Roxas isn't blind to Axel, of course he isn't, he's caught remembering Axel on his knees, trapped in the idea of those movements in a different setting. Naminé forgives him, and that should be enough for Roxas, but it isn't, he's still furious, even as Naminé is getting to her feet in the other room, tense and pinched with pain as she starts to move properly again, sliding across the floor in the simplest baby steps, and smiling as if she is the prima donna again. He understands her fear, that she was terrified, truly, that she might never walk again, that for all her brave faces, she didn't know how to be, or how to deal with that idea. Just the ability to do what the kids call spring points again, albeit listing slightly to one side, makes her laugh and spin on her good leg, tucking the bad gently against her knee rather than trying for full extension or turn out. She is learning how to compromise, and whilst it would bother Roxas to see her do this, it simply can't, not when she is shining again, like she always did in his eyes. He loves her so fiercely, and he can't imagine why he refused to see her for a little while, why he felt like ballet would take her away from him. Ballet runs through their veins, together, and that will never tear them apart.
Naminé's getting secretive, vanishing off to places unknown, and Roxas just smiles and lets her go, because he's no longer afraid of losing her, and goes to Axel's rehearsals alone, pretending that the sight of the redhead dancing doesn't make him want to walk up there, grab him, and take him somewhere he can spread his legs for him. He knows that there are problems with that, like the six months until he's eighteen, Axel's guilt, sharing a room with Naminé, but it isn't like she doesn't know how heavily he loves, how much he needs, how strongly he craves. Axel's body is his promised land, and he wants to see it all unveiled and know that it is his. For now, though, watching the body in a practice leotard and tights gone at the knee, grubby shoes, arch and spin, is enough – though it makes his stomach go hot and tight to see the extension and imagine what that body is like in passion, wrapped up in ecstasy and passion. He could be mistaken, but he could swear he sees a spark of that every time Axel dances.
Axel spots Roxas immediately, and suddenly Leon's not shouting at him, because he's perfect, putting everything he can into it, dancing like he's never danced before. Roxas is smiling, faintly, but he's too far back for Axel to see anything else, and he just throws his body into the music instead, trusting everything to work, to be practically perfect. Leon's gone completely silent, and as the number finishes, he strides towards Axel.
"I don't know what the hell that was, but can we have it more often, please?"
Axel looks past his shoulder at Roxas, who is grinning, and Leon follows his gaze.
"Ah. Well, I know that one well enough. Just make sure he's willing to come to every show, yes?"
Axel just smiles and shakes his head, and the run-through goes on. At the end, Leon has not a single correction for Axel, just nods at him as he grabs his bag.
On his way to get to Roxas, Axel is intercepted by Larxene, taking his arm, and he smiles, out of habit, and because he's exhilarated still.
"See, I told you." she says, brightly, laughing, "You've got so much promise, you just need to use it on people who are worth your time."
He's shocked, too shocked to move as she presses close and slides a hand down his body to cup his groin, at which point he startles back.
"Don't you dare talk about her like that. Don't touch me again, don't speak to me, don't come anywhere near me. What we were is long over."
She snarls, her pretty face twisted into an ugly mask of rage, and stalks away. Axel turns and looks for Roxas, and sees only empty rows of seats.
"Shit." He says, out loud, and slings his bag over his shoulder, trudging towards his room.
Unsurprisingly, he doesn't run into Roxas on the way back, and he's furious, swearing under his breath, cursing Larxene with boils and plagues of frogs. He stomps into his room, throws his bag on the floor, slumps onto the bed, and stares at the ceiling. No doubt Larxene did that one purpose, making sure that if he was interested in anyone else, she was going to ruin it, and that if he was going to go home with her, he was the dancer she wanted. He smiles ruefully. It was always the dancer she wanted, not the man, not the person behind the pointed feet and the expressive hands, just the dancer, just her ticket into the limelight, her chance to shine with a partner she viewed as worthy. It was never about helping his career, just hers, and if he improved along the way, then that was good enough. He stretches his spine, hearing it click, and then rolls over, willing himself to sleep.
There's a knock at his door, and he answers it, still half-dressed, having wriggled out of the top half of his leotard sometime between little portions of sleep. Roxas stares up at him, gaze flicking down to his bare chest, and Axel wonders if he's imagining the hunger in the blond's eyes.
"You've got to come with me. Now." He says, and Axel looks at him, really looks at him, and sees nothing but honesty looking back at him. He grabs a sweater, tugs it on, and then grabs his key before shutting the door.
"I'm all yours." He says, and watches Roxas' mouth quirk.
"If only." He thinks he hears the blond mutter, and then add in a louder voice, "Then I shall lead on."
Axel follows mutely, not knowing what is going on, but enjoying the view as he walks behind the blond. That's enough for the moment.
They reach the door out of the main school, and Roxas wordlessly carries on, towards the children's school on site, and pushes the door open silently. Axel has to bite his lip to stop himself from making a noise. There, at the front of the room, is Naminé, hair in a gentle bun, wisps escaping, demonstrating first position pliés to a class of rapt children, around five years old, who are silent as they copy her. Their faces are wrinkled in that childlike concentration which could be attention and could be a desperate need for the toilet, but it's Naminé who holds Axel's gaze, her gentle smile as she walks around the class, correcting feet, helping backs to be straight and shoulders to relax. She looks happier than he's ever seen her, even when she was prima ballerina material, even when she looked to have the world in her hands. He's never seen her smile like this. Roxas draws him away, gently, by the arm, and shuts the door.
Naminé meets them after her class is over, a simple tied cardigan thrown over her leotard and gauzy skirt. She looks like any new student, just scaled up, and her smile is infectious.
"Well?" she says, grinning, and Axel can do nothing but wrap her in his arms, laughing, and she hugs him back, fiercely, and he realises that they've missed each other, imagining they have nothing in common now that their dance is no longer, but he sees now, they're friends. Not just dance partners, not just people at opposite ends of a classroom, but friends.
"I knew she'd been sneaking off somewhere," Roxas explains, "And after I found where… well."
"Marluxia helped me to get myself back into it – and you know what?"
"What?" Axel says, when it doesn't seem like she's going to carry on.
"I never wanted to be the prima ballerina."
Axel starts to say something, and she cuts him off.
"No, Axel, I didn't. When I danced with you, it was about making you see what kind of dancer you could be. I wasn't happy here, I didn't know how to fit in."
"And now?" Roxas says, and she grips his hand.
"Now I know where I want to be. I don't want to be the best dancer, or the one with the most acclaim. I just want to watch others become the best they can."
Axel wonders, looking at her, how they ever imagined that she could have wanted anything else.
Naminé's got another class to teach, so she shoos the boys away, laughing, and they go, just glad to see her smile again and have it not be half a lie.
"So…" Axel says, just as Roxas opens his mouth to speak.
"Coffee?" Roxas says, and smiles.
"I was hoping for a little more than coffee." Axel says, honestly, and watches Roxas' cheeks flush, "But I suppose we can start there."
"If you were – "
"Coffee." Axel says, firmly, not about to drag someone back to his bed if they're not keen, "Coffee, and then we'll see."
Roxas smiles, brightly, as if that wasn't what he expected, and slides his hand into Axel's where it is held, gently. They're not there yet, but there's something there, they're both sure of it, and they're not about to let it go before they've given it a try.
Coffee is quiet, both of them thinking about Naminé, what she has found in her injury, as well as what the two of them may now be able to find in her recovery.
"She's taught me everything." Roxas says, quietly, and Axel nods.
"She told me that things were possible, and I believed her, and that was what led to me being here. She's always been someone who likes to lead people, who likes to let them know that they're good enough. It's hard to imagine she didn't see this before."
"She was living someone else's dream. Now she can live her own. Shame it took what it did for her to see that, but…."
"I thought I'd killed all her dreams." Axel admits, softly.
"And instead, you led her to hers, like she showed you yours. Seems like that goes full circle." Roxas says, leaning over, letting his head rest on Axel's shoulder. Axel presses a hand into his hair, stroking gently, and the two of them fall back into comfortable silence. There's nothing between them now, nothing but mutual affection, but for the moment, this is close enough.