'White Lies'

Disclaimer: blah blah blah – don't own, resigned to fact – blah blah blah

xxx

CHAPTER 8: The Progression:

Mother nature is more often than not referenced to and associated as a kind and nurturing personification. But, on occasion, it could also be argued she was a cruel heartless bitch when she wanted to be. At least, that's what Axel figured – irritably marching his way the long walk to his car from Riku's house in the heavy downpour. The unimportant factor that he couldn't exactly recall where he'd parked his car may have added to his annoyance, but only slightly. Skidding on some dangerously slippery pavement, Axel scowled so deeply had any children been nearby they would have surely cried at the sight.

Taking into consideration Axel's currently repellent mood - it probably was not the most ideal time for Hayner to appear.

Yet that he did, materialising in Axel's peripheral sight, leaning the back of his head gently against the brick building of an old cinema that all high school students went to at some point or other.

Having utterly zero inclination to talk to Roxas's best friend, Axel intended to continue walking, until -

"I figured you'd come by here."

"What – pranking me wasn't enough?" Axel snapped, feeling the need to vent his current state of annoyance on someone – anyone, and the slightest amount appreciative Hayner decided to appear at that particular moment, "Now you've decided to stalk me too?"

Pushing himself away from the wall Hayner gave a wry smile, "Man you really are just as pissy as Roxas about all this." Tilting his head at a slight angle and fixing Axel with a stare, "If I'd known you guys were so compatible I'd almost be rooting for you to get the girl – uh, guy."

Axel stopped in his tracks, surprised, then audibly growled and turned around to face the boy. "Listen, I don't give out warnings very often – but if you'd rather not have your face bashed in, I'd advise you to leave pretty soon. Might even give you a head start, since I'm feeling so generous."

He watched as Hayner scratched at his chin and then began to click his tongue. If the kid didn't a) run away or b) start talking soon Axel was sure as hell going to inflict some physical vengeance on him. But then Hayner said something completely startling.

"I don't like you."

No, not that, Axel had totally expected that.

Shrugging, Hayner continued, looking fairly uncomfortable. Axel felt sickeningly smug watching the other boy squirm, "And I know you don't like me. But that doesn't make me feel any better for how this joke turned out, ok? So ... for that ... I'm sorry. Sincerely."

"Wow." Axel stood rooted to the spot for a few passing moments, allowing the words to wash over him and leave some sort of imprint of meaning, "You're surprisingly good at apologising."

"Being friends with Roxas helps develop the skill." Hayner offhandedly remarked.

Axel agreed, letting out a small snort, "Now that I can relate to."

The two stood, facing each other silently for a moment, before watching each watching the other's expression slowly turn to disgust as they realised they were kind of sharing a bonding 'moment' here. So unsettling was the thought that Axel and Hayner simultaneously turned their opposite directions and began walking away from each other without another word.

Until Hayner, clambering onto a tram and leaning dangerously out of the door, yelled by way of departure, "Oh, and by the way, I reckon you and Roxas should make up tonight. He's working late."

"Hang on –"

But Hayner simply gave one last wave and ducked back inside as the tram departed, leaving Axel alone with nothing for company except the bubbling nerves in his stomach.

"He works at Twilight Cafe, just so you know!" Hayner called, his voice carrying to Axel's ears in the cold air. Axel already knew this particular piece of information of course, seeing as Roxas had often recollected (or rather whined about) the goings on of his workplace to the redhead during class. That didn't necessarily make the process of forcing his legs to steer him towards his car (now that he knew where he was going to drive) any easier though.

It took around 10 minutes to get to remember where he'd parked his car, then a further 10 to reach it. Diving into the driver's seat Axel cursed the rainy skies above at his heater having stopped working a weak prior, and numbly shook the water from his damp hair – akin to a dog. Callously shoving his key into the ignition – Axel let out a growl of annoyance. Someone had tampered with his mirrors again. Growing impatient, Axel swung his car door open and opted to walk to Twilight Cafe instead of waste precious time setting up his car.

The grass gave thick satisfying crunch noises each time Axel took another step towards Roxas's work. It was a temporary source of comfort – the reverberating sound of each crunch relieving some of Axel's building nerves. This wasn't long lasting, however, seeing as within the next mid-step Axel would realise he was even closer to Roxas's work and his nerves would hit him again full force.

Axel wasn't going to stress yet. He didn't have to think about anything until he actually had to talk to Roxas. So for now he would just struggle to breath and attempt to manage to reach Twilight Cafe alive.

xxx

By the time Axel finally made it out the front of Twilight Cafe, it took every ounce of willpower he had not to turn around and run back to his car. Sure, Axel put up the tough guy act, but even he had the moments when he wanted turn away with his tail between his legs. Like right now, for example.

No. I've got to find Roxas.

Giving a resolute nod, Axel pushed open the crappy door and winced at the bell ringing overhead, publicising his entrance. To his immense relief however, it didn't look like a busy night. In fact, all in all Axel would have easily been able to count the entirety of the Cafe's customers currently in the shop on one hand.

Making his way to the front counter, Axel tried to peer around the broadly grinning young waitress that stood behind the cash register, as if figuring he'd see Roxas in the back room and could call him out.

No such luck. Axel heaved a sigh. Looks like he'd have to work for it. Just like with everything else concerning Roxas.

"Hi!" The overtly beaming waitress semi-yelled at Axel, "How can I help you?"

"Uh – I was just, looking for someone. They work here."

Giggling madly, the girl replied leaning forward and invading Axel's personal space, "But I'm the only one working right now. Sure you aren't looking for me?"

Axel gave a sheepish smile, feeling incredibly uncomfortable around this girl. Laughing weakly, he insisted, "No, no, really. They were supposed to be working tonight. Do you know Roxas?"

At this news, the waitress seemed to loosen up a little, "Oh, right. Sure. Roxas was working til about ten minutes ago. We both figured, since there were so few customers, that we'd flip a coin and one of us could leave early." Pulling an unattractive pouty face the girl whined, "I lost, obviously." Brightening up immediately afterwards, she added slyly, "But on the other hand, I got to meet you. For a moment I thought you were coming in to meet a girlfriend or something – but you just wanted to see Roxas."

This whole speech was said at such a quick pace that Axel had only just registered that Roxas had just finished work. Maybe if he ran he could catch him seeing as Roxas didn't have a car. Where would he be though?

Continuing on, oblivious to her target's lack of interest, the waitress spoke on, "I don't know where Roxas would be. But I'm free if you need company."

Axel ignored the hint and left the store looking neglected and waitress looking crushed.

Strolling absently for a while, Axel stood on the overpass of the local train station, eyes vacantly following the path of the train tracks until they spotted a single blonde figure out on the platform. Mentally smacking himself, Axel began to walk briskly towards the station. Of course Roxas would be at the station – local housing wasn't nearby enough to walk to, and seeing as Roxas didn't have a car, public transport was one of the few remaining options.

Finally setting foot on the platform, Axel noticed all of the normal sheltering area was being renovated and was thus unable to be stood under. That must have meant Roxas had been standing in the rain for a while. Sure, Axel had been too – but he'd been walking, so it wasn't as bad. That's how Axel justified it to himself anyway.

Axel wandered up behind Roxas and, shrugging out of his hooded jacket, threw it unceremoniously over Roxas's head so that it ended up covering his whole face. The blonde didn't even check to correctly assume who it was.

"The era of chivalry is dead, just so you know." He grumbled, voice muffled under the coat, "So you can take back your jacket."

"Nah, I like the rain." Axel pursed his lips in thought; maybe Hayner was wrong. Maybe they needn't make up seeing as they plainly wished to both avoid the issue at hand, "Besides, couldn't have a little squirt like you getting washed away, could we?"

"Logic was never your strong point, was it?"

Axel sighed, relieved Roxas felt comfortable enough to make a light-hearted dig at him. They stood in silence for a while, and it seemed almost normal.

"How was work?"

"Empty."

"Sounds fun."

"Why are you here?"

Axel blinked at Roxas a couple of times stupidly. It didn't help that Roxas still had his back to him and seemed fully determined to make eye contact with the railroad tracks instead of Axel himself. Well, he'd sprung that unexpectedly.

Roxas's shoulders slouched, in what could only be interpreted by Axel as a semi-shrug.

"I mean – it's not like you meet up with me outside school. At train stations. In the rain. Ever."

"Uh," Axel's brain seemed to remain halted somewhere back a few moments so he found himself trying to manage forming a response without it, "I went to see if you were at work, on a whim, you know? And you weren't... and I was walking past and figured you might be here."

"On a whim?" Roxas echoed sceptically.

"Hayner."

"That bastard. That bastard. I told him not to meddle."

Silence ensued. Again. This time is didn't seem so reassuring though.

Treading lightly, Axel once again initiated conversation, "I suppose I can see where he's coming from though – we should probably fix everything."

Roxas gave an annoyed grunt which resulted in Axel grinding his teeth together in frustration.

"You're not being very helpful."

"Not trying to be helpful."

Losing his cool, Axel snapped and gripped Roxas's shoulder tightly enough so that he could spin the blonde around so that they were face to face.

"Ok, I'm going to phrase this as politely as I can," Axel breathed, "Just what the hell is you problem?"

Roxas blinked, and then scowled and shoved Axel away from him. The boy clearly had issues with personal space.

"My problem," Roxas mocked Axel's angry tone of voice, "is that you drop this disaster on me and then think that you can simply take it back two seconds later with no repercussions. My problem is that you think we can fix this by ignoring it. That's not how it works!"

"Well," Axel said coldly, "it's awfully hard to try and fix something the normal way when you're the one avoiding me. Don't deny it –" he added, correctly assuming what Roxas was on the verge of arguing, "- every time you so much as see me in class you look away and I'm pretty sure if you had the opportunity, you'd flee. Coward. At least I'm trying."

Roxas slowly curled his hands into shaking fists, "Ok then. Let's settle this."

Neither spoke. Only the omnipresent sound of rain hitting the ground was heard. Both were at an utter loss as to how they weresupposed to even start to address the issue. The silence stretched up to the point until it morphed to a competition to determine which of them was the most stubborn.

Axel gave a loud sniff. This wasn't exactly how he'd planned his talk to Roxas on going. Then again, it's not like he'd really had any proper ideas of what he was going to say – only half-assed ones. Axel wasn't the planning type – more of a spontaneous improviser. However, since he was the older of the two, somehow in Axel's mind he'd titled himself the metaphorical adult of the situation. Being an adult entitled Axel to take the mature and responsible role. Like hell he'd talk first though. How could he get Roxas to talk without verbally initiating it himself though?

Roxas just stared at him. His cold gaze intriguing Axel like it had so many unspoken times before.

And before he knew it Axel hunched over as a direct result of the pair's ridiculous height difference and kissed him. It was quick and he only caught the slightest taste of mint from the blonde's mouth. The blissful yet minute moment was shattered when he felt a fist sharply collide in an upwards motion with the bottom of his jaw. Staggering backward a few steps, Axel clutched vainly at his throbbing chin.

"You figured that of all things was a solution to this?"

"I was just testing if –"

Roxas's voice cut across harshly, "No. Not one more word."

Perking up at the distant sound of an approaching train, Roxas pointedly moved away from Axel, leaving an excessive 10 or so metres between them. The train arrived unnaturally quickly, and inwardly cursing the inopportune timing, Axel frowned as Roxas stomped his way onto the train and slammed the doors shut behind him – making his intentions towards Axel crystal clear.

And so Axel watched bleakly, helplessly, unable to do anything, as the train slowly gathered speed and departed, carrying his Roxas away.

xxx

"So," Riku began, fingers twisting at blades of grass idly, "I heard from a little birdie that you had a chat with Roxas."

"How'd you know that?" Axel shot back, although without its normal sting. "Oh, please, Riku, please don't tell me you're still talking to Sora." He added when catching the guilty look on his friend's face.

"I won't tell you then." Riku calmly replied, to which Axel gave a pitiable groan. Riku smacked him lightly on the head, "Don't change the subject! Anyway, how was this little 'talk' of yours?"

"I kissed him."

"Yeah, well, that's to be expected – wait." Riku gave Axel a predator-like grin, "You kissed him?"

"Yeah."

"And this was last Wednesday, right?"

"Correct."

"Let me get this straight – you kissed Roxas, the proclaimed love of your life, in the rain? Bit of a cliché don't'cha reckon?"

"Shut up. It's not like I planned it."

"That much I believe." Riku gave a laugh at the stony look Axel fixed him with, "This kiss then, did violins start playing? Did fireworks go off? Did you get a hard –"

"He punched me in the face."

" – Not so well then." Riku finished, pulling a grim face and leaning forward to give Axel an awkward pat on the shoulder, "Maybe he –"

Axel waved his hands around madly, forcing a large plastic smile in place, "What, Riku?" he cried over-enthusiastically, "What ridiculous excuse are you going to give me in a crappy attempt to comfort me from the fact that Roxas clearly is not interested? Huh?"

"I – uh, was going to tell you to give him some space actually."

If a doctor had told Axel he's heart had started to crumble at that point – he would've punched the motherfucker in the face and told them that he already knew that. Because, in all honesty, how much more could his frail little heart put up with knowing how little hope was left?

xxx

And so Axel slept.

Ever since he's train-platform exchange with Roxas the redhead had made the startling discovery that sleeping every spare second away really did eliminate unnecessary thinking, daydreaming and general depressing over Roxas.

This explained why Axel could be located, at a ridiculously early 6pm, spread eagled on his sofa with his jaw hanging open wide enough to allow his ghastly snoring to escape the confines of his mouth. It was very picturesque of how a pleasant, undisturbed sleep should appear.

Well, at least that was until the piercing combined recorded vocals of Demyx, Larxene and (a very reluctant sounding) Riku screamed a deafening -

"ANSWER YOUR PHONE YOU LAZY BASTARD! ANSWER ME! ANSWER!"

Rolling over and cracking one gummy eye open, to eye his phone lying innocently on the coffee table a few feet from him, Axel vowed to never leave his phone alone with his friends again. Changing someone's ringtone without their knowledge was so uncreative these days.

Contemplating whether or not to answer the piece of machinery, Axel picked up the device, twirling it between his fingers. To answer or not to answer. Checking the caller ID and finding and unhelpful 'Caller unknown' Axel yawned and flipped it open, pressing the cool metal to his ear.

"Hmmmm... Whaddisit?" Axel dazedly answered his phone, blinking himself awake blearily.

The voice on the other line spoke fast, it's nerves betraying it.

"Hi. Demyx gave me your number. Meet me at work in 10. We need to talk." Click. Dial tone. No chance for Axel to even reply. It's not exactly like he needed to anyway. The owner of the voice was all that mattered at that very moment, which propelled Axel out of his room and down the street at a dead run.

xxx

A/N:
YAY! HI GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS! :D
what? Whats with the annoyed looks? It's only been ... *checks watch* about five months ...

hmm. Right. Sorry about that. But anyway – here's another instalment. To appease you all for putting up with my slacking off. Again.

Btw the whole stupid platform and rain thing? Yeah well i was switching trains and had to wait for my DELAYED train without shelter in the POURING rain whilst construction work was being done. A lady right next to me had an enormous umbrella and offered the guy on my other side to share with her ... my brain nearly imploded. Am i invisible or something? I WAS RIGHT THERE. Goddamn. *deeply inhales* ok, calming down now. Sorry for getting a tad off track there.