Chapter 23 Lovesick Idiots
The couches in the Grey Area are surprisingly comfortable, but Roxas can't make himself relax. He sits, muscles tense, watching the doorway for the first glimpse of Axel.
He hasn't seen the red head since yesterday at the clock tower. As soon as they had returned to the castle, Axel had disappeared to report to Xemnas about what a complete failure their mission had been. Trying to figure out what punishment he or Axel would receive kept Roxas up all night and now he is anxious to hear the news.
There is movement in the doorway and Roxas sits up straight, expecting to see Axel, but an unfamiliar blond boy a year or two older than him comes into the room. Roxas slumps back, disappointed, but the other boy's grins at the sight of him
"Hi!" The stranger says, dropping down on the couch right next to Roxas despite there being plenty of room to spread out.
"Hi?" Roxas replies warily. The guy seems nice enough if not overly friendly.
"You're Roxas right?" The guy tucks loose strands from his mullet behind his ear. "Axel told me about you."
"He did?" Roxas asks. What would Axel have told another member about him? That he sucks at fighting and couldn't even protect himself from a Darkside?
"Yeah. I'm Demyx by the way," Demyx says, holding out a hand that Roxas shakes. "I bet Axel's told you all about me."
Roxas stares, suddenly uncomfortable. "Uh…"
"He didn't?!" Demyx shouts throwing his hands in the air. "That bastard."
"Who's a bastard?"
Roxas looks up to see Axel enter the Grey Area with his arms crossed. Axel walks over with a smile on his face, but to Roxas it seems forced and when he stares, it falters a bit.
"You are," Demyx says to Axel. "Why didn't you tell Roxas about me?"'
"I was protecting him from your annoyingness," Axel replies, but the teasing words have no bite behind them. Before Demyx can fire back a retort, Axel turns to Roxas. "Can we talk?" He jerks his head towards the other side of the room and Roxas nods.
Getting to his feet, Roxas follows Axel to the a spot in front of the large windows overlooking the dark city beyond the castle. Axel's eyes never leave the view as Roxas stands beside him, waiting anxiously for news. Roxas can see Axel's jaw clench and unclench like he is struggling to find words, but Roxas is impatient.
"What did Xemnas say?" Roxas prompts.
Axel sighs, ducking his head slightly as he runs a hand through his hair. "For a man with no emotions he was pretty pissed," he says, smiling hesitantly, but Roxas isn't in the mood for jokes.
"Axel."
"We're not allowed to go on missions together anymore," Axel says in a rush.
Roxas blinks. "What?"
"Look, I'm sorry, Rox," Axel says and if Roxas didn't know Nobodies can't feel he would say Axel is genuinely upset. "I did everything I could, but as of today you and I are no longer going to be partnered on missions."
For a long moment Roxas doesn't know what to say. He knew he and Axel wouldn't go on every mission together, but he had never really thought what it would be like. Axel had been by his side since the beginning. He had been the only one that cared enough to show him the ropes of the Organization.
"Then…" Roxas finally manages to say. "Do I go on missions solo?"
Axel shakes his head. "No," he says. "Not today. Today you're partnered with Rexick."
Roxas stiffens at the name. He remembers the smirking yellow-eyed man who had such a hungry look in his eyes whenever he stared at him. A shiver goes through Roxas' body at the memory of Rexick's lips brushing against his ear. "Oh we're going to have such fun, Number XIII."
"I'm guessing you know him," Axel says, noticing Roxas' reaction. Axel's mouth is pressed in a hard frown. "The guy's a first class creep. That stupid smirk he had when he heard-" Axel sighs, crossing his arms and looking away. "Sorry, Rox."
Roxas reaches out and touches his arm. "Hey," he says, smiling as Axel turns his head. "It'll be fine." He hopes the confidence in his voice doesn't sound forced. "I can take care of myself."
Axel nods several times, but the worry lines on his forehead don't go away.
The sound of light strumming makes Roxas drop his hand and turn towards Demyx who is lounging on the couch with his feet up and a large blue sitar in hands. He's grinning at the two of them standing by the windows.
"Demyx is a friend of your's?" Roxas asks and Axel nods.
"Yeah...a good friend," Axel says, tilting his head slightly. He looks deep in thought and Roxas raises an eyebrow. "You know all that stuff about not liking the Organization I was saying yesterday? Well...I'm not that only one thinking about deserting. Demyx and his boyfriend Zexion hate the yellow-eyes as much as I do."
Roxas is surprised by the sudden confession and confused. Ever since the day before at the clock tower, Roxas had been trying to figure out why Axel would tell him such a dangerous secret. "Why do you trust me so much?" He asks, sounding more demanding than he meant. "Shouldn't you be worried I'll rat you out."
"Yeah, well...shit, I don't know, Roxas" Axel says, scratching the back of his head. "You just seem...different. Like...I can't keep secrets from you. It would be wrong."
Now Roxas is even more confused then before. "I'm not sure I understand." But he can't help feeling lighter at the thought of Axel letting him into his life so easily.
"Me neither, kid," Axel says, letting out an awkward huff of laughter. He looks over at Demyx who is still watching them, ginning and strumming his sitar. "What is that idiot staring at?" Axel mutters as he walks over with Roxas trailing behind.
"Don't you have a mission?" Axel asks, dropping into a chair by the couch. Roxas sits on the couch with Demyx who moves his feet to give him room.
"I'm waiting for Zexy," Demyx says. "We have a mission together." He looks up from his sitar with a smug smile.
"How'd you manage that?" Axel asks and Demyx's smirk widens.
"I may have bribed Xigbar with a case of that rum he likes from Port Royal to make a small adjustment to the roster."
Axel rolls his eyes as a another Organization member enters - a boy around their age with slate grey hair that hides one eye. Seeing him, Axel raises his voice enough for it to carry across the room. "Just make sure you two actually get some work done. The yellow-eyes are already pissed enough."
"Oh?" The new boy says, raising his one visible eyebrow as he walks over. "And whose fault would that be?"
Axel frowns and looks away pointedly as the slate-haired boy turns to Roxas, eyes sweeping over him in a quick, assessing movement. "You're Roxas I presume," he says. "I'm Zexion. Axel has talked about you."
"So I've heard," Roxas replies, glancing at Axel who is glaring at Zexion as blush creeps into his cheeks. Demyx reaches over and pokes Axel's cheek, causing the redhead to slap his hand away.
"Axel, I need to speak with you," Zex says, his mouth pressed in a hard line.
Axel meets his eyes and then glances over a Roxas. "Alright."
He gets to his feet and follows Zexion to stand by the windows once more. Roxas watches them until Demyx nudges him in the knee with his foot.
"Ever played?" Demyx asks, indicating his sitar.
"Uh, no," Roxas says, glancing back to Axel and Zexion.
"I'll teach you," Demyx says eagerly. "Okay, first you want to…"
Roxas nods distractedly, ignoring Demyx who continues to ramble on about basic chords. Straining his ears Axel and Zexion's direction, Roxas can just make out their terse whispering.
"You're supposed to be getting on their good side," Zexion is saying, sounding frustrated.
"Well, I'm sorry," Axel says, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I'm not a sociopath like them. Just pretending."
"They aren't going to let you get in their ranks if you defy orders."
"I know, Zexion. But I'm not apologizing for picking Roxas over some heart for Xemnas' ugly moon."
Roxas glances around again and meets Axel's eyes. Seeing him, Axel blinks and turns slightly, whispering in a lower voice so Roxas can't hear what he and Zexion continue to talk about. A frown crossing his face, Roxas tries to focus on what Demyx is telling him about strumming, but a minute later the call of his name interrupts Demyx's lesson.
"Roxas!"
Rexick enters the Grey Area with a smile on his face that doesn't quite meet his eyes and his purple and black sword already in his hand. Seeing him, Roxas rises slowly from his seat.
Over by the windows, Axel and Zexion abruptly stop talking. Both turn to watch Rexick who glances at them before returning his full attention to Roxas.
"Looks like I'm your babysitter today," Rexick says, taking a step too close to Roxas.
Roxas is forced to tilt his head up to look him in the eye, but he refuses to take a step back and give Rexick the satisfaction of intimidating him. "What's the mission?" Roxas asks, keeping his voice even.
Smirking, Rexick replies, "We're headed to Hollow Bastion. There's a few heartless for you to take care of there." Turning his head in Axel's direction as the redhead walks over, Rexick says to Axel, "Sorry you got your privileges with Roxas here revoked. But don't worry." Roxas jumps at the touch of fingertips on his cheek. "I'll take care of him."
Rexick's fingers trace down the side of Roxas' face and Roxas steps back to get away from the icy touch. He suppresses the urge to gulp as Rexick's eyes darken in anger and his hand grabs Roxas' chin.
Before Roxas can throw Rexick off for the second time, Axel is at his side, grabbing Rexick by the wrist and shoving him away.
"Keep your hands off him," Axel says, the warning clear in his voice. Rexick only laughs humorlessly.
"Getting possessive are we?" he says. Axel only glares as a response and after a moment of strained silence, Rexick turns away and summons a dark corridor. "Coming, Roxas?"
Roxas nods and starts to follow, but Axel's hand grips his shoulder. Axel's eyes are narrowed from the worry lines on his forehead and in a lower voice that only Roxas can hear, he says, "Don't turn your back on him for even a second."
Glancing at Rexick who stands by the dark corridor waiting, Roxas suppresses a shudder. "I won't," he promises, pulling himself free from Axel's grip.
Rexick disappears through the dark corridor and Roxas pauses just before following. He meets Axel's eyes one last time. Demyx and Zexion are standing beside Axel. Their frowns do little to help the unease he already feels, but with a fake smile he looks away and steps through the dark corridor.
The darkness surrounds him completely before vanishing altogether to reveal the world of Hollow Bastion. The valley they are in is made of bluish rock and in the distance he can see a city with a castle looming at the center.
He stares at the city, wondering if it is their destination, but he turns to see Rexick walking in the other direction. Jogging to catch up, Roxas falls into step with him, but keeps a careful distance between them.
They walk in silence. The only thing to hear is the wind whistling through the valley. Roxas can practically feel Rexick's yellow eyes boring into him, but he refuses to meet his gaze. At the end of the narrow valley they are in, the path turns.
Around the bend, Roxas pulls up short with a surprised gasp. The valley opens up into a huge area teeming with heartless.
"Y-you said a few heartless," Roxas stutters out, turning to a ginning Rexick. "It looks like there's at least-"
"A thousand?" Rexick says. He grabs Roxas by the back of his jacket and drags him forward towards the swarm of heartless. "Did you think Xemnas was going to let you off easy because of Axel's show of ass kissing? You lost the boss heartless' heart and now you gotta make up for it."
Roxas twists out of Rexick's grip and glares at him. The idea of going up against a thousand heartless makes his mouth dry, but he doesn't want Rexick to know.
The sight of the heartless doesn't seem to faze Rexick in the slightest. Roxas watches as the older blond holds his massive double-edged sword out with both hands. With a hard tug, the blade separates down the middle and Rexick is left holding two single edged swords that he swing in circles with ease.
"Try and keep up, alright?" He says, glancing at Roxas.
Roxas holds Rexick's gaze as he summons his two keyblades. "Just don't slow me down," he replies in an even voice.
The grin on Rexick's lips turns feral. "Impressive," he says looking Roxas up and down. "You're just full of surprises, Roxy."
"That's not my name," Roxas tries to say, but Rexick is already heading into the hoard of heartless that surges forward to meet him. Swallow hard to steel his nerves, Roxas adjust his grip on his keyblades and follows, letting himself be swept into battle.
After the first fifty or sixty heartless, the two of them fall into a rhythm. Rexick moves in and out of sight with his two swords flashing through heartless left and right. He's careful not to kill them, but leaves the heartless weakened for Roxas to take out with one swing of his keyblades.
The sky is filled with hearts released by Roxas and sent to find a new home in the creation of Kingdom Hearts. Minutes stretch into hours and when the final heartless in the valley falls to his keyblade, Roxas lets his shoulders slump and his two keyblades disappear.
Still breathing hard from the battle, Roxas stiffens at a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Tired?"
"No, I'm okay," Roxas says, shrugging off Rexick's hand and turning around to face him. "That's a thousand heartless down. We should probably RTC."
Rexick tilts his head. "What's the rush, Roxy?" He asks taking a step forward.
"My name is Roxas," Roxas says, taking a step back.
"I like Roxy better," Rexick says, his voice low. "Much more...alluring." He takes another step forward and Roxas tries to step back, but his back hits the wall of the valley. Rexick is much too close to him and he presses back futilely on the hard rock.
Roxas tries to glare at him, but jumps at Rexick's fingers trailing down his chest. "What are you-"
"Relax, Roxy," Rexick says softly, bending his head down to whisper in Roxas' ear.
Roxas grabs Rexick's wrist and twists it away from him. "Stop!" He says, wishing his voice hadn't trembled. He tries to shove his way away from Rexick, but the older blond barely stumbles before lashing out with a hand straight to Roxas' throat.
The pain from his head hitting the rock wall is quickly forgotten at the crushing grip on his throat tightens. "Don't," Rexick says, his voice harsh. He uses his hand not holding Roxas to the rocks to brush back some of Roxas' bangs that hand fallen in his eyes. "Do that," he says in a softer voice.
Roxas scratches at the hand on his throat, trying to rip it off, but Rexick only digs his fingertips in more causing Roxas to let out a gasp that gets strangled off. Rexick's yellow eyes fill his vision. There is a faint scar running down his cheek and it twists as Rexick sneers.
"This brings back memories," Rexick says and Roxas can feel his breath on his lips. "I'm so glad to have you back."
"What-" Roxas tries to say, but Rexick increases the pressure on his his throat.
Chuckling, Rexick plays with the zipper on Roxas' coat. "I've wanted to do this since the first time I saw you."
Roxas eyes are wide and his hands continue to scratch futilely at Rexick's hand, but Rexick doesn't even flinch. He leans closer. The edges of Roxas' vision turn fuzzy and he grunts with one more attempt to push Rexick off.
"Shh," Rexick says, his lips only a hair's breadth from Roxas'.
"Hey!"
Rexick is suddenly ripped back away from Roxas. The hold on his throat gone, Roxas drops to his knees gasping for breath and trying to blink away the blackness creeping into his vision. There is shouting around him and he forces himself to lift his head enough to see Axel pointing a chakram at Rexick who is saying,
"Axel, you can't-"
"Leave. Right now," Axel interrupts, the hand holding the chakram trembling. The anger in his eyes would send have made most people cower, but Rexick glares back.
"As your superior I order you to-" he starts to say, but Axel talks over him again.
"Get out of my sight Rexick or so help me…"
"Axel," Roxas says, getting to his feet and rubbing his throat. Axel looks to him and then back to Rexick before letting his chakram disappear and running over to Roxas.
"You alright?" Axel asks, gently examining Roxas' neck. At a sound behind them, they both look back to see Rexick disappearing into a dark portal. "I let that bastard off too easy," Axel mutters to himself turning back to Roxas.
Roxas flinches as Axel fingers brush the sore part of his neck and Axel quickly withdraws. "When Xemnas hears about this-" Axel starts to say, but Roxas cuts him off.
"No," he says, wincing at the painful rasp in his voice. Clearing his throat, he continues, "No. Axel, Xemnas is already mad at you. This isn't your mission. You shouldn't be here."
"Like hell. Rexick was assaulting you," Axel says, his eyes still full of anger.
"You can't get in anymore trouble because of me!" Roxas shouts, surprising himself and Axel. His voice echoes through the valley and when the echo fades, they stand in silence until Roxas manages to speak again.
"I heard you and Zexion talking," he mumbles to his shoes. "You're supposed to be on Xemnas' good side, but you keep ignoring his orders to help me." Roxas looks up to meet Axel's eyes. "I don't want to be the reason you get on his bad side."
The awful silence falls on them again and Roxas fidgets under Axel's clouded stare. After a long moment, Axel sighs. "Alright, Rox," he says. "But I'm talking to Saix. You aren't getting put on a mission with Rexick again."
Roxas nods, giving Axel a small grateful smile.
Axel sighs again. "C'mon," he says, summoning a dark corridor and they disappear through it.
...
Riku watches the seven princesses walking in front of him. Their giggling and smiles seem infectious as Riku can't help but grin as well. He's going home. They are going home. Him, Sora, and Kairi are finally getting back to normal.
Donald and Goofy are at the site of the transport to the Gummi ship, trying to explain to the girls how it works, but they aren't getting very far. The girls aren't paying them much attention, instead swapping stories about the princes waiting for them back home.
"Your tongue is going to dry out hanging like that," Sora says, suddenly beside him and Riku jumps, closing his mouth with a snap.
Heat rushes to his cheeks as he looks away from the princesses in their short cut dresses. "I wasn't...I have a girlfriend," he says, brushing his bangs out of his eyes in a completely not-embarrassed way.
Sora laughs. "You might want to tell Snow White that."
"What?" Riku says, looking back at the group of princesses to catch Snow White sneaking a glance his way. Meeting his eyes, she blushes and gives him a small wave that Riku returns hesitantly. Sora laughs again and Riku shoves him. "Shut up."
As Sora smothers his laughing, Riku looks at him harder. At first glance, Sora looks like his usual cheerful self, but Riku has been his best friend long enough to know when he's faking. Sora might have woken up this morning physically better than from their ordeal in Hollow Bastion, but it is clear Zack's words from the night before are still on his mind.
"You're one to talk about sneaking glances," Riku says, hoping distract Sora.
"What do you mean?" Sora says, confused.
Now it's Riku's turn to laugh. "Don't try and deny it. You stare at Kairi all the time when she isn't looking."
"Not so loud!" Sora hisses, trying to cover Riku's mouth, but he pushes him away laughing.
"Calm down. She didn't hear me," Riku says, both of them glancing at the princesses. Sora's face twists in his usual pouting face and Riku smiles to himself. Kairi is definitely the best way to distract Sora. "In case you're too blind to have realized it, she looks at you too."
Sora freezes in the act of trying to cover Riku's mouth again. "Wait, what?"
Riku takes the opportunity to thump Sora on the head. "You really are clueless, aren't you?" With of shake of his head, Riku walks towards the Gummi Ship transporter as Donald, Goofy, and the princesses take it to the ship in the sky above.
"Hey!" Sora calls, chasing after him. "You can't just say something like that and walk away. Does Kairi like me? Like, like me like me?"
Rolling his eyes, Riku swears to himself he is going to get the two lovesick idiots together when they get back to Traverse Town.
"Riku!" Sora is trying to look annoyed, but he can't keep from smiling. A genuine smile. "Does Kairi like me?"
"Dunno," Riku says with a grin. "Maybe you should ask her."
"You know I can't," Sora says, looking away.
"Why not?"
"Because it's...Kairi!" Sora says throwing his hands in the air in a defeated way.
Riku bites his tongue to keep from laughing. "C'mon, you idiot," he says, leading Sora to the green transport circle. Looking back over his shoulder, he sees Zack standing in the shadow of a nearby house.
Riku's grin slips a bit. In truth, nothing would ever be 'normal' again. Not when they know Ven's heart is still out there, missing with Aqua, Terra, and Master Eraqus.
Zack raises a hand in farewell and Riku does the same, noticing the darker than normal circles under Zack's eyes. For a moment, Riku can see the broken man Zack tries so hard to hide. He takes a step towards him, wanting to offer one more time the chance for Zack to come home with them, but Zack turns away.
The transporter glows and Riku gets on last glimpse of Zack walking alone through the abandoned city streets before it all vanishes in a green light.
…
Axel and Roxas sit at the top of the clocktower like the day before, eating their ice cream. Without meaning to, Roxas finds himself sneaking glances at Axel when the red head isn't looking.
The anger in Axel's eyes has faded with Rexick gone, but it is not gone completely. A smile forms on Roxas face and he doesn't know why, but although he doesn't understand, he is sure it has something to do with Axel.
He wants to ask Axel about all the things he doesn't understand. How he feels warmer when they are together. How sometimes something as simple as Axel's hand on his shoulder makes him feels like he can't breathe, but he doesn't mind. How sometimes he struggles to speak when Axel's bright green eyes stare into his.
Roxas wants to ask Axel what it all means, but as he watches Axel stare moodily at the sunset, he is too afraid. Dropping his gaze to his ice cream, he takes a big bite and promises himself one day he'll figure out the answer.
CatLoverx33: Yeah, Zack's a bit of a mess right now, but he still didn't have to be so mean to Sora.
Dream For Tonight: Nah, Roxas' story isn't long enough to get its own fic and don't worry, it'll weave back into the rest of the storyline soonish.
LightzMusic22: Thanks! Roxas is so adorbs :)
Pretty cool thing happened this week. MEKA hit 15,000 total views! Like whaaa? Shout out to all you readers for being awesome!
So many lovesick idiots in this chapter! I just wanna like throw Axel and Roxas together and be like KISS ALREADY! but not yet...that'll come later ;)