Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Love:: Misunderstanding
By : hachi-miitsu
Category: Kingdom Hearts > AU - Alternate Universe
Views: 1821 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: SEE FULL DISCLAIMER PLEASE
Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
….
…….. xDDD ~slurps soba~ It’s weird how fanfiction can make one happy and depressed all at the same time. This is coming so fast because it’s like my third rewrite. Once again, No oen No sue pureez. No munnies are involved and or exchanged in the making of this production. Song shtuff at the end if I used any.
~ Thank you for reading <3
Chapter Four: Of Man and his Melon Soda
April 15, 2012 6:23 a.m.
Roxas leaned back with a breathy sigh, fighting off the urge to stretch just a moment longer. It seemed much more satisfying that way, when you had to wait. His muscles ached and zinged with the effort he was using to abstain. Just…a moment….
He gave in finally, and his joints creaked in relief. The plush leather cradled him like a mother's womb, and his heart clenched involuntarily. A crash and curses from the kitchen luckily steered his attention away from treading that dark path. With a final glorious strain, Roxas scratched his scalp and ambled towards the source of the commotion.
The sight that he happened upon almost made him choke. Leon and Axel stood in a deadlock, both like towering titans in the Spartan kitchen as they loomed over a bowl of waffle batter.
"I'm telling you to give it here."
"Blow me, rocket man. I called first dibs and dammit I'm starving."
Axel raised his eyebrow at an insult he hadn't heard in years. "Rocket man? Really Squally? You really want to go there?"
The leather-clad man snarled and wrenched the bowl out of Axel's arms but he used too much force. In slow motion the bowl spiraled through the air, coming to rest on Sora's head who happened to be perched out of direct sight on the far kitchen counter.
He kicked his feet against the wooden cupboards, marking the beat of his irritation. Roxas blinked. Shook his head. Blinked again and opened his mouth. Before he could get a word in edgewise, he was pushed aside. With a squawk he went plummeting forward. Axel turned, and like the knight he often prided himself to be, caught the blonde against his chest before Roxas could make himself a pile of bloody goo in the tile floor.
The redhead blinked down at the man in his arms as the person who bowled him over flounced into the kitchen. Demyx trundled in behind her, hiding a yawn behind one hand.
"Hey ladies. Where's my waffles", she bawled.
Leon and Axel traded murderous glares as Riku also joined the fray. The silver haired man—who somehow managed to look perfectly coifed even though he'd just woken up—took in the scene and cried out, dashing to Sora's side who still wore the batter like a battle scar.
"What the hell?" He scooped the plastic bowl off while Sora giggled, his eyes sparkling. Riku pushed his partner's legs apart and stood between them, carefully swiping at the globby mixture. Yuffie grinned and skipped over to Sora, running her finger through the mess in his hair. She placed the finger to her mouth and suckled happily, winking at Riku who slapped at her hand when she went to reach it forward again.
"It's good. Needs more salt though."
Everyone in the room—save the girl in question—pulled a face and breathed out a collective groan. Yuffie and her salt. And creamy, gooey messes.
Roxas shook himself and pushed away from the redhead who was still cradling him close. "Mind telling me what you people are doing in my—"
"Our", Axel cut in proudly.
"—kitchen?"
Leon grumbled and cinched the pink 'kiss the cook' apron tighter around his waist. "Well I was trying to make a pleasant breakfast until that bozo you call a husband butted in."
Axel pushed his bottom lip out. "Better a bozo then a stoic bitch."
Leon went to charge him but Roxas skidded in between the two before more batter flew.
"Aaaaand Sora's just watching", Sora chirped. Riku licked more goopey mix off his cheek.
"Uh-oh shit's getting real now. Sora's referring to himself in third person again", Yuffie disguised her giggle with a yawn. Demyx shook his head at his wife's antics but opted to stay out of this.
"Thank you Leon." Roxas put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. Axel stuck his tongue out but Roxas was on his game, even for how early in the morning it was. The blonde grabbed his tongue and pinched it between two strong, calloused fingers. "And you," he snapped. “Get me some coffee."
"Hut hi hihn't hu heny—"
"Now rocket man."
“Hes hunnie.” Axel grinned down at him and when Roxas finally released his tongue, he swept the wet muscle over the pads of the shorter man's fingers. Roxas's eyes dilated and he allowed the smallest shiver to chase down his spine but he would not be swayed. Oh no.
The blonde just wanted to catalogue more of his bio, thinking that the early morning hours were the perfect time for the not so peaceful venture. As he looked around at his gathered companions, he wondered what the fuck he'd been thinking.
Axel strutted towards the coffee pot and poured some steaming brew, mixing it up with the creamy leaf he knew the blonde liked on mornings when he reached a particularly dangerous level of cranky. Roxas turned to the rest of them. "Just don't make too much of a mess okay? Rosa will have enough of a time cleaning up after you slobs. Let's try not to make things too hard on her."
Yuffie glanced over and tapped her bottom lip. “How’s the baby?”
Roxas’s scowl softened. “Kicking like a bonafide soccer player. Rosa’s huuuuge.” He smiled fondly at the thought of the fierce spanish maid who fussed as well as any mother. She'd refused to take anytime off until she was absolutely forced to and it was impossible to convince her otherwise, though he'd tried. And tried. And tried some more.
"Aye mijo, no. No, how will you eat without Rosa? She knows how to take care of you. Silencio mijo, I won't hear of it."
Roxas shook his head and chuckled as Yuffie’s expression darkened.“Meguriaukagi, please. Let’s see you try to carry a life for nine months and still keep up your girlish figure.”
The blonde squawked in offense and made a violent gesture at her as Leon steered the conversation back on track like he usually did. He made a very loud, very rude noise. "People and Yuffie", the ninja inclined her head at the distinction as his sharp voice cut off more bickering before it could start. "Shut it. I help her clean anyways so just be quiet and go back to what you were doing. All of you." He aimed a wooden spoon at Yuffie's head. "Especially you Kisaragi."
"Oi, leather butt. What the hell?" She ducked as the utensil flew past her head and smacked against Demyx's eye.
"You don't even have to say it. I know you, little girl. Vamanos!" His eyes glittered with malevolence. Yuffie’s ears to pinkened a shade at his startling resemblance to Rosa.
Roxas coughed into his hand. "Leon, you know you don't have to. I pay her to do this stuff and she doesn't like people infringing on her territory..."
The brunette rolled his eyes. "Sue me kid. You know this is my thing. And she can't do much moving around with that thing in her belly."
Roxas hid a grin as Axel scoffed. "Sue me, blow me. God Leon, you talk worse than a cheap whore."
“I didn’t say it this time”, Yuffie hollered, throwing up her arms and accidentally smacking Demyx in his other eye. She squeaked and placed a kiss on his smarting flesh as the poor blonde’s tears welled with a hiss.
“Oh, baby I’m so sorry. I don’t know my own strength and—”
He shot her a grin and she smiled back before rubbing her nose against his. “That’s alright Yuff. I’ll get you back later”, he husked against her ear.
“Fucking gross! Hetero-alert!! Hetero-alert!!”
Roxas and Leon both shot Axel a death glare and the redhead, for his part, had the good grace to look contrite.
Yuffie angled a slap at Leon’s stomach and wiggled her eyebrows at Axel in a suggestive manner. “You went there before. And you liked it.” Yuffie strutted towards the door with one fist buried in the front of Demyx’s shirt as he stumbled after. “And even though she turned to a he, it still counts.”
Axel promptly gagged while the remaining members of their little group trickled out of the kitchen, leaving a very floury, very disgruntled Leon to complete his task.
The redhead craned his neck to find his man, who'd already made his way back to the living room. When he stepped into the lush interior, still swathed in shadows from the morning's dawn yet to break, the redhead paused to just watch Roxas go at it. The blonde sat stiffly in his chair, aware of nothing else but his fingers clicking in a controlled frenzy against the keyboard. Every now and again he'd flick his eyes up to watch his thoughts form across the document. He was in his own world and words were the only thing that existed.
Axel let out a breath and came into the room to set the coffee down by Roxas's elbow. The blonde flinched like he'd just been zapped and leaned back to stare up at the taller man. He winced at the broken creak that issued from the chair in of protest from the odd angle. Axel grinned down at him once more, but it was softer this time. Everything was quiet again, and even the faint clinking from the kitchen faded to a soft hush.
It would have been sacrilege to ruin the lazy sunrise so the two men, one sitting and one standing, remained peacefully marooned in the peaceful ether.
When warmth enveloped the room and danced on the rim of his cup, Roxas stirred and swiveled back around to face the blinking marker where he'd stopped in the middle of a thought. His fingers placed themselves with delicate deliberance again as he finished the sentence with a flourish.
"—iliar, a distant nightmare that they all thought had been forgotten."
Axel cocked his head to the side and one of his hands wandered down to fiddle with the fabric at Roxas's shoulder. "Just like composing one of your songs, huh?"
The blonde nodded. "Something like that."
They were quiet again for a stretch. At length, Axel brought his hand back and turned. "Just don't get too dragged down into it okay? I'm here now and I won't go anywhere again."
Roxas nodded but continued to stare forward at the computer screen. Before confessions, before the passion and even after, there was the fear. The fear and…
No. He was right. They were here now. Roxas closed his eyes and listened to the muffled shuffle of Axel's footsteps against the carpet. They'd been through a lot to get where they were today.
Roxas's muscles protested such an action so early in the morning but the blonde ignored it and hunched forward to type again.
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_
September 18, 2007; time unknown
Axel was trapped in a limbo of pain. It wasn't the first time that his friends were aware of as he pulled away from everyone and everything in the course of the following days. But they were powerless as they’d been the first time to stop his decline. Touches contorted into violence, words morphed into harsh curses. The cold walls he erected around him were as disturbing as they were familiar, a distant nightmare that they all thought had been forgotten.
But Axel didn't forget. He knew what it truly felt like; the raw void that festered inside when someone left you behind, even as you begged…screamed for them not to go. He wrapped his hands in layers of gauze but speckles still showed through, the tell-tale sign of where he'd pound walls, the floor, anything he could get at until they bled. Until they numbed the real pain that mattered, even as it mocked him.
This was perhaps a tad dramatic since he had only met Roxas days ago. Yet every time the blonde brushed by him in the hallways and fled away in a panic the walls grew higher, the void colder. What he missed—so ensconced in his pain—was that Roxas could, in fact, tell.
And he was torn. He wanted to go to the redhead and soothe the wrinkles from that brow, cool the lonely shadows under his eyes that looked more like bruises from fists than signs of fatigue. But he was afraid. And Axel wasn't screaming for help, or from pain. At least not on the outside.
No, it was more than that. He was too afraid of what might happen to him. And he was all his mother had left. If it had just been him it might've been different; he might've taken the risk. But she was also getting worse.
And so their distance grew with the passing days, only broken by jolting coincidences that left them both aching and wanting for something they dare not even name.
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_
"Roxas."
"No."
"Roxas…"
"Don't touch me!"
"Roxas, plea—"
"Leave me alone!"
It was a couple mornings after their fallout and Axel had the boy cornered in a final attempt at communication. The redhead stood, but it was unclear what he stood for anymore. His hair had lost its fiery luster; his flesh looked ashen and sickly. Evidence of his weight loss reflected in the sharpness of his cheekbones and that he hadn't had a decent night's sleep for the past few days. His shoulders slumped when that animal panic glinted in Roxas's baby blues like a beacon from a ship lost at sea. Why couldn't he see that Axel felt just as lost? Why couldn't Roxas understand that he was begging for someone to find him too?
"Please, just—"
"No. Stop following me around. Stop trying to talk to me. I realize we made a promise, but you know what? Promises were made to be broken. Making friends is like writing in a new notebook; its fresh, and blank, and exciting. Okay, yeah. But then you write something and it ruins that pristine feeling.” The redhead tried to touch him but Roxas was ruthless, shrugging off his touch and continuing. “Our notebook is still blank. I'm going to close it before anything can be written and messed up any more than it already is. Do you know why?"
Axel cringed and curled into himself like Roxas had just punched him in the gut, but still he refused to move. "I don't need any friends, especially ones as unpredictable as you."
It wasn't the words that bothered him so much. In fact, he welcomed them because for a moment they doused that perfect terror. But on the last word Roxas's throat constricted and it wheezed out as a squeak. He was truly afraid. And why shouldn't he be?
Axel knew what he was. He knew how scary he could be. He'd just taken it for granted that this little tid bit hadn't bothered his friends too much. There were times when he'd even scared them, flayed them open and hurt them in the worst way; but that was alright because they always forgave him. But this…this hurt more than anything because one of few people he knew he would never, ever raise a hand against was pushing him away with everything his little body had.
Roxas's shoulders slumped as well as the sparkle in his eyes erupted into tears that threatened to spill at any moment. "Please", he whispered. "I'm so tired Axel. Just leave me be."
The taller boy bowed his head and swallowed a roar that scratched at his throat. The silence around them was obscene. Weren't there supposed to be kids around or something? The final bell rang as an answer.
Oh.
Roxas's head jerked up and he gripped the strap on his shoulder tighter. "I have to go now."
Axel didn't move or say anything as the smaller boy brushed past him to head inside the building. He sighed, realizing just how pathetic he was being and made a decision right there. If this is what Roxas wanted, then this is what Roxas would get.
He wasn't the only one who was tired.
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_
September 21, 2007; 4:10 p.m.
"Yeah, I'm telling you. It's been how many days now? I don't know what's up, but he usually never misses school."
"I can't blame him, you know….because of his dad and all. I mean even if school is a drag it must be loads better than being at home. Do you think we should go check on him?"
"No!" Riku cringed and swallowed a nervous laugh when countless heads swiveled around to shoot him dirty looks for interrupting the lecture. His mouth hitched into an apologetic smirk as the teacher resumed in a steady drone about algorithms and functions. The silver-haired boy tucked his chin against his chest and leaned closer to the blond by his side.
"Demyx, I know you're whacked bro, but come on. You said it yourself; with a father like his…" His sentence trailed off but nothing else really needed to be said. The anxious silence spoke louder than any words could.
"Well…", the blonde ventured after a moment. His brow puckered and he poked out his tongue in a contemplative manner. "I think something hurt him. Bad. He looked like a puppy who'd just been kicked. I haven't seen him like that since—"
Riku shushed him.
What neither boy was aware of was that just a seat up from them, another blonde was sweating bullets. Roxas cradled his head in his hands and urged the nausea that knotted his stomach to ease a little. This was all his fault. After that last blowup, he realized just how bitter he'd sounded. And Roxas wasn't a bad guy; even he could admit when he'd crossed the line.
Granted, Axel scared the ever-loving-shit out of him, but he hadn't deserved to be spoken to so harshly. Seeking some form of closure, Roxas had ditched his other classes in search of the redhead so that he could apologize, only to find that Axel skipped school altogether. And he'd given the janitor that caught him a black eye to boot.
The first day of Axel's absence hadn't really seemed like all that big of a deal. Roxas figured he could give him a day to cool off before approaching him. And this would give him time to formulate an adequate apology anyways. The second day of Axel being a no show had been mildly upsetting… but at least he had an apology he was sure the other boy would accept. The third day, well. It was the third day now. He had an apology that would have made even Caligula weep and Axel was still nowhere to be found.
An idea sparked in his mind as the bell to release them from school trilled with merciful authority. He turned, not bothering to gather his things until he was sure this would work.
Demyx had already zoomed out the door but there was still Riku, who stood like a man condemned as he shoved his things into his bag with a methodical aim that made Roxas raise an eyebrow. His expression was sour, like he loathed his impending task. In between strangling the life out of his pencil and punching his binder, the blonde tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"Hey um…" Roxas gulped, realizing this was probably the single most awkward moment of his life. Riku straightened and looked down his nose at the other boy.
"May I help you…Roxas, was it?"
The blonde bristled but opted to remain polite even though something about this guy rubbed him the wrong way. "Yeah…uh…" He clenched his fists and tensed. "I overheard you talking and—"
"It's rude to eavesdrop on other peoples' private conversations, you know." Riku raked him with a sneer but Roxas plowed on.
"Well…anyways I was just wondering…"
"Out with it. I have something I need to be doing and right now, I'm not in any particular mood to deal with dumbasses."
Roxas swallowed the retort that scaled his tongue. "That's just it. I…I wouldn't mind going over to his house for you."
Relief flitted across the taller boy's face before hardening with suspicion so fast it gave Roxas whiplash. Riku braced one arm on his desktop before leaning over, a choppy silver curtain spilling over one shoulder as he brought his face level with Roxas’s own. The blonde titled his head up, forcing his expression to remain neutral as they faced off. Riku’s lips quirked up at the challenge. He murmured in a dangerous undertone "What's this all abo—",
"Boys? Is there a problem?" The professor clicked up to them and cocked her hip with one eyebrow arched. She looked between the two who were making a visible effort to force amicable smiles onto their faces. "Boys?"
Riku was the first to speak. "No ma'am. Roxas here was just telling me how he'd like to…volunteer", on that word he looked down at Roxas and the smugness there caused a sick curl in the boy's stomach. "—to bring Axel his homework since he's been absent. That's all."
The professor nodded. "Well played Roxas. Let me go get the work. I can give you a list of his professors and have you make a run to them too. Oh! But I'd better call ahead. Will you be needing his address as well?" Roxas offered a numb nod as she bustled off, mumbling to herself all the while.
Roxas gulped again and Riku clapped him on the shoulder. "I don't envy you pal. I'd say good luck but it'll take a lot more than that…"
Dread tickled his chest as Roxas eyeballed the taller boy who trailed off with a sneer. Did he know that it was Roxas's fault that Axel had been MIA over the past few days? No, surely not….
Aquamarine bored into his own but Roxas refused to step down.
"Hey!" The call was high-pitched but still distinctly male and it served to break the mounting tension between them. Both heads swiveled in the direction it came from. Roxas squawked, having barely enough time to dive out of the way before a blur of brown roughly his height launched itself into Riku's arms.
Roxas blinked at the mess of spikey chocolate locks and busied himself with getting back to his feet.
"—and I told him not to touch it, but noooo. Tidus said he didn't want fingerprints anymore and I bettcha that's just what he's gonna get. Ms. Fitz almost had a stroke when she pushed him under the showerhead. Thought the sulfuric acid was gonna eat right through."
Roxas raised an eyebrow but made himself inconspicuous so the brunette wouldn't feel the need to introduce himself and make this situation any more awkward than it already was. It worked like a charm and Riku and the other boy were arm-in-arm, out of the classroom in no time.
The blonde breathed out a sigh of relief before returning to his desk and collecting his materials as fast as possible. The professor clicked up to him one final time and laid the assignments from her class, the list of Axel's other classes, and his address into the boy's waiting hands.
"It's good that Katoku has friends as responsible as you are." A lump swelled in his throat and he felt the beginnings of a cold sweat bead on his skin. Roxas nodded again though as she patted him on the shoulder and he turned to go collect the rest of the packet.
"One more thing", she called as he slid the door back. He glanced at her. "Be careful Meguriaukagi."
There it was again. Axel's dad couldn't be that bad could he? Roxas shook it off and made his rounds, catching all the professors except for Slutsky just in time. Then again, this didn't really surprise or put him out. It was Slutsky after all.
Hefting the considerable pile in his arms, Roxas walked off school grounds at a brisk pace. He kept looking around for Xigbar and his cronies but luck seemed to be on his side for once. There was no one in sight. Smiling at his good fortune, the boy stole a glance down at the address then back up at the street he was on. He nodded to himself and made for the park. If he could just get through there it'd be a cinch.
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_
Roxas bent at the waist and heaved oxygen in and out in a panic. He clutched the papers to his chest like a lifeline and waited a moment to catch his breath. He'd just managed to escape two stray dogs and a rabid hobo.
Good fortune, my ass.
Growling at the steady throb in his knee, the stifling heat of his body, and weakness he was really starting to get tired of, Roxas straightened again with a sigh. He swiped the moisture off his forehead and banished the scowl from his face even though he would have much rather left it right where it was.
Anger was comfortable right now.
But he had to make a good first impression, even if he'd never see Axel's dad again. Yeah. This was only a one time trip to make an apology and clear his conscious.
The blonde shook his head as he limped towards the grey building at the end of the street, the one that boasted the same address scrawled on the slip of paper. This was it. Roxas craned his neck at the bottom of the steps and felt a chill fuse into his bones. It would have been funny—the concept of rescuing the princess from the castle—if the place didn't look so…intimidating. Rescuing wasn't in Roxas's quota anyhow.
He trudged up the steps and stopped at the door. His arm rose to knock but he paused. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. The blonde turned his head and looked out at the view, the park, the empty street. Where were all the cars?
A cat padded by and paused to glance up at him. He smiled and it yowled before sitting and grooming its paw. Roxas turned back to the door and swallowed. He'd come this far, so he might as well go all the way.
Roxas cringed as his three short knocks rumbled like gunshots through the interior of the imposing building. He stood back when faint curses issued from behind the door and the lock clanked. It swung open with a whoosh and the blonde dug his heels in so the moving air couldn't drag him forward. He had trouble finding the good grace not to gag as the stench of alcohol and rancid sweat crept forward to slug him in the gut.
The man was balding and without a shirt. His chest was hairy and his teeth and eyes were yellow as he stifled a yawn and glared at Roxas. He reached down a burly hand to scratch at the bulge in his sweatpants. Even though he appeared to have just woken up, he still carried a mean air about him. Those sickly eyes settled on the stack of papers in Roxas's hands and sharpened.
"No solicitors", he growled, making a move to slam the door in the blonde's face. Dredging up the last of his courage, Roxas rushed forward and caught it before it closed all the way.
"Ah! Sir, wait! This is Axel's homework from the days he's missed. I was wondering if I could give it to him."
The man paused and opened the door again, regarding the slight blonde on his doorstep while scratching idly at his chin. The calculative gleam in his eye made Roxas want to run for his life.
"You a fag", he croaked.
Roxas's jaw dropped. "S-sir?"
"I asked if you were a fag, son. Are you?"
Why the hell was everyone assuming that? "N…no but…sir, is Axel here? I just want to give him his work and I'll be on my way."
The man's eyes narrowed. "He ain't here."
"I could leave the papers here then or come back at another time. Do you know when he'll be ba—"
"I don't know dammit. Don't care much neither. He does this, goes out for days at a time. Always comes crawling back though. He has to." The man's face pulled into a sneer. "It doesn't matter." He was fully awake now and his edges hardened even more.
Roxas stood with his knees quaking a little, shocked at the man's overt callousness. "Isn't that dangerous? Shouldn't you call the police or something? What if he's hurt somewhere or—"
"I said it doesn't matter", the old man snapped, cutting him off with a warning growl.
The blonde ignored it. "He's your son though."
The father charged forward and drove Roxas back with a gasp. He slapped the papers out of Roxas's arms and stood over him so that Roxas was forced to lean back and crane his neck to look up at the man.
"Don't speak so freely about something you know nothing about. He's doesn't mean shit to me. That little fucker is nothing more than a waste of space." The man loosed a bitter laugh that raised goose bumps on Roxas's arms as his pungent breath rippled across tan flesh like poison. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as the father cut off and sized him up.
"He doesn't need this homework shit anyways. The boy will die before he graduates, I'll bet you anything. He's too stupid. Too wild." The sickly man leered at Roxas as the boy swallowed. "I'll be sure to let him know you dropped by though when…if he comes home."
Roxas stepped back, unable to take it anymore. He turned and took the stairs three at a time. As he neared the bottom the boy stumbled and bit back a curse, hitting the ground hard, tearing open his knee again. The father's mocking laughter followed him the whole way. He dashed down the street, ignoring the fatigue in his body as mortification scraped against his soul. Only when the laughter that had long since drifted out of earshot ceased to numb every facility in his mind did Roxas slow down.
From a run, to a stumble, to an aimless walk…he crashed to his knees and hugged himself. Shaken, he didn't even bother to try and swallow the sobs as his hot tears fled in burning trails down his cheeks. How long had Axel had to live with that man?
How could he be so…so kind after…
Roxas got to his feet and his knees wobbled but he pressed forward, his hand trailing the rough wall by his side as an anchor. He knew he was attracting strange looks from passerby but he didn't care. It hurt too much. The thought of Axel…alone…it hurt too much.
He wanted to see Axel. Needed to see him and apologize for all the harsh things he’d said. Suddenly desperate, his joints screamed but he picked up into a desperate jog. He had to find him and hug him. Let him know that…
More sobs rose in his chest to choke him and the chilly air bit at his fevered flesh. His tears were blinding, his body in pain, but that all seemed an obscene parody. His heart was the focal point of true agony…and regret.
What if he couldn't find him? What if it was already too late?
Cries of despair clawed against his ears. Was that his voice? It sounded strange. His sneakers slapped against the pavement and each impact was like a hammer against his sanity. With every step he felt Axel drifting farther away. He kept seeing the boy, the red from his hair spreading to more of his body. The boy was cold, asleep. The old man crowed above him and sneered. No!
"Hey, dammit. I'm talking to you."
Roxas put his arms up and jerked away from the arms holding him. The one belonging to those arms snarled and shoved him against the wall.
"I said hey! What the fuck is your problem, huh?"
Roxas's hysteria tempered a little and some of the fog cleared. When he looked up his eyes widened and he hunched into himself, wishing for it back.
"Ooh. Look who it is guys? Little blondie came back to play."
Xigbar smirked and stepped closer to Roxas who clutched the strap on his shoulder with whited knuckles. The other guys scuffled around behind their leader, the scarred boy in question carrying his bad mood around like a knife between his shoulders.
Pebbles plunked, stinging as electric shocks against his sensitive skin. Roxas flinched and cowered back, panting from his current pain and the knowledge that more was just around the corner. A bigger rock caught him in the temple this time and he cried out, clutching at the spot as he felt something warm and sticky flow down. When he drew his hand back there was red smeared against his palm.
Bile rose in his throat and he screamed. Only now did he notice that no one would hear him. In his panic, they'd managed to back the boy into an alley where they wouldn't be seen and even if someone happened upon them, no one would make a fuss.
Roxas crumbled against the wall and tucked his head into his arms, the wound starting to throb as blood flowed freely. And still the rocks came. And still they all laughed. Roxas cursed all the Gods that might have been listening, praying for proper bladder control at the same time.
Xigbar held up his hand and the rocks stopped. He grabbed both the boy's shoulders and hauled him to his feet. "There, there. I only want us to have a little chat. Behave now, and this will only hurt a little."
Little sounds of distress escaped his lips and Roxas loathed every one. Every single one that just seemed to hammer the fact home that he couldn't fight back. He tried to shrug Xigbar's grip off, to no avail. Xigbar's grin widened as he grazed the back of his knuckles against the bruises that were now green and yellow on the shorter boy's neck.
"Hey, I said relax. My friends and I only want to have a little chat, without your little friend around."
Roxas flinched again when Xigbar tried to ease the strap off his shoulder. The scarred boy laughed and wrenched it from him. His friends chuckled and moved into a solid circle, something they seemed to have been trained to do quite well.
The light tan of his skin paled as the blonde quivered.
"Jeeze kid. Calm down. You look like you're about to wet yourself."
True statement. His prayer for bladder control was barely holding out. "W-what do you want to t-talk about?" Roxas gave himself a mental kick as Xigbar barked out a guttural laugh.
"I thought I broke you of that stuttering bullshit last time. You don't really learn well do you?" He leaned forward and Roxas shrunk as far as he could away. It didn’t help as the scarred boy fit their bodies snugly together. "You should leave the kid you were with the other day alone. That faggot will only lead you into a mess of trouble. My boys", he tilted his head to refer to the chuckling posse at his back, "and I don't like any unnecessary violence, you see?" He gave leisurely grind that made Roxas shudder and jerk. The smaller boy made to push him away but Xigbar snagged his wrists in one hand and pinned them above his head. “Don’t fight me”, he husked. “You don’t want to fight right? Just behave.” He rolled his hips so they collided with Roxas’s core.
“Sss…g-get off me!”
His other hand came up and molded over Roxas’s mouth, muffling more small cries as his piston became harsh. “That’s right, boy. You like it.” Their bodies heated up as respective shafts twitched to life under the ramming friction. Xigbar barked out a laugh when sharp teeth embedded into his palm. He pulled back as Roxas bit his lip to regain some composure.
The blonde’s face twisted as he glared up through icy slits into that single, searing eye that glinted with malice. In true Roxas form, his snarky side reared its head at the wrong time.
“He’s the faggot huh? Like you’re any better.” Xigbar paused and scowled as strength surged into the arms he was restraining. Roxas wrenched himself free, panting and flushed as the taller boy’s scowl darkened.
“Watch it blondie. I’m being nice to you now, but don’t push the limits of my kindness.”
“Stop me if you've heard this one before." Roxas stood up straight and pressed his hand against Xigbar's chest, his breathe rattling with his impending death as he pushed the taller boy back. "So, a group of punks get their butts handed to them—"
Xigbar's eye flashed as he snatched Roxas up by the throat. He lifted the blonde bodily off his feet and slammed him into the far wall again. The boy's eyes clenched shut and his hands clutched at the one pinning him, scratching at it as he gagged for air.
“I told you not to fucking push me.” The hand constricted as the taller boy leaned in to hiss against his ear. "You'd best school that tongue boy, before you lose it." It was then that Roxas realized why there was only one hand around his throat. The other was fingering a knife. A knife that rose and brushed lovingly against his face.
Roxas's mouth worked helplessly, nothing but a gurgle of protest escaping as his feet dangled. He had no strength, not even enough to flail. His face reddened and his eyes teared and glazed over.
Just when he thought he'd faint, Xigbar dropped him. The leader stepped back as one of his underlings came forward to pick him up again. Roxas groaned and leaned against the guy's shoulder as he made Roxas's gut his personal punching bag.
There is a point when you are in so much pain that you can't really feel anymore. Roxas wasn't there yet. The blonde bent to cradle his stomach and a sharp jarring against his skull told him the guy had just planted his fist into the back of his neck.
Roxas blinked in shock, too jolted to cry out. When he slumped to hit the dirt Xigbar stepped forward again and rolled him onto his back. The blonde’s chest rose with each painful intake, eyes pleading silently for mercy. The scarred boy sneered and placed his foot at the dip of Roxas’s crotch, grinding down on the half-hard length.
“Hnn—no! Ahh..ah-hh…s-stop, it hurts”, Roxas sobbed, his voice gaining in pitch as the unbearable pressure increased. More tears gathered as his back arched and his hands pushed at Xigbar’s ankle. “N-no mo…p-plea-se… it really hur—!” He choked when the taller boy’s foot gave a vicious twist.
Satisfied, the leader stepped back and swept his singular gaze around the gathered. His lips curled into the cruel parody of a smile as he stepped back and made a silent signal. They jumped right in. All Roxas could do was curl into a ball and brace himself as they punched and kicked the life out of his tired, pulsing body.
After some time Xigbar held up his fist and they stepped back again. He helped Roxas to feet and nudged him to stand back against the wall with disturbing gentleness. His face pulled into a sick smile as he cupped Roxas's raised cheek in his rough palm. Blood spilled freely from the boy's temple, his nose, his split lip. Xigbar leaned over and licked some off his forehead.
"Will you cooperate now? This doesn't have to be so complicated."
Roxas might have answered if he could hear through his haze of pain. As it was he stood there like the living dead, swaying. Xigbar knew he couldn't hear. He just pretended he didn't.
"I take that as a no. Boys."
They pounced like hyenas on a carcass. Roxas moaned and tensed and shuddered. He didn't know how long their onslaught continued but all at once it stopped. From his place on the ground, the blonde could sense that something had changed drastically.
Their focus was no longer on him because something had descended on them. They screamed and scattered, the leader shouting to bring whoever it was down. The flurry of activity was painful, everything was moving too fast and all Roxas could think of was wanting to sleep forever. But his eyes remained open, catching little flashes of red that hurtled past him every now and again. A savage roar. The sound of blows; crunching, slapping.
Roxas was finally allowed a reprieve as he slipped into the black ether that beckoned him in.
_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o
When Roxas came to, it took about as much effort as lifting boulders from his eyelashes.
“…as...xas.”
His senses washed over him slowly, tugging and pushing back like a serene wave eating up a sandy shore. He was still curled in a fetal position and swallowed as agony came flooding back, thrumming against every snapping nerve.
“Roxas.”
He sank completely back into himself and realized Axel was standing over him, tapping at his cheeks lightly with cool hands.
“Hey”, his lips hitched into a grin. “Welcome back to the living.”
Roxas made to sit up and regretted it an instant later. He grabbed at his head as his breath hitched. It felt as if someone had rammed into him with a semi. Then double-tapped. And triple-tapped for good measure.
He pulled his hands away and frowned when his vision stopped swimming.
"Not too fast now, or you might barf."
Too late. Roxas rolled to the side. Axel jumped back but some of the vomit almost him anyway. Regardless, he stayed close. When the blonde was finished he wiped his hand across his mouth and grimaced at the nasty mixture of blood and bile that still lingered on his tongue. Even his gums were throbbing.
He glanced up, careful to keep his movements measured so that he wouldn't toss his cookies again. He didn't miss the surreptitious way that Axel wiped his knuckles off on his jeans. His hands were covered in blood. The scary part was that none of it seemed to be his.
Axel knelt and scooted forward, holding something against the smaller boy's head. The shock from the cold contact made Roxas want to jerk away but the desire to keep from being sick again overrode that. So he sat there and let Axel soothe him with the object. After a minute, his skull stopped shrieking in protest and it started to feel really good.
By now, Roxas had a little control over his motor skills and he reached up to take charge of the cold weight that Axel ministered. Their hands brushed against each other for the smallest moment but Axel was the first to pull away.
The smaller boy groped around the object and realized it was cylindrical. He chuckled and brought the drink down to take a glance at it. Roxas was supremely proud of himself for not squeaking. It was a can of yubari melon cream soda, his favorite. This was better than vending machine porn.
Axel rose as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, watching the blonde. It made Roxas nervous, but there wasn't much he could do about it. And it wasn't like Axel's stare was demanding or judgmental. It was steady, unassuming, and perhaps this was why it knocked him so hard off guard. Those green eyes were devoid of any ulterior motives as they stroked over his body like a physical caress.
Roxas would come to discover that in later years, if he didn't have Axel's eyes on him he wouldn't even be able to fall asleep. It was something that he would grow so used to that he'd wonder how he ever functioned without it; like living in a really sunny place without sunglasses.
Unfortunately, Roxas at the moment was one who would cut off his nose to spite his face. Axel—despite what he said earlier—still kept the silent offer open. Refusing to acknowledge it, Roxas cracked the soda open and took a healthy swig before placing it back against his head.
Words caught in his throat; I miss you, I hate you, Where the hell’ve you been...nothing seemed adequate enough to get how he truly felt across. How did he feel?
"You shouldn't be out here kid. This isn't a good part of town." Axel seemed unconcerned as he scratched his chin and looked around at the graffiti-scarred walls that flanked the alleyway. Roxas gaped up at him, forgetting his original reason for even being here. He'd wanted to apologize but for what? What the hell!
Anger descended on him like life-saving armor. He clasped it to his chest and held tight to the comfort that the crackling emotion granted.
"This is all your fault!"
Axel lifted a brow but refused to move from his spot against the wall, even as Roxas wobbled to his feet. He pointed an angry, trembling finger at the taller boy. "If you'd just left me alone, they wouldn't have gotten the wrong fucking idea! I would still be enjoying my solitude without the headache that you seem to give me every time we meet! This is all your fucking fault! I ha—"
A shadow passed over Axel's face. "Go ahead. I dare you to say it.”
When Roxas’s words faltered, the redhead sighed and pinched the skin between his eyes. “Why are you out here", he murmured when the silence had stretched for too long.
Roxas eyed Axel, really seeing him for the first time in days. The ragged exhaustion, the desolate pain that lingered just past the surface of those once-laughing eyes. "I…I came to find you—"
"And yet here you stand, all high and mighty. What do you think I've been trying to do Roxas? I've been trying to leave you alone. It's not my fault if you decided to come find me all on your own."
"I…" His breath caught painfully in his lungs. This isn't what he'd come here to do. "I wanted to d-drop off your homework and—"
Axel rocketed away from the wall and gripped Roxas by both shoulders. The shorter boy cried out as Axel's fingers dug into his bruised flesh. "You've been to my house?"
"Axel! Ouch, let go. Axel, it hurts!"
"Have. You. Been. to my house", he grit out between clenched teeth as he shook Roxas a little.
"Y-yes, but I—"
Axel stepped back and he paled, trembling. "Then you've met him? You've…met my dad?"
Roxas paused at the shame that scalded Axel's cheeks. He softened suddenly, knowing that a fight was what neither of them needed at the moment. He reached up and laid his palm against the muscle working furiously in Axel's jaw.
"Axel." The redhead looked away from him but didn't pull back.
"Axel, look at me." Gently, he coerced the taller boy's head down to meet his gaze. "I met him, yes." Axel's eyes squeezed shut and his brow furrowed. Roxas sighed and cupped his other cheek. "I can't say that I'm a big fan though."
Despite Axel's mood, a small laugh escaped him. "That makes two of us." The redhead buried his face deeper into Roxas's hands as he inhaled the faint peachy scent on his wrists. It was tainted by blood and the pulse beat wildly against his cheek but this was honestly the most content Axel had felt in a long time.
Roxas was about to open his mouth to say something else but the world began spinning and he started to fall. Axel caught him as he spiraled down and held his hair back while Roxas unloaded his stomach again. There went the soda. Here came the bile. It flowed until there was nothing left. Even so, Roxas’s body continued to convulse as he gagged for air.
Axel let him wretch a moment more, rubbing soothing circles against his back and whispering words of comfort in the shell of his ear. He picked the blonde up and cradled him close when the trembling eased.
"Axel, stop. Put me dow—"
"Shush. Just tell me where to go. I can still move without help. You, on the other hand—" The boy looked down and snorted at the bundle in his arms. Roxas bristled but all his compunctions were quickly forgotten as the beat of Axel's heart thumped against his aching skull. It was soothing, that steady rhythm. Maybe for this moment, Roxas could allow himself a modicum of comfort.
Axel took a step forward. Then another. They were soon moving at a solid, gentle lope and Roxas relaxed against him, lulled into that realm between dreams and reality. He felt like he was floating on a soft cloud and here nothing could touch him, hurt him, scream at him and break him. Here, he was safe.
Roxas listened to the rush of blood that pulsed in his ears, the rise and fall of the moist breath that puffed against his face as Axel bore his weight.…
The blonde was grateful but he'd never admit it. He was being such a pansy right now that he wanted to beat himself up as well, just for good measure. He'd sooner gnaw off his own arm before owning up to it though.
The two spent a long time in silence that was occasionally broken by Roxas's soft directions. He eventually lost energy enough to do even this and just pointed the way. They kept moving forward, Axel quiet all the while.
After some time though, he spoke. The rumble of his voice vibrated through Roxas's entire body like a deep tissue massage and he couldn't stop the comfortable sigh that escaped his lips.
"You're really going to want to take it easy. I can feel a couple of broken ribs."
The blonde groaned. "Just what I need."
Axel chuckled and shifted the boy carefully in his arms to cater to his own soreness. "You'll be fine."
If he'd been at full power, Roxas just might have bitten him for sounding so amused. As it was, he opted for lapsing back into that peaceful hush.
When they reached Roxas's place, the boy fidgeted a little and tried to get Axel to release his hold so that he could unlock the door. The redhead refused with a light shake of his head and motioned for Roxas to hand him the key.
He pulled the chain from out under shirt and handed it to the stubborn boy. Axel shifted his bundle again and held him with one arm while he unlocked the door with the other.
Looking around, he nudged the door shut with his foot. "Where's your bathroom?"
Roxas squirmed against him but Axel tightened his hold. "Just point the way. I don't want you getting sick again."
Despite the tone of the command, Roxas felt a tickling warmth erupt in his stomach. He complied with a tired finger and Axel lugged him in that direction, gently setting him down on the toilet. He opened the medicine cabinet and rummaged around before pulling out the first aid kit.
His hands were swift and sure, like he'd done this countless times before. That thought made Roxas's heart sink like a lead weight. He felt the sudden compunction to pull the taller boy into a hug, despite the fact that he wanted to strangle him for treating Roxas like he was an invalid. He acted on neither impulse and watched Axel work quietly.
The redhead flipped the alcohol bottle upside down and held it there for a few seconds as the liquid soaked into a cotton swab. Pulling back, he tested it between two fingers then set the bottle down and came towards Roxas. The latter flinched and let a soft hiss out from between his clenched teeth, but otherwise he kept still.
Axel attended to him quickly; cleaning, wrapping, bracing. His touch was firm but gentle and despite Roxas's predicament he felt himself relaxing into it as a blush dusted across his nose. The adrenaline from earlier was suddenly like a deadweight in his veins, making him groggy.
That is, until Axel got to the wound at his temple.
Roxas yelped and pulled back, cupping himself as he quivered. Axel drew his hand away to give the blonde a second as his gaze lingered on the white knuckles protecting the blonde’s crotch. He’s been too late again. Green eyes narrowed as Axels’ jaw clenched.
The blood rushed to where Roxas hurt the most, to both his heads—making his nose sting and dark splotches drift into his vision. After a couple of deep breaths, Roxas clenched his hands and deliberately set them back on his knees, nodding for Axel to continue.
The redhead swabbed with a gentle deliberance, keeping a close eye on Roxas's reaction. He dabbed lightly at a few more scrapes and tended the split lip last. Long fingers grazed against the cut, soothing the sting away with Neosporin.
Every brush against his lip caused jolts to dance across his flesh and swirl around Roxas's most secret place. It was painful but…a sweet pain, bearable. The blonde groaned when the sensation became too much to handle. With his eyes cracked open, his face pulled into a scowl at Axel's grin.
"This isn't funny."
"If you say so."
Roxas refused to make another sound.
After finishing, Axel knelt down and rubbed the blonde’s thigh. “Is there anything you need?”
Roxas flinched, locking his jaw as his head jerked from side to side. Axel smirked and got to his feet, offering the boy a hand up but he wouldn't take it. Instead, the blonde braced himself on the towel rack and pulled himself up, gasping as a frenzy of spots darkened his vision once more.
Axel rushed forward and held him close, rubbing his back until his breathing calmed again. Roxas swatted at the redhead, sluggish.
"I don't need to be coddled, you know."
The taller boy tensed then growled, tired of the fact that the blonde kept throwing his actions back in his face. "Fine, no more coddling." Faster than Roxas could register, he was swept roughly off his feet. "Where's your room then", he snapped.
It was plain that he'd hurt Axel's feelings, but his pride got in the way of apologizing, the words catching painfully in the back of his throat. Roxas fell quiet and leaned against the broad, warm chest being offered while he was carted up the stairs. "Last door on the right", the blonde mumbled.
The door flew open with a snap and Roxas was ejected from Axel's arms.
"Ouch! Hey wait, I—"
And just like that the redhead was gone. He walked out of the bedroom without looking back. Roxas flinched as he heard the front door slam as well. He was gone. Roxas's irritation swept in on a fresh, prickling inferno. His chest tightened, not from broken ribs but empty guilt. Why did he always fucking have to run his mouth off?
Axel was just…
Roxas got to his feet and swayed in place a minute before he plodded over and closed his door all the way, wondering why he'd been so anxious to see Axel in the first place. They only caused each other grief.
With a sigh Roxas turned again, contemplating tackling his homework. He rummaged around for his bag when he remembered that it was back where he'd gotten jumped. Xigbar had ripped it off. Funny, how that moment seemed like it happened ages ago.
Dammit!
Roxas glanced at the clock and groaned before plopping onto his bed. He snatched a pillow up and screamed into it, gripping the satiny edges until his fingers wanted to fall off. He took a deep breath before repeating the action; the sound buzzing against his face while his head lightened more and more with every expulsion.
The blonde wasn't quite sure how long this went on but figured later that he must have blacked out. When he decided to crawl from under his pillow and glance at the clock, the shadows of early evening were already beginning to stretch across his floor.
With a sigh, he lay back down and faced the wall in an attempt to steady himself. His last conscious thoughts before his mind checked out again revolved around the abstract notion that Axel didn't have a bed to cuddle into when he wasn't feeling well. Not a safe one at least.
Next chapter is being cranked out and tweaked as we speak. Well, as you read and I type. The beginning for this chap is obviously present time and the events following are the past life story. It’s kinda like a fanfic bio? Lol, it’ll make sense in a while :3 Thanks for reading!
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Love:: Misunderstanding	By : hachi-miitsu Category: Kingdom Hearts > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1821 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Love:: Misunderstanding