(no subject)

[half-of-a-heart.livejournal.com]

Who: Roxas and Axel
What: Talking
Where: Balamb Garden
When: While Riku fixed Sora
Rating: PG-13


Axel was on a Roxas hunt. That damned Organisation had stolen away enought of his time, and Axel longed to see his best friend. His green eyes searched around, red eyebrows furrowed as he moved, dressed in blue, slightly torn jeans and a black button up shirt. He strode down the hallways with long strides.

Being still very damn annoyed about what was happening with Riku, Roxas had slumped himself by the door to the basement, wanting to go and see if Sora was okay but expecting Riku was still down there. With a sigh, he shifted to his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked along the hallway, heading towards the cafeteria.

Axel finally spotted the blonde boy, and headed into a jog. "Oy! Pipsqueak!" He called, grinning. "Roxas!" The tall Nobody headed after him with massive steps. "Wait up dude!"

Roxas turned to look at Axel, a weak smile coming to his face. His right eye was swollen shut and blackened, his lower lip was split and he looked generally beat up. "Hey, Axel."

Axel halted a bit in his steps, face first in shock, then deep worry, before flaming anger. His eyes literally flamed. "Who did this?!" He moved over to him, gently lifting his chin to look, his other fist balled.

Roxas gave a soft laugh. "I did, really. I let my mouth run away with itself and Riku let his fists do the same..." He shrugged a little, resting his hand on Axel's wrist.

Axel let out a soft growl. "He is not messing with you. I'll show him that Nobodies are not weaker then them." His eyes were angry and worried at the same time, his thumb gently sliding over his lip. "Have you been checked?"

"Don't go throwing your weight around, Axel. I'm a big boy, I can handle my own fights." He murmured, smiling a little as that thumb touched his lip. "I went straight to the infirmary after our fight." Yet, he hadn't told Axel about the massive bruise all over his stomach from Riku's kick.

"Still!" He hissed. "Sora let this happen?" He cared deeply for Sora, mostly because Sora and Roxas were almost the same, but still. Roxas was... Roxas. "I dont trust the infirmary. C'mon, I'll clean you up properly." The flame assassin stroked his cheek caringly. "C'mon dude."

"Sora wasn't there and when he saw us fighting, he stopped it..." He rubbed at his nose a little. "Sora cleaned me up, it was a couple of days ago now..." His gaze fell and he soon looked over to the basement door, frowning slightly.

Axel followed his gaze, nodding, "Still going to kick his ass good." He muttered, nodding towards the door, asking him to lead the way.

Shaking his head slightly, Roxas crossed his arms over his chest. "C'mon, we should go to your dorm... I don't feel like talking about Riku and Sora anymore..." He mumbled.

He scowled, inside he decided to kick Riku's ass for this. The tall redhead sighed. "But the basement is more fun." He grinned. "You even know what's down there?"

"I know more about what's down there than you do." He sighed heavily. "Please, Axel, I don't wanna go down there..." He frowned and tugged at Axel's hand.

"But you looked like you wanted to. C'mon, what are you, a man or a child?" He smirked teasingly.

"Really, Axel... please... Sora's... he's..." He shook his head before turning away and heading off towards the elevator, determined to go to a dorm. Any damn dorm.

"He's..? Oh!" He understood now. "Right. Lets go." He turned to find Roxas had aready strided off. "Hey, dude, no fair!" He hurried after, red hair bobbing as he did. He stepped up beside him as they walked. "Fine fine, my dorm is down here."

"Do you really understand what's going on, Axel, or are you just kinda guessing for my sake?" He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking on with his friend.

"I'm guessing. And by what Ive seen by sculking around here, I'm guessing I'm right too."

"So... what is it you think has happened to him, huh?" He crossed his arms now, leaning against the wall outside Axel's dorm.

"I'm guessing he is somewhere getting his brains screwed out by the bastard who messed up your face." Axel was not stupid. He was a former assassin. Assassins were good at staying hidded. And besides, rumours spread fast.

"So you were guessing and you're wrong." He murmured, shaking his head as he drummed his fingers on the door. "Gonna let me in sometime?"

"Well, I'm also guessing that it's bothering you." He said after a while. "Because you and Sora are the same." He swiped his card. "And despite supposedly not having feelings, you still feel some things." He stepped aside as the door slid open. Despite not knowing much about his Somebody, Axel felt... things.

"You've got it all wrong, Axel. Seriously. Sora's still a virgin and it's not them that's ticking me off right now." He sighed and nudged past Axel, sitting on his friend's bed. "It's the fact that Sora, is in all essence, a Heartless right now and I can't do a thing to help him." He mumbled, laying back on the bed.

Axel sat on the side of the bed, leaning back, halfways over Roxas's legs. "He seems fine to me. Not evil or anything." He lifted an eyebrow.

"That was the last time you saw him, Ax... he's locked in the basement right now... he's a Heartless... and Riku's down there with him..." He mumbled, closing his eyes.

"What?!" He blinked, mouth dropping open. "When... what happened, dude, what?"

"We were at the Centra Ruins, doing some recovery work with the Heartless... y'know, another Heart dropplet in the bucket that is Kingdom Hearts and all..." Sighing heavily, Roxas covered his eyes with his arm. "Sora was overwhelmed by them and they... turned him."

Axel's arrogant demeanour dropped a bit, and he looked tired. "So that is why..." He looked sad. "Can we see him?" He asked carefully.

Roxas shook his head, sighing again. "Riku's with him. He... he needs Riku." He whispered, gritting his teeth. It almost seemed as if he wanted to cry. Almost.

Axel watched him for a little while, before pulling him into a hug, holding him tight and close.

Roxas trembled a little before curling his arms around Axel and sighing once more, burying his face in that black shirt. "...heh. It's weird not feeling the leather of our cloaks when we're like this..."

Axel smiled softly. "Yeah I know. Kinda miss the creaking and the smell of it. Odd having to show my face." He held him, inhaling his scent. He would say his heart sped up... but it was not like he had a heart. "Dont let anyone tell you we are not as good as the Somebodies. Because we are. We are just a bit different. But we are not worth any less."

"I know, Ax... Sora treats me like I'm a Somebody. Like there's nothing different about him and me. But... I guess Sora is just the kind of person to accept without prejudice," he murmured, looking up at Axel's face. Roxas reached up, cupping the older Nobody's face and rubbing his thumb over one of those markings on his cheek.

He looked down at Roxas with his eyes caring. "I'm glad." He smiled, leaning a bit into the touch. "I met the others in the Organisation the other day. Demyx, Saix and Zexion. They.. see me as not like them at all. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing."

"Demyx is about too now...? Uhhh... why can't they all just go crawl back under their rocks?" He sighed and buried his head again. "It's a good thing, Axel. We're better than them. They're on a persuit for a heart without... knowing what one really is. A heart isn't about the emotions we can't feel... for me, my heart is Sora and you. And Kairi and... and Namine. My friends."

He nodded. "But... I feel. I missed you when you left us, I felt anger at the other. I... I was scared when I died. But you are right. My heart is you, Sora, Namine... and I guess Kairi, since she and Namine are the same." He smirked. "And I told them I could work with them as long as it suited my cause, no longer. As they are working with defeating the Heartless, I'm with. But I'm not scared to take them down should they turn on you, or this place."

Roxas sighed slightly. "Nh... if they turn on Balamb Garden, I'll be front of the angry mob, waiting to break each of their faces." He grumbled, flopping to lay down again, pouting up at Axel. "I hate... no... wait, yes! I do hate. I hate that everything is so messed up!!" He growled and buried his face in the pillows.

"Our life has always been messed up." He grinned as he laid down beside him, wiggling a bit to get room. "It's just another day. We will get throught it." He tickled his side.

"Stop tickling me!" He grumbled, becoming very childish as he swatted at Axel, pouting at him with his eyes squeezed shut.

Axel grinned, tickling more. "Defend yourself!" He snickered.

Roxas flailed and shoved at Axel before just sighing and burying his face in his friend's chest. "I'm so tired..." he mumbled softly.

Axel laughed a bit, before wrapping his arms around Roxas, the feel of his weight against his chest felt nice. He smiled. "So rest, Roxas." He descreetly kissed the top of his head.

Roxas smiled lightly, inhaling the scent of his friend. "Will... will you hold me until I fall asleep, Ax...?" He asked softly.

"Sure I will, Rox." He rested his chin on the top of him. "You sound like a girl, dude." He teased with a soft laughter, ruffling his hair.

"You sound like a jerk, dude," he replied, playfully making fun of the way Axel spoke before closing his eyes and sighing softly.

"I am a jerk." He smirked, "And you're a pipsqueak." He waited, and after a while, when he thought Roxas was sleeping, he placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

Roxas wasn't asleep, he was almost there, but he felt that kiss. Smiling lightly, he snuggled closer to Axel. "What was the kiss for?" He asked quietly.

Axel flushed hotly, and the temperature on him rose a bit. "Ah, um I... ah... j-just -- right... umm..."

Roxas laughed lightly before, with his eyes still closed, he leaned in and kissed Axel on the lips very, very lightly. "Thanks Axel." He whispered, soon curling into him for sleep.

Axels breath hitched a bit, and he grew very, very warm. He rested his cheek against Roxas, before murmurring softly, "I missed you."

A smile settled on his lips, even though it was a very small smile, and Roxas nuzzled into Axel. "I missed you too." He mumbled.