One Wish

Chapter 10 – Filth

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"So, it's Christmas Eve tomorrow..."

Axel looked up at the blonde that was quietly sipping his mug of hot chocolate but Roxas wouldn't return his gaze. His stomach churned with the thought. He couldn't believe that a month had passed by so quickly.

"I leave on Christmas day."

The words stung. The blonde wasn't aware of just when the redhead had wormed his way into being someone that was needed, someone that had earned Roxas' trust. He didn't know how long Axel would be gone for and he couldn't pull up the nerves to ask.

So instead he changed the subject. "Why do you drink so much hot chocolate? It feels like that's all that I've been drinking when I'm here." It was a lame change of topic, one that Axel chuckled at, but it got Roxas' mind away from the impending departure.

"Didn't you know? Hot chocolate is the trademark winter drink. It's one of the only things that we drink in Christmas Town."

Roxas snorted. "Really? Christmas Town? That's really what it is? I thought that place was just a 'clever' address that people thought up to get kids to send letters to Santa. You really live in a place that ... cheesy?"

Axel scowled at the young teen, obviously not agreeing to his home as being 'cheesy'. "Yeah, that's the real name. Don't be so mean."

"Alright, alright, sorry. But ... say I wanted to ... keep in touch with you ... What would I have to put? I mean, they don't deliver mail there all year round, do they?" Roxas blushed, gazing into his hot chocolate. He could feel Axel's eyes on him which only made his cheeks burn more.

"Keep in touch? With me? Now, why would you want to do a crazy thing like that?"

"You keep in touch with friends."

Axel spluttered on the word, the mug stopping halfway to his lips. "Friends?"

Roxas didn't answer. He could only take another mouthful of his own hot chocolate. He regretted what he had said, wished he could take it back, wished he didn't consider the redhead to be a friend. Everyone he cared for always left. Now Axel was on his way.

"Roxas?" Axel leaned toward the teen, reaching out to touch the younger's arm. Roxas surprised himself when he didn't pull it away. He really didn't want Axel to see that he was upset, but he knew that the redhead wasn't dumb, that he was already well aware.

"What will I do? I can't stay here if you're gone. I don't have enough to pay for the rent." The words were cold, a cover up. He didn't know if Axel could tell; he didn't care. He wasn't going to be made a fool of, wasn't going to get hurt again. Not anymore.

Axel gave the blonde a small smile, removing his long fingers from the teen's arm, straightening and taking a sip of hot chocolate. "I could pay it for you. I have no need for money."

Roxas' chest tightened at the prospect of such kindness. If he took Axel up on his offer, then he could move Sora in, stop depending on Riku. He would never have to worry about going back to rely on his father. He could focus on making a living for himself, maybe go back to school ... "I ... I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You don't have to. For as long as you stay here, it's paid off. You don't have to worry about a single bill, okay? Merry Christmas."

"But-"

"No buts, Roxas." As if to show that the conversation was truly over, Axel stood, giving a large stretch. The blonde blushed, looking away, feeling bad that he had made the redhead stay up. But they had needed to talk, discuss what would happen once the redhead left. Roxas would accept the answers he had gotten, would come to terms with what would happen, but he never said that he would like it.

"Are you ... going to say goodbye tomorrow?" The words felt like glue, sticking to his mouth, not wanting to be uttered. Axel smirked, ruffling the blonde's hair, an action that Roxas had grown used to and no longer tried to get away from. He would miss that.

"Not goodbye, no. It's more of ... 'see you next year'."

"Are you not allowed to stay here? I mean, really, what else do you do all year? It's not like you would actually do anything to help with Christmas, would you?"

That smirk faltered, turning into a frown. "It's complicated, Roxas. I'm sorry. But ... I'll try to make it back next year."

"Try? But you said-"

"I'll make it back, don't worry."

The two locked eyes, Axel's hand slipping away. Roxas tried his hardest to deny what the redhead said, to not believe a word of it. He refused to be hurt again.

"Go get some sleep. You look exhausted."

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"Don't look at me like that. I had to do it. I had to lie to him!" Axel growled, his fingers tightening around the stranger's throat. His whole body was shaking, frustration and rage flowing through him. Pressing the man into the wall, Axel snarled, needing to find a way to filter out all of his emotions. "I had to tell him I would come back! How could I not? If you had seen the look on his face ... Stop looking at me like that!"

The man in the monster's grasp croaked out a small noise of complaint, something that could never be classified as words. This only angered Axel further and he whipped the doomed man around, tossing him to the floor.

"How could you even think of talking to me, you filth?!" Axel screeched, pouncing on his victim, running his claws down the length of the screaming man's cheeks. "How could you think of talking to me, after what you did to those women?" Drawing his fist back, Axel slammed it down with as much force as he could muster, channelling all of his feelings into it.

"P-Please-" was hissed through bloody lips, tears streaming down the man's torn cheeks.

"I lost the bet," was all that Axel said in return, punching the man in the mouth. "I lost the bet. No one would adore me. I'm a monster. Why would someone care about me?" Each sentence was punctuated with another slamming fist.

Friend.

"You don't become friends with monsters." Axel staggered to his feet, not even able to clean the mess he had made. His bloodied hand reached into his pocket, dragging out the ever-shortening list, smudging it with burgundy. Only three left. Three left and he would be gone for one hundred years. Three more victims and he would never see Roxas again.

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To Be Continued

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Okay, so, that last sentence ... really made me sad. :/

~xbuttonsx~