One Wish
Chapter 4 – Stay
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After getting in so late the night prior, Roxas was mildly paranoid that he would fall asleep again tonight. He glared at the younger blonde when Hayner made his way over.
"What the hell, Hayner! I could have died, asshole!" The younger boy looked taken aback at the verbal assault, his eyes growing wide.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you left me here last night!"
"Oh." A small spark of realization dawned on Hayner's face. "I thought you'd gone home early. Sorry, bud."
"Whatever. I gotta get home now anyways. I don't think dad knows I still use his place to crash so I need to get in before he does. See ya tomorrow."
"Roxas, I am sorry about yesterday. You said you had it under control. So I'll do double-time tonight for you, okay?"
Roxas didn't answer as he left the blonde to sweep up after another busy day. The closer to Christmas it got, the more people would crowd into the silly little Village. It amazed Roxas how much parents would spend for their kids to get a picture taken with 'Santa' or to pet the manger animals they had. His mother had taken him and Sora to one when they were younger, but that was a long, long time ago.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the memories, Roxas started to make his way home. It didn't take him long and soon his hand was on his door handle. He tried turning it, but it didn't budge. Eyebrows crinkling in concentration, he tried jerking it again before he realized it was locked. "Shit," he hissed, balling his fists. Maybe his father had heard him the night before, clamouring through the house. Maybe he had learned his lesson.
Panic started to boil up inside the blonde. Riku and his parents were out of town, visiting family and had taken Sora with them. None of Roxas' other friends lived close enough to walk to and he didn't think hitching a ride would be such a great idea. The night air was cold and he didn't have the proper attire to keep warm. The best he could come up with was to start walking. He didn't know where he would end up, but he started off in the direction of Hayner's house. He'd never really been there, but the blonde said that if he was ever in a really tight bind, he was sure his parents wouldn't mind if he stayed for a night.
Wandering up the street, Roxas began to sniffle as his nose ran, his arms clutching him tight. A shiver was running over his body and he knew that he could get sick if he wandered around much longer. He had to get inside. But lights were off all along the street and he guessed that it must have been some time after midnight. So much for getting home early.
Giving up, Roxas sat on the steps in front of the next house he came to, huddling in close to himself. He figured that he was going to die, freeze to death on some stranger's front porch. Half-heartedly he wondered how the homeless could survive out on the streets. Then he realized with a pang that he was now one of those homeless.
A whimper in his throat blocked out the soft hush of footsteps coming towards him. Snow began to drift down from the heavens but still Roxas did not look up from his shivering, huddled ball. He was resigned to the fact that he was going to die. He was going to freeze and die and Sora wouldn't know. This was going to be his end.
"Hey, Elf."
He yelped at the voice, horror running through him as he felt something fling across his shoulders. He recognized the voice. That voice had woken him the night prior, had instilled visions of horror and dread in his mind for the past week. That voice belonged to an insane man that believed he was a demon. An insane man that believed he was a demon that was wrapping his arms around the blonde, pulling him close to his chest. But something was different. Something smelled different. It wasn't sickly sweet.
"You're going to die if you just sit there, little Elf. Do you have any place to be?"
Roxas forced himself to shake his head. "L-Locked out-" he chattered, heat slowly working into him from the redhead that held him close. The monster that was saving his life.
"I live only a few houses down. Why don't you come get warmed up?"
Pulling back slightly, Roxas gaped at the redhead. "I-I couldn't ... I couldn't be a bother to you."
"Not a bother, Elf. A pleasure."
Seeing his options as staying and freezing or going and possibly getting eaten, Roxas had to make up his mind as quickly as he could when the mental patient began to pull away, taking away the only source of heat that Roxas had. It was only when he stood up, following the man that looked to be about five years his elder that Roxas gained that heat back as the redhead draped a jacket around the blonde's shoulders.
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"So Elf-"
"Roxas."
"Axel. What were you doing out on the steps, freezing your butt off?"
Roxas pulled the too-big jacket tighter over his shoulders as Axel opened the door to his apartment. Taking his shoes off just inside the door, Axel headed to the small kitchen, grabbing the kettle to start heating some water.
"I already told you, I was locked out." Roxas' voice came from the entryway, mildly annoyed.
"You didn't bang on the door? No spare key? A kid like you shouldn't have to wander the streets in December." Axel took down two packets of minty hot chocolate from the cabinet.
"Technically, I got kicked out but I've been able to sneak in most times. I didn't feel like getting caught this time so I didn't bother." Axel was glad to hear the blonde open up a little, though he didn't like what the kid was saying. But it was the beginning of trust, wasn't it?
"Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?" He didn't even know why he bothered to ask. It was hopeless. He was hopeless. No one could trust a monster. Roxas would decline the offer he was going to pose. It had happened before. This time would be no different.
Roxas leaned against the island, facing the redhead, eyeing him up and down. Once he filled two mugs with the powder, Axel turned to do the same. The redhead was pleased to see how relaxed the teen was, how much fear had drained from him.
"Does it look like I have somewhere to stay? I was gonna sit there and freeze to death." The blonde said the words with venom, flinging them at Axel in anger, disgust, sadness. This is a kid that's had to fight his whole life. What a winner, Axel. What a fucking winner. Fighters don't trust. Sitting across from the boy who was carefully raising the mug to his lips, eying it as though it were laced with poison or some sedative, Axel thought the words with his own amount of frustration.
"Then stay here. It gets pretty lonely here all by myself."
"I ... I don't know you ... Why would I want to stay?"
"You're really stubborn, aren't you, Elf?"
"I told you not to call me that."
Axel nodded then shook his head, his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. "Right, right. Sorry, my people-skills aren't the greatest."
"I can tell."
"So do you want to stay? Or should I just kick you out right now?" Axel hoped that his smirk meant that he was only joking about the second part. Roxas eyed him up, seeming to attempt to make a decision.
"Are you going to kill me? I don't trust you."
"I gave you hot chocolate. Why would I give you hot chocolate if I was just going to kill you? And don't you think I would have done it already?"
"I guess ... Well, how do you know I'm not going to kill you?"
Axel gave an exasperated sigh, draining his mug and slamming it down with a bit of frustration. "I'll go make your bed up. You don't mind sleeping on the couch for now, do you?" Roxas gaped at the man, shock on his features.
"I-I ... No. No, I don't mind. ... Thank you."
"Not a problem. You need anything, just ask." And Axel was off, down the hall, grabbing some blankets from the linen closet that the previous owners had left him. "I'm pretty tired, so I'm just going to bed now. The television works, but I don't know how much you could get on it this late. Have a good sleep, Roxas."
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To be Continued
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Ugh, writing this November 27th at a very cold work. I wish I could have some of that hot chocolate right now. . Some of that hot chocolate that mom bought the other day! I'm stoked to try it, Minty Hot Chocolate.
~xbuttonsx~