Riku leaned against the walls for support as he tried to hunt down the redhead. When he got to Seifer's room and heard no voices from the other side of the door, he wondered if anyone was really inside. He knocked, jiggled the handle, and received nothing in return. Riku grunted before he rushed to Axel's dorm, and when he saw the same emptiness about the hall, he scratched his head.
"Did you see his nose?" A voice asked from around the corner.
"I think it's broken." Pence responded.
"That's what I heard! I really want to go watch." The boy's voice was anxious.
"The fight probably isn't over. They were really going at it." Pence said.
"What fight?!" Riku turned the corner to interrogate his students.
"Oh, hi Riku. Umm," Pence was hesitant to rat out a fight to the intimidating president.
"Pence I don't have time," Riku started when Roxas ran down the hall.
"Riku!" Roxas huffed, bending over to catch his breath.
"You're supposed to be at practice." Riku looked confused.
"It just ended cause Rai said that Axel and Seifer are fighting so I'm on my way to back Axel up. Where are they?"
"Where are they?!" Riku asked Roxas' question once again to Pence.
"Key building, at the Housing office." Pence covered his mouth after he spoke just as Riku and Roxas sprinted off.
The two could hear shouts and cheers from viewers as well as curses from both Seifer's and Axel's mouth's, and when they saw a giant circle crowd watching, they pushed their way to the center.
"Ohh my," Riku started but couldn't finish as he saw Seifer on the ground with Axel straddling his hips, each of them throwing punches as best they could.
"I got you!" Roxas was about to jump in to help Axel before Riku yanked his shirt backward.
"I swear to god Roxas if you don't help me pull Axel off of Seifer I will keep Sora busy every fucking night for the rest of the year!" Riku was in no mood. Roxas gulped before he sighed.
"Fine." The blonde muttered. "Come on Axe," Roxas took a step forward, closer to the fighting teens on the floor, but nearly got hit in the face from a wild fist. "You're on your own." Roxas put his hands up as he looked at Riku.
"Axel! Stop this at once!" Riku barked but neither of the two struggling teens so much as blinked to his words.
"I'm going to kill you!" Axel screamed as he hit an already bleeding nose.
"Get off of me!" Seifer shouted back, shoving on Axel's chest as the redhead leaned over the blonde to attack him more accurately.
"Stop it!" Riku yelled, angered by the encouraging students who cheered the two on.
"Fight, fight, fight!" the crowd roared.
"Hit him in the nose again!" Hayner suggested with a loud voice.
"Go for his balls!"
"Push him off, Seifer!"
Riku shook his head before he turned around to yell at the crowd.
"Whoever is left here by the time I count to three is getting detention!" Riku screamed before the students dispersed as quickly as they came. Riku sighed before he and Roxas were the only ones left.
"You no good dirty rotten son of a bitch!" Axel socked Seifer in the chest as Seifer gasped.
"Spoiled prick." Seifer uttered when he caught his breath and elbowed Axel in the side.
"That's enough!" Riku ordered as he once again neared the two on the ground.
"Let go of me!" Seifer groaned as Axel gripped the collar of Seifer's shirt, lifted it up, and then let his head smack the ground.
"Axel stop it!" Riku panicked, knowing that enough of those moves could cause Seifer to lose consciousness.
"Shit, he is going to kill him." Roxas gulped as Axel repeated his action, causing Seifer's eyes to slowly close as his mouth hung open.
"Go get Sora!" Riku said, hoping that in numbers they'd be able to break the fight, numbers that would end the fight rather than encourage it.
"Right." Roxas nodded and ran off.
"Let him go." Riku abandoned all reasoning as he jumped into the fight and tugged on Axel's arm.
"I'm not finished with you!" Axel yelled in Seifer's ear as he lifted Seifer's torso up off the floor in another attempt to let it crash painfully into the tile. Before he had a chance to let Seifer's head succumb to gravity, Riku squeezed the redheads arm violently with an urged pull.
"Yes you are!" Riku commanded, his voice ringing so loudly that Axel turned to look at Riku.
"P-prez?" Axel whispered, as if he had just noticed Riku's presence.
"Get off!" Seifer barked as he punched Axel square on the temple, causing the redhead to fall on his side, his mind hazy as he laid there.
"Axel," Riku gasped in shock.
"Now it's my turn," Seifer grinned, ready to get revenge before as he crawled over the body. He wound up his arm before Riku pulled his body off of Axel's and landed a single hit to Seifer's chest. Seifer took the unexpected blow before he shook his head and growled. "You're first." Seifer stood up to face Riku, who gulped.
"Keep your hands off of him!" Axel rushed to his feet and the two angered teens began fighting at eye level.
"Cut it out!" Riku pulled on Axel's shoulder, and just as he worked his way in between the two bodies to try to end it, Axel let his arm fly towards Seifer, hitting Riku in the eye. "AH!" Riku rushed his hand to his now black eye.
"Oh, oh my god, Prez!" Axel panicked as he stood frozen.
Seifer took advantage of the distraction that controlled Axel as he sprinted off in a desperate escape. Just then, Roxas returned with Sora.
"Where's Seifer?" Roxas wondered before Axel sighed.
"Riku let him get away."
"I WHAT?!" Riku screamed at Axel.
"You weren't supposed to get involved!" Axel yelled back.
"You really think I'm going to just watch as you beat up another student?"
"You really think the likes of him deserves to be a student here?"
"That is not up to you to decide!"
"Well when you're making shitty decisions," Axel started before Sora growled.
"ENOUGH!" Sora screamed, causing everyone, even Roxas, to look at the brunette with wide, surprised eyes. "Hasn't there been enough fighting and yelling?" Sora asked quietly with a frown. "You two should really be ashamed of yourselves." Sora pouted, his lips stuck in a frown as he shook his head. "It's bad enough to bring your personal drama out in the open for this entire academy, but you don't have to blow it up for the whole school to hear. Neither one of you should be president if this is how you solve problems." Sora turned around and took off as Roxas stood there, wondering what to say or do.
"Look he, he hates confrontation. I mean, fighting probably wasn't the smartest idea, but don't take what he said too personally. I, I, I got to go. Sora?" Roxas ran off after his twin before Riku sighed.
"He's right." Riku frowned.
"When isn't he?" Axel rolled his eyes.
"Look, Axel,"
"I don't want to be lectured. You're right, I'm wrong, what else is new?" Axel turned around to leave before he paused. "I am sorry, about your eye." He said, his back to Riku.
"It was an accident." Riku shrugged quietly.
"I'm going to go clean up the remains of the disturbed practice." Axel said before he walked to the field. Riku sighed and shook his head before he followed Axel silently.
The two cleaned up the field without uttering a single word, having nothing to talk about, both mad at the other. Riku couldn't understand why Axel insisted that he should be the one to punish Seifer, and he wanted the redhead to just mind his own business. It was his life, his loss, his pain. Why couldn't Axel just support him without being a nuisance? Axel on the other hand hated the stubbornness of Riku, who refused to reprimand such unacceptable actions.
"Here," Axel mumbled as he handed Riku the last of the cones used to designate goal posts for a drill.
"Thanks," Riku sighed.
Axel looked around the field to see that they had finished, just as Seifer and one of his friends stepped on the field as a short cut to the dormitories.
Seifer made no eye contact with either athlete as he and Rai talked amongst themselves.
"Ignore them" Riku ordered Axel, trying to hide the beg in his voice.
Axel kicked the soccer ball up on his foot, dribbled a bit, and then kicked it up in the air, sending it on a flying spiral as Riku watched in slow motion. Axels lip curved up in a grin just before the ball smacked Seifer on the back of the head.
"What the fuck?" Seifer fell to the floor, rushing to his feet as Rai gasped.
"Get off my field!" Axel yelled.
"You want to go again?" Seifer asked with a cocky grin.
"You're the one who fled like a loser." Axel shrugged with a smirk.
"Call me a loser one more time, bitch!" Seifer grunted as Axel panted, his adrenaline rising. He moved one foot forward just as Riku grabbed his bicep.
"Don't you dare." Riku squeezed Axel's arm.
"Aww, pussy whipped by a pussy!" Seifer mocked as Axel tensed up.
"Let me kill him." Axel burned Riku's eyes with his fiery glare.
"He's not worth it." Riku gulped as Seifer and Rai grinned at them.
"Hey Axel, have you kissed him yet? I have. His lips are so smooth. It's a real perk cause it felt awesome when those lips sucked my cock." Seifer smirked as Axel broke free of Riku's hand and sprinted after Seifer across the field.
"Axel!" Riku scolded before he chased after, but his sore body was no match for the adrenaline that fed Axel's supernatural strength despite his still injured head.
"Come on bitch!" Seifer encouraged Axel's fire, planning to doge Axel at the last second so that he wouldn't get tackled. After many years of playing soccer, Axel saw right past Seifer's plan and accounted for it as he jumped up and pummeled Seifer to the grass.
"Oof!" Seifer let out a groan as Rai tried to pull Axel off of his friend.
"I swear to god Seifer, I dare you mother fucker, say one more thing! One more!" Axel screamed as Seifer shook in fear.
"Let me go!" Seifer pleaded as he closed his eyes.
"Axel!" Riku barked, pulling Axel's reluctant body off of Seifer.
"If you dare touch what's mine, I will kill you!" Axel threatened. "He's mine! Keep your fucking hands off!"
"Axel," Riku whispered, still a bit shaken up by the sight of the redhead roughing up the Academies' biggest bully.
"Just let us go, you know? I'll make sure he doesn't say a word, you know?" Rai begged and Axel stood up, his hands in fists as he panted loudly.
"Get the fuck off my field. Now!" Axel yelled as Rai ran, holding Seifer's wrist and pulling him off the field.
Riku released an enormous sigh as Axel shook his head, out of breath.
"You." Axel glared angrily at Riku, which only hurt the silverrete.
"Me?" Riku was shocked at where the conversation was going.
"Why did you pull me off?" Axel asked with a loud voice.
"You were being stupid!" Riku started showing his own anger.
"I was being stupid?! I was trying to give that damned bastard what he deserves!" Axel put his hands in his hair with frustration. "When will you butt out?"
"Butt out!? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound trying to convince ME to butt out when this is MY life?" Riku argued.
"Well you aren't doing shit about it so someone has to!" Axel put his hands on his hips as he stared down at the silverrete.
"That! Is! Not! Up! To you!" Riku poked Axel in the chest repeatedly. Both boys panted, out of breath, livid, and feeling misunderstood. "Now, whether you like it or not, you're not a part of the judicial committee. You may be a candidate for President, but until the votes are in, you are nothing more
than the head of the Residential Committee. I am President. This is my life, my power, my choice. I know my place. Learn your jurisdiction." Riku scolded with impatient eyes as Axel looked away, his shallow breathes normalizing slowly.
"Love has no jurisdiction, President." Axel said, and when he made eye contact with Riku, Riku looked away in shame. Love? Of course, of course Axel just had to go there.
"I'm sorry I upset you. I shall learn how to control my anger, and to hold my tongue in your presence." Axel bowed his head and started walking off the field.
Riku shook his head, confused by what his mind believed, which conflicted with his heart. It was as if Axel was returning to the way things were before Seifer, before Xion, before the drama magically worsened. He wanted to lecture the redhead with no mercy, but he also had this strange unexplainable desire to hug him close. Why? Was it because all along, Axel was only trying to defend and protect him? It was clear that Axel cared for him, but now it was as if Axel was trying to amend for the wrongdoings that Seifer committed by giving him his own sense of justice.
Riku sighed as he followed after Axel to the locker room to drop off the equipment and take a quick shower. He wrestled with himself mentally about showering, almost positive that Axel would be using the locker room showers as well. Did he want to spend any more time with the upset teen? Would it be worth the awkwardness that was guaranteed to follow? But what about the view? Riku exhaled in his disappointment at his shallow motives.
The two undressed silently, acting as best they could as if they were alone. That didn't last long, especially when both teens were standing under the cold water.
"Damn thing." Axel shivered, turning the knob all the way over to the hottest setting, which did nothing to help.
"So cold." Riku held his body, scared to look at it since Seifer had soiled it.
"Come over here, it's warmer." Axel said as he scooted over, letting Riku huddle next to him.
"Thank you." Riku kept his eyes closed, trying so hard not to open them despite the delicious temptation.
"Of course." Axel said modestly, and after ten minutes, the redhead cleared his throat. "I'll be going to the dining commons, if you wish to join me for dinner." Axel said as if he didn't really care what response Riku would give him.
"Alright, I'll be there soon." Riku said, refusing to show his backside to Axel, knowing that it was still sore and tender from the multiple spankings and hits he received.
Axel left without another word, and when Riku finished, he joined the redhead at a quiet table in the corner of the busy dining hall.
"Look, I'm sorry." Axel said once Riku sat down with a tray full of food.
"It's fine." Riku said, wanting to get over all the drama with Axel, having enough of it with Seifer already.
"I just can't handle the idea of you being hurt the way that you were. You must understand that my frustration is justifiable."
"No, it's not." Riku said, only to prove his point that, if he acted like nothing happened, then maybe it would feel that way too.
"Prez, he's a monster."
"So don't stoop to his level." Riku said, keeping his eyes on his salad.
"You don't get it, do you? You're seriously just letting him get away with something this big?"
"Axel, I'm not in the mood." Riku looked away, trying to deprive himself the right to gaze at the beautiful source of his justified anger.
"All I'm saying is that he shouldn't get away with something so awful." Axel muttered.
"I only have so many options." Riku glared.
At that moment, Sora and Roxas walked up to the two, holding hands.
"Go on," Roxas encouraged as he swayed his hip into Sora's.
"I, I'm sorry." Sora bit his lip.
"No, Sora, you were right."
"No, it wasn't right for me to yell like that. I mean, I said there was enough yelling and fighting, but I only added to it. Besides, I think you'd both make the most perfect president ever." Sora smiled.
"Thanks Sora. Roxas, don't ever let him go. He's a great guy." Axel winked, causing Sora to blush.
"He is, isn't he?" Roxas kissed Sora's cheek.
"Well, I just wanted to apologize, and say that I really like both of you as friends, so don't fight, ok?" Sora ticked a finger at Riku, who nodded.
"Aye-aye captain." Riku saluted Sora playfully.
"Ok, enjoy your food, we're going to go grab some ourselves." Roxas waved goodbye as he and Sora went in line to order their dinner.
"They are so adorable." Axel smiled as he watched the way the couple held hands in line, each looking like half of a greater whole.
"Yeah they are. He's right. We need to stop fighting." Riku said quietly as he eyed his plate.
"I wasn't trying to start a fight with you. I just wanted to show Seifer that he can't get away with such actions."
"I know, but that clearly didn't work since now the whole academy saw the fight and they don't know the reasoning behind it." Riku sighed.
"I'm just trying to help." Axel mumbled, looking around the busy dinning commons. The second the redhead made eye contact with Seifer, he snarled.
"Axel?" Riku could feel the animosity steaming from Axels gaze across the room and before Riku could try to find the source, Seifer stood up and screamed.
"FOOD FIGHT!" A spoonful of chocolate pudding flung across the dining hall in slow motion as Axel sprang up and tackled Riku to the ground. Riku fell with a thud as Axel landed on top of him just before food flew left and right as shouts, screams, and laughs stained the air.
"You ok?" Axel asked over the loud roar of boisterous laughter and the occasional curses.
"I think I'm hit," Riku gasped as he scooped some pasta sauce off his leg.
"Take cover!" someone shouted, so Axel laid his body completely on Riku's, holding him to serve as a human shield.
"Aww come on!" Axel yelled when he felt something sticky hit his hair.
"Ah!" A scream went out as a piece of fish soared in the air.
"What's going on?" Riku rolled on his side, his back to the wall and his front side protected by Axels body. Axel kept his back to the chaos as he shrugged.
"I'm not checking." Axel smirked as food whirled past his head and hit the wall. Axel pulled Riku in close, trying to protect him from the onset of flying food.
"My eye!" Xigbar yelled and Axel shivered.
"You know we have to pick this up afterward!" Axel shouted to no one in particular, but the constant ringing of screams and mocking laughter drowned out his voice.
"No, no, not me!" Another cry went unheard as more shouts filled the air.
"Ok, enough of this." Riku pushed Axel away, just as a head of lettuce appeared out of nowhere.
"Prez, don't! It's too dangerous!" Axel tried to keep a hand on Riku's body.
"Someone has to put an end to this madness." Riku wriggled his way free and after a couple deep breathes, he stood up.
"STOP!" Riku commanded as everyone froze.
"Drop it!" Riku ordered Marluxia, who sighed as he let the wad of ketchup slide out of his hand and onto the floor.
"Now, I am going to give you all ten minutes to clean up the three foot radius around your person. So start!" Riku yelled and everyone went right to work. Sora was busy cleaning off all the chocolate ice cream from his face, while Roxas helped by licking it up.
"Roxy! Gentle." Sora whined as Roxas used his tongue more aggressively.
"It's stuck on here pretty good." Roxas argued.
"That was awesome!" Hayner smiled even as he peeled the vegetable medley out of his hair.
"I could have done without." Pence sighed, yanking the pasta off of his jersey.
"I think it was worth it." Luxord grinned as he wiped the fruit stains off his pants.
"My poor hair!" Demyx nearly cried as he ran his fingers through his hair, combing out all the muffin particles.
After an hour, Riku released the students to shower and study for their classes for the next morning.
"There will be a mandatory assembly addressing the inappropriateness of such actions, first thing in the morning." Riku warned the students before they all cleared out.
Riku let out a sigh as he and Axel stayed behind to pick up anything that was left over.
"Thank you." Riku said after he and Axel had cleaned for an extra twenty minutes.
"I'm not going to leave you to do all this dirty work by yourself." Axel shrugged lightly.
"No, I, I meant for taking the hit." Riku pointed to the big stain of chocolate pudding on Axels shirt.
"It's an honor to take one for my Prez," Axel bowed his head as he continued wiping down a table.
"Axel, please, enough. I'm not royalty." Riku nearly felt guilty for all the attention that Axel was giving him, though he had missed it dearly.
"You are to me. Again, I apologize for my lack of anger control. You have no idea how badly I want to teach Seifer his lesson. I shall do my best to contain it." Axel said modestly.
"I appreciate it. And, I, I appreciate knowing that you care." Riku gulped, wanting to say more, but terrified of the consequences that would follow. What if Axel got the wrong idea if he said more? Then again, what was 'The wrong idea'? Would it really have been so bad if Axel knew the truth? The truth? What was the truth? Wouldn't it help if Riku knew the truth before he told Axel anything? Riku sighed, wanting all this confusing heartache to go away.
"You ok Prez?" Axel asked, catching Riku off guard.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah I'm fine." Riku nodded.
"What are you thinking about?" Axel asked as Riku shrugged. Riku wished he could narrow down his busy and conflicting thoughts. He wanted more of this redhead, despite the trouble that came along with his company. He couldn't deny that his heart yearned for Axels warm intimacy, the soft sound of the soothing voice that echoed quietly in Riku's ear whenever he dreamt. He wanted Axel. Plain and simple. He wanted Axels eyes when they had that hungry look of affirmation. He wanted Axels voice rocking his tired mind to sleep. He wanted Axels strong arms cradling his weary body when he was too weak to hold himself up. He wanted Axels lips, pressed firmly against his own. He wanted Axels presence, when he was tired of being so alone.
He wanted Axels love.
"Prez?" Axel asked again as Riku snapped out of his surreal trance.
"What?" Riku returned to his normal mindset.
"You've got some strawberry pie filling stuck on your cheek." Axel pointed.
"Really?" Riku ran his sleeve on his face.
"No, right there by your lip. Here, let me help." Axel held Riku's face still as he neared Riku's shaking body. "You scared?" Axel asked and Riku maintained his brave facade as he shook his head.
"No," Riku gasped as Axel stuck his tongue out, edging it closer to Riku's face. Riku closed his eyes, unable to watch as he felt that wet warmth stamp his cheek. Axel flicked his tongue up, grazing the corner of Riku's lips before he started sucking that tiny corner clean.
"All gone." Axel pulled back after the longest five seconds of his life; seconds he could only wish were longer.
"You, you know I, I don't remember them serving strawberry pie today." Riku gulped as he made eye contact with a smirking redhead.
"It tasted more like raspberry, actually." Axel blushed.
"Funny, I don't remember getting hit in the face either." Riku returned the smirk as Axel cleared his throat.
"I couldn't pass up such a tempting opportunity." Axel rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"You, you," Riku didn't know where his words were taking him. Part of him wished he would have kept his mouth shut, and the other part wished Axel would shut up him up by kissing him.
"I'm going to go shower. If I don't hurry, this...whatever it is that Xaldin cooked...is going to crust in my hair." Axel shuddered as he turned around.
"M-mind if I join? I, I don't want to finish cleaning alone, and we pretty much finished anyway," Riku rambled in embarrassment.
"You want to shower with me?" Axel couldn't hold back a satisfying smirk as Riku blushed.
"I just, I'm, I'm going to go shower in the men's locker room." Riku brushed past Axel.
"That's where I was going to go. It'll be easier to scrub this food out there than in the narrow showers with the smaller drains in the dorms." Axel explained. Riku nodded before the two walked, side by side, in silence.
"Can you believe this? We were just here like an hour ago?" Axel asked as he stripped in the locker room.
"This time I hope the warm water turns on sooner." Riku sighed.
"Me too." Axel said as he walked into the shower room, turning on the water. "Still cold." Axel tested the water with his finger as Riku stood behind him, his hands covering his parts.
"Damn." Riku bit his lip nervously.
"You ok? You, you look cute biting your lip," Axel blushed, so Riku did too.
"Th-thank you." Riku gulped.
"Oh, much better." Axel cleared his throat, saved by the random subject change as the water warmed up.
"Good." Riku followed Axel's lead and stood under the warm jets of water as he tried to clean off his body.
"Well, let's just hope that this shower goes uninterrupted. WE need to think of a cover story for the fight. Anyone would believe our word against Seifer's, so we just have to make sure that we have the same story." Riku nodded, sure of himself.
"Easy: Seifer hit on you. I got jealous. It's believable and pretty realistic." Axel shrugged.
"He hit on me so you tried to kill him?" Riku didn't see the equivalence in the statement.
"Yep, and if anyone else hits on you they'd be dumb from not learning from Seifer's mistake." Axel smirked.
"Ok, well I guess we can work out the finer details later." Riku sighed.
"See, it's no problem." Axel relaxed his body.
"Yeah, it is. The entire school knows about the fight. That wont look good for your campaign." Riku couldn't believe that he was worried about his opponents campaign.
"Sure it will." Axel said simply.
"How?"
"Like this: Seifer hits on the current president who refused. I, as the noble dedicated knight, had to intervene, so I fought for my true love. Even though there aren't any girls at this academy to appreciate it, the guys want someone with balls, not saying that you don't have any, but they all saw me kicking Seifer's ass." Axe grinned.
"Just don't get carried away." Riku rolled his eyes just as voices approached.
Author's Note: Ok, so since I made a lot of changes to this story since I started, its taken me a while to update since I had to decide where I was going and how I planned on getting there but things should be mellowing out soon, thank god! Don't forget to check up on my other stories, like my Akuroku Can't Ever Work, which is one chapter away from completion. There's also my other Akuroku No More Broken Pieces, which is also a chapter away from being done. And don't forget my Zemyx, A Taste of Loneliness, which is at it's peak! I appreciate all the support and reviews!
To LovedLikeaLoveSong: Thanks and I understand, rage when reading such scenes is appropriate. Hopefully this one was better!
To luckycat222: haha yeah, craziness! This whole story is wild and is writing itself while I'm sitting here wondering what's going on too lol.
To Nowa-Hikari: Yes, Axel has to be careful, Riku has to be careful, and Seifer is nearly dead, so this whole story has characters on their toes lol. Aww, glad to hear you like akuriku! Thanks for the review.
To xSonya: Haha I'm glad you liked it, I was afraid it'd scare my readers away lol. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you everyone for reading and following, and don't forget that I have a bunch of other stories to keep you entertained while you wait for updates! Thanks!
Living Legacy, Sarabellum