Chapter 5 - in which answers aren't sappy
"Before you learn to fight, you must learn form. Luckily for us, someone very clever thought of a structured way to do so hundreds of years ago. Roxas, this is first position." Vincent demonstrated, and Roxas, still not quite feeling that the situation was anthing but surreal, tried to follow suit. He thought he heard Axel giggle, but the redhead's face was utterly impassive. Vincent affixed a patient look to his features and said, "Good, but the angle really needs to be much, much flatter than that."
Obediently, Roxas moved his feet until they met a passable version of what Vincent was showing him. Axel giggled again, and Vincent shot him with a withering stare, and said,
"Oh do be quiet. Did you have to get pink ones, by the way?" Unlike Roxas, whose feet were clad in baby pink ballet shoes, Axel's were black; Vincent's a soft gold. The leather on both was well worn.
Axel sniggered. "Nope. Just thought it would suit."
"Hmph. You could try to take this seriously, Axel, you're becoming more like your brother every day. Do you not remember how anxious you were when you began?"
Axel nodded at the accusation, and relented. "Sorry Rox."
"Meh, it's ok. They're... surprisingly comfortable." Roxas wasn't lying - the leather was soft and warm, and the band across the cuneiform bones held the shoes on snugly. When Axel had asked him his shoe size earlier before dipping briefly into a shoe shop, Roxas had asked him what for, and Axel had replied 'ballet shoes'. Roxas had assumed it was a cryptic response, not the hilarious truth.
"I know right?" Axel made to say more, but Vincent cleared his throat to gain the attention of the room once more.
"That was first. This is second."
The lesson continued for another hour, until Roxas had a passing memory of which position was which, as well as a half-decent ability to plié, and then Vincent attempted to get him to do something a little beyond his experience, and comfort zone.
"Ok, I am assuming you haven't gotten to the age of sixteen without knowing what a pirouette is." Vincent smiled when Roxas paled. "Good. It is very simple - find a place on that wall, and focus on that spot. Then whip your head round and come back to that spot. I'm not expecting miracles, and I'll never force you to perform in front of people, but this is for your own benefit. Just give it a try."
"Ummmm..." Roxas noticed Axel had stood back to lean against the bar next to the mirror, out of the way. This didn't fill Roxas with confidence, but with a kind of slow creeping dread, he picked a spot on the wall, focused on that spot, spun... and toppled over. Immediately picking himself up, he looked to Vincent, whose face was devoid of reaction. Axel, however, was struggling not to laugh, his top lip covering his bottom lip. Roxas saw red.
"Oh yeah? Bet you fell over first time too!"
"Yup," Axel laughed, "And loads after the first. Which is why I'm allowed to laugh at you, because Reno was merciless to me."
"That," Roxas gestured aimlessly, clearly implicating the spin he had just failed, "is impossible. Only a four foot woman could achieve that."
Axel raised his eyebrows, and stepped out onto the floor, languidly fixing Roxas with a stare. Then he spun - once, twice, thrice... ten times. When he finished, he slowed gracefully to a stop, never removing his face from Roxas', grinning a grin that Roxas could only describe as smug.
"I'm a lot taller than four feet, and if I am a woman, then I'm depressed with this figure. You'll be able to do it." He paused. "You can put your eyes back in now."
Roxas dropped his eyes at the jibe, and as he scanned downwards, he noticed Axel's arms for the first time that day. As soon as he did, the back of his mind told him something was wrong, but he couldn't work out what it was. Vincent cut through his thoughts.
"Alright, showoff, you've had eight years for that. Roxas, you've done well for a first lesson. Very well, in fact. We'll pick this up Friday, I am busy tomorrow." He started in the direction of the main door. Roxas nodded, and felt a spike of rebellion rise in himself. He fixed Axel with the same defiant look the redhead had given him and concentrated... to pull off a perfect pirouette. Vincent whirled to see him finish, and looked curiously at him. "...Excellent beginning. It seems determination is a trait you both share, that was a little like déjá-vu. See you Friday, Roxas."
"See you. And, uh, thanks."
"My pleasure." Vincent sauntered out of the room after checking the cabinet was locked, and the door shut behind him. As soon as he finished, Roxas turned again to Axel.
"I have questions."
The redhead laughed, and made his way to the bench, picking up a bottle of water and downing it in one go. He hadn't broken a sweat, but Roxas was beginning to notice that the taller boy never went very long with drinking what seemed to be an excessive amount of water. "Shoot." He indicated the bench next to him. At the gestured invitation, Roxas joined him. He had broken a sweat, and so accepted the offered clean bottle readily.
As soon as he satisfied his thirst, the questions clamoured to be asked, and so he began. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't kidding about the ballet shoes?"
"Because you would have wanted to go home, and I know you wanted to do this. I'll tell you something for nothing, Roxas, Vincent must really like you. He's never EVER said I'm excellent. Actually, he never says anything about if I'm any good at all, just 'again', or 'more'. He tells Reno when he's doing well and not doing well, but not me!"
"He's NEVER told you how he thinks you're doing?" Roxas was incredulous, as Axel was blatantly, if not obscenely talented. He looked into Axel's eyes, and was stunned to see a peculiar kind of ache there, before the older boy shook his crimson locks.
"Nope. Well, I know he doesn't think I'm useless, because he's so hard on me, and he wouldn't do that if he didn't think I could take it, so there's that. And once, I got so irritated with him that I told him I was quitting, and he told me that I was meant for more than that. That's the closest he's ever gotten to anything. When I was 14, it was really hard, now I'm just used to it."
"Do you train every day?"
"Not with Uncle Vincent, no, but it would be a strange day where I didn't at least kick Reno's head in for a while. That said, he's gotten REALLY fast, and it's getting harder to hit him. Good thing he started bringing Cloud downstairs, otherwise I wouldn't get to hit anything, and I'm so used to it I think I'd start taking out doors and walls if I couldn't at least let off some steam."
"Cloud's... hard." At Roxas' statement, Axel laughed; a loud, clear sound that relaxed some of the tension in his shoulders.
"I have no idea what the hell his mother was sniffing when she was pregnant with him, but whatever it is, she must have stuffed his food with it when he was a kid, because he's stupid. I mean, he's a bit of a shortarse and all, but hard is a good word to describe him. He's good for Reno, because I think he intimidates him out of being so hyperactive. They've always been friends, but I think it just took a while for Reno to come out of his oblivious cloud and get down to real Cloud." They both laughed at the joke, and it took Roxas a moment to word his next question. As he did so, he looked awkwardly at Axel's sides, and noticed Axel's arms once again, and the peculiar twinge at the back of his consciousness pinged. However, his stomach growled and Axel laughed at him, breaking his concentration, and he smiled too. The redhead leaned in close to him. "...guess you've worked up an appetite. Come on, let's go see if there's anything upstairs." He was close - too close, and Roxas felt the hair on his arms rise with goosebumps, but then there was a creak and Axel had stood and was walking towards the shower room at the back. After a moment's hesitation, Roxas followed.
By the time he entered the shower room, Axel was already behind the little set of swing doors and under the shower head, humming to himself. Steam curled into the air, slowly filling the room. Roxas stripped and hopped into the other shower, the swing doors into the little half-cubicle squeaking loudly as he brushed past them. The shower was powerful, and the toiletries next to it expensive - Roxas took the shampoo and lathered it in his hands before setting it on his head, enjoying the luxuriant bubbles before thoroughly washing through his hand and rinsing. When he felt clean, he turned around the face Axel, to find the other standing in an exaggeratedly stoic pose, a long beard made of bubbles hanging from his skinny chin. Roxas collapsed into a fit of giggles, and the older boy grinned before letting the water overhead disintegrate his proud soapy facial accessory, and he switched the shower off and exited the swings doors and began to dress himself carefully so as not to drop the towel wrapped around his waist. Roxas followed suit, until they were both lacing shoes. Axel flung both towels in a linen basket, and grabbed Roxas' little gear bag, leading the blond out of the room, across the gym floor and up the stairs. Roxas followed suit, until they reached the kitchen, where Axel went digging into the fridge, grumbling all the while.
"Oh don't tell me Reno's eaten all of my- AHA! Excellent! Found it. Leftovers good for you, Rox? It's really good, chicken arrabiata." Receiving an encouraging nod in reply, he flung the remains of the pasta onto two plates and popped them in the microwave, and poured two glasses of lime cordial, placing them on the counter. The microwave beeped, and he took the contents out, passing one portion to Roxas before tucking into his own hungrily, an act Roxas repeated moments later. Several silent minutes passed while both boys greedily fed their starving bodies.
"Hey Axel?"
"Yeah?"
"Uhm... well, tomorrow is Thursday, and every Thursday we usually go around to Pence's for video game night. You game?"
"Roxas, I don't think I'd really be wel-"
"Gimme a break. They're my friends, you're my friend, it works just fine. I'll take that as a yes. It's awesome fun, we usually play fighting games 'cos it's Pence's system and he is obsessed with them - he's got like fifteen just for the current gen console. He lives in the Powell estate, just up the road from school. You up for it?" It was a question on the surface, but Roxas' tone implied he was not even entertaining the idea of refusal, so Axel nodded.
"Sure, sounds like fun. I do like fighting games anyway, so you guys can teach me a few techniques."
The next day Roxas awoke with aching legs. He'd endured a verbal assault from his brother after he'd returned home the previous evening, who clamoured for details of the session. Roxas had decided to tell only Sora about the training, feeling like he needed an outlet, but sensing Axel's need to keep it quiet. Sora had found the ballet shoes less funny than Roxas had assumed he would, and had instead taken the notion quite thoughtfully.
The morning went quickly, until eventually lunchtime came around. When he got to the cafeteria, however, Roxas was in for a surprise - Hayner and Naminé sat arm in arm in their usual seats next to Olette, and they were chatting happily to... Axel! Roxas hurriedly ordered his food and sat down next to the redhead, who greeted him with a light punch to the arm.
"Hey, blondie."
Roxas smiled at him, but while he fiddled with his bag and fussed with the tray, Roxas shot Hayner a questioning look.
The sandy-blond returned with a nonchalant expression, but with a hint of smugness. "Hey, Rox, I was just gonna invite Axel here to our game night tonight, but you got there first! It's gonna be a good night."
"Sounds like fun." Axel deadpanned. Roxas knew his tone was just his standard response, but Olette seemed to think he did not want to come.
"No seriously," she twittered, "It'll be fun! Naminé and I usually bake for it, and Pence's older brother sometimes gets us a few beers. Roxas and Hayner whine about the other cheating all evening, and everybody goes home happy. It's fun!"
Realising her interpretation of his earlier response, Axel gave a small grin, and said, "Heh. I said I was coming. I wouldn't if I didn't think I'd enjoy it. Besides, two invites can hardly be turned down."
"Good!" She beamed. "So how has your first week been?"
"Hmmm, not bad. It's quite different than my last school, that was way less pushy about academic stuff than here, but I like it here so far." Roxas realised that the floodgates were open for an interrogation, but Axel didn't seem to mind. Hayner began the third degree as Pence arrived and sat down, pulling out his own generously proportioned lunch.
"Where did you go to school before?"
"Midgar, then Radiant Garden. Moved here with my family to go to Twilight U, nothing more exciting than that, really. Already sent my application in, just waiting to hear back now."
"Have you got a big family, Axel?" Naminé piped up.
"Nah, not really. Got an older brother, my dad, and my uncle, that's it."
"You like Twilight Town?" At Naminé's question, Axel paused a moment to consider.
"Well, what I've seen of it. We only moved our stuff on Saturday, so I haven't really gone exploring. But damn, you have some fine eateries out here!" The group laughed, well aware he meant Tiana's. "That clock tower looks nice. Is it old?"
"Mmhmm." Roxas nodded. "One of the first things built in Twilight Town - that, and the railway. In fact, the railway station used to come to here just so people could climb Twilight Hill and see the view - you can see for miles around. The Town actually built up around it."
"Anything else that's fun to do in town?"
"Not much." Pence finally joined the conversation, his mouth half-full as he spoke. "I mean, there're the sewers which are a bit fun to explore when you're twelve, and there are a bunch of kids who go skateboarding out on Tram Common, but that's it, really. Oh, well, of course there's The Struggle, but only nutcases get involved in that!" Axel's eyes narrowed at this.
"The Struggle?"
Before any other negative comments came out, Roxas answered Axel's question almost before he'd finished the second word in the two-word enquiry. "The Struggle is a fighting tournament that is held in Twilight Town. You basically use these special outer-foam bats to knock the living daylights out of your opponent. There's a Summer Struggle and a Winter Struggle - Summer's outdoors and Winter's indoors. Started up about fifteen years ago and it's practically the social highlight of the year - the Winter one will be in four months time or so, the Summer one was only six weeks back. Everyone in town goes to watch, but the last few years the competitors have been... very tough."
"Very tough! A bunch of idiotic jarheads, you mean." Hayner's scorn was vehement, and Roxas flinched. "There are these two delinquents from Twilight Com that have owned it for the last few years, and even our amazing martial arts club can't do jack to them." His emphasis on the word 'amazing' showed he felt they were actually anything but. "Anyone who wants entry into that bat-beating contest needs mental adjustment." Roxas had been watching Axel the entire way through the explanation and Hayner's condemnation of The Struggle, observing the slow smile that started as a curl of the redhead's top lip, and grew to a devilish grin that implied serious intent.
"Indeed. There are a lot of trophies in your trophy cabinet thought...?"
"Yeah, course there are," Hayner spat, "because the dude in charge of the martial arts club is hardcore. They win lots of competitions, but none of them have ever gotten past the semi-final of The Struggle, 'cos Dumb and Dumber started entering the same year that Leon took over the club, it's almost getting boring by now."
"Hey, Roxas?" Pence called. "You just joined the martial arts club, right?"
The blond nodded. "Yeah, emphasis on 'just'! I don't think four months of hardcore training would let me get past the first round of The Struggle! You should talk to beefcake here," he noted Axel's eyes flash in a warning, but he carried on innocently, "he wasn't quite as hopeless as me, he did some stuff in his old school, so he could actually pick up the shinai thing without toppling over!" Relief spread across the taller boy's face, but he hid it rapidly as the group murmured excitedly.
"Well," Hayner grinned, "you're definitely taller than Seifer, and I bet there's only an inch or so between you and Setzer, don't know who's taller. Although if it came down to who has the most ridiculous taste in clothes, Setzer wins hands down. He dresses like a gogo dancer, but fights like he's in a prison riot - hard and dirty." His gaze turned conspiratorial, and when he spoke again, it was in a forced whisper. "I heard that the dude who got beaten by Seifer in the last tournament has only got one testicle now."
Axel loudly slurped the end of the cola he'd been drinking, breaking the tension and producing giggles from the two girls. Roxas gave a terse laugh and polished off the last of his food, as the conversation lightened into discussions about what games would feature on the evening's programme, before the bell went and the group dispersed.
As they filed out of the cafeteria, Roxas fell into step with Axel at the back of the small group. "You're going to enter, aren't you." It wasn't really a question, but Axel answered the younger boy anyway.
"But of course!" He laughed. "Sounds like those two guys need a dressing down, and I got no issue with that. Is there an age limit? That thing about the dude's balls true?"
"Under twenties, and no idea. Wouldn't put it past Hayner to exaggerate, but wouldn't put it past Seifer to do it either. He's a nasty piece of work, the kind of person to randomly pick fights with smaller kids just for kicks."
"All the more important. What do you have this afternoon?"
"Double art then free period."
"Oh, lucky. I got Math then History then... I don't know what I have last, actually. What time do you go to game night?"
"Oh! Yeah, ok. Usually around six - enough time to do any homework and then change if you wanted, so we can play until late. Pence's house is near Station Heights. Do you know where Wantz' shop is?"
Axel nodded, and so Roxas continued.
"Ok. Meet me there at six, and we can go together."
"Yes ma'am." Receiving a mock punch in response, Axel mock-yelped, waved a quick goodbye and took off in the direction of his Math class. Roxas sighed, and walked towards the Art room.
Two hours flew by, and Roxas was totally absorbed in the work he was doing, and so did not notice either the bell ringing, or the classroom emptying, and certainly not the figure standing behind him, until a voice jolted him so hard he splattered paint on the canvas in the complete wrong place.
"Should I be flattered or creeped out?" Axel was standing six inches behind him, his head leaning over the blond's shoulders. The painting was blurred, with bold, clashing colours giving a rough outline of a face, but the colour of the hair which Roxas had spent almost the entire double period painstakingly depicting left no ambiguity as to the identity of the subject. Unfortunately, while the artistry was in no question, Axel's portrait was now sporting a small tyrian splodge underneath its left eye. "Not sure about the black eye, though - planning on punching me out, Rox?"
"No." Roxas brusquely deposited his brush in a murky jar of what was once water, and picked up a tiny sponge, attempting to lift the purple paint from the upper cheekbone on the portrait, but it merely spread around. He took a deep breath, before twisting around to glare at the older boy. "Thanks for that, I was just getting somewhere with this."
"Rox, why are you painting me?"
"Do you want the honest answer or the sappy answer?"
"Honest answer. Then maybe the sappy answer."
"The honest answer is because your hair means I get to use a really bright palette, and the sappy answer doesn't actually exist." He didn't lose his temper, and held Axel's gaze steadily. "What are you doing here anyway?"
Axel shifted on the spot before answering, as Roxas busied himself cleaning brushes before setting the canvas aside, and then washing his own hands thoroughly as they were covered with splotches of paint, marking where he'd tested the colours against the skin on the back of his hands in a manner similar to a lady testing makeup shades at a department store. "Nothing much, was passing by the window and I looked in and saw my own head and did a double take."
"...Actually, I guess that is kinda creepy. Should I have asked first? I mean, I'm telling the truth, it really was just because it struck me that I could use a really, really bright palette."
"I don't mind. It's... it's good, Rox. I mean, seriously good." Axel leaned closely to the painting, examining it closely. "Actually, the more I look at the purple bit, the more i like it." He winked at Roxas, who bristled playfully.
"Yeah yeah, I'll fix it later. Don't you have class now?"
"Nope! Same as you, free period. Not gonna hang about with you though, I really was just stopping by 'cos I saw you painting, I'm gonna go home and help Reno unpack his stuff - he still has more than half of his stuff to go, and I want to make a start before Cloud turns up and suddenly I can't go into Reno's room." He pursed his lips after the last statement, and Roxas grinned at him.
"Ok, well, see you at six?"
"Yeah, see ya."
The evening was chilly, unusually chilly for the season, and Roxas found himself thankful he'd gone home first, as his mother had kissed him goodbye and shoved a jacket into his protesting arms as he'd walked out the door. As always, she was not wrong. He stood outside the closing shop, idly rubbing his arms as a futile exercise against the cold. Six o'clock came and went, then five past, and ten past. He was beginning to think Axel had let him down, but a warm breeze blew past and he decided to give it a few minutes longer instead. Thankfully, a minute or so later, the redhead appeared into sight walking up the hill. When he got close, Roxas waved, and Axel immediately voiced an apology.
"Sorry I'm a little late," he breathed, "I had to make a quick run to the furniture store - Reno dropped his wardrobe backing mid-assembly and broke the back so badly it couldn't be repaired, so we had to go get a new one. Every day it's something new, he's going to be sectioned soon I'm sure." He rolled his eyes, drawing a grin from Roxas.
"Hehe, that's ok. Pence's place is just a minute down here." Roxas led Axel down a small alleyway, which opened out into a small, quiet residential street, lined with tall, neat townhouses. Eventually, Roxas turned into one of the houses, and knocked on the front door, to have it answered almost immediately by an energetic Pence.
The pudgy boy grinned at Roxas, but when he saw Axel over his shoulder, he beamed at the taller boy, who hung a few steps back out of politeness. "Guys! Thought you were gonna skip out, but you made it. Rox, in you go. I'm gonna show Ax around so he doesn't have to ask where to pee." Roxas turned and grinned at Axel, mouthing 'Ax' at him. The older boy ignored him pointedly and followed Pence on his whistlestop tour of his house, finally joining the rest of the troupe in the basement. The décor was purposely shabby, in sharp contrast to the rest of Pence's immaculate home. An ancient sofa squatted in the middle of the floor, which was covered in at least several dozen carpets of vaguely Agrabahan origin, which had been arranged over a rim of cushions to provide some rough seating on the floor. A coffee table that was missing the glass inset was at the far corner of the room, and was covered in drinks and snacks, and presided over by a majestic-looking cake and accompanying matching cupcakes, the clear results of the baking session Olette and Naminé had hinted at earlier. The two girls in question were gossiping just inside the door, and they waved at Axel as he came into the room. Roxas and Hayner were seated on the sofa, controllers in hand, already absorbed in a fighting game Axel recognised very well. The television stood out in the room - it was a massive flatscreen, sitting in an array that also housed several games consoles, in stark contrast to the shabby chic of the rest of the surroundings. Axel grabbed a drink at Pence's gesture (no beer, despite Olette's earlier declaration), and perched on Roxas' arm of the battered sofa, which was softer than he was expecting.
Axel observed quietly as Roxas and Hayner fought, noting the good-humoured teasing banter between the two, the well-constructed insults from Pence that had the two girls in fits of laughter and the order of play - although Pence took a few turns, it was mostly an ongoing match between Hayner and Roxas, who were rather evenly matched. Eventually, Axel laughed at loud at a particularly amusing joke from Pence, and Roxas looked up questioningly at him.
"Want a go?" As he said this, he shoved his controller into Axel's hand, and moved out of the way. Axel thought about protesting, but then Roxas shoved him so he toppled off the arm of the sofa and onto the seat, and he was left with no choice.
"I suppose I do."
"Your ass is mine, new boy." Hayner snickered next to him. "Roxas and me are like the best - good luck though!" His last phrase was dripping with sarcasm, and Axel merely nodded politely, but Roxas caught the telltale edge of a smirk out of Hayner's line of sight.
"That should be illegal."
"Well, it's not."
"Well it should be."
"Oh, a little sore are we? I thought my ass was yours?"
"Well that was before I realised you have a fricking arcade machine in your ROOM."
"It's not in my room, it's in the den, and I'd have told you if you'd asked..."
"Alright, alright, I give in. But it is SO on next Thursday, Ax." Hayner punctuated the statement by punching Axel lightly in the upper arm, and although Axel feigned a protest, Roxas could feel the glee emanating from the fiery youth. After that, the little night broke up, and Axel and Roxas walked outside together with Hayner, after bidding Pence a good night. As the three walked back down the hill towards Tram Common, they chatted amicably about the evening, which was mostly Roxas walking behind Hayner and Axel discussing tactics, where Hayner tried desperately to flatter Axel into teasing out some of his strategies, and Axel pretended not to notice that was what he was doing. Eventually, they bid Hayner goodbye, and then it was Roxas' turn to go.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Yeah," Axel snorted, "Although Hayner really needs to learn to look before he leaps."
"You're telling me! It was nice seeing someone teach him a lesson though."
"See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Bring your stuff to school, too."
"Oh? Oh! Yes, it's Friday. Sure, no problem. See you tomorrow."
"Night Rox."
"Night Axel."