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Full Chapter Title: Sometimes life just throws you a bucket of water you have to swim around

Vincent helped me get Axel back to Radiant Garden.

I'd been sitting there, next to him, trying to wake him up when the man arrived, like a shadow coming out of nowhere. Somewhat creepy, but at the same time cool. I started to see why Mom had so much respect for him. The first thing I did when I saw Vincent, though, was to ask him why he was there, and how he knew to find me. He didn't reply at first, gesturing to the unconscious Axel.

He was still breathing, so I knew that he was alive, but the snow started falling faster, threatening the two of us. So I asked Vincent if he could help me get Axel back to my apartment. Still not talking, he picked up my boyfriend and carried him to a car I'd never seen before.

Apparently, Vincent Valentine knows how to drive.

And owns a car.

I never would have guessed that to be the case.

I sat in the back with Axel, his head resting on my lap, and I saw that he had many wounds. There was a voice in the back of my head telling me to check them, make sure he was okay, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so. I was scared that he was badly injured again, so I figured it would be best to take him to a hospital.

But Vincent wouldn't take me there.

Instead he drove me and the unconscious Axel back to my apartment, which I guess is what I'd asked of him in the first place, then carried him into my room. Nice guy.

I asked him again how he found me, and this time, he answered.

"Tifa told Zack, Zack told me. I went to find you."

Of course, that was all he said to me. Then he left. Placed Axel on my bed and left without saying goodbye. It was one of the weirdest things I'd ever experienced. Weirdest, and most annoying thing that didn't have to do with Axel.

"Man, he's a weirdo," I muttered with a sigh. Turning back to Axel, I wondered what I should do. He was still passed out on my bed, blood trickling down his cheek, and bruises forming on his face. If he didn't look so damn shitty and beat up, I would think he was just tired after a long day at work. He would do that sometimes, after he took me home from the office. Just, collapse on either the couch or my bed and sleep. It was kinda sweet. He always looked so peaceful when he slept. It was a rare occurrence for me to see him like that. He almost always fell asleep long after I did, and woke up before I ever could.

The whole ordeal angered me sometimes.

So to just see him sleep on the couch like that...

I really loved it.

The sight of the blood on his cheek was starting to get to me, and I moved away from the bed and to the bathroom, where my mother made me keep a first aid kit. At first I thought she was just being paranoid and annoying, but after this incident, I thanked her for making me.

I was smiling to myself when I entered the room again, thinking about how it was my turn to help Axel, even though I was extremely pissed at him. However, when I glanced at the bed, I noticed that Axel wasn't in the position I'd left him in. Instead of sleeping, he was sitting up, rubbing the back of his head, a dazed look on his face. I tried to stay silent as I crossed the room, holding the kit in my hands, looking at the floor.

It was the first time I'd seen Axel in some kind of conscious form. And no, I don't count when I first found him laying on the street and he smiled at me.

He seemed to only notice me when I got close enough to the bed that he could reach out and touch me. His eyes traveled over to me; those beautiful sea-green eyes that were always following me. Ever since that first day in the elevator.

Not really wanting to talk, I held out the first aid kid, like a peace offering, silently telling him that I needed to make sure he was okay before any speaking was to take place. I was looking away when I did this, so I didn't know what Axel's reaction was, until he grabbed my wrist tentatively, and pulled me forward a little bit. Not enough to fall onto the bed or anything, just enough to let me know I could do what I needed to.

I crawled onto the bed and plopped down between his legs, placing the box in front of me, then I glanced up at him. Blushing at his intense stare, I reached up and began to unbutton his shirt. All I wanted to do was see how much he was beat up under the shirt (which I was shocked to see actually was a dress shirt... you'd think after three weeks on the streets he would wear something less... nice looking) but that didn't stop me from blushing madly at all the things this could imply. There was a feeling in my gut that if Axel wasn't all beat up right now, I would probably tackle him to the bed.

I tried very hard to ignore that feeling.

Finally, I managed to finish undoing the buttons on his shirt, and he slipped it off, flinching for some reason. That reason became apparent soon enough though, when I saw all the deep purple bruises forming all over Axel's torso. They were spread out all around his skin, some clumping together, others in a lone place, but they all still made Axel look as though he were some kind of bruised fruit.

Horrible, horrible comparison, but extremely true.

Other than the bruises, there were a few cuts and scraps along his arms and lower stomach, probably from when his shirt was pulled up as he fell.

So I opened the box and pulled out antiseptic and gauze. It was then I realized I never learned how to clean a wound. All of this was being done by guessing.

I hoped Axel wouldn't mind.

The minute the liquid touched his skin, Axel flinched, eyes closing tightly, and I could see his jaw clench. He wanted to cry out, but I knew there was no way he would. Axel always liked to be strong around me, like he couldn't let me know when he was suffering. Briefly, I wondered if he knew how much it hurt me when he did that.

But I didn't say anything as I continued to clean the wounds, bandaging the really bad ones, and being sure to get his back as well. From the looks of it, he'd been thrown against a wall. It was the only explanation I could think of for him to have a large cut on his back, and yet the shirt wasn't ripped at all. Either that, or he changed his shirt before he passed out, which was extremely doubtful.

Finally, his face. The cut was obviously from a knife, and though it wasn't bleeding anymore, I felt faint from just looking at it.

I wet another cloth and pressed it against Axel's face, trying very hard not to let my fingers come into contact with his skin. My goal was to not have any physical contact with the man for as long as possible, get back at him a little for running off on me. However, I couldn't keep doing that forever.

As soon as my hand pulled away from Axel's face, and I grimaced at the blood on the cloth, my wrist was grabbed again. I flushed, dropping the cloth, and looked away as Axel pulled my hand towards his face. I could feel his lips press against the center of my hand, which sent electric shocks up my arm. It was like he was apologizing to me.

Then he was kissing me, pushing his lips against mine eagerly as his arm wrapped around my waist. I allowed myself to be pulled into a hug as I closed my eyes, thoroughly enjoying the fact that he was there again. It was like a dream come true.

Axel was back.

After what I thought was too soon, Axel pulled away. He removed his arms from my back and stared down at me, breathing heavily, face flushed from the intensity. I was so happy. My hand reached up to his cheek on it's own, disobeying my direct order not to move, and I traced the cut. Axel's eyes slid closed and he smiled, turning his head so my entire hand was touching his skin.

"This is real," I heard him mutter. I smiled, glad to hear his voice again. "This is actually real." At this, I pulled away, trying to hide the embarrassed look on my face. Axel had missed me. He actually missed me.

There was nothing I could say, or, that's what I thought.

Then I saw Axel smirk, and pat my head.

"Hey Roxas, I'm home."

I don't know what it was about this sentence that set me off, but it did. I shoved Axel away from me and slid off the bed, towering over the red-head.

"You're home? You're home? That's all you have to say to me you fucking bastard? I've been sitting here, worrying my ass off that you were going to die, or that you didn't like me anymore, and the only way you could end it was to go off and be a complete jack-ass! How about apologizing to me for all the shit you put me through? Huh? Whatever happened to a good old, 'I'm sorry I ran off and left you that horrible note that caused nightmares and horrible thoughts. I won't ever do it again. I'm sorry'? Did you even think of apologizing? I bet not! You were probably just going to act like you didn't do anything wrong, and that I would just forgive you for no reason. That's why you kissed me, isn't it? You wanted to distract me from the real issue here!"

"Roxas..." Axel's voice sounded so pathetic. It just angered me more.

"Shut the fuck up and listen to me! Do know how many times I called you while you were gone? How many times Ellie called? Did you even listen to our messages or were you too busy searching for your father that you completely ignored everything I said to you? And what about when you did find your dad? Did you feel the 'closure' that you wanted? Did you get back at him for making you live on the streets, or not giving you food? Did you? Did you?"

"Please, let me talk-"

"I told you to shut up, Axel! I am not done! I spent almost three weeks sitting around wondering if I would ever see you again. I was so depressed, my dad wouldn't let me go to work. He sent me home and told me that if I came onto the office grounds, he would call security on me. Happened to Ellie too. Do you know how I found out where you were? Ellie told me, after spending an entire night crying her eyes out. When she came to see me the next day, her eyes were so red I thought she was sick or had allergies! Of course, the second notion is stupid as it's the end of November, and there's a foot of snow on the ground, but that's not the point! I couldn't believe that Ellie could cry like that, but apparently she can. And don't get me started on how sad Sora was acting. He seemed so upset that you just took off and didn't tell him, because he's your friend and he wants to know what the fuck is going on in your life, just like me, and Ellie, and Riku, and Kairi..." I took a deep breath.

"Every single one of us was so fucking worried about you, Axel. It's not even funny how different the work atmosphere became at the office after you left. No one wanted to talk, or hang out, Ellie pretty much escaped into her shell, Riku and Sora stopped talking to each other again, and Kairi seemed like she was going to cry every fucking day! Do you even understand how important you are to all of us?" I was trying to hold back the tears, but after saying that, I couldn't. I couldn't stop them as the flowed out of my eyes and down my face. Through the blur, I could see Axel move so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. His arms moved around my back and pulled me towards him, and I could feel his face press against my chest. Immediately, my hands moved to his back, and I bowed my head.

"You're insane, loud, rude, sarcastic, bitchy, perverted, an ass, a bastard, and most of all, a freak of nature alien! But I love you! I love you so much!" My knees gave way and I slid down, hitting the ground. I was still holding on to Axel's arms, though not very well, and he kissed the top of my head. "I can't help but love you, Axel. I can't... I can't help it. I can't help it..." I choked on my words, unable to continue. I wanted to, though. I wanted to tell Axel how much he meant to me, and that I never wanted to be apart from him again. But the sobs wouldn't stop coming, and soon, I heard Axel slide off the bed and he hugged me tightly, burying my face in his chest.

"I'm sorry Roxas," he whispered. "I love you too. You have no idea how much I love you."

What about him is so comforting? How does he know exactly what to say to me?

Why is it him that can make me feel so complete inside?

I don't know how long we stayed in that position: me crying into his chest, him whispering to me words of love and comfort, but as far as I was concerned, it didn't last long enough. Even when I'd stopped crying, and Axel helped me to my feet, and we sat on my bed, I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be close to him.

I wanted him to be mine.

Only mine.

"Axel," I muttered when we were both sitting.

"Yeah?"

"Leave me again, and I won't go out looking for you. I won't be waiting for you to come home. I will leave."

I wanted him to be mine, but I couldn't live if he left. I just couldn't.

Somehow, over the course of these crazy months being his boyfriend, and the year and a half since I'd met him, Axel had become my life. Everything about him was a part of me now, whether it be his emotions, his body, his past...

"I won't leave you again. I don't have a reason to." I got on my knees and pushed Axel down, allowing myself to kiss him, and finally, finally, I could understand those feelings I saw on New Years between Ellie and Riku. The feelings I saw between my parents.

Finally.

Sorry, didn't want to say much at the beginning... I didn't have a good day and the only reason I'm writing down here is to say that the chapter title and one of Roxas' lines are courtesy of Withnospaces and she'll get mad at me if I don't say that though I don't know how she'll know because she doesn't read the story on here...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I can't believe I'm almost done with this story, please review, and I'll see you next week (maybe...)

~Sunechirei