He watched as Larxene stormed out of the theatre, slipping on her black jacket in a rush as she headed out into the slightly cooler pre-autumn air. He didn't bother to look to see her get into the black car parked closest to the auditorium, slam the door shut, and start the engine. He didn't have to look to know that she sped off as fast as she dared in the parking lot to get away from the theatre.
He turned around, going back into the shadows of the theatre. He stopped at an old door. It was a door that no one really thought about. The student's thought teachers only went in, that teachers thought only night janitors went in, and that janitors assumed it was only for horny teens.
But they were all wrong. Only he went in.
Roxas blinked after Larxene left. He had to. His eyes simply wouldn't believe the stunned faces around him. Stunned that she had left. Come on. Like any of them weren't expecting it from the drama queen of the school.
He rolled his blue eyes waiting for something to happen. Roxas, of course, knew what was with the stunned silence all around him. These were drama kids, anyway. People who lived their whole lives on a stage, overreacting to the world around them just out of habit.
It annoyed the hell out of him in most situations, but Sora would always say he was just as bad as the worst of them.
"Well," It was Miss Giri's voice that snapped him out of his revere, "I suppose since our star is missing, tomorrows performance will have to be postponed..."
The stunned silence turned into a horrified silence for a few moments.
Then...
"You can't do that!"
"All our hard work-"
"Just for her-"
"That isn't fair!"
...all hell broke loose.
Yells like this went up throughout the auditorium. Kids were screaming. They exclaimed how unfair it was, how it was bad fucking luck to postpone the show.
When all was quiet (or, at least, to a point where if someone spoke loud enough they could be heard) a voice called out in a bored and exasperated tone, "Why not simply use an...an...oh, what's that thing, the person who replaces the lead or whatever?"
A pause. Then, "An understudy?" from some kid who happened to have heard the man's question.
"Yes!"
The whole stage became quiet. Everyone in the theatre glared at the new vice principal for even daring to say that. Who didn't know that? How could this idiot not know about Larxene's stupid pride? Did he not see her just ten minuets ago?
"Do you really believe that the great Larxene would permit someone to be an understudy, without thinking with her fat head, that we were assuming that she would miss a performance?" Axel hissed. He was getting pissed at this entire day.
At his words, more uttering broke out.
Vexen glared at the young man who had spoken out. "Who's that young man who spoke up? He looks far too old to be in high school, unless, of course, he had to repeat several grades."
Axel stood up, "I go to TTU, I'm here on a voluntary basis, you as-"
Sora rolled his eyes just like his brother had moments ago. This was going nowhere slowly. His gaze shifted around until he found Riku. When Sora's blue eyes caught with his cool, teal ones, Sora grinned, rolling his eyes at the stupidity around him. When Riku grinned back, Sora could feel this warmth rise in his chest. He couldn't knock off that feeling of nostalgia with Riku. Like he'd known him from somewhere before...
Roxas and Sora were racing down to the beach. They lived on Destiny Island. It was a small island, small enough that the two five year old twins were able to run around their little community without any worry. The sun was high in the air, with grass on one side of them, and a seemingly endless ocean to the right of them.
"Come on Sora! He's waiting for us!" Roxas had always been slightly faster then his brother.
Sora, who had stumbled slightly over a protruding rock, hurried to catch up with his twin. "I'm coming Roxy!" He had trouble saying, 'Roxas', so he came up with this alternative. The adults found it cute. Roxas made everyone else swear to never call him that.
A figure in the distance waved at them. A six year old with bright silver hair that fell to his chin. He was smiling broadly, almost laughing as Sora pulled into a sprint to come ahead of Roxas.
Sora tackled him as he reached the boy, pulling him into a big hug, "I missed you-"
"You all right Sora?" Roxas nudged his brother quietly, breaking him out of his revere.
Sora opened his eyes. Everyone was still worrying about tomorrow night. He looked around quickly, searching for-"Riku's gone. Someone called him on the phone, then he talked to Miss Giri, then he left." Roxas murmured quietly to his little brother. "He tried to wave goodbye, but you were all spacey."
"I wasn't looking for Riku!" Sora flushed at the look Roxas was giving him, and the fact several people turned looking at Sora for his outburst. In a more normal tone, he said, "I was looking for...um...Demyx!'
"Yeah, Sor?" Sora jumped a good foot in the air. Demyx walked up behind the twins, putting an arm around both of them. Zexion was in tow next to him.
"You okay, Roxas?" He asked softly.
Roxas nodded, glancing at Axel, who was still arguing with the new Vice Principal. "Yeah. Axel got the brunt of it, and it wasn't that bad anyway." It was just the curtain that had hit them, luckily, not the bar that the curtain had hung on.
"Ugh, I'm so pissed at Xigbar." Sora's eyes narrowed. "Why does Miss Giri keep that stupid pedophile around? Kairi told me that he hangs around the girls dressing room, trying to glance in the key hole."
"With the budget we have? He's the only one we could get." Demyx replied.
Roxas snorted, "And Kairi only said that cause she thought she'd get pity points from Miss Giri." Being Co-dance captains, Roxas would always be the one dealing with the bigger egos on the squad, while Sora worked with getting the underclassmen up to par with their routines. That tended to work best for everyone, given Sora's gentleness, and Roxas' tendency not to take shit from anyone.
"Sora, Roxas!" Miss Giri was calling them up to the stage. The two glanced at each other, before ducking under Demyx's arm and walking up the stage.
"Yes, Miss?" They both asked at the same time. Everyone thinks that they plan that, then decides to coo about that cute twin thing. They both found it annoying, Roxas more than Sora.
"Okay, this may sound a bit off, but I don't think the kids would want to put off opening night, and I, personally, do not want to deal with ticket refunds, so Sora, I want you to fill in for Larxene." Sora burned bright red at the news, immediately stating off reasons why he shouldn't take the lead.
"I don't know the-"
"Sora, you know this show backwards and forwards."
"My range can't reach-"
"Axel has drilled these kids for hours on end about key changes."
"I'm not at girl-"
"That can be easily dealt with. I'm sure we can find someone willing to play opposite you as the female lead."
"But-"
"Sora, shut up." Shocked, Sora looked to Roxas, who had just spoken, "You can do this. Quite making up excuses." Sora opened his moth to argue, face burning an even more bright shade of red. Roxas smirked, "It's not like you've been singing every song in the shower or anything." He openly laughed as Sora punched him in the shoulder. For a drama geek, he had an aggrisive hard punch.
"Then it's settled." The brothers looked back at Miss Giri as she smiled down on both of them. "I'll have Kairi take over your old part Sora. Both of you, her, and Axel," Miss Giri and Sora both pretended not to notice how Roxas' face lit up with the mention of Axel, "will have to stay late tonight and come early tomorrow to prepare." She looked past the twins, frowning. "In the meantime...I'll deal with them."
Turning around, Sora and Roxas saw the new Vice Principal glaring daggers at an equally pissed off Axel. Axel was sitting on the piano bench and the blond man was standing on the other side of the theatre, and no words were being exchanged anymore, but the thick tension could be felt by everyone around.
Axel was not sulking, god damn it. He didn't fucking sulk or pout. He let out a puff of air in frustration, lower lip jutting out. Stupid Saturday, stupid high schoolers, stupid Ro-
He looked over at Roxas, seeing him smiling, blue eyes delighted, laughing at something Sora had said... Roxas looked over at him, still smiling. Axel couldn't help but smile back, that smile turning into a small smirk as Roxas turned beat red.
That kid was just too cute.
"Staring at Roxas, Axel?"
"Yeah..." Realizing his mistake, Axel's eyes went wide, his face burning red as he tried to cover up his slip, "I mean, I'm just-um-just look-looking-"
Demyx bursted out laughing, and Zexion smirked in that all knowing way of his, that made Axel want to punch that senior mother fucker.
"Don't worry, Ax," Demyx began brightly, "staring doesn't count as statutory ra-"
"Don't you have some brass instruments to clean?" Axel interrupted, pissed off.
"Not that I know of, I had cleaning duty last month."
"You do now. Have fun for the next month." Demyx left grumbling, leaving now moody Axel with Zexion.
Zexion sat next to Axel on the bench, tapping random keys on the piano. "You know what I don't understand about you and Roxas."
Don't stare at Roxas, don't stare at Roxas...
Axel resumed staring at Roxas. He had resisted for forty-five seconds. "What?" He replied.
"You both like each other. Everyone's okay with this." He waited until Axel nodded before continuing. "Then why aren't you two dating yet? And I'm not talking about the occasional hook up, Axel." He added as Axel opened his mouth to protest.
They both were silent.
2 hours later...
Sora and Axel were on one side of the stage, going over the songs, and figuring out what was easiest for Sora. Roxas and Kairi were on the other side, Roxas teaching Kairi the dances he had taught Larxene two months ago. Kairi could be a bitch sometimes, but she was an excellent dancer. Good enough to believe she should be the dance captain.
"One and two and jump and land and five and six and turn and turn and one and two..." Roxas was professional enough to ignore the urge to punch the stupid, redheaded girl. They're rivalry had been going on since they had entered the same music studio in sixth grade. Sora was obviously the best one, so the fight for second was definitely up for grabs between the two of them.
Roxas and Sora definitely had her beaten in raw talent, but Kairi had something the two boys didn't. Opportunity. Sora and Roxas were naturals, but even proteges need practice. Practice that was hard to come by, and expensive. Especially for two orphans, who had decided to save their fathers money for when they had turned eighteen and needed it for collage.
"...and finish and bow." Roxas gave her one last turn before letting go and completing the bow Sora would preform tomorrow. Curtain down, everyone comes out, bowing begins... "And that's the show. We should brake for lunch." He called loudly to Sora and Axel as well, since they had finished dealing with most of the key changes.
Sora glanced at the clock. One in the afternoon. He grimaced as his stomach grumbled. Lunch sounded like an excellent idea right now, especially with another couple hours of singing and a whole new dance routine to learn.
Kairi was already halfway out, calling out behind her, "Bye Sora! Bye Axel! See you in one hour, okay?"
No one failed to notice how she didn't include Roxas in her goodbye. Being used to it, Roxas just shrugged off his irritation before turning toward his brother and Axel. "What do you guys want for lunch? I'll buy."
In any other situation, Sora would gladly accept a free meal, but he knew that Axel and Roxas needed some 'alone time' and he didn't feel like sitting between two people who would either be looking lovey-dovey at each other, or awkwardly avoiding each others gaze. "Um, you two go ahead. I'm gonna go home for a bit. Just text me on when to come back."
Roxas was fighting back a large beam at his brother when he replied, "Yeah, keys are the bag." They both had one car between them, but usually were able to share it without complications. Today was one of those days were there weren't any complications.
Still trying not to look too happy, but unaware that Axel was trying to hide his grin as well, Roxas followed Axel off the stage, and out the side door to where Axel's car was.
Smiling, Sora grabbed his dance bag and coat, and made to head out in the door in the very back of the theatre, where he and Roxas had parked.
Crack!
All the lights went out. Sora was in darkness. The only light was through tiny slivers between the doors and the ground.
Frozen, he stood in place. "Who's there?" There was really no reason for Sora to assume anyone was there. He hoped his voice didn't sound as shaky as he felt.
"Sora, Sora, Sora," a voice scolded from the shadows, "how could you let Roxas go with that arrogant poser? You know I need to train both of you."
Standing completely still, hardly daring to breath and with fear racking through him, he swallowed. Trying to keep his voice steady, he replied, "I'm sorry master. I forgot, I-"
"Don't worry, my child. I can still train you, my angel."
Sora had never felt more relieved. He could feel his shoulders sag when the tension had left him. Calmly, with almost a smile on his face, Sora put down his bag, and began to sing.
There was complete, dissolute, silence. After the initial discussion of where they wanted to eat (quickly deciding with the healthy eatery, Sweet Tomato) neither of them said a word to each other.
Roxas wanted to say something. Anything. He just wanted to talk to Axel. Was that really too hard? It was easy before. Why couldn't they go back to that?
They ate in silence, each throwing furtive glances at the other. Half hour later, they both got back into Axel's car and headed back to the high school. All in silence
So, Roxas thought, staring out the window, fighting back tears, this is how it's gonna be then? Just fucking silence? I should've just listened to him two months ago, I should've just been-
Axel had stopped the car. Roxas looked up, confused. They weren't back at the school. Actually, they really weren't around anywhere. There were trees all around them, and no sound of cars driving by. Axel had parked them on the shoulder, but it didn't seem like this was really a well traveled road.
"Hey, Axel," Roxas started to turn his head toward him, "where are-mmm?" Roxas couldn't finish his question, because Axel had decided to kiss him. Quite fiercely, too. Roxas responded immediately, turning as much as he could in the cramped space, wrapping his arms around Axel's neck.
By the time they pulled apart, the windows were fogged up, and Roxas found his sweater to be a little too hot for the temperature in the car.
Axel was smiling at him, "Forgiven?"
Roxas laughed, "I was just gonna ask you the same question." He smiled.
The rest of the practice came without a hitch. By six, all four where exhausted, the idea of tomorrow now just impossible to think about before a long, 12 hour sleep. Kairi got her mom to pick her up, legs too tired to move, and Axel took home Roxas and Sora, both looked ready to fall asleep, neither wishing to drive, and both fine with leaving the car over night.
He watched them all go, up in the rafters, hiding in the shadows. His eyes following Sora hungrily on his way out.
Things were finally going his way.
"Hey Sora," Sora looked up from his plate of dinner to Roxas, sitting right across from him. It was just the two of them, their uncle away on one of his business trips for the next week or so, "Do you remember Riku?"
Sora smiled, "Yeah, Rox, I met him today, remember? Although," Sora frowned, "it feels like we've met before, right? Like we knew him when we were kids or some-what's so funny?"
Roxas quickly wiped the smirk off his face, "Nothing, Sor. Just keep thinking about it. Maybe you're right."
Sora just rolled his eyes at his brother, and the two began to eat quietly again. Sora's eyes widened as he remembered something. Oh fuck, I have to tell him... He'll be crushed, but he'll be punished even more if I don't...
"Roxas." Sora took a deep breath, "He came to teach us again."
Roxas dropped his fork, "What? When?"
Sora calmly continued to eat, but there was a slight tremor in his hand. "After you and Axel left." He could see Roxas pale, mouthing he saw us leave, looking terrified. "It's okay, Rox. He said he could just train me." Sora tried to smile at his brother, but he knew it would do anything but comfort Roxas.
"Do you think he knows about me and Axel?" They both locked eyes. Yes, he knows. He knows everything.
"Of course not, Roxas. You're fine, don't worry." Again, Sora tried to smile.
They both were silent. Sora played with his food a little, and Roxas just stared at the plate; neither of them were hungry anymore.
"Be careful about Riku, Sora." Roxas murmured. "No, listen," he said when Sora opened his mouth to protest, "it's obvious you're his favorite." Again Sora tried to rebuke this, but Roxas just continued, "You can't let him find out. He'd punish Axel if he found out about us, but he'd punish you and Riku if he knew that his angel," Sora flinched, "was being tainted."
They didn't say anything for the rest of the evening, but they slept together in the same bed, something they hadn't done since their dad had died.
Opening days aren't really all that hectic. Not compared to the practices the week before. Sure, there are butterflies in everyone's stomach, and everyone runs around like chickens without heads, but at least after the preformance, a calm comes over everyone...for a moment, anyway. Tears are shed, confessions declared, and everyone goes home to do it again tomorrow.
So, really, not that bad. But good luck convincing everyone else that. These are drama students, after all.
Three hours later and everyone was ready to release the breath they had been holding for the whole performance. Sora was staring at himself through Larxene's mirror (it was his at the moment. He was, after all, the lead). "Well," he began softly, to himself, "That went off without a hitch." It was semi-true that tons of those seats had been filled just to see Sora playing a girl (the rumor mill got really annoying, really fast), but the standing ovations they had gotten showed how good the drama kids really were.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
"Sora."
Sora smiled, seeing Riku through the mirror, "Hey, Riku."
Riku smiled back, closing the door behind him, slightly muffling the noise of the partying teens outside.
"Hey Riku," Sora was still smiling at Riku through the mirror.
They sat in silence as Sora took the rest of his make-up off, wondering for the millionth time how girls do this every day of their lives. Sora suddenly thought of something, "You knew us at the islands, right?" He turned to face Riku, actually looking at him rather than through the mirror. "Me and Rox?"
Riku smiled back, "When'd you finally remember?"
Sora's smile slipped a little, "I don't remember a lot. But I'm certain you were there." He looked determined, "I remember it'd be me and Roxas, and someone else." He looked Riku straight in the eye when he added, "I know it was you."
Sora and Riku looked at each other for a moment longer before Riku took two strides to Sora, and hugged him, tightly. "I missed you, Sor." Riku murmured in his ear. Sora squeezed back, tightly.
"Hey," Riku pulled back to look into Sora's eyes, "let's grab some dinner before we go to the cast party. Catch up a little, huh?"
Sora nodded, happily, but his smile fell a secound later as he remembered something, "Wait, I need to-"
"Don't worry," Riku smiled, already halfway out the door, "I'll let Roxas know to take your car. Two minuets, little paopu." He laughed, shutting the door behind him.
"Riku-" Sora frowned. Oh well. He should probably just try to get out of here quickly.
All the lights were out. Everyone had gone home. Riku had just gone out to bring his car closer to the auditorium. Only he and Sora were in the building.
Perfect.
AN: Hiiiii. Sorry I'm horribleand I never update :(. But whatever. It happened. Um, don't know if its obvious, but I had to get the AxelxRoxas stuff outta the way, so now prepare for mostly RikuxSora stuff! (loljk AkuRoku fanguuurl 4 life.) One day I'll be a good writer. One day...