, by the way. Real love is showing someone where the line is. Because Axel is attempting, in some roundabout, mildly fucked-up way, to draw a line in the sand, he's making sure he protects himself and helps Roxas. If there was no boundary, no punishment, Roxas could easily take advantage of Axel. Having Axel punish Roxas, even though it's a little silly, means Roxas will think before doing stupid shit. He'll remember how much he hurt Axel, what Axel did, and then he'll (hopefully) think before he acts. In turn, it makes him a better person.
Actually, I was trying to avoid listing Axel's major, but I think if you asked, he'd be an Art Major of some sort and what Roxas said would have just been a guess. I didn't want to get too much into what they were doing in college because I knew I'd forget and then somewhere along the line fuck up the storyline. Naminé is definitely an Art Major, but she should actually probably be a therapist or something. Though maybe she's too shy for that.
Thank you. I really enjoyed your review because it's nice to have long feedback especially when it isn't just about the grammar of the story, but also about the content. I like it when readers tell me what they're thinking or what the story means to them. It means this thing actually has depth and someone is seeing that. I want GC to be the same way.
Cloud is Axel's cousin by adoption and the same goes for his brother. I'm still cycling trough which person I want to be his brother. Though he'll probably only show up in the last chapter (along with Axel's parents!).
I saw no grammatical errors in your review so kudos to you. I'm sure I've made mistakes. I reread these things once and then I post up the story. Sometimes I don't proofread at all so… I hope everything made sense.
Thank you so much for reading and leaving your wonderful feedback. I absolutely love it.
The Moon's Berserk: Right! Letting Roxas get away with the way he acts means he'll keep acting that way! So far, his siblings have done little to nothing to rear him and now he walks around being gloomy and kind of annoying.
I always view Zexion as being kind of a prick. In my world, a nice, sweet, docile Zexion doesn't exist. I think in rare instances you see it (like with Demyx), but otherwise I think he's pretty cold and calculated.
Sunny side of cookies: I'm still on the fence about Axel's book, but you'll know within the next chapter. I can also see why you wouldn't like Sora. I don't mean to make him self-pitying, but I do mean to make him the voice of reason. I wanted it to be him over Naminé because he was directly involved in all the bullshit that happened. I figured he was a better fit. I also figured because Sora has an amazing capacity to forgive, the role of voice of reason wouldn't be too off for him. But yea, I can definitely see how annoying he can be.
Why do you hate Riku? Just in this story or like… forever and always? I've never actually met someone who disliked Riku all the time. I'd really actually like to know why.
No mobs and pitchforks, please! Something large and strange smashed into my window a few days ago. I'm hereby going to assume it had something to do with you.
EpicSonic: I didn't want to be too predictable, so I had Cloud break the news. Also, I really wanted to write more Cloud. I like writing him because he's like Zexion (kind of cold and mean), but he's much more neutral. I see Zexion being angry and disenchanted by the world. I see Cloud being pretty neutral unless provoked.
Demyx and Zexion will get together soon enough, I promise!
RainbowNinjaD: Hahaha. I guess Axel does come off a little caveman-ish. I kind of like that though because I think Axel can put up with a LOT of bullshit before the dam finally breaks and he goes on an ass-whooping rampage.
Dear Pamela: It's okay. I'm lazy too and I seldom review anything. The things I review, I really, really, really, really like and I add them to my favorites list (I have two stories). I'm really glad you like the way I depicted Roxas. I think one of the best things a writer can do for their story is to force the reader to fall in love (or at least really seriously like) a character. Then when the character is in turmoil, you feel bad for him. Or if he causes trouble, you get upset. But you go back to loving him as if he's someone you actually know. I think only feeling one emotion for each character means the characters are incredibly one-dimensional. And I think writing stories where the characters never fuck-up and they're never angry is just… untrue. People get mad at each other and it's usually for stupid reasons. And every person has a different way of dealing with their shit. Some people run, some people fight, and some people just stop communication altogether. Writing everyone differently with different faults and different assets just makes everything seem much more real.
Ahh… I feel so badly for ending the story. I know a lot of people are going to be upset over it and it makes me feel like poop. I know if I keep going with it, eventually it'll get old and boring (I also hate stories that are like 30 chapters and still going). Also, if I made this story much longer, I might end up in the million-word range. That's a terrifying thought. On the upside, I'll probably do a one-shot or something that has something to do with this story. So… hooray.
Dearlybelovedangel: Yea, I can see why Roxas is unlikeable. Sometimes I dislike him too. Mostly because he gets so whiny sometimes and even though I wrote it, it drives me crazy. I don't think Riku has feelings for Roxas (not romantic feelings anyway) and Riku is just bitter because Roxas rejected him. Roxas was also his first so I think there's some left-over feelings there that just haven't been dealt with. They'll always kind of… hold a special place in each other's hearts, but that's what happens.
Link'sNinja412: Nah. Demyx and Zexion don't find the letter. It definitely has a reason for being there, but not as the catalyst for everything finally going to pot. Axel's notebook took the role on that one. I have a plan for the letter and it'll show up in the last chapter. And at this point, I don't think Axel can lie anymore. The truth has kind of spilled out everywhere and all that's left is the climax.
Fredrikness: That's good! It means I'm doing my job as an author! I make you feel bad and you're more inclined to read! Hooray! :P Just kidding. Though it's definitely a positive that it makes your stomach churn knowing Roxas and Riku slept together.
Part of the moral of this story is growing up and part of growing up is realizing where peoples' faults come from (if they come from somewhere at all). Riku had almost zero parental control, so he kind of ran around doing whatever he felt like doing. He was never punished for anything and when you're never punished, you keep committing crimes. Something bad does happen to Riku, but it isn't retribution. Sora's capacity to forgive comes from the fact that he knows Riku was just a kid and Riku had no one to smack him in the face and tell him no. Growing up means recognizing why people do the shitty things they do and deciding whether or not you can live with those reasons.
Also, the past can't be changed. All Riku can do is say he's sorry and try his best to receive forgiveness. If Sora expects something different, then he'll just end up being disappointed. People can only offer an apology and a promise of change.
Mochiusagi: That's definitely the problem with abuse victims. They do have an incredibly hard time accepting and admitting that they were abused, especially when it was done by someone who's no longer around and shares a special bond with them. Why she did what she did is still a mystery. It'll come up in the last chapter. It'll be a SHITLOAD of climax (teehee), so… prepare for that emotional rollercoaster.
Neitzarr: Unfortunately, these last few chapters, especially this one, have been set-up for the last chapter. Which makes them kind of boring. It's kind of like the fifth Harry Potter book. It wasn't as good as the others because it was all kind of set-up for what was to come. It made the finale really great, but I actually had a hard time re-reading that book. But damn. Rowling can write a damn good fantasy book.
No worries about review time. I took three months to update. Because I suck.
GoalieGirl30: Word. That shit needs to go down.
SevenElevenOtaku: It's actually really interesting to see what everyone has to say about this story. Everyone kind of has their own opinion on who should do what. Some people think Riku is wrong, some people think it's Roxas, and some people think the whole thing is silly and everyone should just move on. You say you're easy going, so you want everyone to just be happy. But I know someone who is a little more of a grudge holder would think Axel has a right to be mad (or that Sora and Riku shouldn't be together).
Elufuir: A multidimensional character is absolutely crucial to the development of not only the plot but the characters as well. If there's no growing to be done, there's no story to be had. When I write one-shots, the characters are always pretty one-dimensional, sometimes two-dimensional, but when it comes to chapter stories… It would be really, really, really boring to read so many words and so many chapters and no one ever changed or did anything different. Also, it's unrealistic for people to never lose their temper or be angry or to forgive. If everyone was hunky-dory and the world was rainbows and unicorns and shit, everyone would be flat and boring.
Never going to declare the major. Everything else (except maybe cake) will come up in the last chapter (which again leads to the question of splitting it into two chapters or not). Yea, that was my bad on the character arrangement. I was like "I HAVE ROOM TO FIT EEEEEVERYONE IN!" when I really didn't. So… you won't see that in GC. Characters will make small cameos. But they won't be all over the place like in this story.
HalfPrince: Ah poop. I should've answered this review soon. And as you can see, I don't always update on a schedule either. I really, really try to because I want to, but it just doesn't always work out like that. And whenever I feel badly about updating, I'm just like, "well… it's okay" when I know it really isn't.
I'm actually pretty unoriginal. I'm okay-ish with creating plot ideas, but as far as anything else goes… I kind of suck. Which is why I write ff so I don't have to think about characters, names, or any real type of back story. You could call it Generic Unoriginal Land because that's… about as creative as I get. ._.
Miggery: I'd be pretty pissed too. In fact, sometimes my friends talk about me behind my back (not in a bad way… as far as I know) and it bugs the crap out of me. I'd be pissed off too.
Bbb136: Why does everyone say that? It's funny because you aren't the first person to say "I thought this would be generic. It wasn't." I wonder what makes people think it's so… bland. I'm really thrilled it's not, but damn.
Wow. Thanks. I've actually never really thought about professional writing because my want to write ebbs and flows. Sometimes I can write really well and sometimes everything is trashy and crappily developed. I'd like to be published, but I don't know how possible that would be.
Ahhh, I know. The plot hole is so bad. I'm going to attempt to explain it in the final chapter or at the very least address it. I know it's there. That's the one problem with fanfiction. You can't go back and edit the whole story before publishing (unless you write out the whole damn thing first which… No).
I'm glad you really like this story and it wasn't bland or generic. I guess my summary does make it seem like a typical story and to be honest… I guess it wasn't meant to be as big as I made (hence the plothole). Oh well. I'm just glad it's gotten as much attention as it has. It's been a ball talking to everyone about it.
SSanity: Yea. Axel should've told Roxas in person so really… The letter is his fault. Sora didn't have to hide it, Riku didn't have to give it to Sora, but Axel really just should've done it himself. And maybe this whole mess would've never happened (live and learn, I guess?). Demyx and Zexion will be together soon. Everyone will be in their rightful place by the end.
Roara chan: Thanks. I know a lot of ffnet is now poo. I'm glad my story doesn't fall into that shitty pile. I've been going back and forth on the wedding. I'm still unsure about a lot of stuff in the end (like the book being published, the wedding, etc), but I'll figure it out. I might do a separate one-shot about the wedding. It won't be that long. I might even just add it to this story as an epilogue, but I'm still unsure.
Pianocow: Thanks. I'm really sorry about the wait on this. I always feel like a dick whenever someone is like "can't wait for an update!" This thing should've been updated (and ENDED by now, actually) a long time ago.
Frigdeandindy: I HAVE TWO OF THOSE MAGNET HORSE THINGS AND I GOT THEM AT A FAIR IN NORTH CAROLINA YEARS AGO.
… I hang them on my guitar. I also have a magnetic cow that my ex-boyfriend got for me when he made a trip to Texas. That kid sounds pretty creative. And like he wastes a lot of time. My kind of person.
Yeaaaa. I see some serious glaring errors though. It's like… now I can't bring myself to post a chapter without my beta looking over it. I think she gets excited that she gets the newest chapter earlier than everyone else. She makes the funniest damn comments…
BooIsBaffled: I feel like such a dick. I keep people awake, make them not do homework, make them not study for exams, and generally make them sad. I'm like… an asshole. I kind of want to be like "HOOOOORAY MY STORY IS GOOD" but then I'm like "…I'm hurting people. I suck." I know a lot of readers will be excited to see an update and I know some of them are going to be annoyed at the wait. I don't blame them at all.
I totally agree. I don't like the Axel x Demyx coupling at all. Generally, I'm pretty cool with all couples (even hetero ones), but I really don't like Axel x Demyx. I didn't always used to be that way, but now I'm just kind of… turned off by it.
Double Mirror: Oh sweet baby Jesus, I hope you aren't dead. I know I should've updated sooner. I am a putz.
Mute: I saw your name again and I was like "…wait…" and had to check back to see if I had written a review section for the right chapter. But thanks! I didn't even realize it had been a year! Holy crap… I can't believe a year has passed already, actually. That means, in the past year, I've dated and broken up / been dumped by 4 people. Ouch.
Thanks for the Happy Birthday thing. Now I wish I had done something to celebrate, but… I didn't. Because I was being consumed by my life and I don't look at reviews and blahblahblah, in short: I suck. But yaaay. You're in the review section TWICE! Woopwoop!
PumpkinLenses: Anoooother person I kept awake. I'm sorry. I'm glad you liked the story though and I'm glad (err… not glad?) that it kept you awake. You're lucky you read it so late after the last update. It means you didn't have to wait as long for the next chapter! Hooray!