A/N: Hey-oh! I know I'm the actual worst for not updating for literally a YEAR, but I would never miss an Akuroku Day update. I swear I'll try to keep it more consistent from now on, especially since the end is nigh. Please enjoy this chapter filled with family drama, angst, closets and cake!
Roxas POV
Half an hour. I'd been inside the house for half an hour and I still haven't run into my mother (pretty sure she's a ninja), my father (still pretty pissed at him, so thank god), my Aunt Liz (oh thank god), Cloud, Sora, really anyone closely related to me. I've been stopped about a million and fuck times to be told happy birthday. I get it. That's why we're all here. But I swear, can't everyone just say it the once when we sing over cake and be done with it?
"Roxas, happy birthday!"
And here we go again. "Yes, yes, thank- oh. Oh! Aerith!" She wraps me in a bear hug before I can get anything more out.
"Aw, how's my baby cousin doing?" she asks over my head.
"I'm doing okay," I mumble into her chest. Because really, everyone just has to be taller than me, right? I don't know how Sora puts up with it.
She finally releases me and I get a good look at her. I haven't seen her since Larissa was born. Aerith is Cloud's older sister by four years and had moved a city over once she'd married. She visited frequently, but when she'd just had her baby she couldn't travel as much. Larissa was a toddler now, so I guess she'll be around more often.
Both the main Stryker and Strife families ended up with one blonde and one brunette child. I never quite understood how that could happen but it did. His mother was a brunette while Aunt Elizabeth, her older sister, was blonde like him (but more of a platinum than a honey color like his own). Speaking of the old bat. "You seen your mother?"
"The last time I saw her she was with your mother."
Oh great. "I was really hoping for a separate interaction…" I mumble to myself, looking around.
"Is that Lily clawing at your leg?"
"Yeah. I tried handing her off to Uncle Jay and she was not having it." I sigh as I bend down to pick her back up. "Isn't that right Lily-pad? You were just a grumpy-wumpy weren't you?" I tickle my nose against hers until I realize Aerith is looking at me and grinning like a fool. I glare at her in return. "You speak of this. To no one."
"You don't scare me Roxo," she snorts and ruffles my hair. Damn her and her height and age advantage. "Anyway, I need to get back to my daughter, probably causing havoc outside. I'll keep an eye out for your mom and shoot a text if I find her."
"Cool," I answer, then continue my trek through the house for my mother. Maybe she's upstairs? Then again she was in full party host mode, there would be no reason to be up there. But the reprieve would be nice, so I head up anyway. A break from my own party and I've only been here under an hour? This is already turning out better than last year.
I hear chatter coming from Sora's room and figure someone else also came to escape. Taking a peek inside, it's Sora himself, and…
"Riku?" I say with question. I mean, I knew he was coming to the party. I guess…I just didn't expect to see him.
"Hey Roxas," he calmly greets. Seriously, what was up with him and Sora and all this nonchalant attitude about their fight?!
"Hey Riku…" I slink into the room with my head down, until I finally look square at him. "Listen-"
"Water under the bridge man," he says, then goes back to looking over an old yearbook with Sora.
"Wait-"
"I was never really holding a grudge anyway."
"But-"
"And Yuffie's not either. You know her, she's stubborn as hell, and is never going to be the first to apologize."
"It was my-"
"Oh yeah, here's your gift from her. She told me to bring it since she can't stop by today. 'Washing her cat' or some other nonsense."
"But she-"
"Doesn't have a cat, I know."
"Wait, will you just let me talk!" I shout. He looks at me and waits. "I uh…I wanted to say sorry. For breaking the band up. Well, for bailing on HB, ergo missing the show for us. Which led to the breakup."
"Uh-huh…" Riku says with an eyebrow raised.
"Ssh, he needs to do this," Sora not so quietly whispers.
Roxas rolls his eyes but trudges forward. "I'll make it up. Not just to you, but everyone. So…do you forgive me?"
"Well..." he draws out smirking.
"Come on, don't make me get on my knees and beseech," I whine, already knowing he's forgiven me. "That means beg, by the way."
"I failed math not English you brat."
"Yeah, that's why me and Sora have to see your face every morning in Geometry," I smirk back. He gets up and starts towards me. "Wait, you can't attack me! I've got a baby!" I clutch Lily to my chest.
He pauses then gestures for my brother. "Sora, if you would."
"Come here Lily-pad," he coos. Ha! If Sora thought Lily would turn on me so easily he had another thing-
The little traitor gladly held out her arms for Sora, who proceeded to kiss her chubby cheeks.
"Lil, how could you leave me like this?" I cry.
"Because she knew what was coming for you." Riku slowly raises his waggling fingers and grabs a hold of me before I can escape.
"Are you really going to do this?! On my birthday?!"
"What Roxas? I just wanna make you smile." He calmly pulls the bottom of my polo shirt from my shorts.
"PLEASE DON'T DO THIS, I BEG YOU."
"Don't you mean beseech?" And with that he starts the torment. Why did it seem that everyone in god's name knew my one weakness?
"Tickle, tickle Lily-pad," Sora says while littering kisses across her face. As if that tickling could compare to the torture I was currently experiencing.
He finally relented and tossed my carcass atop Sora's bed. "And with that," he says above me with that damn smirk, "you are forgiven."
"Yeah thanks," I say between breaths. I hear my phone ring from somewhere and realize it dropped while Riku was tickling me, the rotten bastard. "Can you hand me my phone?" After I get it, I see it's from Aerith. "Seems like our cousin was finally able to nail down Mom."
"Which cousin?" Sora asks.
"Aerith."
"I haven't even seen her yet!"
"And I haven't seen Mom, so…"
"I guess the birthday boys have been missing long enough," Riku says, and we all exit Sora's room to head back downstairs.
"Yeah. I really want to get back to Axel too. Also I'm pretty sure Aunt Lynn is looking for her daughter at this point," I inform them, squeezing Lily's feet from Sora's arms.
"Wait, I thought she was your cousin's daughter? Cloud's sister?" Riku ponders.
"Aerith?" Sora says to Riku's second question.
"No, that's Larissa," I respond to Riku's first question.
"Wait, who's Aerith again?"
"Cloud's sister. Aunt Liz's daughter," Sora tries to clarify, but I think he just makes him more confused.
"You have so many L's in your family."
"You don't even know," me and Sora say at the same time.
I don't even have time to groan at our synch-up because we are back in the throng.
More 'happy birthdays' and 'look at you, you're so big now!' and 'what are your plans for after high school?' and so many awkward questions I did not want to answer to my family. Luckily, we were able to dodge most of them using the excuse of looking for my mother.
"Should I put Yuffie's present on the gift table?" Riku asks me.
"Nah, just give it to me. It'll get lost in the wreckage." I take the hand-sized gift from him and start opening it.
"You're opening it now?"
"I opened mine from Yuffie. She got me a Destiny Islands t-shirt! I didn't even know they made t-shirts!"
"Yeah, she's good at finding the obscure stuff," I point out. After getting mine open, I see it's a leather wrist cuff, with two mini chains going around. I love everything about it and immediately adorn it. "Okay. Mom. Apparently she's in the garage?"
"I'm gonna return Lily to Aunt Lynn," Sora says and goes off before Riku can follow him.
"I guess I'll…?"
"You can come with me," I say grabbing his hand. "Have you met my mom?"
"Not yet. I've met half of your other family members though."
"Oh, this isn't even half my family here," I jest.
"Oh my god."
We make it to the garage where I see Mom on top of a ladder. "What are you doing Mom?"
"Honey bear! Happy birthday! And I'm getting," she huffs, "the extra, tablecloths." She finally frees a box and the ladder wobbles a bit. I dash over but it rights itself as she makes her way down.
"MOM PLEASE," I pant.
"Lucy accidentally ripped the one in the kitchen." She holds up the pack in triumph.
Riku leans down to whisper to me. "Honey bear?"
"Shut the fuck up."
"Also, who's Lucy?" he whispers.
"My cousin. She's Liam's mom."
"Oh my god."
"Tell me about it," I grunt back, and take the pack of old tablecloths from Mom. "I wish you had someone with you, at least to spot the ladder. You know it's finicky."
"I wasn't going very high up so I thought it'd be fine. And it was! And my second son has finally arrived." She kisses me on the check and stalks off, leaving me no choice but to follow her.
"Second son? Doesn't that mean technically Sora is older-"
"I swear to god Riku," I hiss, and leave it at that. When we make it to the kitchen (where I'm sure is where my mom is headed) we hear her thanking someone.
"You're quite strong being able to lift this!"
Looking over, it seems someone came to help Mom lift the juice dispenser off the table. A very tall, muscular gentleman.
"Leon?" Riku and I mutter at the same time.
"Hey you two," Leon says. He waits for my mom to straighten the cloth out before putting the dispenser back down and approaching us. "Happy birthday Roxas. You seen Sora? I need to tell him too."
"Uh, I'm not sure where he is currently. Though I have a good guess." I shoo mom away from what she's doing to talk to her. "Mom, do you know where Aunt Lynn is?"
"Lynnie? She's been out back mostly."
"Cool. Let's go." I take her hand and this time don't give her the chance to protest while we all walk to the backdoor. We exit onto the porch and I shield my eyes from the brightness. "Ugh, it's hot."
"It's August sweetie," Mom reminds me.
"I hate the summer."
"I'm sorry I couldn't hold you both in my womb another three months," she responds with a smile.
Both Riku and Leon snort and I glare at them.
"I see where you get it now," Riku mumbles around his chuckles.
"Get what?" I argue.
"Oh look, there's Cloud!" Leon says, pointing over to a table.
"Oh I see him," my mother says. "He's with Aerith, Larissa and…where have I seen that red-haired fellow?"
"Axel!" Wow, in my quest to find my mother and after running into everyone on this god green Earth, I'd almost forgotten I'd left Axel outside. He seemed to be fending fine though. I'm glad the children weren't still all over him. I'm so going to pay for that later.
I weave through the people, trying to reach them. "Axel!" I call out. He notices me (freaking finally) and immediately stands. The rest of his party looks our way with shocked faces. Why though? It was just me and-
"Axel as in 'boyfriend Axel'?" my mother asks right by my side. I didn't even realize she was keeping pace with me the whole time.
"Um."
"Hi," Axel greets us once we arrive. I can see from his face that he doesn't know how this woman standing next to me is related, and I'm not about to inform him. I'd like to see how this plays out. Axel sticks his hand out to her. "I'm Axel. And you must be…?"
"Hello!" she cheers, and pulls Axel into a hug. Axel's face is above my mother's looking confused as ever. I keep a straight face, but Cloud and Aerith are already laughing.
Mother finally steps back, but does not release his arms from her death grip. "You are Axel, right? I've heard so much about you from Roxas. My goodness you are tall!"
"Um…yeah," Axel says, and I can't hold it in any longer. I step up to them laughing and pull Axel from Mom's hold.
"Axel, this is my mother, Lorianne."
"But everyone calls me Lori," she corrects with a smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you!"
"Oh. Oh! You as well Ms. Stryker! MRS! Stryker," my boyfriend stutters out. This just keeps getting funnier and funnier.
"Please, call me Lori! I'd love to get to talking with you!"
Axel shoots me a panicked look, but that actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. His mom would have to finally stop running around and relax for a change. How to bait her though…
"Mom, have you seen Sora?" I ask, and know she'll work out the rest.
"Goodness, where is that son of mine? You said he's with Lynnie right? I'm pretty sure they're in the back den, I'll go look. You can come with me Axel!"
"Ah, are you sure?" Axel asks, but she's already walking. Axel trips over his own feet to catch up.
"Well that worked better than I planned," I chuckle, and sit next to Aerith since Leon has taken the one next to Cloud. Larissa plays with some bubbles in front of us and we all catch up. It's been a while since we've all hung out like this, and its fun shooting the breeze like old times. This birthday really is turning out to be better.
"Cloud, Aerith, there you are!"
And just like that, I have a feeling it's about to go downhill from here.
"Hey Aunt Liz," I greet, cause you know, I have basic human decency. Even though she definitely didn't deserve it, least of all from me. But she was still Cloud and Aerith's mom, so you know.
She gulps when she sees me, then adorns her stoic face. "Roxas. Happy birthday. 16 is it?"
"That's what's on the cake."
"Right. When is that being cut by the way? I have an engagement later tonight, and I'd like to arrive early."
Before I can come up with something nice to say (because I sure didn't have anything at that moment) Cloud cuts in.
"Mom, you knew today was the twins birthday. Why did you schedule anything?"
"I could not get out of it," she answers simply.
"Bet it's her bridge club," Aerith whispers to me.
"What was that young lady?"
"Nothing mother," Aerith smiles. After the whole situation of my living with the Strifes ended, there was discourse in the family. At the time, Cloud had gone along with his mother's preaches to uphold his own semblance of peace. Aerith whole-heartedly did not agree with her mother, which had temporarily caused a riff to form not only between them, but with Cloud too. But she'd been hecka pregnant at the time, and after Larissa was born, no one could stay mad. So they all got along on paper, but there was always an underlying feeling of separation. And it was my fault.
I'll admit, there was always a feeling of guilt buried in me, even after all these years.
"Are you still living with my son? Hopefully leading a better life?"
But no way am I ever going to admit that to God's saint over here.
"Depends on your definition of better Auntie." She despises being addressed this way. I make sure to punctuate every syllable.
"Mom, could we not? Of all days, today?" Cloud groans, rubbing his hands over his face.
"I just don't understand why he insists on living with you when he has a perfectly good home right here."
"There were some…issues," I say nonchalant. "Thought it better for me to be away while we resolved them."
"That sounds like a problem of your own, that doesn't need to be resolved by my son."
"Mom!" Cloud and Aerith say at the same time. They seem to be getting more upset than I am. There is nothing new here about Aunt Liz's attitude towards me.
"And don't you already have a roommate? Three men living in a house is uncouth enough as it is."
Cloud is beginning to simmer, and I am defintiely in no mood to diffuse the situation.
Leon, hero of the day, decides to take hold of this conversation. "Why don't we go see what's happening with the cake?"
Aunt Liz squints at Leon for a few seconds before addressing him. "Who are you again?"
"My apologies." Leon stands. "My name is Leon, I'm living with Cloud and Roxas."
"Leon. Nice to meet you," she makes out, shaking his outreached hand. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders." Her head suddenly swivels towards Cloud. "Much better than that red-haired acquaintance of yours I met earlier."
"Who?"
"Axel or some sort."
"Oh," I say, getting ready for this one. "He's here because of me, actually."
"He's your acquaintance?" she spits out. But then 'hmphs' as if it were to be expected.
"Boyfriend, actually," I correct, because I really do like to bait the old bat.
"What?" she squawks.
"Mom. Cake. Can we?" Cloud sighs.
"You don't bring him around the house, do you?"
"Which one, the one I live in currently, or the 'perfectly good one right here'?" She makes it too easy sometimes.
"Why, I never! Having Leon as a roommate is one thing, but how can I leave my son with…with…!"
I am waiting to see how she finishes that sentence, but Cloud's had enough I guess. He stands and approaches his mother who is slightly taken aback.
"He's not my roommate."
"What?" she quips.
"He's not my roommate," Cloud repeats. And grabs Leon's hand. "He's my boyfriend."
HOLY SHIT.
"Holy crap!" Aerith voices my thoughts, PG-style.
"Wait, you didn't know?" I ask Aerith.
"I knew, I just didn't expect him to come out to Mom! Like, right now!"
"Wait you knew about this?" their mother screeches. "And didn't tell me?!"
Everyone is standing at this point, but I feel like I need to sit back down, because holy shit Cloud just came out to his protestant mother.
"It wasn't her business to tell," Cloud argues. "It was mine and Leon's." He turns to Leon apologetically. "I'm sorry for outing you right here. I don't even know what came over me."
"It's okay Cloud," Leon reassures, rubbing his back consolingly. "I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to tell your mother finally. You don't know how much that means."
"You see, this is why I was against you living on your own. Just a few months with Roxas and he's made you like this!" She gestures to her son, and I feel kind of bad for him. I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of her disdain, and even when I didn't give a shit it still hurt. Who knows how much Cloud is feeling it since this is his own mother?
"And you!" she hisses, switching targets to Leon. Everyone starts talking at once right then. Cloud is royally pissed, Aerith and I are protesting, Leon is trying to diffuse, and Larissa has had enough of not being paid attention to.
But none of us get a chance to hear anyone else because my mother comes out of the house, Dad and Axel behind her carrying a cake the size of a card table.
"Who's ready for cake?" she cheers. Any attention that could have possibly been diverted to this direction immediately goes towards Mom. Thank the fucking lord.
Doubting I can make things any better by staying, I leave the group and see Sora coming out of the house with Aunt Lynn.
"Sora!" I yell, and practically drag him off the porch.
"Hey Rox! Is it just me or does it feel like I've barely seen you today?"
"It's not just you," I answer before turning him away from everyone else. "Holy crapoli my guy, you've missed the come out of the century!"
"What? Who?" he whispers back harshly.
"Sora! Roxas! Cake!" our mother yells, but that was so not important right now.
"Who?" Sora continues to prompt.
"What are the birthday boyos over here conspiring about?" UNCLE LARRY, NOT NOW.
"Time to cut cake you two!"
"WHO?" Sora basically yells as we're pushed towards the picnic table in the middle of the yard.
"Who what?" Uncle Larry answers.
"No, Roxas," Sora says.
"Not me!" I answer.
"Then who?!"
"Roxas!" someone calls, and I turn to see Axel walking to me.
"Axel!" Oh thank god, I needed him right now.
"Axel came out?" Sora ponders.
"I what now?" he answers.
"Not him! It's-!"
"A one, two, three!" Our mother chants.
And everyone sings happy birthday. However, both Sora and I are oblivious to it since he's still asking me 'who' and I'm looking at Axel for help until we hear a loud crash. "Happy Birthday" quickly dies down as everyone now looks over to the group I left earlier. Except now Aerith is on the ground, Larissa is crying in Leon's arms and Cloud has his raging mother held around the waist.
Okay, maybe this is turning out like a lot of our other birthdays.