Open Your Heart
Chapter 4: Nothing to Fear Anymore, When All I Need is You
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Square Enix
Warning: Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships, impregnation, etc, you know all that good stuff. If it bothers you then you have the option of leaving.
Summary: The males of the Strife bloodline are gifted with the ability to reproduce and have children of their own like women. Take Prince Squall Leonhart from Balamb and Prince Cloud Strife from Nibelheim and you have the twins Sora and Roxas. Forward sixteen years and now the parents are trying to get the idea of marriage into their boys mind, but Nibelheim's rebellious prince, Roxas Strife Leonhart refuses to be pushed into a marriage he doesn't want. In comes Prince Axel with his younger sister Princess Kairi from Radiant Garden and Roxas has just about had it for the summer.
Pairings: Axel x Roxas, Riku x Sora, Leon x Cloud
Music: "Keeping Love Again" SHINee & "Brand New Map" by K
A/N: And now we've finally come to the end T-T This is actually the first time I've ever finished a chaptered fic before! Even though it's pretty short, I still feel very accomplished! :')
I apologize for the wait, but I promise it was worth it in the end you guys! I almost thought that I would have to hold this off until September because no one and I mean no one wanted to give me some personal time! But in the end I was able to finish this within the month all for you awesome readers!
I'm really happy with how much you readers have encouraged me with all your favorites, follows, and reviews on both here and tumblr, though it may not look like much in quantity, the quality outweighs it more than anything else to me. It just makes my heart swell with joy that it hurts x/x thank you so, so, so, so much for reading this story in the first place!
Now, onwards to the conclusion of our story!
-x-x-x-x-
During those long excruciating moments of crying and holding his lover tightly, Axel couldn't remember the last time he had ever wept so much in his life. Just falling apart like that in front of Roxas, in front of everyone made him feel vulnerable but the blond calmed him, telling him in a soft voice how happy he was that Axel came back and that everything would be alright in the end. Axel had sniffled, his tears still building up and spilling at the edge of his forest green eyes but the young prince surprised him by reaching up slowly to kiss away his newly formed tears and brush his damp cheeks with the loving touch of his fingertips. When he was done crying, they just laid there, content in holding each other until they had fallen asleep.
Now, Axel was awake, his thoughts turning as he waited patiently for his young prince to awaken. The redhead had been cradling Roxas in his arms for hours now and he never once let go, not even for a minute. All he did was hold his lover's tired, sleeping form against his body and occasionally, the redhead's hand would reach out to touch the blonde's flat stomach. The young prince wasn't showing yet, but they were sure he was now carrying a life inside of him, but not just any life—it was their child, his and Roxas'.
The idea of becoming a father now was nerve-wracking if not exciting, but still Axel had very little experience with children and that in itself was what made it scary. Then again, he wasn't the only one expecting now that he thought about it because Sora and Riku were with a child as well—maybe they could all try and figure out this parenting business together. Just thinking about the four of them scrambling around like headless chickens, trying to comfort a crying infant or let alone feed it—yeah, maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea after all. This left Axel to consider asking the experts themselves, Cloud, Leon and even his own father, Ansem.
It'd be hard to approach Roxas' fathers though since they weren't exactly on the best of terms with him, not even with Riku either. Hell, King Leon still held quite the vendetta against the silverette for even impregnating his oldest son and their current engagement made him even less happy than before. Now that Axel had followed suit and done the same with his youngest, he feared that the brunet haired king had moved him up the ladder on his hit list. The very thought just shook him to the core and he wished he hadn't even thought about it in the first place.
Still, despite the redhead's eyes mostly having been on Roxas the entire time when he first entered the room—the look of surprise and relief that adorned both the kings of Nibelheim's face was apparent, last he saw in those few seconds he had even laid eyes on them.
Axel had actually expected to be attacked by Leon, like when he had Riku in his clutches during the time Sora finally confessed about his pregnancy but the older brunet did nothing of the sort and instead just stood there, watching his actions carefully until he had stocked right up to Roxas. When that happened, Cloud slowly led his lover away to give him and Roxas some time alone the very moment the redhead's tears began to spill.
Sighing to himself, the older prince was uneasy, there was just so much going on in his head that it left him dizzy and frightened. There wasn't just Leon and Cloud to worry about, there was still the matter of telling his father, King Ansem, Radiant Garden's royal court and Nibelheim's, but also his engagement with Larxene—now that was really something he did not want to deal with. He could already just imagine the fury she'd be in, not only her but also her father, Vexen as well. He hated the lot of them, their pompous outlook on society and unbelievably high expectations for everything—it was madness. But now that he had Roxas and this unborn child, he could only hope that they were the key to his escape from the Morgan's wrath.
A scratching at the door caused Axel's brow to rise, gulping down his nerves, he gave a soft reply and hoped it wouldn't cause the boy in his arms to stir, "Come in."
The knob twisted a little loudly than necessary, but it all made sense once Axel saw the color of bright red fur enter the room and shut the door close behind them.
"Nanaki." He said, feeling somewhat startled by his appearance.
"Prince Axel, I see that Roxas is still sleeping." He replied, padding lightly across the floor over towards the redhead's side before sitting down right next to the mattress.
"Yeah, I forget that he's a deep sleeper sometimes but today was just exhausting, not only for me but for him too."
"It was most likely expected that he'd be so tired after having to deal with yesterday's spite with you and then collapsing as a result of his fatigue and at last discovering his pregnancy today."
"I guess you're right." Axel chuckled.
"You shouldn't guess your highness, you know I'm right." Nanaki replied before bringing his front paws up onto the mattress and jumping right up on there to fit himself next to the redhead and the edge of the bed.
Axel shuddered instantly, his body stiffening as the beast's face closed in on him, looking at him intensely with narrowed dark eyes with each creak the bed made under his weight.
"I'm still unhappy about what you put Roxas through emotionally, the boy is like my own cub, Axel." Nanaki stated, "Understand that I will not kill you, but only because Roxas will be unhappy and that he loves you dearly, so much so that he is willing to give up his childhood so soon in exchange to stop you from going through with your marriage to that Morgan noble by bearing your child. I hope you know how much he has sacrificed for you, so I'm telling you now, hurt him again and I swear to you that I will make you suffer beyond the end of your days."
The beast's words settled themselves deep within the confines his brain. He was right, Axel thought sadly. Roxas had given up so much for him and now that he really looked at it, there was hardly anything in the past that the redhead had done that could be considered of equal value to the blonde's sacrifice. All he had really been doing was taking and taking while all Roxas did was give and give. There may have been somewhat of an equal exchange in terms of the physical aspects of their relationship, but other than that there hadn't been much else and that upset Axel even more.
"I didn't think that—no… You're right, I shouldn't even be trying to make up excuses... he gave up so much for me, it's only right that I give my very being to him now, my body, heart and soul." he finally said, the defeat clearly evident in his voice. Hanging his head in shame, all he felt he could do was senselessly caress the tufts of soft blond hair on Roxas' head.
An incoherent string of mumbling vibrated against the redhead's body until he felt a brief nuzzle from the young prince on his chest. Looking down at him, Axel pushed his right elbow deep into the comforter, leaning more of his weight onto it so that he could scoot up into a better position and give the blond some room to sit up.
Roxas rubbed his tired blue eyes, his mouth gaping open to release a nice big yawn. It pained Axel to see dark gray circles dusted faintly beneath those beautiful eyes of his, indicating how much stress and exhaustion his lover had been feeling as of late.
Taking in his surroundings, Roxas' gaze soon rested upon the redhead beside him and he slowly smiled at him before reaching up to kiss the older prince on the cheek. The blond didn't stop from there though and he proceeded to grace Axel with more kisses until he had covered nearly every surface of his face.
"I heard everything, about what the two of you were saying." Roxas suddenly said, taking both Axel and Nanaki by surprise.
"Forgive me for being so forward about my opinions, your highness." Nanaki bowed his head, but Roxas wouldn't have it and quickly reached out to scratch the red haired beast behind the ear.
"You are entitled to your own opinions, Nanaki. I have no reasons to be angry with you for voicing out your frustrations with Axel, let alone threatening him on my behalf. If anything, I find it flattering." The blond beamed as he was able to coax a low grumble in the creature's throat, a signal that he was at the very least, relaxed now that Roxas' fingers moved on to tickle his chin.
"He's still right though, Roxas. You've given me far too much…" Axel interrupted dejectedly with a heavy sigh.
"Is that a problem?" Roxas asked, his blue eyes narrowing now.
The intense look on the blonde's face took Axel by surprise once again and he couldn't find the words to speak, so instead he nodded his head silently which prompt Nanaki to roll his eyes and shake his head with displeasure.
"And why is it a problem that I have expressed my love for you to the extent of which I have taken?" Roxas began to growl as he reached up to pinch Axel's thin cheeks and pull hard on his pale skin, "Would it have been better if I allowed my feelings for you to die and let you go off to marry that confounded woman back home who you despise with your very being?" he asked, clearly losing his patience now as he yanked a little harder on the redhead's cheek to emphasize this.
"Nice going, Prince Axel." Nanaki commented from his side of the bed, the attack on the redhead's cheek continuing on with full force now that Axel was thrown to the edge and close to tears.
"Nyah—Ahh! O-okay, okay! I give, I give! Please have mercy on me Roxas! I beg of you, let go before you rip the skin right off my face!"
Releasing his cheek, Roxas' eyes softened some, his expression no longer vexed but it melted quickly into that of sadness which Axel instantly regretted as he held his aching face.
"Roxas…"
"Are you really that bothered about me having to give up living what little time I have left of my childhood for our love?"
"Roxas, you've only just turned seventeen last month. I'm already well on my way to twenty by next spring and—"
"Shut up." Roxas interrupted, his lips turned into a frown, "It's a little too late to try and reason with me now don't you think? Especially now that I'm finally pregnant…" the blond said, his hands traveling down to hold his stomach.
"But—oh who am I kidding?" Axel shook his head, "Okay, you're right it's far too late now to say anything…"
"Exactly! Now, promise me that you'll never think of such a ludicrous thing like that ever again."
"Alright, I promise," Axel replied as he took the blonde's hand into his and kissed it gently, "You're incredibly stubborn to a fault you know that? But that is one of the reasons why I admire you so much—why I fell in love with you…" Axel chuckled.
"Oh really?" the blond smirked. He was interested to learn more and hoped his lover would continue.
"Yes, your personality speaks volumes in contrast to your beauty and you are also by far the only person who has ever left me speechless and wanting more of such a forbidden fruit as erratic as you." Axel replied, his face leaning in close until they were staring at each other with their foreheads pressed gently together, "You are outspoken and positively bold. You have left me breathless countless times already, literally and you have even humiliated me, yet I do not even raise my voice to stop you because I'm so impressed by you."
"What about Larxene? She humiliates you and you don't stop her."
Axel choked, his green eyes hardening a bit, "Can we please not talk about her? She is a different story, she's a lady and I as a gentleman cannot lay a finger on her. And on another note, she disgusts me!" He added with a frown.
"A gentleman? Okay, I'm sorry… but, you were saying?" Roxas laughed softly.
"I don't know now, you ruined the moment by bringing up that beastly woman into the conversation. I really don't think you deserve anymore details now." the redhead began to tease.
"Hey—no fair, you fox!" he quickly retorted, leaving Axel all but laughing loudly now.
"Well, I think it's a good thing the moment was ruined because though I hate to interrupt, I had another reason for why I came here." Nanaki said. Quickly the two princes took notice of him again and waited silently for the beast to continue speaking, "King Leon wishes to speak to you, Axel. I'm sure that Cloud wants to as well, but it will be at a later time since you and Roxas have already been through enough for today and he is certain Leon will give you more of an earful than he will."
"Is it just Axel he wants to talk to? May I join in as well?" Roxas asked suddenly, his voice shaking out of fear for what Leon might do to the older prince.
"I am afraid that it's just Prince Axel, but do not fret Roxas for I will be here to keep you company while you wait for your father and him to finish their discussion."
"But—he might—uh, there's no use trying to talk my way into going with Axel, is there?" the blond frowned.
Shaking his head sternly, Nanaki then head butted Axel's shoulder, "You two have delayed enough time as it is, I suspect King Leon may have lost his patience by now so get up already and go. He is in the library waiting for you."
Swallowing thickly, Axel gradually assembled the courage to climb off of the bed. Kissing the young prince tenderly, he brushed several strands of the boy's golden tresses, giving him the best assuring smile he could before finally leaving the room whilst trembling slightly out of apprehension for what was to come.
-x-x-x-x-
Axel arrived at the library in no time and yet he found each step he took to get there to be completely and utterly torturous. Now finding himself standing in front of the king's desk, the redhead feared for his life as the ruler looked up at him from his leather chair with deep, unpredictable dark blue eyes. Sweat was accumulating in the palms of his clenched hands and it didn't help when he saw Leon smirk—obviously amused by how a simple stare from him and just being in his very presence was enough to leave Radiant Garden's heir shaking like a helpless newborn fawn.
Standing up from his seat, Leon pushed the rather large chair back; its legs creating an uncomfortable wailing against the floor. Axel's trembling increased tenfold once Leon rounded the desk and stood but an arm's length away from him now, his arms crossed and brow arched at him curiously, if not annoyed at him.
"Do I really frighten you, Prince Axel?" he chuckled darkly.
"I-I have every right to be afraid of you." Axel managed to answer, "Your temper knows no bounds and I have seen what you've done to my friend, Riku. You are The Lion of Balamb, their king and every battle you have ever led over the years against those who have threatened your country and its people have fallen and are all but dust in the wind. You are one of the few people I do not wish to make an enemy out of."
"Flattering." Leon replied flatly and yawned, causing Axel to blink, "How about we cut the formalities for my sake. You trying to butter me up like this is revolting despite how true your words are."
"Uhh—sure?" Axel stared.
"Good, now let's get to the point already." The brunet added, his heavy boots stomping across the floor towards the couches by the fireplace, "Come and sit with me."
Nodding quickly, Axel followed swiftly to take a seat next to the king on the loveseat, afraid that if he were being too slow then Leon would be displeased with him.
"You should stop shaking, it's not like I'm going to kill you on the spot kid."
"Sorry, I'm just nervous about what you needed to talk to me about."
The king clicked his tongue, "Fine, just so you can stop trembling in fear, I wanted to discuss matters concerning the state of which your relationship with my son has progressed to."
"Yeah, I figured as much…"
"Good, because I'm not exactly happy that my son and you are following in our footsteps and by that I mean Cloud and I." Leon said with a grumble on his part.
"You? A-and his majesty King Cloud?" Axel gaped at the older male with disbelief.
"Yes, Cloud and I," He growled, "I hope you are well aware of how the story goes, about how Cloud and I got together."
"Sort of, I was about two or three years old back then when news of you two became the gossip of our kingdom. You two defied your respective courts by conceiving Sora and Roxas, from what I'm aware of."
"Mm, that wasn't a pretty mess to clean up but at least you get the just of it." Leon yawned, "I wanted to tell you that in our situation, I was stuck in the exact same predicament as you, with a fiancée and overbearing parents to boot. And Roxas, he's as every bit like Cloud in nearly every way. Aggressive attitude and all…" he added, his spine shivering at the countless memories of his blond haired lover physically abusing him throughout the years.
"You didn't want to marry the girl, did you?"
"No, who in their right mind would ever want to be forced into a marriage they don't even want and without their consent?"
"No one, your majesty." Axel smiled sadly into his lap.
"Cloud already told Roxas the story, which is how he thought it'd be a brilliant plan to try on you and seeing as how it worked..." Taking a deep breath, the older male combed his fingers through the fronts of his dark brown hair roughly with somewhat of an exasperated sigh, "I'm going to have to tell you my side of the story now."
Axel sat there, looking at the king with pure astonishment. Straightening up his posture now, he leaned in with interest, "Okay, go on now tell me." He urged.
Blinking, Leon cleared his throat, "Right, well I was just about your age when out of the blue I became engaged with a noble woman by the name of Rinoa Heartilly. I'll admit she had her perks but I had already been in love with Cloud for years so the very second she came into my life, I wanted her out." He smirked and quite proudly at that, "I did everything I could to break it off with her, I even went so far as to humiliate her on several occasions but she saw right through me and embarrassed me right back. Her father was the lead man who was pushing for us to be together and my mother was just as excited as ever to be able to plan her oldest son's wedding."
"Heh, just like me…"
"Yeah, every bit, so don't even think that you're the only one suffering kid." Leon scoffed, "I've already experienced it and now you will learn from me and what I did."
"Gotcha."
"Good. Now, Cloud told me you didn't plan on telling our son you had Larxene Morgan waiting for you at the alter after this summer, well my boy, you could have really saved some heartache over that by manning up and telling Roxas the first chance you got, but too late now."
"Please don't remind…" Axel groaned, bringing his hands to cradle his face.
"Heh, well unlike you, I had the guts to tell Cloud. I'll admit it was painful because he punched me pretty good in the face afterwards but it was better than having gone through what you did." Leon smirked again, adding a soft snicker just to put salt on the wound, "Anyways, my wedding day with Rinoa drew close after only several months. At one point I couldn't see Cloud for weeks and though I hate to tell you this, I actually went and locked myself up in my room for hours on end because of being unable to see him. Thank god Cloud finally made time and appeared in Balamb a month before the wedding day but he seemed off, different, you know? It wasn't until he suddenly pinned me down to my bed that I had begun to understand why he was being so moody, because right when he did that, he told me to make love to him and to give him children."
Leon smiled more or less to himself at the memory. After seventeen years, it was no longer awkward for him to recall it anymore, if anything he found it amusing and special now.
The redhead's green eyes widened as the memory of his and Roxas' first night together suddenly resurfaced, "What did you do after he told you that?"
The brunet shrugged, "We argued."
"But from the looks of it, Cloud won in the end, am I right?" Axel chuckled, which caused Leon to shoot him a glare.
"Of course, if he didn't I wouldn't be here and neither would my sons. You'd probably by hitched to that woman back home too!" He added, which caused Axel to glare right back at him, "I'm glad I gave in though, because Cloud saved me from having to lose him forever and our sons. I don't regret my decision."
"What exactly did you argue about?"
"I thought he was crazy, I mean it's possible because he is a member of the House of Strife but at the same time I had to question why," Leon said as his eye's bore right into the redhead. "His answer was because my parents wanted heirs and if he could give me one before Rinoa then he was sure the wedding would have to be called off. He was quite confident about his plan too since he is of royal blood unlike Rinoa, so giving my parents a prince or princess through the Nibelheim's royal line seemed better than giving the Heartilly's a chance to branch into the royal family."
"That's exactly what Roxas told me, sort of…"
"Really now? Cloud sure really influenced him I'd say… like father like son." Leon sighed contently.
"Yeah, they sure are alike in most ways."
"I bet he told you that the thought of having your heart isn't enough, right Axel?"
The prince of Radiant Garden just nodded his head. This Leon snorted at but he quickly composed himself in seconds afterwards.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that—it's just my son may as well be the exact copy of his father, Cloud," Leon commented, his right arm moving to the rest on his side of the loveseat, "Those two are such romantics despite how tough they appear. It really isn't a bad thing though because it makes their love for us that much more honest and true. They have no reason to hide it, which is why they are forceful, blunt and all around unpredictable sometimes."
"Man, I know exactly what you mean right there. If you recall, Roxas gave me the good old one, two during Sora and Riku's engagement party."
"Ha! So did Cloud!" Leon added with a short bark. He was still a little angry about that to be honest, the only reason why he hadn't said anything to his lover was because when it came down to an actual fight; Cloud could easily bring him down in terms of physical strength, "Why do you think Roxas was able to get away with it?"
"Will I'll be damned, Cloud has you wrapped around his finger."
"Pft, you're no better than me if Roxas can push you around so easily too."
"Touché, your majesty."
"Exactly."
"Leon, did you ever feel like Cloud was giving you too much?" Axel finally asked, his heart racing a bit as he waited for an answer.
"You mean in terms of our relationship?" Leon arched a brow before turning away to look down into his lap, "Like I told you before, Cloud saved me and for that I will always be faithful to him. Of course, there came a time when that thought did cross my mind and it happened on the day that Sora and Roxas were born."
"Tell me."
"I'm getting to that, jeez kid," Readjusting himself a little, the brunet bit his lip, "Until you have to experience those long hours of listening to your lover's painful screams while trying to give birth, you can only imagine it. I felt terrible for Cloud and I blamed myself for putting him through that situation because in order for us to be together he had to go through countless hours of agony. He sacrificed his body, his wellbeing for my sake and I knew in that instant that I had to repay him somehow. When I told Cloud afterwards when Sora and Roxas were finally born, the first thing he did was get up from his bed and slam me into the wall."
"That sure sounds like something he would do."
"Not very surprising, is it?"
"Unless I was the one being physically man handled, not really." Axel began to laugh. From what Leon could gather, the redhead was enjoying the parts of the story that mostly involved Cloud dominating him and physically abusing him; it made the brunet grumble but as long as it kept their conversation going, he didn't see any reason to start complaining yet.
"Well, as I was saying, Cloud gave me an earful about it after he had me up against the wall and cursed me for even thinking of such a ridiculous thing. He made his point pretty clear that he didn't want my pity for putting him through childbirth and the last thing he said to me was that the only thing he wanted was for us to be together and to raise our sons," Closing his eyes for a moment, Leon laid his head back on the loveseat, "Axel, don't take my son's love for you for granted. He's as every bit as pure about his feelings for you just as Cloud is for me. Treasure him, because you won't find another person in the world like him who is willing to love and care about you as much as he ever will."
Axel sat there, obviously speechless by the sudden change of emotion felt in the older male's words, "A-are you giving me you're blessing to be with Roxas?"
Snapping his head back up, Leon narrowed his dark stormy blue eyes at the prince, "What does it look like I'm trying to say to you? Do you honestly think I'm just going to let you off the hook and go back home to marry that drunk of a fiancée of yours that I've seen parading in my castle twice this summer?"
The redhead instantly shook his head no and Leon responded with a loud huff.
"Axel, unlike Riku, I kind of like you—kind of, but only because I see just a glimmer of myself in you," This was a great relief to Radiant Garden's prince but Leon continued to wear a serious face, "I will say this though, break your engagement off with Larxene because if you don't there will be hell to pay, especially if you put Roxas through any more emotional pain…" the brunet said slowly, emphasizing every word that left his mouth as he reached for the collar of Axel's shirt and yanked him forward.
"You don't have to tell me twice, sir…" Axel gulped nervously now, the king's eye's glaring menacingly at him, "Nanaki already gave me his threats, yours have served to guarantee that I will follow through with your wishes."
"That's good to know," Leon replied and he did not release the redhead from his clutches just yet, "I'll be discussing the matter of canceling your wedding with that beastly girl tomorrow. I'm quite sure your father and I will be on the same page and I expect you to be there as well."
"Yes, your majesty."
-x-x-x-x-
Radiant Garden's royal family stayed a week longer in Nibelheim. Though they were behind schedule, there was much to discuss for the future of both kingdoms now that Prince Roxas was bearing the next heir to the royal crown.
There wasn't much to be concerned about for Sora just yet and he was just as content to stay out of the spotlight now that both the royal courts were hot on his twin's heels for coming between the engagement of Axel and Larxene. But being of royal blood and the son of The Great Wolf of Nibelheim and The Lion of Balamb, there wasn't a thing any noble could do to try and rise up against such powerful figures that had the power of the people standing right behind them. In the end, Nibelheim's royal court gave Roxas their grudging excuse of a blessing and with that accomplished, this left the young prince and Axel with their last issue; having to deal with Radiant Garden and her pack of power hungry wolves.
Ansem the Wise wasn't at all looking forward to returning home now that they had such a difficult predicament to solve. He did agree though, that the planned marriage between his son and Vexen Morgan's daughter, Larxene had to be stopped at all costs.
To be it bluntly, Roxas' pregnancy was a sure sign that the alliance between their countries was guaranteed ten times over. With the union of Balamb and Nibelhiem years ago because of Cloud and Leon, they were a powerful ally and an even greater force to be reckoned with. This, Ansem was firm in his decision about because an heir conceived from the child of such prominent figures of power like Cloud and Leon was a valuable insurance to his nation. Though he knew it would most likely result in the loss of some allies in his court, it was much better in the long run as opposed to sitting on his throne in fear of outside invasions or threats. In order to help combat the political animals, Leon and a few others of his own court agreed to return with Ansem and it was then that the old man felt some of the load on his chest lighten, if only a little.
Roxas became adamant about going to Radiant Garden with Axel to deal with the engagement mess after the redhead was informed that his attendance was needed back home. Of course this didn't sit well with the older prince because he didn't want anything to happen during the blonde's early stages of pregnancy but his young lover was determined to go. With some persuasion on Nanaki's part, Axel eventually gave into his demands quietly but only on the terms that Nanaki himself be allowed to go and watch over Roxas as well.
Cloud decided to stay behind and defend the home front, along with Sora, Riku and Zack while a small handful of the royal guards which consisted of Yuffie, Seifer, Tifa and Vincent went with Leon, Roxas and Nanaki to Radiant Garden. This left Genesis, Angeal, Bartz and the new recruit, Lightning behind to protect the family but Leon trusted them and with Cloud assuring him the night before they all left, he felt content enough to leave without any more arguments on his part.
The nobles who agreed to accompany Leon were some of the king's closest friends and mentors, they were Quistis Trepe, Eraqus Dawn, Cid Highwind and of all people, his father the retired king of Balamb, Laguna. Roxas was extra excited about the trip since it meant he was able to spend some time with his grandfather but as a result, Laguna teasingly told both him and Axel to squeeze out as many great grandchildren out of the blond as they could.
By the time everyone found themselves in Radiant Garden, tensions were on the rise now but Leon's company of nine strong willed men and women easily stood their ground against the animals of Ansem the Wise's court.
Axel was completely taken aback by Nibelheim and Balamb's representatives but he could easily see where Roxas had learned to be so headstrong and brutally honest now that he saw these people in action. Even two of Leon's royal guard's had the guts to speak up to defend their king and prince, the ever aggressive, hotshot swordsmen, Seifer Almasy and the motherly yet headstrong fists of fury, Tifa Lockhart.
In less than a few days' time, Radiant Garden's court of ostentatious and arrogant nobles was easily beaten down in their places by Leon and his group. Though it meant the loss of some supporters on Ansem's part, there were other members like Merlin Marval, Riku's father Sephiroth Jenova, Luxord Stanley, Zexion Hail and Lazard Deusericus who saw this as an opportunity for long years of ensured alliance and power for Radiant Garden; just as Ansem had wanted.
Afterwards, their victory didn't matter anymore to Axel and Roxas because in the end they were finally able to be together without any more obstacles trying to get in the way of their relationship. In the short time Roxas spent with Axel in his home, he saw the older prince's city as a spurring metropolis in comparison to his mountainous haven in Nibelheim but he quickly learned that Radiant Garden wasn't what he wanted for their child to grow up into and Axel was swift to agree with him.
Only once did Roxas run into the likes of Larxene in the palace hallways and just because Axel wasn't with him at the time, she thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to attack the blond since he was now on her territory technically. But alas the situation did not go according to her plan because Tifa, having helped look after Roxas since he was in diapers charged into action and in seconds held the girl by her throat and floating off of the ground before slamming her back into the wall. With a smile, the brunet made her threat clear, twice over and added a powerful and frightening punch beside the Morgan woman's head against the wall as she dug her fist into the stone for an additional scare.
Larxene never dared to bother Roxas again after that incident which Tifa and him kept between themselves until questions began to arise about the large hole in the wall.
Eventually, Leon and his company's stay came to an end and they all returned home feeling accomplished and happy for the most part after being so victorious in their debates. With the engagement between him and Larxene annulled, there was nothing left for Axel in Radiant Garden other than his family and the prospect of becoming king in several years' time. With Roxas having to return home as well, Axel decided to go along with him to start a new life in Nibelheim and live there for a few years until it would be time for him to return and take the throne. There was no argument in that, thank goodness but Ansem was firm with his desires to be able to see his future grandchildren every now and again.
-x-x-x-x-
Summer came to its end and opened the doors for autumn, bringing in the fall harvests and annual festivals to Nibelheim with it. The celebrations were unlike any other Axel had ever seen before. Having been raised in the high society of Radiant Garden all of his life and away from the activities enjoyed mostly by the commoners, Axel was unsure about what to do and how to enjoy the merriment taking place. Luckily, Roxas and his family were there to guide Axel and so he excitedly joined in on all of the fun while dragging along an equally happy Roxas. Of course Leon was unhappy about all of the physical movement his youngest son was engaging in but Cloud reprimanded him by calling it a bout of light exercise.
Roxas' pregnancy eventually began to show and Axel doted on him to everyone he could at every chance he got much to the blonde's embarrassment. Only when the two of them were alone, did Roxas feel comfortable with letting Axel hold and touch his growing stomach. Between just the two of them, the moment seemed magical and they always tended to debate with each other on whether or not they would have a daughter or a son.
By the time October rolled around, Axel decided one morning in bed to present the blond with a silver ring that held a single diamond glittering at its center. It left Roxas speechless and during his moments of silence, Axel confessed his longing for them to be married and proposed to him informally on the spot. No one had expected this from the redhead so soon, not even Roxas but the blond didn't care because he kissed Axel hard on the lips as his answer and thus sealed the deal.
Following Axel's proposal to Roxas, it of course prompted Leon to step in and give the redhead another long chat which Riku snickered about behind his friend's back. The silver haired noble hoped that Axel would receive the same treatment Leon had given him months before but to his greatest shock the redhead returned unscathed with his usual attitude intact.
Sora was doing quite well for himself being on his sixth month but when Riku was called back to Radiant Garden after having stayed in Nibelheim for nearly five months already, he requested that the young brunet be allowed to travel home with him to meet his family. Of course, Leon was set against it entirely and was almost successful in having wrung the silverette's neck had it not been for Cloud and Zack holding him back. In the end though, with much persuasion on his blond lover's part, the king gave his reluctant consent to the couple but continued to worry about the safety of his unborn grandchild and the wellbeing of his son.
With one son already having gone and left the nest, the terror of the twin princes of Nibelheim had come to an end. Leon wouldn't admit it this to anyone except Cloud but he really did miss the noise and laughter because nowadays, it seemed far too quiet and peaceful around the castle for his liking. Cloud took pleasure in teasing Leon about this since the brunet was the discipliner between the two of them but unlike his lover, he was honest and on a few occasions he confessed to Axel of all people how much he missed seeing his boys run amuck like wild animals throughout their home.
When winter set in, it was colder than the snow falls and chills experienced in Radiant Garden. Axel was hardly an admirer for the current season but it gave him an even better excuse than before to cuddle Roxas whenever he wanted which included when they were even in the presence of his father in-laws to be. Leon wasn't particularly happy about witnessing his son's public displays of affection but Cloud countered it from time to time by silencing his lover's grumbles with a firm kiss or two.
By January, Sora still had yet to return home from Radiant Garden. It worried everyone in the castle since it was technically his ninth month of pregnancy and the family really wanted to be there to witness and support their young prince during his greatest time of need. When a letter finally arrived on the twenty-third with information pertaining to Sora, Leon and Cloud fled the castle in a spit of rage—leaving Quistis and Cid to help Roxas run the kingdom in their stead while they both traveled to Radiant Garden where apparently Sora had given birth to a son on the nineteenth and was currently sick in bed.
In less than a week, the kings returned, still feeling angry and spiteful but they managed to bring Sora and their new grandson, Hope back home to Nibelheim with them. According to the young prince, he had fallen ill two weeks before. He had wanted to travel home in time to give birth but didn't feel well enough, so it forced him to stay longer than he had originally planned. The birthing process came as a shock to him and he was honestly scared for his life but had it not been for Riku's mother, Aqua helping him throughout the whole ordeal he was sure he and his son wouldn't have been able to survive, which was why they had named him Hope.
Riku came back to Nibelheim shortly after Sora's arrival, begging for both king's forgiveness for not having informed them sooner. Cloud had scoffed at the time and gave him a mumble while Leon glared silently. Sora forgave him easily of course since he was distracted by how happy he was to finally be home. With Hope being raised in the castle now, everyone's attention instantly gravitated towards the newborn prince who had surprisingly inherited the Jenova's distinctive silver hair and aqua color eyes.
During the middle of February, Riku and Sora had a small wedding consisting only of their family and close friends. Throughout the entire ceremony, Sephorith insisted on being the one to hold his wiggling grandson, Hope and even after the vows and rings were exchanged he refused to relieve himself of the infant. No one was bothered by it of course except maybe Cloud but overall it made for a nice story or joke to tell since the Head of the Jenova's was quite well known for his cold demeanor. Just seeing the older man hogging the newborn and constantly cooing at him was a rather entertaining display, especially for Riku and his older brothers. Luckily, Sephorith didn't worry about all the laughter or jests pointed his way, instead he took the teasing from everyone with pride.
As for Axel and Roxas, they were well on their way to a healthy pregnancy and were expecting the birth of their child to be sometime in May. They decided to have their wedding day on the fourteenth of April, at least a month before the blonde was actually due. Sora continued to stay in Nibelheim taking care of Hope, stating that Radiant Garden was far from being the best place to raise a child with all of the hustle and bustle of the town and political animals lurking around. Roxas was ecstatic about this since he too was making the exact same decision. Being as close already as brothers could be, the twins agreed simultaneously that they would raise their children as closely together as possible, at least until Axel would have to return to Radiant Garden to claim the throne.
At long last the anticipated wedding day arrived for Axel and Roxas, Like Sora and Riku's wedding, they opt for a small ceremony themselves, inviting only those that truly mattered to them. Ansem and Kairi of course made the trip a week early and seeing how big Roxas had gotten, the princess couldn't resist gushing wildly over her excitement about being an aunt and sister in-law to the blond prince. Axel's friends from home, Demyx Cross and Zexion Hail made their appearance as well, happy that their dear friend had finally found a blissful chapter in his life that did not include Larxene.
That day, Axel felt weak at the knees as he watched his husband to be walk steadily down the aisle hand in hand with Cloud. The flaxen haired prince of Nibelheim had never looked even more beautiful than before and seeing him dressed in fine clothes of royal blues and grays, colors that represented his status as a royal and most of all, his stomach round with the redhead's child growing inside—Axel couldn't have pictured a perfect partner to love and rule with him for the rest of his life. It was truly a dream come true.
As Cloud handed his youngest son off to Axel, he eyed the redhead hard. Being a father and having to give up his child to someone else who vowed to take care of them and love them was one of the hardest things for him to do. It pulled at his heartstrings but this was all for his son's happiness. He had already watched Leon see their oldest son, Sora off and now it was Cloud's turn for Roxas.
Once Cloud departed and took his place off to the sidelines, the ceremony began. As opposite as the princes were sometimes, they were nonetheless drawn to each other instantly, from the very moment they had met. The natural instinct that was felt towards one another allowed for them to build a foundation in so little time until it finally blossomed into love despite the hardships that they were faced with. It was remarkable to say the least and though they followed steadily behind the footsteps of Cloud and Leon, everyone in the room was happy that they were at least able to achieve a new life together.
Exchanging their vows and 'I do's', the rings were happily presented to them by Pence. Slipping their rings on each other's left ring fingers; Axel could see tears of joy form in his husband's lovely blue eyes. Taking the blonde's face delicately into his hands, the redhead stared down at him, the look on his face filled with nothing but pure love and admiration for the beautiful prince before him as he leaned down, finally pressing their lips together and kissed him for everyone to see.
With the ceremony over and done with, next came the celebration of food and socializing with the guests. Roxas had to discard his purple cloak and unbutton the top of his shirt to give himself some room to breathe or else he was certain he might faint from the sudden rise of body heat he had accumulated throughout the day. Though he managed to stay relatively composed during the whole ordeal with his wedding, Roxas was a little worried about the constant kicking he had been experiencing from the baby for the last few days and throughout the amity of the ceremony.
Leaning over a little in his chair, Roxas stared down at his feet and took quite a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Beside him, Axel noticed the sudden change in his once calm demeanor immediately and placed a hand against the small of his back.
"Are you alright, love?"
"Y-yeah, I think so… it's just lately the baby has been kicking, more often than usual." Roxas confessed as he released a short wince.
"What? Is it constant?" Axel asked, growing more concerned now that he could see that the pain Roxas was feeling became even more evident in his face.
"Sort of, it's just really strange, I almost feel like it's not just one kick but two, maybe even three at the same time."
"During the wedding, was the baby kicking inside of you then too?" Axel asked him quickly now.
"A little but it was only minor then."
Giving the blond a serious look, Axel gripped him by the shoulders and gave them a slight squeeze, "How long have you been hiding this from me?"
"A-axel—"
"Roxas please tell me."
"I—it was just…" he sighed, "All week, I didn't want to say anything because we were already so close to the wedding date. I thought that it would subside a little if I just toughened it out..." Roxas replied before slowly looking away.
"Roxas, you should have told me..."
"I know and I'm sorry."
"I forgive you but—," Looking down at the child protruding from the blonde's stomach, Axel reached down to press his hand against his round belly. "Will you be alright?"
"I think so, or at least I hope so," Roxas said as he scooted closer to the redhead, winding his arms tightly around him.
"Mm." Laying his cheek a top the soft spikes of golden tresses, Axel caressed his husband's stomach.
The two continued to sit there together at their table, Axel holding Roxas closely to him as he made small talk every now and again. The blond was still suffering from the baby's kicking though and it grew even worse the longer he tried to hold out.
Seeing the distress warped into Roxas' face, Axel's worry intensified and he quickly called Cloud over once the blonde's breathing began to sound ragged and deep.
"Roxas? Roxas what's wrong?" Cloud questioned, his hand's cupping the prince's face.
"D-dad, it hurts inside—Ah!"
"Roxas!" Leon was running across the ballroom now, followed by Sora and Nanaki later.
With everyone crowded around the blond, Roxas was becoming claustrophobic and it didn't make the situation any better, if not worse. He clung desperately to Cloud now and in response his father lifted him up gently into his arms.
Cloud turned to his partner, his blue eyes darkening over, "Leon, I think we have a baby on the way."
"Are you serious?" the brunet's eyes slowly began to widen at the realization. Looking from his husband down to his son, Leon quickly nodded his head in understanding. "I'll deal with the guests, just take care of Roxas."
"You know I will." Cloud replied before bounding towards the exit of the ballroom.
"W-wait!" Axel shouted. Getting up from his chair, he ran after his husband and father in-law. "T-the baby? It's coming? Today!"
"You idiot! Does it look like my son will be able to enjoy the reception while feeling like his insides is being assaulted at this very moment? I'm pretty sure the baby is coming and from the looks of it, that baby wants out now!"
"I-I—uh… baby! Oh sons of Odin!" Axel exclaimed as he began gripping at the roots his red hair and hysterically releasing short gasps of shock.
"Axel just calm down already!" Roxas finally screamed as loudly as he could.
During the redhead's short moments of fear for Roxas, Cloud finally grew fed up and kicked his son in-law right from under his feet. Hitting the tile floor and landing flat on his back, Axel laid there feeling completely stunned. Without so much as another word, the blond haired king stomped his way out of the now quiet ballroom.
Once the king made his exit, all eyes rested on the redhead still lying pathetically on the floor. Embarrassing as it was, Axel's thoughts were completely flooded with worry for Roxas and their baby. Without even sparing a moment to explain himself, Axel was quick to jump to his feet and run after his beloved like his life depended on it.
-x-x-x-x-
Roxas was sprawled out on his bed, his face flushed and damp with sweat. Cloud and Aerith were in the bedroom pacing nervously, attending to the distressed prince as he gave out deep labored pants between sharp gasps and pained shouts. Outside in the hallway, Axel sat on the floor with his back pressed up against the wall. Cloud wouldn't allow the redhead in and when he did try to fight his way towards his husband, the blond haired king gave him a swift punch to the stomach which instantly knocked the wind right out of him. Too afraid to try and go up against Cloud again, Axel resorted to waiting pitifully outside of the room like a kicked puppy.
From where he sat, the sounds of Roxas' screams of discomfort made Axel's head throb with dizziness. It had been nearly two hours now since the blond admitted to feeling distraught with the baby kicking him on and off for the past week and the shock was still vibrant and tingling throughout Axel's entire body. To think that their baby wanted to come out and see the world so soon on the very day of their union of all times just took the icing right off of the cake. They weren't even expecting the delivery to occur this soon which was why they had decided upon having their marriage to be held a month early in the first place.
Another hour ticked away with nerve-wracking lethargy for everyone in the west wing. At this point, Axel could care less about the guests still mingling about in the castle now. His father and sister, his friends—none of that seemed to matter at all to him except waiting for Roxas' painful howling to stop.
Leon, Sora, Riku and Nanaki joined him in the hallway and all five of them winced each time they heard Roxas' hoarse voice from the bedroom. Cloud's soothing whispers could only do so much for his son and with each second that passed during the blond prince's wake, Axel wished time and time again for there to be a way for him to take away his husband's pain.
There was not a moment's peace for anyone. Eventually, Sora and Riku took their leave since they left Hope in the care of his grandfather Sephorith and the brunet's crying over his twin's brutal contractions won him over in the end. He did promise to be back as soon as he could of course and Nanaki in return gave his word to inform everyone incase anything happened. This left Axel, Leon and Nanaki alone in the hall now and all three felt apprehensive as Roxas' cries intensified with great volume.
"I'm scared, Leon." Axel finally confessed; his eyes locked solely on the door to the bedroom he shared with Roxas.
"Yeah? Well, so am I. I've only had to experience this once with Cloud and now that my son is going through the same pain, it frightens me too." The king replied.
"It doesn't get any easier the longer we wait, does it?"
"No, if anything the anticipation is maddening."
"How long did you have to wait the first time?"
"Nearly half a day." Leon answered.
"It's only been a couple of hours compared to what you went through…" Axel frowned.
"Doesn't matter, it still feels like an eternity to me." Leon sighed.
Nanaki didn't say anything. Releasing a short whine, the red haired beast nuzzled his face deep into Leon's side, seeking any form of comfort he could find. In response, the brunet stroked the fur on his head, giving Nanaki a simple scratch behind the ear as the voices in the room grew frantic now.
"You know Axel, I wanted to be there for Sora when he had Hope. I'm still angry at Riku for taking that chance away from me and now that I'm here waiting on Roxas, I want to thank you for allowing me to be here for the birth of my new grandchild." Leon said, his eyes looking distant but close enough for Axel to see the warmth that was held there and hidden deep within the stormy blue pools.
"Heh, you're welcome Leon." Axel replied with a soft chuckle, a short smile following afterwards.
The two's moment of shared tranquility was broken by a sharp, horrifying scream unlike any other heard before. It came as a complete shock to both men and Axel found himself jumping in place before instantly wrapping his arms around Leon's shoulders. The brunet's eyes were wide with terror but upon finding his son in-law latched tightly around him, Leon grumbled. Shoving the redhead aside, Nanaki's ears perked up and he was up on his feet in seconds.
The sound was faint at first but it was there and it continued to grow until Leon and Axel stood up from their place on the floor with gaping mouths. It was finally over, or so they thought but another soft cry from Roxas was heard, a second much louder shriek than before joining the first one.
"L-leon… I heard t-two babies; there are two of them… twins…" Axel spoke slowly, his feet dragging across the floor towards the bedroom.
"Well that would explain why he looked fatter than usual…"
Stocking right up after his son in-law, Leon gripped his shoulders from behind to steady the redhead's swaying body. He couldn't deny that he was nervous too but this was Axel's day and he had to make sure that the man could at least see his children before he would allow him to pass out from the shock of finally becoming a father.
"Hey kid, steady now—just take deep breaths. I know it's a shock, but you're right, there's no denying that you've got yourself some twins."
"Your highnesses, I'm going to go and inform everyone else now." Nanaki finally said, his fur standing up on ends now.
"Hurry up then." Leon replied, and just like that Nanaki bolted towards the end of the hallway.
Slowly the brunt haired king led his son in-law towards the door, the soft voices inside filled with excitement despite the tearful cries heard from the newborn babies now among them. Gripping the knob tightly, Leon twisted it and with some effort, managed to push the door open regardless of the fact that Axel was losing his ability to stand and was leaning more of his weight on him.
Growling under his breath, Leon hissed, "Alright, I've had enough." He finally said as he shoved Axel right into the room.
The redhead scrambled to keep his balance, walking clumsily across the room until he braced himself on the post at the end of the bed. Looking up at the blond, his green eyes widened instantly at the sight before him and he couldn't help but let his jaw drop from the bewilderment of seeing his husband flushed and sweaty yet smiling wearily at the tiny baby held closely to his chest. Turning to his father in-law, Cloud sat to Roxas' right, his lips curved into a beam as he held the other newborn in his arms.
Swallowing nervously, Axel managed to pick himself back up and approach Cloud silently. The blond king looked up at the redhead, his expression stone hard as he slowly lifted himself up off the bed while cradling his grandchild in his arms.
"Congratulations, you're now the father to twin boys." Cloud said with the softest of smiles.
Carefully handing the newborn off towards his father, Cloud relieved his seat to the redhead and upon seeing the grin adorned on his brunet lover's face his feet flew across the room only to bring the taller male down for a kiss.
Axel cuddled his newborn son delicately in his arms. The child wasn't crying anymore, thank goodness. Releasing soft murmurs, Axel watched the baby's nose twitch, his eyes darting to admire the pink tint to his son's impossibly soft skin and moving onto staring at the impressively light red fuzz of hair on his head. Sitting down on the bed beside Roxas as he held their second son, Axel smiled widely at him before leaning down to press his lips against the blonde's forehead.
"Look at us, we're parents now." Axel almost laughed.
Roxas nodded his head weakly and sighed heavily. Even though he was so tired, he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep just yet, "That one there in your arms, dad named him Lea. He's the oldest."
"Then this one here that you're holding, he's the youngest?"
"By a few seconds yes, what should we name him?"
"Well…" Looking down at the baby held in the blonde's arms, Axel reached down tentatively to brush his thumb against the faint marks presented on the newborn's cheekbones. "Hm… Reno? How about Reno?"
"Reno? Re-no…" Roxas tested the name on his tongue several more times after before giving Axel a satisfied nod of approval, "I think it's perfect for him."
"Really? So do I," Axel replied.
"Lea and Reno."
"Seeing all this red haired peach fuzz on their heads, I'm pretty sure they'll grow up to look just like me."
"If only cuter because of Roxas," Leon commented as he finally advanced towards the two.
"Where are my nieces or nephews?" Kairi finally said as she ran into the room, followed closely behind by Ansem, Nanaki, Sora and Riku.
"Nephews Kairi and please be quiet," Axel glared. Looking down at Lea, he slowly began to rock the newborn in his arms once the child's face contorted with discomfort from the sudden noise.
"Riku, nephews—I have nephews, I'm an uncle now," Sora whispered excitedly before getting up onto the bed to cuddle against Roxas on his left.
"Wow, would you look at that? Twins, I guess with all the action Roxas and Axel were getting into it was to be expected." Riku chuckled.
"As long as they're not complete monstrosity's like some twin's that I know of," Leon said pointedly at Sora and Roxas. "I think I can live with one more pair of identical boys in my life time."
Everyone laughed at this, the humor too good to pass up. Everyone in the room got a chance to coo and awe at the newborn princes. Nanaki in particular was curious about them and though he was surprised by them inheriting Axel's bright red hair, Roxas could tell immediately that his companion would care for them just as he cared for Sora and him despite the fact that Axel tended to rub him the wrong way.
The three grandfathers were all given the privilege of holding their grandson's which Kairi thought was unfair and resented it. Reno was the first to open his eyes when Leon rocked him back and forth and it surprised the king to no end. Everyone was sure that the twins would take after Axel in terms of every physical feature, but the youngest newborn did not have the distinctive emerald green eyes possessed by his father like everyone thought. Instead, he carried an odd fusion of sky blue and baby green grass—something akin only to those within the House of Strife which Cloud grew quite complacently about.
Eventually, fussing from Lea resulted in Reno crumbling to tears and the parents scrambled to bring peace and order back into the bedroom. With a stern glare from Cloud, everyone vacated the room, finally leaving the new father's with enough amity and silence to enjoy reclining in each other's wake.
Roxas at long last fell asleep with an equally tired Reno in his arms along with a mentally exhausted Axel beside him in bed whilst the redhead was cradling Lea against his chest. After an hour, Cloud and Leon snuck back into the room, pushing in the crib they used when Sora and Roxas were infants themselves. Carefully, they collected the newborns from their fatigued fathers and placed them both together in their new bed. Satisfied, the two kings made their exit—leaving the new family to continue resting.
-x-x-x-x-
Six Years Later…
"Ahh! Dog pile!"
"Oomph!"
"Wha-what the hell?"
"Lea! Reno!"
The two redheads laughed heartedly as they fell into the laps of Leon and Cloud. Both kings glared at their grandson's but eventually their frowns were turned and they smiled down at the two misfits of their castle.
"Good morning grandpa," Lea giggled.
"Morning, you little monsters." The brunet yawned.
"Grandpa Cloud! Wake up, rub the sleep from your eyes!" Reno bounced elatedly in blonde's lap.
Holding the younger boy by the waist, the blond sighed, "Calm down, I'm up, I'm up."
"Twins, the little devils…"
"You will never escape them Leon…"
"Whatever you say dear... So, why are you two here bugging us in the morning when you should be jumping on your father, Axel." Leon grumbled.
"Because! We can't jump on father and dad's bed! Dad's—"
"Pregnant again, remember?"
"Exactly! We don't want to hurt our new baby brother or sister!"
The twins pouted at them. Sighing heavily, Leon threw the blankets off before getting up and hauling both boys onto his shoulders as he began spinning them around.
"Hahaha—"
"Leon, be careful!" Cloud added.
"Throw us! Throw us!" Lea cried.
"Throw you? Well, if you insist." Leon shrugged with a smirk.
One then two he tossed the redheads back onto the bed with Cloud. Though the blond was glaring up at his lover, he instantly collected the giggling duo into his arms and cradled them close.
"Grandpa Cloud…" Reno whined.
"No, I'm not letting you guys go, you're mine now." Cloud murmured as he ruffled his youngest grandson's red hair.
Standing at the doorway with his arms crossed, Roxas was seen smiling at the four in the room. "So this is where you two ran off to, huh?"
"Daddy!" the twin's cried in unison before scrambling out from Cloud's grasp and running towards the younger blond. Hugging the man around his legs, they looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
"So loud in the morning…" Axel yawned as he leaned against the door with an arm slung around his husband's shoulder.
"After raising our boys for seventeen long painstaking years, you get used to it."
"Yeah? Huh, I guess so."
"Well, since we're all up now, how about some breakfast then?" Axel asked simply. Kneeling before the two boys he gave them a toothy smile.
"And then after breakfast we're leaving, aren't we?" Lea frowned.
Staring down at his oldest son, Axel's eyes softened some, "It's just for a little while, come on grandpa Ansem hasn't seen you two since your sixth birthday in April remember? And besides, its summer, we'll be back in Nibelheim before you know it."
"Hope is visiting his grandpa in Radiant Garden too, so that means we'll get to see him right?" Reno added.
"Of course you will see him." Roxas smiled, "I want to visit your uncle Sora anyways so there's no doubt in my mind that you'll be able to see Hope as well."
"But daddy you're like—" counting down on his fingers, Lea bit his lip, "Four or five months pregnant! Traveling will be hard on you, so we can't go!"
Lifting Lea up into his arms, Roxas smile wavered silghtly. Following Roxas' example, Axel easily picked Reno up off the ground as well and tapped his nose.
"You guys, you've been to Radiant Garden dozens of times before, why don't you want to go now?"
"Because we're afraid this time we won't be coming back." Lea said, his eyes casting down.
"Now who told you that?"
"Well…" Lea trailed off.
"Lea?" Leon called from his side of the room as he arched a brow.
"Okay! Reno and I overheard father, grandpa Leon and grandpa Ansem talking…" the older twin admitted.
"Something about a coronation in Radiant Garden by the end of the summer…" Reno added.
"And we're not clueless, we know what it means!"
"Clever…" Axel frowned.
"Alright, that's enough. It's too early in the morning to discuss this," Cloud finally said. Walking up to his son in-law, Reno motioned towards his grandfather and the blond simply lifted him up from the redhead's arms only to carry the young lad himself.
"Now no more, if you don't mind I'd like for us all to enjoy some breakfast together."
"Yes sir," Reno said.
Just as Cloud wanted, the family of six sat together in the dining hall. On occasion the twins could be found throwing tidbits at each other from their plate which Leon scolded them for. Nanaki, being the two youngster's companion, sat lazily beneath Reno's chair. While no one was looking, Reno snuck pieces of sausage and eggs to the beast. Nanaki didn't mind it at all for the free handouts and took what he was given with gratitude.
After their morning meal, the twins were ushered to take a bath and ready themselves for the long journey ahead. Leon and Cloud took the liberty of putting the boys into the tub despite Roxas' protest but he gave in at Axel's insistence since there was still more clothes to be packed away and prying the boys from their grandfathers would only break their hearts.
Hours later, the trunks were packed into the carriages, the escorts were assembled with their horses and the family all stood together in preparation to give their farewell. The twins were sniffling and it torn at everyone's hearts to see them so dejected.
"We'll see you again soon by summer's end, don't you worry," Leon said as he kneeled in front of the two boys.
"Promise?" Lea asked.
"We promise, don't worry," Cloud added. Kneeling next to his brunet haired partner, he kissed both boys on the forehead, "We'll even be at the coronation and once it's over then you can come home with us."
"Can we dad?" Reno turned to look up at the blond.
Smiling down at the boys with warm blue eyes, Roxas nodded, "Of course you can."
The twins beamed, quickly hugging their grandfather's tightly, they then turned their heels to pile themselves inside the carriage.
"Hurry up now! The faster we go, the faster time will fly!" Lea shouted.
"And before you know it we'll be back home in Nibelheim!" Reno added excitedly which earned a few chuckles from the men.
"Goodness you two!" Axel laughed.
Exchanging brief hugs with his father in-laws, the redhead climbed up onto his horse Ember, leaving Roxas behind to embrace his fathers a little longer whilst giving them promises to be back home in time before the birth of their third child.
Just like that, the four monarchs and their escort of royal guards, including Nanaki traveled off the premises of the castle grounds, leaving the two kings behind to watch as their family disappeared from sight.
"We'll see them again soon Leon, so don't worry." Cloud said as he cupped the emotionless face of his lover.
Staring at each other for a few seconds longer, Leon wrapped his arms tightly around the blonde's waist before bringing their lips together.
Once Lea and Reno could no longer see their beloved grandfathers from the side window, the two slumped into their seats and cuddled closely against Roxas. Winding his arms around the two boys, he felt Reno's hand move to touch the slight bump of his stomach.
"Dad, will you really be okay to travel?"
"I'm quite sure I'll be alright, I traveled to Radiant Garden even when I was pregnant with you two."
"Really?" Lea perked up, "Whatever for?"
"It's a long story." Roxas replied sheepishly.
"Long? Well if that's the case, then tell us!" Reno beamed.
"Yes, please? I don't want to be bored in here all day!" Lea pouted.
Arching his brow, Roxas laughed softly, "Alright, since you two are so eager to hear it then I guess I can tell you the story."
"Sweet!" the twins cried.
"Now, where do I start? Oh, I got it! Before you two were born there were two princes, one from Balamb and one from Nibelheim." Roxas began.
From there the story was told, going far back before Roxas' time, to its origins where it all began with the present kings, the twin's grandfathers, Leon and Cloud.
A/N: Oh my gosh, I'm done! This was the hardest chapter for me to write. I thought that because I began this story with Leon and Cloud, it was only right to intertwine them into the ending somehow as well. I honestly don't even know if I'm completely satisfied with the way I ended it since I feel like the conclusion was weak somewhere, but I'll just leave that up to all of you great readers out there to ponder on it.
Please tell me your thoughts, any questions or concerns, that'd be great and I'll be happy to answer them.
Just, thank you so much for reading this story in the first place you guys. For all of your constructive reviews, alerts, favs and so on and so forth, thank you.
Phew! Now that I have this short chapter fic done, I'm going to move onto another akuroku fic while I still have the time (: bye, bye for now ^-^