A/N: Okay, now I know I haven't update in like, forever. But I have been working on the next chapter for months. Besides the fact that I was in a writers block, I was very busy with classes. But I'm on winter vaca now, so I will most likely be updating soon (DEFINITELY more frequently than before.) So yeah, thank you to all those who have stuck with me, with the fact of my terrible updating these past few months, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. In any which way, form or capacity.
Roxas POV
The sun shone through the slit in my curtain. It struck my cheek and immediately began to warm my face. I sat up, yawning loudly. It had been nearly a week since I had hung out with Axel that time. Not that he was the first thing in my mind this morning; just that that red sweater hanging on the back of my door over there reminded me of his hair, and then I started thinking about him and…you know what, never mind.
I hop out of bed and grab my towel off the back of my chair to take a shower. On my way to bathroom I can see Sora's messy room, and the man himself soundly asleep. He really needs to learn to close his door. I wash my hair today and go to look for my blow-dryer. I go in my room, check the closet, and even venture into Sora's monstrosity of an abode, and find nothing. I run downstairs in just my acid grey skinny jeans. "Mom!" I can hear her clattering around in the kitchen. "Mom, have you seen my blow-dryer?"
"No honey," she answers. She steps out from behind the isle. She's just as small as ever and looks just like Sora. I guess like me too, since we are twins, but I take a little more after dad with my blonde hair. But we definitely both share mom's ocean blue eyes. "Do you like what I picked? I know how you always dress up on Thursdays." She smiles.
"Yeah, its great mom, but I can't find my blow dryer," I say, proceeding to look in the living room.
"Well, I know it's not in there," she says. I stop in my tracks.
"You checked?"
"Come eat some breakfast dear, before you go." She walks back to the kitchen, but I don't let her off so easy.
"Mom. Where did you put my blow dryer?"
"But honey, your hair looks so nice like that! And it will go great with the outfit I picked out for today," she whines.
"MOM."
"Oh! Waffles are done! Raspberry, your favorite, honey," she cheers holding the plate out to me.
I heave a heavy sigh and grab the plate from her. Why is she so crazy? She's so much like Sora it's scary. I scarf down my food in spite and toss the dishes in the sink. "Mom, I'm leaving in a few."
"Oh sweety, can you wake up Sora? You two should really get up and leave together," she chastises. I roll my eyes even though I know she can't see me from her position at the sink.
"You know we don't have class until second, right? And before you say anything, I just like to go in earlier okay? I have projects and stuff to work on." With that, I turn and skip up the steps to my room. I put on the rest of my outfit, a white button down, rolled up at the sleeves, and a tie in the shape of a cross with a skull at the intersection. I can already hear mom on her way upstairs to try and persuade me to stay so I grab the red sweater on the door and dash into Sora's room. "Yo, bro! Wake up!" I yell and kick him lightly in his side. He groans before turning over. Well, my job is done. On my way out, I nearly run into mom. "Did my job, bye now." I side step around her before she can corner me, but she gets me by the hood of my sweater. Damn. But instead of grabbing onto me and never letting go like she usually does, she just kisses me on my forehead.
"Have a good day sweetie," she says smiling.
"Thanks, I will," I smile back genuinely. Thursdays really are the best.
"Love you so much."
"I know, love you too. I'll see you later." With that, she detaches herself from my hood and I take my leave.
The sky is grey today. That means it will probably clear up by tonight; it's gonna be beautiful.
I make it to school in record time and make my way to the back of the school. Making sure no one spots me, I duck into the forest in the back courtyard and walk through the trees to the gazebo that stands in the sun. Ah, time for some relaxation. Hitching my bag higher on my shoulder, I jog to the entrance, only to find my secret place already occupied.
"Well, well, well, look who's here," I say to the red-head currently lounging around on my bench. I can hear him snore. "Hey you." No response. I'm about to yell a little louder but I realize it may be it would be rude to wake him. An idea pops into my head. Time for some payback.
I crouch down in front of him and poke him in the cheek. He scrunches his nose, but that's all the response I get. Looks like I'll have to take it up a notch. I place my hands on both his cheeks and squeeze them together to make a fishy face. His eyebrows crunch up and I snort, trying to hold my laughter in. Man, I wish I had a sharpie on me, I could have drew on his face!
The sun emerges from behind a cloud and resumes to beam sun rays through the holes of the gazebo's roof. I gasp. Oh my god, Axel's hair's on fire. Well, not really, but it sure looks like it. His hair seemed to absorb the morning light beating down on it, making it glow. Hesitating, I sift my hand gently through his locks and they easily flow through. I expected it to be gelled, by I guess it's just all over the place like this on a daily basis. I run my hand through my own hair which lies only slightly spiked after air drying. I pinned back my bangs since they were lying so flat in my eyes.
His face relaxes from its contortion. He seems so calm and even edges himself more into my hand. I rub his head and he smiles. So cute.
…wait, WHAT? Did I just say cute? Well, I thought it, I never specifically said it out lo- focus Roxas. Okay, you probably meant it in a oh-look-at-that-baby cute, not a oh-look-at-him-sleeping-so-soundly-in-my-hands-with-his-oh-so-red-hair-and-oh-so-green-eyes-wish-he-would-open-his-eyes-
Where was I going with that?
I take my hand away quickly. This has gone far enough. Now I'm just as bad as Axel. Granted, I didn't do all the things he did to me, but I did kind of mess with him. After everything he did to me that day, you'd think I'd hate him forever. But I found it surprisingly easy to forgive him for some reason. I just felt, really comfortable upon just talking to him for the first time, like we had long since been friends. I mean, besides the fact that my heart races a mile a minute and my mind spins around like a carousal. I don't know what's up with that, but I'm sure it'll pass. Even though…I kind of…like…it.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, causing me to screech. Axel jumps up, smacking into my hand that was hovering over his face. He groans holding his forehead.
"S-sorry Ax, I-I," since when do I stutter? "I was, uh…um, I," since when was I ever at a loss for words?
"Roxy? When did you get here?" Axel says sitting up. I am once again astounded by his height as his upper-body towers over my meager one.
"Oh, I uh…got here just now. I saw you sleeping. So I was going to wake you. But you shot up. Into my hand." Smooth one Roxas.
"Huh. Sure you weren't about to do anything while I was in my peaceful slumber?" Axel purrs in a joking tone. But my face decides to blush anyway.
"No! No, no, I wasn't going to do anything, I swear! I wasn't thinking about your hair or your eyes!"
"What?" He looks at me confused.
Oh. My. God. Please tell me I didn't just say that out loud. "Uh, um…here!" I yell, shoving him the little black pull-string pouch I had in my pocket. Surprised for a second, he takes it out of my hand. As soon as the pouch is fully in his palm, he realizes what it is.
"Is this-?"
I scratch the back of my head and look anywhere but his face. "Yeah, well, I figured you'd want your own key. So you can come and see TLE whenever you want." He had confessed to being in X at the last performance, Demyx having brought him. "Now you won't have to wait for anyone or-"
Suddenly, I was in his arms. He had engulfed me in a hug, making my skin on fire and my mind turn to mush. "Thank you Roxas," he says right by my ear. It sends a shiver down my body and I'm scared he might realize what he's doing to me.
"Y-Y-Y-YOUR WELCOME!" I says way too loud. Oh god, what the hell is going on? I push him away slightly so I can cover my eyes. I can sense him looking at me, making the back of my neck burn. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on! I can't, I just can't!"
"Roxas, what's wrong?" he says, concern in his voice. It tears down the brittle walls keeping my tears at bay. They're hot against my cheek as they stream quickly down my face in big blobs. "Roxas…tell me what's wrong."
"I don't know why I'm crying right now! I don't know why I feel like this! Why do you do this to me? Why do you make me feel this way?"
"Like what?" he asks in a soft voice. He's moved me so I'm sitting on the bench beside him. He keeps his hand on my back, giving me the comfort to say what I did next.
"Like…you…I like-" I start. His eyes widen slightly and he leans in towards me. I don't know what's happening but my eyes start to flutter closed on their own. I can feel his breath on my lips and I'm itching to taste him.
My phone, once again, decides to vibrate in my pocket. My eyes shoot open and Axel is mere centimeters from my face. He has this smoldering look in his green eyes making my core twist in knots. I lean back quickly and my head hits the pillar of the gazebo. That's me. Smooth-operator.
"Oh god, are you okay?" Axel asks me as I put my head between my legs to ease the pain.
"Oh yeah…just peachy." I snap my phone out of my pocket and look at who the hell's been calling me. "Sor," I say into the receiver after I checked my missed calls.
"Rox! Why didn't you answer my call?" he whines. I can literally see the pout on his face.
"I was…busy." I am on a roll today.
"Busy doing what?"
"Nothing."
"If you were doing nothing then you weren't busy, so why didn't you pick up your phoooone?"
"Why were you calling me anyway?" I ask. I mean, besides trying to change the subject, it was a valid point, right?
"Mommy told me to tell you that you left your black jacket here," he answers. I'm surprised he didn't push me some more.
"Okay. I don't see why that's important."
"She said we were supposed to wear that today with our outfits."
I look down at what I'm wearing. Now that he mentions it, I did grab my red sweater before I left. It doesn't really go with this outfit but…why had I worn this? I rub the ruby-colored cotton and I begin to smile. "I guess I accidentally took this one."
"Do you want me to bring it in for you?" he ask. I look over at Axel who's looking straight at me. He tilts his head in slight curiosity. I blush a little and turn away. I don't know why, it's not like we're talking about him. But he is on my mind now. Damn this sweater and all its redness.
"No, it's okay, you don't have-"
"Mommy's already shoving it in my hands and pushing me out the door," he says. I can hear mom giving her goodbyes and loves. I guess I can just keep it in my locker.
"Alright, see you soon, bro."
"Will do, bro!" He hangs up and I put my phone back in my pocket.
"Everything okay?"
I jump at the sound of his voice. I forgot he was here for a second. "Oh yeah, everything's hunky-dory." Hunky-dory Roxas? Really? "It's just Sor whining to me."
"You guys are really close," he says. I don't know where he's going with this, but he speaks the truth.
"Yeah. I may have given the wrong impression before, when we were at the mall," I say. I finally look him in the eyes. Those gorgeous green eyes. "He may annoy me at times, but I still love him very much. I mean, we're twin brothers, ya know? Even if we weren't, I feel like we would still be inseparable."
"I can tell," Axel says.
"How?" I challenge curiously.
"Well, for one, you haven't been able to stop grinning for the past minute."
I didn't even realize. "Really," I say, not sure what else to add. Ever since I started looking straight into his eyes, all coherent thoughts have decidedly flown the coop.
Axel's grin widens. "Yeah. And you've been blushing ever since I woke up."
Like that comment was helping my face get any less red right now. "Well, you know. I am kinda hot. I mean, not that I'm hot, but I'm hot, like I'm in heat." Oh dear lord. "No! Not in heat, but uh, just, the opposite of cold!" I don't think this conversation can get any worse.
Axel has his lips pressed firmly together, but soon, he burst out into laughter.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Hope you chortle a lung out." And with that, I get up and start to head out of the gazebo (I am so not trying to escape my impending humiliation, what?)
"Wait up, Roxy," Axel calls. I hear some shuffling, then footsteps coming up beside me. I let him walk with out of the trees. After stepping out together, we make our way to the school. But before I make it all the way up the steps Axel grabs my arm.
Damn it! And I was doing such a good job of staying slightly ahead of him! I mean…I may have glanced back to see him grinning, but it was just once!
"Huh?" I say. I realized I probably missed whatever he had just said.
"I haven't' said anything."
Great.
"But I just thought I should tell you…"
I gulp. What? What does he want to tell me? "What?" The thumping in my chest has risen.
"You might want to stay out for a few more minutes," he suggest.
"What? Why?"
Axel steps up so we're standing on the same step and leans down over my shoulder. His breath is right on my ear. Dear Lord, he can probably hear my stupid heart.
"Your face is as red as your sweater. You might give people…the wrong idea," he half-whispers in my ear. Then he smirks and walks into the building. As the door slams shut I slide down to a sitting position on the back steps. My heart is working five times faster than before, the ticklish feeling remaining in my ear. I didn't need a mirror to show me how flushed I was.
I guess Axel has unconsciously made me red in more ways than one.
Sorry if the chap wasn't so great. I originally had a different idea for this chapter, but after going AWOL, and returning to it, I couldn't remember why I had named the chapter that, or where I was going. But I remember now, and the next chap will be better ^^ And don't worry, the action will be coming very soon~