Roxas,

I really wanted to tell you this in person, and I feel kinda shitty for doing it by letter. But things are moving fast now and when you decided to stay late I lost the chance. It's like this… I've really been unhappy for a while. Things just haven't been right between us, but you probably know that right? I sure hope so. I mean, the way our love life has been going… even if you don't agree with what I have to say you can't think that's normal. At least I sure hope not.

I can hear you in my head saying, "I've been busy and you're too needy, we need to take a break." I'm taking you up on that this time, but not a temporary thing. Sorry Roxas, but I've given this enough of my life. Maybe we'll meet again someday.

Axel

PS – I left you all the movies. Any you don't want, could you send over to Reno please? Thanks.


"Hey Axel?" I looked up at Riku from where I was packing the motorcycle. It was five AM in the morning, but we wanted to get this show on the road as fast as we could. "Could you do something for me?"

"Maybe, what?" I'd learned a long time ago not to just say yes to questions like that. Riku grinned and offered me something that I blinked at. A necklace? It looked Native American, a leather bag slung on a thong.

"Can you wear this, and never take it off, please? I mean not even in the shower." I give him a funny look and he shrugs. "It's a fetish. It'll, uh, keep you safe from all kinds of things. But only if you keep it on all the time."

"I don't believe in stuff like that, Riku." My mom believed in it though. I can still remember all kinds of crazy shit about how to keep elves away. That shit was bananas. But Riku is looking at me pleadingly like this is really important to him, so I shrug and take it. "Sure, if you want." He seems really relieved.

"Just don't take it off, ever. Please?" That's really important to him too. Weird.

"Got it memorized. We ready to go?" I'm so ready. Sora looks ready too, eating a toaster strudel and beaming. Lucky bum, he'll be the only one who can really eat while we're going along. It's hard to pilot a motorcycle and eat at the same time, I make it a policy not to ever do it. And Reno would kill me if I let Riku try.

And that is how we left Denver to begin our odyssey. We were in no great hurry to reach Mexico, so I was sure it would be fun.


"Albuquerque!" I stretched out, looking at our tent with approval. We'd gotten a spot at the campground and set up shop like seasoned wanderers. Sora and Riku were really taking to it which made me wonder a bit if they'd done something like this before. I wouldn't have been at all surprised. What little I'd gotten out of Roxas on the subject of Sora had consisted of the fact that he'd run away from home at fourteen to be with a sixteen year old Riku. Not because there was anything really wrong with their home, but because Riku's home really sucked balls and Sora loved him a lot. I hadn't asked many questions and Roxas hadn't given much in the way of answers. I could catch the sadness in him whenever he thought about it, and figured I knew why. I had felt the same when Reno left home and left me behind, even though he'd needed to go to school. "Now, what to do?" That was the question. Sora had out his laptop and was tapping away. Some kind of wireless satellite connection, it costs him a fortune but it's worth it.

"Why don't we go see the Aerial Tramway?" Sora suggested and I peeked over his shoulder. It did look interesting.

"How much does it cost?" That was a big point. They needed to keep costs down wherever they went, partly so they could buy the important things, like beer. Sora looked up with a grin.

"Seventeen fifty for an adult!" Hmm, that wasn't bad. "And there's a Mexican restaurant at the base and a steakhouse sort of place at the summit."

"Nice. We should go to the Mexican place for lunch. What are the prices like, though?" Although food was a place I liked to splurge a little, kinda like booze.

"Around 10 dollars for lunch. Hey, look at the drink menu. Lots of margaritas and beer." I love margaritas. They're one of my favorite drinks. There was one time when Roxas and me shared… no, shouldn't think about that. Thinking about the good times can still tug on my heartstrings if I let it. There was a time when we were so much in love it hurt. Damn. Maybe I won't get a margarita after all. It would look really bad if I started crying in it.

"Um, anyway." I blink as I feel a hand on my shoulder and focus on Sora. He looks so sad, what did he see in my face there? I'm blushing now, damn, I feel like such a fool. "We can go geocaching too, Riku has the GPS and I have the coordinates for some caches."

"Oh yeah? Sure, why not." I'm not into geocaching like they are but what the heck, I'm willing to tag along. I like nature hikes and that's what geocaching is, a lot of the time. For those of you who don't know, geocaching is a weird ass hobby where people hide caches, note the coordinates and post them on a website for other people to find. If you find a cache you write your name in the log book and the bigger caches have stuff in them. You can take something and leave something. Also, people put things like travel bugs in. If you take one of those you need to log it and put it in another cache. The bugs travel, they're travel bugs, get it? Got it? Great! Geocoins are the same thing but coins.

"Although we won't be able to log them until later. Sora, keep a file of the ones we find alright?" I have to frown at that, glancing at Riku. When caches are found people log them on the website with their names, adding to their total finds.

"Why can't you log them now?" Sora and Riku trade a glance and it makes me wonder. They're worried that someone will notice an increase in their geocache page and track them that way? Sure, it's very possible but to do it someone would have to know their geocaching names. You don't list any personal info on that webpage. Who are they hiding from, Roxas?

"We'd rather not talk to Sora's family about this just yet." Oh! Okay, they are hiding from Roxas, hah. That makes sense.

"Okay. In that case, want to start with a geocache, then some supper?" It was getting late. We could probably make one good geocache but that would be it. Riku nodded.

"Sounds good. We can get up early tomorrow, geocache in the morning and go to the lift for lunch. We can go on the lift after we eat." A great idea. It'll give plenty of time for the alcohol to vanish.

"Sounds good." I play with the necklace Riku gave me as they figure out what cache to visit tonight. They find a good one in a park and we set out. Albuquerque is a really pretty city with awesome landscape, I can't wait to see more of it.


"Hey, a ski museum, cool. Want to go there first before we do the tram?" I've just had a great meal at Sandiago's Mexican Grill, with a couple Negra Modelo to wash it down. That dark Mexican beer is some good, I must say. Riku had a Fat Tire and Sora tried the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. We shared a bit, too, so we all got to try the different beers. Fat Tire was nice and the Sierra Nevada was my least favorite, although I'd never say no to a free one.

"Sure, why not?" Riku and Sora both seem to be in a great mood today. Sora's darting around like a bumblebee on crack while Riku is smiling and watching him. It's actually really nice, it's all so cheerful. I can't remember the last time I was this happy. Maybe it's the colors here. The restaurant was wonderfully garish and the landscape is so beautiful. The sky is so bright! Denver can be plenty bright too though. Ah, don't overthink it.

We're up in the tram, looking down at the landscape and marveling when the tram suddenly stops. Riku frowns as Sora looks a bit scared, and I can't help but feel a bit frightened too. We're really high up. Riku mutters something and gestures, then the tram starts up again.

"Doing voodoo on the tram?" I tease him but to my surprise, Riku tenses. Then he grins, but it's not a very humorous expression.

"Kind of. Don't worry about it." I lift my eyebrows, wondering what that means and scratch my head. Then I glance at Sora and stare. He's expressionless but his eyes are glazed over with held back tears. He looks like he might break down and cry at any moment.

"Oi Sora!" I put an arm around him and he shivers. "What's wrong? You okay?" Riku shifts uncomfortably but when I look at him, he's just looking away. He looks slightly guilty, actually. Sora sniffs.

"I-I'm okay. I'm just worried is all." This is confusing. What are they so scared of? And why would the tram stopping bother them? I gently comfort Sora for a moment, a touch worried that Riku might get jealous. I mean, this is his boyfriend and to tell the truth, I really do like Sora. If he were free I'd be hitting on him in a minute. Although that would probably really screw up his relationship with Roxas. Maybe it's a good thing he's not free, come to think of it.

"It'll be fine Sora. We'll be safe in Mexico." Sora sniffs and nods at Riku's reassurance and I stare at him.

"Are you guys on the run from the cops?" Riku and Sora exchange a glance. "Shit, you are aren't you?" THAT is unexpected. Riku yeah, I could imagine him getting in trouble with the authorities for sure. He's been a bit of an anarchist forever, not the kind of guy to obey rules just because they exist. "Should we just go straight for the border?" I don't know what they've done but, shit. They're my friends. But Riku shakes his head.

"No, that's what they'd expect us to do. And we're very hard to find right now." I stare at him, willing him to say more but he doesn't. Fuck this.

"I want an explanation guys. If not now, then later." This secrets thing is going on long enough. Riku looks like he wants to refuse when Sora speaks up.

"He deserves one Riku. He's really in danger now." I blink at him, a touch surprised. I'm in danger? That's a bit odd. Is it not the cops then, but something else?

"Alright. But not right now Sora. This isn't a good place." Okay, I can take that. I nod as the tram keeps going and we all enjoy the majesty of nature.

But I'm going to get the full story out of them later.


"Okay, time to spill. What's going on?" We're back in the pup tent. It's comfy enough, especially with Sora lying on top of Riku which is what they're doing right now. Damn, that's cute. I want to nibble them both. Roxas would call me a pervert, haha… ha. Shit, that's not such a cheerful thought. Back when we were in love he'd have teased me about it but now he'd mean it.

"Well, it's like this." Riku says tiredly, catching my wandering attention. "Axel, do you believe in magic?"

"Uh?" That's a weird question. "No. Who believes in magic?" There's a brief silence as they exchange a glance. "Fuck, lay it on me Riku. I'm a big boy, I can take it." I'll decide if Riku is on drugs after I hear it. Riku sighs and gets started talking.

"Me and Sora are both intermediate mages. Sora and Roxas are both from a very prominent family in the magical community. I'm not. My family has elf blood taint." I blink at that, remembering mom's stories of elf blood. Weird. "They accepted me anyway, mostly to humor Sora." Sora winced, hugging Riku tightly and Riku smiled down at him. "Don't worry about it, Sora. It saved my life. The magic was killing me."

"I know. That's why I went with you." Sora nuzzled Riku's neck as Riku sighed, then glanced at me.

"What happened recently is, I accidentally came in contact with an elven relic. It bonded to me and I can't remove it. And I'm… not from a prominent family, and this could be considered evidence that I'm too tainted to be a proper wizard. So we're on the run. But wizards have different groups according to country, mostly, and if we make it to Mexico we can make a deal with the wizards there to stay." Riku smiled. "I've had some contact with them before so it will probably be cool. But we have to make it there."

"Wait, wait, back up. Wizards? Like Harry Potter? Are you serious?" My brain is frying here. Seriously, I feel like my hair is melting into my head. Sora is giggling at me. "Wait, Roxas is a wizard? What the fuck! He's a lawyer."

"He is a lawyer." Riku agreed. "But only half the time. The rest of the time he's a wizard. All those late night meetings he goes to, the times he stayed late at the office? Those were wizard business." Riku paused, looking at me thoughtfully. "You're still right to be mad at him though. That kind of thing is optional; he's trying to climb higher."

"We're not like Harry Potter really." Sora said as he managed to control his giggles. "No magic wands, a lot of different specialties, and it's sort of a secret society and cultural thing. Not many people outside the major families ever get brought in. It's a shame really, a lot of people have a great deal of talent and it just goes unused, or worse, poisons their lives." Shit, they really believe this, I can tell. Magic is real?

"Roxas was keeping this secret from me the whole time? Why didn't he tell me?" They exchange another glance and I want to smack them. "God, just tell me!" Sora flinches a little as Riku frowns.

"Axel… you're… not an acceptable partner for any wizard." Riku starts delicately, and I glare at him. What is so wrong about being a freelance photographer? "It's not your profession, it's who you are." Huh? "You're stiff with magical talent. It glows off you. It's why people tend to like you so much just from a bit of casual contact, but it makes wizards uneasy because it's completely untrained. Not only that." Riku swallowed as if the next subject was painful to him. "My great-great-grandmother was an elf, and so I'm considered tainted. You're a half-elf. That's a thousand times worse." WHAT?

"Wait, what? My mother said we had elf blood but… wait, are you saying my mother was an elf? A faerie? Is that what you're saying?" This is insane! "But she got older, I saw it!"

"Not really, elves can glamour you into seeing anything." Riku said as I stared at him. "I bet she never slowed down and didn't die of old age. What did she die of? And was your father an artist of some kind?"

"Huh?" That's a weird question. "She was murdered, actually." Not something I care to think of, that someone would do that to an old woman. "Found with a broken neck in a park, with her purse missing. And yeah, dad was a musician, why?"

"Judging from your looks, Axel, your mother was probably a Leanan Sidhe." Riku said gently as I stared at him. "Unless they're slain with cold iron, the Sidhe are reborn and eventually return to the mortal world, particularly the Leanan. They feel a deep need to act as muses for mortal artists, bringing them to heights of creativity and sometimes having children with the mortals they care for the most. I imagine your father wrote many truly inspired works when your mother was with him." Oh yes, that's true. He almost died of despair when she left. "Don't think to harshly of her for leaving, Axel. She probably knew that she'd drawn attention and that searchers were closing in. If she had been found with you, you and Reno would probably have been eliminated as well."

"What? We were just kids!" This is unbelievable. What the hell? "Why would I be safe now then?"

"You're not." I look at Sora, and he's looking at me with sad eyes. "Our parents really don't like you. If you ever showed any sign of using your magic…" Sora shrugged, and I swallowed. "They've been asking Roxas to break up with you forever." Sora said sadly. "I think that's why he's been so mean to you."

"Reno, is he in danger too?" I don't know if I believe all this but it's kind of making sense. Mom always did have so many stories about elves and faeries, it would make a bizarre sort of sense that she was one. And she always seemed to glow with energy. Kind of like me, actually.

"No, Reno really is safe." Riku assures me. "He has almost no magical talent, you got all of it. Um… you're really in danger now though." Riku sighs and reaches over to hook the leather thong with one finger, lifting up the little pouch I'm wearing. The one he gave to me. "This is disguising our presence, blending us into your aura so if anyone searches they'll only feel half-elf. If they figure it out, though, well. Even if they assume you're a dupe they'd kill you to be on the safe side. Elves are like vermin to them." That kind of pisses me off, actually. Who are these faceless bozos who think they can judge me like this?

"Fuck that." I quickly make a decision. "Can you teach me this magic shit?" Not that I really believe in it but hey. It should be diverting, right? Riku stares at me as Sora blinks.

"Axel, if we do that they'll never let you live!" Riku objects, and I shrug.

"From what you've said they won't let me live anyway. Will the wizards in Mexico feel differently?" Roxas and Riku exchange another glance and I sigh. "And can you two stop that?" Sora blushes, but Riku is mostly impervious.

"The wizards in Mexico are largely refugees from the States and other areas." Riku says slowly. "So they won't care about your half-elf ancestry. But the wizards from the States might try to hunt you down anyway, Axel. Mexico isn't that organized." That danger applies to him and Sora too, I can see it in his eyes.

"Well, I'll take my chances. I really like having danger in my life, I think I'd like a bit of magic too." That makes Sora smile. I think he gets it. Riku thinks about it a moment, then shrugs.

"It's your funeral, fire hair. Sora, can you push off a bit?" Sora nods and sits up so Riku can paw through a bag. "Here, read this. It's a primer on basic magic. When you're done I can try to teach you something."

"Okay." Sounds like a good place to start. Books on magic, eh? Never saw those at Barnes and Noble.

This should be interesting.