A/N:Hi guys. Sorry for the really long wait. You may not believe this, but I've actually been working on the next chapter over the course of this what appears to be a hiatus. My last semester was hell, as are my spring semesters, and I wasn't able to finish the chapter before the semester started, then I was in a writing rut at the beginning of the summer, so it didn't get done until now. But, it tis done, and I sincerely hope you are all still reading, enjoy this chapter, and don't hate me too bad haha
Previously on TLE
Basically all you need to know is that the band broke up, Axel and Roxas haven't seen each other for weeks but have finally been reunited after the help from friends on both sides, and are currently at the coffeeshop Axel was stalking Roxas at when Cloud dropped him off. If you want anymore info, you're welcome to go back two chapters, (last chapter is from Roxas pov, and mostly talks about the bands breakup than anything else)
Roxas POV
We walk hand in hand to the café. He told me he had been waiting for me there according to the so called "plan" he and the others made. So that flash of red I saw was him. It also explained Cloud's suspicious behavior in the car.
Axel holds the door open for me and I slink inside. It smells amazing in here. I adore the smell of coffee.
He was going to sit at a table but I usher him towards the back and pull him down onto the couch with me. I adjust myself so that I'm snuggled into his side. He jumps surprised, but then cautiously puts his arm around my shoulders. A waiter comes over and takes our order, and I order a grande caramel cappuccino. Axel orders a cinnamon apple herbal tea.
"Axel," I hum into his chest. "Axel…" It was nice and air-conditioned in here, contrast to the humidity outside, but Axel was always warm.
"Roxas…I missed you," he says, muffled by kissing the top of my head.
"Me too," I whisper. The anger I had for him dissipated once he held me. I just couldn't stay mad, not over a stupid fight. Not when he was all I had. "I'm sorry for being dumb."
"I'm sorry for looking through your phone. I really am Roxas. I love you so much, I should have trusted you." He buries his face in my hair, but I don't let him hide.
"Why did you? Look through my phone?" I ask.
"I'm weak. And I was jealous. I hate myself for it, but I'm going to do my best to not be crazy anymore. I love you, and that's what I should have been focusing on. I love you Roxas."
Oh Axel. "I love you too. I…should have been more considerate."
"No Roxas, I-"
"Are you going to let me finish?"
He gulps and gestures for me to continue.
"Sometimes I can be really stuck in my own world. It's how I get into so much trouble with those important to me. But I'm going to change. I swear it. So things like TLE don't happen again."
"What exactly happened, if you don't mind me asking?" The waiter comes over with our orders and places them down in front of us. I grab mine, but Axel leaves his on the table to cool. I just needed something to do with my hands.
"We had a gig at Hallow Bastion last week," I start with.
"Whoa, the big HB?"
"Yeah…" I sigh. "But we never performed." I wait for Axel to interrupt, but he stays silent so I can keep going. "Yuffie pulled a lot of strings to get that show but…I was all messed up after our fight. Now don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was being a prissy little depressed fool, and let my own life take precedence over everything went it really shouldn't have. The day of the show came, and I refused to go. This isn't something any of them could have looked over so…we broke up. Now I'm here. With you."
"In a café drinking coffee," he finishes for me. I snort just from the irony of all this. It started out with a fight with him, and now is ending with me in his arms.
"Yeah. Drinking coffee." I take a sip and burn my tongue.
"Do you think…you guys will be able to resolve this?"
"I don't know." I honestly don't.
Axel runs his hand through my hair, knowing it soothes me. I snuggle in closer to him, welcoming the familiar touch…and…
I put my drink down and sniff him. He looks at me weirdly before I ask him "Have you been smoking?" and his expression changes to guilt.
"Uh…maybe…"
"Axel." I know I have no right to be mad at him for returning to smoking while we weren't speaking, but seriously?
"Just one or two Roxy. And none recently, it was mostly after I sent you those messages that you never replied to."
"Oh. Yeah. My phone broke."
"What? How?"
"I chucked it at a wall," I state calmly, taking another sip.
He stares at me before sighing. "I feel responsible for that."
"You shouldn't. But if you really do, you can go with me to get a new one." I had been phoneless for far too long now.
"Sure thing."
"Good. It's a date then."
A slow smile spreads across Axel's face, making me blush. It had been so long since I'd seen those pearly whites.
Not able to help myself, I lean up and connect our lips. All I can really taste is coffee, but when he returns the kiss, I get the full Axel experience.
"Hm. At least your mouth doesn't taste like cigs."
"I told you I haven't smoked recently. I was hoping we'd…makeup," he admits shyly.
I chuckle at his embarrassment. "Well, I'm sure glad we did. Well, halfway makeup anyway."
"Halfway?" he questions.
"Mmhm. It's not a full makeup yet," I say calmly drinking my coffee.
"What makes it a full makeup then?" Axel asks slyly, finally catching on.
"Nothing I'm about to do here. On a side note, did you drive here?"
"Yes I did. Would you like to see?" he asks standing.
"Indeed I would," I answer smiling. We grab our cups and leave the café just as we'd entered. Hand in hand.
…
I guess it was the time spent separated from each other, but I felt it so much more today than ever.
"Are we made-up then?" Axel asks me, making me turn to face him. We are lounging on my bed, cleaned and redressed. I snuggle onto his chest.
"Definitely…" If only I could make up with the guys this easily… "Probably not…" I mumble.
"Hm?"
"No, I'm just…thinking about TLE…"
Axel holds me closer. "Hey, they'll come around. You just gotta give it time."
"I sure hope you're right Axel." Despite the fight and what they might think of me now, I love TLE. I love playing in a band with my friends in front of adoring fans and schoolmates. Playing at HB, with hundreds of people watching us would have been epic. But I've already gone and screwed the pooch on that one. Maybe Axel's right. Maybe I do just have to give it some time.
…
I only had the weekend off. Axel and I went to go buy me a new phone. We spent the rest of the day catching up some more, rebuilding our relationship. Cloud was certainly glad to see us made up. If it meant I was eating properly and actually going outside he didn't care. Now that I was feeling better, I got a lashing from him, saying that I was acting like an idiot (which I was) and to never do what I did again. He doesn't know about what happened with TLE, and I can't really bring it up because he still talks to Sora, who has not been speaking to me. This is the longest we've ever gone without talking to each other. Even when he went on a club training camp in middle school for a week, we still called and texted. Not hearing his bubbly energetic voice, as annoying as it can get sometimes, is really messing me up. I couldn't bring myself to go back this weekend, which resulted in a call from mom (I still have my same number, thank god), me telling her everything's alright, her asking me a million more questions before the call ended.
And I'm trying not to lie to my mother as much anymore now after all the fibs I told her these past few weeks about me being "just fine", so here I am, about to walk into Pearson Tunes. She know I'm scheduled to work after my impromptu "vacation", and she's just the type of mother to come to the store to check in on me. It wouldn't be the first.
The gates up already, so I assume that Reno has arrived already. After getting my phone fixed, an influx of messages appeared. Some I put off to later, but I had some missed calls from Mr. Pearson, the owner of the store. He was coming back from his vacation later this week, and wanted to know how the place held up. I would have answered, but I felt too ashamed to tell the truth. That I had let personal matters keep me from my responsibility as the temporary store manager. But I sent a short text to Reno that we were opening today, and he better show up if he wants to get paid.
Sighing, and adequately ready to face the music, I walk inside. At first I don't see anyone, but rustling in the back closet alerts me to Reno's where-abouts. He's currently moving some boxes around. It looks more like busy work than any actual progress, so I clear my throat to alert him of my presence. Even though I was trying not to scare him, he still jumps, hits his head on a shelf he was reaching into, and manages to spill the contents of every box on the top shelf.
"Roxas!" He scrambles to get himself back to order.
"Reno… Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"Wasn't scared…" he mumbles, not making eye contact. Okay, so this was starting off well.
Well, nothing to do but to jump right into the water. "Listen, Reno…I-"
"Ya don't hafta say it!" he yells putting his hands up.
"Please Reno,-"
"I said I don't wanna hear it!"
"Would you please just-"
"Not a word!" He has the audacity to put his hands over his ears.
I pick up a relatively small block of rosin and fling it at his stomach. It ends up hitting him square in the chest, and he looks up from the impact.
"Listen here rookie! We've got a job to do, so whatever personal feelings you have can wait, be shoved to the side and forgotten until your shift is over, 'ya hear?'" I huff at him.
Shocked into a brief moment of silence, Reno finally replies. "…okay Roxas."
"And that's 'Boss' to you while we're on the clock." I walk back out, but not before telling him to straighten up the closet before coming to work the aisles. We get an influx of customers, more than the usual. I guess the hiatus has people wanting music more than before. I have to hop back and forth from the register to helping people out in the aisles. Luckily Reno doesn't need much of my assistance today, cause that would have been more I had to do. Finally we get a slight breather and the only patrons are casually perusing. I slink back to the front desk and try not to collapse onto the stool.
It seems that just as I had sat down another person walks in. I'm about to ignore them when I notice their short silky brown hair and identical blue eyes. "Mom?"
"Hi honey!" she whisper yells. "I don't want to interrupt you while you're so busy, but there's just something I had to talk to you face to face about."
I stare at her hair. "Yeah…sure. We're in a lull right now, so I can spare a few minutes. But I gotta stay at the counter. Reno-the other employee, keeps breaking the register, so I've gotta man it."
I guess Mom notices that my eyes haven't left her head of short hair. "You like it?" she giggles. My mother. Giggling. I don't think I've heard her giggle since before…well, since a really long time ago. "I thought, you know, since it's summer."
"But I thought you've always liked your long hair. Made you more mom-ish or whatever it is that you said." Not that this cut made her look less like a mom. I actually kinda like it
"We can talk about my haircut later sweetie. What I wanted to quickly discuss with you was this Thursday."
"What's happening this Thursday?" I ask.
She returns me an incredulous look. "Haha, sweetie. Come now, what do you want for food? Elizabeth is coming so we have to keep in mind her nut allergy…"
Wait…what? "What does Aunt Liz's nut allergy…wait, food? For what?" I am so confused. Is Mom throwing a party or something? That's the only way she'd get her sister to come back to our "house of sin".
"Roxas honey, this is no time for games. I need to go grocery shopping today so I can start cooking and baking," she says, distracted while she takes a notepad out of her purse.
"Mother, I sincerely have no idea what you are talking about," I say earnestly. She finally looks up at me.
"Roxas honey, you and Sora's birthday," she says. My eyes go wide. My 16th birthday! How could I have forgotten? "I'm throwing a party in the backyard. It's also going to be a barbeque since the weather is going to be nice. I know you want your usual cake and sea salt ice-cream, but are there any specific dishes you want? Your father is going to set up the picnic tables in the back so you and Sora can invite whoever you want."
Wow, my mom was going all out. But I should have expected as such. "Uh, I can't really think of anything right now." Oh. "Maybe some spicy dishes?"
"Really? I thought you didn't like spicy foods?"
But Axel does. And I plan on taking him to this party. "For some of the other guests."
"Something spicy, okay. Would it be easier if I come up with the list and check in with you sweetie?"
"Yes," I answer honestly. I've been living away from her so long, I have to say I do sometimes miss these parent-child moments. But I guess that's what the party was more or less for.
She turns and sees a few people lingering around the counter, trying not to get too close, but glancing over occasionally. "Alright sweetie, I won't hold you up anymore. I'll call you when your shift is over. Maybe you can stop by before Thursday?" She asked hopefully. I hadn't visited since this whole mess with Axel and TLE started, so it had been a long while.
"Sure. I can help you cook and stuff, and help Dad set up." I felt like I wanted to make up for being a not so great son.
"You'll do no such thing. I can handle the cooking, and your father can handle a few table. It's your birthday, let us treat you. But still come by!" she tosses her pad back into her purse and zips it up. "Alright, let me let these people shop. Love you sweetie, and I'll talk to you later!" A few of the guys who were standing off to the side snicker, and I can't help the slight blush that creeps up my face. I love my mother, no matter what we've been through, but she sure knew how to embarrass me. This party was going to be great.
Finally, the minute hand struck the 12, with the short hand already on the 8. We usually close earlier, but I made the executive decision to stay open another hour for the customers that were still filing in. We definitely needed it after all the hours missed already from my selfishness.
The last straggler wandered out, and I flipped the open sign off and locked the front doors. Coming around the aisles, I saw Reno rearranging a stack of records in a bin.
He was mumbling about how people don't ever put things back where they found them when I cleared my throat, thankful there was nothing above his head that he could hit himself on this time. "We're off the clock."
"I know. I'm just putting these back, then I'll-"
"We are talking about this now," I say simply.
"Must we?" he says in agony. Like I'm torturing him. But I guess I am and have been pretty hard on him. Some of the influx messages were also from him, and I didn't answer them. So it's also been a few weeks since I've spoken to him. And the first thing I basically did was yell at him.
Sighing again, I sit with my legs out next to where he's crouched down. "Listen, I'm sorry, firstly for not answering any of your texts or calls. Secondly for yelling at you when we opened. And thirdly, for what I'm about to say." He doesn't answer or quip back for once, so I continue. "If it seemed like I was coming on to you, I didn't mean to. I think you're a nice person, a great worker, even though you still don't know how to properly use the register." He snorts at that, and I finaly crack a smile at him. "I like you enough, but not in any romantic sense. Sorry if I was misleading. Thank you for your feelings Reno."
He doesn't say anything for a bit, but finally sits back from his heels to plop down next to me. "Nah. It was my fault for misunderstanding. And lyin bout the whole thing to ma half-brother cause I was embarrassed an' hurt. Sorry bout that too I guess. Are y'all okay?"
"Yeah, me and Axel are okay." I smile, remembering that he's picking me up today. Wanting to get this chapter closed, I nudge him with my shoulder. "Sooo…we good rookie?"
"We good Boss," he grins. "But ya might not wanna be so touchy feely anymore."
"Right, sorry," I start, sitting back up. Gosh I was the worst. "I guess I never realize how my familiarity with someone can hurt them."
"That and your boyfriend seems ready to jump through this window."
"Huh?" I turn my head to look out the store window and sure enough, there's Axel waiting for me at the locked door, trying to smile, but I can tell it's forced. "Oh geez, let me get going." I stand up and head to the front to get my keys. "You can get the gate down, right?"
"I always pull it up for your short ass in the morning, don't I?" he jokes. I flip him off and head out the store.
"Hey babe, how was work?" Axel asks me, pulling me into a tight hug.
"Crazy. We had so many customers today. But it was all good." He's still holding me and I don't know why, until I hear the metal clanging of the gate being closed over the store. I can barely get my head turned enough stuffed into Axel's chest to see Reno.
I thought Axel would keep holding me in his death grip, or shove me behind him, but surprisingly, he just lets me go so I can stand beside him. He gazes at Reno, not with any disdain, but definitely not happily. Reno glares back, but then again, Reno was always kinda glaring.
"Sorry."
I was surprised to hear that come from Reno first. I knew that Axel could step above it, but Reno had made it clear he wanted Axel to be sorry for everything.
"I'm sorry too," Axel responded. Sincerely I might add.
"…we cool?"
"Yeah." They both smile a bit.
Well that was short and simple.
Reno skips past us whistling, but calls back to Axel. "Maybe call the old man sometime. Even if it's just to yell at him. Despite how you feel about him, he misses you." With that, he continued to walk down the strip.
"Well," Axel says, stunned.
"Yup," I answer, not too sure myself. "What are you going to do?"
Axel takes a moment to digest all of what Reno said. "The only reason I'd give him the satisfaction of a call is to put him in his place," he finally says.
"Apparently he'd like that, as long as he gets to hear your voice, according to Reno."
Axel shrugs. "I don't know. It's something I don't really wanna think about right now. New topic?"
He obviously was still thinking about it, but I wasn't going to push it. Lord knows there are things I didn't wanna address when I was telling him about my family history. I grab Axel's hand and lead him out to the parking lot. "My mom dropped by the store today."
"Oh yeah? Did she get on you about how much more skinny you've gotten?" he teases, poking my side.
"No! And I'm putting the weight back on. Slowly but surely. She was pretty preoccupied, so I don't think she noticed."
"Preoccupied with what?" The sun was nowhere to be seen, but the sky was still a nice blue when we entered the parking lot. Going back to what Axel asked, I realized once again, that I'd forgotten my birthday.
"Hey Axel?"
"Yeah babe?" he answers while unlocking his car. He doesn't get in yet, just rest his arms on the top while waiting for me to say whatever it was I wanted.
"How do you feel about partying at my parents pad?"
That my friends, is the end of the Reno Arc! One more Arc to go! I'm going to try and not take forever for this next chapter to be up. I'm actually really excited to write this party, so hopefully that will motivate me to get it up asap. Reviews don't hurt either~