Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ To catch a falling star ❯ Part 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3:

Axel had been standing outside for a quiet while now, but nobody had answered the door. There was no music playing that he could here and Rox had said that he'd be in all day with Demyx while Cloud and Leon were out working, even though it's a Sunday.

Axel could feel his temper stirring as he rapped his knuckles more firmly against the solid wooden door, muttering under his breath “God dammit, Rox answer the god damn door!” He didn't hear the muffled footsteps on the other side of the door over the noise he was making until, suddenly, his knuckles connected with thin air.

Looking down to where he was expecting to see a mildly annoyed blond, instead he found a very cute sleepy Roxas instead, rubbing his eye with his fist as though he'd just woken up. Axel couldn't help the gentle smile that slipped across his lips at the sight of him - how could anyone stay angry at such an adorable sight. Though he'd never tell Roxas that, he'd beat the shit out of him or, at the very least, he'd try. Axel had long legs and he would make use of them if he had to.

"Morning, sleepy head. I thought you would have been up a while by now." Axel kept his voice deliberately quiet as Roxas was not a morning person and, from past experience, being loud just made it worse. Though, yes he was aware that it was middle of the afternoon already. They were students, it was their job to be lazy on the weekends.

The response Axel got was split over a very large yawn, "Mornin' ... Axel."

Axel leant against the doorframe, feeling the wood dig into his shoulder as he watched Roxas, cerulean eyes slowly focusing back on him once again. Sleepy blue eyes, slightly glazed from sleep, glanced up at him, a frown furrowed Roxas's brow at the smile that Axel could feel on his lips.

He reached out to lightly ruffle the already sleep rumpled blond locks, threading them through his long fingers, enjoying the texture under his hands. Roxas's hair was so soft, more like fur than hair, ticklish but nice.

Roxas batted at Axel's hands like a disgruntled kitten, inspiring the taller man to lean forward and plant a soft kiss against his furrowed brow, fingers trailing down from golden spikes to gentle caress his cheek. The confusion in Roxas's eyes seemed to war with the urge to close them, his eyelashes fluttered softly against pale cheeks at the sensations Axel was causing.

He was always more vulnerable in the morning - best time to take advantage. "You didn't sleep well again, did you?" Axel mumbled as he removed himself from Roxas's personal space.

An absent shake of the head was the only response to that question and a light blush across Roxas's cheeks from Axel's obvious show of affection. He looked up and over his blonds head, asking the next obvious question, "Where's Dem? Didn't you say he was here with you today? He didn't come to the door either."

A sudden waft of something rather nasty smelling had Axel pinching his nose closed and speaking in a muffled but nasally voice, due to his hands location, "What the hell is that smell?"

Roxas turned to look up at Axel, eyes suddenly growing wide as the smell hit him square in the nose causing him to sneeze. "Ewww... Axel that smells like something's burning. Where's it coming from?"

"Rox ... uhm ... Dem isn't cooking is he?"Axel watched Roxas's face shift from one expression to the next in rapid succession, horror had replaced his once sleepy expression before he spun around on his heel and head purposefully for the kitchen. Axel closed the front door in short order and followed him. What he discovered on following Roxas's path to the kitchen made the redhead want to laugh or possible cry. He wasn't quite sure which.

Demyx was cooking.

Roxas paused in the doorway, mouth hanging open as Demyx seemingly ignored the smoke that was billowing out of the slightly opened oven in favour of glaring rather intently at the book he was reading - it looked suspiciously like a cook book.

One hand covered Axel's nose as his other arm snaked out and around Roxas's waist to pull him back around the corner and out of the doorway before he started yelling at his brother. Lowering his mouth down to Roxas's ear as he flailed at Axel's firm grip around his waist, quickly whispering into his ear, "Just wait a minute; I want to see what he's doing."

Roxas stopped struggling and turned with a fierce scowl already in place, levelling chilly blue eyes on Axel's curious face. Axel spoke in a rush at the sight of his lover so irritated, "I want to know why he refused to obey Leon's orders about not going into the kitchen with intent unless he was present."

Leon had been more than a bit angry after the last time, having to refurbish the kitchen was expensive, having to do it twice didn't warrant thinking about. The normally placid man had been fuming silently and had forbidden both Demyx and Cloud from cooking, apparently he didn't want nor need what he had coined the "blonde invasion".

"You do remember the last time. You know, the "blond invasion" as Leon so kindly put it." Axel could feel a smirk trying to tug its way onto his lips at the suddenly indignant expression on Rox's face.

"I'll have you know I had nothing to do with it. It was Demyx the first time, and then Cloud the second. I can cook just fine."

"Yeah... with a microwave." Axel ducked quickly as a less than friendly punch was aimed at his nose. Apparently his little spitfire was now wide awake and raring to go.

Axel grabbed Roxas' wrists lightly with his hands and spun him around so his back was pulled snugly up against his chest in an attempt to A) stop his efforts at punching him, and B) so they could both turn and peer at the now flustered Demyx running haphazardly around the kitchen, after finally noticing both the stench and the dark cloud that was accumulating overhead.

Axel tried his best to cover the snorts of laughter that were trying so desperately to escape the hand he'd moved from his nose to clamp over his mouth. His body was shaking as he tried to suppress the sound that wanted to leak out, Demyx was just too funny and in this case it was either laugh or cry - because Leon would kill them all if he got wind of this. Axel could feel the trembles of laughter rippling through Rox's body and into his own stomach because he was so firmly pressed against him, even after his previous annoyance with Axel it seemed Roxas couldn't help but laugh at his brother's predicament.

The pair looked on as Demyx pulled the now incinerated blobs of something out of the oven and dropped the tray because it was too hot, scattering what wasn't stuck to the tray onto the floor. Then he frantically rushed around, looking like a headless chicken, opening all the windows while waving a dish towel around to try to dispel the smoke away from the fire alarm to avoid setting it off. He entirely forgot to turn off the source of the problem, even though the contents had been removed.

After about five minutes of uncontrollable giggles that were trying there damndest to escape, Demyx must have heard the muffled thumps as both Axel and Roxas slipped down to the floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter. He poked his head around the doorway, his wide ocean blue eyes glossy and close to tears.

That sobered Axel up pretty quick as he heard the quiver in Demyx's voice as he spoke to them; "Axel…how l- long have you two been s- sitting there?"

Wiping his eyes with his knuckles to remove the moisture and thus the blur from his vision, Axel turned his head up to look directly into Demyx eyes. He looked so upset over something so silly. This really must mean a lot to him.

"We haven't been here very long, Dem. Rox answered the door because you didn't and he'd been sleeping before that. We came in just as something smelt like it was burning."

A silent tear coursed down Demyx's cheek, his brow furrowed and a dejected look appeared across his usually bright smiling face. "Aww... Dem."

Axel tried to get up, only to find that Roxas had fallen into his lap after they'd landed on the floor from laughing so hard. Axel looked down at the bundle of sunny blonde in his lap, and could see the sadness that filled his lover's face as his brother turned and walked back into the smoky kitchen Axel looked between the two men he cared about most in the world, not sure what to do to help them.

Axel reached up and lightly ran his hand through Roxas's tousled sunny locks, garnering his attention away from Demyx's back for just a moment.

“Axel… what's wrong with Demy? He seems so sad and he's never like this - ever since he met that guy he's been acting oddly.” Roxas turned those sky blue eyes up to look into Axel's emerald and the look of concern shone through even more. Axel sighed softly, a sad smile tilting his lip's as he watched the young man in his lap.

Axel gently wrapped his left arm more firmly around Roxas's waist, pulling him closer to him, gently running his right hand through sunny blond spikes to the nape of his neck were his finger's massaged gently at the tense muscles they found. He pulled Roxas closer to him so that he could feel Axel's warmth through his thin cotton pyjamas. It always seemed to soothe the smaller man on the rare occasions he was like this. Axel pressed his forehead against Roxas's lightly, staring into dark sapphire eyes filled with worry. Axel whispered quietly, "Rox - Dem is going through something right now, and I think he needs the time to sort it out. Do you remember when I started trying to court you?"

"Yes. But that..."

"No, Rox, that's no different, I went through what Dem is. I thought that we'd never be together; that you'd never want me because I was a guy. It was so hard, but I wanted it so much I went through an emotional roller coaster to get you. I tried so hard to hide it from you." Axel let his breath out in heavy sigh and looked down and away from Roxas's intense stare.

"I - remember. You hid it really well but, every now and then, when you didn't know I was watching, there was this far away expression that you'd get and the look in your eyes made me feel like crying. You looked so unbelievable lonely. I wanted to make that look go away: it made my heart hurt so much."

Axel could hear the pain that was reflected in Roxas's voice even though he wasn't looking at his face. He knew the expression that would be there, a deep frown, eye's lowered, teeth biting at his lip as his nerves came to the fore. And yet he was grateful for those words, so very grateful.

"Axel - I'm so sorry for making you wait, for making it hurt so much."

He could feel the fine tremors rippling across Roxas's skin, attesting to his nervousness and discomfort. Axel could feel something warm wrapping around his heart, as familiar arm's snaked around his waist to hold him back. It brought a tender smile to Axel's lips as he chanced a look back at the blond in his arms, noticing that Roxas's had cast his eyes downwards to glare at his lap, his cheeks coloured a delicate pink.

Axel gently drew his hand away from Roxas's neck, watching as the blond haired man flinched as his hand was removed from pale skin. Roxas's started to pull away from Axel but he moved quickly to prevent that from happening, his hand coming up between them so he could run his fingers along a smooth jaw line. It was unbearable soft, the skin pale and unmarked. Axel could let out a contented sigh that whispered through blond locks. Roxas's had frozen in the redhead's arms, going all tense even as his eyes fluttered at his attentions.

Axel gently stroked his fingertips up and down Roxas's skin, he let the other arm loosen its hold so he could mimic the motion on his back, attempting to soothe away the tension that had been created between them. Roxas's slowly went limp in Axel's arms, allowing him to pull him even closer placing a kiss to the hair covering his forehead. Axel pressed their foreheads together again, nudging gently at Roxas's nose with his own, trying to get his attention.

It took a few moments for Roxas's to focus. Axel watched as those cerulean orb's looked back at him, slightly dazed but intent. He let that soft smile, the one he kept just for his little lover, tilt his thin lips as he stared straight back into eyes he could willingly drown in. Axel let his eyes drift shut as he slowly leant forward to lightly brush their lips together. As he pulled back, he felt Roxas go completely limp against him, wrapping his arms firmly around Axel's neck rather than his waist and nuzzled into his throat.

Smiling, Axel slowly shifted their weight around and drew Roxas up against his toned body as he slowly picked them both up off the floor to follow Demyx into the kitchen. Axel may have looked tall and skinny but he was still pretty strong, whatever weight he had consisted of hard worked muscles. Leaning his mouth closer to the contented blond in his arms, Axel whispered in a somewhat conspiratorial way, "Mayhap we can help your brother a bit... hmm, Roxy?"

Roxas stiffened slightly at the nickname and Axel smirked against the column of Roxas's neck, placing a soft kiss there. Roxas's head came up to glare at the red head but he smiled lightly at the smile Axel gave him. Roxas knew that Axel was trying to cheer him up about Demyx.

The slight nod Roxas gave Axel was enough to know that. He wrapped his slender legs around Axel's waist as he stood and strode them both into the kitchen. To think it had only been a few minutes they'd let pass and they'd conferred so much. They were still adjusting to the relationship they were in and they both knew only too well that it would take time.

Axel watched Demyx as they entered the kitchen, his gaze wavered to the pair only briefly, returning to the same book they had seen him with earlier. Axel smiled at the sight of his friend nose deep in a book, it wasn't often you saw that particular sight, it was more likely that you'd find him with his Sitar or some music notes. Demyx's eyes widened slightly at the blond shaped burden Axel was carrying so effortlessly into the kitchen. "Rox are you alright?" Demyx's concern for his brother was one of his truly endearing qualities; he had a very big heart and Axel really worried that someone may bruise it.

The blond in question looked up from Axel's neck and gave his brother a very soft smile; he didn't give those very often, "I'm fine Demy - how about you tell us why you're in the kitchen when Leon specifically ordered you not to be." He was also sometimes far too blunt. The intertwined pair both watched as Demyx flinched at Leon's name.

"I was, uhm, well you see, I wanted to…."

"Dem, spit it out already. I have a sneaking suspicion that this..” he waved around at the mess in the kitchen, “... has something to do with a certain slate haired, stormy eyed neighbour of ours - well, yours." It seemed that Axel just couldn't help teasing Demyx about it, the blonds in thisof this family have a propensity for blushing and it was very amusing to watch, as I did when the blush shot up quite vividly against Demyx's pale skin.

"That's not, I… that's not any of your business!" Axel knew he'd struck a nerve as Demyx's resolve finally showed itself; his sudden outburst was very telling. He just wasn't good at keeping secrets.

"It's alright, Dem, we already know about that: you're just so obvious. What we wanted to know was why you're baking? We know it's something to do with him but we don't know why." Axel looked him straight in the eye, eyebrow raising in question, watching as his eyes flickered left and right, not wanting to look at him directly.

"So tell us, would you, please?" It was very rare for Roxas to say please either and by the look on Demyx's face, his eyes shooting up to focus on Roxas when those words left his lips, it was a bit of a shock for Demyx for Roxas to show so much obvious concern for him.

After a stumbling start Demyx finally confessed at least a small part of what he was doing, "Well, I wanted to, uhm, make some cookies for Ze - Zexion as an apology for you knocking him over the other day and, uhm, today was the only day that Cloud and Leon would be out. They'd just hang all over me otherwise and want to know what I was doing." There was a pointed look at them both after that statement.

"Yeah, sorry about that Dem; didn't mean to intrude or nothin' but you seem to need a bit of help." Axel rubbed his hand over the nape of his neck, a habit he'd been told he had when he was embarrassed or nervous about something, the other hand was still supporting a clinging Roxas.

Axel moved a bit further into the room and gentle rested Roxas's ass down on the centre island. Demyx was stood at the opposite end of it with his cookbook in front of him, surrounded by various pot's, pans, mixing bowls and baking sheets all with considerable signs of use.Axel thought it best to deposit Roxas as far from that mess as possible, also discouraging any urge he might have to try and help. One blond cook from this family was more than enough.

Axel settled himself comfortably between Roxas's legs, his hip resting against the counter, as he stood sideways on. Roxas's arms shifted to wrap around Axel's waist instead of his neck and Axel raised an arm to loop around Roxas's shoulders, his long fingers idly playing with the silky golden strands of hair at the nape of his neck. Axel watched as Demyx shifted uncomfortably at his words.

Axel turned and pressed a soft kiss to Roxas's forehead, giving him a smile.

Roxas nodded once and disentangled himself from Axel to let him go to Demyx.

Striding over to his woebegone friend Axel slung an arm around his shoulders and gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze.

Demyx turned his face up to Axel's, ocean blue eyes looked up at him from a quietly pleading face, "Come on, I'll give you a hand."

That smile was well worth it, but they were doing this for another reason. Demyx needed this; they had finally come to see the loneliness their musician friend, and brother, was feeling. They had never realised that they had been making his plight worse and now he had a chance at what he was so desperately looking for, Axel just hope that it worked out for them both.

"So what are we baking anyways? Oh, how long have you been cooking?" Axel turned an enquiring look on his friend, who blushed again, mumbling under his breath so quietly he couldn't quite hear him. "What was that, Dem?"

Demyx blew out a frustrated breath, "I've been cooking for the past four hours. It just never seems to go right."

Axel exchanged a look with Roxas and rolled his eyes, getting a slight quirk of the lip from the lil' blond haired male in response.

Turning his gaze back over to his frustrated friend, "Well, let's clean up and start from scratch. How's that sound?"

Demyx looked from Axel to Roxas, a genuine smile spreading his lips in a grin, lighting up his ocean blue eyes.

Axel hadn't realized how long it had been since he'd seen that smile. The three young men exchanged smiles with each other, Demyx starting to laugh. It was rather infectious. They all found themselves laughing at the situation, how truly silly it all was.

It felt really good to laugh again.

"Okay, Rox, you stay there. I think one cooking catastrophe in this kitchen is quite enough , ne?" Axel turned his laughing eyes to Roxas and gave him a conspiratorial wink as his lips lifted in a cocky smirk.

Roxas scowled at Axel for a moment but returned the conspiratorial wink and a small smile. Axel turned back to Demyx, hands settling on his hips as he surveyed the mess his best friend had made of the kitchen, "We're gonna clear the decks and then start again."

Demyx turned to start cleaning up, a small smile gracing his lips.

Axel heard him whisper, "Thanks, guys."

Axel stalked across the kitchen to the lone set of draw's in the counter, pulling one open and starting to rummage for some kind of apron to wear over his clothes. Axel had an inkling that this was going be messy. He threw his words over his shoulder, "Don't thank me yet, Dem, I have a feeling this is gonna get messy."

Axel returned to his rummaging, seeking out and finding two more aprons, one fire red, which he promptly wrapped around his own lean frame, covering black skinny jeans and his black muscle shirt. The other apron he found was suspiciously frilly and pink.

A sneaky smile whispered across Axel's lips as he considered what he was going to do next. He spoke over his shoulder once more, tone carefully nonchalant so as not to rouse suspicion, "Hey, Rox, I've got something for you to wear." He turned to stare at Roxas, Axel could hear the laughter in his own voice as he threw said object over to Roxas watching him catch and looked horrified at the pink monstrosity he held in his hands.

All Axel could hear after that was a deep belly laught coming tumbling from Demyx's mouth and some stuttering, incomprehensible nonsense from Roxas. Axel turned around with his signature smirk on my face, hands planted on his hips once more.

"Axel, I'm gonna, …you're such an asshole, you jerk!" Axel strolled over to his now infuriated blond, ignoring Demyx for a few minutes as he approached Roxas with caution, he liked his balls thank you very much and he was just at the right height to lose them if Roxas chose to get violent.

Roxas threw said insulting item straight at Axel, a the scrap of bright cerise wouldn't cover much and it gave Axel some rather interesting ideas. When Roxas caught the look of interest and calculation in his eyes he flushed and yelled angrily, "Don't you come near me, you bastard!"

Axel expertly dodged the flailing kicks aimed at him, he watched as Roxas tried to manoeuvre himself to the edge so that he could get down. Axel grabbed both of Roxas flailing legs, splitting them so he could insinuate himself in between them. He released Roxas's legs and placed both hands on his hips pulling him closer so that he was flush up against Axel's body. The redhead watched as Roxas stuttered, his lips parting and no sound coming out even as his face flushed ten different shades of red.

There eyes locked as Axel gently and subtly rubbed there bodies together, reaching one hand up to tilt Roxas's face up top his own just as a quiet mewl escaped from Roxas's lips in reaction to Axel's rolling hips, the intimate position felt delicious to the lustful redhead but he couldn't do to much - they had an audience after all.

Axel brushed a thumb across Roxas's cheek, his lips coming to rest close to his lover's ear, breath whispering across the small shell as he spoke, "Shhh, I think you'd look damned sexy in just that, don't you?" Axel licked at the plush lobe of Roxas's ear, getting a very faint moan from his lover in response. "Maybe we can play, later." Axel delicately nipped the soft flesh between his teeth as he withdrew from Roxas's welcoming body.

Roxas slowly regained his composure as Axel's warmth left his vicinity, a scowl pulling at his features, "Bastard!" But Axel could see the slight tug at the corner of his lips as he gave Roxas a less than subtle wink. He turned back to find Demyx still laughing and clutching his sides as tears streamed down his cheeks. Axel swept down to retrieve the pink apron from the floor; he folded it and returned it to where he'd had found it. Axel wondered who wore the frilly thing - Cloud or Leon?

Axel chuckled out loud at the image of either man wearing it, before poking Demyx in the side to get his attention. "Come on you - lots of work to do, if you want Zexion to have these today. I presume that was your intent?"

The laughing stopped abruptly as Demyx flushed and nodded, wiping his eyes, before returning to clearing everything up so they could start again.

The afternoon went by quickly.

They managed to make two batches of double chocolate chip cookies on Demyx's behalf for Zexion, who was his new fascination. Axel just hoped Zexion liked chocolate chip cookies; he didn't remember ever having seen him eat them before, but Zexion had never been one for frivolous foods.

And, although Axel saw Cloud and Leon return home, the older men merely stood, watching us from the doorway. He saw Cloud wrap his fingers around Leon's arm, slowly rubbing his fingertips in gentle circles just as Leon had gone to step into the room. Axel watched from the corner of his eye as Cloud leant up the few extra inches to Leon's ear, Leon turning to look down at him as he whispered something to the stoic brunet. Leon nodded subtly and, if I'm not mistaken, his lips twitched with what could have been a smile.

Leon turned back to face us in the kitchen and saw Axel watching them. He nodded and Axel returned the gesture as subtly as possible so that the others wouldn't notice.

Then Cloud locked gazes with him too and, again, Axel saw the smallest twitch of the lips that he often found showed more in Clouds eyes than a physical expression, it was a family trait. They were happy, he thought.

Axel watched as the pair retreated into the body of the house, only to appear later when dinner needed to be prepared. Axel thought, although they didn't show it, they had been concerned about Demyx.

Demyx apologized to Leon for using the kitchen without permission but showed both Leon and Cloud what they had all made together, it was clear that he was leased with what they had accomplished together, it garnered him another lip twitch from Cloud and a gentle ruffle of Demyx's hair from Leon.

It seemed to be a trait of this family, a simple and understated show of affection.

Demyx was beaming, pleased with himself and happy that Leon wasn't angry. Demyx is pretty simple, really. He likes pleasing others and accomplishing things, even if they are simple. It brought a smile to Axel's lips as Demyx went out the door after dinner to go and give his cookies to a certain slate heard individual. His friend was nervous but determined and Axel was proud of him.

Axel had squeezed Demyx's shoulder, a silent show of affection and support before he left, and Roxas had given his brother a very rare, and rather awkward, hug before coming to rest against Axel's side.

Axel draped his arm around Roxas's shoulders, pulling him closer to him. Demyx gave us a tremulous smile, looking like a brave soldier going off to battle, before he walked out the door.

"Hey, Axel?"

Axel looked down at his lil' blond after his quiet enquiry.

"Hmm… what is it, Rox?" Axel gently wrapped his fingers around Roxas's shoulder, watching as Roxas's hand came up to rest over his and squeezed gently.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Axel smiled.

Roxas loves his family very much, even if he isn't always good at showing it. And Axel was happy for that, Demyx had lived miles away from these people for so long he had been worried that they wouldn't build those lasting bonds but he had been mistaken and glad of it.

Axel squeezed Roxas's shoulder gently, pressing the smaller blond against his side,"He'll be fine. You know Demy. Who wouldn't be won over by him? Zexion's not a bad guy and I think, maybe this will help them both. They're both lonely and, although Dem realises it, I don't know if Zexion has yet. Give them a lil' time and I'm sure it will work out in the end. That answer your question?" Axel gently ruffled soft golden blond tufts with his free hand.

"Yeah. Will you stay till he gets back?"

Axel could feel Roxas tremble slightly under his arm and he pulled his lover around to face him, wrapping his other arm around him, enclosing him in his bodies warmth.

"I'll stay as long as you need. I was planning on it, anyways." Pulling away slightly Axel curled his much larger hand around Roxas's small one, feeling his lover stretch his fingers out to lace through his own.

Axel tugged Roxas along into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Resting Roxas up against his taller frame, "How about we watch that movie we were supposed to watch last time? You know; the one you fell asleep in the opening credits of."

Axel knew he was deliberately provoking Roxas, trying to get him riled up so that he would forget about everything else. Roxas was such a passionate person if you could rub him the right way, and Axel? Well he always knew just the right way to do it, and loved every second.

It worked, a fist bounced quite solidly off Axel's ribs, but not hard enough to bruise.

"Did not, you stupid ass."

Axel could hear the smile in Roxas's voice. Roxas always knew what the redhead was up to and let him know it to.

But, Axel thought, Roxas appreciated it, because instead of storming off to his room to get away from the fiery red head, as he usually did when he'd really pissed him off.

Roxas got up, grabbed a DVD and stuffed it in the player before returning to the couch and nudging himself under Axel's arm, resting against his chest as he clicked the TV on with the remote. Roxas flicked at Axel when he went to say something else; "Just shut up and watch the movie, idiot."

Axel relaxed into the couch, the cushions were deep and moulded to your body as you sank into them, his warm bundle of blond curled up next to him and he hoped that Demyx would come back at least a lil' happier than the nervous wreck he'd been when he'd left.

Fingers crossed.

The pair waited for his return and fell asleep about twenty minutes later.

So much for watching the movie.