Hey everyone! I bet half of you have been plotting ways to kill me for waiting so long, but anticipation will make it all the more sweeter to read. Anyway, instead of a Christmas Present chapter, I made this a New Years Chapter. Farewell to not knowing Axel's past and three cheers to know knowing part of it. Enjoy!Saving Axel
Chapter 19: Behind Green Eyes: Part One
Roxas's POV
"It's time I told you my past," Axel told me quietly. He seemed so nervous, like he thought if I learned it, something bad would happen. That worried me.
"Okay, go ahead; I'm all ears," I encouraged him, and he nodded. He took another deep breath and fisted the sheets.
"The basics are this," he started. "My mom's name was Jamie Lea, and my father's name was Alec Jackson. My parents never married, and in the beginning, I was raised mainly by my nana, Amy Lea. I'll start at the beginning." He sighed, looking into my eyes. I nodded, and he continued.
3rd person POV
Jamie Lea was considered a beautiful fifteen-year-old girl. She had long, curly red hair, a bit of freckles across her nose, and her mother's calming blue eyes. She was short, but a reasonable height for a girl her age, and she had everything. Two loving parents named James and Amy Lea, a baby sister named Clare, great friends, superb grades, and the nicest boyfriend imaginable. Life was good for Jamie, and she was happy.
That was until her friend, Setzer, suggested that she and her boyfriend go to this party at his cousin's house. She asked her boyfriend, but he was busy, so she went with Setzer alone. Eventually, she was separated from her dear friend and was wandering around alone when someone shouted something about alcohol. She got worried, being the good girl she was, and tried to find the door to leave. She couldn't find the door, but someone found her.
"Hey there." She turned suddenly to stare into stunningly bright green eyes. "Follow me!" he yelled over the music. Jamie followed, hoping he would take her somewhere where she could think. When they arrived at their destination, they were in an upstairs room. She took a deep breath.
"Thank you," she spoke politely. She didn't know his name, but she was indebted to him. He was also pretty cute.
"You're welcome. You looked lost," he admitted, setting his backpack on the bed and sending her a smirk. He had brown, shaggy hair and pale features. Jamie was absolutely captivated by his bright green eyes and would probably get lost in them if she could. "Is this your first party?" he asked her, gesturing for her to sit beside him. She nodded quickly and sat beside him.
"My name's Jamie Lea; I'm a friend of Setzer's," she explained. He nodded.
"Alec Jackson. Nice to meet you, Miss Lea," he replied charmingly. He seemed cool and collected on the outside, but inside he was laughing. That sparkle in his eye, his cheery tone of voice, his supposed act of charity…all lies. Jamie was falling for it hook, line, and sinker. It was sad really, but Alec honestly didn't care. "Can I interest you in a free gift?" he asked smoothly, pulling his bag open.
"Sure," she replied.
"Gotta close your eyes," he told her, and she looked hesitant. He chuckled lightly. A daddy's girl; they are the easiest to manipulate. "Trust me, you'll enjoy it in the end," he explained. She closed her eyes as Alec pulled out a needle with heroin. He pulled up her sleeve and smirked to himself.
This was going to be a piece of cake.
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Roxas's POV
"He really did that to her?" I asked worriedly. Axel nodded.
"My nana told me so before. That bastard took an innocent, teenage girl and got her high, but that's not the only thing he did, obviously."
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3rd person POV
It's been a couple weeks since that first party where Jamie met Alec. He got her addicted to heroin and all sorts of club drugs by now. Not only was it drugs she was addicted to, but to Alec himself. She wouldn't call it love exactly, but more of lust. She wasn't gonna lie, she found him very attractive, and his eyes… she loved them, even in her drug induced haze.
Then one day, she woke up in bed after a night at the club and threw up in her bathroom. She thought it was alcohol poisoning, but she knew that she and Alec sometimes fooled around when high. She went to the store with some money and bought all sorts of pregnancy tests. She went home and tried each. She was positive every time.
Worried, she told her younger sister, Clare, who ended up telling their mother. Amy Lea knew very little about what her daughter had been up to. When Alec came around a week later to take Jamie to a club, her mother found out what her daughter had been doing for the past couple of weeks. With this knowledge, she forbade Jamie from seeing Alec until after her child was born. Jamie was pissed beyond all belief. Amy kept her home and decided to home school the girl so she wouldn't go out and see Alec. It scared her that her beautiful, smart daughter of only fifteen was stupid enough to go parting with a twenty year old manand get high and drink while she fooled around sexually with him. It was a terrible wake up call to her.
Amy tried to get some of her daughter's friends to visit, but she had abandoned them all and shied away from what she used to do. She even cruelly broke up with her boyfriend so she could party guilt-free with Alec. Jamie hated every minute of being stuck inside and going through withdrawal, and being pregnant wasn't easy.
Amy had many arguments with her husband James until he gave her divorce papers and took Clare away with him. The world was falling apart all around poor Jamie, and she hated every minute of it. She hated staring into the mirror to see the source of all this strife. She loathed her baby with all her heart.
Thankfully, she got through the cruel nine months and had her child.
She delivered a surprisingly healthy baby boy. Jamie was documented to have screamed 'finally' when she heard the crying of a baby. She also tried to get up, but they had to keep her down. She wanted so bad to find Alec somewhere since this was, after all, his son. That and she really wanted her 'happy pills.' The doctor handed the cleaned up baby to Amy Lea.
"Hello there, little one." She smiled to the quiet baby. His eyes were a startling green color that Amy knew came from the father. Her daughter had blue eyes, and so did she. She held the baby closer to her and walked toward her distressed daughter. "Jamie? What will his name be?" she asked her quietly. Jamie's cold blue eyes fell onto the small baby and softened slightly.
"Axel," she said quietly. "His father is a car mechanic." Jamie looked her son over, and when her eyes fell upon startling green, her heart hardened. It reminded her too much of Alec, so she turned away. Amy held the baby closer to her.
"Axel Tinder Lea," Amy said with finality as she watched her daughter cry, refusing to hold her own son.
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"NANA!" the young boy sitting on the couch yelled. Amy put down the dish she was washing and ran into the living room and smiled lightly as the boy pointed to the TV. They were talking about cats, and he knew his nana loved cats.
"It's lovely dear," she said walking closer to him. His short legs didn't touch the ground in front of the couch; they barely came off the couch when he was far enough back. He was dressed in black shorts and a white shirt with a flame drawn on it. He had the most sparkling green eyes and looked positively adorable with his innocent face. At age five, he already had a mop of fire engine red hair that naturally stuck up. Amy would laugh when she would watch him in the bathroom in the morning. He would wet his hands and fix his hair into spikes.
"Nana?" Amy returned her attention to the small child's face. "Is mommy gonna come home soon?" he asked quietly. Amy looked to the ground and shrugged lightly. She didn't know what to tell the poor boy anymore. Once the breast feeding was no longer needed for her son, she returned to her life of partying. She skipped school and barely graduated.
"She'll be home soon, Axel," she said carefully, as to not raise his hopes too much. "Would you like a banana?" she asked in an upbeat tone. Axel sprang up and ran past her and toward the kitchen. He crawled up onto a chair with one open on each side of him and on the ends of the table.
"I heard you talking earlier saying that Aunt Clare is coming over. Is that true?" he asked as Amy cut the banana. Amy nodded as she grabbed a fork. She had spoken to her other daughter earlier saying that she wanted to see Axel since his mother didn't care about him. Clare still wished her parents were together, but after almost six years, James was already seeing another woman.
"Yes. She wanted to see her little nephew." Amy set the plate in front of him and walked around to sit on his left.
"NO!" he yelled, and she jumped. "That's mummy's seat. You sit here." He pointed a small finger to the head of the table. She smiled slightly because on the rare occasions when Jamie eats dinner with them, she sits beside him in that seat. There was a knock on the door and Amy went to answer it. An eighteen-year-old girl with a striking resemblance to his mother ran into the room. Axel jumped up and ran to embrace his dear Aunt Clare.
"Oh, Axel!" she cried, swinging him around. "I missed you." She smiled as a tall man walked up behind her and nodded politely to Amy. Clare let go of Axel and helped him back to his seat. Clare wanted to stop by before she went home to take care of her daughter since the neighbor was watching her so they could go to the store. Unlike her sister, she was actually taking care of her daughter, Kairi.
"Can I get you two anything to eat~" Amy was interrupted when the door was basically kicked in. Axel glanced to the door frame of the kitchen where a tired Jamie stood. Her red hair was ratty, and her shirt and jeans were messy and stained. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she looked weak. To most people, she would be considered an ugly drug addict, but no matter what, Axel thought her to be beautiful. He got up and ran to her, but stopped short when she stared him down.
"The hell you doing, boy?" she growled out, and Axel looked down.
"I was gonna greet you, mommy," he answered quietly. Jamie looked up and scanned the room. When her eyes landed on her sister, they narrowed again.
"Why are you here?" she bit out as Clare stood up and walked over.
"I wanted to see my nephew. Is that a problem, Jamie?" she asked, touching Axel's shoulder lightly. Jamie pulled Axel closer to her and glared.
"Yes, as a matter of fact." She turned around and forced Axel to walk with her to her room. Clare called after her, but was silenced when Amy held her shoulder.
"No, she never gives Axel so much attention. Leave her alone," she said quietly and led Clare to the table again. Meanwhile, Axel was sitting on his mother's bed as she changed.
"Don't forget who your mother is," she said finally to break the silence. Axel nodded quietly. "Clare is nothing, as is my mother. I'm the only person you should be worried about," she snapped as she sat beside Axel. She sighed and placed her head in her hands. Axel sat beside her, not knowing what to do. He didn't want to anger her at all.
"Mom?" he asked gently, and she turned to him. "Do you need something?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah," she started as she stared at her son. She looked into his green eyes and cringed. Just like his father's. "Your father," she finished, standing up from the bed. She motioned for Axel to follow, which he did wordlessly. Jamie hadn't heard from Alec in three years. Ever since she did a few things for the dealer, she never found him again. She had to find a new dealer and continually go to clubs at night in an effort to find him. Axel never asked of his father, and for good reason. He knows it is sensitive to his mother, so he chooses to ask nothing even though he wants to. Jamie walked into the kitchen with Axel on her heels. She walked to her mother.
"Yes, dear?" Amy asked, glad that Axel and Jamie were still okay.
"Can I have dinner money? I wanna take Axel out," she said quietly. Amy got up and retrieved her purse. "Get a coat on, Axel, it's cold outside." She gestured with her head to leave and Axel ran off to get his shoes on and is coat.
"Bring him back before dark so he doesn't miss curfew," Amy told her, and she nodded while accepting the money in her hand. She turned and found Axel struggling to get his jacket on. She helped him and opened the door, heading for the family car. She helped Axel get buckled in the front seat. It was one of the few times Axel was truly happy with his mother, because she was happy too.
Axel's POV
I subconsciously grabbed my arm as I paused to take a break. Roxas looked heartbroken already as he reached to stroke my hand in his. I wanted to stop right there, before my life turns to shit, but I already started. Talking to Roxas was way easier than talking to my friends, Reno's friend Rufus, or any number of therapists I've seen. I wasn't about to stop now. I needed to talk about it.
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3rd person POV
A week after Axel had dinner out with his mom at some pizza place, his nana got sick. She got so sick that she was bed ridden. Clare came over constantly, and Jamie had to stick around longer. She had this irrational fear that Axel would begin to see Clare as his mother instead of her, but he never would. Clare already had a son who resembled her greatly. He was older than Axel, but not completely his relative. Clare's boyfriend had a child with a woman who had died recently. Because he had similar features to Clare, he was seen as her son by birth. He had blue eyes and red hair. Axel only met him once before. His name was Reno.
Axel would sit at his nana's bedside, just talking about his mother and her past. She seemed like such a great, carefree kind of girl. If his nana hadn't been telling him these stories, he probably wouldn't have believed it at all.
"Axel?" she asked weakly. "You do know she loves you, right?" she asked suddenly after Axel told her about what he did at school that day.
"Y-yeah," he stuttered. Sometimes it was hard to believe, but she really did.
"She has a funny way of showing it, but be patient with her. Just talk to her and you'll be fine. I promise."
"Nana, why are you telling me this?" he asked quietly.
"Under my bed is a present for you," she said. Axel hopped off the bed and crouched to the floor. He found a bag sideways on the ground. He pulled it out from under the bed. "Go on, open it," Amy encouraged. Axel pulled out a small velvet box and held it in his hand. He opened it and inside sat two silver rings. He looked up to her.
"Nana?"
"Those are two rings I purchased years ago for my daughters, but they don't need them now." Axel sat upright. "They're rings that will help you in the future. When you find someone you love, and you don't want to lose them, give them one of these rings and keep one for yourself. Then, you'll never be separated at all," she explained. Axel pulled one out and handed it to her. She laughed lightly before coughing violently. "Not me, someone later on. You'll know who to give it to. Now, don't tell anyone you have these, okay? Not even your mother." Axel nodded his understanding, and then fell asleep next to his nana with her singing lightly to him.
That was the last time anyone ever talked to Amy Jane Lea.
She passed away in her sleep and Axel woke up to find the two feuding sister bawling their eyes out while sitting at the table. Clare had her boyfriend beside her, but Jamie was alone. Axel didn't need to be told she was dead, so he just walked over to his mother and touched her arm lightly. She looked over to him with tear filled eyes before picking him up and hugging him close as she cried. That was one of the few times where drugs weren't her way of releasing her emotions.
The funeral was held shortly a week later, and Jamie never left for a club once. Axel stood beside her in a small, tailored black suit that was bought by Clare for him. Jamie was dressed in a black dress as was Clare who was holding her daughter, Kairi, in her arms. Axel also stood beside Reno who held his hand as he cried, even though he barely knew him. Reno took an instant liking to Axel, almost brotherly, and swore to treat him like a brother no matter what. He lost his mom and Axel basically lost one as well. When the service was over, Axel stood beside Reno while Jamie talked to Clare and her boyfriend.
"Axel?" Reno asked quietly. "You okay?" he asked as they stared at the grave in front of them.
"I am. Thanks, Ree." He used Reno's nickname and threw the rose he had been holding.
"You're welcome, Ax." Reno turned to look for his father and new mom. "Just let me know if you need anything. I'm here for you," he promised, and Axel nodded. Clare stormed over and kissed Axel's forehead and then grabbed Reno's hand and started walking toward the iron gate with her boyfriend hot on her heels. Axel walked over to his mother and saw that she was clutching a small sheet of white paper in her hands. A simple note, Axel later learned, that spelled out Axel getting every penny Amy had to her name.
That same day, Jamie told Axel to give the money to her when he got it but he did not knowing what he could do with such money. Jamie sold most of the items in the house and even the house itself before she made Axel pack up and move away with her. In the slums of the town, she bought a small house in a small plan area. Axel only had a bag of clothes, a few books he hid from his mother, and the rings his nana gave to him. Jamie had gone shopping earlier and left Axel alone to unpack. When she got home, it was rather late so she changed quickly and stood by the door.
"Unpack the food and then go to bed, okay?" she ordered before closing the door. Axel did as he was told to the best of his abilities. Most of it was alcohol and a few food items. Axel simply grabbed a single serve cereal box and locked himself in the small room that was his. He crawled onto the bed with his blanket and ate quietly in the cold.
He wished his nana was there to tuck him in at a warm house.
When Axel was seven-years-old, he got new neighbors. On one side was a short boy with pink hair. The other boy had blond hair in the craziest style ever. The blond and pink haired boys had been friends from school, but Axel knew they weren't in his class. They often had a boy with silvery hair over too. He didn't live around the area and was apparently rich somehow. Axel had never personally met them, because if he wasn't at school, at the bus stop, or coming home, he had to be inside the house. Jamie was barely around and would most likely be high when coming home. She would spend almost all her time clubbing, drinking, and doing drugs while Axel learned to fend for himself.
Axel learned early that Jamie wouldn't be around all that often, so he began to do small, odd jobs for the elderly people in the housing plan when he claimed he was sick and stayed home from school. He didn't do more than help with drying dishes or help planting, but they would pay him, and he would save the money he earned away from his mother. He would go shopping before school and buy simple things to eat, like cereal, and some milk as well to drink. He didn't bring lunch to school, but rather brought small baggies of cereal that he forced to last the week for lunch.
At age eight, he learned how to do laundry in the sink with soap, instead of praying for rain all the time. It would leave his clothes a little stiff and feel strange, but at least they smelled right.
One Saturday when Axel was eight-years-old, he was walking back from helping a woman rearrange her rock collectionwhen he spotted the three boys. He crossed the road and passed them, watching them play around. The silvery haired boy sat and watched the other two while he read a book at the same time. The pink haired boy and the blond were having a sword fight with sticks when one went flying and hit Axel. Axel had been so out of it, thinking about what he was going to do when he got inside, that he fell over. The three rushed over quickly.
"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry!" the pink haired boy called. The blond elbowed him and pointed down dramatically.
"Marly! You killed him!" he called out as the other began to cry worriedly. The silver haired boy knelt down while the blond tried to calm the pink haired kid down.
"He isn't dead," the silver haired boy stated as he helped Axel to his feet. Axel just stared at them. "Please excuse my imbecilic friends here," he told Axel. Axel looked around as the blond picked up a quarter and looked at it. Axel snatched it from his hands and gathered up the rest of the coins and paper money he dropped. He grabbed his backpack and ran for his door and slammed it shut. "Marluxia, Demyx," the silver haired boy sighed and walked off with his friends trailing behind him.
"Sorry, Zexion," Demyx apologized. "It was Marly's fault anyway." He shrugged, and Marluxia looked up, scared.
"I-It w-wasn't me! I-I swear!" he began to cry again, and Demyx comforted him.
"Sorry, Marly. Keep it together," he pleaded.
"We need to apologize to him, maybe learn his name, too." Zexion turned to his friends. "There is but one way to every kid's heart," Zexion stated and looked at his friends' current stances. Marluxia was hugging himself and crying while Demyx held his hands out in a cautious manor, cooing and calming Marluxia.
"What?" they asked in unison.
"How do you make a kid happy and show them you're sorry?" he asked slowly to his idiotic friends.
"A puppy," Marluxia stated quickly. Demyx put a thoughtful finger to his chin.
"A lizard?" he asked, and Zexion sighed as he rolled his eyes.
"Isn't an animal, guys, but a food," he told them, knowing they would surely get it now.
"Mashed potatoes!" Marluxia cheered.
"Some kind of meat!" Demyx cheered as he high fived with Marluxia. Zexion face-palmed.
"No, you nitwits!" Zexion called suddenly, and they looked to him. "Cookies!" he yelled. Marluxia and Demyx chorused their agreements, saying it was their second guess. Marluxia led them inside his house where he consulted his mother to help them bake some.
Inside Axel's house he had already showered by this point and dressed for bed as he cleaned his clothes in the sink. He would be heading to the store in a few days since he had a good amount of money. He continued washing his clothes when there was a sudden knock on the door. He idly wondered if him mom decided to stay home with him tonight. He ran to the door excitedly and opened it only to find the three boys from earlier.
"We're sorry about Marly nailing you with the stick," Demyx started. Marluxia gave Demyx a sideways glare and held out the plate of cookies.
"These two decided to atone for what they did by giving you these cookies," Zexion stated. Axel took the plate from them and looked down at it. He hadn't had a cookie since his nana pasted away three years ago.
"Do you not like chocolate chip?" Marluxia asked worriedly.
"No, I do, it's just…" Axel trailed off. "I haven't had a cookie in a long time."
"That sucks," Demyx stated plainly, and Zexion silenced him with a glare.
"I'm Zexion," he pointed to himself then to Marluxia. "That's Marluxia, or Marly for short." He turned and pointed to the blond. "This is Demyx, or Dem for short," he finished.
"I'm Axel," Axel told them.
"Want to play with us?" Zexion asked kindly. Axel was hesitant, but he suddenly nodded. He placed the cookies on the table beside the door and shut it before following them to their yard. Axel was finally happy that he had not one friend, but three.
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"Hey, Axel!" Axel looked up from his paper at the lunch table he was sitting at. He smiled when he saw Demyx, Marluxia, and Zexion. "Can we sit with you?" Demyx continued.
"Yeah, sure," he allowed, and Zexion sat beside him with the other two across from him.
"You have a lunch?" Zexion asked, and Axel shook his head. "What some of my sandwich? It's peanut butter and jelly," Zexion offered. Axel looked at it, thinking back to what his mother told him at one point when she was actually around when he was awake. She told him to never take things offered to him, because it is a sign of pity from the one offering and weakness from the one accepting.
"I really shouldn't. It's your lunch~" Axel was interrupted when Demyx slid his bag of Cheetos to him. He stared at them for he always wished he could buy them, but they were too expensive for him.
"I'm not in the mood for them today, and you never have a lunch. We can see that," he explained. Axel smiled warmly and had a few and took the half of sandwich from Zexion. Marluxia handed him a cookie as well. Axel didn't know what to do. His friends were amazing and kind to him, and they didn't even pry about anything else.
"So," Zexion began as he handed Axel a small sheet of paper folded in half. "The preparations are all complete," he finished, taking a sip of his apple juice. Axel unfolded the paper and read quietly what was written on it.
What: Demyx's Birthday Party
Where: Demyx's house
When: 5:30 p.m. Friday to Saturday afternoon
"Doesn't Zexion have such pretty hand writing?" Marluxia asked, and Demyx nodded quickly. Zexion sighed, and Axel agreed as well.
"You gonna come?" Marluxia asked before chugging his milk. Axel sighed and looked down in thought. He had a good feeling his mother wouldn't approve, but he could try anyway.
"Um, I'll ask my mom about it."
Roxas's POV
"Axel?" I asked when the red haired man paused. I reached my hand out, but Axel flinched away. He looked so lost in thought, and I didn't know what to do at all. "Axel, what's wrong?"
"I just wanted to go to that sleepover…" he muttered quietly. "All I wanted was that… to feel normal, even for a little bit," he continued, and I felt a few tears pricking the corners of my eyes. I didn't like seeing him like this. What could possibly have happened?
3rd person POV
Axel had long since gone to sleep on Thursday night since he had a test the next day in math. He was cold, but he couldn't do much about that right now, so he just went to sleep. That was when he was jostled awake. His eyes opened suddenly and stared up at his mother.
Her red hair was a rat's nest and her eyes had dark circles around them. She was dressed in ripped up jeans and a ratty old black T-shirt. She smelt of smoke and beer and Axel cringed at the steel grip she had on his arm. She pulled him up and he followed her down the stairs to the living room where three men were at currently. Axel glanced to his mother, confused, but she kept him going forward.
"Okay, I want my drugs," she started, but one man held out his hand.
"You have our money?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Something better," she stated and pushed Axel forward roughly. One caught his arm before he could fall onto his face. His head whipped around to stare at his mother.
"N-no, M-mom!" Axel cried worriedly. The main guy who asked for money earlier looked to her strangely.
"You'd give us your kid for drugs? Damn, your one hell of an addict," he finished, tossing a small bag to her which she caught happily.
"Mom," Axel called out as his mother turned her back to the scene. One pushed him down to the couch. "Mom!" he yelled more urgently as one man reached for his shirt. "MOM!" he screamed before one man slapped him across the face, forcing his head to look the other way. He struggled when they started to touch him. He didn't like this. He didn't know why his mom left him alone with these men. He was scared and trying his best to resist them.
"Wanna make your mom happy?" one man whispered. "Sit still and she can keep her drugs. If not, we'll kill her and you," he finished. Axel stopped struggling, and the man chuckled before throwing Axel to the ground on his knees. The man moved his hands to his own pants and Axel started to silently cry. He didn't know what to do, nor did he want to do anything but please this man so his mom would be safe. When he was done, he let each of his friends have a turn with Axel, and when they were done, they pushed him to the floor and left wordlessly.
Axel lay on the floor quietly and wiped his eyes of the tears, too tired and in pain to clothe himself. His mother walked into the room, holding the sleepover paper in her hand.
"You are not going to this," she said ripping the paper in half before walking up the steps to go to her room. Axel burst into new tears and cried loudly in pain and anguish.
His nana had been wrong; she doesn't love him. She didn't even help him up after he was taken by three strangers back to back when he was only eight. Axel spent the night on the cold floor crying in pain and sadness.
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Roxas's POV
"I won't go into detail, just know that my first time was when I was eight," Axel muttered quietly. I moved forward from my seat on the bed and hugged him as tears streaked my face. How could something like that happen to Axel? It was sick and disgusting. I pulled him back so he lay on my lap, and I ran a hand through his hair.
"You can stop now if you want, Axel," I told him, but he shook his head.
"You need to know, okay?" he said and took another deep breath.
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3rd person POV
Axel woke early the next day to find his mother passed out on her bed. He went to the bathroom and showered clean, but inside he still felt dirty. He had a good feeling that nothing he could do would rid the feeling from him. He tried as hard as he could, scrubbed his skin until it started to turn red. He still hurt, but the few cuts he got had scabbed over. Axel decided that the long sleeved shirt and jacket would be a good option to hide himself. The blue jeans as well would work.
He grabbed his backpack and walked outside to see Zexion waiting for him outside the door. He cocked his head to the side, confused.
"I spent the night with Demyx and his family," Zexion explained since they normally meet up at school since Zexion didn't live around here. "I heard screaming last night. What happened here?" he asked lightly, and Axel looked away. He could tell Zexion, but he didn't want to. He felt ashamed and angry. He didn't want to tell anyone.
"Nothing," Axel said, ready to push past him.
"My dad beats my mom every night," Zexion said, and Axel paused. "I ran here last night to be with my best friend, because going through this kind of stuff alone isn't fun, nor is it good for the mind and body." Axel turned around to stare at Zexion. "We're friends, so don't be afraid to talk to us, okay?" he told him. Axel smiled slightly, but the throbbing pain he felt inside was still too great to be completely happy.
"Okay, well…" Axel struggled to find a way to tell him. Zexion placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You can tell us tonight, if you're coming that is," Zexion told him, and Axel nodded as they ran back to Demyx's house to wait for Marluxia. Axel noticed a small bruise on Zexion's cheek, and Demyx's mother stared sadly at Zexion, pity evident in her eyes. Demyx acted normally. Axel had a good feeling Demyx knew what Zexion had to deal with, but acted normal for him. Axel decided he would go tonight, and he would tell his friends what happened to him.
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"Happy Birthday, Demyx!" they all yelled as Demyx blew out the candles on the cake. As everyone was clapping, Axel felt worried. When he was packing his stuff, his mom threatened that he was not to go or something bad would happen to him. He had come anyway, because he felt normal when he was with his friends. Demyx's mom handed him a piece of cake and Demyx's dad asked him if he wanted ice cream too. He took some and Demyx glanced over to him as they moved back to the basement.
"I think your piece is bigger than mine!" Demyx protested, and Zexion elbowed him.
"He got more ice cream too," Marluxia finished.
"Because the boy is a stick," Demyx's mother spoke up. "You got enough food, Dem," she chastised when she flicked her son on the head. They laughed, but Axel remained silent. Did it really seem that obvious that he didn't eat a lot? Great… he needed to work on that.
"Axel!" Axel glanced to Demyx. "Are you even listening to Zexy?" he asked, and Axel nodded. "Okay then, what did he just say?" he asked as he took a bite of the cake.
"Okay, so I lied," Axel admitted.
"Pay attention so we can pick a movie to watch. You've been so spacey today!" Demyx complained and Marluxia agreed. Zexion glanced to him with a knowing look, but Axel looked away from him. He wasn't going to tell them just yet. He didn't want to ruin the birthday vibe for Demyx.
"Axel, wanna tell us now?" Zexion asked, movie forgotten by his side.
"Tell us what?" Marluxia asked, forgetting as well. Axel looked over to Demyx, hoping the blond wouldn't be interested, but he was.
"Go ahead, Axel," Zexion said, and he nodded slowly, thinking of where to begin. When he had figured it out and told them, he felt ten pounds lighter even though his friends would never look at him the same way again. He was afraid they would kick him out, but they did the opposite. Demyx moved to sit beside him, and Marluxia sat beside Demyx with Zexion on Axel's other side. They watched TV instead, refusing to leave Axel's side until he felt better. He felt okay, not exactly happy, but okay. He still had his friends.
When Axel turned nine, a man came to his house with silvery hair and dressed in purple. He said his name was Setzer, and he needed to talk to Axel's mother. He was upset, because when he opened the door, the man saw a bruise on his face from when his mother hit him for lying about going to Marluxia'shouse. He went up to his mother's room to get the woman.
"Jamie?" he asked quietly into the room. He refused to call her 'mom' anymore, especially when she had the disgusting men come a second time and use him again so she could get her drugs.
"The fuck do you want?" she muttered as she sat up.
"Some guy named Setzer wants to see you," he responded plainly. He hated his mother's constant use of that word. She paused in her stretching and stared at him.
"Go to your room and stay there," she told him.
"Look, I have things to do~"
"GO TO YOUR FUCKING ROOM, AND DON'T COME OUT!" she yelled pushing him to his room and locking the door from the outside. Axel beat on the door, but his mother ignored him. He spent a good thirty minutes up there before the door was unlocked and opened by Setzer.
"I apologize to you," he started, and Axel left the room.
"Where did she go?" he asked since he had heard the door slam earlier.
"To see your father." Axel paused. He was the very reason she hit him most of the time because he looked so much like him. "He's in town and wanted to see her." Axel stared out the window at the snow. He wished he had a tree to celebrate Christmas, because it was just around the corner. He had been invited to a party at Demyx and Zexion's place.
They only called it that now because Zexion is staying there for an extended period of time. His father really hurt his mom and she was in the hospital while he sent himself to rehab. Poor Zexion didn't have any other family so his mom asked Demyx's family. He looked back to the man who was grabbing his coat. He handed Axel a fifty dollar bill and smiled lightly.
"Merry Christmas, kid," he told him before turning.
"It's Axel. Axel Lea," he finished. Setzer has his back to him and smirked knowingly before leaving the house. Axel put the money in his room before he resolved going to bed would be the smart thing to do. His mother was already angry with him for waking her, so it would be best if he was asleep when she got home.
The next day, his mother didn't come home and Axel ordered himself a pizza to celebrate Christmas Eve, wishing it was tomorrow already so he could spend the whole with his friends. That was when the door opened and Jamie stormed and glared down at Axel.
"You fucking ingrateof a child!" she screamed, and Axel yelped, dropping his pizza and running up the stairs to his room. He hopped onto his bed and cowered in the corner of the bed against walls. He stared at the door with wide eyes as he heard the stomping up the steps. He was scared because she was never this angry with him. Ever. She kicked the door in and held a large knife in her hand. "You called the police on me? You fucking brat!" she screamed coming closer to him. He was terrified. He had done no such thing! What was she thinking? "I've done nothing but provide for you, you lousy child!" she screamed.
Axel was physically shaking and trembling, because his mother was going to kill him for no reason. She was gonna stab him and kill him…
"Think this is for you?" she asked lightly with a sick, twisted smile on her face. Axel was confused by the sudden change in emotion. "Oh, no; to make you suffer, I won't kill you," she explained. "You obviously want me gone, and I'm not gonna go to prison," she explained. She held the knife to her own skin of her arm and cut, deeply. The blood began to pour from it and stain the floor. Axel may not like his mom, but he didn't want her to die!
"Mom," he began, not caring he was calling her that again. "Stop. I didn't call the police," he reasoned, but she cut her other arm in a straight line from her wrist up to her elbow. She walked closer to him and touched his face with a blood stained hand, the blood dripping on his clothes. She kissed his forehead.
"Oh, Axel," she started with an oddly kind smile on her face. "I feel free, but not just yet. You need to know something. I've taken care of you since day one; making money doing things for people trying to care for my son in hopes he wouldn't do what I did when he was older. I now see you don't care for that or me so I thought about a present." She stood back slightly and held the knife tighter in her hand. "A Christmas present for you," she told him.
"Mom, what are you~" Axel was cut off by the sudden loud scream from his mom.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, AXEL! YOU KILLED ME!" she screamed and slit her throat in front of Axel. He was covered in the blood spray as his mother fell to the ground and he yelped quietly when she hit the ground. He was literally frozen in his place and just stared at the body leaking blood onto the floor. Axel's lips trembled terribly, and he let a few tears fall from his eyes. He didn't know what to do at all and didn't want to move either. He was scared. Did someone really call the cops? If so…what would this look like?
He burst into hysterics and let his sobs rack his small form as he hugged his knees closer and placed his head on his knees. He didn't know how long he sat there until he felt someone touch his arm. He cried out, but when he looked up he saw a man in uniform as he helped him to his feet. He saw his mother's body was gone, so he only cried harder. The man carried him outside to the ambulance where they cleaned him up as he finished crying. He honestly couldn't cry anymore. He scanned the small crowd and caught sight of his friends. He didn't go to them, but sat quietly in the back of the ambulance. He felt hollow and didn't want to speak to anyone. His mother just killed herself in front of him, saying it was him that caused it.
Roxas's POV
Axel doesn't cry. It just doesn't look good. Seeing him cry right now was making me cry as well. I honestly had no idea Axel had been keeping so much in.
"Remember that time when I went MIA for a little bit?" I nodded slowly. "I was heading out of town to deal with some of the feelings that I still harbor from that day. That time of the year always makes me sad and depressed, but you made me happy this year."
"Axel…" I let a tear fall and land on his shirt. He shifted from his spot laying on my lap and hugged me close and covered me with sheets and kissed my head.
3rd person POV
Alec came to claim his son the day after so court proceedings wouldn't be needed. He moved in with Axel in Jamie's old house and had Axel pick out a new carpet for his room. Alec had lots of money to spend and Axel didn't have to worry too much for the first month since people were over constantly to visit the poor boy that lost his mother to suicide and watched. When the month was over, Axel had eaten three meals a day and had been getting new clothes and was completely happy with his father.
That is, until he took Axel to a tattoo artist.
He realized when they got there his father had blue, inverted tear drops under each eye that he hid with makeup. When Axel sat in the chair, Alec told the man to give him redtattoos under each eye. It hurt, a lot, and he didn't have a say in it, he just had it done. Later, his father told him he got it because it means he lost a loved one to suicide.
That was when a bit of neglect started. Axel would basically be ignored and locked in his room when Alec was out. Those days, he only really saw his friends in school and when they first saw the tattoos they were a bit taken aback. When Alec was home he would take to beating the shit out of Axel for not doing one thing or another or to 'toughen him up' as he said. Axel didn't eat that often anymore, maybe a small meal every three days, and he had at least a bottle of water every day. He was alive, but it was torture. At least with his mother he had a chance to make a life for himself! Today he was turning eleven and Alec was allowing his Aunt Clare, her husband, and Axel's cousins Reno and Kairi to visit.
Reno and Kairi played with Axel, but he was still tender from the beating he took the night before. The bruises were carefully placed in easily hid parts of the body so no one knew unless Axel showed or told anyone. Axel had a strong fear of his father, so he never even considered doing that.
"Axel?" Kairi asked. She was a year younger than Axel, but she was smart, so she was in his same grade. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. She had the perception of her mother and she knew something was wrong with her cousin.
"It's nothing," he said.
"He's just shocked he's eleven now," Reno explained. He was already fifteen while his sister was only ten.
"Yeah, something like that," Axel agreed absently as he pressed his cold drink on his aching side, careful that no one noticed.
Axel had no reason to be excited at all since it just meant that he survived another year of what he called his life. When it was time for his family to leave, he hugged his uncle and aunt tightly. He gave his cousin Reno a high five and a hug. When he got to Kairi, she gave him a small package and tackled him with a squeezing hug. Since it was bruises she was squeezing, it hurt even more, but he hugged her back. She ran after her family after a planting a kiss on his cheek. Then Axel was sent to his room and the door locked behind him. He opened the package and pulled out a small journal and a note.
Axel, this is a gift from me and Reno. Use it to express your thoughts and feelings. Remember we're always here for you.
Kairi and Reno
Axel held to his chest with a small smile. He inspected the leathery cover of black with his name embroidered on it in fancy hand writing. He opened up to the lined pages and ran a hand over it and grabbed a pencil from his back pack. He titled it My Birthday and wrote about the day.
Roxas's POV
"Axel… I'm so sorry," I apologized. Knowing Axel's past so far made me wish he had never began to talk to me at all about this. It was so sad and has made me cry many times already.
"Roxy," Axel began as he wiped a tear off my cheek. "It doesn't stop there."
Oh man. How was part one? Depressing in places, right? I honestly have no idea why I decided to put him through hell. Well, reviews make me happy so I continue writing. Ask any questions you have and I'll be happy to answer them for you. thanks for sticking with me this long everyone.
HAPPY NEWYEAR!